3D export: GLB, 3DM, SKP
How the 3D massing model is downloaded as GLB, 3DM (Rhino) or SKP (SketchUp): what the formats contain, how the colour scheme carries into the file, and where the heights come from.
Overview
The 3D model contains terrain, buildings, green space, water and streets. It can be downloaded as a whole and used as a context model in design software instead of modelling the surrounding buildings one by one. The 3D massing model (3D view and GLB, 3DM and SKP files) is part of the Pro pass (Pricing).
How to use
- In the 3D section, press «Build 3D»
- Choose the colour scheme («Use», «Age», «Height» or «Mono») and change the colours in the palette if needed
- Press «Save GLB», «Save 3DM (Rhino)» or «Save SKP (SketchUp)»
Formats
| Format | Software | Properties |
|---|---|---|
| GLB | Blender · Twinmotion · Unreal · web viewers | Opens in most programs. Triangle mesh for rendering and viewing |
| 3DM | Rhino · Grasshopper | Buildings as solids (extrusions), ready for Boolean operations. Layers by category |
| SKP | SketchUp (Pro, Go and Free on the web) | One group per building. Layers and materials by category. Opens with a double click or «Open» |
The three formats have the same content: buildings in the chosen colour scheme, terrain from DGM1, and green space, water and streets as areas. A file saved from the English screen has English layer names (for example Terrain, Green, Roads).
Colour scheme
The file takes the colours shown on the screen when it is saved.
| Colour scheme | SKP materials / 3DM layers |
|---|---|
| Use | Use classes of the «Building use» plate + Unknown |
| Age | Classes of the «Building age (estimated)» plate + no data |
| Height | 5 steps |
| Mono | 1 |
The file name contains the colour scheme, so files with different colour schemes do not overwrite each other.
Heights
- Berlin: LoD2 3D building models from Geoportal Berlin; where LoD2 is missing or implausible, the ALKIS height or storeys × 3.2 m (estimated). Cologne: LoD2 3D building model from Geobasis NRW. Stuttgart and Karlsruhe: LoD2 3D building models from the LGL
- Where the height is missing, it is estimated from the storeys above ground. Buildings built after the survey can be missing
- The massing model extrudes outlines; roof shapes from LoD2 are not used
The rules per city are in Building heights and terrain.
SketchUp (SKP)
The SKP file is saved in SketchUp 2017 format and opens in SketchUp 2017 and later, including SketchUp Free (web). It is written by an open-source library (MIT) that reads and writes the format without the SketchUp SDK. Materials are on the front and back of each face, so reversed faces do not appear white.
SKP files have not been checked by opening them in SketchUp. Header, materials, layers and geometry were checked with two independent readers. If a file does not open, please report it via Contact.
Limitations
- Buildings missing from ALKIS are not in the model
- The terrain is relative: the centre of the site is 0, and terrain heights in the file are not heights above standard elevation zero (Normalhöhennull)
- Aerial photos are not included in any 3D file
- The largest radius is 1.5 km. At large radii some programs open the file slowly
Related guides
Example plates: Geoportal Berlin (dl-de/zero-2.0) · Geobasis NRW (dl-de/zero-2.0) · Datenquelle: LGL, www.lgl-bw.de (dl-de/by-2-0) · © OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL)