Understanding 3D Tiles: The Future of Mapping

From city planning to site inspections, interactive 3D maps are fast becoming the new normal. Behind many of these experiences is a format called 3D Tiles. But what exactly are they, and why are they showing up everywhere?

Let’s break it down.

‍What are 3D Tiles?

3D Tiles are a way to break big 3D models into smaller pieces so they can load quickly and run smoothly in a web browser. Think of it like Google Maps—but in full 3D. Instead of just streets and satellite images, you get buildings, terrain, and even things like underground utilities or real-time sensor data.

The format was originally developed by Cesium, a platform for 3D geospatial applications and has since been adopted as an open standard by the Open Geospatial Consortium (OGC). That means it works across different tools and platforms, not just one company’s software.

In more technical terms, 3D Tiles allow massive 3D datasets—like photogrammetry models, point clouds, or BIM—to be broken into “tiles” that stream in as you move around. That’s what makes them so useful for modern mapping.

Why Use 3D Tiles?

Faster performance

Only the part of the map you're looking at is loaded. As you zoom and pan, new tiles stream in. This keeps things fast, even with huge datasets.

Crisp detail when you need it

Tiles load at different resolutions based on your view. Zoomed out? You’ll see low detail. Zoom in? High-res tiles pop in seamlessly.

Flexible data types

They can handle 3D buildings, terrain, LiDAR, BIM, textured meshes and more—all in one view.

Interactive by design

You can click on individual objects, highlight features, or overlay real-time data. Great for planning, analysis or training.

3D Tiles in Action

‍Imagine a city planner working on a new urban development. With 3D Tiles, they can zoom into a specific neighbourhood and see not only buildings, but underground pipes, traffic flow, and air quality sensors—all in one smooth, detailed view.

Or think about a renewable energy team planning upgrades to a wind farm. Instead of flying to the site, they can explore 3D drone captures, overlay planned cable routes and visualise terrain challenges right from their browser.

‍Why 3D Tiles are the Future

AR and VR are taking off

As more companies build immersive experiences, they need detailed 3D data that loads fast. 3D Tiles are built for that.

We’re swimming in spatial data

With drones, satellites and sensors everywhere, the amount of 3D data is exploding. 3D Tiles help us make sense of it—and share it without downloading gigabytes of files.

Smart cities and digital twins

Governments and industries are combining all kinds of data into live 3D maps. 3D Tiles make it easier to bring those pieces together in one view.

Getting Started with 3D Tiles

You don’t need to be a developer to start using 3D Tiles. Tools like Swyvl make it simple to upload and position 3D Tilesets alongside 360 photos, drone stills and floor plans—without writing a single line of code.

If you’re using photogrammetry software like RealityCapture, you can export directly to 3D Tiles and load your models into a viewer. It’s that straightforward.

Want to Learn More?

If you’re ready to go deeper, check out our technical article:
👉 3D Tiles Explained: OGC, Open Standards, Cesium & Open 3D Data

We also have tutorials in the Swyvl Help Centre to help you export from RealityCapture or start your own private 3D mapping project.