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Importing 3D Tilesets

Learn how to upload and manage large-scale 3D scans, photogrammetry, and city models.

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3D Tilesets are used for massive datasets that need to stream efficiently, such as RealityCapture exports or city-scale meshes. Swyvl supports 3D Tiles 1.0 and 1.1.


Step 1: Prepare Your 3D Tileset

Before uploading, your tileset must be structured correctly:

  • The files should be packaged into a .zip folder.

  • Your zipped folder must contain:

    • A tileset.json file at the root level
      Some programs such iTwin will rename the json file to something different, that is fine, as long as the .json is at the root, or top level of that folder

    • One or more tile files;

      • For photogrammetry .b3dm (batched 3d model) files

      • For point clouds .pnts

👉 Need help exporting 3D Tiles from RealityCapture?
Read this guide →


Step 2: Upload Your 3D Tileset to Swyvl

  1. In your Project, go to the Toolbar and select 3D Data > 3D Tileset.

  2. Choose whether to:

    • Upload new: Select your .zip file

    • Choose existing: Use a tileset already in your Resources

  3. Swyvl will process the file and place the 3D Tileset in your project.

📌 Placement will center the tileset based on its internal geolocation.


Step 3: Adjust Your Tileset (Optional)

After uploading, click the settings icon next to your 3D Tileset in the Project Data Sidebar to open the Properties Panel.

Placement Tab

  • Adjust the height
    (Useful if your tileset appears floating)

Styling Tab

  • Enable a Color Overlay and its opacity

Manage Tab

  • Set the Level of Detail:

    • Lower values = higher visual detail but more data usage

    • Higher values = lower detail but better performance

    • Default = 16

This gives you control over visual quality vs performance depending on your viewer’s needs.


You’re Done

Your 3D Tileset is now part of your project. You can reposition, style, and manage it just like any other data item — and it can be toggled on/off using the viewer controls.


⚠️ Troubleshooting

3D Tileset appears cut off or partially hidden?

This can sometimes happen if the tileset is being clipped by terrain layers (especially when using Google 3D Tiles as your basemap).

To fix this:

  1. Open the Sidebar in the Builder.

  2. Go to the Project Settings tab.

  3. Scroll to Map Settings.

  4. Switch off the toggle for “Depth test against terrain.”

This will stop the map from visually cutting through the tileset, ensuring the full model is displayed.


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