6 ms·

Comparing Google Maps 3D with Singapore’s OneMap3D

52 points by cow9 7y ago

cow9 7y ago
This is a preview of the data provided by OneMap3D programme that Singapore Land Authority is launching soon. https://geoworks.sg/onemap3d-developer-programme/ https://geoworks.sg/onemap3d-developer-programme/
justlexi93 7y ago
Both looks great but I am use to having and seeing Google Maps. This is the first time that I have heard about SG's OneMap3D
- gridlockd 7y ago
  > Both looks great Do you really think so? I think the handcrafted models look completely out of place, due to the flat lighting. Visually, even with the artifacts, Google's approach is better and it will get even better with better data and better reconstruction algorithms.
asutekku 7y ago
This is how Google Maps (or earth, to be precise) used to have 3D models in it. Everyhting was handcrafted. Modeling was partly outsourced for anyone willing to do it with Google Sketchup, back when Google still owned it. It however, was really labour intensive and one could see a lot of human mistakes. Using aerial images to generate 3D models is way cheaper and faster. I’m interested to see where this project is going, but i’m a bit sceptical for a long time success.
- dharma1 7y ago
  Considering the small size of Singapore it should be feasible to have some manual steps in the workflow and still have good coverage. They probably still source a lot of the data through photogrammetry and lidar, but clean it up by hand.
- prashnts 7y ago
  I used to contribute to Google's 3D Warehouse (which was acquired by Trimble/Sketchup) to add few 3D buildings around Delhi in Google Earth. Teenager me was quite heartbroken when google switched to the auto generated 3D models, but clearly, as you said, manual modeling wasn't feasible at world scale. I was most proud of a railway bridge in the Himalayas that ended up in Google Earth for a while. https://3dwarehouse.sketchup.com/model/8f5b83eb14588a6dd3816365deb2b4a2/Chenab-River-Railway-Bridge https://3dwarehouse.sketchup.com/model/8f5b83eb14588a6dd3816...
  - mcphage 7y ago
    > I was most proud of a railway bridge in the Himalayas that ended up in Google Earth for a while. Nice job! That looks great.
sytelus 7y ago
Singapore govt had been in news with the development of TraceTogather app for COVID-19 detection and now this. Typically, governments, with all its bureaucracies, are not expected to build things efficiently and with quality, especially complex software which is hard to build even for a supercharged startup. So this is surprising. Someone needs to figure out what are they doing right.
- DougBTX 7y ago
  > Typically governments are not expected to build things efficiently and with quality I suspect a large source of that sentiment is just marketing, companies need to go out and sell their accomplishments, whereas a civil servant can stop once the job is done. The politicians on the other hand seems to spend most of their time selling promises about the future, rather than things they have actually done.
  - gridlockd 7y ago
    The largest source of that sentiment is the DMV. The reason why typically government institutions are less efficient is that there is no inherent incentive for them to be efficient. A competitive market, on the other hand, inherently rewards efficiency. Of course, there's nothing inherently preventing government institutions from being efficient. That can happen when you have the right people doing the right thing. However, you really want to have a system that makes the wrong people do the right thing.
    - sytelus 7y ago
      A large source of it is the vast majority of government agencies. Do you want to repair X in a state park? You are looking at the arduous process to cut through. Do you need to extend your project with government grants by a month or ran over 1% of the assigned budget? You would have a hell to answer for and months to spend in meetings that will well go over 1% in officer salaries. The vast majority of US government website is pure abomination. I had been receiving end of forced to use some of them and wouldn't wish that on anyone. Some of these websites built after spending well over 100s of millions of dollars. Anyone who thinks governments are as efficient in acquiring, retaining, nurturing talent AND equal or better execution then commercial entities, should accept the challenge of getting a government job and see how that feels likes. The exceptions like Estonia and Singapore are rare and far between but should be studied.
markus0 7y ago
I thought that progressive meshes don't lend themselves well to GPU buffer objects. Always assumed that Google Maps just have a huge number of static mesh LODs for everything (which they could have generated using progressive meshes) and are okay with mesh popping.
quietbritishjim 7y ago
The words of the article say that OneMap3D is better but, to me, the images clearly convey that Google Maps 3D is better. Yes it loses some fine but they are clearly actual images of the real buildings. In contrast, OneMap3D seems to have computer-rendered models of what the buildings ought to look like. As you look around it will presumably feel like you're playing a 3D game (one with poor lighting and texturing at that!), whereas looking around in Google Maps feels like you're actually exploring the city from above.
netsharc 7y ago
For modern buildings, the 3D models actually already exist in an architecture firm's computers. Imagine if the city/country mandates that building plans also be submitted digitally, and the architect has to allow it to be licensed for 3D maps...
- vincnetas 7y ago
  This would be very undesirable for some people. People for example who get construction permit for one thing (with bribes) but build a bit different things. "A bit different" could be additional floor, or apartments instead of office space. And yes this is happening in some places. I think reality is far better source of truth than architectural drawings. So i'm voting for google approach. And heres example of my city in 3D constructed with google approach, but higher resolution. https://3d.vilnius.lt/scenos/realaus-vaizdo-3d-modelis https://3d.vilnius.lt/scenos/realaus-vaizdo-3d-modelis
maelito 7y ago
OneMap3D's approach won't handle natural landscapes, e.g. trees and rocks. Ok, it's not really useful but fascinating to explore https://earth.app.goo.gl/Ld1b8R https://earth.app.goo.gl/Ld1b8R

52 points by cow9 7y ago

cow9 7y ago

This is a preview of the data provided by OneMap3D programme that Singapore Land Authority is launching soon. https://geoworks.sg/onemap3d-developer-programme/ https://geoworks.sg/onemap3d-developer-programme/

justlexi93 7y ago

Both looks great but I am use to having and seeing Google Maps. This is the first time that I have heard about SG's OneMap3D

gridlockd 7y ago
> Both looks great Do you really think so? I think the handcrafted models look completely out of place, due to the flat lighting. Visually, even with the artifacts, Google's approach is better and it will get even better with better data and better reconstruction algorithms.

asutekku 7y ago

This is how Google Maps (or earth, to be precise) used to have 3D models in it. Everyhting was handcrafted. Modeling was partly outsourced for anyone willing to do it with Google Sketchup, back when Google still owned it. It however, was really labour intensive and one could see a lot of human mistakes. Using aerial images to generate 3D models is way cheaper and faster. I’m interested to see where this project is going, but i’m a bit sceptical for a long time success.

dharma1 7y ago
Considering the small size of Singapore it should be feasible to have some manual steps in the workflow and still have good coverage. They probably still source a lot of the data through photogrammetry and lidar, but clean it up by hand.
prashnts 7y ago
I used to contribute to Google's 3D Warehouse (which was acquired by Trimble/Sketchup) to add few 3D buildings around Delhi in Google Earth. Teenager me was quite heartbroken when google switched to the auto generated 3D models, but clearly, as you said, manual modeling wasn't feasible at world scale. I was most proud of a railway bridge in the Himalayas that ended up in Google Earth for a while. https://3dwarehouse.sketchup.com/model/8f5b83eb14588a6dd3816365deb2b4a2/Chenab-River-Railway-Bridge https://3dwarehouse.sketchup.com/model/8f5b83eb14588a6dd3816...
- mcphage 7y ago
  > I was most proud of a railway bridge in the Himalayas that ended up in Google Earth for a while. Nice job! That looks great.

sytelus 7y ago

Singapore govt had been in news with the development of TraceTogather app for COVID-19 detection and now this. Typically, governments, with all its bureaucracies, are not expected to build things efficiently and with quality, especially complex software which is hard to build even for a supercharged startup. So this is surprising. Someone needs to figure out what are they doing right.

DougBTX 7y ago
> Typically governments are not expected to build things efficiently and with quality I suspect a large source of that sentiment is just marketing, companies need to go out and sell their accomplishments, whereas a civil servant can stop once the job is done. The politicians on the other hand seems to spend most of their time selling promises about the future, rather than things they have actually done.
- gridlockd 7y ago
  The largest source of that sentiment is the DMV. The reason why typically government institutions are less efficient is that there is no inherent incentive for them to be efficient. A competitive market, on the other hand, inherently rewards efficiency. Of course, there's nothing inherently preventing government institutions from being efficient. That can happen when you have the right people doing the right thing. However, you really want to have a system that makes the wrong people do the right thing.
  - sytelus 7y ago
    A large source of it is the vast majority of government agencies. Do you want to repair X in a state park? You are looking at the arduous process to cut through. Do you need to extend your project with government grants by a month or ran over 1% of the assigned budget? You would have a hell to answer for and months to spend in meetings that will well go over 1% in officer salaries. The vast majority of US government website is pure abomination. I had been receiving end of forced to use some of them and wouldn't wish that on anyone. Some of these websites built after spending well over 100s of millions of dollars. Anyone who thinks governments are as efficient in acquiring, retaining, nurturing talent AND equal or better execution then commercial entities, should accept the challenge of getting a government job and see how that feels likes. The exceptions like Estonia and Singapore are rare and far between but should be studied.

markus0 7y ago

I thought that progressive meshes don't lend themselves well to GPU buffer objects. Always assumed that Google Maps just have a huge number of static mesh LODs for everything (which they could have generated using progressive meshes) and are okay with mesh popping.

quietbritishjim 7y ago

The words of the article say that OneMap3D is better but, to me, the images clearly convey that Google Maps 3D is better. Yes it loses some fine but they are clearly actual images of the real buildings. In contrast, OneMap3D seems to have computer-rendered models of what the buildings ought to look like. As you look around it will presumably feel like you're playing a 3D game (one with poor lighting and texturing at that!), whereas looking around in Google Maps feels like you're actually exploring the city from above.

netsharc 7y ago

For modern buildings, the 3D models actually already exist in an architecture firm's computers. Imagine if the city/country mandates that building plans also be submitted digitally, and the architect has to allow it to be licensed for 3D maps...

vincnetas 7y ago
This would be very undesirable for some people. People for example who get construction permit for one thing (with bribes) but build a bit different things. "A bit different" could be additional floor, or apartments instead of office space. And yes this is happening in some places. I think reality is far better source of truth than architectural drawings. So i'm voting for google approach. And heres example of my city in 3D constructed with google approach, but higher resolution. https://3d.vilnius.lt/scenos/realaus-vaizdo-3d-modelis https://3d.vilnius.lt/scenos/realaus-vaizdo-3d-modelis

maelito 7y ago

OneMap3D's approach won't handle natural landscapes, e.g. trees and rocks. Ok, it's not really useful but fascinating to explore https://earth.app.goo.gl/Ld1b8R https://earth.app.goo.gl/Ld1b8R