
Comparing Google Maps 3D with Singapore’s OneMap3D - cow9
https://tongwing.woon.sg/blog/comparing-google-maps-3d-with-singapores-onemap3d/
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asutekku
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.

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prashnts
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/8f5b83eb14588a6dd3816...](https://3dwarehouse.sketchup.com/model/8f5b83eb14588a6dd3816365deb2b4a2/Chenab-
River-Railway-Bridge)

~~~
mcphage
> 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.

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sytelus
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.

~~~
leokennis
Let's not forget Singapore is pretty autocratic. That surely makes it easier
to cut through any bureaucracy and privacy regulations, for example when you
quickly need an app to track people and COVID-19 infections.

However, that also makes it easier to do the same in times of peace.

~~~
jhanschoo
No, let's not prematurely chalk up to ideology what is more reasonably
explained by a capable government and a smaller country. Autocracy didn't help
China nip the pandemic in the bud. Conversely, democratic Taiwan is managing
the crisis excellently as well.

I observe this reaching for ideological explanations extremely frequently in
US media and citizens, and these lazy rationalizations seem to me to be one of
the ways the US public sphere collectively hallucinates that that they are the
freest and first in the world, while promoting ideological tribalism and
partisanship, as citizens vote away their interests to protect their
ideological delusion.

~~~
mthoms
I've long thought this, but you've articulated it way better than I ever
could, so thank you.

I'd argue that the "smaller country" explanation is also over-used.

For example, when single-payer healthcare, gun control or effective government
comes up, I often hear the excuse " _The US is way more populous than
$nation_x so it would never work here!_ ".

When asked to further explain their reasoning, many (certainly not all) can't
seem to. It's like they never think past the nation-size excuse because it's
simply accepted as fact.

~~~
jhanschoo
I agree that "smaller country" really is also overused.

I suppose what I was getting at was the distance of the highest levels of
government from the citizen. Taiwan certainly isn't a small country, but its
government is certainly in a closer relationship with its citizens concerns
than the federal government is with US citizens.

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quietbritishjim
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.

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markus0
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.

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netsharc
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
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)

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cow9
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/)

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maelito
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)

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justlexi93
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
> 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.

