By Ishveena Singh

I think we can all agree that cartography is a form of communication. A meaningful map is not only aesthetically pleasing, it also reveals something useful and interesting about the geographical area it is representing. And when it comes to understanding the features and attributes of a region, nothing quite beats viewing it in 3D.

Below, you can see an example of what a 3D map post in Facebook looks like:

You can grab, rotate, and explore the map, and pinch-zoom to see all the fine details from a smartphone or tablet device. This interactive map showcases high-quality elevation data of New Zealand. It has been created using a plugin for QGIS called Qgis2threejs. This plugin is our favorite go-to tool for visualizing DEM and vector data in 3D and creating attention-grabbing maps for web browsers.

(Read more about Digital Models of the Earth)

Here’s another example where we have used Qgis2threejs to depict the South Island of New Zealand in 3D:

Facebook enabled a feature to add 3D posts back in October 2017. But, it wasn’t until February 2018 that the support industry-standard glTF (GL Transmission Format) 2.0 was added, allowing rich, high-quality 3D content to be shared from a wide variety of sources.

Admittedly, the social networking site wants to make 3D a native part of its ecosystem as it graduates from texts, photos, and videos to immersive media. And even though the adoption of virtual reality has not been as rapid as the industry expected it to be, Facebook sees 3D posts as a great way to link its News Feed with AR (augmented reality) and VR platforms. The company is, in fact, now working to bring 3D content into the real world using AR. And since Facebook owns Instagram, it wouldn’t be foolhardy to imagine that this functionality would be made available on the photo-sharing networking site too in the near future.

Now, if you haven’t seen 3D posts popping left, right, and center on your News Feed, it could be because Facebook is not allowing brand pages to promote or boost 3D content just yet. However, it is only a matter of time before the feature becomes more stable and mature, and Facebook starts monetizing from it.

But, if you are a mapmaker or cartographer looking to share engaging 3D content with the community, we encourage you to give Facebook 3D posts a try. To download the Qgis2threejs plugin and learn more about, click here. And if you would like us to make a short video explaining how you can create Facebook 3D posts with GIS/map data, let us know in the comments section!

About the Author

Ishveena is a geospatial enthusiast and a veteran of creating and managing compelling digital content for organizations and individuals. When she is not making magic at her desk, you are likely to find her exploring nature, eating her way through life, or binge-watching funny animal videos.