Building Urban Digital Twins with Open Source Technologies

Open source + open standards for 3D urban digital twins.

1. Building Urban Digital Twins with Open Source Technologies Open source + open standards for 3D urban digital twins. Simone Giannecchini, Founder
2. Geospatial open-source experts • Building open-source geospatial products since 2006 • Delivering scalable, secure, and interoperable solutions • Products • Services < Enterprise Support Services Deployment Subscription Professional Training Customized Solutions
3. Agenda • Introduction • Open Source tools for digital twins • About the Digital Twin Toolbox • About MapStore • Use cases and examples • Conclusions • Future works
4. Introduction • Urban Environments need live, interoperable 3D models for planning and operations • Inputs are heterogeneous: LiDAR, photogrammetry, BIM/IFC, vector data, sensors, drones, etc… • Users expect access, performance and interactivity
5. Introduction • Risks ◦ proprietary formats ◦ vendor lock-in and siloed tools ◦ costs • Enabling Factors for success ◦ Open standard, 3D Tiles / glTF / OGC APIs ◦ Open source, tooling and repeatable pipelines (automation) ◦ Open data, where it fits, balanced with governance slow adoption
6. Our ideal workflow Digital Model for Urban Planning Workflow 1. From Real World a. Data acquisition (Lidar, Vector, Raster, Survey, BIM, Sensors…) b. Initial data processing c. Ingestion / optimization / publishing ← d. Exploitation ← 2. Digital Representation -> Decision Making 3. Back to Real World
7. Our Reference Architecture OGC APIs 3D Tiles LiDAR Imagery BIM/IFC IoT Reference data SOURCE DATA EXPLOITATION INGESTION OPTIMIZATION PUBLISHING
8. Digital Twin Toolbox Digital Twin Toolbox (DTT) is an open source orchestrator for generating and inspecting OGC 3D Tiles (for urban environments) ready for web streaming
9. Digital Twin Toolbox Digital Twin Toolbox collects and orchestrates different Open Source tools/libraries providing a user interface to control the steps of the conversion process.
10. Digital Twin Toolbox Open Source building blocks for the pipelines • pg2b3dm - Conversion of polyhedron geometries to 3DTiles • i3dm.export - Conversion of point geometries to 3DTiles • PDAL - Processing of point cloud data • py3dtiles - Conversion of point cloud to 3DTiles • OpenSfM - Conversion of images to point cloud (photogrammetry) • Blender Python API - Used for 3D Mesh tiling and texturing • …
11. Digital Twin Toolbox Runtime & integration • Modular Docker services • FastAPI endpoints • Celery async jobs • Cesium preview • MapStore integration • Local or in the cloud Modular Docker architecture for backend and frontend FastAPI framework for HTTP-based services APIs in Python Digital Twin Toolbox Async job handling with Celery & Redis Frontend UI with React and MapStore + CesiumJS previews +
12. Digital Twin Toolbox The Digital Twin Toolbox provides utilities and conversion pipelines to work with and generate OGC 3D Tiles: ◦ Pipeline for Shapefile and Point cloud (.las) files ◦ Pipeline for photogrammetry (3D Mesh) ← experimental ◦ Tools for inspecting and assessing input datasets ◦ Management of data processing ◦ Tools for 360° Imagery ← experimental ◦ Integration with MapStore/Cesium for previewing raw/processed data
13. Digital Twin Toolbox • Check it out on Github: https://github.com/geosolutions-it/digital-twin-toolbox • Pre-Release at: https://github.com/geosolutions-it/digital-twin-toolbox/releases/tag/v1.0.0-rc3 • Online documentation: https://github.com/geosolutions-it/digital-twin-toolbox/wiki • Tutorials are also available in the WIKI: https://github.com/geosolutions-it/digital-twin-toolbox/wiki/Tutorials • Check out the webinar on Youtube: https://youtu.be/owQW-AUjk0U?si=yc1j_KTiJHsXwUCL
14. MapStore MapStore is an highly modular Open Source WebGIS product to create, manage, fuse and share geospatial content via maps, dashboards and geostories.
15. MapStore MapStore is map library agnostic to ensure the greatest flexibility: its abstraction tier allows to work with different web mapping libraries including CesiumJS Interoperability supporting OGC standards as well as ESRI REST Service is a core aspect of MapStore
16. MapStore • Demo site: https://mapstore.geosolutionsgroup.com • User documentation: https://docs.mapstore.geosolutionsgroup.com/en/v2025.02.01/user-guide/home-page/ • Developers documentation: https://docs.mapstore.geosolutionsgroup.com/en/v2025.02.01/developer-guide/requireme nts/ • GitHub Repo: https://github.com/geosolutions-it/MapStore2 • Youtube Videos: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLe2yzutVrnZ5tjYGYYcKmZzo_M9ku5I9X • Mailing Lists: ◦ https://groups.google.com/g/mapstore-users ◦ https://groups.google.com/g/mapstore-developers
17. MapStore
18. Use cases and examples City of Rennes (FR) - "Everyday Geography": How 2D data can help manage real-world services and citizen interaction before scaling to a 3D Digital Twin. • Public Involvement Hub: Utilizing interactive 2D maps to collect and manage citizen feedback in real-time. • Green Space Management: Dedicated tools for the precise inventory and maintenance of city gardens and parks. • Metropolitan Trail Network: Managing complex pedestrian and bicycle routes to enhance sustainable mobility. • Open Data Ecosystem: Providing a robust 2D baseline to ensure transparency and public data accessibility.
19. Use cases and examples City of Rennes (FR) - MapStore for city wide planning, cadastral data management and buildings elevation assessment with 3D Tiles. • Streamlined administrative workflows and precise spatial analysis for future developments. • Leveraging MapStore to bridge the gap between traditional cadastral data and advanced 3D urban modeling.
20. Use cases and examples Municipality of Florence (IT) - a GeoSpatial Data Portal for managing the Urban Complexity through 2D Intelligence: Data-Driven urban preservation assessment. • Multi-Layered Intelligence: Integrating hundreds of technical 2D layers to build the city’s digital backbone. • Asset Inventory: Detailed georeferencing of world heritage sites and infrastructure for precise administrative control. • Cross-Thematic Analysis: Overlaying cadastral and environmental data to identify complex urban patterns. • Baseline for 3D Evolution: Using authoritative 2D vector data as the foundation for immersive 3D Tiles.
21. Use cases and examples Municipality of Florence (IT) - How data is summarized for decision makers. Advanced Analytics by empowering Florence’s urban governance with MapStore Dashboards. • Actionable Insights: Transforming complex 2D data into intuitive, real-time dashboards for decision-makers. • Heritage Monitoring: Specialized widgets to track conservation status and maintenance of urban assets. • Dynamic Reporting: Instant quantification of urban indicators via synchronized charts and tables. • Operational Efficiency: Centralized view of performance and maintenance KPIs to streamline workflows.
22. Use cases and examples Municipality of Florence (IT) - MapStore towards a Digital Twin of the city using 3D Tiles with CesiumJS
23. Use cases and examples Municipality of Florence (IT) - Preserving urban heritage through data mapping of the city's "face". Integrating MapStore with Cyclomedia Street View to monitor building facade degradation. • Digital Twin approach for a precise categorization of conservation states • A data-driven approach to architectural preservation and urban beauty
24. Use cases and examples Municipality of Genoa (IT) - An unique geoportal for Orchestrating Urban Evolution and Infrastructure. • Unic Territorial View: Centralizing urban planning (PUC) and active city works into a single view. • Infrastructure Tracking: Real-time monitoring of public works to minimize urban disruption. • Data-Driven Decision Making: A "Single Source of Truth" to empower all municipal departments. • Urban Resilience: Advanced spatial analysis to support sustainable infrastructure development.
25. Use cases and examples Municipality of Genoa (IT) - an "human-centric" perspective showing how MapStore handles micro-level urban accessibility. • Dual-View Evaluation: Side-by-side comparison of motor and sensory accessibility for an unified urban assessment. • Dynamic Route Mapping: Real-time classification of pedestrian paths based on usability and barrier levels. • Data-Driven Inclusivity: Integrated widgets and charts providing instant quantification of architectural barriers. • Targeted Infrastructure: Strategic support to prioritize accessibility upgrades near key public interest sites.
26. Use cases and examples Municipality of Genoa (IT) - MapStore for supporting large urban work planning and visualizing the Future Urban Landscape. • Immersive Modeling: Transforming 2D plans into high-fidelity 3D environments for realistic urban visualization. • Impact Simulation: Assessing how new infrastructure integrates into the existing fabric before breaking ground. • Visual Consensus: Leveraging 3D as a strategic communication tool to share urban visions with stakeholders. • Enriched Spatial Awareness: Identifying 3D spatial conflicts by overlaying technical project data onto city meshes.
27. Use cases and examples Municipality of Genoa (IT) - Historical data reconstruction to highlight evolution of the urban environment. • Reconstructed decades of urban transformation by digitizing and georeferencing historical maps and datasets. • Enhanced historical awareness for better-informed heritage protection and risk management.
28. Use cases and examples Austrocontrol Austrian Aerospace (AT) - MapStore for powering the next generation of Aeronautical Information Management (AIM) • Advanced Symbology: High-precision rendering of aeronautical zones and symbols for instant situational awareness. • Dynamic Overlays: Real-time visualization of restricted areas and flight corridors on a 2D plane. • Strategic Data Hub: A robust GIS "single source of truth" that scales from 2D to 3D. • Total Interoperability: High-performance WMS/WFS services ensuring precision across all aviation workflows.
29. Use cases and examples Austrocontrol Austrian Aerospace (AT) - National Airspace Use Plan (NUP) Dashboard. A dynamic operational interface that integrates geographic and tabular data for the management of Austrian airspace. • Real-Time Status: Live airspace visualization with precise UTC time-stamping. • Synced Panels: Interactive map linked to detailed altitude and schedule tables. • Smart Categorization: Advanced management of specialized volumes (MTAs, LODs/LORs, MCTR). • Compliance-Ready: Integrated alerts and mandatory NOTAM briefing reminders.
30. Use cases and examples Austrocontrol Austrian Aerospace (AT) - 3D Rendering of Airspace Visualizations. Advanced GIS capabilities for Air Traffic Planning and Vertical Obstacles analysis. • High-Performance Terrain: Real-time terrain generation using GeoServer WMS layers (BIL format) on top of the MapStore 3D engine • Data Fusion: Overlay of ICAO aeronautical charts, prohibited areas (PRD), and real-time weather data • Operational Efficiency: Automated publishing workflows that meet INSPIRE and EUROCONTROL standards • Outcome: A unified, browser-based environment for complex 3D airspace planning and obstacle assessment
31. Conclusions
32. Lessons from the trenches • Standards remove vendor lock-in and let clients interoperate. • Use 3D Tiles / glTF as for 3D and OGC APIs for raster/vector 2D serving. Check also COG and STAC. • Automate conversion and provenance • Build repeatable pipelines. • Produce provenance metadata and previews so outputs are auditable and retryable • Design & implement for real users • Deliver filtered, styled, LOD-aware views, measurement and annotation. • Client-side styling + attribute overlays beats republishing tiles for every view • Plan operations & data governance early • Implement CDN + cache invalidation, tile versioning, monitoring and rollback procedures. • Decide where open data applies and formalize access/governance for restricted datasets. Standards, Automation, UX, Operations & governance, the ingredients that make urban twins operational
33. Future works We are working on a few significant enhancements to enrich the DTT capabilities: • Finalizations of photogrammetry process to 3D Tiles mesh • Support of Obj files to 3D Tiles conversion pipeline • Support of IFC and CityGML files to 3D Tiles conversion pipeline As far as MapStore more work is ongoing: • Improved filtering for 3D Tiles • Support for OGC GeoVolumes • Better overlay support for OGC Services in 3D • Integration with sensor data & simulation models!
34. Ready to scale your geospatial platform? info@geosolutionsgroup.com
35. Use cases and examples Municipality of Florence (IT) - MapStore consuming 3D Tiles buildings with classified point cloud filtered and styled for rooftop and vegetation rendered inside CesiumJS viewer
36. Use cases and examples Municipality of Florence (IT) - 3D Mesh OGC 3D Tiles generated with the photogrammetry process. Useful for improving
37. Use cases and examples Municipality of Florence (IT) - Stylized WFS layer combined with 3D Tiles Buildings inside MapStore using CesiumJS to highlight degradation of building facades
38. Use cases and examples Municipality of Florence (IT) - Rendering of an IFC model inside MapStore using CesiumJS primitives while in the backgrounds the trees are rendered as 3D Tiles
39. Use cases and examples Municipality of Florence (IT) - MapStore showing the measurement tool in action drawing distance polylines inside the CesiumJS viewer. This view show combination of volumetric build in 3D Tiles with background WMS layer
40. Use cases and examples Municipality of Florence (IT) - OGC WMS layer in combination with 3D Mesh to highlight green areas
41. Use cases and examples Municipality of Florence (IT) - MapStore showing the annotations tool working on top of 3D Tiles layers
42. Use cases and examples City of Treviso (IT) - Rendering of multiple 3D Tiles layers with style applied via style editor inside MapStore. Building have been styled using filter rules based on building height property
43. Use cases and examples Municipality of Genoa (IT) - IFC model showing underground portion of a building rendered inside MapStore as CesiumJS primitives while in the backgrounds the 3D Mesh of urban environment rendered as 3D Tiles
44. Use cases and examples Municipality of Genoa (IT) - MapStore showing annotation tool with the coordinates editor and in the CesiumJS viewer rendered annotation features using extrusions, labels and GLTF 3D models
45. Use cases and examples Municipality of Genoa (IT) - MapStore showing the measurement tool on top of the urban 3D Mesh
46. Use cases and examples Municipality of Genoa (IT) - A map view where the underground building structure are displayed using 3D Tiles. The urban mesh is clipped at runtime to show the possible evolution of an urban project.
47. Use cases and examples Municipality of Genoa (IT) - MapStore with CesiumJS rendering a GeoJSON layer showing the position of captured 360 photos with the mapillary street viewer
48. Use cases and examples Municipality of Genoa (IT) - Cesium Quantized Mesh terrain generated with cesium-terrain-builder-docker and rendered inside MapStore
49. Use cases and examples Austrocontrol Austrian Aerospace (AT) - terrain rendered with GeoServer WMS layer on top for air traffic planning