Swyvl Feature

Measure point clouds, scans and orthomosaics in the browser.

Swyvl measures inside the viewer. Open a point cloud, scan, tileset or orthomosaic and take a point, a distance, an area or a height, with nothing to install. Every measurement says which frame its numbers are in, and anyone with a share link can measure too.

An area measurement on a 3D Tiles model in Swyvl: a lawn outlined by four points reads 121.42 square metres, with the Georeferenced badge and the Advanced readout showing perimeter, surface area, edge lengths and the grid
Area on a 3D Tiles model, Georeferenced, with the Advanced readout open: perimeter, surface area, edge lengths and the grid the numbers are in.

A quick dimension should not need another program

The data is already open in a browser. Measuring it should happen there.

Checking one distance means opening CloudCompare, or emailing the surveyor.

The client has the deliverable open and still cannot answer “how wide is that?” without software they do not have.

Measure inside the viewer you are already looking at.

Expand the pill along the bottom, pick a tool, click the points. The number appears on a card you can drag out of the way and copy from.

A number with no provenance gets copied into a report.

A distance read off a splat looks the same as one read off a georeferenced survey. Nobody downstream can tell which is which.

Every measurement carries a badge: Georeferenced, True scale or Indicative.

The badge says which frame the numbers are in. Click it and the viewer explains why. A rough size never masquerades as a dimension.

Letting a client measure usually means letting them edit.

Tools that save every measurement into the file turn a delivery into a shared workspace, whether you wanted one or not.

Measurements work on share links, and nothing is saved to the file.

Your client can check any dimension on the link you sent. Measurements are for the session, so the delivery stays exactly as you delivered it.

What you can measure, and where

The same four tools on every 3D and map viewer. Height needs a third dimension, so it is not offered on flat maps.

File Point Distance Area Height Badge
Orthomosaics and other GeoTIFFs Georeferenced
3D Tiles Georeferenced
Point clouds (LAS, LAZ, E57) Georeferenced when the file carries a coordinate system; otherwise True scale or Indicative, and the badge says which
Xgrids LCC and LCC2 scans Georeferenced when the export is georeferenced, otherwise True scale; Indicative on scans without a mesh
Gaussian splats (PLY, SPZ, KSPLAT, .splat) Indicative
Vector maps (GeoJSON, KML, SHP, GPX) Georeferenced

360° photos, still photos, video and PDFs have no measurement tools: there is no geometry to measure against.

A distance measurement across a field on a GeoTIFF orthomosaic in Swyvl: 82.62 metres, with the Georeferenced badge
Georeferenced Distance on an orthomosaic, 82.62 m.
A distance measurement along a street on a 3D Tiles model in Swyvl: 41.77 metres, with the Georeferenced badge
Georeferenced Distance on a 3D Tiles model, 41.77 m.
A height measurement on an excavator in an Xgrids LCC2 scan in Swyvl: a 2.46 metre vertical difference, with the True scale badge
True scale Height on an Xgrids LCC2 scan, 2.46 m.

Every number says what it rests on

The badge describes the frame the numbers are in, not the quality of the capture. A measurement is only as good as the survey behind it, and the badge makes sure nobody forgets that.

Georeferenced

The file sits on a named coordinate system, so coordinates and lengths are real-world and can be checked against control. Orthomosaics, 3D Tiles, and point clouds that carry their coordinate system.

True scale

Lengths are real metres but the file has no map position. An Xgrids scan measured on its mesh, or a point cloud in a local frame with metres declared.

Indicative

The file carries no verified scale, so treat the number as a rough size, not a dimension. Gaussian splats, and scans measured without a mesh. Not for construction, permitting or dimensional verification.

Built for the way surveyors read numbers

Simple or Advanced

Simple gives you the number. Advanced draws the horizontal and vertical components on the model and adds the deltas, slope, bearing, perimeter and edge lengths.

Your units, your grid

Metric or imperial, chosen automatically or fixed. Coordinates in WGS84, degrees-minutes-seconds, the file’s own grid, or the UTM zone. Files in US survey feet are handled properly.

Click any number to copy it

The result card can be dragged out of the way and stays where you put it. A count badge on the pill lists everything measured this session.

Works on share links

Everyone you send a link to gets the same tools, on every plan. No account, no software, no seat.

Not saved, by design

Measurements are for the session. They never change the file or the delivery, so a client can measure as much as they like and your record stays exactly as you left it.

The same controls on every viewer

A rail in the top-left for Reset view, Orbit and Walk; a View menu in the top-right; the measurement pill along the bottom. Nothing to relearn between a point cloud and a tileset.

An area measurement of a tactile paving strip in an Xgrids LCC2 scan in Swyvl: 3.43 square metres, True scale badge, with the Advanced readout showing a 12.52 metre perimeter, the surface area, four edge lengths and the vertex count
Advanced on an Xgrids scan: the area, its perimeter, each edge length and the vertex count, each one a click to copy.

How it works

1

Open the file

Any 3D or map file, on the hub or on a share link. The measurement pill sits along the bottom of the viewer, collapsed to a plus button until you need it.

2

Pick a tool and click

Point, Distance, Area or Height. The cursor becomes a crosshair, a live readout follows the pointer, and double-click, Enter or right-click finishes the shape.

3

Read it, copy it, switch units

The card shows the value, the badge and, in Advanced, the components. Click a number to copy it. Change units or coordinate system from the card.

Let your clients check the dimension themselves.

Free to start. No credit card required.

Get started free

Frequently asked questions

What people ask before they measure their first file.

Can I measure in Swyvl?
Yes. Open any 3D or map file and expand the pill along the bottom of the viewer. Four tools: Point for a coordinate, Distance for point to point or along a path, Area for a polygon, and Height for the vertical difference between two points. Nothing to install, on the hub and on share links.
How accurate are the measurements?
As accurate as the file behind them. Every measurement carries a badge that says which frame its numbers are in: Georeferenced, True scale or Indicative. The badge describes the frame, not the quality of the capture. A georeferenced orthomosaic measured in Swyvl is as accurate as the survey that produced it; a Gaussian splat is indicative only.
Can my client measure on a share link?
Yes. The same tools appear on share links, on every plan, for anyone you send the link to. Measurements are for the session and are not saved to the file, so a client can check a dimension without changing anything in your delivery.
Are measurements saved?
Not in this release. Measurements live for the session, and the card can be dragged out of the way or deleted. Click any number to copy it into a report or an email.
Which units and coordinate systems can I use?
Metric or imperial, with the unit chosen automatically by magnitude or fixed. Point coordinates can be read in WGS84 (decimal or degrees-minutes-seconds), the file’s own grid, or the UTM zone. Files in US survey feet are handled correctly.
Does measuring cost extra?
No. Measurement tools are included on every plan, including Free, and for everyone who opens a share link.

Full detail in the documentation: Measuring in Swyvl →