What are Maxar’s 3D Products?

Digital Surface Model (DSM)

Maxar's Digital Surface Model (DSM) offers a high-resolution representation of the Earth's surface, capturing true heights of terrain, vegetation, and structures. This dataset provides precise measurements that are critical for applications requiring detailed elevation data, ensuring that no feature is overlooked. Using Maxar's advanced 3D modeling technology, the DSM delivers consistent and accurate results across all surfaces and terrains. The dataset's availability in standard formats ensures easy integration into existing workflows, allowing users to start their analysis quickly and effectively.

• Selection options:
  • Post spacing - .5m, 1m, 2m, 4m
  • Vertical System - EGM96, EGM2008, Ellipsoid
• Min Order Size: 10 sq km

Elevation Bundle

Maxar's Elevation Bundle combines two powerful datasets to deliver comprehensive elevation insights. By integrating the Digital Surface Model (DSM) and the Digital Terrain Model (DTM), this bundle provides a detailed view of both above-ground features and the underlying bare earth. This dual dataset approach ensures accurate and actionable data for diverse use cases, from slope analysis to flood modeling. The Elevation Bundle leverages Maxar's advanced automated processing technology to deliver precision without requiring ground control points. Its global coverage and high-resolution data make it an essential tool for users needing reliable elevation information in all types of terrain.

What's Included:

• Digital Surface Model (DSM)
• Digital Terrain Model (DTM)
• Selection options:
  • Post spacing - .5m, 1m, 2m, 4m
  • Vertical System - EGM96, EGM2008, Ellipsoid
• Min Order Size: 10 sq km

Digital Terrain Model (DTM)

Maxar's Digital Terrain Model (DTM) provides precise bare-earth elevation data by removing above-ground features like vegetation and buildings. This dataset is ideal for analyzing terrain and topography, offering a clear and unobstructed view of the Earth's surface. Built using automated processing techniques, the DTM ensures accuracy and consistency across all terrain types. It is delivered in user-friendly formats, making it easy to incorporate into existing systems for immediate use.

• Selection options:
  • Post spacing - .5m, 1m, 2m, 4m
  • Vertical System - EGM96, EGM2008, Ellipsoid
• Min Order Size: 10 sq km

3D Bundle

Maxar's 3D Bundle delivers a complete suite of high-resolution geospatial data products, integrating 3D visualization, elevation data, and precise 2D imagery. This bundle is designed to provide a comprehensive understanding of the Earth's surface, offering seamless alignment between each component for enhanced accuracy and efficiency. With its ability to combine diverse datasets, the 3D Bundle is an invaluable resource for users requiring a multifaceted view of the world. Each product in the bundle is built on Maxar's industry-leading 3D modeling technology, ensuring high-quality outputs without the need for ground control points. This suite is particularly suited for projects requiring true-to-life visualizations and accurate height measurements, empowering users to make informed decisions with confidence.

What’s Includes:

• 3DSM
• 50 cm DSM
• 50cm True Ortho
• Selection Options:
  • File Format - 3D Tiles, r3db, collada, i3s
• Min Order Size: 10 sq km

3DSM Bundle

Maxar's Precision3D 3D Surface Model (3DSM) provides an immersive, photorealistic 3D representation of the Earth's surface. Featuring detailed textures and consistent accuracy, this model is ideal for lifelike visualizations and advanced simulations, enabling users to explore and analyze complex environments with ease. Developed using Maxar's industry-leading automated 3D production process, the 3DSM delivers superior resolution and accuracy without the need for ground control points. It is optimized for secure and efficient streaming, ensuring accessibility and usability for a wide range of projects.

• Selection Options:
  • File Format - 3D Tiles, r3db, collada, i3s
• Min Order Size: 10 sq km

Buildings

Maxar's Precision3D Buildings delivers high-accuracy 3D building footprints with height attribution in vector format, enabling detailed modeling of urban environments at scale. Automatically extracted from the Precision3D Surface Model and aligned with Maxar’s DTM, these vectors offer precise measurements of both roof and structure heights—even for complex, non-traditional buildings. Delivered as ESRI Shapefiles in UTM projection with WGS84 reference, the dataset supports optional height segmentation for increased structural detail. Precision3D Buildings is ideal for smart city planning, emergency response, taxation models, and autonomous navigation, offering global coverage and rapid delivery without requiring ground control points.

• Selection Options:
  • Building Representation:
    • Height-Segmented
      Buildings are split into parts to reflect different roof heights, capturing detailed elevation variation.
    • Non-Height-Segmented Each building is represented as a single shape with one consistent height, simplifying the geometry.
  • Vertical System: EGM2008, EGM96, Ellipsoid
• Min Order Size: 10 sq km

Terrain Classification

Maxar’s Precision3D Classification identifies terrain classes in a raster format, automatically extracted from the Precision3D Surface Model. Also known as land use/land cover or clutter classification, this dataset is vector-refined to match the extents of Precision3D Buildings and Precision3D Vegetation polygons. Delivered as lossless Deflate-compressed GeoTIFFs with 0.5-meter post spacing, the product is aligned to the WGS84 G1674 reference system in UTM coordinates. Precision3D Classification requires DTM coverage and supports optional post spacing values for flexible integration into geospatial workflows.

• Selection Options:
  • Post Spacing: .5, 1, 2, 4
• Min Order Size: 10 sq km

Vegetation

Maxar's Precision3D Vegetation provides vector-based representations of vegetation footprints with precise height attribution, enabling accurate 3D modeling of natural features. Extracted automatically from Maxar’s Precision3D Surface Model, these vectors offer consistent spatial alignment and realism across varied terrains. Delivered in ESRI Shapefile format and aligned to UTM with a 2-meter vertical threshold, this dataset is ideal for vegetation analysis, environmental modeling, and enhanced 3D simulations. It integrates seamlessly into existing workflows, offering detailed insights without requiring manual classification or ground control.

• Selection Options:
  • Cut by Building Vectors
    • Vegetation is masked or excluded where buildings overlap, so any tree or plant canopy intersecting a building footprint is trimmed at the building boundary.
  • Vertical System: EGM2008, EGM96, Ellipsoid
  • Vegetation Representation:
    • Stacked Vegetation
      Individual trees or clumps are rendered with vertical structure (e.g., height and volume), allowing realistic layering and elevation for canopy. Best for forest analysis, visibility studies, or when vertical detail of vegetation matters.
    • Non-Stacked Vegetation
      Vegetation is flattened to surface level or represented as a generalized elevation without vertical tree structure. Best for general terrain modeling where vegetation detail isn’t needed.
• Min Order Size: 10 sq km

Digital Height Model (DHM)

Maxar’s Precision3D Digital Height Model (DHM) represents above-ground features in a raster format by calculating the elevation difference between the Precision3D DSM and DTM. This includes buildings and vegetation that were removed during DTM creation. Vector-refined to align with Precision3D Building and Vegetation polygons, the DHM ensures consistent spatial accuracy across features. Delivered as lossless Deflate-compressed GeoTIFFs in UTM coordinates (WGS84 G1674), the dataset supports a default 0.5-meter post spacing and optional vertical datums. DTM coverage is required.

• Selection Options:
  • Post Spacing - .5, 1, 2, 4
  • Vertical System - EGM2008, EGM96, Ellipsoid
• Min Order Size: 10 sq km

3D Point Cloud

Maxar’s Precision3D Point Cloud delivers a photogrammetrically derived, RGB colorized point cloud that accurately represents the Earth’s surface form and texture. Generated from the Precision3D Surface Model, it offers 3D x, y, and z measurements embedded with true-color optical information. The dataset is coregistered with all other Precision3D products and formatted for seamless integration into lidar-compatible workflows. Delivered in industry-standard LAZ or LAS formats with a sampling density of 4 points per square meter, it uses the WGS84 G1674 reference system in UTM coordinates. Vertical datum options include EGM2008, EGM96, and Ellipsoid. No ground control required.

• Selection Options:
  • File Format - 3D Tiles, r3db, collada, i3s
  • Vertical System - EGM2008, EGM96, Ellipsoid
• Min Order Size: 10 sq km

Vocabulary + Definitions

• Vertical System: The vertical system to which the heights in the elevation model refer. The default is EGM2008, which is a standard international geoid, which means that the heights in the derived elevation model would be in meters above mean sea level.
  • EGM96, EGM2008, Ellipsoid
     
• Post Spacing: The distance between measured elevation points in meters, in regards to the latitude and longitudes, similar to pixel size or ground sampling distance. A smaller number means a more detailed model.
   
• File Format:
  • 3D-TILES is the default 3D-format supported by Cesium JS, and is widely supported by 3D-capable software.
  • collada is a XML-based 3D format, as described in ISO/PAS 17506. It is a format widely supported by CAD tools, 3D modelling software, and game engines.
  • i3s (Indexed 3D Scene Layer) is a fully 3D format, based on a 3D mesh that supports coloured overlays. This format is intended for streaming of 3D data.
  • r3db is an older and proprietary 3D format designed for data portability. 3D Tiles, r3db, collada, i3s