Ovi Maps 3D: The World is Not Flat

SANTA CLARA, USA - Have you heard the news? The world is not flat, in fact it is quite three-dimensional. So what about online maps then? Are they flat or three-dimensional too?

We are excited to answer to that question: Ovi Maps for web is three-dimensional as well.

By activating the 3D view at maps.ovi.com it’s now possible to get the real feel for places see what a place really looks like. It’s a whole new virtual tour experience and by reading all your Tweets and reviews, we know that you dig it.

If you want to know more just visit us at Where 2.0 conference in Santa Clara, CA or keep reading.

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Our 3D maps are incredibly realistic! All the buildings, parks and playgrounds are there. It’s almost like being there. Cities and neighborhoods can now be visited right from the sofa, smoothly from air to the streets in downtown areas.

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To make this possible Nokia has partnered with C3, the leading provider of 3D mapping solutions, offering photo-realistic models of the world.

C3 uses modern camera equipment to capture as many as one image per second of the same object from up to 100 different angles. The images are then used to automatically reproduce the shape of the objects with very high accuracy. After that, an image processing software automatically drapes each shape with the texture chosen from the pictures of each object. The same process is being applied for all objects – buildings, houses, trees, and hills – the result is a seamless canvas of 3D-data where the resolution (8 to 12 centimeters per pixel) and quality is consistent over the entire model. This is the secret to C3 maps’ realistic look compared to competitors’ hand-made and cartoonish appearance.

Actually, C3 have demoed their solution in a previous edition of the Where 2.0 conference and impressed the audience.

Now, Nokia and C3 will impress all the Ovi Maps for web users. Try our 3D maps out now!

Currently 3D maps are available in San Francisco, New York, Miami, Boston, Chicago, Los Angeles, Las Vegas, Toronto, London, Helsinki, Stockholm, Oslo, Copenhagen, Milan, Venice, Florence, Barcelona, Madrid, Prague, Vienna and more to come. The streets in downtown can be seen in London, San Francisco, Helsinki, Oslo and Copenhagen.