Show contour lines directly on your 3D photogrammetry scene.
Add topographic context to a shared 3D model. Click the scene to display a contour line at that elevation, or generate multiple contour lines with a predefined vertical interval for fast terrain, construction, and survey review.
Topographic 3D scene review
Use contour lines to explain height, slope, and terrain form.
A familiar map language, now visible on the 3D model itself
Contour lines connect points at the same elevation. Surveyors, engineers, archaeologists, and mapping teams use them to read slope, ridges, depressions, terraces, drainage direction, and earthwork changes. In Kroscloud, this context appears directly on the textured 3D scene you already share online.
Read terrain quickly
Close contour spacing signals steep ground; wider spacing makes flatter areas easier to spot.
Explain results to clients
Turn technical height data into visual context that stakeholders can understand in a browser.
Control vertical spacing
Use a consistent elevation interval to create readable bands across hills, cuts, piles, or trenches.
Share the scene online
Send a link or embed the model so review happens without CAD, GIS, or photogrammetry software installs.
From exported photogrammetry model to contour-rich web scene
Keep Metashape, Pix4D, or RealityScan as your production workflow, then use Kroscloud to publish an interactive 3D model with contour lines, annotations, measurements, and shareable access.
Upload a web-ready 3D model
Export an optimized GLB or OBJ from your photogrammetry tool and upload it to Kroscloud. The contour feature works best when the model has reliable scale and elevation orientation.
- Agisoft Metashape textured meshes
- Pix4Dmapper or Pix4Dmatic exports
- RealityScan / RealityCapture models
Click to place contour lines
Select a point on the model to display a contour line at that height. Add more lines manually, or generate a series with a predefined vertical distance.
- Single contour line at the clicked elevation
- Multiple contours from fixed intervals
- Fast visual review of height changes
Share or embed the result
Publish the 3D scene as a browser link or iframe embed. Add hotspots, audio, GPS context, measurements, or layers when the contour lines need more explanation.
- Direct link for client review
- Website or report portal embed
- Optional protected access and branding
Upload a real 3D model and test contour lines for free.
Create an account, publish a GLB or OBJ, place contour lines on the scene, and send yourself the share link.
Where 3D contour lines help photogrammetry professionals
Contour lines are especially useful when a scan is not just a visual model, but a terrain, site, or surface deliverable that needs clear elevation communication.
Topographic survey review
Share a 3D terrain scan with visible elevation bands so clients can inspect slope, ridgelines, drainage paths, depressions, and breaklines without opening GIS software.
Construction grading and earthworks
Explain cut and fill areas, temporary stockpiles, drainage slopes, embankments, and site progress with contour lines directly on the construction 3D model.
Stockpile, quarry, and mining context
Make pile shape, bench height, quarry faces, and haul road gradients easier to discuss during volume reviews, operations planning, or stakeholder updates.
Archaeology and cultural heritage terrain
Reveal subtle relief in mounds, trenches, terraces, ruins, and excavation surfaces. Combine contours with annotations and audio notes for research or public presentation.
Roads, corridors, and infrastructure
Present corridor terrain, ditch profiles, erosion features, shoulders, and slope transitions in a 3D scene that engineering teams and non-technical stakeholders can review.
Land planning and public communication
Help property owners, planners, and public audiences understand terrain constraints, access routes, water flow, and site form through an online 3D model viewer.
A delivery layer for Metashape, Pix4D, and RealityScan results
Production tools are excellent for reconstruction, DEMs, DSMs, orthomosaics, height profiles, and survey outputs. Kroscloud adds an online review layer where contour lines can be shown on the 3D scene itself and shared with people outside the photogrammetry workflow.
Agisoft Metashape terrain projects
Metashape users often work with aerial mapping, GCP-controlled models, DEMs, orthomosaics, archaeology, and heritage documentation. Use Kroscloud to publish the textured 3D model and add contour context for browser-based review.
Pix4D survey and mapping deliverables
Pix4D workflows commonly produce DSM, DTM, contour, orthomosaic, and survey outputs. Kroscloud helps turn the 3D model into a client-friendly online scene where elevation bands support topographic explanation.
RealityScan and RealityCapture meshes
RealityScan and RealityCapture are used for high-fidelity meshes, point clouds, ortho outputs, DSMs, and height profiles. Kroscloud gives those models an interactive web presentation with contour lines, annotations, and embeds.
Combine contour lines with the rest of your 3D delivery workflow
Contours work best when viewers can also see context: measured distances, georeferenced location, annotations, layers, and a simple way to open the model online.
3D and 2D measurement
Measure distances, height profiles, and areas while contour lines explain the wider terrain form.
Learn moreGPS georeferencing
Orient the 3D scene to real-world coordinates when field context and location review matter.
Learn moreHotspots and annotations
Mark important contour features with text, images, videos, links, translations, and audio commentary.
Learn moreLayered project phases
Compare survey dates, construction phases, or design and as-built surfaces in one shared scene.
Learn moreWebsite embeds
Place the contour-enabled 3D model in a report page, customer portal, project website, or public showcase.
Guided narration
Use audio to walk viewers through slope changes, terrain constraints, excavation steps, or site findings.
Learn moreBest practices for readable contour lines on 3D scans
The contour lines are only as meaningful as the model they are drawn on. Use controlled source data, consistent scale, and a sensible interval for the terrain you want to explain.
Contour Line Preparation Checklist
- Model scale: Verify the uploaded model has correct real-world scale.
- Vertical orientation: Confirm that the scene elevation axis is set correctly.
- Source accuracy: Use GCP, RTK, or validated control data for survey-grade work.
- Mesh quality: Clean noise, spikes, and reconstruction artifacts before publishing.
- Interval choice: Use smaller intervals for subtle terrain and larger intervals for steep scenes.
- Client readability: Avoid too many lines when the goal is visual explanation.
- Context: Add annotations where contours reveal drainage, ridges, or design constraints.
- Validation: Keep final survey validation in your production GIS, CAD, or photogrammetry workflow.
3D presentation examples
See how professionals share photogrammetry results as interactive web presentations.
3D contour lines FAQs
What are contour lines in a 3D photogrammetry model?
Contour lines connect points of equal elevation. On a 3D model, they help viewers read slope, ridges, depressions, terraces, drainage patterns, and earthwork changes directly on the textured surface.
How does the Kroscloud contour lines feature work?
Open your uploaded 3D scene, click the model at the elevation you want to inspect, and Kroscloud displays a contour line at that height. You can also add multiple contour lines using a predefined vertical interval.
Can I create many contour lines at once?
Yes. Set a fixed vertical distance to create additional contour lines quickly, which is useful for topographic review, earthworks, stockpiles, corridors, and public-facing terrain presentations.
Does it work with Agisoft Metashape, Pix4D, and RealityScan models?
Yes. Export a supported web-ready 3D model from your photogrammetry workflow, upload it to Kroscloud, then add contour lines and presentation features in the browser-based editor.
Are Kroscloud contour lines survey-grade?
The visual result depends on the accuracy, scale, and georeferencing of the uploaded model. For professional survey deliverables, validate final data in your production tools and use Kroscloud to communicate and review the model online.
Can clients view contour lines without photogrammetry software?
Yes. Clients can open the Kroscloud scene in a web browser, explore the model, view contour lines, and use supporting context such as annotations, measurements, and hotspots without installing specialist software.
Can I embed a contour-enabled 3D scene on my website?
Yes. Publish the scene and use the iframe embed code to place it on project websites, client portals, reports, documentation pages, or public showcases.
Add Contour Lines to Your First 3D Scene
Create a free Kroscloud account, upload a web-ready photogrammetry model, add contour lines, and share a browser-based 3D scene with clients, stakeholders, or your own team.