Calgary 3D Context Extractor
PLACE / Arts/Culture/Other
TYPE / GIS & Cartography
YEAR / 2026 [WIP]
Users can load 3D buildings from Calgary’s Open Data API (in chunks, based on the extent of the viewport), then export them as either GeoJSON, OBJ (Blender 3D file format), or Excel as metadata.
Using Calgary’s 3D buildings open data API, users could only extract buildings as “fill-extrusions” that lacks high-fidelity details such as roof and facade geometry.
By hosting the high-fidelity LiDAR 3D file, and serving it in geographic chunks, the FAAS design staff could extract high-fidelity 3D contexts such as buildings, DEM, power poles, trees, etc. applicable during feasibility and schematic design studies as well as architectural visualizations.
Disclaimer
Project is currently a Work In Progress
[September 2026]
QGIS;
Qgis2threejs (QGIS Plugin);
Threebox (ThreeJS for Mapbox);
Mapbox GLJS;
Google Earth;
Blender;
Sketchup;
Extracting 3D geospatial contexts, systematically, for feasibility & schematic design processes.
This works, but it requires someone who uses QGIS to perform. The goal is to have a simple web-application interface that FAAS Staff could access.
Results in Sketchup