OpenDroneMap / OpenDroneMap/ODM
Coordinate System Mismatch in 3D Tiles Generation
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Description
I am a beginner, and this problem was generated with the assistance of AI.
Problem Description
I'm experiencing coordinate system mismatch issues when generating and displaying 3D Tiles from WebODM. The generated 3D models appear flipped or misaligned when overlayed on maps, unlike models generated by DJI Terra which display correctly.
Comparison Details
WebODM Generation Parameters:
3d-tiles:true, auto-boundary:true, force-gps:true, mesh-octree-depth:12, mesh-size:300000, pc-quality:high, pc-rectify:true, use-3dmesh:true, use-exif:true
Key Differences Found:
DJI Terra Output:
Uses absolute ECEF coordinates in bounding volumes
Contains proper gltfUpAxis: "Z" specification
Uses nested tileset structure with proper geographic coordinates
WebODM Output:
Uses relative local coordinates with transform matrices
Missing coordinate system specification in asset section
Flat structure without proper geographic context
Root transform matrix appears to be causing coordinate system issues
Expected Behavior
3D Tiles generated by WebODM should:
Use proper geographic coordinate systems (preferably EPSG:4326 or Web Mercator)
Display correctly when overlayed on map platforms like Cesium
Have consistent coordinate representation with other photogrammetry tools
Actual Behavior
Generated 3D Tiles appear flipped or mispositioned on maps
No option to specify coordinate system for 3D Tiles export (unlike orthophotos which support EPSG selection)
Transform matrices in tileset.json complicate coordinate interpretation
Technical Analysis
The WebODM-generated tileset.json contains:
"transform": [ -0.912183071083954, -0.40978292403154887, 0.0, 0.0, 0.18302502889042108, -0.40741652018091457, 0.8947142660555575, 0.0, -0.3666386281169875, 0.8161432069531843, 0.44663898409863984, 0.0, -2340034.4066427485, 5208952.4631562345, 2831545.4927882254, 1.0 ]
This transform matrix, combined with relative bounding box coordinates, creates the coordinate system mismatch.
Requested Features/Solutions
Add coordinate system selection for 3D Tiles export (similar to orthophoto EPSG selection)
Option to generate 3D Tiles with absolute geographic coordinates instead of transform matrices
Proper GLTF up-axis specification in the tileset.json asset section
Documentation on coordinate system handling in 3D Tiles generation
Environment
WebODM Version: 2.7.1
Comparison Tool: DJI Terra (working correctly)
This is the overlay effect diagram of my results. The WebODM result is perpendicular to the ground. I tried to manually flip it during the overlay process—although the orientation was adjusted correctly, the imaging still couldn’t display properly.
Contributor guide
First steps
- Read the whole issue, then the project's contributing guide.
- Comment on the issue to say you are picking it up — it saves two people doing the same work.
- Fork the repository and make your change on a branch.
- Open a pull request that references the issue number.
Research direction
Start by reproducing the WebODM 2.7.1 output and inspecting the generated tileset.json, especially its transform matrix and asset metadata, then compare it with the DJI Terra structure described here. Done should mean the 3D Tiles align correctly on a map platform such as Cesium, with the coordinate-system behavior and any export options documented.
Written by the indexing model from the issue text.
Assessment
- Domain
- computer-graphics
- Issue type
- Bug
- Difficulty
- 5/5
- Estimated time
- Over a week
- Activity status
- Active
- Clarity
- Needs clarification
- Newbie friendliness
- 25/100