Apologies for potentially asking a really silly question but:
Cesium plugin is free and open source, however the Ion service (the actual data) is paid.<p>So of what use is the plugin without the streamed data? Can we choose to patch into Bing photogrammetry data as an alternative?
From the demo video this looks really interesting for games/use cases that are centered around the >1000ft view.<p>Even in the video showing off the technology things look downright terrible up close. If you pause at the very beginning you can see handrails on the stairs that are just odd floating blobs, cars have all melted into the ground.<p>It is incredibly impressive that they have managed to get aerial LIDAR into a game engine, but the visuals are quite jarring up close.
I think it is a bedrock in bridging gaming and real life. From now on you can visit virtual store in real-but-in-game location and do all the purchase without leaving the game. Imagine GTA, but everything you buy is real
Can anyone comment on how good these datasets are? Are these going to be down to like, an individual tree?<p>I also note it mentions integrating with unreal's water engine. Unreal's water engine is excellent, but as of yet, not so great with tiled landscapes. Curious how that'll work.
Nice models of Denver on the video, especially Union Station, City & County Building, airliner flyover. But the car is driving the wrong way on Broadway, even though the parked cars on the right side are pointed in the correct direction. Maybe a new GTA Denver edition is in the works? heh.