Optimise and publish a photogrammetric wreck
Prepare a sound survey model, choose GLB or 3D Tiles, upload it, and verify the published wreck.
Before you start
- A textured photogrammetric model and authority to publish it.
- A known scale, or a clear reason measurement must remain disabled.
Prepare the survey master
Open the final model in Metashape, Blender or another 3D editor. Set metres as the working unit. Check front, side and top views so the seabed is horizontal and the wreck is upright. Remove camera fragments, floating triangles and distant geometry. Check the texture for blank patches and keep this full-resolution master outside BelowVR.
- Upright
- Metres
- Clean bounds
- Complete texture
- Master retained
Verify scale before reducing it
Measure a survey scale bar or another independently known distance. If a 1 m bar does not read 1 m, correct the source transform before optimisation. If the source cannot be scaled reliably, publish it with measurement disabled rather than attaching precise-looking but false distances.
Choose the model format
Use GLB when one reduced model can keep the structure and texture detail needed on a headset. Use a Metashape .3tz or validated 3D Tiles ZIP for a survey that must stream detail across many tiles. Do not force a huge archival master through the GLB pipeline by increasing server limits.
Optimise and inspect the result
For GLB, run the BelowJS optimiser or upload the clean source for BelowVR’s device preparation. Compare the result with the master at the features that matter: frames, fastenings, machinery edges, inscriptions and texture seams. A smaller file is only successful when those features remain legible and movement is smoother.
Create the wreck and upload
In BelowVR, create a wreck record with its title, location, survey date, creator credit, description and access setting. Upload the GLB, .3tz or tiles ZIP and keep the page open until transfer and validation finish. For a replacement, the last working asset remains live until the new one validates.
Set the opening view
Open the model preview, frame the complete site from a useful angle, and select Capture. This is the first view people receive; make it explain the wreck rather than showing an accidental close-up.
Check desktop and headset
Open the published wreck on desktop and the headset you expect people to use. Check loading, orientation, scale, measurement, close detail, annotations and re-entry after leaving VR. If the device version loses archaeological evidence, return to the source or choose tiles. Do not fix a bad model by moving the shared room around it.