In May 2023, we announced the experimental release of Photorealistic 3D Tiles to power immersive experiences. Now Photorealistic 3D Tiles is available in Preview through the Map Tiles API. To help developers do more with 3D Tiles, we’ve made updates to the quota and terms, added support for OAuth, and provided additional guidance on our attribution policies. We’ve also released 2D Map Tiles and Street View Tiles in Preview for your non-JavaScript environments.
Access Google’s 3D mesh model of the real world, textured with high-res imagery
New Photorealistic 3D Tiles quota limits
Based on developer feedback, we’ve made a few changes to make it easier to use 3D Tiles. We’ve removed the experimental phase default daily quota limits on the individual tile requests. With no daily quota limits you now have uninterrupted interaction and exploration of your 3D experiences within a typical user session. There will still be a default daily quota limit on the Root Tile requests and Root Tile request will become the unit of billing for this API (although customers won’t be charged in Preview).
Updated Map Tiles policies
We’ve also updated Map Tiles policies to allow you to create promotional videos of the experiences you build. You’ll find additional guidelines around how to display the Google logo in your projects and follow our brand and data attribution policies for Map Tiles. These policies apply to the UI of all products or experiences built with this API, as well as for promotional videos of your applications.
Uninterrupted access and OAuth support
If you’ve already started using Photorealistic 3D Tiles in your products and experiences, your access to the Tiles will be uninterrupted. We’ve also added support for OAuth, but will continue to support API keys for your authentication.
2D Map Tiles and Street View Tiles for your non-JavaScript environments
In addition to our immersive maps products, we’re launching our 2D Map Tiles (roadmap, terrain, and satellite) and Street View Tiles into Preview. Also available through Map Tiles, these two new features will enable developers to use well known 2D Google Maps content in non-JavaScript environments for visualization use cases, under our standard Terms of Service.
While the Street View service provides developers with a pre-rendered Street View experience to embed in a website, Street View Tiles provides developers with the ingredients to recreate that experience in non-JavaScript environments, with your own renderer. And it includes additional metadata such as date of collection and camera parameters for further customization.
2D Map Tiles showcasing Terrain, Roadmap and Satellite imagery
Street View Tiles showing the view over the Hudson River from Brooklyn, between the Brooklyn and Manhattan bridge
Our team continues to be inspired by the innovative ways in which developers across numerous industries are leveraging this API to enhance the way we share, explore, and understand the real world. From place-based storytelling for urban planning and architecture, to AR tourism and property showcasing, immersive education and even gaming–the possibilities are vast. We'd love to see what you're building with these new Map Tiles features, so be sure to tag us at @GMapsPlatform on X (formerly known as Twitter) and #GoogleMapsPlatform on YouTube and LinkedIn. To learn more about Maps Tiles, check out our website and documentation.
For more information on Google Maps Platform, visit our website.
