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Gaussian Splats

DroneDB supports 3D Gaussian Splatting as a visualization format. Gaussian Splats provide photorealistic 3D scene reconstruction from drone imagery, with efficient streaming via the SPZ and RAD formats.

Supported formats​

FormatExtensionDescription
PLY (splat).plyGaussian Splat in PLY format (content-detected)
SPZ.spzCompressed Gaussian Splat (Niants SPZ format)
SPLAT.splatBinary Gaussian Splat format
KSPLAT.ksplatKSplat compressed format
note

PLY files are automatically classified as point clouds, 3D models, or Gaussian Splats based on their content.

Build pipeline​

DroneDB converts Gaussian Splat sources into a streaming-optimized format:

  1. Source (PLY, SPLAT, or other) is indexed
  2. SPZ compressed archive is generated (model.spz)
  3. RAD level-of-detail container is built (model.rad) for progressive streaming

The RAD format enables the viewer to load coarse splats first and progressively refine the scene as the user navigates.

CLI​

# Index a Gaussian Splat file
ddb add model.ply

# Build SPZ + RAD for streaming
ddb gsplat model.ply

The gsplat command converts the source file to SPZ format and generates the RAD LOD container. A GsplatGeoref sidecar file (georef.json) is created with SRS and offset information following the ODM convention.

In Hub​

Gaussian Splats are rendered in the browser using the built-in splat viewer:

  • Progressive loading: Coarse splats load first, refining as you navigate
  • Camera auto-framing: The viewer automatically frames the scene using the RAD bounds
  • Georeferencing: Splats are positioned in the correct geographic location using the sidecar georef data

Georeferencing​

Each Gaussian Splat entry includes a georef.json sidecar file with:

  • SRS: Coordinate reference system (EPSG code or WKT)
  • Offset: Translation offset for positioning the splat in geographic space

This follows the ODM (OpenDroneMap) convention for Gaussian Splat georeferencing.

Workflow example​

# 1. Index the Gaussian Splat output from ODX or another processor
ddb add model.ply

# 2. Build streaming format
ddb gsplat model.ply

# 3. Push to Hub
ddb push

The Hub viewer will automatically detect the Gaussian Splat entry and render it with the 3D splat viewer.