The Ultimate Guide to Downloading and Using Matterport Assets

How to Download and Use Matterport Assets Offline

Matterport is a platform that allows you to create, edit, and share immersive 3D models of real spaces. You can use Matterport to showcase your properties, businesses, venues, or any other space you want to capture and share with the world. As well as capturing virtual tours, if you use the Pro3 camera with Lidar, you'll be measuring every dimension of the space to an accuracy of 20mm.

One of the features of Matterport is the Showcase, which is a web-based viewer that lets you explore the 3D models in an interactive and realistic way. You can navigate through the space, zoom in and out, switch between different views, and even measure distances and dimensions.

But what if you want to access the Showcase without an internet connection? Or what if you want to have a local backup of your 3D models for any reason? Don’t worry, Matterport has you covered. In this article, we will show you how to download and use Matterport assets offline.

What are Matterport Assets?

Matterport assets are the files and data that make up your 3D models. They include:

• The 3D mesh, which is the geometric representation of the space
• The textures, which are the images that cover the 3D mesh
• The metadata, which are the information about the space such as name, address, description, tags, etc.
• The floor plan, which is a 2D map of the space
• The snapshots, which are the still images that you can take from any angle and perspective
• The labels, which are the annotations that you can add to highlight specific features or areas
• The mattertags, which are the interactive pins that you can place in the space to link to external content such as websites, videos, documents, etc.

All these assets are stored in the Matterport cloud and can be accessed through the Showcase or the Matterport app. However, you can also download some of these assets and store them locally on your device.

How to Download Matterport Assets?

To download Matterport assets, you need to log in to your Matterport account and go to your Spaces page. There you will see a list of all your 3D models. Click on the one you want to download and then click on the Download button on the top right corner.

You will see a pop-up window with a list of all the available assets for download. You can select which ones you want to download by checking or unchecking the boxes next to them. The size of each asset is also displayed next to it.

The assets that you can download are:

• The 3D mesh in OBJ format
• The textures in JPG format
• The metadata in JSON format
• The floor plan in PDF or PNG format
• The snapshots in JPG format

You cannot download the labels or the mattertags as they are only available online.

Once you have selected the assets you want to download, click on the Download button at the bottom of the window. You will see a progress bar showing how much time is left until the download is complete. Depending on the size and number of assets, this may take a few minutes or longer.

When the download is finished, you will see a message saying “Download Complete”. You can then click on the Open Folder button to open the folder where your downloaded assets are stored. Alternatively, you can also find them in your Downloads folder on your device.

How to Use Matterport Assets Offline?

Once you have downloaded your Matterport assets, you can use them offline in different ways depending on what you want to do with them.

3D Showcase for iOS App

If you want to explore the Showcase while offline, then check out our free [3D Showcase for iOS app] for your iPad and iPhone. This app allows you to view and interact with your 3D models offline just like you would online. You can also sync your downloaded assets with the app so that they are always available even when you are not connected to the internet.

3D Software

If you want to edit or modify your 3D models offline, then you will need a software that can handle 3D files such as Blender, SketchUp, Maya, or others. You can import your downloaded 3D mesh and textures into these software and make any changes you want. However, keep in mind that any changes you make offline will not be reflected online unless you upload them back to Matterport.

If you want to use your 3D models for other purposes such as printing, rendering, or analysis, then you will need a software that can handle those tasks as well. You can use your downloaded 3D mesh and textures as input for these software and get the output you want. For example, you can use MeshLab to convert your 3D mesh into STL format for 3D printing or use Lumion to create photorealistic renderings of your 3D models.

Additional Assets

Besides the basic assets that we mentioned above, Matterport also offers some additional assets that you can download and use offline. These assets are:

	2D Snapshots Take simple, flat 2D Snapshots from your Matterport Space. Take as many 2D Snapshots as you like and use them for both print and digital. Learn how. Download your 2D Snapshots as JPG files. Learn how. Check out the best practices for taking 2D Snapshots and important printing information.
	360º Photosphere Download as many snapshots of 360º images from the Matterport Space as you like. Learn how. A 360º photosphere is the spherical, panorama imagery that you see in 3D Showcase - a snapshot of the 360 view. Note that this is a snapshot only, not the captured 360 view as it was taken. Open with a specific tool for editing and viewing 360º images, such as Pano2VR. Upload to social media such as Facebook or Instagram.
	Teaser Videos Download an MP4 or GIF that shows a quick preview of the space. Upload the teaser to social media such as Facebook and Twitter. You can also create your own video walkthroughs of the space. Learn how.
	Black & White Schematic Floor Plans Schematic Floor Plans are a great way to see an entire space at a glance. They’re great for people who want a more traditional, top-down view. Order online through Matterport Cloud. Delivery within two business days. Learn more about Schematic Floor Plans.
Matterpak™ Bundle	The Matterpak™ Bundle is a package of assets that are designed for architecture, engineering, and construction customers, learn more about it here. The bundle includes the contents that can be seen in the table below:
	OBJ File * Matterpak Bundle Matterport combines 3D depth data with 2D visual data to create a textured 3D mesh that is the OBJ file. We sample the OBJ file to create the Dollhouse View in 3D Showcase. An OBJ file is not necessary for most users. 3D developers and VR enthusiasts can use the OBJ file to kickstart their projects with a 3D model of a real-world place. Our OBJ files have a scale of 1 unit = 1 meter. You may need to update the scale in your 3D software or rescale the model after loading. Could be opened in programs such as MeshLab and Maya. For importing assistance, please contact the specific 3D program’s support team.
	Point Clouds *Matterpak Bundle Fully automatic point cloud registration of all sweeps (scan positions). Colorized based on the 360º panorama imagery and accurate to within 1% of reality. Could be opened in Recap, Revit, or AutoCAD and jump-start your as-built designs. For importing assistance, please contact the specific 3D program’s support team.
	High-Resolution Floor Plan Image *Matterpak Bundle Get a quick top-down view of the job site and everything inside it. Use in AutoCAD as a tracing element. Could be opened in 3ds Max, Maya, or other 3D software. The floor plan is just a unique, orthogonal view of the 3D mesh. Make your own views/slices of the 3D mesh by manipulating the OBJ file yourself. For importing assistance, please contact the specific 3D program’s support team.
	Reflected Ceiling Plan Image *Matterpak Bundle Same as the high resolution floor plans, but a quick vertical view of everything on the ceiling. See ventilation shafts, wiring, plumbing, insulation, and more. For importing assistance, please contact the specific 3D program’s support team.
	Point Clouds - Matterport E57 File *Matterpak Bundle The Matterport E57 File is another option for architecture, engineering, and construction customers who want a high-density point cloud for all scan locations in the Matterport space. Please follow this link to learn more. The E57 file has: More than 10x the detail derived from a Matterpak™. Vendor-neutral point cloud format that’s widely adopted by most 3D design applications.

 

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