Frequently asked questions

Any virtual tour can capture two dimensions - height and width - but true three-dimensional tours also capture depth. A traditional 3D Tour isn’t really virtual. It’s just a gallery of stationary panoramic photos.

Although techniques vary, most traditional tours don’t allow the viewer to move around within the space. Traditional photographers use DSLR cameras to capture multiple photos which are then stitched together to form a panorama which is viewed from a player.

Our 3D Tour allow the viewer to explore the space in up to 200 locations that are seamlessly stitched together. We use high tech Matterport 3D cameras which have 12 cameras and sensors to not only capture photos but to create a polygon mesh. This mesh is rendered into a dynamic 3D model which can be explored online or even with a virtual reality headset such as an Oculus Rift! Plus, our 3D models also show a “Floor Plan View” as well as a “Dollhouse View” to allow the viewer to conceptualize the space.

A virtual tour is a simulated first-person view of an environment, usually indoors. They allow your potential clients and customers to view and engage an immersive, high resolution and photorealistic walkthrough of your property or space.

360° tours are composed of a sequence of “flat” panorama images linked together via a web interface to allow the end-user to jump to different positions in the space.

3D tours are the next evolution in virtual walkthroughs, allowing the end-user to smoothly navigate through a fully 3D environment, resulting in a more natural and realistic experience.

3D virtual tours are fast becoming a mainstream solution in an array of industries including residential property, commercial property, education, retail, food/drink industry, construction, hospitality, automotive, asset management, entertainment venues, function spaces, health/fitness, education, travel & tourism and many more.

Ultimately, they provide potential clients and customers with the ability to explore your space as if they were right there walking through it.

Immersive 3D environments allow people to tour your property from anywhere in the world, at any time, on any device.

Not only are they highly engaging, but thanks to huge leaps in technological innovation they can be surprisingly affordable! Most businesses see a positive ROI within a matter of just a few days or weeks.

By allowing your website visitors to explore your space in 3D, you can drastically reduce your bounce rate, which is a major factor in search engine optimization (SEO). This also allows you to reduce the amount of time wasted in giving personalized on-site tours to unqualified leads who could have discovered much sooner that it wasn’t right for them.

Additionally, a good quality virtual tour can help you to stand out from the competition by staying ahead of the curve. The ability to instantly and conveniently explore a space in immersive 3D could be the difference between a qualified lead or a website bounce.

There are 3 main steps to getting your own virtual tour. First, we scan and photograph your space. Second, we process the captures and produce the virtual tour. Lastly, you embed the tour to your website or mobile app ready for use. You can also link people directly to the virtual tour (say, from social media).

Unlike traditional 3D virtual tours, our camera equipment doesn’t just take pictures. In addition to high-resolution 4k images, our Matterport Pro2 cameras use sensors to scan and produce a 3D “mesh” of the surrounding environment than can even be exported as .xyz or .obj for further editing.

These images and mesh are then cleverly combined and stitched together using Matterport’s proprietary AI and machine learning platform to form a fully immersive and interactive 3D environment.

As you would expect the primary functionality of a 3D tour is the ability to digitally explore a space through a connected device such as a phone or tablet.

As a trusted Matterport Service Partner we provide the following features:

• Immersive 3D walkthroughs
• Interactive 3D “doll house” view
• Virtual Reality enablement
• Photographic floorplan generation
• Rich media hot spots
• Google Street View setup
• Highlights/favourites reel
• Alternative room layouts (via 360° photo highlights)
• On-demand MP4 video tour generation
• On-demand 360° photo generation
• “Embed anywhere” capability
• Usage analytics
• Schematic floorplan generation
• Industry-standard OBJ / XYZ exports
• Developer API

Absolutely! We have cameras that have the capability to capture both the interior and exterior of your space(s).

It typically takes 30-45 minutes for every 5,000 square feet. Each individual capture takes about 1 minute, but time varies depending on scope of project.

Great question. Bear in mind that good preparation is essential to a great quality 3D Virtual Tour. If the camera can see it, everybody can see it! We will provide a complete checklist before the day of the scan, so you have time to prepare.

Also, it goes without saying but we strongly recommend making sure that your space is clean, neat, tidy and clear of personal information beforehand to give the best impression to your potential customers.

Please have the space in a condition suitable for scanning BEFORE the scheduled appointment. Our Capture Technicians will shoot as-is and due to liability will not touch or alter any part of the property unless specifically directed to do so and discussed previously.

Please provide instructions in the questionnaire form on how to access the property, how to obtain lockbox codes and the on-site’s contact information (if needed).

We are an early adopter of Matterport cameras so we have the latest Matterport Pro3 as well as Matterport Pro2 3D Cameras as standard – the highest spec camera currently offered by Matterport; the industry leaders in 3D virtual tours.

The Matterport Pro2 camera produces detailed 3D Data and Stunning 4K HDR Visuals

We also make use of the best in market outdoor 3D Camera with the Leica BLK and our drone footage uses and AirPro2.

Our 3D cameras use High-Dynamic-Range Imaging (HDR) allowing the camera to adjust to changes in light so both light and dark areas can be captured at the same time. This means that a space is good for scanning even on cloudy days. If there is interior lighting, the finished project will look as good as a model created on a sunny day.

Embedding a model is very straightforward; it’s similar to embedding a YouTube video. Simply copy and paste the HTML code that we will provide. If you’re not feeling too tech savvy, we can help you.

The 3D Tour uses WebGL, the modern standard for 3D content viewed on the web. On desktop computers, WebGL is supported by the latest version of Chrome, Firefox, Safari, and Internet Explorer. On mobile devices, WebGL is supported by Safari for iOS 8 and Chrome for Android. Loading times typically take longer on mobile devices. If you can’t view the Virtual Tour, please update your browser.