How to see your shot in 3D

Updated 2026-11-04

Goal: stand where your camera will be and see the scene, with the sun, moon and Milky Way core where they will be at your plan’s time.

The 3D world is part of Ultra and is in beta. It needs a connection to load the scenery. It works on the iPhone, iPad, Android and in the web app, and on the web the 3D button sits in Explore’s map controls; click where the steps say tap. Where Google has no photorealistic coverage for your Location, the web shows open terrain imagery instead, with a note saying so.

Steps

  1. Plan on the 2D map first: place your subject and your camera (Plan your first shot).
  2. Tap the 3D button, the cube at the top of the map’s right-hand controls.
  3. Wait for Loading the 3D world… to go. You stand at your camera pin, at eye level, facing your subject.
  4. Drag to look around and pinch to zoom.
  5. Use the cross at the bottom left to walk: tap an arm for one half-metre step forward, back, left or right, or hold it to keep walking. On an iPad with a keyboard, the arrow keys or W A S D do the same. You can walk up to 2 km from your camera pin.
  6. Tap undo (under the top-left button) to step back. Each tap or hold is one step, so three walks take three undos to get back to your pin; redo walks forward again.
  7. Found a better Location? Tap the camera button on the right to move your plan’s camera there. If you leave 3D without it, you are asked whether to move the camera or keep the plan’s.
  8. To move a pin, tap the map button at the top left (Back to the map) and move it on the 2D map. Your plan, time and lens come with you both ways.

What you will see

  • The first time, a short tour of four steps: Look around, Stand anywhere, Your lens, and the violet frame square. It never covers the world: turn the view and the first step is done, walk and the second is done, or tap Next or Skip. Start on the last step takes you to the 2D map. How 3D works, the last row of the plan menu or under Help on the Explore page, replays it.
  • The pill at the bottom shows your lens and the time, for example **600 mm Sun 8 Nov 4:30**. Tap either half to change it.
  • The right-hand rail holds the violet frame square at the top, the layers and a button to fold the rail away.
  • A sun, moon or core behind a mountain or a building is hidden behind it, as it would be through your viewfinder.

Tip

Walking is a preview. It never moves your pins, so walk freely to compare a few Locations, then go Back to the map and move the camera pin to the one you liked.

If something looks off

  • I can’t find the camera and subject buttons in 3D. Pins are set on the 2D map. Tap the map button at the top left, move the pin, then tap 3D again.
  • Start took me out of 3D. On the tour’s last step, Start finishes the tour on the 2D map, with your plan as you left it.
  • A tap didn’t walk. Ground that is too steep (a cliff, a wall) or more than 2 km from your pin can’t be walked to; you feel a light tick and stay put. Near the limit shows when you are close to 2 km, and Can’t check the ground here when the ground can’t be read.
  • It says I’ve used today’s 3D views. During Ultra’s free trial the 3D world opens a limited number of times a day. Your views are back tomorrow, and the limit goes away on a paid plan.
  • It says Taking longer than usual, or Failed to load terrain. The scenery is still loading or could not load. You can still look and walk on a coarser surface; check your connection and open 3D again. The sun, moon and core positions stay exact either way.
  • The sun I expected isn’t there. Check the date and the time in the pill first, then that the camera pin is where you will stand.

Next

Find when it lines up · Best practices: planning a shot in 3D · All guides