Skyline Software

Recon is the New Zealand authorised distributor of Skyline Software.

Founded in 1997, Skyline Software Systems, Inc. is a leading provider of 3D earth visualisation software and services. Skyline offers a comprehensive platform of applications, tools, and services that enable the creation and dissemination of interactive, photo-realistic 3D environments. Skyline products are production proven in both the Defence and Commercial markets. A “best of breed” set of tools that remain focused on customer needs including flexibility, efficiency, and robustness.

Leaders in 3D Geospatial Visualisation Since 1997

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  • A drone with multiple propellers flying over an urban construction site.

    PhotoMesh

    PhotoMesh automates the generation of high-resolution, textured, 3D mesh models from standard 2D images. This breakthrough application combines unlimited scalability with superior precision to produce consistent, accurate 3D models that enhance the realism of any 3D visualisation.

  • A drone flying over a green field with blue digital overlay lines radiating outward.

    TerraBuilder

    TerraBuilder is a 3D terrain database creator featuring professional-grade tools for manipulating and merging aerial photos, satellite images, and digital elevation models of different sizes and resolutions. The resulting photo-realistic, geographically accurate terrain database can be made available to local TerraExplorer clients or published to SkylineGlobe Server.

  • Digital illustration of cloud computing with interconnected cloud icons and data transfer lines.

    SkylineGlobe Server

    SkylineGlobe Server (SGS) is a private cloud solution that provides a comprehensive set of web services for publishing, storing, managing and streaming 3D geospatial data. Skyline provides a secure environment and interface that allows you the ultimate flexibility for your geospatial data storage and streaming needs. Included in our SGS package is TerraExplorer, giving you the option of using Skyline's 3D geospatial visualisation tools to optimise your data.

  • Open laptop displaying a map or satellite view of a city with buildings and streets.

    TerraExplorer

    The TerraExplorer family of products comprises a range of 3D GIS clients for viewing, querying, analysing and presenting geospatial data in a high resolution 3D environment. Using Skyline’s cutting-edge TerraExplorer application, stunningly realistic 3D visualisations can be created and then shared with web, desktop, and mobile users. The wide range of powerful analysis tools available from all TerraExplorer applications allows users to extract vital intelligence from geospatial data.

TerraExplorer: 3D GIS viewing, analysis and presentation

TerraExplorer is Skyline's family of 3D GIS clients for desktop, web and mobile. View, query, analyse and present geospatial data in a high-resolution 3D environment, and share interactive 3D projects with colleagues and the public. It works with most common formats:

  • Imagery and elevation: OGC WMS/WMTS, TIFF, JPEG, MrSID, ECW, IMG
  • 3D mesh: 3DML, 3D Tiles, OSGB, I3S/SLPK
  • Features: WFS/WFS-T, Shapefile, KML, GeoPackage, ArcGIS Server, Oracle
  • CAD and BIM: DWG, DXF, FBX, IFC
  • Point clouds: LAS/LAZ

PhotoMesh: automated 3D models from photos and LiDAR

PhotoMesh automatically builds high-resolution, textured 3D mesh models, true orthophotos and surface models from aerial and ground photography and LiDAR. It scales from a single building to city-wide digital twins, using cluster and cloud processing for very large projects. Outputs suit urban planning, infrastructure and engineering project management, inspection and 3D GIS.

TerraBuilder: 3D terrain database creation

TerraBuilder merges aerial photos, satellite imagery and elevation models of different sizes and resolutions into a single, geographically accurate 3D terrain database. Tools for cropping, colour and geographic adjustment ensure a precise result, and processing can be shared across networked computers for large datasets. Terrain databases can be used in TerraExplorer or published to SkylineGlobe Server.

SkylineGlobe Server and SkylineCloud: publish and stream 3D data

SkylineGlobe Server is a private-cloud platform for storing, managing and streaming 2D and 3D geospatial data to TerraExplorer desktop, web and mobile users. It also streams data to ArcGIS (Earth, Pro and Online), QGIS, Cesium and other OGC clients in their native formats, with secure multi-site hosting, custom authentication and user permissions, and scaling on AWS, Google Cloud or Azure.

SkylineCloud is the fully managed version: Skyline hosts and maintains the server, so your team simply uploads, converts and streams data.

What Recon provides

  • Licences and renewals: new licences, annual subscriptions and maintenance for TerraExplorer, PhotoMesh, TerraBuilder and SkylineGlobe Server.
  • SkylineCloud hosting: including storage upgrades as your data grows.
  • Professional services: set-up, data conversion, project publishing and troubleshooting, available in half-day blocks.
  • Training: for new users and administrators.
  • 3D data capture: drone LiDAR, aerial mapping and 3D laser scanning to create or update the models in your Skyline environment.

Example: Recon provides Waikato District Council with its SkylineGlobe Server subscription, TerraExplorer Pro maintenance, SkylineCloud hosting and professional services. Recon also worked with the council on its 3D models of Ngāruawāhia and Raglan.

Frequently asked questions

Can Skyline data be used in ArcGIS or QGIS?

Yes. SkylineGlobe Server streams imagery, elevation, feature and 3D layers to ArcGIS Earth, ArcGIS Pro and ArcGIS Online, as well as QGIS and Cesium-based viewers, using standard OGC formats.

Do you offer hosting, or do we need our own server?

Either. SkylineCloud is a fully managed hosting service, or SkylineGlobe Server can run on your own servers or on AWS, Google Cloud or Azure.

Do you provide training?

Yes. Recon provides training for new users and administrators, as well as ongoing support and professional services.

Can you create the 3D models as well as supply the software?

Yes. Recon captures drone LiDAR, aerial photography and laser scans, and can process them into 3D meshes, terrain and point clouds ready for your Skyline platform.

How is Skyline software licensed?

Most products are licensed as annual subscriptions, with maintenance and support. Contact us for current pricing and options for your organisation.

Talk to us about Skyline

Whether you're renewing a licence, adding SkylineCloud hosting or starting a new 3D GIS project, contact us or call 0800 732 669.