In today's era of booming real-world 3D technology, OSGB format models are widely used. However, "how to publish efficiently and browse smoothly" has always been a pain point for developers: slow loading, large file sizes, laggy interactions on mobile devices... Even star engines like Cesium struggle with issues such as "bloated architecture and subpar mobile experience." In mid-January this year, Zhongke Tuxin open-sourced a lightweight real-world 3D model publishing engine — Wish3D. It claims to be free and open-source, accessible for both individuals and enterprises without barriers. The editor saw it in the MalagiGIS group yesterday and immediately downloaded it for a test drive. Overall, it's indeed fast, but there are several minor issues. Let's share the experience today.

Project Overview

When it comes to 3D GIS engines, many people first think of Cesium. However, in practical projects, its shortcomings are becoming increasingly apparent: bloated size, redundant architecture, poor mobile performance, etc. Wish3D is developed based on Three.js. Instead of pursuing "comprehensive features," it focuses on the core needs of "real-world 3D model publishing and browsing," aiming to be "small yet refined, fast and smooth."

Open-source address:

https://gitee.com/zhongke-tu-xin---suzhou-g_0/wish3d

Its main features are as follows:

  1. Extremely Compact: Reduces size by 90%
  2. Extremely Smooth: 60FPS seamless interaction, no lag during operation
  3. Built for Mobile: Touch-optimized, delivering an excellent mobile experience

Quick Start

Download the source code directly. It must be said that this open-source release feels a bit rushed or underprepared. The editor spent quite some time getting the demo to run. The method was to copy the src directory into the demo folder and modify the ../src paths in demo.html and test.html by batch replacing them with /src. Finally, run:

npm run demo

Open your browser and visit http://localhost:8080/demo.html and http://localhost:8080/test.html to see the results.

Result 1:

Result 2:

The FPS performance is indeed impressive.

A Few Minor Issues

Currently, the performance is indeed good, and the efficiency on mobile is exceptionally fast. Want to use it right away? The editor advises you not to rush. There are a few issues to note.

First, the project feels hastily open-sourced. It appears to be in a relatively early stage, with the last code commit being 5 days ago. Project documentation and running instructions are not well-developed, and the editor succeeded only through trial and error.

Second, cloning this project took an unusually long time. After downloading, the editor discovered that the developers had actually packaged the node_modules folder into the repository. The intention behind this is unclear (though the main reason seems to be that the demo includes test data).

Third, the current project demonstration is based on a private format called lob. However, the editor could not find related documentation for this format. The official provides a tool to convert OSGB format models to lob format, but this tool is not open-source. If issues arise with the lob format, it may be difficult to troubleshoot independently.

Finally, many are concerned about the open-source license. It uses the MulanPSL-2.0 open-source license, which is fully compliant with domestic laws and internationally OSI-certified. It allows free commercial use and modification, with the only requirement being to retain copyright/modification notices. This aspect is commendable.

Summary

In summary, if your project requires OSGB format and high-efficiency mobile rendering capabilities, you can try using Wish3D for a demo. The current test results are indeed impressive. However, as the project has just been open-sourced, many details are not yet polished. Some tools are not open-sourced or lack mature documentation. For further deployment in a production environment, it is advisable to wait and observe.

Finally, a word about the company behind this open-source engine: Zhongke Tuxin. Some may not be familiar with them, but the editor introduced their software LSV in a very early article titled "Download GIS Data in Just Three Steps (Tested, Free, No Need to Forward to 5 Groups)." The editor used it just a few days ago to download data.

Their technical capabilities are quite solid. You can try testing your own OSGB data and feel free to share your feedback.