Michael Limber: 3D Map Design

3D MAP DESIGN

As Principal Designer and Sr. Design Manager for HERE Technologies' next-generation high-definition 3D maps, initially I designed of the UI for the company's internal 3D map data editing tool. For the last several years I've been designing visual concepts for 3D map product features, developing interactive UX prototypes, defining customization parameters for the company's internal renderer, and building and directing a team of 40 to build initial product samples and prototype efficient production processes for scaled production.

All of these 3D map initiatives feel like a synthesis of all the other 3D work in my career - CGI, games, rendering - only now I'm helping build the whole world in 3D. Fun to merge it all together, getting ready for a time when maps are no longer just navigation aids, evolving into a dynamic 3D canvas we'll paint with the activities and location data in our lives.

All images below have been publicly displayed and are copyright and property of HERE Technologies

HERE 3D Map sample The last several years I've been working on both the design and tools to produce HERE's new 3D Map content, enabling compelling new use-cases for automotive, mobile, IoT, and other location-based applications and industries.	CAMINO: HD Map Visualizer Directed the development of an interactive prototype to visually demonstrate the features of the new HERE HD Map -- a high-definition lane-level hidden "dark" map for autonomous vehicle navigation. This prototype was shown at HERE's booth at CES in 2016 and 2107. Audi thanked us for "making the invisible visible."	Chicago at Magic Hour 3D map with custom 'magic hour' style
3D Map skyline Part of my work at HERE has been to infuse Entertainment Design concepts into the more traditional approach to cartography. Cameras, lighting, textures, animation, and other 3D topics are new to mapping, and the 3D map offers an exciting new canvas for compelling and innovative location-based visual infotainment solutions.	Reduced Map Concept for the visual appeal and increased comprehension possible from dynamically reducing map detail for certain use cases.	3D roadways Early concept for spatial comprehension advantages of a 3D road model
3D Map: Munich Sample of 3D map of Munich	3D Map customization The same map data, different styles. Worked closely with rendering team to define features and parameters that enable extensive map customization.	Heat map prototype Layering on 3rd party data and displaying on the indexed 3D map objects opens up new insights from the added 3rd dimension.
3D Map Editor UI Designed the UI for HERE’s internal 3D map editing application. A flexible framework, with multiple work flows, display and edit many layers of geo-spatially aligned data. From concept through multiple released versions, the tool in is use at scale in HERE's global production centers.	3D Map: San Francisco Took several years to create tools and backend capable of producing, publishing, and delivering indexed lane-level 3D map at scale.	3D Map with lane-level road model
HD Map: lane-level accuracy Combining a 2D link-and-node map with scanned LiDAR (and other) data, with both automatic and manual processing, produces a high-definition lane-level 3D map suitable for autonomous vehicle localization and control.	Lidar and HD Map data alignment	Concept: Lane level navigation
Abstraction to essentials Detail reduction to essentials for compact indexed representation of reality.	The value of indexed map objects With indexing, everything has a place and everything is in its place, enabling a variety of novel custom visualization opportunities.	3D interior maps interactive indoor map browsing prototype
Concept: 3D map navigation use-case Navigation at close range on a 3D map presents new challenges and opprtunities for at-a-glance comprehension	Graphic textured 3D landmarks HERE's 3D landmark portfolio was redesigned by my team for a new clean appearance that plays well with the custom styling capabilities of the rest of the map.

3D MAP DESIGN

HERE 3D Map sample

The last several years I've been working on both the design and tools to produce HERE's new 3D Map content, enabling compelling new use-cases for automotive, mobile, IoT, and other location-based applications and industries.

CAMINO: HD Map Visualizer

Chicago at Magic Hour

3D map with custom 'magic hour' style

3D Map skyline

Reduced Map

Concept for the visual appeal and increased comprehension possible from dynamically reducing map detail for certain use cases.

3D roadways

Early concept for spatial comprehension advantages of a 3D road model

3D Map: Munich

Sample of 3D map of Munich

3D Map customization

The same map data, different styles. Worked closely with rendering team to define features and parameters that enable extensive map customization.

Heat map prototype

Layering on 3rd party data and displaying on the indexed 3D map objects opens up new insights from the added 3rd dimension.

3D Map Editor UI

Designed the UI for HERE’s internal 3D map editing application. A flexible framework, with multiple work flows, display and edit many layers of geo-spatially aligned data. From concept through multiple released versions, the tool in is use at scale in HERE's global production centers.

3D Map: San Francisco

Took several years to create tools and backend capable of producing, publishing, and delivering indexed lane-level 3D map at scale.

3D Map with lane-level road model

HD Map: lane-level accuracy

Combining a 2D link-and-node map with scanned LiDAR (and other) data, with both automatic and manual processing, produces a high-definition lane-level 3D map suitable for autonomous vehicle localization and control.

Lidar and HD Map data alignment

Concept: Lane level navigation

Abstraction to essentials

Detail reduction to essentials for compact indexed representation of reality.

The value of indexed map objects

With indexing, everything has a place and everything is in its place, enabling a variety of novel custom visualization opportunities.

3D interior maps

interactive indoor map browsing prototype

Concept: 3D map navigation use-case

Navigation at close range on a 3D map presents new challenges and opprtunities for at-a-glance comprehension

Graphic textured 3D landmarks

HERE's 3D landmark portfolio was redesigned by my team for a new clean appearance that plays well with the custom styling capabilities of the rest of the map.

Concept: Lane level navigation