3D tours, splats, panoramas — plain English.
The terms behind modern walkable 3D tours, defined without the math. Read in any order — each definition stands on its own and links to the neighbors that matter.
What is a 3D virtual tour?
The category overview. What separates a 3D tour from a video, a 360 photo, or a floor plan — and which one your business actually needs.
Read → Definition · TechniqueWhat is Gaussian splatting?
The 2023 SIGGRAPH technique behind almost every photoreal walkable 3D tour shipped today. Explained without the math.
Read → Definition · FormatWalkable 3D tour, explained.
The word "walkable" is what separates a real 3D tour from a 360 photo. Here's what it means and the three formats that deliver it.
Read → Definition · Comparison3D virtual tour vs 360 panorama.
The most common mix-up in the category. A 360 photo is a fixed point. A 3D tour is a navigable scene. Which one you need depends on the job.
Read → Definition · TechniqueWhat is photogrammetry?
The mesh-based predecessor to Gaussian splatting. Still useful for measurement and floor plans, but rarely the right path for a walkable tour in 2026.
Read → Definition · ChannelWhat is Google Business Profile 360?
The Street View and 360 photo slot inside your Google Business Profile. What it does, what it doesn't do, and how it pairs with a walkable tour.
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