Info
Info
One Pagers
These one pagers will help you get started with Cetopo. Check out the one called 'Design Process' for a quick overview of how Cetopo can be used in all parts of the architectural design process!
General
Cetopo 101
Design Process
ArchiCAD
201: ArchiCAD
202: ArchiCAD
Videos
Here are some brief tutorials about Cetopo. They should give you an idea of what Cetopo is capable of. Enable fullscreen or watch them on YouTube for ideal viewing experience! These videos have sound.
Playlist
| Getting started (3 minutes!) | |
| Selections | |
| Templates | |
| ArchiCAD | |
| Revit | |
| SketchUp |
Terrain
The most important data available on Cetopo is arguably the terrain data. It is used in almost all things that can be downloaded from Cetopo. In addition to the terrain model itself, it also provides elevation data for buildings, roads, trees, etc.
Finland
The data is sourced from the excellent Elevation Model 2m by the NLS (National Land Survey). As the name implies, the Elevation model 2m offers a world class 2x2 meter grid accuracy.
The Elevation model 2m dataset covers almost all of Finland. For up to date information about technical details, please refer to the NLS page.
Accuracy considerations
A 2x2m grid is dense enough to accurately capture all major terrain features such as hills, roads, fields and lakes. It also shows smaller features like mounds, paths, ditches and cliffs with decent accuracy. Any features smaller than the grid, such as rocks, crevaces and small pits, are unlikely to show in the data. Steep gradients, such as cliffs, are smoothed out by the grid. For example, a vertical drop of 5m might show as a 70° slope instead.
Urban areas
The Elevation model describes the terrain. All buildings and structures like bridges have been removed from the laser scanned data. The model is not as strong in urban areas, where small vertical discontinuities like platforms, elevated sidewalks and terraces are common. Such details will be smoothed out in the data.
Local datasets
Cetopo also uses local datasets provided by municipalities, where they are available and of greater quality than the national KM2. The Helsinki region is covered by a 4x more detailed 1x1 meter grid provided by Helsinki. This 1x1m grid greatly improves accuracy, especially in urban areas and steep gradients.
Sweden
The data is sourced from the excellent Terrain Model, grid 1+ by Lantmäteriet. As the name implies, the Terrain Model, grid 1+ offers an astonishing 1x1 meter grid density.
The Terrain Model, grid 1+ dataset covers almost all of Sweden. For up to date information about technical details, please refer to the Lantmäteriet pages.
Accuracy considerations
A 1x1m grid is dense enough to accurately capture all major terrain features such as hills, roads, fields and lakes. It also shows smaller features like mounds, paths, ditches and cliffs with good accuracy. Any features smaller than the grid, such as rocks, crevaces and small pits, are unlikely to show in the data. Steep gradients, such as cliffs, are smoothed out by the grid. For example, a vertical drop of 5m might show as a 80° slope instead.
Urban areas
The Elevation model describes the terrain. Buildings and structures like bridges have been removed from the laser scanned data. The model is not as strong in urban areas, where small vertical discontinuities like platforms, elevated sidewalks and terraces are common, and most of the terrain is hidden by buildings.
Denmark
The data is sourced from the excellent Danmarks Højdemodel by Dataforsyningen. As the name implies, the model provides an astonishing 40x40 centimeter grid density.
The dataset covers practically all of Denmark. For up to date information about technical details, please refer to the Dataforsyningen pages.
Accuracy considerations
A 40x40 centimeter grid is dense enough to accurately capture all major terrain features such as hills, roads, fields and lakes. It also shows smaller features like mounds, paths, ditches and cliffs with great accuracy. Any features smaller than the grid, such as small rocks, narrow crevaces and small pits, are unlikely to show correctly in the data. Steep gradients, such as cliffs, are slightly smoothed out by the grid. For example, a vertical drop of 5m might show as a 85° slope instead.
Urban areas
The Elevation model describes the terrain. Buildings and some structures like bridges have been removed from the laser scanned data. The model is not as strong in urban areas where most of the terrain is hidden by buildings.
Roads
Finland
Cetopo sources its roads from the Digiroad dataset by Väylä. Digiroad contains information about road widths and names.
Accuracy
Please visit the digiroad page for more information about technical details. Roads are digitized as a set of discrete points, and is thus limited in accuracy where sharp turns are present. The given road widths are the width of the drive-way.
Elevation
Road elevation is based on the terrain data. This provides accurate interpolation of elevation data between the digiroad data points.
Sweden
Cetopo sources its roads from the Topografi 10 dataset by Lantmäteriet. The dataset contains information about road widths, names and geometry.
Accuracy
Please visit Topografi 10 for more information about technical details. Roads are digitized as a set of discrete points, and is thus limited in accuracy where sharp turns are present.
Elevation
Road elevation is based on the terrain data. This provides accurate interpolation of elevation data between the data points.
Denmark
Cetopo sources its roads from the Danmarks Geografi - GeoDanmark dataset by GeoDanmark. The dataset contains information about road widths, names and geometry.
Accuracy
Please visit Danmarks Geografi - GeoDanmark for more information about technical details. Roads are digitized as a set of discrete points, and is thus limited in accuracy where sharp turns are present.
Elevation
Road elevation is based on the terrain data. This provides accurate interpolation of elevation data between the data points.
Buildings
General
Existing buildings often determine the environment for new construction. Cetopo provides detailed 2D & 3D-buildings to help anchor the new building into its place. Cetopo provides multiple Level of Detail (LOD) options to accomodate different use cases in 3D.
Finland
- Building footprint is based on Topographic Database dataset by the NLS. Some municipalities are covered by more detailed municipal datasets. Currently: Helsinki & Espoo.
- Building elevation is based on Elevation Model 2m dataset by the NLS.
- Building 3D-geometry is estimated from Laser scanning data 0.5 p dataset by the NLS.
Sweden
The buildings data is sourced from several datasets:
| Data | Dataset | Source |
| Building footprint | Topografi 10 | Lantmäteriet |
| Building elevation | Terrain Model, grid 1+ | Lantmäteriet |
| Building 3D-shape | Laser Data Skog | Lantmäteriet |
| Building 3D-shape | Laser Data NH | Lantmäteriet |
Denmark
- Building footprint is based on Danmarks Geografi - GeoDanmark dataset by Dataforsyningen.
- Building elevation is based on Danmarks Højdemodel dataset by Dataforsyningen.
- Building 3D-geometry is estimated from Danmarks Højdemodel dataset by Dataforsyningen.
Accuracy
Please refer to the source for more information about technical details. Buildings are digitized with various methods depending on location. Accuracy varies from very accurate (in cities for example), to fairly poor, (remote cottages in dense forest). Building height is estimated from the laser-points data, and is quite accurate in most cases. The municipal datasets, where available, offer much improved accuracy for many buildings.
Models
In many areas Cetopo's 3D buildings dataset is the only one available. The models provided enable accurate solar studies, visibility analysis and work as excellent background material for visualizations. The 3D models are computed from laser scanning datasets, and are quite accurate in general, provided that there is up-to-date laser data available.
Cadastral data
Finland
Cetopo sources its cadastral data from the Cadastral Index dataset by the NLS. Cadastral data includes cadastral ID and boundary and boundary markers. The ID is commonly known as kiinteistötunnus in Finnish, with the markers being called rajamerkki/rajapyykki.
Property Markers
Properties are bounded by various physical markers, which the digital property boundaries attempt to match. Cetopo also provides access to data on the actual markers in addition to the digital boundaries. Marker data includes type, accuracy (of the digital location), id, and more. Property marker data is available using original Finnish/Swedish terms, since translating them does not make sense.
Lookup
Cetopo provides two-way lookup of cadastral data. You can either search by ID to receive the boundary, or you can search by location to receive the ID(s). To do the former, simply type the ID in the search bar in the map view. To do the latter, simply click on the location where you think the property is.
Sweden
Cetopo sources its cadastral data from the Fastighetsindelning dataset by Lantmäteriet. Cadastral data includes cadastral ID and boundary and boundary markers.
Property Markers
Properties are bounded by various physical markers, which the digital property boundaries attempt to match. Cetopo also provides access to data on the actual markers in addition to the digital boundaries. Marker data includes type, accuracy (of the digital location), id, and more.
Lookup
Cetopo provides two-way lookup of cadastral data. You can either search by ID to receive the boundary, or you can search by location to receive the ID(s). To do the former, simply type the ID in the search bar in the map view. To do the latter, simply click on the location where you think the property is.
Denmark
Cetopo sources its cadastral data from the Matrikeln dataset by Dataforsyningen. Cadastral data includes cadastral ID and boundary and boundary markers.
Lookup
Cetopo provides two-way lookup of cadastral data. You can either search by ID to receive the boundary, or you can search by location to receive the ID(s). To do the former, simply type the ID in the search bar in the map view. To do the latter, simply click on the location where you think the property is.
Forests
Trees are a central feature of the Nordic landscape, and are thus extremely important in visualizations. They are also a requirement for accurate sunlight-simulations and visibility checks.
Finland
Forest data provided by Cetopo includes forest shape, estimations of individual tree positions and sizes, as well as a rough estimation of species. Cetopo sources its forest data from:
- Forest geometry is estimated from the Laser scanning data 0.5 p dataset by the NLS.
- Tree species is based on the MVMI datasets by Luke.
Accuracy
The 3D-shape of forested regions is very accurately portrayed by the data. The point density of the data used is about 0.5 points per m2, which sets an upper bound on the shape-accuracy of the resulting data. Individual tree positions can be quite accurate in optimal conditions, but should be taken more as a representation of the forest volume. The MVMI species data is intended for forests, and is thus not very accurate in park-like environments. It has a resolution of 16 meters. Distribution of species in a forest is well estimated.
Sweden
Forest data provided by Cetopo includes forest shape, estimations of individual tree positions and sizes, as well as a rough estimation of species. Cetopo sources its forest data from:
- Forest geometry is estimated from the datasets: Laser Data NH, and Laser Data Skog, both by the NLS.
- Tree species is based on the SLU Skogskarta datasets by SLU.
Accuracy
The 3D-shape of forested regions is very accurately portrayed by the data. The point density of the data used is about 0.5 points per m2, which sets an upper bound on the shape-accuracy of the resulting data. Individual tree positions can be quite accurate in optimal conditions, but should be taken more as a representation of the forest volume. The SLU species data is intended for forests, and is thus not very accurate in park-like environments. It has a resolution of 12.5 - 25 meters depending on location, with 12.5 being the usual resolution. Distribution of species in a forest is well estimated.
Denmark
Forest data provided by Cetopo includes forest shape, estimations of individual tree positions and sizes. Cetopo sources its forest data from:
- Forest geometry is estimated from the datasets: Danmarks Højdemodel.
Accuracy
The 3D-shape of forested regions is very accurately portrayed by the data. The point density of the data used is about 4.5 points per m2. Individual tree positions can be quite accurate in optimal conditions, but should be taken more as a representation of the forest volume.
Orthophotos
Orthophotos greatly improve the realism of any visualization. Using orthophotos as terrain textures brings otherwise dull flat terrains to life with bushes, ditches, road markings, cars, boats, fences and other features clearly visible.
Finland
Cetopo sources its orthophotos from the NLS Orthophotos dataset by the NLS.
The Orthophotos are currently available with 0.5 m resolution. This is often inferior in cities to what you can see in Google Maps and similar services. The NLS Orthophoto is however superior in large portions of Finland.
Sweden
Cetopo sources its orthophotos from the Orthophoto dataset by Lantmäteriet.
The Orthophotos are currently available with an incredible 16 cm resolution in most of the country, with resolutions 40 cm and 50 cm where 16 cm is not available. The 16 cm orthophotos are extremely detailed, and offer unprecedented realism.
Denmark
Cetopo sources its orthophotos from the Forårsbilleder Ortofoto dataset by Dataforsyningen.
The Orthophotos are currently available with an incredible 10-12.5 cm resolution in all of Denmark. The orthophotos are extremely detailed, and offer unprecedented realism.
About Cetopo
Mission
We think that experts should not have to spend time doing menial manual work due to outdated or incompatible dataformats. Experts should do what they do best, like design buildings if they are Architects, but currently many hours are wasted on conversions and workarounds. That is why Cetopo aims to provide you the data that you want, in the format that you prefer. If this means the latest BIM compatible 3D-landscapes, then that is what we provide, but if you prefer to stay 2D, then you will find that our support for those is just as good as for 3D.
Development
Cetopo is constantly being developed to better server your workflows, many of our features are quite recent, and developed at request from our customers. For example:
- 3D-buildings: 2020
- 3D-roads: 2020
- Helsinki Terrain: 2020
- 3D-forests: 2020
- Orthophoto textures: 2021
- Tree Categories: 2021
- Sweden: 2021
- Revit Plugin: 2021
- Denmark: 2023
So if you have some Cetopo-feature in mind that you think would be usefull, then please don't hesitate to contact us with it! Cetopo currently covers Finland and Sweden, but we intend to expand wherever the necessary condition, great data, is met.
Max Cedercreutz
+358 40 481 0114
max@cetopo.com
Founder, Dev
Tuomas Hyytiä
+358 40 832 6484
tuomas@cetopo.com
Co-Founder, Sales
Frequently asked questions & Tips
General questions
Cetopo aims to support as many workflows as possible, and this includes your favourite software. We currently provide the following file formats:
- dxf (most CAD software)
- 3dm (Rhino)
- skp (SketchUp)
- dae/glb/obj/stl/ply (3D Meshes)
- csv/txt/xyz (terrain points)
- svg (vector images)
- png/jpg/gif/bmp/tiff (orthophotos)
Additionally we have plugins for ArchiCAD and Revit, which provide native data types and a streamlined workflow for those apps. Please contact us if there is a file format that would improve your workflow significantly, and we will see what we can do.
We do not currently provide "raw data" in GIS-formats such as ShapeFile, GeoJson, KML, LAZ, etc.. but we would be very interested in hearing your use case for these formats.
Yes! Cetopo provides thoroughly configurable 2D CAD files in addition to more modern 3D models. Or you can mix and match 2D / 3D in the same file.
Using Cetopo
- Compress the terrain. Use the terrain compression settings to reduce terrain detail. If your model contains a lot of "background" regions, then we suggest you make an inner selection and use the Inner/Outer compression settings to achieve a multi-accuracy model. The terrain compression algorithm is smart, so there is almost no advantage in disabling compression completely. If you are downloading contours terrain (ArchiCAD), then switching to points terrain will make the model lighter and more accurate. Contour based terrains can be compressed just like triangulated terrains in Cetopo. Special contour compression settings can also be used. Most importantly the "Reduce" and "Skip Smaller" settings. Also make sure that the "Smooth" setting is set to zero.
- Compress the orthophoto. The orthophoto can get extremely large, especially in Sweden/Denmark. Use the Texture resolution setting to limit the orthophoto resolution. Note that this setting is followed only aproximately by Cetopo to avoid unnecessary quality loss.
- Download separate inner/outer models. Try downloading the most important regions as one model, and then the exterior environment as a second model.
- Download data types as separate models. To find out which data type is making the model heavy, try downloading each data type separately. Now you will have a buildings file, a roads file, etc.
- Use simpler data styles. Try changing the buildings, roads, and forests data style to something simpler.
- Disable features. Forests can get extremely heavy for very large (several km²) models. Try disabling them entirely to see if that helps.
- Download a smaller area. If the model is still too heavy then perhaps the area is simply too large.
Your model might be unrealistically detailed for such a large area. In these situations we recommend that you start from very low-detail (that computes succesfully) and work your way towards acceptable detail, or failure, to figure out the maximum detail that the Cetopo servers can handle for your area. If the achieved detail is too low for your needs, then please contact us so we can see if it would be possible to perform a custom computation of your model.
For a list of possible steps, check out the "The model is too heavy, how to make it lighter" box.
The coordinate systems used by Cetopo (and the National Land Surveys of various countries) have the feature that the Y-axis is not north aligned. The selections you make in our map interface are however often compass aligned, which means that they will appear rotated by a few degrees when downloaded. This rotation will vary depending on the selected coordinate system.
If the model appears rotated compared to some other model from another source (for example from a municipality), then make sure that the coordinate systems match. The default coordinate system that Cetopo provides is the national coordinate system, but municipalities tend to use local coordinate systems. All standard coordinate systems in use are available from Cetopo. Please contact us if you think some Coordinate System is missing.