Cesium Certified Developers Connect to Build Unreal Applications for Real Estate
We launched the Cesium Certified Developer program in October 2022 to recognize developers with expertise in the Cesium platform and connect them with customers who want to build innovative 3D geospatial applications. Among them are Marius Coetzee and Uzufly, who connected via the Cesium Certified Developer directory to build web-based Unreal applications for real estate projects.
3D model of the resort at Flims-Laax-Falera area, Switzerland, combined with Cesium World Terrain and Bing Maps Aerial imagery, in Cesium for Unreal. Courtesy Marius Coetzee.
Coetzee became a certified developer in January 2023, having submitted a Cesium for Unreal project showcasing Flims-Laax-Falera area in Switzerland, a ski resort in winter/spring and a hiking/biking area in summer/fall. Coetzee’s app goes beyond typical 2D resort graphics that display gondola routes and activity trails: interactive 3D enables visitors to orient themselves; examine the terrain; adjust lighting and weather; and even buy tickets. The Laax project uses Cesium World Terrain and Bing Maps Aerial imagery for real-world terrain in Unreal Engine via Cesium ion, incorporates custom 3D buildings and trees, and is deployed on the web via pixel streaming.
“I fell in love with Cesium when I first saw it on an Epic Games webinar a few years ago,” Coetzee said. “I’ve been using Unreal Engine professionally for five years, and when I saw you could have the whole Earth at your fingertips I was instantly interested [in Cesium]. The possibilities are endless.”
Flims-Laax-Falera, Switzerland, in Coetzee’s Cesium Certified Developer submission. Courtesy Marius Coetzee.
Uzufly, also a Cesium Certified Developer, creates ultra-high-definition (UHD) digital twins of cities—enabling urban planning, smart cities, environmental studies, traffic plans for large events, and more. Data is hosted on Cesium ion, tiled into 3D Tiles, and streamed into the Uzuverse, powered by CesiumJS. From these UHD digital twins, Uzufly renders animations for custom solutions using Cesium for Unreal.
Fribourg, Switzerland, in Uzufly’s UHD digital twin. Courtesy Uzufly.
Coetzee has a wide range of interests and experience across the 3D realm, including modeling, texturing, world building, and optimization. He is currently delving deeper into 3D Tiles, Cesium ion, and CesiumJS. Uzufly saw Coetzee’s profile on the Cesium Certified Developer directory, collaborated with him on a few projects, and brought him on full time. At Uzufly, Coetzee works on Unreal development for pixel streaming, akin to the work he did on his demo app for Cesium certification.
“We wanted to make the bridge between Cesium and Unreal Engine 5 to unlock the gaming potential for some of our clients, creating a premium web platform to showcase important real estate projects. Thanks to the Cesium Certified Developer directory, we found Marius, and a few weeks later we built that bridge between Cesium and UE5 for Uzufly,” said Romain Kirchhoff, founder and CEO of Uzufly.
Anières, Canton Geneva, Switzerland, in Uzufly’s premium web platform for real estate projects. Courtesy Uzufly
Cesium Certified Developer individuals and organizations span the globe, in nearly 30 countries and across myriad industries. If you’re new to Cesium, explore learning paths to gain the knowledge and skills to submit a project and become a Cesium Certified Developer.