VC Publisher

The VC Publisher has two central functions:

• transforming different geodata sources into data structures that enable streaming and thus visualization of geospatial data in the browser. A particular strength is the processing and visualization of semantic 3D city models in the CityGML format. The software also supports the processing of terrain models, raster maps, point clouds, oblique aerial imagery, and panoramic images, as well as the integration of standard OGC web services such as WMS, WFS, and additional data sources.
• creating and publishing browser‑based map applications (apps) from the integrated data sources with just a few clicks. The open‑source viewer solution VC Map is directly integrated into the VC Publisher.

The software is designed for organizations that want to build and operate Urban Digital Twins in a structured way — particularly municipal IT departments, GIS administrators, smart‑city managers, municipal data centers, surveying authorities, and planning offices.

The VC Publisher supports the complete process from data preparation to the publication of web‑based map applications.

Its scope includes:

• management of projects, applications, and user roles
• transformation of geodata into web‑optimized streaming formats
• simple WYSIWYG configuration of map viewers based on VC Map technology
• live preview and publication of finished applications
• integration of heterogeneous geodata formats, especially 3D mesh models and various vector data formats
• registration of existing OGC web services and integration of data catalogs on the intranet or internet
• an OpenAPI interface for automation or integration into existing applications and processes. Helsinki, for example, uses this to automate updates to its 3D city model. See the Helsinki Case Study

The VC Publisher helps organizations provide 3D city models, 3D meshes, point clouds from laser scanning, terrain models, orthophotos and geospatial datasets, oblique aerial imagery, panoramic images from mobile mapping, and many other data sources in a structured, reproducible, and technically controlled manner.

A core function of the VC Publisher is transforming incoming geodata into formats suitable for high‑performance web streaming. Depending on the data type, specialized conversion processes (“tasks”) are used.

This direct integration allows transformed and external data sources to be combined in a unified web application.

The user interface is accessed via standard web browsers. Installation packages are available for Windows Server, Ubuntu, and Docker, enabling deployment in common system environments.

The VC Publisher is typically deployed in the customer’s local system environment so that large input datasets can be processed directly on site. Transfer to a cloud environment is therefore not required.

System requirements depend primarily on the volume of data to be processed and should be adapted to individual needs. As a general guideline, the server should have:

• a modern multicore CPU
• at least 16 GB RAM
• at least 1 terabyte of storage

Ideally, all resources should be flexibly scalable.

A Software‑as‑a‑Service deployment in the cloud is also possible.

The VC Publisher provides an OpenAPI interface that allows all functions and processes to be controlled programmatically. This enables seamless integration into existing system landscapes and efficient automation of workflows.

For intensive users, the OpenAPI interface offers flexible options for direct control. Processes can be triggered, monitored, and integrated into higher‑level workflows — without manual intervention. A practical example is the Helsinki reference project.