Present your project in its real-world 3D context

Start by checking location, scale and orientation before presenting a project in its real-world 3D context. Then choose views that connect the building to the street and its entrances. DRB Studio retrieves surrounding map data and can use satellite imagery, but that representation needs checking: it does not replace a site survey or independently confirm current conditions.

The viewer interface is in Spanish. Spanish control names are followed by their English meaning in this guide.

Editorial review: October 20, 2026 · DRB Studio.

1. Define the relationship to the site you want to explain

   Before looking for an attractive view, write down the meeting’s question. It might concern the approach to the front door, the outlook from a terrace or the building’s relationship to the street. That question determines which surroundings you need to show and which information requires separate verification.

   Prepare a supported model and confirm the design revision. Keep a site reference and a view of the street-facing facade. If alternatives remain, identify the one you are placing. Unexplained overlapping options can make a provisional volume look final.

   Distinguish design elements from map data. A tree proposed by your practice and a tree represented in the surroundings have different sources. Explain that distinction, especially when a decision depends on retaining planting, clearing an entrance or looking toward a neighboring property.

2. Confirm the address and building position

   Go to “Revisión” (Review) → “Entorno” (Context) → “Ubicación y entorno” (Location and context). Enter an address or coordinates and select “Buscar” (Search). Open “Acomodar en el mapa” (Position on the map) to check placement, then confirm with “Guardar” (Save). A search may find the street or neighborhood without identifying the exact site. Compare the block shape, a reference corner and the entrance; a matching neighborhood name is not enough.

   Check the model’s orientation against the street. If the main facade faces the wrong way, correct placement before showing shadows. A top view helps reveal the issue. Also verify scale using a known building dimension: visually fitting the model to the lot is not a substitute.

   Once placement is consistent, return to the entrance and check its relationship to the sidewalk. Record differences between your site reference and the map as unresolved items. Make that uncertainty visible rather than hiding it behind planting or a tight camera angle.

3. Distinguish the map, buildings and satellite image

   Surrounding buildings and streets are generated from map data. Satellite imagery is an image placed on the ground. Each serves a different purpose: the map clarifies street layout, while imagery offers visible site references. Under “Suelo” (Ground), switch between “Mapa (OpenStreetMap)” (Map) and “Foto satelital” (Satellite image) to suit the explanation.

   OpenStreetMap requires attribution to its contributors when using its data. Retain the credits shown by the viewer, including the imagery provider’s attribution. See OpenStreetMap’s copyright and attribution information (source review: October 20, 2026). Keep these credits visible in presentation material.

   Check differences in date and detail against what you know of the site. Point out recent construction that is missing, or imagery showing an earlier condition. An available image does not establish that every part of the surroundings is up to date.

4. Review heights, vegetation and terrain before drawing conclusions

   The viewer may estimate missing heights and add vegetation to represent the surroundings. Neighboring volumes help locate the project, but should not automatically be treated as a precise survey. If a decision depends on a boundary wall’s height or a neighboring window, check it against site information.

   Do the same for terrain. A surface that looks continuous on screen may not describe the changes needed to design a ramp or entrance. Check elevations in your documentation and identify information that is contextual only. Avoid deriving construction dimensions from satellite imagery.

   A useful question for the meeting might be how the entrance’s relationship to the street changes if the neighbor is taller. That discussion identifies what still needs checking. The model remains useful when you clearly distinguish the practice’s design from external reference data.

5. Save views connecting the block, street and entrance

   Prepare an overall view in which the block is recognizable, followed by a closer entrance view. Add a viewpoint from the space under discussion. Maintain a recognizable orientation so the client can follow the move from street to interior without knowing the floor plan.

   In the standard 3D view, left-drag orbits, right-drag pans and scrolling zooms toward the cursor as in SketchUp. Middle-mouse dragging looks around from your current position. Explore with these controls and return to saved views to keep the presentation on track. Practice before going full screen.

   Enter the architect’s or practice’s name and switch to “Presentación” (Presentation) for the meeting. Keep the surroundings from dominating when the question concerns the building. Choose the view for the relationship it reveals: an entrance may be clearer at eye level than in a dramatic aerial view.

6. Add sunlight and prepare a fallback for the meeting

   Before discussing shadows, confirm location and orientation. Choose a date and time for a clear reason and state them in your explanation. The solar study guide covers the procedure; here the focus is its relationship to the site and the information you actually have about neighboring buildings.

   A shadow consistent with the model does not verify the real effect of a neighboring building whose height was estimated. Keep that question open until you have checked data. Likewise, an AI interpretation is not evidence of current site conditions.

   Rehearse using the meeting device and connection. Context retrieval depends on external services, so prepare reference screenshots in case they do not load. “Mis proyectos” (My projects) is local storage and project cloud storage is currently disabled. Share your own work through a tested .drb package; a public demo link opens only the gallery project.