Publishing 3D Tours to Google Street View - FAQs
Publishing a 3D tour created in Cupix to Google Street View allows your tour to reach a much wider audience. If you subscribe to a Studio Package, there will be no limit to the number of times you can publish to Google Street View.
Unlike other 360º virtual tour software designed for Google Street View, Cupix is able to automatically align multiple panoramic photos. When submitting a 3D virtual tour to Google Maps, all connections and orientations of the panoramic photos that have been set by Cupix will be included as well. After publishing the 3D tour to Google street view, instead of placing each 360º image manually, you only need to place your 3D virtual tour in the correct location with accurate scaling on the Google map. Refer to this video tutorial on how to export a 3D tour to Google Street View.
Check out this Cupix 3D virtual tour and compare it with the exported result in Google Street View.
Note:Private properties (residential real estate) cannot be published to Google Street View. You can publish the following venues: Offices, hotels, resorts, landmarks, museums, retail stores, restaurants, multi-house complexes, nightly rentals, and other commercial properties.
My 3D virtual tour does not look the same or does not appear in Google Street View. What should I do?
After submitting a Cupix 3D virtual tour to Google Street View, Google uses their own photo alignment algorithm to reprocess all panorama photos in the 3D virtual tour. The 3D photo connection and orientation data from the Cupix virtual tour might not be followed by the Google algorithm, which means the tour initially published to Google Street View may look different from the tour on Cupix. Google will typically fix any differing photo orientations and connections on the Google Maps tour within a couple of days. If the problem persists, contact Google for further assistance.
My 3D virtual tour failed to publish. What should I do?
Make sure the title of your 3D virtual tour does not contain any special characters such as apostrophes or unsupported unicode characters. Leave us a ticket if you are unable to republish the tour after removing these characters.
Are 3D virtual objects, face blur, or nadir photos applied to Google Street View?
Nadir photo and face blur will be applied to tours published to Google Street View. Other features such as 3D virtual objects, entry photos, highlights, floor plans, and color adjustments are not supported in Google Maps.
What if I delete or change my 3D virtual tour in the Cupix App?
Deleting or making changes to your 3D virtual tour on Cupix will not upload the tour on Google Street View unless it is republished. To delete a 3D tour from Google Street View, follow the steps below:
- Open Google Maps. On the top left, click Menu.
- Select Your Contributions. Find the photo you'd like to delete.
- Click Delete This Photo. You must delete every photo in your 3D virtual tour to fully remove the tour.
If you want to make changes to your 3D virtual tour, edit it in the Cupix app first, then publish it to Google Street View. Note that only face blur and a nadir photo will be applied to your 3D virtual tour on Google Maps.
How do I become a Google Trusted Photographer?
Cupix provides a Google Street View ready tool which enables you to create 3D virtual tours and publish them to Google Maps easily, and helps you qualify as a Google Trusted Photographer. However, the Google Trusted Photographers are operated by Google, and Cupix has no authority in controlling its membership.
For a Google Trusted Photographer certification to be acquired, there must be at least 50 images uploaded to the Google server. For more details regarding Google’s image guidelines, please refer to the Image Acceptance and Privacy page from Google Street View. Google will inform you when you’ve been verified.
Note: The Google Street View export feature is available with a 30-day free trial and in the Studio Package.
How much does it cost to export my 3D virtual tour to Google Street View?
There is no additional cost for Street View publishing if you are subscribed to a Studio Package. The Studio Package includes photo editing capabilities (color adjustment and area blur), automatic face blur, brand and social media customization, camera animations, photo frames, and the option to add 3D objects such as 3D text. The Studio Package costs $24 per month per workspace.
Can I publish tours of residential property to Google Street View?
No, you cannot publish tours of residential property to Google Street View with the exception of nightly rentals. Publishing 3D virtual tours of the interior of private residences, publicly inaccessible locations, and no photos zones violates Google’s privacy policy. Breaking Google’s terms of service could result in your Google account being banned from Google Street View. Cupix cannot take any action to reinstate your tour on Google Street View. Keep in mind that Cupix has no control over your published 3D virtual tours, and we are not responsible for any consequences. Make sure to notify any additional team members and collaborators who have the write permission on your 3D tours that they cannot publish tours of private properties to Google Street View.
Can I set the start point and highlights within the Google Street View tour?
No, these features are not supported on Google Maps. Even if you set the start point and highlights in the Cupix app, they will not appear on Google Street View. However, you can display your 3D virtual tours exactly the way you want by embedding them on your website or sharing them through social media.
Can I specify the photos that I want displayed in Google Maps?
You can specify which 3D tour photos to display to avoid showing every single photo in Google Maps. When publishing your tour from the Cupix Web App, link the Place ID to the chosen entry photos. The chosen panos will be viewable in Google Maps and serve to highlight the tour. Walk-through mode is not affected by photo selection and will work as normal.
Can I publish a multi-level 3D virtual tour to Google Street View?
This feature is currently not supported. There have been many requests for publishing multi-level 3D virtual tours to Google Maps and we are working on it. We'll inform you when it's available.
Where can I view my 3D virtual tour on Google?
Your 3D virtual tour will be visible on Google Maps, Google Earth, and the Google Street View app.
Is there a limit on the number of Google Street Views I can publish?
No, there is no limit on the number of Google Street Views you can publish as long as you subscribe to a Cupix Studio Package. However, if you are a 30-day free-trial user, you are limited to 3 new 3D virtual tours.