Skip to main content
You can upload 360° images in the Cognite Data Fusion (CDF) user interface by uploading E57 files and configuring filtering and indexing. This guide covers two programmatic options:
  • Triggering 360° extraction from E57 files with a Python script.
  • Uploading and registering other 360° formats (cube maps) using the Files API and the DMS API.

​
Trigger 360° image extraction from E57 files using Python

Use the Cognite Python SDK to trigger 360° image extraction from E57 files. Set extractPhotosphereImages to true to turn on this setting. Adjust file_id, model_id, and dmsInstancesSpaceId for your environment.
This option works for asset-centric projects only.
The example shows the Python script that triggers the extraction of 360° images. 
from cognite.client import CogniteClient
client = CogniteClient()

# Specify previously created model ID
model_id = 12346789

# Specify the E57 fileId to be processed for the revision
file_id = 987654321

# Specify the spaceId where the Image360 DMS instances will be stored
space_id = "threed_data"

session = client.iam.sessions.create()

payload = {
  "items": [
    {
      "fileId": file_id,
      "nonce": session.nonce,
      "pipelineConfiguration":
      {
        "indexingOptions" :
        {
          "extractPhotosphereImages": "true",
          "dmsInstancesSpaceId": space_id
        }
      }
    }
  ]
}

response = client.post(f"/api/v1/projects/{client.config.project}/3d/models/{model_id}/revisions", payload)

​
Custom script for other formatted 360° images

Follow these steps to upload the cube map images to CDF for 360° formats other than E57 and specify the location and orientation of the 360° images in the data modeling service (DMS) instances.
This workflow works only for asset-centric (legacy) projects.
1

Upload cube map images

Upload the cube map images to the Files API, for example using a Python script. Each image file needs an externalId and metadata.A unique externalID should be set for each file, and it should be the same as referenced from the corresponding Image360 instances image-360-cubemap-front and similar property fields.
NameValueExample
site_idA common identifier across all 360° images in the set. You will use this identifier when including the images in a scene.”site-S01-area-a03”
site_nameA human-readable site name.”Norway Site S01 Area 03”
station_idA unique identifier for the scanning position.”s01-a03-0012”
station_nameA human-readable station name.”Area 03 - 0012”
image_typeAlways “cubemap”.“cubemap”
image_resolutionThe resolution of the cubemap image. The recommended resolution is 2048 x 2048 pixels.2048
faceThe direction of the image (one of left, front, right, back, top, and bottom).“left”
2

Create DMS instances

For each 360° image collection, use the Data modeling API to create instances that specify the location and orientation of the images. See Ingesting instances into a graph or Create or update nodes/edges for more information.Three data model views are used for 360° images:
  • Image360Collection
  • Station360
  • Image360
If your project admin has allowed it, they are available in the cdf_360_image_schema system data model in all CDF projects.You can store the instances in the same space, when ingesting instances for a collection through these three data model views. The DMS instances should have the following metadata:Image360Collection
{
  "items": [
    {
      "instanceType": "node",
      "space": "collection-space-id",
      "externalId": "collection-external-id",
      "sources": [
        {
          "source": {
            "type": "view",
            "space": "cdf_360_image_schema",
            "externalId": "Image360Collection",
            "version": "v1"
          },
          "properties": {
            "label": "collection-label"
          }
        }
      ]
    }
  ],
  "autoCreateDirectRelations": true,
  "autoCreateStartNodes": false,
  "autoCreateEndNodes": false,
  "skipOnVersionConflict": false,
  "replace": false
}
ValueDescription
collection_labelThe name of the collection, for example, “site-factory1-area-a01”.
collection-space-idThe space ID to store the Image360Collection instance.
collection-external-idThe external ID of the Image360Collection instance.
Station360
{
  "items": [
    {
      "instanceType": "node",
      "space": "station-space-id",
      "externalId": "station-external-id",
      "sources": [
        {
          "source": {
            "type": "view",
            "space": "cdf_360_image_schema",
            "externalId": "Station360",
            "version": "v1"
          },
          "properties": {
            "label": "station-label"
          }
        }
      ]
    }
  ],
  "autoCreateDirectRelations": true,
  "autoCreateStartNodes": false,
  "autoCreateEndNodes": false,
  "skipOnVersionConflict": false,
  "replace": false
}
ValueDescription
station-space-idThe space ID to store the Station360 instance.
station-external-idThe external ID of the Station360 instance.
station-labelThe name of the station, for example, “station-0012”.
Image360
{
  "items": [
    {
      "instanceType": "node",
      "space": "image-360-space-id",
      "externalId": "image-360-external-id",
      "sources": [
        {
          "source": {
            "type": "view",
            "space": "cdf_360_image_schema",
            "externalId": "Image360",
            "version": "v1"
          },
          "properties": {
            "image": {
              "label": "image-360-label",
              "translationX": 0,
              "translationY": 0,
              "translationZ": 0,
              "eulerRotationX": 0,
              "eulerRotationY": 0,
              "eulerRotationZ": 0,
              "scaleX": 1.0,
              "scaleY": 1.0,
              "scaleZ": 1.0,
              "cubeMapFront": "image-360-cubemap-front",
              "cubeMapBack": "image-360-cubemap-back",
              "cubeMapLeft": "image-360-cubemap-left",
              "cubeMapRight": "image-360-cubemap-right",
              "cubeMapTop": "image-360-cubemap-top",
              "cubeMapBottom": "image-360-cubemap-bottom",
              "collection": "image-360-collection",
              "station": "image-360-station",
              "timeTaken": "image-360-time-taken"
            }
          }
        }
      ]
    }
  ],
  "autoCreateDirectRelations": true,
  "autoCreateStartNodes": false,
  "autoCreateEndNodes": false,
  "skipOnVersionConflict": false,
  "replace": false
}
ValueDescription
image-360-space-idThe space ID to store the Image360 instance. Normally the same as for Image360Collection and Station360.
image-360-external-idThe external ID of the Image360 instance. There is one Image360 instance per set of 6 images.
image-360-labelThe name of the image set, for example, “station-0012-images”.
image-360-translation-x, image-360-translation-y, image-360-translation-zThe translation coordinates of the image set.
image-360-euler-rotation-x, image-360-euler-rotation-y, image-360-euler-rotation-zThe rotation angles for the front image (radians).
image-360-scale-x, image-360-scale-y, image-360-scale-zThe scale factors of the image set. Normally 1.0.
image-360-cubemap-front, image-360-cubemap-back, and similarThe external IDs of the cube map images stored in the Files API.
image-360-collectionThe external ID of the Image360Collection instance.
image-360-stationThe name of the Station360 instance.
image-360-time-takenThe time when the images were taken.

​
Next steps

After uploading 360° images, add 360° images to a scene to view them in CDF and the Reveal 3D viewer.
Last modified on April 10, 2026