> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.cognite.com/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# About 3D contextualization APIs

> Learn which APIs to use for 3D contextualization in asset-centric (legacy), hybrid, and data modeling projects in Cognite Data Fusion (CDF).

3D contextualization connects 3D models (CAD, point clouds, and 360° images) to assets so you can navigate between geometry and asset data.

The APIs you use depend on your **CDF project type**:

* **Asset-centric (legacy)**: assets are asset-centric, and contextualization approvals are typically stored via the **Annotations API** (for 360° images) or classic 3D APIs.
* **Hybrid**: you can contextualize both asset-centric assets and core data model assets. Approvals are stored using **3D asset mappings** (CAD) and the **Annotations API** (360° images and point clouds).
* **Data modeling**: assets are core data model instances (for example, <span translate="no">CogniteAsset</span>). Contextualization annotations are stored in Cognite data modeling, but you create them through the **3D contextualization APIs**. For point clouds, **3D jobs** can generate contextualization suggestions.

## Suggestions vs. approvals

It helps to separate contextualization into two stages:

* **Suggestions**: automated output you review (for example, point cloud volumes or detected text regions in 360° images).
* **Approvals**: the links you create to store the contextualization (for example, “this 360° text region refers to this asset”).

## Which API to use

The table below summarizes the main API entry points for 3D contextualization.

<Tabs>
  <Tab title="Asset-centric and hybrid">
    | Data type    | Suggestions                                                                                                                                                                   | Contextualization                                                                                       | Procedure                                                                        |
    | ------------ | ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
    | CAD          | [Filter 3D nodes](https://docs.cognite.com/20230101/3d-model-revisions/filter-3d-nodes) / [List 3D nodes](https://docs.cognite.com/20230101/3d-model-revisions/list-3d-nodes) | [Create 3D asset mappings](https://docs.cognite.com/20230101/3d-asset-mapping/create-3d-asset-mappings) | [Contextualize CAD models](/dev/3d/api_asset_centric/contextualize_cad)          |
    | Point clouds | [Create 3D revisions](https://docs.cognite.com/20230101/3d-model-revisions/create-3d-revisions)                                                                               | [Create annotations](https://docs.cognite.com/20230101/annotations/create-annotations)                  | [Contextualize point clouds](/dev/3d/api_asset_centric/contextualize_pointcloud) |
    | 360° images  | [Vision extract](https://docs.cognite.com/20230101/vision/extract-features-from-images) (deprecated) or your own tooling                                                      | [Create annotations](https://docs.cognite.com/20230101/annotations/create-annotations)                  | [Contextualize 360° images](/dev/3d/api_asset_centric/contextualize_360)         |

    <Info>
      For 360° text suggestions in **asset-centric** and **hybrid** projects, the Vision API is deprecated. We recommend migrating to a **data modeling** project.
    </Info>
  </Tab>

  <Tab title="Data modeling">
    | Data type    | Suggestions                                                                                                                                                                   | Contextualization                                                                                                                                                       | Procedure                                                                    |
    | ------------ | ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
    | CAD          | [Filter 3D nodes](https://docs.cognite.com/20230101/3d-model-revisions/filter-3d-nodes) / [List 3D nodes](https://docs.cognite.com/20230101/3d-model-revisions/list-3d-nodes) | [Create CAD contextualization](https://docs.cognite.com/20230101-beta/3d-contextualization/create-cad-contextualization) (public preview)                               | [Contextualize CAD models](/dev/3d/api_dmonly/contextualize_cad_dm)          |
    | Point clouds | [Create a job using 3D source data](https://docs.cognite.com/20230101/3d-jobs/create-a-job-using-3d-source-data)                                                              | [Create point cloud volume contextualization](https://docs.cognite.com/20230101-beta/3d-contextualization/create-point-cloud-volume-contextualization) (public preview) | [Contextualize point clouds](/dev/3d/api_dmonly/contextualize_pointcloud_dm) |
    | 360° images  | [Create a job using 3D source data](https://docs.cognite.com/20230101/3d-jobs/create-a-job-using-3d-source-data)                                                              | [Create 360 image contextualization](https://docs.cognite.com/20230101-beta/3d-contextualization/create-360-image-contextualization) (public preview)                   | [Contextualize 360° images](/dev/3d/api_dmonly/contextualize_360_dm)         |
  </Tab>
</Tabs>