GSoC Diary #3: Final Report

Posted by Ayush Dhar Dubey on 29 August 2025 in English. Last updated on 3 September 2025.

Introduction

This report reflects on my journey during Google Summer of Code 2025, where I worked on the 3D Model Repository (3DMR): a platform that makes high-quality, CC-licensed 3D assets discoverable, reusable, and directly linkable to OpenStreetMap (OSM) features. At its core, 3DMR is about more than just hosting models: it’s about ensuring provenance, metadata quality, and renderer-friendly optimized delivery.

Initial Project Goals

Details of my original proposal can be found here: OSM: Modernize the 3D Model Repository.

In essence, the goal of the project under GSoC 2025 was to revive the 3DMR project by upgrading Django and related dependencies and standardizing on the widely accepted glTF/GLB format so renderers can load models predictably.

Work Done

My detailed progress notes are documented on the community thread. A high level summary of the major milestones can be highlighted as:

Infrastructure modernization: Upgraded Django (to 5.2.2), resolved numerous dependency issues, and added CI/CD pipelines for efficient test coverage. Migrated the viewer from Three.js r94 to r178 with ES6 module bundling (via Vite).
Test coverage: Introduced baseline test coverage across the codebase.
Viewer improvements: With the guidance of Tordanik and Lonvia, I added orientation cues (directional arrows) so contributors can catch alignment issues early. The viewer now also supports animated GLB models.
Optimized query performance: Leveraged PostgreSQL indexing for faster model lookups.
Server-side GLB validation: Integrated Khronos’ glTF Validator to catch broken models during upload and ensure only valid assets enter the repository.
Model statistics: Built a contributor-facing statistics panel covering geometry, materials, textures, and animations.
Identity fixes: Hid mutilated 3DMR usernames and replaced it with OSM display names and User IDs for frontend presentation, wherever applicable, resolving whitespace and rename issues (#25).
Admin tools: Expanded admin privileges with metadata editing and model deletion.

For completeness, an extensive list of the Pull Requests I submitted during the program can be found here

Current State

The 3DMR project is once again fully functional and ready for deployment with GLB model support. The full-screen preview and contributor statistics panel make it more usable and inviting. I hope these changes encourage more contributions and wider adoption within the OSM ecosystem.

Future Work

Per-asset transform editor: UI for rotation/translation/scale corrections with map context.
Test suite expansion: The current suite is only a baseline; more extensive coverage is needed.
Docs & Wiki: Add more examples, a contributor cookbook, and expanded orientation/alignment guides.
Model classification: Introduce explicit distinction between unique (geolocatable) and generic (reusable) models.
UI enhancements: Upgrade Bootstrap dependency and explore improved UI/UX design.

Conclusion

Looking back, my summer with OpenStreetMap has been one of the most rewarding experiences of my journey so far. Through weekly meeting-discussions and steady guidance from my mentors, we worked together to make 3DMR more welcoming, usable, and sustainable for future contributors. Their feedback was crucial in refining my code, improving my workflow, and, most importantly—shaping my approach and intution to problems.

Lonvia and Tordanik have not only helped me navigate technical roadblocks but also deepened my understanding of open source culture: why clear goals matter, why attribution must be handled carefully, and how thoughtful discussions elevates a project. From my earliest proposal drafts to the final deployment, their patience and suggestive feedbacks have continually pushed me to build better.

The project now stands on much firmer ground, and I’m eager to continue contributing, so that 3DMR can grow into a user friendly, widely adopted, trusted pillar of the OSM ecosystem.