Web Uploader Guide

Prerequisites

• Active Nira account with upload permissions (Admin, Team Member, or Contributor)

• Supported file format (see Supported Data & File Types for the full list)

• Modern browser (Chrome, Edge, Firefox, or Safari — Chrome recommended)

Uploading an Asset

Step 1: Start the Upload

Click the Upload button on your dashboard (top-right area). The upload dialog opens.

Step 2: Select Your Asset Type

Choose the type that matches your data:

⚠️ Warning: If you're uploading point clouds (LAS, LAZ, E57), select Photogrammetry — not PBR or Sculpt. The asset type affects how Nira processes and renders your data.

Step 3: Select Your Files

Drag files into the upload zone or click Browse to select them. You can upload multiple files at once.

What to include together in one upload:

• Textured mesh: OBJ/FBX/GLB + texture files (JPG, PNG, TIFF) in the same upload

• Point cloud: All LAS/LAZ/E57 files for one asset. They must all be uploaded simultaneously — you cannot add more point cloud files to an existing asset later

• Photos + camera alignment: Photos (JPG/PNG) + camera alignment file (CSV, TXT, or XML from your photogrammetry software)

• Orthomosaic: GeoTIFF file (.tif or .tiff)

• 3DGS: One or more uncompressed PLY files. Multiple PLY files auto-merge into one splat

⚠️ Warning: Point clouds cannot be appended after the initial upload. If you need to add more scan data, you must upload all files together in a single upload session. Plan your upload accordingly.

Step 4: Configure Upload Settings

Before clicking Upload, review these settings:

• Asset Name: Defaults to the filename. Change it to something descriptive (e.g., "Site 42 - April 2026 Survey")

• Use Normals: Leave off for photogrammetry (default). Enable for CAD/PBR models with smooth surfaces. See What Are Normals? for details

• Coordinate System: If your data is georeferenced, Nira reads the CRS from the file. If it's not embedded, you'll be prompted to set it. Choose UTM Zone if unsure

Step 5: Upload and Wait

Click Upload. The progress bar shows upload status. Once files are transferred, Nira processes them server-side. Processing time depends on file size and complexity:

• Small mesh (< 50M triangles): 5–15 minutes

• Large mesh (50–500M triangles): 15–60 minutes

• Point cloud (< 500M points): 10–30 minutes

• Point cloud (500M–2B points): 30–120 minutes

• 3DGS (typical): 5–15 minutes

• GeoTIFF orthomosaic: 2–10 minutes

You'll receive an email when processing completes. You can close the browser tab during processing — it continues server-side.

Uploading to an Existing Asset

You can add files to an existing asset (new model version, additional photos, orthomosaic overlay):

1. Open the existing asset's preview page

2. Click Upload → Add to this asset (or similar)

3. Select your new files

4. Click Upload

This creates a new version of the asset. Both the old and new versions are accessible.

⚠️ Warning: When uploading new files to an existing asset for versioning, name the files identically to the original. If version 1 has Building.obj and Brick.png, version 2 must also use Building.obj and Brick.png. Different filenames cause both versions to display simultaneously.

⚠️ Warning: You cannot append point cloud files to an existing point cloud asset. This is a hard limitation. Upload all point cloud files together in the initial upload.

Pre-Upload Checklist

Before uploading, verify these common failure points:

• [ ] File format supported? Check Supported Data & File Types. Common failures: PTS, PTX, XYZ, RCP, compressed PLY, COPC LAZ

• [ ] Textures included? OBJ files need their .mtl + texture files. FBX files need their texture folder. GLB embeds textures automatically

• [ ] Coordinate system set? If georeferenced, confirm the CRS is embedded in the file or know the EPSG code to enter manually

• [ ] Alpha channel present? Orthomosaics (GeoTIFF) should include an alpha channel to avoid black or white borders in the viewer

• [ ] File size within limits? Check your plan's storage limits in Plans & Feature Comparison

• [ ] Point cloud complete? You cannot add more point cloud files later — make sure all LAS/LAZ/E57 files are ready

• [ ] 3DGS is uncompressed PLY? .splat, .spz, .ksplat files won't work — convert to uncompressed PLY first (see Unsupported Formats & Alternatives)

• [ ] Max 300 LAZ files per asset upload

Troubleshooting

"Upload failed" or upload stuck at 0%

Cause: Network interruption, file too large for a single connection, or browser extension blocking the upload.

Fix:

1. Check your internet connection

2. Try a different browser (Chrome recommended)

3. Disable ad blockers or VPN temporarily

4. If the file is very large (> 10 GB), try uploading over a wired connection instead of Wi-Fi

5. See Upload Troubleshooting for detailed diagnostics

"Upload succeeded but the asset is blank or missing data."

Cause: Textures weren't included, wrong asset type selected, or the file format isn't fully supported.

Fix:

1. Verify textures were uploaded alongside the mesh (OBJ needs .mtl + image files)

2. Check that you selected the correct asset type (e.g., Photogrammetry for point clouds)

3. For PLY files: confirm it's a mesh or 3DGS, not a point cloud PLY. Point cloud PLY isn't supported — convert to LAS/LAZ first

⚠️ Warning: PLY files have three identities in Nira: mesh (textured 3D model), 3D Gaussian Splat (select "3D Gaussian Splat" asset type), or point cloud (not supported as PLY — convert to LAS/LAZ/E57 using CloudCompare). If your PLY upload fails silently, it's likely a point cloud. See Unsupported Formats & Alternatives.

[SCREENSHOT: Upload dialog showing asset type dropdown and file selection area]

"Processing is taking much longer than expected."

Cause: Very large assets, server queue, or a processing error.

Fix:

1. Check your email for a processing failure notification

2. Large point clouds (1B+ points) can take 2+ hours — this is normal

3. If processing hasn't completed after 4 hours, contact support with your asset name

"My orthomosaic has black or white borders."

Cause: The GeoTIFF wasn't exported with an alpha channel.

Fix: Re-export from your photogrammetry software with alpha/transparency enabled, then re-upload. The alpha channel tells Nira which pixels are data and which are empty.

"I uploaded 3DGS PLY files and they merged into one splat."

Cause: This is expected behavior. Multiple PLY 3DGS files auto-merge on upload. You cannot toggle individual files on/off after upload.

Fix: If you need separate splats, upload them as separate assets. If you've already uploaded, you'll need to create a new asset for each individual splat.

Technical Notes

• Browser upload limits: Nira handles files up to 50 GB per upload session via chunked upload. For files larger than this, contact support

• Supported mesh formats: OBJ, FBX, GLB/GLTF, DAE, STL (see Supported Data & File Types for the full list)

• Supported point cloud formats: LAS, LAZ, E57 only. Not PTS, PTX, XYZ, RCP, RCS, FLS, LGS, or COPC LAZ

• Photo formats: JPG, PNG. Include camera alignment data for photo navigation and inspection workflows

• Processing: Server-side, using Nira's pixel-streaming infrastructure. No GPU or software required on your end

• Storage: Uploads count against your plan's storage limits (triangles, textures, photos, points). Monitor usage in Account Settings → Billing