Viewing on Mobile Devices

Prerequisites

• A smartphone or tablet with a modern web browser (Safari on iOS, Chrome on Android)

• An internet connection (Wi-Fi recommended for best experience)

• A Nira asset link (public, password-protected, inspection, or private sharing link)

ℹ️ Note: No app installation is required. Nira runs entirely in the browser on mobile devices. There is no dedicated Nira mobile app.

How Mobile Viewing Works

Nira uses pixel streaming — the 3D scene is rendered on Nira's servers and streamed to your device as a video feed. Your phone or tablet simply decodes the video and sends back your touch inputs. This means:

• Model complexity doesn't matter. A 200-million-triangle model performs identically to a 1-million-triangle model on your phone.

• Device hardware doesn't matter. An older iPhone SE provides the same rendering quality as a flagship device because the heavy lifting happens server-side.

• No downloads or plugins. Open the link in your browser and the asset loads.

The only variable that affects mobile viewing quality is your internet connection speed. A stable connection (Wi-Fi or strong cellular) provides smooth navigation. A weak connection introduces latency or frame drops.

Touch Gesture Controls

These gestures work in both landscape and portrait orientation.

💡 Tip: Tap directly on the model surface before orbiting to set a good pivot point. Without a surface pivot, the camera orbits around the scene center, which can feel disorienting — especially on mobile where you have less precise control than with a mouse.

💡 Tip: Use pinch to zoom to get close to areas of interest, then double-tap to teleport for the final positioning. This two-step approach is faster than trying to zoom and orbit simultaneously on a small screen.

What Works on Mobile

Full 3D Navigation

All orbit, pan, zoom, teleport, and pivot controls work via touch gestures. You can explore the full 3D scene with the same freedom as desktop — just with touch instead of mouse.

Viewing All Data Types

Mobile viewing supports all Nira data types:

• 3D meshes (OBJ, FBX, GLB, etc.)

• Point clouds (LAS, LAZ, E57)

• 3D Gaussian Splats (PLY)

• Orthomosaics (GeoTIFF — both 3D and 2D viewers)

Public, Password, and Inspection Links

All sharing link types work on mobile:

• Public links: Tap the link, view the asset immediately

• Password-protected links: Enter the password, then view

• Inspection links: Full annotation access — create callouts and measurements via touch

Viewing Callouts and Measurements

Tap on callout markers in the 3D view to open their detail windows. Scroll through callout descriptions, view embedded media, and navigate between callouts using the Layers Panel.

View Variants

If the asset has View Variants, the Variants dropdown is accessible on mobile. Tap to switch between variants.

Fullscreen Mode

Tap the fullscreen button in the Nira viewer to expand the asset to fill the entire screen, hiding the browser chrome. This provides the best mobile viewing experience.

💡 Tip: Always recommend fullscreen mode to mobile recipients. Browser navigation bars and address bars reduce the usable viewport area significantly on phones. Fullscreen reclaims that space.

What Doesn't Work on Mobile

Flycam Mode

Flycam (WASD keyboard navigation) is not available on touch devices. Mobile navigation uses orbit mode exclusively.

Edit Mode

Edit Mode is not designed for mobile use. While some editing functions may technically work, the interface is optimized for desktop-sized screens with mouse/keyboard input. For serious editing (adjusting view settings, managing variants, saving changes), use a desktop browser.

Keyboard Shortcuts

Orthographic view snaps (keys 1–6), frame-to-fit (F), and other keyboard shortcuts are not available on mobile devices without an external keyboard.

Multi-Touch Beyond Two Fingers

Nira recognizes one-finger and two-finger gestures. Three-finger or four-finger gestures are not used and may trigger system-level actions (e.g., iOS screenshot or app switcher).

Photo Viewer Gestures

The photo inspection viewer (for viewing source photographs synchronized with 3D camera positions) has limited mobile support. Pinch-zoom and pan within photos work, but the experience is more constrained than on desktop.

Optimizing Shared Links for Mobile Recipients

When you know your recipients will view on mobile (common for field teams, clients reviewing on-the-go, or stakeholders who don't have desktop access), take these steps to optimize their experience:

1. Set a Clear Starting View

Mobile users may find it harder to navigate to specific areas. Set a Starting View that frames the most important content so it's visible immediately on load.

💡 Tip: Test your Starting View on your own phone before sending the link to a client. What looks great on a desktop monitor may be too zoomed-out or poorly framed on a phone screen.

2. Use Public or Password Links for Simplicity

Public links offer the lowest friction on mobile — tap the link, see the asset. Avoid private sharing (which requires login) for mobile recipients unless security requires it. Login flows on mobile can be cumbersome, especially with magic links that open in email apps.

⚠️ Warning: Magic link login on mobile can cause redirect loops if the email app's built-in browser doesn't sync sessions with the device's default browser. If your mobile recipient reports they "can't log in," ask them to copy-paste the link into Safari or Chrome directly instead of tapping it inside their email app.

3. Create Presentation-Focused View Variants

Create a View Variant that simplifies the view for mobile recipients:

• Hide unnecessary objects that clutter the scene

• Use a high-contrast background (black works well on OLED phone screens)

• Set the default variant to the most relevant view

4. Pre-Position Key Callouts

If you want mobile viewers to review specific locations, create Camera Bookmark callouts at each location of interest. Mobile viewers can then tap through bookmarks in the Layers Panel rather than navigating manually through 3D space.

5. Add Viewport Meta Tag for Embeds

If you're embedding a Nira asset on a webpage that mobile users will visit, ensure your page includes the viewport meta tag:

<meta name="viewport" content="width=device-width, initial-scale=1, maximum-scale=1, user-scalable=0">

Without this tag, Nira's UI elements (buttons, thumbnails, controls) may appear very small on mobile screens. Most modern websites already include this tag, but verify it's present if you're building a custom embed page.

Mobile Browser Compatibility

ℹ️ Note: In-app browsers (the browser that opens when you tap a link inside Gmail, Slack, Teams, etc.) may behave differently from the device's default browser. For the best experience, open Nira links in the full browser. Most in-app browsers have an "Open in Browser" option — use it.

Network Considerations for Mobile

Wi-Fi vs. Cellular

💡 Tip: If you're sending an asset link to a field team member who will view on cellular, mention that Wi-Fi will provide a better experience. If they're at a remote site with poor connectivity, suggest they find a stable connection before reviewing.

Data Usage

Pixel streaming consumes bandwidth comparable to streaming video. A typical viewing session uses roughly the same data as watching a standard-definition video stream. For cellular data-conscious users, viewing over Wi-Fi is recommended for extended sessions.

Troubleshooting

"The asset loads but navigation is very laggy."

Cause: Network bandwidth issues — most commonly a weak Wi-Fi signal or congested cellular connection.

Fix:

1. Switch to a stronger Wi-Fi network if available

2. If on cellular, move to an area with better signal

3. Close other apps that may be consuming bandwidth (streaming services, downloads)

4. Try reducing the browser tab count — some mobile browsers throttle background tabs

"Touch gestures aren't responding or feel inconsistent."

Cause: The browser may be intercepting gestures, or the viewport isn't focused on the Nira viewer.

Fix:

1. Tap once inside the Nira viewer area to ensure it has focus

2. Use fullscreen mode to prevent browser chrome from intercepting edge gestures

3. Check that you don't have accessibility settings (e.g., VoiceOver, TalkBack) that override standard touch gestures

4. On iOS, disable "Reachability" if it's triggering during bottom-of-screen drags

"The model appears but buttons and UI elements are tiny."

Cause: The webpage (for embedded assets) is missing the viewport meta tag, or the device is using desktop mode.

Fix:

1. If viewing an embedded asset, check with the page owner about adding the viewport meta tag (see above)

2. On the mobile browser, check if "Request Desktop Site" is enabled and disable it

3. Try rotating to landscape orientation — some UI elements are more accessible in landscape

"My client tapped the link from email but got a login error."

Cause: In-app email browsers (Gmail, Outlook) handle sessions differently from the device's default browser.

Fix:

1. Ask the client to copy the link and paste it into Safari or Chrome

2. Or use the "Open in Browser" option within the in-app browser

3. If using private sharing with magic links, the magic link email should also be opened in the default browser

4. For the simplest mobile experience, use public or password-protected links instead of private sharing

"The 3D viewer shows a black screen on mobile."

Cause: The pixel stream failed to connect, potentially due to a network issue or browser compatibility problem.

Fix:

1. Refresh the page

2. Check internet connectivity

3. Try a different browser (Safari vs. Chrome)

4. If the issue persists, the server may be under load — wait a minute and try again

Technical Notes

• Mobile viewing uses the same pixel streaming technology as desktop — no quality difference in rendering

• Touch events are transmitted to the server and processed as camera movements, introducing a small but perceptible round-trip delay compared to local rendering

• Battery usage during viewing is comparable to video streaming, not gaming — the phone is decoding video, not rendering 3D

• Screen resolution on mobile does not affect rendering quality — Nira streams at a resolution optimized for the connection speed, which may be lower than the device's native resolution

• Portrait and landscape orientations are both supported; the viewer adapts automatically