WELCOME TO Mapstar
FAQ
Here you will find our most frequently asked questions. If your question cannot be answered here, please contact us and we will be happy to help you.
What is a Extended Reality (XR) map?
An XR Map consists of a captured environment in 3D, a location-based anchor to the real physical space and its descriptions by means of digital items. The sole capture of the environment represents a digital twin and presents only a location without an explanation.
What are the benefits of XR Maps?
XR Maps bring you many advantages. For example, you can capture your memories in 3D instead of 2D. Dive back into your memories and annotate them or invite friends in VR who have experienced the place and time with you. Create a 3D service by including your experiences and recommendations on the spot and making it available to others. Represent a place with your knowledge or create a historical documentation tour. You can fully unleash your creativity, and we will help you.
How can I create an XR map and make it accessible to everyone?
Start with mapping your environment in 3D and add 3D content (items) to it. The items are anchored to the digital 3D model as well as to the physical world and saved as a map in your profile. In order for everyone to have access to it, set your profile visibility to "public", then you have to upload it from your profile "on device" tab to the cloud.
How many XR-maps can I create in one place?
As many as you want. Each map represents a new extended reality experience.
What is the Mapstar Metaverse?
Metaverse describes a virtual place that you can create, edit, extend, share and experience with others in Extended Reality. With Mapstar you can edit the physical world and make it your own Metaverse being shared and discovered with others.
On which Operating System does mapstar Run?
Just use your Android or iOS device with or without a LiDAR sensor. Use the web-editor to edit your XR maps.
What is the biggest thing I can scan?
With Mapstar, it is possible to scan up to 1500 square meters with your smartphone. However, we recommend a powerful smartphone such as the Samsung S21, OnePlus 9 Pro, or an iPhone 12 Pro or newer.
What is the smallest object that i Can Scan?
Small things cannot be captured with much details by our application.We recommend that you create large-scale scans of your environment with up to 1500 square meters in area.
Why does the result of my captured car not look really good?
Surfaces that are reflective or transparent are difficult for any camera to capture. We are working on a solution and see possibilities to eliminate these problems.
Why do I have a bad result of my scan in strong sunlight but also in dark rooms?
If you let too much sunlight into the camera lens, over-lighting and sun flare effects will irritate the camera, and your model's texture will produce corresponding results. If you want to capture a room that is too dark, the camera does not receive enough light to find feature points. This behavior leads to camera tracking drifts and sometimes to duplicate content generated. Therefore, always make sure that the lighting is well distributed and that you have enough light to detect feature points.
How is the Accuracy of my created model?
You can increase the accuracy of the mesh by walking around and studying the object longer. We provide a centimetre accurate map of your environment.
Are you going to improve the quality of the mapping?
The quality of the mapping depends on your hardware. We aim to create a consistent model regardless of the device and constantly improve the overall quality. Over time, handheld devices will get better and better, which will further improve the quality of our models. The quality of the models does not play a role in the anchoring of items in the physical world.
Are my items really persistently stored in the physical world?
Yes, absolutely. As long as you have captured your environment, you can anchor digital content in the physical world to the centimeter.
Can i upload my own 3d model and use it as an item?
Yes, as long as it is a valid .glb (GLTF 2.0) model. You can even upload your own model as an environment (mapping) for using it in Virtual Reality to invite your friends, family, or colleagues.
How can I discover my or other maps around me?
Just press the "Discover" button (previously "Around Me") and you will see a list of nearby public maps that you can discover in Augmented Reality (AR), including your own created maps. Select one of the maps for viewing in AR, look around with your smartphone camera to recognize and overlay the map correctly with your physical surrounding. Always make sure to find the right visual markers (features) that were used when creating the model (e.g. non-moving buildings, walls, paths).
What if I can not see my XR Map after pressing the Discover/Around Me button?
The Around Me feed shows nearby XR Maps in a radius of 250 meters and that include at least one item (like 3D Model, Image, Video, URL, ...) in order to see the XR Map items being localized on-site. If the XR Map does not include any items it will not be shown in the Around Me feed, but you can still view it via your profile.
Why do I see a different design on your website than in the app?
We are currently working on the redesign to improve the design and user experience in the upcoming versions.
Is the location of my LAnd important?
Not necessarily. The stories or services on your land are key. Users who are in one place will open and walk through XR maps of their environment.
How can I solve issues with the Web Viewer & Editor?
Please try to clear your browser cache (locally cached files) and re-load the Web Viewer & Editor. In case the issue persists, please contact us and report the issue.
Why can't I find the Mapstar app in France and Netherlands?
We are working on providing the privacy policy and terms of use for both countries in the respective language.
How do I set up my Metamask wallet?
We offer you to connect your Metamask wallet to the services of Mapstar. Metamask is a crypto wallet & gateway for blockchain apps. Here, you will learn more about Metamask and how to set up a wallet in your favorite browser.
https://metamask.io/
If you need support, just ping us.
What is polygon/matic?
Polygon is a Layer 2 blockchain that scales the Ethereum network. We decided to launch on Polygon because of its accessibility and near-zero gas fees.
How do i transfer eth from ethereum mainnet to polygon/matic?
You can use the Matic Bridge here:
https://wallet.matic.network/bridge/
We recommend doing so at a time of day when gas is low.
If you are doing this for the first time, you may also want to do the following to make your Wrapped ETH (i.e., your ETH but on Polygon) show up in Metamask.
1. Open Metamask
2. Click at the bottom on "Add Token"
3. Add the Token Contract Address
4. Hit "Next". Now, it should show up
Why my Metamask shows no Weth balance on polygon/matic?
There are two key reasons why you may not see your funds:
1. It normally takes 5-10 minutes for ETH to be transferred to polygon.
2. The ETH is in your wallet and just not showing up on Metamask. If so, go through the previous steps to add custom tokens.
How do i transfer my funds back to eth on mainnet
You can use the Matic Bridge here:
https://wallet.matic.network/bridge/
And transfer "from" Matic Network "to" Ethereum.
How do i transfer an Mapstar NFt from one wallet to another?
One easy way to move a Mapstar NFT from one wallet to another is using OpenSea. Open the Mapstar NFT you own on OpenSea, click the gift button at the top right, enter the wallet address you are sending to, and hit "Transfer". Double-check everything twice!
Contact
We may help you enter the metaverse, but our team is available right here in the real world to help you when you need it.