What you will learn: how to open the 3D bathymetry panel, what the colours and rings mean, and that this view is VIP.
Panel title: 3D seafloor
How to open: desktop status strip, phone smart button labelled 3D, or More when the extra is offered.
Free accounts see the entry but it is marked VIP locked. Tapping it opens upgrade (Inspect the seafloor in 3D) instead of the panel.
What you are looking at
A 3D model of the EMODnet depth grid for:
- the current map view, or
- Spot relief — structure around a saved/selected spot, or
- Brak relief — a rocky rise above flat seabed
Subtitles in the app name which of those three you have.
This is still not for navigation. It is a planning sandbox: “does this mark actually stick up?”
Controls
| Control | What it does |
|---|---|
| Refresh area | Rebuild 3D for wherever the 2D map is now |
| Reset view | Camera back to the default angle |
| Vertical exaggeration | Stretch heights so small lumps are easier to see |
| Shore bands | Colour band near land |
| Depth contours | Rings in 3D |
| Measure | Tap two points on the seafloor; Esc clears |
While it loads: Loading bathymetry grid… / Refining mesh….
How to move
Drag to rotate, scroll to zoom, arrow keys to pan. Orange is near shore. Rings mark 10 / 25 / 50 / 100 m from land.
A small HUD can show depth, distance from shore, height above surrounding bottom, slope, and seafloor distance along a measure.
Stats under the view: depth range, grid size, and how much of the view is in the near-shore band.
If 3D fails
| Message | What to do |
|---|---|
| “Map is not ready yet.” | Wait for 2D to load, then open 3D. |
| “Failed to load bathymetry” | Zoom to a smaller sea area inside coverage, tap Refresh area. |
| Phone gets slow | Close 3D, zoom in more, reduce exaggeration. |
Prefer reduced motion in the operating system if camera animation bothers you — the app respects that setting where it can.