Pro Boundary Notes

Living notes for the planned open-core split. The Phase 2 implementation keeps the open workflow centered on learning, exploration, and automation, while the likely Pro boundary clusters around production output and premium packaging.

Date

Area

Lean

Rationale

2026-03-10

Viewer launch, terrain loading, camera, sun, snapshots

Open

The first-render loop must stay frictionless or the rest of the platform never gets used.

2026-03-10

Bundled datasets and dataset fetch helpers

Open

Tutorials, notebooks, and CI all depend on a stable sample-data story.

2026-03-10

Notebook widget wrapper (ViewerWidget plus inline fallback preview)

Open

Notebook exploration is part of the base developer experience, not an upsell.

2026-03-10

Raster overlays, labels, and vector overlay IPC

Open

Styling and annotation need to stay available so users can evaluate the core scene model.

2026-03-10

Point-cloud loading and parameter control

Open

This is still core scene exploration, similar to terrain and overlays.

2026-03-10

Map plate composition (MapPlate, legend, scale bar, north arrow)

Pro

This is packaging for deliverables rather than basic scene inspection.

2026-03-10

SVG and PDF export

Pro

Print-grade export has clear commercial value and little effect on initial adoption.

2026-03-10

Rich buildings workflows beyond inspection

Pro

Metadata parsing is useful in open; premium value starts when the workflow becomes production visualization.

2026-03-10

Scene bundles for shareable project artifacts

Pro

Bundles fit team handoff, repeatability, and downstream delivery workflows.

Working rule

Keep the entire “load data, inspect scene, automate camera, save a screenshot” loop open. Put the paywall, if any, around polished deliverables and reusable project packaging rather than around basic understanding of the scene.

Current implementation note

Phase 3 now enforces a runtime license gate around the Pro-leaning features in this document:

  • MapPlate instantiation

  • export_svg() / export_pdf()

  • add_buildings() / add_buildings_cityjson() / add_buildings_3dtiles()

  • load_style() / apply_style()

  • save_bundle() / load_bundle()

The open workflow remains the viewer, datasets, widgets, overlays, snapshots, point clouds, 3D Tiles, and manual styling helpers.