How-to
Using the map: 2D and 3D, previews, drawing areas
A quick tour of the live map — switching between the flat map and the globe, live previews, the camera viewer, drawing areas and sharing a view.
Updated 22 September 2026 · 3 min read
The live map opens on your region and loads the cameras around wherever you look. Everything below works without an account.
2D map or 3D globe
Use the 2D / 3D switch at the bottom left. The flat 2D map is the quickest way to find a street or a stretch of road, and it is the default on phones. The 3D globe shows the whole world with a real day-and-night line, and can add terrain and buildings when you zoom in. Your choice is remembered, and a link can open straight into either with ?view=2d or ?view=3d.
Live previews and the viewer
- Zoom in far enough and small live previews appear above the nearest camera dots.
- Click a dot or a preview to open the camera full-screen, with its name, location and source.
- Press P to hide or show previews, and C to hide or show cameras.
Drawing an area
Open the drawing tools (the pen on the right, or D) and draw a shape around a city, a coastline or a route. opencam measures it, lists the cameras inside and can export it as GeoJSON. Drawn areas are kept in your browser, so they are still there next time.
Sharing a view
The share panel copies a link to exactly what you are looking at — position, zoom, 2D or 3D and the layers you have on — so whoever opens it sees the same view.
Keyboard shortcuts
- G — switch between 2D and 3D
- R — reset to the world view
- L — show or hide the layer panel
- F — full screen
Try it on the live map.
No account needed — it opens on your region.