Architectural Overhaul and Modernization
Version 8.5 introduces a complete architectural overhaul of SkylineGlobe Server, focused on improving performance, scalability, and flexibility. The server has been reengineered from ASP.NET Framework to a modular .NET Core 8 architecture, now supporting cross-platform deployment and containerization via Docker and Kubernetes.
Key highlights:
- .NET Core Migration – Improves performance, simplifies deployment, and adds support for Linux environments.
- No Installation Required – SGS can be run directly from a prepackaged folder on Windows, without installation or reliance on IIS.
- Container-Ready – Fully supports Docker and Kubernetes deployment for scalable, repeatable environments.
- Command-Line & Configurable – Supports flexible deployment and customization via command-line arguments, environment variables, and configuration files.
- Frontend-Backend Separation – The backend now serves JSON responses decoupled from any specific UI, enabling use with any modern frontend framework.
- GraphQL API – Replaces REST with a flexible, strongly-typed schema allowing clients to request only the data they need, with support for real-time subscriptions.
Windows Deployment (No Installation Required)
SkylineGlobe Server 8.5 can now be run on Windows without installation. The prepackaged application folder can be copied to any target machine, where SkylineGlobeServer.exe can be run directly or installed as a Windows service using the included scripts.
This lightweight deployment requires only the ASP.NET Core 8 Hosting Bundle and supports optional configuration through an appsettings.json file. It provides a quick and flexible way to deploy SGS in Windows environments with minimal setup.
Linux Deployment with Docker and Kubernetes
SkylineGlobe Server 8.5 can now be deployed in Linux environments using Docker Compose or Kubernetes, providing greater flexibility and support for modern infrastructure. A public Docker image is available on Docker Hub (skylineglobe/skylineglobeserver:latest), and preconfigured YAML files allow for quick setup across a variety of environments.
Deployment options include:
- Docker Compose (for local or lightweight setups):
- Basic SQLite – simple, file-based deployment for quick testing or development
- SQLite with NGINX and HTTPS – adds TLS using a self-signed certificate
- PostgreSQL with NGINX and HTTPS – production-ready setup with external database and TLS routing
- Kubernetes (for scalable, managed deployment environments):
- SQLite with NodePort – basic deployment exposed over HTTP
- SQLite with Ingress and TLS – adds HTTPS via Ingress controller
- PostgreSQL with Ingress and TLS – robust configuration with database scalability and secure access
Redesigned Web Interface
SkylineGlobe Server 8.5 features a completely redesigned web interface, rebuilt with React TypeScript for improved performance, usability, and maintainability. The new interface is more intuitive, responsive, and visually polished, making it easier for administrators to navigate and manage users, groups, data sources, layer, and sites. Key pages like Overview, Users, and Groups have been restructured to support faster workflows, streamlined editing via dynamic drawers, and robust validation. The Overview dashboard includes real-time server metrics with interactive charts and date range sliders for historical analysis.
Gaussian Splatting Service
SkylineGlobe Server 8.5 introduces the Gaussian Splatting Service, enabling the streaming of photorealistic 3D reconstructions generated from o3DML files to remote TerraExplorer clients. The service also exposes these datasets as OGC 3D Tiles, allowing direct access from Cesium-based applications. Gaussian Splat models employ millions of view-dependent 3D Gaussians as rendering primitives to achieve real-time, high-fidelity visualization directly from imagery, without the need for meshing or texture baking. Initial release provides limited support for Gaussian Splat layers in TerraExplorer Fusion.
Improved Overview Page
The Overview page in SGS Manager has been redesigned for better usability, with a cleaner layout, improved visuals, and more precise access to key metrics. It displays real-time data on active sessions, data transfer, and server uptime, with automatic refresh every minute. New 90-day sliders let users filter and analyze Active Sessions and Data Streamed & Uploaded, with both data types shown on a unified scale for easier comparison.
New Public Project Access for TerraExplorer Fusion
SkylineGlobe Server 8.5 introduces a new Public Project feature that allows specific projects within a site to be designated as public, provided the site has the "Public Project" license module enabled. Public projects can be opened in TerraExplorer Fusion (TEF) without consuming a concurrent user license, enabling broader public access to selected content without affecting licensed session limits. Accessing the same project via other clients (e.g., TerraExplorer Desktop, Esri, or Cesium) will still consume a license as usual.
GraphQL API Access Via Nitro
SkylineGlobe Server 8.5 introduces integrated access to its GraphQL API, enabling flexible, query-based interaction with server data such as layers, users, and service configurations, all through a single endpoint. Users can explore and interact with the API using Nitro (formerly Banana Cake Pop), a built-in GraphQL IDE accessible directly from the browser. Nitro offers a visual interface for building and executing queries, viewing the API schema, and debugging responses in real time. This streamlined access supports efficient integration, testing, and customization of client-server interactions.
Enhanced System Reporting
New reporting capabilities extend beyond data access and storage to give administrators deeper visibility into server activity and health. New System Operation Reports include:
- Administrative Operations – Track changes to sites, users, groups, categories, and settings, along with crash and error logs.
- Access Control Events – Monitor login/logout actions and password updates.
- System Alerts – Get notified about upcoming expirations and threshold breaches, such as session or upload limits.
Alerts Reporting
SkylineGlobe Server now includes a notification system that alerts users about critical system events via a visual indicator in the Manager interface header. A notification dot appears on the Alerts icon when new issues are detected. Triggers include:
- Unhandled system errors
- Upcoming expiration of users, groups, or sites (30/7/1 days prior)
- Storage limit exceeded for users, groups, or sites
Clicking the Alerts icon navigates to the Reports page with relevant filters applied and marks the most recent alert as read.
Support for New Layer Types
SkylineGlobe Server 8.5 introduces support for new layer types that improve efficiency and management of large 3D content:
- Virtual Mesh Layer – A new layer type that allows multiple mesh layers to be merged into a single virtual layer, with support for clipping, draw prioritization, and unified publishing. The resulting layer is published as a single o3DML file, simplifying deployment and visualization.
- o3DML Format – A Skyline-developed open format based on Cesium 3D Tiles, packaged as a single SQLite database. The format stores multiple files in a dedicated internal table (SLFS – Skyline File System), offering a compact, portable, and scalable way to manage complex 3D datasets.
Performance Improvements, and Stability Enhancements
This release includes numerous under-the-hood optimizations, addressing reported issues, improving overall system responsiveness, and enhancing platform stability for a smoother and more reliable user experience. The following bug fixes were made:
- Resolved repeated “User session has expired” messages, even when sessions were still active.
- Fixed case sensitivity issue in loginAuthSettings.json for the "IdentityProviders" key.
- Corrected the Current Active Sessions (This Site) count updates when TerraExplorer connects to a site.
- Enforced proper timeout behavior for inactive Free TBP connections.
- Added support for usernames containing characters previously considered illegal.
- Resolved issue where WFS v1.1.0 could not be streamed to QGIS when using a coordinate system other than EPSG:4326.
- Fixed issue where the server failed to rebuild the .qix index for SHP files stored in many nested subfolders.
- Removed unnecessary jQuery files from the deployment package.