Project manifest API
Retrieve the layer URLs and render definitions used by the SDKs.
The manifest is the entry point for loading a Reality Import project. It describes where to find layer data and which renderers the application needs.
Request
GET https://api.realityimport.com/projects/{projectPublicKey}/manifest.jsonUse the complete pk_ public key from the project's Keys tab. Do not substitute
the dashboard project ID. This endpoint does not require an authorization header.
curl --fail-with-body \
'https://api.realityimport.com/projects/YOUR_PROJECT_PUBLIC_KEY/manifest.json'Response
Example response for a dataset with a places render definition:
{
"$schema": "https://ardl.spec/0.1.0/manifest.schema.json",
"name": "City guide",
"created_at": "2026-01-01T12:00:00.000Z",
"updated_at": "2026-01-01T12:00:00.000Z",
"render_definitions": {
"places": {
"type": ["Point"]
}
},
"layers": [
{
"name": "Meeting points",
"data_url": "https://assets.example.com/meeting-points.fgb"
}
]
}The asset URL above is illustrative. Always use the returned data_url; do not
construct storage paths from a project name or layer name.
| Field | Meaning |
|---|---|
$schema | Schema identifier emitted by the API |
name | Project name; omitted if the project has no name |
created_at, updated_at | Project timestamps in ISO 8601 format |
render_definitions | Object keyed by render-definition identifier |
render_definitions.<identifier>.type | Accepted geometry type names |
layers | Ordered layer descriptors |
layers[].name | Layer name |
layers[].data_url | URL of the layer's FlatGeobuf data |
The current response does not include renderer implementations or inline feature
geometry. Both model layers and dataset layers use data_url.
Read layer data
The SDKs open each FlatGeobuf file and query its spatial index with a bounding box around the geospatial reference. Their query-radius setting determines the box's half-size in meters; it is not an exact circular distance filter.
Each feature includes ardl:render_definition. Resolve that value against
render_definitions, then pass the feature to the corresponding renderer.
- Dataset features contain the source geometry and properties.
- Model features contain a point anchor,
asset_uri, andtransform. The model renderer makes an additional request for the GLB.
Asset hosting must support the byte-range requests used by the FlatGeobuf readers. The SDKs load the queried area; they do not stream new areas automatically as the user moves. See each SDK's loading and refresh behavior.
Errors
| Status | Body | Action |
|---|---|---|
404 | {"error":"Project not found"} | Check the public key and API environment |
409 | {"error":"Project manifest is not ready"} | Check every layer's conversion status |
500 | {"error":"internal server error"} | Check API availability and server logs |
A single layer that is not ready, or lacks generated FlatGeobuf data, produces
409 for the entire project.