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Loading your own customized default Project

In the Netherlands3D application, a default file named ProjectTemplate.nl3d is used. This file is located in the StreamingAssets folder and is loaded at application startup. It defines the default settings, such as the location, and allows the twin installation to be customized according to the needs of the organization using the application.

Creating the intended Project

To create a custom project file, use your twin installation to configure the desired view, including layers and settings. Once satisfied with the setup, save the project as a file named ProjectTemplate.nl3d. This file can then be used to define the default settings for your Netherlands3D application.

Built from Source

If you choose to build the Netherlands3D project from source rather than using the available Docker image, you can directly place the created ProjectTemplate.nl3d file into the StreamingAssets folder before building the application. This allows the default settings to be included with your custom-built application.

Using Docker and Mounts

The default Netherlands3D application is deployed as a Docker image, built via our GitHub Actions pipeline and hosted in the Github Container Registry. Docker images act as virtual servers with all required files and configurations preconfigured. Typically, this setup offers little flexibility to modify files in the image without rebuilding it.

To simplify things for organizations and DevOps specialists, our Docker image is designed to allow an external directory to be mounted in the Docker container. This makes it possible to add a custom project file without rebuilding the image.

!!! info What is Mounting?

Mounting is a technique that makes an external storage location, such as a folder on a server or in the cloud,
accessible within an application or container. It works as a virtual link: files or directories from the external
location become accessible as if they were locally available in the container.

For example:

- By mounting a folder, configurations or files can be modified without rebuilding the container.
- In environments that support file-level mounts (like Docker), it is more efficient to directly mount a file
  to `/usr/share/nginx/html/StreamingAssets/DefaultTemplate.nl3d`, as changes become immediately visible without
  restarting the container.

General Steps for Configuring a Mount

  1. Prepare the external storage location:
    • Ensure the storage location (e.g., a folder on a server or a cloud storage container) is configured and accessible.
  2. Place the project file:
    • Place the custom project file (e.g., DefaultTemplate.nl3d) in the external storage location.

  3. Configure the mount:

    • Set up the mount so that the external storage location is linked to the desired directory in the Docker container, such as /usr/share/nginx/html/StreamingAssets/Projects/. For a single file mount, use * /usr/share/nginx/html/StreamingAssets/DefaultTemplate.nl3d*.

    • Restart the application or container to apply the new configuration. A single file mount does not require a restart.

    • Verify:
    • Check if the application has correctly loaded the changes.

Example: Configuring a Mount Locally via Docker Command Line

Here is an example of how to configure a mount using the Docker command line when running Netherlands3D locally:

  1. Make the project file available:
    • Ensure the custom project file DefaultTemplate.nl3d is available on your local system or an external storage location.

  2. Start the Docker container with a file mount:

    • Use the following command to start the container:

      docker run -d \
  -v /path/to/DefaultTemplate.nl3d:/usr/share/nginx/html/StreamingAssets/DefaultTemplate.nl3d \
  --name netherlands3d \
  ghcr.io/netherlands3d/twin:latest

    In this example, the file /path/to/DefaultTemplate.nl3d is directly linked to the expected location in the container. 3. No restart required: - Since the file is mounted directly, changes are immediately visible without restarting the container. 4. Verify: - Check if the application has correctly loaded the changes by opening it in the browser.

Example: Configuring a Mount via Azure Portal

Below are the steps to set this up using the Azure Portal:

  1. Create a Blob Storage Container:
    • In the Blob Storage for your environment, create a container to store project files, for example, named * projects*.
  2. Upload the project file:
    • Upload the new default project file, named DefaultTemplate.nl3d, to the container.
  3. Go to the Web App Service:
    • Open the Azure Portal and navigate to the Web App Service for your environment.
  4. Open Settings:
    • Open the Settings menu and go to Configuration in the sidebar.
  5. Configure Path Mappings:
    • Go to the Path mappings tab.
    • Add a new Azure Storage Mount with a name of your choice, such as "Projects".
  6. Link the Blob Storage:
    • In the Storage Accounts dropdown, select the storage account associated with the Blob Storage containing the container.
    • In the Storage Container dropdown, select the container you created earlier, such as projects.
  7. Set the Mount Path:
    • Enter the following value for Mount Path: /usr/share/nginx/html/StreamingAssets/Projects/.
    • This makes the contents of the Blob Storage container available at this location in the Docker container.
  8. Save Settings:
    • Click Ok, and then Save to save the changes.
  9. Restart the Web App Service:
    • Go back to the Overview page for the Web App Service and click Restart. This will restart the Docker container and initialize the DefaultTemplate.nl3d file.
  10. Check in the browser:
    • Open the application in the browser to verify that the configuration has been applied correctly.