View from seat · live 3D
See the view from any seat.
A 3D seat view for every seat you sell. Buyers pick a seat on your seat map, land in it and look around before they pay: the stage or pitch ahead, the rows around them, the section, row and seat number on screen. Your own photos and 360° panoramas show where you have them. It comes with every chart on every plan, with no model to build and no conversion step.
The live view is drawn from the published seating chart. It shows where the seat is and what it faces; it is not a photo or a certified sightline.
A 3D seat view for every seat, with the seat number on it
- Pick a seatOn the 2D map or in the 3D venue. The Map / 3D switch keeps the same selection.
- Land in itThe camera moves into the seat, labelled with section, row and seat number, facing the stage or pitch.
- Look around, compareDrag for a 360° look, pinch or scroll to zoom, and step to the next seat in the row with the arrows.
- Buy it, or add photosThe seat goes straight into the cart. Where you upload a photo or panorama, buyers see that instead.
Seat views across venue types
Each card loads that venue in the live stage above and puts you in the seat. Theatres, arenas and stadiums up to 60,000 seats.
Sit here, live
Theatre stallsStalls D, Row F, Seat 7
Sit here, live
Arena floorFloor A, Row 1A, Seat 7
Sit here, live
Arena upper bowlUpper Bowl B, Row 10G, Seat 23
Sit here, live
Stadium, lower tierSouth Stand Lower, Row L
Sit here, live
Stadium, upper tierSouth Stand Upper, Row G
Sit here, live
Hockey arena, upper tierSection 401, Row D, Seat 6
Three ways buyers see the view from a seat
| Fan photo sites | Custom virtual venue | SeatLayer live 3D | |
|---|---|---|---|
| What it is | Photos fans post from real seats | A 3D model built for one venue | A 3D view built from your seating chart |
| Seats covered | Where fans have posted, mostly well-known venues | The venue that was modelled | Every seat in every venue you draw, from day one |
| Inside the ticket sale | No, a separate site | Connected to the ticketing system | Yes, in the seat picker, with live availability |
| When the layout changes | Old photos stay | The model is updated | Changes with the chart |
| Real photos | Yes | Often, with 360° panoramas | Yours, where you upload them |
Want the whole venue rather than one seat? See the 3D seat map, the 3D ticketing explainer, or how chart-built 3D compares with 3D Digital Venue. Developers can turn it on with the 3D view SDK guide, on a chart made in the Venue Designer.
View from seat: common questions
Still have a question? or email hello@seatlayer.io.
What is a view from seat?
A view from seat shows a ticket buyer what they will see from a seat before they pay. With SeatLayer it opens from the seat map itself: the buyer picks a seat, lands in it in live 3D, sees the stage or pitch from there and can drag to look around. Where the venue has its own photos or 360° panoramas, buyers see those instead.
How can buyers see the view from their seat before they buy?
On any event sold with SeatLayer, the seat picker has a Map / 3D switch. In 3D the buyer taps a seat and the camera moves into it, labelled with section, row and seat number. Arrows step to the next seat in the row, so buyers can compare views before they choose, and the seat they pick goes straight into the cart.
Does the 3D seat view show section, row and seat numbers?
Yes. Every seat view is labelled with its section, row and seat number, for example Stalls D, Row F, Seat 7, and the same numbers appear on the 2D map, in the cart and on the ticket.
Do I need photos or 360° panoramas of every seat?
No. Every seat already has a live 3D view built from your seating chart, so you can go live with no photos at all. Upload photos or 360° panoramas later, at seat, row, section, floor or venue level, only where a view needs them, such as an obstructed seat.
Does the view from seat work for stadiums and arenas?
Yes, for venues up to 60,000 seats: stadiums, arenas, ballparks, theatres and concert halls. Larger venues use the complete 2D map. On phones and low-memory devices the 3D view is offered for venues up to 30,000 seats.
How is this different from fan photo sites like A View From My Seat?
Fan sites collect photos that fans take from real seats at well-known venues, so coverage depends on who has posted. SeatLayer's view is part of your own ticket sale: it covers every seat in your venue from day one, shows live availability and lets the buyer buy the seat in the same place. It is drawn from your chart rather than photographed, and you can add real photos where they matter.
How is it different from a custom virtual venue?
A custom virtual venue, such as IOMEDIA Virtual Venue or 3D Digital Venue, is a 3D model built for one specific venue, usually as a separate project. SeatLayer's seat view comes from the seating chart you sell from, so any venue you draw gets it, and it updates when the layout changes.
How do I add a view from seat to my ticketing site?
Draw or import your venue in the Venue Designer, or start from a free template, then sell through SeatLayer hosted checkout or embed the seat picker on your site. The 3D venue and the view from every seat come with it. Platforms can turn it on in the SDK with enable3D: true.
Is the view from a seat a certified sightline?
No. The live view shows where the seat is and what it faces. It is not a venue-certified sightline. Where an obstruction changes the purchase, the venue should upload a photo for those seats, which then replaces the live view.