System Requirements
Placepoint uses 3D graphics in the map and requires an up to date 64-bit browser with WebGL2 and hardware acceleration turned on. The minimum requirements are listed below.
Supported browsers
- Safari 18 or later (macOS 12 and later).
- Google Chrome and Microsoft Edge 138 or later.
- Mozilla Firefox 142 or later.
Older versions may show the map, but 3D and some map layers will not work reliably.
Hardware
Placepoint runs in the browser, so the requirements for the machine itself are moderate. An ordinary Mac or office PC from the last five or six years is fine.
- Memory (RAM): at least 8 GB. 16 GB is recommended if you work with large 3D models or have many map layers and browser tabs open at the same time.
- Processor (CPU): a multi-core processor from 2018 or later. The CPU is rarely the bottleneck in Placepoint, the graphics matter most.
- Graphics (GPU): integrated graphics (Intel Iris/UHD, AMD Radeon, Apple Silicon) is enough for normal use. A dedicated graphics card gives smoother performance in heavy 3D scenes and on high resolution screens.
If you notice slowness, it is more often caused by the browser's memory use with many open tabs or an out of date GPU driver than by weak hardware.
To get the most out of Placepoint, we recommend an external monitor. The map, panels and lists get more room on a large screen, and you do not have to switch between views as often as on a laptop.
If your machine has capacity to spare, you can increase the visual quality under Map in Settings. Set Performance mode to High quality, or to Custom if you want to control each setting. If the map becomes slow, set it to Auto and let the map regulate itself.
Tablet and mobile
Placepoint is built for Mac and PC. An iPad can be used to view the map and look up information while you are out, but with limitations: screen space is tight for panels and lists, and some heavy 3D scenes may run slower than on a computer. For the actual work, we recommend an ordinary monitor.
iPhone and other mobile phones are not recommended. The screen is too small to fit the map, the panels and the toolbars in a usable way. If you need to check something quickly from your phone, viewing the map works, but real work should be done on a Mac, PC or iPad.
There is no dedicated app in the App Store or Google Play, but you can add Placepoint to the home screen on your phone and tablet and get an icon to tap. See Mobile and tablet.
Check your system in Placepoint
Placepoint has a built-in system check. Click the user card at the bottom of the left menu, hover over Help and select System requirements. The panel reads your browser and graphics directly and shows whether the system is compatible, which browser and version you have, and WebGL details such as vendor, graphics card (renderer), hardware acceleration and the number of available extensions. If you get a warning, the panel lists what is missing and what you should do.
The values reflect the machine you are using right now, so a Mac and a PC will show a different browser and a different graphics card even though the requirements are the same.
Test WebGL2 support
You can also test WebGL2 outside Placepoint. Open get.webgl.org/webgl2 in the same browser you use for Placepoint. If the page shows a rotating cube, you have WebGL2. If it shows "your browser does not support WebGL2", you need to update the browser or turn on hardware acceleration.
Turn on hardware acceleration
- Safari: hardware acceleration is on by default. If 3D does not work, update macOS.
- Chrome and Edge:
Settings → System → Use hardware acceleration when available. Restart the browser after the change. - Firefox:
Settings → General → Performance. Leave "Use recommended performance settings" on, or manually turn on "Use hardware acceleration when available".
Common problems
The map does not appear. Usually missing WebGL2. Run the test above first.
The map is black or flickers. The GPU driver is out of date. Update the driver via Device Manager (Windows) or Software Update (macOS).
Slowness. See Map layers: slowness and missing layers.
Corporate firewall or VPN. Some organisations block tile servers or WebGL shader downloads. Ask your IT department to allowlist *.placepoint.no and *.kartverket.no.
What to send to support
If the checklist did not solve the problem, send the following to support:
- Browser and version (
chrome://versionor equivalent). - Operating system and version.
- Screenshot of the WebGL test or the error message.
- The URL in Placepoint when the error occurred.