Globe View Support in Kepler.gl

[wybert]

Is your feature request related to a problem? Please describe.
Kepler.gl currently supports 2D and 2.5D (extruded) map visualizations, but does not provide a true 3D globe view. This limits the ability to visualize global datasets in a more realistic, interactive manner, especially for use cases involving global-scale data, international flows, or polar regions.

Describe the solution you'd like
I would like to request support for a globe view mode in kepler.gl, similar to the "Globe" projection available in other mapping libraries. This would allow users to toggle between flat (Web Mercator) and 3D globe projections, enhancing the visualization of worldwide data.

Describe alternatives you've considered

• Using other tools like Foursquare Studio, which already has globe mode, but lacks the open source flexibility and integration capabilities of kepler.gl.
• Custom integration of globe rendering libraries, but this is complex and not natively supported.

Additional context

• Kepler.gl now uses MapLibre as its map renderer. MapLibre GL JS added globe view support in version 5.0.0, so it should be technically feasible to integrate globe projection into kepler.gl by leveraging MapLibre’s globe mode.
• This feature would enable more immersive and accurate global visualizations, benefiting users with worldwide datasets.

[jo-chemla]

It would indeed be great to add globe view support into kepler.gl. It would also be very useful to allow the configuration of projection types other than mercator like equalearth, see doc