Geography Reference
In-Depth Information
Comparison of Standard- and Proprietary-
Based Approaches to Detailed 3D City
Mapping
Luk
´
ˇ Herman, Andrea K´nov
´
, Jan Russn
´
k, and Tom
´
ˇ
ˇ
ezn´k
Introduction
According to the United Nations, Population Division (
2013
) most of the world
s
population lives in urban areas. Urbanized areas with a high population density are
abundant in the developed world. Specific abilities for mobility and orientation are
required in these urban areas. Modern urban space is not only defined by latitude
and longitude, but also highly affected by altitude or elevation. Elevation informa-
tion does not represent only altitude values, relative heights, or elevation, but also
information about the number of floors. Urban areas are therefore often depicted
using 3D visualization. Details of 3D models have been significantly enhanced and
improved with the development of technology in recent years. Detailed 3D models
provide a more realistic impression and higher immersion. Kone
ˇ
n
´
'
(
2011
)
explains immersion in the scope of 3D virtual environments.
Detailed 3D models on the scale of a city (e.g. Berlin or London) usually contain
detailed textures. Spatial information about the interiors is a part of less territorially
extensive models (examples of these 3D models are discussed below). Detailed
three-dimensional modelling of indoor space is valuable for many applications like
navigation, indoor facilities, energy management, and architectural information
systems. This paper is devoted only to methods, technologies and applications of
3D models that contain information about the interiors and exteriors of buildings.
