Multi‐visibility maps of triangulated terrains

Visibility computation on terrain models is an important research topic with many applications in Geographical Information Systems. A multi‐visibility map is the subdivision of the domain of a terrain into regions that, according to different criteria, encodes the visibility with respect to a set of view elements. We present an approach for visualising approximated multi‐visibility maps of a triangulated terrain corresponding to a set of view elements by using graphics hardware. Our method supports heterogeneous sets of view elements containing points, segments, polygonal chains and polygons and works for weak and strong visibility. Moreover, we are also able to efficiently solve approximated point and polygonal region multi‐visibility queries. To illustrate the usefulness of our approach we present results obtained with an implementation of the proposed algorithms.     

城市三维地理信息系统中三维模型的快速构建方法

大规模三维模型的快速构建一直是影响城市三维地理信息系统(3DUGIS)发展的一个重要因素.基于3DUGIS中景观模型的表达原则与分类,分别针对抽象的点、线、面状对象提出符号匹配和三角剖分的批量三维模型构建方法.这种建模方法方便、快捷、自动化程度高,可广泛应用于城市景观中地面、河流、道路、绿地、规则建筑物、地下管线等地物的三维建模.通过对上述三维模型快速构建方法的实现,验证了三维模型生成的效果和效率.     

Polygon Characterization With the Multiplicatively Weighted Voronoi Diagram*

Many landscape features are represented as polygons in GIS. This paper characterizes polygon shapes with the multiplicatively weighted Voronoi (MW‐Voronoi) diagram and improves its understanding. The MW‐Voronoi diagram's composition is implemented with topological overlay, growth simulation, and vertex calculation methods. The decomposition is done by reversing a polygon to MW‐Voronoi point pairs by segment. It is a new approach to record, characterize, and compare polygons with form and process. The implementation also serves as a geographic education and visualization tool. Applications of the methods are presented with precipitation, fire polygon, and population change data.     

Extended hybrid meshing algorithm for multiresolution terrain models

Hybrid terrains are a convenient approach for the representation of digital terrain models, integrating heterogeneous data from different sources. In this article, we present a general, efficient scheme for achieving interactive level-of-detail rendering of hybrid terrain models, without the need for a costly preprocessing or resampling of the original data. The presented method works with hybrid digital terrains combining regular grid data and local high-resolution triangulated irregular networks. Since grid and triangulated irregular network data may belong to different datasets, a straightforward combination of both geometries would lead to meshes with holes and overlapping triangles. Our method generates a single multiresolution model integrating the different parts in a coherent way, by performing an adaptive tessellation of the region between their boundaries. Hence, our solution is one of the few existing approaches for integrating different multiresolution algorithms within the same terrain model, achieving a simple interactive rendering of complex hybrid terrains.     

二维Delaunay三角网的任意点删除算法研究

针对目前基于影响域多边形剖分的点删除算法缺陷,提出一种二维Delaunay三角网点删除算法。首先利用具有拓扑关系的三角网搜索影响多边形,并以三角形矢量面积为工具三角剖分影响域多边形,最后通过镶嵌优化后的剖分三角网完成点的删除,且满足Delaunay法则。通过测试证明了算法的可靠性和高效性。     

An efficient method for rendering linear symbols on 3D terrain using a shader language

With the extensive application of virtual geographic environments and the rapid development of 3D visualization analysis, the rendering of complex vector lines has attracted significant attention. Although there are many rendering algorithms in 3D geographic information system (GIS), they are not sufficiently flexible to meet the requirements for rendering linear symbols composed of diverse colors and shapes. However, the interactive rendering of a scene and the accuracy of the symbols are important components for large-scale, complex vector lines. In this paper, we propose a graphics processing unit (GPU)-accelerated algorithm for rendering linear symbols on 3D terrain. Symbol rendering is embedded within the terrain-rendering process, and vector lines are encoded in a 3D texture and then transferred to the GPU. A set of visual properties are used to enrich the expression of symbols with the help of geometric operations in the fragment shader. A series of experiments demonstrate that the proposed method can be utilized for drawing various pixel-exact linear symbols and can achieve real-time rendering efficiency.     

Assessment of sliver polygons in geographical vector data

As positional error is a major issue in the assessment of spatial data quality, its propagation has been studied widely in map overlaying. However, few studies deal with a manifest consequence of positional error in map overlaying, namely sliver polygons. Sliver polygons are generally treated as awkward by-products that need to be removed quickly. Nevertheless, as they represent spurious areas, their nature and properties carry useful information, for example, for land use/cover assessment. Therefore, next to sliver removal, there is a need for intelligent detection and eventually further analysis of sliver polygons. This article proposes a general, semi-automated method for the assessment of slivers in vector polygon layers. A case study in Flanders (Belgium) illustrates a possible application in area estimation evaluation of land use allocation classes.     

无级比例尺GIS多边形倒金字塔模型

提出GIS多边形倒金字塔模型,拓展了模型能够支持的数据结构与适用范围,使其可以应用于普通GIS电子地图中,为采用预生成不同比例尺图面多分辨率表达无极比例尺图形显示技术提供了模型支持,并给出了建模方法,使普通GIS多边形的无极比例尺显示可以依据精度标准进行局部更新和无冗余存储。     

面向山地灾害动态过程仿真的地形三维建模与可视化

基于山地灾害动态过程仿真需要的考虑,并针对该动态过程仿真时渲染数据量过大所造成的实时性较差的问题,提出了利用改进的三角形二叉树LOD算法实现地形三维建模与可视化的方法。算法对山地地形数据进行了分层和分块的预处理,用三角形二叉树表示地形网格,并结合视点和局部地形的粗糙程度,动态的载入所需的地形块和释放无用的地形块,使得内存中的地形数据维持在一定范围内。实验结果表明;在对地形渲染不失真的前提下,本方法能够有效地提高地形绘制的效率,可应用到大规模山地地形的三维建模与可视化中去,为整个山地灾害的动态过程仿真奠定了良好的基础。     

简单要素模型下多边形叠置分析算法

现有的矢量空间叠置分析多采用拓扑模型,要求建立完整的数据拓扑关系。该文采用简单要素模型,以多边形叠置交运算为例,介绍简单要素模型下空间叠置分析的具体实现,着重讨论多边形交运算的交替搜索算法,在线段求交中对连续出入点、重交点等特殊数据进行处理。在实际应用中,该算法可较好解决大规模复杂数据层的叠置交运算,比同规模的拓扑叠置运算效率高。     

A tile-based method for geodesic buffer generation in a virtual globe

Geometric buffers are important for spatial analysis in many applications of geographic information systems (GISs), such as environmental measurement and management, human health, urban planning, etc. Geometric buffer generation algorithms are well studied in the Euclidean space where the buffer distance is measured by Euclidean metrics; however, very few algorithms are available for generating geometric buffers on the terrain surface in a virtual globe where the buffer distance is measured by geodesic metrics. This paper proposes a tile-based method for geodesic buffer generation according to the characteristics of a virtual globe. It extends the vector tile model (VTM) to organize terrain and vector data, and the XYH algorithm is improved to build geodesic distance fields for terrain meshes. Based on the data organization and the improved XYH algorithm, a geodesic buffer is generated via three main steps: selecting and assembling tiles, updating geodesic distance fields and tracing the boundaries of buffer zones. This method is implemented with multi-scale terrain and vector data, and the experimental results show that it is valid and exact and can be applied in practical applications.     

大规模地形实时绘制算法

该文提出一种适合大规模地形实时绘制的简单高效的LOD简化算法。该算法使用一种紧凑有效的规则网格表示方法,优化网格节点的数目,减少可视化过程中的计算量,降低额外内存开销。探讨该算法相关的数据组织、视域裁剪、LOD层次选择、裂缝消除、三角形化等关键问题。实验结果表明,该算法实现简单,内存开销较少,CPU耗费小,对图形卡要求低,能够在普通机器上实现大规模地形的实时漫游。     

多尺度TIN管理及表达算法探讨

为实现大规模地形的多分辨率显示与实时绘制,基于LOD技术给出了多尺度TIN的管理和表达算法。探讨该算法相关的数据组织、LOD层次表达、实时刷新等关键问题。该算法使用分级策略,在不影响视觉效果前提下对TIN进行分级表达;使用分区策略,在可视化过程中对TIN进行局部更新。采取不同分辨率TIN模型间逐步过渡策略,基本上消除了视图变换时的跳跃感。实验结果表明,这种紧凑有效的TIN表示方法实现简单,内存开销较少,CPU耗费小,大大缩短了视图刷新切换时间,能够在普通机器上实现大规模地形的实时漫游。     

Integrative representation and inference of qualitative locations about points,lines, and polygons

Qualitative knowledge representation of spatial locations and relations is popular in many text-based media, for example, postings on social networks, news reports, and encyclopedia, as representing qualitative spatial locations is indispensable to infer spatial knowledge from them. However, an integrative model capable of handling direction-based locations of various spatial objects is missing. This study presents an integrative representation and inference framework about direction-based qualitative locations for points, lines, and polygons. In the framework, direction partitions of different types of reference objects are first unified to create a partition consisting of cells, segments, and corners. They serve as a frame of reference to locate spatial objects (e.g., points, lines, and polygons). Qualitative relations are then defined to relate spatial objects to the elements in a cell partition, and to form the model of qualitative locations. Last, based on the integrative representation, location-based reasoning mechanism is presented to derive topological relations between objects from their locations, such as point–point, line–line, point–line, point–polygon, line–polygon, and polygon–polygon relations. The presented model can locate any type of spatial objects in a frame of reference composed of points, lines, and polygons, and derive topological relations between any pairs of objects from the locations in a unified method.     

3DGIS中复合地形纹理生成与应用

3DGIS仅用数字高程模型(DEM)表现地形远达不到三维可视化的要求.在传统3IDGIS中,通常采用数字正射影像(DOM)作为DEM的纹理表达地面景观,但其逼真性往往会受到影像分辨率的限制.该文借鉴Mipmap思想,提出一种新的纹理生成方法来解决上述问题,即通过对DOM和二维矢量数据赋予投影信息,将多幅影像及相关矢量数据作为生成3DGIS地形的纹理数据源,生成不同分辨率、不同详细程度的金字塔纹理,动态表现地面景观,并对生成的金字塔模型数据进行高效的索引、存储与管理.上述方法在实际应用中取得了满意的访问效率和视觉效果.     

Sensitivity of a stochastic land-cover change model to pixel versus polygonal land units

Land-use/cover change (LUCC) projections can be generated by a variety of land-cover change models (LCMs) and applied to a range of ecological and environmental studies. Most existing spatially explicit LCMs represent land use or cover using either pixel or polygon/patch spatial units. However, the effects of the choice to use pixel versus polygonal land units on the outputs from any given model have not yet been systematically assessed. We evaluated the impacts of alternative land units on the performance of a LCM. A stochastic LCM based on a geostatistical algorithm was developed and applied using both pixel and polygons, which were derived from parcel maps. Nine possible parcel-change scenarios were generated to evaluate the effects of geometric change in management boundaries. The approach was tested through the simulation of multiple land-cover transitions in Medina County, Ohio, between 1992 and 2011. Performance of the simulations was assessed using a metric for the accuracy of spatial allocations (figure of merit (FoM)) and several landscape pattern metrics describing the shapes and sizes of resulting land-cover patches. Results support the notion that there is a clear trade-off between pixel and polygon land units: using polygon boundaries is helpful in obtaining more realistic spatial patterns, but at the cost of location accuracy. Significant differences were found among different parcel-change scenarios on both location accuracy and spatial patterns, with the primary effects being dependent on the type of land-cover transition and the resolution at which validation was assessed.     

A comparison of landslide rates following helicopter and conventional cable-based clear-cut logging operations in the Southwest Coast Mountains of British Columbia

A comparison of landslide rates following helicopter and conventional, cable-based, clear-cut logging was carried out using results from two independent terrain attribute studies in the Eldred and Lois River watersheds in the Southwest Coast Mountains of British Columbia. Landslides initiating from directly within a road prism were excluded from the study in order to focus the comparison on landslides related primarily to conventional versus helicopter yarding methods. A landslide rate of 0.02 landslides/ha was observed in 162 terrain polygons logged by helicopter 8 years prior to this study. Landslide rates in 38 gullied polygons were 0.06 landslides/ha. No landslides were observed in 124 open-slope polygons. Over a similar 8-year average period, 0.03 landslides/ha were observed in 142 cable-yarded terrain polygons; 0.06 and 0.02 landslides/ha occurred in gullied and open-slope polygons, respectively. t-Tests indicate that total landslide rates are not significantly different following helicopter and conventional logging; however, a dichotomy exists between gullied and open-slope terrain polygons. Landslide rates are not significantly different in gullied terrain but are significantly higher on open-slopes following conventional cable logging. Consequently, landslides appear to have a greater potential to occur in open-slope terrain following conventional logging, but differences in gullied polygons are less likely. Increased post-logging landslide rates in conventionally logged, open slopes are more likely the result of undetected road-related drainage changes than differences between helicopter and conventional yarding-related ground disturbance.     

GIS中矢量多边形网格化问题研究

在实际的GIS空间分析过程中,为了更加简便快捷的实现某些特定的空间分析功能,常常需要将不规则的矢量多边形区域转化为规则的格网区域。该文介绍了矢量多边形网格化的四类算法：中心点归属法、面积占优法、重要性法和面积内插法。其中面积内插法又可分为面积权重内插法、基于表面模型的面积内插法和基于统计模型的面积内插法。同时介绍了各类算法的实现思想,并比较了其优劣及应用范围,认为基于表面模型的面积内插法是一种比较理想且极具发展前景的矢量多边形网格化方法。     

An integrated TIN and Grid method for constructing multi‐resolution digital terrain models

Multi‐resolution terrain models are an efficient approach to improve the speed of three‐dimensional (3D) visualizations, especially for terrain visualization in Geographical Information Systems (GIS). As a further development to existing algorithms and models, a new model is proposed for the construction of multi‐resolution terrain models in a 3D GIS. The new model represents multi‐resolution terrains using two major methods for terrain representation: Triangulated Irregular Network (TIN) and regular grid (Grid). In this paper, first, the concepts and formal definitions of the new model are presented. Second, the methodology for constructing multi‐resolution terrain models based on the new model is proposed. Third, the error of multi‐resolution terrain models is analysed, and a set of rules is proposed to retain the important features (e.g. boundaries of man‐made objects) within the multi‐resolution terrain models. Finally, several experiments are undertaken to test the performance of the new model. The experimental results demonstrate that the new model can be applied to construct multi‐resolution terrain models with good performance in terms of time cost and maintenance of the important features. Furthermore, a comparison with previous algorithms/models shows that the speed of rendering for 3D walking/flying through has been greatly improved by applying the new model.