Utilities of Virtual 3D City Models Based on CityGML: Various Use Cases

Virtual 3D city models are increasingly being used to model the realms of the real world for utilization in a number of applications related to environmental simulations including, urban planning, mapping the energy characteristics of buildings, noise mapping, flood modelling, etc. Apart from geometric and appearance/textural information, these applications have a requirement for complex urban semantics. Currently, a number of 3D standards are available in CAD, BIM and GIS related domains for the storage, visualization and transfer of 3D geospatial datasets. Initially, the 3D data models (such as COLLADA, VRML, X3D, etc.) were purely graphical/geometrical in nature and mainly used for visualization purposes. With the inclusion of thematic modules in OGC CityGML, the integration of geometry and semantics in a single data model paved the way for better sharing of virtual 3D city models. In spite of the availability of a wide range of 3D data standards, there are certain differences with respect to geometry, topology, semantics, LODs, etc., which complicates the integration of 3D geodata from heterogeneous sources. This paper serves to highlights the need for the innovative solutions with respect to the urban environmental related simulations primarily based on the use of virtual 3D city models. Four use cases are studied in this context namely, (1) urban solar potential estimation using CityGML models, (2) simulation of traffic noise level mapped on building walls from the urban road segments, (3) CityGML based 3D data models interoperability, and (4) 3D indoor logistics and subsurface utilities. However, for modelling majority of use cases, CityGML does not provide explicit thematic representations but provides support for extending the CityGML schema using Application Domain Extensions. In a nutshell, the study explores the semantic modelling capabilities of the CityGML for the transformation of native 3D virtual city models to one satisfying capabilities like semantic information and support towards interoperability.