3D CITY MODELS: AN OPERATIONAL APPROACH USING AERIAL IMAGES AND CADASTRAL MAPS
David Flamanc, Grégoire Maillet, H. Jibrini · 2003
Even though many efficient building reconstruction methods have been published so far, automatic processes are still missing for the production of 3D city models. This gap between research results and effective production tools seems mainly due to a lack of cooperation between all these methods. Building reconstruction in dense urban areas is such a complex problem that it is hopeless to look for an universal solution that could efficiently reconstruct every building, from a simple gabled roof to a whole cathedral. In this paper we first present a general strategy to combine several automatic and user-assisted processes to produce three-dimensional city models in a real production context using aerial images and 2D ground maps. The strategy aims at taking advantage of each algorithm to be sure they complement each other. Then we illustrate this strategy by describing our operational implementation and its results. In this implementation, the first step is a combination of two automatic algorithms: a model driven and a data driven process. In a second step, user-assisted tools supplement the reconstruction: some are adapted to precise landscape features while others are more generic. 1