MetropoVis: Time-Dependent Real-Time Rendering of Large and Photorealistic Virtual Cities
Peter Borovský, Gerd Hesina, Robert F. Tobler · 2005
A high quality visualization system for changing urban environments is a powerful tool for city planners. In order to accommodate the time-dependent nature of a city in such a system, we have built a four dimensional information space which facilitates both realtime rendering and database management. Our system consists of a Database Server, which solves GIS-related problems, and a fast visualization tool called AveViewer based on the Advance Visualization Engine (AVE) developed at the VRVis Research Center. As a basis for data exchange between the viewer and the database, as well as for importing data, we chose VRML – an open 3D graphics format. The database server, utilizing MySQL 4.1 satisfies the OpenGIS standards, and facilitates the management of large amounts of structured geometric, raster and metadata content extended by timestamps. AveViewer uses this time-dependent information for a number of unique visualization methods, which are especially suited for urban planning. Our system was tested on the very first 3D model of the Bratislava historical city centre (result of the MetropoVis data case study), as well as on other valuable datasets of Graz and Vienna. Figure 1: Coarse-detail modeling example – Bratislava Castle and nearby Old Town textured from aerial images.