Virtual Environments for Geospatial Applications

Abstract

This article explores the application of virtual environments to 3D geospatial visualization and exploration. VR worlds provide powerful functionalities for model generation and animation and are indeed a valuable tool for geospatial visualization. Subsequently, related issues such as the constraints in progressive terrain rendering, geographic data modeling, photo-realism in virtual worlds, and the system performance with relatively larger files are discussed. Nevertheless, to accomplish the desired results and to attain a higher level of functionality, a good level of experience in VR programming and the jurisprudence to choose the appropriate tool are necessary. Although a standalone VR application is not capable of a higher level of interaction, using the SCRIPT nodes and the External Authoring Interface additional functionalities can be integrated. Intended for use over the internet with a VR browser, such virtual environments serve not only as a visualization tool, but also a powerful medium for geospatial data exploration.