3D Urban Visibility Analysis with Vector GIS Data

Abstract

The visibility estimation has an important impact in many economical and aesthetic fields. A mixed environment which contains artificial objects like buildings laying on a natural ground surface is a challenge for visibility calculation. This paper presents a new method to solve this problem, based on vector GIS data. The use of vector data gives the possibility of calculating the intervisibility indices as well as delineating a viewshed in a mixed environment. The new method could identify obstacles (relief, buildings) that may block the visibility for an observer situated in any point of a 3D environment. The intervisibility impact of a specific building can also be calculated.