The 3D visual research of improved DEM data based on Google Earth and ACIS

Abstract

The widely used Digital Elevation Model (DEM) data play a more and more important role. But the acquisition and processing of DEM data will take enormous human and financial resources. So it is valuable and practical to make full use of the latitude, longitude and elevation information available in Google Earth. In this paper, Google Earth and its application perspective are introduced, and the secondary development of Google Earth client using C++ on the Microsoft Visual Studio platform is carried out. Methods of extracting and converting Google Earth elevation data are introduced. An improved DEM refinement approach through interpolation algorithm is mainly presented. Finally, a 3D visual application program based on ACIS and the DEM data is achieved. © 2014 Springer International Publishing.