Techniques for visualizing the appearance of forestry operations

Abstract

Properly used, computer visualizations are powerful tools for educating people about forestry operations and comparing management alternatives. Four techniques are suitable for depicting the resusts of timber harvests: geometric modeling, video imaging, a hybrid combining geometric modeling and video imaging, and image draping. Which is most appropriate depends on its intended use. Criteria for selecting the best technique are the size of the project area, the goal of the visualization, the level of detail that mut be shown, and the data available for describing the area.