What can you do with a 3D map?
Mohammed Abd Elaziz, Ph.D.
Knowledge Management | GIS Consultant | Management of Technology | Solutions Manager at QSIT
The use of 3D maps is becoming increasingly popular across various industries due to their ability to provide a more realistic and comprehensive view of a location compared to traditional?2D maps.
Recent advancements in technology have enabled the quick rendering and processing of 3D models for large areas, making it easier to display scenes online. With improved capabilities, today's 3D maps are highly detailed and offer a more?lifelike representation?of the real world, as in the 3D map in the header image.
The image below shows a comparison between 2D and 3D maps for the same location.
So, the question is: What can you do with a 3D map? ... Esri ArcGIS offers a range of capabilities for efficiently visualizing 3D maps. Here are some of the main features available.
Measurement
3D Maps allow you to freely measure distances and areas in the 3D. You can measure the height of the building, the distance from the top of the building to a feature on the ground, or simply the distance between any 2 points on the scene.
Similarly, you can calculate the area of the vertical fa?ade of a building or the area of an inclined surface
Line of Sight Analysis
Line of Sight analysis allows you to determine if there are any obstacles blocking the line of sight in the space between two points. Consequently, if one point is able to see the other. The results are represented as Green/Red lines, where Green means a clear line of sight and Red means there are obstacles blocking the vision.
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Time & Weather effects
3D Maps allow you to add some nice effects for better visualizations. You can select a specific date & time to simulate the day/night scene and to simulate the shadows.
Additionally, you can simulate different weather conditions: sunny, cloudy, rainy, snowy, or foggy.
Elevation Profile
This allows you to generate a graph of heights along a linear path. As in the image below, we can see the profile of the ground and the heights of the buildings along a random line on the map.
Slicing
Simply, you can create a cross-section inside a building to the interior objects behind the external walls. This is provided that you have the modeling of the objects inside the building.