Creating of integrated spatial model for 3D GIS

Abstract

A three dimensional (3D) model facilitates the study of the real world objects it represents. A geo-information system (GIS) should exploit the 3D model in a digital form as a basis for answering questions pertaining to aspects of the real world. With respect to the earth sciences, different kinds of objects of reality can be realized. These objects are components of the reality under study. At the present state-of the art, different realizations are usually situated in separate systems or subsystems. This separation results in redundancy and uncertainty when different components sharing some common aspects are combined. Relationships between different kinds of objects, or between components of an object, cannot be represented adequately. This thesis aims at the integration of those components sharing some common aspects in one 3D model. This integration brings related components together, minimizes redundancy and uncertainty. Since the model should permit not only the representation of known aspects of realty, but also the derivation of information from the existing representation, the design of the model is constrained so as to afford these capabilities. The tessellation of space by the network of simplest geometry, the simple network, is proposed as a solution. The known aspects of the realty can be embedded in the simple network without degrading their quality. The model provides finite spatial units useful for the representation of objects. Relationships between objects can also be expressed through components of these spatial units which at the same time facilitate various computations and the derivation of information implicitly available in the model. Since the simple network is based on concepts in geo- information science and in mathematics, its design can be generalized for n-dimensions. The networks of different dimension are said to be compatible, which enables the incorporation of a simple network of a lower dimension into dimension into another simple network of a higher dimension. Despite the GIS (Geographic Information Systems/Geospatial Information Systems) have been provided with several applications to manage the two-dimensional geometric information and arrange the topological relations among different spatial primitives, most of these systems have limited capabilities to manage the three-dimensional space. Other tools, such as CAD systems, have already achieved a full capability of representing 3D data. Despite the GIS (Geographic Information Systems/Geospatial Information Systems) have been provided with several applications to manage the two-dimensional geometric information and arrange the topological relations among different spatial primitives, most of these systems have limited capabilities to manage the three-dimensional space. Other tools, such as CAD systems, have already achieved a full capability of representing 3D data. Despite the GIS (Geographic Information Systems/Geospatial Information Systems) have been provided with several applications to manage the two-dimensional geometric information and arrange the topological relations among different spatial primitives, most of these systems have limited capabilities to manage the three-dimensional space. Other tools, such as CAD systems, have already achieved a full capability of representing 3D data.