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Fast and Accurate Visibility Computation in a 3D Urban Environment

Authors:
Oren Gal
Yerach Doytsher

Keywords: Visibility, 3D, Urban Environment, Spatial analysis

Abstract:
This paper presents a unique solution to the visibility problem in 3D urban environments. We shall introduce a visibility algorithm for a 3D urban environment, based on an analytic solution for basic building structures. A building structure is presented as a continuous parameterization approximating of the building’s corners. The algorithm quickly generates the visible surfaces' boundary of a single building. Using simple geometric operations of projections and intersections between visible pyramid volumes, hidden surfaces between buildings are rapidly computed. The algorithm, demonstrated with a schematic structure of an urban environment and compared to the Line of Sight (LOS) method, demonstrates the computation time efficiency. The basic building structure can be modified to complex urban structures by merging together a number of basic structures.

Pages: 105 to 110

Copyright: Copyright (c) IARIA, 2012

Publication date: January 30, 2012

Published in: conference

ISSN: 2308-393X

ISBN: 978-1-61208-178-6

Location: Valencia, Spain

Dates: from January 30, 2012 to February 4, 2012