Gourt > Computers > Software > Graphics > 3D > Terrain
Topography is a general term in geography, derived from the Greek "topos" (place) and "graphein" (to draw), and refers to the lie of the land, or various other characteristics of Physical geography in a region; this is usually expressed in terms of the elevation, slope, and orientation of terrain features. The understanding of these features is an integral aspect of geography, encompassing the practice of cartography, surveying, and GIS. Maps are the most common communication tool for topographic information.
Relief often used to refer to the third dimension of a map whether in actuality (as in a "raised relief" map, or drawn, as with contours, hachures or shading) or the territory it describes. Most 18th and early 19th century national surveys did not record relief across the entire area of coverage, calculating only spot elevations at survey points. The United States Geological Survey (USGS) topographical survey maps included contour representation of relief, and so maps that show relief, especially with exact representation of elevation, came to be called topographic maps (or "topo" maps) in the United States, and the usage has spread internationally.
The understanding of topography is critical for a number of reasons. In terms of environmental quality, agriculture, and hydrology, understanding the topography of an area enables the understanding of watershed boundaries, drainage characteristics, water movement, and impacts on water quality. Complex arrays of topographic data are used as input parameters for hydrology transport models (such as the SWMM or DSSAM Models) to allow prediction of river water quality.
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3DEM - Interactive OpenGL 3D viewer with flyby and animation capabilities. Reads most familiar US DEM formats and can export to common image and terrain formats. [Win95/98/ME/2000]
Meta Description: [ OpenGL 3D Terrain Visualization and Flyby Animation ]
Atlas - The FlightGear mapping utility - Produce and display charts of the world for users of FlightGear, an open source flight simulator. Includes map creator and atlas viewer. Can also be used stand alone. Under development, GPL. [Win32(cygwin),Linux]
Blueberry3D - A program for designing and creating virtual landscapes utilizing real map data or synthetic data from fractals. Fractals are also used to dynamically extend the data and level of detail. [Win 98/SE/Me/2k]
Demeter Terrain Rendering Engine - A cross-platform, open source terrain rendering engine. Written as a stand-alone compnent that can be easily integrated into any kind of application. [OpenGL]
Meta Description: [ briggs and stratton part hypertech power programmer timing belt remanufactured ]
G-Graphix - Makers of G-Vista, G-Scene, G-Render Library, software components for CD-ROM/DVD-ROM/Web-productions to interactively fly over huge contiguous terrains. Target market: high end professional.
Genova - Premier demonstration site for G-Vista Web technology. '3D Flight Over Switzerland' uses 25 meter satellite imagery to build 3D scenes to be streamed and visualized over the internet.
Height Map Editor - Free program that edits, generates, and manipulates terrain height maps. These can be used in terrain renders, which are used in games, applications, and demos. Web base manual available. [Windows and Linux]
HeightField Lab - Generate, manipulate, display, load and save heightfields and then use a raytracer such as POV-Ray to generate the final output image. (free, with code) [Linux]
InReality (tm) Model Viewer - Visualization tool that permits the user to view RealSite (tm) models within a virtual environment. [IRIX, Win32]
Meta Description: [ Specializing in the areas of airborne, spaceborne, and ground-based communications, Harris develops and produces information processing and communications systems to collect, store, retrieve, process, analyze, display, and distribute information for the U.S. Government, its agencies, and its prim... ]
KLevel Heightfield Tool - A heightfield modelling tool designed to mimic Leveller for Windows. It features an OpenGL preview and many brush-like tools. (free, with code) [Linux]
Meta Description: [ The world's largest development and download repository of Open Source code and applications ]
Leveller by Daylon Graphics - Heightfield, bumpmap, and terrain modeler for Windows. Has an active user community with many 3rd party plugins. Downloadable demo with limited functionality.
Meta Description: [ Home page for Leveller, a 3D terrain/heightfield object modeller. ]
MapRender3D - Modeling and visualization software package that creates relief maps in both 2D and 3D using either proprietary global elevation database or public domain DEMs. Features include projections, texture draping, lighting, shading, and elevation color graduation.
Meta Description: [ MapRender3D terrain modelling software renders 2D and 3D shaded relief maps. ]
Natural Scene Designer - Raytracing based landscape renderer with object (trees, rocks, lakes) creation, placement and animation capabilities. Interactive planimetric, and 3D modeling viewpoints. Imports USGS and STDS DEMs. [Windows and Mac]
nineteen70five - Specializes in the import of GIS data sets and creation of a GIS viewer, which allows the user to fly over a 3-D image of their data sets.
OBVIO - A free win32 3D viewer which demonstrates Dynamic Level of Detail (DLOD), based on OpenGL and GLUT, only reads USGS DEMs. Appears to be in active development.
OpenGL Terrain Engine - An experimental OpenGL interactive terrain viewer with surface textures, clouds and reflective water capabilities. (free, with code) [Win32]
OpenSkies Training System - Free authoring tool for virtual environment training system. A low cost PC-based system which incorporates trainee performance measurement capability. [Win9x/NT/2k]
Skyline Software System - A complete, modular software collection to serve photo-based 3D interactive environments over the internet or intranets. (free, no code) [Win9x/NT/2k]
SpatialAce - Toolkit for building interactive real-time applications with 2D or 3D presentations, from simulators and command and control (C3I) to surveillance and traditional GIS systems. [Win9x/NT/2k]
TechNature Library - A collection of rendering, mathematics, and texturing functions that use fractals to grow everything from plants to planets with seamless procedural textures. (shareware, with source code) [Requires DirectX 6.0+]
Meta Description: [ Tanzanite Software ]
Terrain Modelling - A number of scholarly pages covering visualization techniques, terrain morphing, generating fractal surfaces, data filtering, and a mars planetary model. (free, with code)
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TerrainPro by MultiGen-Paradigm - Produce large area terrain databases with real-world data and 3D culture (eg. roads) and imagery, skin generation, and texture mapping. Target market: Professional [Win98/NT,SGI]
TerrainView-Web - Plugin for Microsoft Internet Explorer to allow interactive visualization of high-resolution 3D terrain data directly over the internet.
Meta Description: [ The TerrainView-Web application is a freely distributable plug-in for Microsoft Internet Explorer, Mozilla, Mozilla FireFox and for Netscape Navigator that facilitates the interactive 3D visualization of high-resolution terrain data directly over the Internet. ]
The Aeliom Portal - Aeliom allows real time generation, rendering, illumination, and exploration of 3d virtual landscapes.
Meta Description: [ 3D realtime virtual landscape & outdoor architecture solutions ]
UrbanModeller - Software for visualisation of non-tangible data related to the urban environment. It may be used to construct 3D thematic 'maps' such as land use. A component of the Virtual Field Course from the U. of Leicester. [Win9x/NT/2k]
Virtual Terrain Project - Promotes development of tools for constructing any part of the real world in interactive, 3D digital form. CAD, GIS, visual simulation, surveying and remote sensing. (free, with code) [win32, unix]
VistaPro - Create 3D landscapes using real-world data from the United States Geological Survey and extra-terrestrial data from NASA. [Win9x+]
Wilbur - Small program for playing with terrain data (height fields). Imports data from and to many popular file formats. Can use a number of image processing operations and height field painting tools. (Free, no code) [Win9x/NT]
Meta Description: [ Wilbur - A terrain/height field generator for Windows 95/NT ]
World Construction Set - Professional photorealistic terrain modeling, visualization, rendering and animation program. Create stunning, photorealistic images and animations with image object rendering. [Win9x/NT/2k/Mac/SGI]
WorldPerfect - A standalone Windows desktop utility for generating high resolution terrain databases from photo-realistic imagery, digital elevation data, and cultural feature content.
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