Abstract:
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Terrain modeling is a fast growing field with many applications such as computer graphics,
resource management, Earth and environmental sciences, civil and military engineering, surveying
and photogrammetry and games programming. One of the most widely used terrain
model is the Digital Elevation Model (DEM). A DEM is a simple regularly spaced grid of
elevation points that represent the continuous variation of relief over space. DEMs require
simple storage and are compatible with satellite data. However, they do not easily account
for overhangs.
In this work we report on the Grounded Heightmap Tree, a new data structure for terrain
representation built as a generalization of the DEM. The new data structure allows to naturally
represent terrain overhangs. We illustrate the performance of the Grounded Heightmap
Tree when applied to represent terrains that undergo big changes. |