6 replies to this topic

[SteveR]

My son Ben and I have created a 24 x 18 inch poster of the Wasatch Mountains northeast of Salt Lake City, Utah, which we intend to publish.  It combines 2012 orthophotography with a 2006 First Return LiDAR digital elevation model (buildings were updated to 2012), and uses the Plan Oblique Relief projection.  Here's a link to a reduced image:

 

http://www.2i3d.com/ccc.png

It's a 3D anaglyph and should be viewed with red/cyan glasses.  The map seems to work well when viewed on the screen, but better when printed in color and laid on a horizontal surface, then viewed from the south from a 45 degree angle.

Like the old-time birdseye views of cities, it's more of a visual thing, but it may be useful to hikers, as well as to anyone who wants to understand the region's unique geology.

What are your impressions of it as a map product?  There's no scale bar because different rules apply depending on the direction of measurement.  Other details were left off to keep it simple, but if anything important should be there I'd like to know.

Steve Richardson
2i3D Stereo Imaging

[Hans van der Maarel]

I've viewed it on-screen and it seems to work well, maybe the vertical exaggeration is a bit too much though.

 

Now, when you say "useful to hikers", do you really expect them to take 3d glasses with them on a hike? I can see this being very useful in something like a visitor center or at a trailhead, but not so much in the field (difficulty of laying a map flat, have to carry the glasses etc).

[Dennis McClendon]

I think the expected market is as a poster for folks who frequently hike in the area.

[SteveR]

Thank you for the observations, Hans and Dennis.  Anaglyph looks like the only practical way to do 3D with these maps, and the 3D effect is disturbed when they are folded.  It's also difficult to hold the map flat in the wind or lay it flat on a rock.  Besides, in the interest of realism nothing's labeled.  The mountains are relatively close to the homes of many people in Salt Lake City, and the map isn't intended to be taken by them on hikes, but is more likely to be studied while they are planning a hike or reviewing where they've been.  The map will be accompanied by another 3D map which will have contours, marked trails, and labels, but which will unfortunately have the same disadvantages if carried outdoors.  I'll welcome suggestions on how the above problems might be overcome.

 

This map at publication size (24 x 18 inches) is calculated to have generally correct 3D exaggeration when viewed from 10 inches away by someone whose eyes are 2.5 inches apart.  The exaggeration can be increased by looking at it from a greater distance.  I think the exaggeration isn't a problem when the map is viewed from a 45 degree angle.

 

Steve

[MapDesigner]

Looks very nice, I've been trying to achieve something similar myself, the problem I'm facing that I have no stereo pair ortho images, so the 3D effect its not that clear.

Could you please share some insights, if its possible somehow to obtain stereo image pairs from a single ortho?

Thank you!

[Adam Wilbert]

I'm pretty sure a single orthophoto was draped over a DEM, and then the stereo pairs were generated by 3D software. I would love to hear more about the process / software involved if Steve would like to share his secrets!

 

Digging further into the 2i3D site, I also really like the way the before/after eruption of Mt. St. Helens is depicted on this image: http://www.2i3d.com/...tStHelens.html. Very cool. 

[SteveR]

Thank you for the invitation, Adam.  The orthophoto is converted to anaglyphic 3D by draping it on a digital elevation model using the freeware program Microdem.   I'm not aware of any other software that does this operation.

 

We didn't print the above Plan Oblique Relief 3D map because nobody seemed to know how to look at it properly.  We did print a pair of 3D maps (topo and photo) of the same area just a few days ago.

 

Last summer we published a better version of our Mount St. Helens map, and it can be seen here:

 

http://www.2i3d.com/...StHelensANA.png

 

Steve