Interactive 3-D Visualization of Real Forests

Forest resource management systems and forest landscape visualization applications often need usersteered interactive displays of a forest landscape representing the underlying forest inventory database. We present an approach for dynamically modeling and real-time rendering of a real forest. A parameterized procedural tree model is given with a hybrid representation method and a specific level of detail algorithm for ensuring real-time frame rates. Forest inventory data, together with predefined tree parameter templates, drive the modeling engine to generate visual realistic 3-D tree models on the fly. We have evaluated our approach by applying it in a GIS-based forest resource management system to construct a virtual forest with immersive capability for navigation, query, and analysis. Key words: Forest Landscape Visualization, Procedural Model, Plant Model, Levels of Detail, Virtual Reality

• Type: Conference
• Year: 2003
• Where: ICAT
• Authors: Qizhi Yu, Chongcheng Chen, Zhigeng Pan, Tianhe Chi
• Keywords: Forest, Forest Landscape, Forest Landscape Visualization, ICAT 2003