Multiscale visualization of 3D geovirtual environments using view-dependent multi-perspective views

Abstract

3D geovirtual environments (GeoVEs), such as virtual 3D city models or landscape models, are essential visualization tools for effectively communicating complex spatial information. In this paper, we discuss how these environments can be visualized using multi-perspective projections [10, 13] based on view-dependent global deformations. Multi-perspective projections enable 3D visualization similar to panoramic maps, increasing overview and information density in depictions of 3D GeoVEs. To make multi-perspective views an effective medium, they must adjust to the orientation of the virtual camera controlled by the user and constrained by the environment. Thus, changing multi-perspective camera configurations typically require the user to manually adapt the global deformation — an error prone, non-intuitive, and often time-consuming task. Our main contribution comprises a concept for the automatic and view-dependent interpolation of different global deformation preset configurations (Fig. 1). Applications and systems that implement such view-dependent global deformations, allow users to smoothly and steadily interact with and navigate through multi-perspective 3D GeoVEs.