GTOPO30 Map Generator:

Geographical information systems, particularly one intended to provide high resolution spatial data on the web, require specific methods in user interface design and data processing. These methods should support both a quick visual display of the geographic area of interest and the navigation and orientation inside the virtual environment with little cognitive effort. On the other hand the typical combination of geospatial data and mapping capabilities with databases of statistical and feature information about the area requires within the desktop environment advanced methods for a direct data manipulation. This paper describes the prototype GTOPO30 VRML Map Generator, a tool for the high resolution terrain simulation of the earth’s surface. User controlled texture mapping and the integration of city information services via the web provide a powerful visual display of information, allowing users a spatial analysis of a vast amount of data. The map generator includes two characteristic visual user interfaces: an interface with three detail maps representing different zoom levels of the earth’s surface and a 3Duser interface for the exploration of the geovirtual environment. A control console provides specific elements for the geospatial navigation and the real-time data manipulation inside the virtual world. The prototype combines some new aspects of web-based information visualization: a rapid visual selection of the geographic area of interest, a combination of advanced 3D (virtual landscape) and 2D (map) navigation and the user controlled visualization of geospatial data and feature information.