Module 11 - 3D Mapping

Class this week consisted of learning about 3D mapping through various readings, videos, ESRI training, and lab exercises in ArcScene and ArcMap. 3D design is an ever growing field, with a wide variety of purpose: movies, video games, engineering, medical sciences, and the list goes on. For those of use working in GIS, 3D mapping is a new way to present and analyze information. A 3D model of a city can be used for disaster simulations. Raster information collected with airborne lidar equipment can be extruded to work with more realistic landforms. Oil wells can be viewed below a surface model with geologic information added to compare depth. The possibilities currently seem endless, as long as you can imagine a purpose for 3D mapping and have the technology to develop it.

There are pros and cons to using 3D mapping. I think the biggest advantage in terms of GIS, is creating a more intuitive visual experience for analysis and user comprehension. The ability to move around in 3D space, and see how objects relate to one another, experiment with shadows, lighting, above and below ground surfaces, etc. make it easier to understand a complex problem than a 2D map. Something that would be a graph in 2D can be actual proportional features in a 3D map. As noted above, the applications for a 3D map, with the right data paired with it, are numerous.

One of the biggest cons for 3D mapping is probably technology barriers. Cost, storage, file sharing, changes in software, and acquiring quality data, are a few of the potential technology-related concerns with 3D mapping. 2D mapping, which faces some similar concerns, is often smaller file sizes, with a wide variety of data already being shared. One small con to 3D mapping is it can be a bit tricky to maneuver in the map if the map reader is unfamiliar or experienced with the software or computers in general. In that regard, a 2D map may be more effective.

Overall, it was interesting to learn about 3D mapping, especially as it pertains to analysis. As someone who is less attracted to urban sciences, I wasn't very excited when I looked at the 3D images of cities when previewing the lab. I became more intrigued after seeing some of the natural sciences uses like oil well depth and geologic soil layers, or social science uses like the 3D map of Menard's Napoleon's March on Moscow map by ESRI's 3D team (http://www.arcgis.com/apps/CEWebViewer/viewer.html?3dWebScene=2b48caaabd0e44028724c5f109f3de97).
After playing with extrusions, lighting, joining data, and creating bizarre landscapes with vertical exaggeration I am excited to do more with 3D mapping!

3D landscape created in ArcScene using vertical exaggeration on a raster elevation layer.