Week 6
The return of 3D in GIS was not a huge shock. I like what it has to offer since it shows what the land/environment/topography actually looks like instead of just a flat map with labels. You can actually insert buildings and build a city with the 3D applications. I also find it interesting how 3D GIS is used for building cities in some movies. I can see how it helps the CGI artists with location accuracy.
This 3D application was a little different from the 3D applications we used in 291. You can add whatever you want, and if too much is added it lags a bit (at least for me). If you really want to use the 3D feature, I’d imagine you need a lot of storage space so that you can use it at its full potential. If it gets too crowded it’s hard to tell what’s going on.
As for an idea on how to use 3D in cities, it could be used to map out peregrine falcon nests since they like to nest on tall buildings. Biologists could utilize this to figure out how high up the birds tend to nest and the locations in the city they choose. Using the realistic 3D engine would make observations easier, as well as making it easier to find the nesting sites in the real world.