Berlin/Potsdam 03|08|2007
LandXplorer-Technology from 3D Geo GmbH presents 3D-worlds in the Internet. Data remains the sovereign possession of the respective cities. Large amounts of data can be processed easily. Interactive worlds are coming soon.
Berlin is the first city in the world viewable as a 3D
image on the Internet; wide stretches of the city can be seen in realistic 3D quality. On 8
March 2007 Harald Wolf, Berlin's mayor and senator of the Ministry of Economy, Technology,
and Women, switched on the city-model for the virtual global platform Google
Earth, making it accessible to the general public for the first time. Berlin beats Hamburg to
the punch, which had announced a similar Internet debut on 17 January, however Hamburg
is not yet online.
The model is so true to the original that a virtual jaunt through Berlin gives the viewer the
impression that he is actually strolling through the German capital on his own two legs.
Viewers can look up the Berlin 3D-model initially at this address: www.virtual-berlin.de.
After that, one can see it via the global visual platform in Google Earth.
You can "walk" through the Brandenburg Gate via your computer monitor as if you were
really there, or "fly" over other interesting sights. A total of 44,000 buildings in the center
of Berlin can now be seen in 3D-format. The superb photographic quality of 50 of them
gives viewers an exact architectural representation of the façades' features. Visitors can
even virtually enter five special buildings: the Reichstag (German Parliament), the Main
Train Station, the DZ Bank on Paris Plaza (the former DG Bank), the Sony Center, and the
Olympic Stadium.
In order to mirror reality as close as possible, approximately 5,000 Berlin facades were
copied exactly, meaning they were photographically reproduced in a real-to-life way. The
remaining buildings were then texturized, partially using generic features taken from the
automatic real estate database (ALK). The buildings' roofs were illustrated based on aerial
photographs. By using this method, viewers are shown a real-to-life picture, even though
real-life images are not used in all areas.
Bundled Know-How
Software-systems-technology specialists from the Hasso Plattner Institute (University of
Potsdam) developed the technological basis for the 3D Berlin model. 3D Geo GmbH, a
spin-off company of the Hasso Plattner Institute, located in Potsdam, Germany, provided
the software for the 3D-models as well as the real-to-life look and presentation modus for
Google Earth.
The 3D-software "LandXplorer", which was developed in Potsdam, is able to automatically
process large amounts of data and elegantly portray 2D-images in a real-to-life third dimension.
The 3D Geo-Creator for Google Earth converts 3D models into the format required
by Google Earth. "In the first step of the production process, we create a kind of 'buildingblock
model' out of 2D map data, upon which we overlay façades (provided by special
suppliers) in step two", says Marc Hildebrandt, director of 3D Geo.
The details of the production process are more complex. A 3D city model can be based on
a wealth of various data taken from photogrammetry, terrestrial surveying, or external data.
A digital terrain-model forms the foundation of the models which in turn are based on the respective raster data taken from the survey data. On top of this foundation, information in
the form of raster and vector-data can be laid. The crucial components of a 3D city-model
are, however, the buildings which are illustrated in a concrete way along with the openareas
inside them. In order to create the third dimension, various foundations are used. The
simple building-block models are usually based on cadastral-data; for detailed illustrations
aerial-photography or aerial laser-scanning data are used. The photographs of facades are
laid over the "naked" buildings by an automated process. Special applications link additional
information to the models such as street names, how the buildings are used, and more.
Secure Data
Here is an important notice to city-model users: in the case of Berlin, the 3D-model does
not change owners, but rather the data remains the sovereign possession of the city or
local authorities. 3D Geo manager Marc Hildebrandt explains, "When using our softwaresolutions,
the data remains on the customer's server and does not move into the acces of
third parties." Hildebrandt further explained that because this solution protects data from
falling into the hands of third parties, cities and other local governments can present their
situation-specific and up-to-date geo-data on public platforms such as Google Earth any
time they like.
City and regional planning are among the classic uses of 3D city-models. Visualization
offers significantly more variation and interactive possibilities in illustrating urban structures,
compared to 2D drawings, cardboard or wooden models. The interactive real-time surroundings
allow the observer to move around freely within the virtual environment. In addition,
various time-layers can be easily visualized in the model. By way of the Internet, citizens can
easily take part in process stages. Aside from showing the bare physical features of the city,
other characteristics such as the age structures of the population can be shown.
By having city models built, urban economic sponsors show their openness to innovation.
Additionally, they help promote themselves in the inter-city urban development competition,
and attract the favor of local businesses as well.
Tourism also profits from this approach. Cities with high touristic potential can persuade
tourists to come to their cities by placing their information about their attractions in the
Internet. On top of that, the various historical, developmental stages of the city can be
shown. Other items of interest such as hotels and information about transportation and
connections can also be integrated. In the area of catastrophe management, the city
models can provide a valuable service by predicting the direction of the flowing water in
flooded areas.
Hildebrandt says, "With the debut of Berlin as the first photographically real-to-life 3D city
in the world to appear in the Internet, the entire 3D-world has been given a further thrust
forward. In 2 years at the most, nearly every major city in the world will be online in 3D
form." In the future, 3D-worlds will be enhanced by interactive contents. For example,
Professor Döllner of Hasso-Plattner Institute says this about future applications: "A tourist
strolling through virtual streets will be able to look for a particular restaurant, or shop in
virtual stores, or even meet friends."
Contact:
Marc Hildebrandt
3D Geo GmbH
Försterweg 3
D 14482 Potsdam
marc.hildebrandt@3dgeo.de
Tel. +49 331 58127 32
Fax +49 331 70444 39
Dr. Peter A. Hecker
Network Manager
Tel. +49.(0)3322.23 90 01
Fax +49.(0)3322.23 90 02
office@geokomm.net
