摘要
3D terrain visualization of geographic information systems(GIS)data has become an important issue in recent years.This is due to the emergence of new geo-browsers such as Google Earth,widely popular among users.The availability of 3D representation tools has increased the demand for 3D terrain visualization.The aim of this paper is to review the literature related to the 3D terrain visualization of GIS data from the first map produced until the online mapping era.The reviews are divided into four different sections:manual visualization of 3D terrain,automated visualization of 3D terrain,online visualization of 3D terrain,and software for visualizing 3D terrain.Then,the paper compares between the different types of systems developed by various authors based on the capabilities and the limitations of the system.Some of the techniques have their own strengths and limitations which solve the problem in 3D terrain visualization.However,the research on improving 3D terrain visualization is still ongoing.This is due to the popularity of online environments and mobile devices that render 3D terrain.This review paper will help interested users understand the current state of 3D terrain visualization of GIS data in a better way.
