International Archives of the Photogrammetry, Remote Sensing and Spatial Information Sciences, Vol XXXV, Part B2. Istanbul 2004
technology from outside the geospatial community, from
disciplines such as CAD, Synthetic Environments and
Virtual Reality. In such a hybrid approach, the geospatial
data would provide a framework, with hooks for the more
complex 3D models. Providing this in a seamless manner is
a serious research topic.
There is a useful stage beyond 2.5D and short of full 3D
topology, which supports structuring of 3D geometries
without losing z-value information. Topological structuring
takes place in the projection to the (x,y) plane, with snapping
in the z-direction controlled by a z-tolerance (see Fig. 6).
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Z snap tolerance = 1m
Figure 6. Snapping in the z-direction.
Implementations of this have existed for some time (Hayles,
2001) and an implementation using Oracle as the database
will appear in 2004. This level of topology support lacks an
agreed name although 2.75D has been suggested and would
appear appropriate.
6. SUMMARY AND CONCLUSIONS
In the discussion that followed the presentation of an earlier
paper on Integration at the Vienna ISPRS conference
(Woodsford, 1996), 1 ventured the polemical suggestion that
in time photogrammetric system functionality would become
so standardised that the major discriminating factor would be
openness of their API and the ease with which they could be
integrated with database technology. This was, and remains,
an over-statement of the case. The continuing richness of
new imagery sources, and the new functionality needed to
exploit them, continues to provide major discriminating
factors. This paper has deliberately restricted its focus to the
role of photogrammetry in creating and sustaining vector
databases. It has not attempted to cover other important tasks
such as the creation and refinement of DEM data. A wider
view, with an extensive set of references is to found in
(Heipke, 2004).
The benefits to be realised by closer integration and better
data management are of increasing value and are not
restricted to the vector domain. The paper has demonstrated
that, with the increasing adoption of richer and more capable
data models, these benefits are becoming crucial. Interfaces
to support integration are becoming more open and more
robust. Vendors, whilst seeking to maintain competitive edge
in their distinctive capabilities, are becoming more inclined
to work with providers of complementary capabilities.
Openness and support for integration have become key
discriminating factors.
The convergence of disciplines represented by the ISPRS is
thus being realised in the practical integration of technologies
764
available, against a wider background of convergence with
the mainstream of the Information Technology and
Communications (ICT) industries. The geomatics manager
of the future will be an information manager, with skills in
selecting the best sources and processes for enhancing the
organisation's information holdings, and delivering products
and services from them. The geomatics practitioners, whilst
retaining particular skills in photogrammetry, cartography or
image processing will be equally at home in the GIS domain,
and the systems they use will be increasingly those needed to
support them as geospatial information ‘all-rounders’.
References from Journals:
Heipke, C, 2004. Some Requirements for Geographic
Information Systems: A Photogrammetric Point of View.
Photogrammetric Engineering & Remote Sensing Vol. 70,
No. 2, February 2004, pp. 185-195.
References from Other Literature:
Edwards, D., Simpson J, and Woodsford P., 2000.
Integration of photogrammetric and spatial information
systems, [International Archives of Photogrammetry and
Remote Sensing, 33(B2): 603—609.
EuroSDR. 2004. Workshop on Impacts of improving the
positional accuracy of GI databases. Dublin, May 2004. To
be available via Official Publications at www.eurosdr.org.
Garland, P. 2004. Maximize Geodata Use: Move from
Image Management to Workflow Management, March/April
2004 issue of Earth Imaging Journal ^ available at
www.eijournal.com.
Murray, K. 2003. Official Publication no. 45: - OEEPE
Workshop on Next Generation Spatial Databases — 2003.
Available via Official Publications at www.eurosdr.org.
Ohlhof, T, Gülch, E., Müller, H., Wiedemann, C., and Torre
M. 2004. Semi-Automatic extraction of line and area
features from aerial and satellite images. ISPRS Congress
2004 Istanbul, Commission III, WG III/4.
Woodsford, P., 1996. Spatial database update — a key to
effective automation, International Archives of
Photogrammetry and Remote Sensing, 31(4):956—961.
References from Websites:
ESRI, 2003. ArcGIS'M: Working With Geodatabase
Topology at:
http://www esri.com/library/whitepapers/pdfs/geodatabase-
topology.pdf. «accessed 27 April 2004).
Hayles, M. 2001. Integration of photogrammetry and 3D
geo-spatial databases. OEEPE/ISPRS Workshop “From 2D
to 3D — Establishment and Maintenance of National Core
Geospatial Databases", Hannover, Germany, October 2001.
http://www. ipt.uni-hannover.de/isprs-wg2-
A/oeepe01 pdfs/hayles.pdf. (accessed 27 April 2004).
ICA, 2003. Commission on Incremental Updating and
Versioning. Proceedings available via:
http:Zgeo.haifa.ac.il/-icaupdt. (accessed 27 April 2004).
Intergraph et al (2004). Oracle Interoperability Initiative at:
http://imgs.intergraph.com/interop/oracle.asp. (accessed 27
April 2004).
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