Cl PA 2003 XIX th International Symposium, 30 September - 04 October, 2003, Antalya, Turkey 
the entire body), requiring non-contact and reliable surface 
measurement in near real time, and in ergonomic design. 
Having reviewed the main 3D digitisation methods, it can be 
said that the extent to which these are successfully used 
depends on the nature and size of the object and its applications, 
the intended output format, the amount of automation possible, 
and the budget available to the project. The selection of a 
suitable method is crucial given that a lot of methods lack 
automation and require considerable 3D modelling, therefore 
becoming costly and difficult to manage. 
In the case of 3D urban modelling, the generation of a Digital 
Urban Model (DUM), which is composed of Digital Building 
Models (DBM) and sometimes, a Digital Terrain Model 
(DTM), combined with Photogrammetric data should lead to 
the creation of realistic 3D city models. Nonetheless, the way 
by which this is achieved varies a lot and is highly influenced 
by the resources available to the project. Software developers 
have been trying to create tools that enable the automatic 
generation of 3D city models. In any case, a number of methods 
and different data are used in order to achieve optimum results. 
In the case of the CAD Center Corporation in Tokyo, a 
combination of 2D digital map, aerial images, and laser profiler 
data were used in order to generate an impressive and expensive 
3D city model of Tokyo. Software called MapCube was used to 
create the 3D model. (Takase, Y., 2003) 
4. THE CHALLENGE 
The development of 2D GIS technology and its successful 
application in many fields primarily for 2D analyses, has not 
given the same relevance to 3D urban information. Only 
recently, with the development of many packages that deal with 
3D city modelling and Virtual Reality applications, GIS 
platforms started considering 3D builders and analysts as part of 
the package. However, these packages with all their added 
extensions are still expensive for low budget educational 
projects. 
Digital cities can be very useful in determining future 
development and in assessing their overall effect on the city’s 
skyline and urban patterns. Simulations can be carried out 
through Electronic Sketching, Spatial Interaction, and Virtual 
Reality. (Dokonal, W. & Martens, B., 2001:419) 
As pointed out earlier, A1 Bastakia is the only significant 
historic area in Dubai, which reflects the region’s architectural 
heritage and local culture. This valuable heritage displays rich 
architectural and urban qualities, which reflect the users’ search 
for comfort in response to a harsh climate, and to the need to 
preserve privacy by respecting local traditions. This meant that 
streets are very narrow and leading to dead-end routes as it is 
customary in many Arab-Islamic Medinas. The urban and 
architectural richness of this area encouraged the creation of a 
3D digital model that can be used for educational purposes at 
the department of Architectural Engineering of the UAE 
University. 
4.1 The Method 
3D model was created based on 2D mapping information 
provided by Dubai Municipality, in addition to scanned plans 
from various documents. The area was also recorded on video 
in order to obtain information regarding heights of buildings 
and other important details. Digital photos were also available 
to complement information emerging from the video recording. 
A high-resolution satellite image of the area acquired in 2002 
was used in order update the site plan and record any missing 
information. (Fig. 1 above) 
The texture application was difficult due to two reasons: a) the 
fact that buildings are very close to each other, and b) most 
buildings are undergoing restoration, and as a result there are a 
lots of scaffoldings erected. These factors complicated the 
recording of orthophotos for photogrammetric analysis and 
production of building textures. 
Fig. 4: A Plan view of A1 Bastakia 3D Model. 
4.2 The Result 
The model was created in AutoCAD using 2D digital plan of 
the area, and plans of selected houses. Further information was 
available as hard copies such as sections and elevations. The 
area that was emphasised is the one becoming the main market 
zone, which is in the very centre of the neighbourhood. Dubai 
Municipality provided digital drawings of the renovated houses 
located in this area. 
Once completed, the model was exported to 3D Studio Max for 
rendering and animation, and texture application. Obviously, 
more details can be added to the model, such as decorations, 
balconies, carvings and so on. But unfortunately, the lack of 
resources and time did not allow the team to move to that level 
of detail. The purpose of the project was to examine what 
technology is available in order to easily and cheaply reproduce 
a sample of a historic urban environment. 
Clearly this is feasible since the area is relatively small, 
however in order to create a 3D model of the whole city an 
efficient recording method involving for example airborne laser 
scanning will be necessary. This method was successfully 
applied in the case of Tokyo by CAD Center. (Takase, Y., 
2003) 
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