CENTRE OF GEOGRAPHIC SCIENCES

Exploring Vertical Mapper

Part Two: Digital Elevation Analysis

Bronwyn Fleet-Pardy
2/24/2014





Exploring Vertical Mapper
February 24, 2014


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Table of Contents
Table of Figures ............................................................................................................................................. ii
Introduction .................................................................................................................................................. 1
Cross-section ................................................................................................................................................ 1
Point Inspection ............................................................................................................................................ 3
Line Inspection .............................................................................................................................................. 4
Region Inspection .......................................................................................................................................... 5
Intervisibility Analysis .................................................................................................................................... 7
Viewshed Analyses ........................................................................................................................................ 9
Viewshed Analysis One ............................................................................................................................. 9
Viewshed Analysis Two .......................................................................................................................... 11
Viewshed Analysis Three ........................................................................................................................ 13
Hillshade ...................................................................................................................................................... 15
Hillshade One ......................................................................................................................................... 15
Hillshade Two ......................................................................................................................................... 18
References..................................................................................................................................................... a


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Table of Figures
Figure 1 DEM with Profile View cross-section .......................................................................................... 1
Figure 2 Graph of cross-section ................................................................................................................ 2
Figure 3 DEM with points labelled for point section. ................................................................................ 3
Figure 4 Points Attribute Table ................................................................................................................. 3
Figure 5 Attribute Table of line features ................................................................................................... 4
Figure 6 DEM with cross line .................................................................................................................... 4
Figure 7 Regions overlaid on DEM ............................................................................................................ 5
Figure 8 Regions Attribute Table .............................................................................................................. 6
Figure 9 Regions Inspection Attribute Selection window ......................................................................... 6
Figure 10 Point-to-Point Visibility tool settings ......................................................................................... 7
Figure 11 Point-to-Point Solation Graph ................................................................................................... 8
Figure 12 DEM with line for Intervisibility Analysis ................................................................................... 8
Figure 13 Settings for the first Viewshed Analysis .................................................................................... 9
Figure 14 First Viewshed Analysis with one point and legend ................................................................ 10
Figure 15 Closer view of the first Viewshed Analysis pixels ................................................................... 10
Figure 16 Viewshed Analysis Two settings .............................................................................................. 11
Figure 17 Viewshed Analysis Two with one point and legend ................................................................ 12
Figure 18 Viewshed Analysis Three Settings ........................................................................................... 13
Figure 19 Viewshed Analysis Three with towers and legend .................................................................. 14
Figure 20 The Drape File Resolution for creating the hillshade .............................................................. 15
Figure 21 Vertical Mapper: Grid Manager displaying the 3D View options ............................................ 15
Figure 22 The first 3D view of the hillshade ........................................................................................... 16
Figure 23 The Viewing tab settings for first view of the hillshade .......................................................... 16
Figure 24 The Surface and Lighting tab settings for first view of the hillshade ....................................... 17
Figure 25 The Dxf (DEM) elevation tab settings for the first view of the hillshade ............................... 17
Figure 26 The second view of 3D hillshade ............................................................................................. 18
Figure 27 The Viewing tab settings for second view of the hillshade ..................................................... 18
Figure 28 The Surface and Lighting tab settings for the second view of the hillshade ........................... 19
Figure 29 The Dxf (DEM) elevation tab settings for the second view of the hillshade .......................... 19
Figure 30 The third view of the 3D hillshade .......................................................................................... 20
Figure 31 The Viewing tab settings for third view of the hillshade ......................................................... 20
Figure 32 The Surface and Lighting tab settings for third view of the hillshade ..................................... 21
Figure 33 The Dxf (DEM) elevation tab settings for the third view of the hillshades ............................ 21
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Introduction
Vertical Mapper within the MapInfo Professional 11.5 was used to create a Digital Elevation Model for a
study area around the Digby Basin, in Nova Scotia. It was created with the Interpolation tool (under
Vertical Mapper, Create Grid). A series of processes were performed to execute a digital elevation
analysis. The processes and results are outlined in this document.
Cross-section
A cross-section was created for the Digital Elevation Model (DEM) that covers the study area of Digby,
Bear River and Cornwallis, Nova Scotia. The cross-section in Figure 1 creates a profile view for that
specific area that the cross-section is displayed.

Figure 1 DEM with Profile View cross-section
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Displayed in Figure 2, is the corresponding profile graph to the cross-section in the study area. The
graph shows that the profile view starts around 110 metres increasing to close to 200 metres before it
declines through the Digby Basin and then increase as the elevation slopes upwards to the end point of
the profile view (approximately 150 metres). There was 100 sample points used for the graph, measured
in metres.

Figure 2 Graph of cross-section

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Point Inspection
A point inspection was performed by placing five random points throughout the study area to sample
the elevations. The points were labelled to determine which attributes corresponded with the point
number. Displayed in Figure 4 is the attribute table for the point features. The elevation ranges from
12.46 to 149.7 metres.

Figure 3 DEM with points labelled for point section.

Figure 4 Points Attribute Table
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Line Inspection
The cross line inspection was performed using 100 samples with the attribute obtained as: The
minimum, average, maximum, range, start, middle and end values for the cross line. The line inspection
represents another technique to look at the different elevations in the study area and along the line.

Figure 5 Attribute Table of line features

Figure 6 DEM with cross line

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Region Inspection
Four separate polygon regions were created to test the elevations in the study area. For the region
inspection the selected attributes for the output table were: Minimum, average, and maximum values as
well as the number of cells. These attributes be added to the table along with the coefficient of variation
values and the standard deviation values.

Figure 7 Regions overlaid on DEM
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In the produced output table, each region was given an identification number along with the
corresponding values for the each region.
Figure 8 Regions Attribute Table

Figure 9 Regions Inspection Attribute Selection window

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Intervisibility Analysis
The Point-to-Point Visibility tool under Analysis in the Grid Manager (in Vertical Mapper) was used to
generate the Intervisibility Analysis for the study area. The height surface was set to 2 metres. All
settings are displayed in Figure 10.
The Point-to-Point Solutions graph (Figure 11), displays the relative elevation and the relative viewable
elevation for a specific point. As stated in the graph, the points are not visible and there is a height
obstruction by 57.49 metres. The From height is the starting point of the line and the To height is the
ending point of the line for the relative viewable line. The relative elevation is of the line going through
the study area.
The lines starting point was placed on the North Mountain nearby Van Tassel Lake. The line is overlaid
on the DEM shown in Figure 12 and symbolized to show the direction of the visibility is going from
North West to South East, ending near the Cornwallis and Clementsport area.

Figure 10 Point-to-Point Visibility tool settings
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Figure 11 Point-to-Point Solation Graph

Figure 12 DEM with line for Intervisibility Analysis
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Viewshed Analyses
There were three Viewshed Analyses performed on the DEM. A viewshed is always performed on
raster or grid. It delineates the surface positions based on the visible observation features within a given
study area. This is based on the cells or pixels in the elevation raster. Viewsheds are accomplished to
determine the pixel values for specific observation areas. All viewsheds were created using the
Viewshed Analysis tool in the Grid Manager of Vertical Mapper. Each viewshed had different settings for
different results. The DEM was placed underneath each viewshed with a transparency on the viewshed
to help show where everything was located in the study area.
Viewshed Analysis One
For the first viewshed analysis was performed on one point in the study area using the simple
calculation. The point was placed near Port Wade and Worcester Lake, as shown in Figure 14. The
settings for creating the viewshed are specified in Figure 13. The viewshed offset and viewpoint height
was both set to 2 metres.

Figure 13 Settings for the first Viewshed Analysis
The single point placed for the viewshed produced only a small area of viewpoint visibly for the study
area. It is displayed as light green in Figure 14. This was based on the positive pixels matching similar
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elevations. Whereas the negative cells (displayed in red) do not have similar elevations thus they cannot
be used for observation areas. The simple calculation results in a True or False raster symbology.

Figure 14 First Viewshed Analysis with one point and legend

Figure 15 Closer view of the first Viewshed Analysis pixels
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Viewshed Analysis Two
The second viewshed was calculated using the complex method. This means that the settings placed for
the viewshed analysis calculates and generates the values in the raster as z-units rather than just metres.
Z-units are another way of measuring the elevation in the DEM or study area.
The second viewshed analysis produced a slight variation than the first viewshed. This was due to the
complex calculation (Figure 16).

Figure 16 Viewshed Analysis Two settings
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Figure 17 Viewshed Analysis Two with one point and legend
The green represents the areas in the study area that can be observed by the view point (symbolized by
the star). The elevations that had positive pixel values are similar. All of elevations in the study area that
are displayed in red, had negative pixel values and did not have elevations that could be observed by the
one view point in the study area. The elevations in the dark red would have to be raised from as low as
-883.86 metres to be seen at the view point.

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Viewshed Analysis Three
The third viewshed analysis was performed using four towers that were distributed throughout the
study area. The four towers each represent a view point for observation. The towers are symbolized by
stars, as displayed in Figure 19 with the viewshed and legend.

Figure 18 Viewshed Analysis Three Settings
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Figure 19 Viewshed Analysis Three with towers and legend
The areas shown in the dark blue do not have a sight line for any of the towers. The areas in light blue
had a sight line to one tower. The areas in yellow had sight lines to two towers. The areas displayed in
orange and red had sight lines to three or four towers respectively.
For more than one view point, the pixel values in the study area change for observation regions.
Essentially this means that the areas in diverse colours become the view points and the towers become
the observation areas.

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Hillshade
A hillshade (or shaded relief) is what can be classified as a surface raster. By using the original DEM pixel
values, the hillshade illuminates the angles and shadows, demonstrating the elevations for the geography
in the study area.
Two hillshades were generated to show the elevations grid and how the hillshade looks in 3D. The 3D
View tool was used and is located in the Grid Manager of Vertical Mapper.
The hillshades drape file pixel resolution was set to 1,000 for the analysis. Settings were specified in the
three tabs of 3D Viewing Scene Properties dialogue box.
Each different 3D view of the hillshade has specific settings set up for each angle. They are all
documented in the figures below along with a screen capture of the 3D view.
A third view of the 3D hillshade was added to improve the visual appreciation of the contrast in
elevation for the Digby Basin and surrounding study area.
Hillshade One

Figure 20 The Drape File Resolution for creating the hillshade

Figure 21 Vertical Mapper: Grid Manager displaying the 3D View options
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Figure 22 The first 3D view of the hillshade

Figure 23 The Viewing tab settings for first view of the hillshade
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Figure 24 The Surface and Lighting tab settings for first view of the hillshade

Figure 25 The Dxf (DEM) elevation tab settings for the first view of the hillshade


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Hillshade Two

Figure 26 The second view of 3D hillshade

Figure 27 The Viewing tab settings for second view of the hillshade
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Figure 28 The Surface and Lighting tab settings for the second view of the hillshade

Figure 29 The Dxf (DEM) elevation tab settings for the second view of the hillshade
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Figure 30 The third view of the 3D hillshade

Figure 31 The Viewing tab settings for third view of the hillshade
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Figure 32 The Surface and Lighting tab settings for third view of the hillshade

Figure 33 The Dxf (DEM) elevation tab settings for the third view of the hillshades
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References
Canada), P. B. (2009). Vertical Mapper Online Help. Canada. Retrieved February 20, 2014