Exercise

Elective on Laser Scanning

3D Landscape model-
ling

Sander Oude Elberink, June 2015 adapted in May 2018

3D LANDSCAPE MODELLING

Automatic 3D Landscape generation

by fusing 2D maps and lidar data

Learning aim

To provide practice in the fusion of 2D topographic map data with 3D lidar

data to produce 3D models and to analyse its quality.

Learning objectives
After this exercise you are able to:

• Generate a 3D landscape model by using a FME workbench;

• Analyse the quality of the 3D model, in relation to the quality of the
input data;

Duration
4 hours

Data needed
2D Map and Lidar data
This data can be downloaded from P:\ITC\Dump\ITC\3D_LandscapeModel-
ling
Or
https://www.dropbox.com/s/d9cqhvdjztz2o6o/3D_LandscapeModel-
ling.zip?dl=0

Needed Equipment and Software

FME 2014 sp2, win 32 version or later (current version in ITC Software
manager).

For the analysis, PointCloudMapper (PCM) will be used.

Next, you are free to find/use other software to view and analyse the data
used in this exercise.

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Introduction
In 2013 the Special Interest Group 3D asked ITC to help users to generate
3D models of their large scale topographic maps. ITC had the scientific
tools, but no experience in user friendly software. Together with Safe soft-
ware and Conterra (distributor of FME software) we have built a FME
workbench which users can use to upgrade their 2D map to 3D.

FME workbench
The FME workbench consists of two parts: the first part converts map
(i.e. IMGeo) data and laser data to a format that is suitable for the 3D
conversion tools (scientific software developed at ITC). The second part
reads the output of these ITC tools, and converts it again into a CityGML
format (i.e. 3D IMGeo).

Copy the folder “3D Landscape Modelling” from P:\ITC\Dump\ITC\ or the

dropbox folder to your local drive. Upzip the zipfile.

You can find a zip file IMGeoWorkflow_v1.0.2.zip. This zipfile contains FME
workbenches, and the ITC tools to convert 2D to 3D, and to citygml files.

Unzip the zipfile, and place it at a proper local place on your computer.
You’ll find a document “Explanation of FMEWorkbench…pdf” and a folder
containing the workbench and the tools in IMGeoWorkflow_v1.0.2

Follow the instructions to start the FME Workbench, as explained at page 6

of the pdf “Explanation of FMEWorkbench…” .

As we using laser data belonging to 3D Pilot AHN-2 test dataset, we need

to use the StartA.fmw workbench.

You can start this workbench by double clicking StartA.fmw, or by opening

this file in FME.

Generation of a 3D Landscape model

Take some time to figure out the workflow which is presented in the ‘main’
tab of the workbench. Where does the workflow start (which input da-
tasets), what are the steps to follow, and what is the output?

As a test you should be able to answer the following questions:

- How can I view the data? What kind of area am I looking at?

- At which block in the FME Workbench are the topographic map

and laser scanning data combined?

- how many output files are generated by StartA.fmw?

- what are names of those output files?

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3D LANDSCAPE MODELLING

The actual tools to generate 3D TIN models are 6 exe’s which are being
activated in a so-called shut down script. Can you see where the exe’s are
called?

Make sure that in the “Navigator” window, the data readers point to the
correct folder and input data. You can browse to your data using the Pa-
rameters option.

Click the Prompt and Run button to start your processing of the work-
bench.

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 MODULE 12 LASER SCANNING

For the moment thin the laser data by a factor 10, select the option to
generate a LoD0 landscape model plus a LoD 1 building model, and click
“OK”.

Check in the “log” window whether the program is going to start the pro-
cessing.

The processing itself takes a few hours, depending on the density of the
lidar data, and the number of polygons.

By the time FME is finished, the scheduled time for the exercise is over, so
for viewing and analysing 3D models we use data that has been produced
before. If you like, you can share your experience with the lecturer later
this module.

Analysis of 3D model
In the folder “earlier results” you find data that has been produced earlier.
You will find a version of a 3D Landscape models based on the TOP10NL
and AHN-2 data. The point density of the AHN-2 data has been reduced to
about 4 points per square meter.

Have a look at the 3D model. You are free to choose from dxf, gml 1 or ob-
jpts/top file formats. In appendix A you’ll see how to use objpts/top in
PCM.

1
Often, the CityGML structure crashes in FME 2014, so that is why
also dxf formats are added. These can be imported in ArcScene for
example.
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3D LANDSCAPE MODELLING

Is the model completely covering the terrain? Are all objects present?

Where do you see the influence of semantic rules as explained during the
lecture?

As a quality indicator the input point cloud is checked with the height of
the 3D model. The height difference between a point and the 3D model is
stored as an attribute in the residual tag.

Import the laser point file in PCM. Visualize the laser points by their “re-
sidual values” (edit-> appearance of -> laser points)

You will see something like this:

Analyse the residuals. Explain what you see.

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Appendix A:
The 3D model is stored in an ascii format that can be read by PCM. The
ascii format consist of 2 files:
- *.objpts file, containing the geometric information of all 3D map
points, and
- *.top, containing the topological relation between the points.

Add the 3D model in PCM by: File->Import ->Map, selecting first the *.ob-
jpts and then the *.top file.

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