Redefining the Level of Detail for 3D models

Cities are increasingly adopting 3D city models for 3D visualisation, computing solar panel potential of roofs, and other applications. In a similar way to traditional maps, 3D models are an abstraction of the real world: certain elements are simplifi ed or omitted. The amount of detail that is captured in a 3D model, both in terms of geometry and attributes, is collectively referred to as the level of detail (LOD). The CityGML standard from OGC defi nes fi ve different LODs, but the specifi cation is not very precise. In this article, the authors propose an improved specifi cation for defi ning the level of detail in a 3D city model.UrbanismArchitecture and The Built Environmen