Automatic generation of a 3D city model.

THIS document collects all information related to the Degree Final Project (DFP) of Computer Engineering Degree of the student David Murcia Pacheco, tutorized by Dr. Félix Jesús Villanueva Molina. This work has been developed during 2016 and 2017 in the Escuela Superior de Informática (ESI), in Ciudad Real, Spain. It is based in one of the proposed subjects by the faculty of this university for this year, called "Generación automática del modelo en 3D de una ciudad". This work is part of a bigger project that the ESI is working on, which final goal is to create an operative Smart City model of the city. This bigger project is composed of different works like this (as it is too ambitious to be carried out by a single person). The project subject of this paper is focused on supporting the 3D modeling of the city. Data for doing this work is available and free in the Internet, but it needs to be processed and adjusted so it can be standardized to be used. Main focus of this DFP is to study a quite new technology that is (and is going to be even more) useful and used in the future. This technology is Light Detection and Ranging (LIDAR). Other technologies will be studied in parallel. It can be said that LIDAR data is a cloud of points resulting from a scanning process. Lots of devices and software is being developed for this technology, as industry and research is taking advantage of its possibilities. Big scale Airborne LIDAR technology is useful for purposes such as agriculture, forest planning, flood models, mapping, mining, archeology... There is also small scale LIDAR, used for scanning smaller objects or spaces. In this case, this technology is useful for 3D scanning (creating models for, e.g., 3D printers), architecture, 3D gaming, CAD modeling... While working on this project, it has been seen that the DFP is making use of a technology that is going to be very important in the medium and far future