Hierarchical Quarters Model Approach toward 3D Raster Based Generalization of Urban Environments

The suggested method for 3D generalization of groups of buildings in urban environments is based on the rasterization of the 2D footprints of 3D buildings. The rasterization is processed within quarters, which are automatically defined by using Digital Elevation Model (DEM), water objects and roads. Quarters were organized into a hierarchical model according to the gaps between the quarters and the stages of the clustering process. Each degree of generalization corresponds to some level of hierarchy. The 3D urban perspective is computed based on separate levels of generalization of each quarter as a function of its distance from a pre-defined view point. The developed approach enables to compile a 3D scene of urban environment based on the generalized buildings' layer. The buildings' layer consists of objects with different degree of generalization level which is growing gradually from the view point. The two main distinctions of the approach from others are: (1) the generalization is implemented with respect to the geospatial properties of urban environments and the relations between the objects; (2) the approach is simple and universal which enables to simplify the whole area of a city and can be applied to different types of cities