The Survey of Terrain Visualization Software is a web-based listing of mostly commercial software products related to 3-D terrain visualization. It describes applications such as real-time visual simulation software (e.g., OpenGVS and Vega Prime), geographic information systems (GIS) with capabilities for 3-D rendering and analysis (e.g., ARC/INFO and IDRISI), multi-disciplinary scientific visualization tools (e.g., IRIS Explorer and Open Visualization Data Explorer), modeling/animation packages (e.g., Creator and Maya), terrain modeling tools (e.g., TerraTools and Terra Vista), etc. The home page makes the information accessible through an alphabetical index ("Table of Contents"), and by site-wide text-based query.
Survey listings provide information on more than 500 different products, including product names, sources, summaries of capabilities, system requirements, prices, and significant users and applications. (The survey does not compare products or endorse any particular product.) The data are compiled entirely from open sources, including vendor literature (press releases, advertisements, web sites, etc.), trade journal reviews, live demonstrations, etc.
The Survey of Terrain Visualization Software is a product of the Topographic Engineering Center's (TEC's) exploratory development to provide the U.S. Army and Department of Defense (DOD) with more effective ways to merge, visualize, and analyze battlefield terrain and environmental information. As part of this ongoing research, TEC maintains current listings of relevant commercial products and (where possible) industry's research and development activities, to identify technology gaps and emerging capabilities of interest. |
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