Visualization of landscape by VRML system

Virtual reality modeling language (VRML) is a high performance language for three-dimensional (3-D) visualization on the World Wide Web (WWW). Three-dimensional information can be easily transferred through the Internet by this technology. In this study, we made a landscape visualization system that enables virtual experience in a planned landscape by using VRML and the applicability of the system to the landscape design was shown. To perform real-time rendering of landscape, a tree was expressed by using two textured planes instead of thousands of polygons. Trees were placed automatically on a textured terrain based on the plant database by the system developed in this study. With the system, we made models of real gardens based on measured data and walk-through simulations in the gardens were tested. The system showed good performance and it also indicated the potential of VRML systems. The information on the virtual landscape can be placed on WWW. This method can be utilized both for the design of and for the public discussion on landscape planning. (C) 2001 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.