B‐Spline Terrain Modeling on Personal Computer

Abstract

The implementation on a personal computer of three‐dimensional terrain modeling based on B‐splines is described. Such models are useful for initial route location studies in highway planning and design. The model described makes use of B‐spline‐type surfaces defined on curved knot lines, which allows a large volume of survey data to be condensed to a significantly smaller number of parameters, which are then stored. These parameters may be used at a later time for the extraction of cross‐sectional information or the reconstruction of three‐dimensional images. This significant data reduction makes the modeling suitable for implementation on a personal computer because of reduced storage requirements and processing time. Timing for some examples is included.