1. Lo Yeuk Lam
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Title:
It has been argued that virtual reality and 3D stereoscopic presentation are only
suitable for the game and movie industries with limited values in GIT applications.
Critically review this statement.
Introduction
Virtual reality (VR) and 3D stereoscopic presentation is being increasingly popular in
visualizing 3D Geographic Information Systems (GIS) data. Originally, these
techniques are mostly used only in game and movie industries. With the
advancement in Geographic Information Technology (GIT), these techniques are now
merged into the GIT industry. However, some may argue that virtual reality and 3D
stereoscopic presentation technologies can only apply to game and movie industries.
In this essay, the definition of VR and 3D stereoscopic presentation will be first given.
After that, we will investigate why these technologies are so popular in game and
movie industries. The essay will then followed by discussing how the technologies
can be used in GIS with several examples and the limitation of using these
technologies in GIT industry. A conclusion will be drawn after discussing all the
factors.
Definition of Virtual Reality and 3D Stereoscopic Presentation
According to Fisher and Unwin (2002), “Virtual reality is the ability of the user of a
constructed view of a limited digitally-encoded information domain to change their
view in three dimensions causing update of the view presented to any viewer,
especially the user.”
Stereoscopic presentation refers to the use of a pair of offset images to present
different view into left and right eye separately, and combines in the brain to give a
perception of 3D depth, so as to achieve a vivid and realistic perception of depth of
object relief. (Boulos, M.N.K & Robinson, L.R., 2009)
Why these technologies are popular in game and movie industries?
3D visualization and VR encourage the interactions between the user and the
visualized images, and it is being more and more popular, as we can always see 3D
movies in the theaters and playing 3D video games in most game platforms.
There are some reasons for these technologies getting so popular in game and movie
industries. The first one is that 3D visualization gives viewers a more realistic
visualization than 2D ones. By using 3D technologies, viewers or players are just like
they are in the place same as the actors or within the scene of the game. This
realistic visualization makes viewers more deeply involved and it explains why the
developers and movie makers love to use 3D technologies to attract more people.

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The second major reason is thatthese technologies make game and movie products
more attractive. 3D images get the attention of the viewers, and by playing or
viewing in 3D will give an impression of “better than a 2D one” to the viewer, this
attracts more people to choose 3D games and movies instead of a 2D one. And the
enjoyment from 3D visualization is much higher than traditional 2D visualization, by
which 3D visualization can attract a wider range of consumers or audiences,
therefore 3D visualization technologies became more and more popular.
How can VR and 3DSP use in GIS with examples
In the previous paragraphs, it shows how and why VR and 3D stereoscopic
visualization are largely used in game and movie industries. And actually, we can use
the similar technologies to apply in the GIS field.
(Source: Fisher, P. and Unwin, D., 2002. Virtual Reality in Geography : p.50)
From the diagram above, it shows that, although, the use of virtual reality in GIS is
only 8% in year 2002, however, some other related professions like urban planning
and environment show that there is an increasing trend of using 3D visualization for
the related industries.
VR provides interactions between human and digitally created 3D "real" world. This
technology not only make abstract spatial data easier for the general public, who do
not know much in GIS, to participate in decision making processes and have a more
detail view in his or her own neighbourhood, but this technology also help the GIS
professionals to analyse and to find out more information to help others' decision
making. The following are some of the methods of using 3D GIS.

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1. Analysis
There are many different types of analysis can be performed by using virtual reality
and 3D stereoscopic presentation for GIS. And in the following paragraphs, they will
be briefly descripted.
View-shed analysis
It can be regarded as proprietary models with limited analytical capabilities or with
full analytical features (Shiode, 2001).Proprietary models with limited analytical
capabilities refer to a self-contained model, with mostly the information for a
particular type of analysis and information (Shiode, 2001).
(Source: Wuhan University Virtual Reality Laboratory at LIESMARS,
http://vrlab.whu.edu.cn/chinese/news/news260.htm)
From the diagram above, it shows a view shed from a particular room from a
building. This can be treated as a proprietary model with limited analytical
capabilities because we can only find out some analytical information from one
model, but not any other types of information can be found.
The other type is a model with full analytical features. It means that the model can
not only provide us with the information we need for a particular project, but also
some other information for future uses.
View shed analysis is a relatively new technology which requires the use of 3D GIS
visualization technology. It solves one of the most common questions from the
general public which is “Will the new development block the view of my house?”,
especially in the compact city like Hong Kong.

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Shadow analysis
Shadow analysis can show the users or the GIT professionals with the effects of the
shadow of a particular object like building to buildings nearby or the area around. In
the days with rapid development, and the establishment of sky high buildings,
shadow analysis becomes more and more valuable, because it can help analysis
something that is difficult to human-made it like the effect of sunlight. Using 3D
visualization and computer technologies, shadow analysis can definitely help in the
related analysis by the GIT professionals and urban planners.
Photogrammetry use
Photogrammetry refers to a type of remote sensing technology that “obtains reliable
information from noncontact imaging and other sensor systems about the Earth and
its environment, and other physical objects and processes through recording,
measuring, analyzing and representation (ISPRS, 2011).
(Source:http://photogrammetrydevelopment.blogspot.com/2011/01/photogramme
try-feature-extraction.html)
The above diagram shows an image with used a pair of stereoscopic aerial photos to
create a 3D visualization of the area concerned. Other geospatial data like distance,
height can be obtained from the visualization. Photogrammetry can not only
measures the objects that still exist, but also objects that disappeared but with aerial
photos of it or fast moving objects (Linder, 2009).
Other than the above mentioned ways of analysis, there are still some more
different types of analyses which use the technologies like virtual reality and 3D
stereoscopic visualization. For example, skyline or line of sight analysis, texture
analysis, wind direction analysis, journey or trip route analysis and terrain analysis.
All these different types of analysis used the virtual reality and 3d stereoscopic

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presentation to help analyzing and determining different useful information from
remotely sensed data, which can help the GIT professionals and other organization
to make use of the information for environmental decision making or policy making.
2. PPGIS
PPGIS is the abbreviation of Public Participation Geographical Information Systems.
It refers to how GIS technology could “broaden public involvement in policymaking
as well as to the value of GIS to promote the goals of nongovernmental organizations,
grassroots groups, and community-based organization” (Sieber, 2006).
As the general public may not be familiar with GIT or how GIT can help their daily
lives with just some models or calculations, virtual reality and 3D stereoscopic
presentation for visualizing the information can suit their needs. This can make the
general public easier to get into the processes when participating in planning
processes or environmental decision making processes, as virtual reality
presentation and 3D stereoscopic presentation can make the abstract data like
spatial information easier to be represented and understand by others.
Nowadays, social network tools like facebook, Google Online platform are widely
used as a means to obtain opinions from the general public for the environmental
decision or other policies. PPGIS can also make use of the modern technologies like
the social network tools, working together with the GIS 3D visualization of
corresponding information to make the general public easier to understand and also
make the decision maker easier to obtain opinions.
3. Public Uses
Words like buffering, overlay, may be easily understand by GIT related professional,
however, the public do not. Virtual reality visualization and 3D stereoscopic
presentation can be used to let the general public to be beneficial from GITas a
means to make these GIS technologies easier to public uses to facilitate their daily
lives. City tours, 3D street view and navigation programmes are the most common
method to make use of virtual reality and 3D stereoscopic presentation for public
uses.
4. Other uses
Other than the above mentioned uses from GIT professionals to the general public,
3D visualized GIS can also use for disasters prevention and other quick responses to
emergencies. The analytical function of virtual reality and 3D stereoscopic
presentation can provide a better understand for the technicians to perform analysis

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and data interpretation to prevent disasters or to have quick responses to
emergencies.
After getting into some details of the above mentioned methods, below are some
examples demonstrating the use of VR and 3D stereoscopic presentation in different
countries and in different aspects or uses.
For example in Portland, they already started using GIS to help their decision making
processes since year 1992. The Metro’s GIS systems of Portland called the “Future
Vision” were created to provide interested citizens with a new view of the region
(Bosworth et al., 2002). This Future Vision used the 3D visualization to show the
relief and other geospatial information to citizens who are interested in the future of
these cities. It helped the citizens to, firstly, understand the physical constraints of
the area, secondly, how growth would likely occurred, and thirdly, where critical
natural resources still existed within the metropolitan urban form (Bosworth et al.,
2002). From this example, it shows that not only the decision maker or the GIT
professionals can make use of the 3D visualization technologies to enhance public
involvement and help the decision making processes go smoothly and it also helped
to let the decision maker and citizens working hand in hand for a better future of the
neighbourhood they lived in.
Another example is from the GeoSim Systems. GeoSim is a company which
successfully makes use of 3D visualization of city models for city tours. Virtual
Philadelphia 3D model is one of their successful virtual city tour models. From their
webpages, the company suggested that 3D city models can “offers a full spectrum of
core capabilities and custom solution for urban infrastructure, tourism and travel,
real estate, security and defense, 3D yellow pages, entertainment, media and
advertising applications” (GeoSim, 2011). As different 3D models of different cities
are unique, they can provide a full perspective from different angle for decision
maker to make their decision, it also helps the general public to understand and to
involve in the decision making processes. As these 3D models are derived from a
1:6000 scale together with the use of aerial stereo pairs, it provides high precision of
10 to 15 cm error. Under such a high standard of precision, it can provide us with a
better analyzing effect.
Limitation in promoting VR and 3DSP in GIS
After reviewing how virtual reality and 3D stereoscopic presentation can be used in
GIT, there are still some limitations of it. Firstly, the cost of have a 3D virtual city
model is too expensive. For a 3D Kowloon model, its cost is as high as 1.5 million
Hong Kong dollars for only the data preparation. Such high costs make the use of 3D
for analyzing and public display difficult to be a reasonable choice.

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Besides, time is another major concern. As each 3D model is unique, time is a
constraint that a fully developed 3D model of a city may take years from data
preparation to model construction. And other than that, the effectiveness of using
3D visualization for public to understand and get involved in the decision making
processes is doubted because research found that there is not much difference for
the public when using virtual reality presentation in public decision making
compared with using traditional methods (Jobst et al, 2010).
Conclusion
Virtual reality and 3D stereoscopic presentation can help the GIT professionals and
decision maker and also the general public to get understand some geospatial
relationship between different things. Analyzing, make the general public get
involved in the use of GIS or use GIT to help making a better neighbourhood, or even
disasters prevention and rescue. All these, with the help of 3D visualization, can
make the traditionally difficult jobs or visualization easier to display to the public.
Although, there are some research found that there is not much difference for the
public as if we use 3D visualization or the traditional way of visualization.
After reviewing how virtual reality and 3D stereoscopic presentation can be used in
GIT and its limitation, we can find that although there are some limitations, the
benefits of using 3D visualization
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