Reconstructing and Exploring Massive Detailed Cityscapes

We present a state-of-the-art system for obtaining and exploring large scale thr ee-dimensional models of urban landscapes. A multimodal approach to reconstructi on fuses cadastral information, laser range data, and oblique imagery into build ing models, which are then refined by applying procedural rules for replacing te xtures with 3D elements, such as windows and doors, therefore enhancing the mode l quality and adding semantics to the model. For city scale exploration, these d etailed models are uploaded to a web-based service, which automatically constructs an approximate scalable multiresolution representation. This representation c an be interactively transmitted and visualized over the net to clients ranging from graphics PCs to web-enabled portable devices. The approach's characteristics and performance are illustrated using real-world city-scale data.