Large scale terrain visualization using the restricted quadtree triangulation

Real-time rendering of triangulated surfaces has attracted growing interest in the last few years. However, interactive visualization of very large scale grid digital elevation models is still difficult. The graphics load must be controlled by adaptive surface triangulation and by taking advantage of different levels of detail. Furthermore, management of the visible scene requires efficient access to the terrain database. We describe an all-in-one visualization system which integrates adaptive triangulation, dynamic scene management and spatial data handling. The triangulation model is based on the restricted quadtree triangulation. Furthermore, we present new algorithms of restricted quadtree triangulation. These include among others exact error approximation, progressive meshing, performance enhancements and spatial access.