Efi Dimopoulou

Procedural Modeling in 3D GIS Environment

3D space registration and visualization has become an imperative need in order to optimally reflect all complex cases of rapid urbanization of property rights and restrictions. Besides, current technological advances as well as the availability of sophisticated software packages proprietary or open source call for 3D modeling especially in the GIS domain. Within this context, GIS communitys present demands concerning the third dimension are discussed, while a variety of 3D modeling techniques is presented, with special emphasis on procedural modeling. Procedural modeling refers to a variety of techniques for the algorithmic generation of detailed 3D models and composite facade textures from sets of rules which are called grammars. In this paper procedural modeling is employed via CityEngine software focusing on the 3D visualization of the National Technical University of Athens NTUA campus three-dimensional model, rendering a higher detail on the School of Rural and Surveying Engineering SRSE. This algorithmic modeling concept is based on the principle that all real world buildings are defined by rules, since repetitive patterns and hierarchical components describe their geometry. The detailed geometries of the model derived from the application of CGA Computer Generated Architecture shape grammars on selected footprints, and the process resulted in a final 3D model, optimally describing the built environment and proved to be a good practice example of 3D visualization.

Addressing Public Law Restrictions within a 3D Cadastral Context

Public law affects contemporary life by imposing various regulations that apply in 3D space. However, such restrictions are either literally described in legal documents or presented on a horizontal plane, resulting in ambiguities, especially in the case of vertically overlapping restrictions with a significant impact on land management. This paper investigates public law restrictions (PLR) applying to 3D space and their management within a 3D cadastral context. Within this framework, a case study is examined in Greece concerning the establishment of a subway station, focusing on public utilities, archaeological legislation, and building regulations. Relative legal documentation is compiled and mapped in a 3D PLR model, presenting inefficiencies and malfunctions that can be resolved if PLRs are addressed within a 3D cadastral context. Stipulations implying restrictions in 3D space within current legislation are presented, along with the restrictions deriving from the absolute character of ownership right, thus highlighting the significance of 3D definition, modeling and recording of PLRs.

Model driven architecture engineered land administration in conformance with international standards – illustrated with the Hellenic Cadastre

BackgroundOver the last years, the new role of Land Administration in realising the Information Infrastructure and the need to address spatial and non- spatial land related data exchange between countries emerged and since then, standard models were created and put into use. Two examples of these standards are the Land Administration Domain Model and INSPIREs Cadastral Parcels. The former is an official international standard with a great deal of prospects; it is based on the people - land relationship and has many applications apart from storing data about properties. The latter is part of a specification framework (set of rules) describing how cadastral parcels can serve as reference for creating a European Spatial Data Infrastructure, enabling cross border dissemination of data.MethodsThis paper provides the design of a conceptual model in conformance with both standards. Within this context a Land Administration Domain Model - compliant country profile and the INSPIRE model for Cadastral Parcels are proposed based on characteristic cases from the Hellenic Cadastre. Applying LADM brings along the collective international expertise on various aspects, which are analysed and applied for Greece: including administrative and spatial sources, supporting historical data (versioning), integration of legal (rights) and spatial data (cadastral map), including different register types (Archaeological, Urban, Rural, Forest), and allowing for an integrated 3D registration.ResultsThis research results in a model that can be used as a transition from the current cadastral system to a fully LADM- compliant one, taking also into account the INSPIRE directive. The paper further investigates how the developed conceptual model, may be automatically converted to a technical model using Model Driven Architecture. Problematic issues and constraints are highlighted when applying the Model Driven Architecture approach and suggestions for resolving these issues are described.ConclusionsIt is feasible to develop a conceptual model (country profile) which is in conformance with multiple standards, LADM and INSPIRE, because these are well aligned. Cross-boundary land administration is more than ever a very important requirement in todays’ global and European community. This is where the adoption of standards comes to play in realising the Information Infrastructure.

Investigating Semantic Functionality of 3D Geometry for Land Administration

Significance of semantic data during the recent years is growing. This trend, combined with facilitation of new 3D object modeling has led to semantically enriched 3D models, serving various applications where relations between objects’ components and their environment need to be stored and presented. In the field of Land Administration, semantics can greatly contribute to optimize land management and land policies. Integration of semantics to 3D building models is currently achieved through two differently structured models: semantic-oriented CityGML and structural-oriented BIM/IFC. Integration of the semantic information of each model is still an object of intense research worldwide. In this paper, a 3D building model designed in SketchUp Pro software was transformed using FME software to a CityGML file; land use features were assigned to the model and attribute queries were executed in order to check the exported models’ functionality in terms of semantics.

INTERLIS Language for Modelling Legal 3D Spaces and Physical 3D Objects by Including Formalized Implementable Constraints and Meaningful Code Lists

The Land Administration Domain Model (LADM) is one of the first ISO spatial domain standards, and has been proven one of the best candidates for unambiguously representing 3D Rights, Restrictions and Responsibilities. Consequently, multiple LADM-based country profile implementations have been developed since the approval of LADM as an ISO standard; however, there is still a gap for technical implementations. This paper summarizes LADM implementation approaches distilled from relevant publications available to date. Models based on land administration standards do focus on the legal aspects of urban structures; however, the juridical boundaries in 3D are sometimes (partly) bound by the corresponding physical objects, leading to ambiguous situations. To that end, more integrated approaches are being developed at a conceptual level, and it is evident that the evaluation and validation of 3D legal and physical models—both separately and together in the form of an integrated model—is vital. This paper briefly presents the different approaches to legal and physical integration that have been developed in the last decade, while the need for more explicit relationships between legal and physical notions is highlighted. In this regard, recent experience gained from implementing INTERLIS, the Swiss standard that enables land information system communications, in LADM-based country profiles, suggests the possibility of an integrated LADM/INTERLIS approach. Considering semantic interoperability within integrated models, the need for more formal semantics is underlined by introducing formalization of code lists and explicit definition of constraints. Last but not least, the first results of case studies based on the generic LADM/INTERLIS approach are presented.

Investigating correlation between legal and physical property: possibilities and constraints

Contemporary urban environment is characterized by complexity and mixed use of space, in which overlapping land parcels and different RRRs (Rights, Restrictions and Responsibilities) are frequent phenomena. Internationally, real property legislation either focuses on surface property or has introduced individual 3D real property units. The former approach merely accommodates issues related to subdivision, expropriation and transactions on part of the real property above or below surface, while the latter provides for defining and registering 3D real property units. National laws require two-dimensional real property descriptions and only a limited number of jurisdictions provide for threedimensional data presentation and recording. International awareness on 3D Cadastre may be apparent through the proposals for transition of existing cadastral systems to 3D along with legal amendments improving national 3D Cadastre legislation. Concurrently the use of appropriate data sources and the correct depiction of 3D property units’ boundaries and spatial relationships need to be addressed. Spatial relations and constraints amongst real world objects could be modeled geometrically and topologically utilizing numerous modeling tools, e.g. CityGML, BIM and further sophisticated 3D software or by adapting international standards, e.g. LADM. A direct correlation between legal and physical property should be based on consistent geometry between physical and legal space, improving the accuracy that legal spaces’ volumes or locations are defined. To address these issues, this paper investigates correlation possibilities and constraints between legal and physical space of typical 3D property cases. These cases comprise buildings or their interior spaces with mixed use, as well as complex structures described by explicit facade patterns, generated by procedural or by BIM ready 3D models. The 3D models presented are evaluated, regarding compliancy to physical or legal reality.

A 3D LADM Prototype Implementation in INTERLIS

The massive developments and uses of high-rise buildings indicate that the demand for use of space above and below the ground surface is rapidly increasing in recent years. The same applies to Greece, where the existing cadastral model does not cover the 3D needs and does not conform to international standards. In this paper, a model is proposed, considered as an effort for overcoming these shortcomings, based on international standards, including the representation of a wide range of different types of spatial units, organized in levels according to the LA_Level structure of ISO19152 LADM. It is a proposal for a comprehensive multipurpose LAS supporting 2D and 3D cadastral registration in Greece. A prototype system was developed to exploit the strengths and limitations of the proposed conceptual model, as well as to investigate the efficiency of technological tools. Experience from the prototype will be used to further improve the conceptual model. The steps that were followed were: the description of the prototype in UML diagrams, the implementation via INTERLIS, a Swiss standard modeling language for geodata exchange, the selection of the most appropriate technical model/format to implement and visualize the result in 3D environment and finally the conversion and/or creation of sample data into the model. In this paper it is explored how INTERLIS can be used in actual implementation of land administration system based on LADM. During the development of the prototype many design decision have been taken and these are then analyzed, together with technical problems and challenges for future work.

Introduction to the Special Issue: “Research and Development Progress in 3D Cadastral Systems”

The content of this Special Issue has its origin in the “5th International FIG Workshop on 3D Cadastres”, organized in Athens, Greece, 18–20 October 2016 [1][...]

Toward the Development of a Marine Administration System Based on International Standards

The interests, responsibilities and opportunities of states to provide infrastructure and resource management are not limited to their land territory but extend to marine areas as well. So far, although the theoretical structure of a Marine Administration System (MAS) is based on the management needs of the various countries, the marine terms have not been clearly defined. In order to define an MAS that meets the spatial marine requirements, the specific characteristics of the marine environment have to be identified and integrated in a management system. Most publications that address the Marine Cadastre (MC) concept acknowledge the three-dimensional (3D) character of marine spaces and support the need for MC to function as a multipurpose instrument. The Land Administration Domain Model (LADM) conceptual standard ISO 19152 has been referenced in scholarly and professional works to have explicit relevance to 3D cadastres in exposed land and built environments. However, to date, very little has been done in any of those works to explicitly and comprehensively apply LADM to specific jurisdictional MAS or MC, although the standard purports to be applicable to those areas. Since so far the most comprehensive MC modeling approach is the S-121 Maritime Limits and Boundaries (MLB) Standard, which refers to LADM, this paper proposes several modifications including, among others, the introduction of class marine resources into the model, the integration of data on legal spaces and physical features through external classes, as well as the division of law and administrative sources. Within this context, this paper distinctly presents both appropriate modifications and applications of the IHO S-121 standard to the particular marine and maritime administrative needs of both Greece and the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago.

3D Marine Administration System Based on LADM

Oceans cover almost two-thirds of the Earth’s surface. They are the primary regulator of the global climate and sustain a huge variety of plant and animal life. Maritime environment needs to be organized and precisely determined, in order to be sustainable. The registration of marine legal boundaries is a necessary condition for the protection of a living organism, which flows, changes, reverses itself, but is not limitless. Research has confirmed that the common pattern of people-land relationship also exists in the marine environment. Moreover, the marine Cadastre concept suggests that the complexity of interests in marine space is similarly encountered in land. The extension of Cadastre functions from land to marine space is considered reasonable. An inventory of interests that exist in the marine environment is important. At the same time, laws that are the basis of these interests need to be identified and their effect qualified and visualized. The administration of the marine space remains partial and complex, mainly deriving from political interests and strategic benefits. This could be overcome by designing a marine administration system, in accordance with the international practices. A conceptual model may be considered as the base of such system. This model should clearly depict the relevant entities of the system and the relationships between them. Modeling and standardizing systems and processes at an international level, requires the harmonization with international standards and specifically with the ISO 19152—Land Administration Domain Model (LADM), which so far remains a challenge. The aim of this paper is to present how rights, restrictions and responsibilities (RRRs) relating to marine space may be organized, in order to develop a marine administration model based on LADM, followed by the database implementation, to support effective and efficient decision making in marine governance.