The 3D Globe Matterhorn Test

November 28th, 2006 · 9 Comments · ArcGIS Explorer, ESRI, GIS, Google, Google Earth, Microsoft, Virtual Earth

Stefan likes to use the Matterhorn as a test for the terrain of 3D globes. He’s looked at the Matterhorn in Google Earth and Virtual Earth 3D. Here is the “standard” view in ArcGIS Explorer.

Anyone in Europe have a nice detailed globe service they’d like to share? Because of the back end technology behind AGX, it should be able to blow away both Google Earth and Virtual Earth with terrain models. The question is how to find them.

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9 responses so far ↓

1 KoS // Nov 29, 2006 at 12:22 am

Looks like good ole 60m SRTM.

KoS
2 J Wallis // Nov 29, 2006 at 6:17 am

Looks like good ole crap. I guess this is what you get when Google signs exclusivity agreements with Digital Globe.
3 KoS // Nov 29, 2006 at 8:08 am

The screenshot is from ArcGIS Explorer.

So what does this have to do with Google and Digital Globe?

Anyway, to play along. I thought Digital Globe captured imagery, not elevation data?

If ESRI is using SRTM elevation data, it’s free. So no agreements or such.

KoS
4 Joseph Wallis // Nov 29, 2006 at 9:45 am

What I mean is the elevation can be as correct or incorrect as you want, but if the resulting draped imagery is crap (as in AGX) elevation correctness takes a back seat to looking good.
5 James Fee // Nov 29, 2006 at 10:27 am

Isn’t that the same problem with Google Earth and Virtual Earth for the same mountain?
6 Matt Priour // Nov 29, 2006 at 1:54 pm

try this server for some world elevation files
lib-sanfront.tamu.edu
7 KoS // Nov 29, 2006 at 3:21 pm

Joesph I disagree. The imagery used to drape over the DEM is irrelevant(in this example). If the DEM doesn’t show the feature correctly, then no matter what resolution of the imagery used, the feature will not magically display or appear.

You could drape 1m imagery over the DEM and the Matterhorn will still show as being cut-off. Granted the area would look better than using 30m imagery, but won’t be correct(correct within the limitations of the DEM). Still in the end, the Matterhorn is messed-up until a better DEM is used.

KoS
8 More ArcGIS Explorer Build 380 // May 1, 2007 at 9:29 am

[...] still fails the Matterhorn test [...]
9 Ben // Jun 2, 2008 at 9:19 pm

I came across this older blog and couldn’t help but make a comment -
What 60M data came from the SRTM? I know the data was processed to level 1 and 2 but neither are 60 meter post spacing… You could down sample the data but what would be the point?