ITspatial has developed an extension to ESRI's ArcView GIS to support interactive 2D and 3D visualization of urban developments. A photo-realistic realtime database was developed in MultiGen CreatorPro from GIS data of Arlington County. The database covers roughly one square mile extending from Key Bridge to the Iwo Jima Memorial. It includes an accurate representation of the terrain contours with detailed representations of streets, pathways, buildings and vegetation.

Imagery and photo textures were used to enhance the 3D model to provide a realistic representation of the urban environment. Data provided by the County ensured accurate placement of buildings, streets, pathways, light posts, benches and other cultural features. The database was constructed from Arlington County's GIS data and available imagery using MultiGen Creator Pro. Further, a real-time 3D viewer was developed as an extension to ArcView using Vega with the ability to interactively query and display GIS information in both 2D and 3D.

With this technology, Arlington County's GIS Mapping Center will be able to support the needs of various County agencies that are involved in economic development, community development, and public safety.

Overwatch (formerly ITspatial LLC)
6849 Old Dominion Dr., Ste. 370
McLean, VA 22101

Team: David Unrau, Will Richards of ITspatial with assistance from Russel Banks, Head Cartographer of Arlington County's GIS Mapping Center