The tradition of building scale-models of geographic terrain dates to the 1520’s when the Grand Duke of the Knights Templar commissioned a model of the city of Rhodes in preparation for the Turkish siege. In the 16th century, Italian engineers would present France’s Charles IX with relief maps and scale-models at each step of building a fortress. With the advent of more powerful weaponry, the fortified town became obsolete and the perceived value of scale models lapsed into obscurity. However, for those who appreciate the historical and artistic value, a fabulous collection of scale-models dating from the 15th to 19th centuries, provides a vivid example of the history of terrain scale models in the Musee des Plans-Reliefs housed, appropriately, in the Army Museum at the Invalids tomb of Napoleon I in Paris, France.

The building of scale models as a fundamental planning, design and communication tool is well ensconced in the architecture industry. However, other than architecture and the military, scale-model building has not been exploited by many of the other applications where similar or equal benefits can be realized. Physical scale modeling of geographic information has been rare, possibly missing the tradition of model building as in architecture where the cost of model building is a negligible quantity in relation to the overall project cost.

In the past, this has been a very expensive, time-consuming, arduous manual process for many applications such as engineering and GIS. However, with technologies such as laser scanning, LIDAR, close range photogrammetry, aerial and satellite imagery and 3D computer modeling capabilities, many of the data capture and creation issues have been addressed and rapid prototyping technology provides the solution to the laborious task of producing the physical scale models.

How it works.

Spatial Resources found the rapid prototyping technology developed by Z Corporation, Burlington, MA, utilizing 3D printer technology to create full color models directly from digital data to be an ideal solution for many applications.

The 3D Printers use a powder-binder technology to create models directly from CAD or GIS data. First, the 3D printer spreads a thin layer of powder. Then, an ink-jet print head prints a binder in the cross-section of the part being created. Next, the build piston drops down, making room for the next layer, and the process is repeated. As the build piston drops down it lowers the model by a minute amount as the print head lays down another layer of plaster or a starch material, the color pigment and binding solution. The model gradually drops as it is built-up, thin layer by layer. Once the part is finished, it is surrounded and supported by loose powder, which is then shaken loose from the finished part. Z Corporation's printers can create parts from a full 24-bit palette of colors, resulting in fast, accurate, full-color models.

Most people who see these scale-models want to pick them up and touch them - to get the feeling of the terrain with their hands. The haptic experience - relating to an object through the sense of touch - is a powerful communication and education experience and can be used as an additional stimulus for communicating topography and terrain of a region or the characteristics of an object.

Increasingly, professionals in fields such as civil engineering, environment, mining, petroleum, pipelines, real estate development, transportation, and utilities are discovering the tremendous benefits of 3D physical models. From concept development through project completion - visualizing, learning, and communicating with physical models to explore concepts and communicate their vision to clients and stakeholders has become an invaluable tool.

Applications

GIS is an excellent application for 3D color printing since it is used to communicate information and help an organization make better decisions. Accurate communication of GIS is a critical part of the decision-making process. A 3D physical model of a GIS map communicates much more information than a flat screen image or paper printout. The physical models allow people to communicate clearly and reach consensus on an idea more efficiently.

Rapid-prototyping models can be used by transportation and utility planning, watershed visualization, visualize how a land development will look on the landscape, mission planning for homeland security, battlefield simulation, base realignment and closure, oil and gas field visualization, just to name a few applications.

An engineering firm working on a full redesign of a facility and its surrounding buildings required accurate 3D models of the design concepts in order to communicate the plans for the project and win the business. In this case, the schedule was too tight to allow for the traditional modeling process.

The firm contracted the use of the Z Corp. 3D Printer, able to accept data from CAD, representing the buildings, and GIS data, representing topographic features and produce several color 3D models of the project in 48 hours. They were able to present complex build proposals to the client, and provide a 3D model of each design. These models were able to better explain the scope and concept of the project as well as being a great "leave behind" marketing tool. The models played an integral role in receiving a significant amount of work on the project. 3D digital modeling and rapid prototyping technology allowed multiple full-color models to be presented to the client at the proposal stage - without any internal resources, significant delays, or large costs.

Rapid prototyping technology also helps archaeologists and researchers to view, analyze, and even reproduce valuable archaeological artifacts and historic sites and architecture. Spatial technologies (LIDAR, laser scanning, close-range photogrammetry, aerial and satellite imagery) are emerging as technologies that play a primary role in the process of acquiring 3D data from the surface of real-world, existing conditions. The resulting CAD and GIS 3D digital data is converted into a physical prototype of the object by using rapid prototyping technology providing archaeologists and scientists a more durable and tangible way to study and preserve artifacts.

Conclusion:

Due to lifelong training and experience, humans are innately able to estimate distances and evaluate natural terrain. On normal maps, however, elevation and terrain is portrayed by visual or graphic elements such as size, color, shade, shape, and orientation. The reader of the map must be able to decode the visual variables, with the help of a legend, to achieve a mental reconstruction of elevation. Especially for decision-makers with limited experience in map reading, a physical scale-model transmits the cartographic message much better and faster than a two-dimensional map.

Personal, real-time, one-off manufacturing has become a reality. It is now possible for aerial photos, laser scanning, LIDAR, and close-range photogrammetry to collect and create accurate, digital 3-D representation of an object or site, anywhere in the world. You can then transmit that data to another part of the world where a rapid-prototyping machine produces an accurate scale-model of the site or object.

Oh by the way, the Knights Templar were able to stave off the Turkish invasion and kept their stronghold in Rhodes. Thanks, in part, to their superior planning provided by their scale-model of their terrain and fortifications.

If you would like to learn more about any of these technologies, how they can benefit your spatial information needs, or just for general information, please feel free to contact us. Visit our web site at www.spatialresources.com, email us at info@spatialresources.com or call one of our advisors at 720-934-2482.

Until next time...Cheers!

Roland Mangold