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Preferred term

three-dimensional GIS  

Definition

  • While the real world is three-dimensional, or even fourdimensional if we add time, geographic information systems (GIS) are generally constrained to just two dimensions. Progress toward three-dimensional GIS has been made in data acquisition methods (both through terrestrial and remote sensing) and visualization techniques (driven by computer graphics); however, deficiencies remain in 3D data analysis due to the lack of a 3D topology embedded in GIS. Therefore, commercial GIS are generally not capable of meeting the requirements of a fully functional 3D GIS. This entry begins by outlining the necessity to consider the third spatial dimension to get results that represent and analyze the real world precisely. [Source: Encyclopedia of Geographic Information Science; Three-Dimensional GIS]

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https://concepts.sagepub.com/social-science/concept/three-dimensional_GIS

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