Publications

@article{sciannaExperimentalStudiesDefinition2013,

title = {Experimental Studies for the Definition of 3D Geospatial Web Services},

author = { A. Scianna},

doi = {10.1007/s12518-012-0096-y},

year  = {2013},

date = {2013-01-01},

journal = {Applied Geomatics},

volume = {5},

number = {1},

pages = {59--71},

publisher = {Springer Verlag},

abstract = {The importance of geospatial information delivery, across Internet, is increasing more and more. But if, some years ago, visualizing 2D geographic information inside Internet browsers, extracted by HTTP servers supported by map servers (WebGIS applications) was satisfying, today users would acquire 3D information especially in some case or sectors as urban planning, environmental control, real estate management, cadastral applications, civil protection, and security. In these cases, availability of 3D information could be very valuable. Meanwhile, other needs came out such as the possibility to extract information with all Geographic Information Systems (GIS) software, in a transparent way for users, independently from the data format server-side, acquiring data from standardized 2D web services, made available by WebGIS servers; all this in the respect of principles of interoperability that is at the basis of the constructions of SDIs and one of the goals of Inspire European Directive. But behind this need, there exist many important aspects that today are only partially resolved as methods to save 3D information in geospatial database, the definition of topology relationships able to satisfy requirement of 3D GIS applications, the definition of 3D geospatial web services,. All these aspects are interconnected and are also dependent from some other aspects (i.e., the standardization of 3D geographic data models). The experimentation, here illustrated, deals with these issues, trying to define a 3D web service in order to visualize and query, by Internet Browsers, a 3D model of the built environment. Today, there exist few 3D data models (such as CityGML) whose standard definition process is also evolving. Often, these models are built with the main goal of 3D visualization even if at different level of detail. But some sectors require a better use of geographic 3D information such as querying it at different levels of detail (such as at a level regarding the different building parts defined through their attributes) and 3D processing. These are the environmental control, location-based services, cadastre, civil protection, security, archaeology, etc. For these reasons, it is strategic to study and propose new approaches and methods for structuring 3D geospatial information and for sharing 3D geospatial information on Internet granting an open access to it, also respecting interoperability issues. Based on a project named "Interoperability and cooperative management of geographic, dynamic, multidimensional and distributed data with Free and Open Source GIS: Management and use of distributed 3D data by open source WebGIS software" funded by Italian Ministry of Instruction, University and Research as Program of Relevant National Interest (2007), a part of the research process is here illustrated. The research deals with the design of 3D Web Feature Service and the development of a system mainly based on Java applications both client (Java applet) and server-side (Java servlet) and 3D geospatial database with topological structure compliant to a conceptual geospatial data model of an urban environment. The server-side system is capable to deploy a 3D Web Feature Service, which allows the extraction of GML 3D and the graphical browsing of urban model in 3D through the Java applet. textcopyright 2012 Societ`a Italiana di Fotogrammetria e Topografia (SIFET).},

keywords = {database, experimental study, GIS, software, spatial data, World Wide Web},

pubstate = {published},

tppubtype = {article}

}

@article{scianna_building_2013,

title = {Building 3D GIS data models using open source software},

author = {Andrea Scianna},

url = {https://www.scopus.com/inward/record.uri?eid=2-s2.0-84879549091&doi=10.1007%2fs12518-013-0099-3&partnerID=40&md5=f96be917e60419b6db563e14388ba05b},

doi = {10.1007/s12518-013-0099-3},

year  = {2013},

date = {2013-01-01},

journal = {Applied Geomatics},

volume = {5},

number = {2},

pages = {119–132},

abstract = {Today, many GIS applications would require data sets containing full 3D data; application fields like urban and town planning, civil protection, cadastres and environmental studies could use full 3D data, both to carry out spatial analyses and inquiries as well as for only visualization. Data model can be accessed by desktop application as well as from Internet. This second option is becoming today the most requested. But in order to share 3D data model through Internet it is necessary to configure a suitable system. A 3D model can be shared on Internet in different ways. It is possible to incorporate a model inside an executable or 3D PDF file or build something like a multimedia application (i.e. flash based). However a better option is to put a model inside a geospatial database and build suitable web services to access it using Internet browsers. This second option can be performed using different solutions for web servers, development platforms and programming languages. Fundamental for this option is the construction of the model that should be structured, according a conceptual model to be replicable and interoperable. Hence, the model should be stored in a geospatial database in order to be accessed by an application running under a web server, so allowing access to the model. All this is the object of the research - Management and use of distributed 3D data by open source WebGIS software - that is part of the Italian PRIN 2007 research project: Interoperability and cooperative management of geographic, dynamic, multi-dimensional and distributed data with Free and Open Source GIS (Principal investigator Paolo Zatelli), aimed to build urban and suburban 3D models with CAD software or solid modellers, share them with a 3D Web Feature Service Open Geospatial Consortium web feature service like, and them using Internet browsers all done using only free and open source software. The research work, here illustrated, which was funded by previous research project, deals with the construction of a suitable model and the storage of the model inside a geospatial database. The work is based on the use of free and open source software; Blender and PostgreSQL with PostGIS have been used, respectively, to draw objects of the model and save their data with the help of some Python scripts; the server side part of the system has been realized using Tomcat with servlets and applets all written in Java. Buildings have been modelled according to GIANT3D model (Geographical Interoperable Advanced Numerical Topological 3-Dimensional Model) previously developed in the research PRIN 2004, regarding Evolved structure of numerical cartography for GIS and WebGIS. Python scripts, activated by Blender, allow saving data into a spatial database implemented through PostgreSQL and PostGIS that could be a remote database somewhere on the net; all geometrical and topological information, implemented in the 3D model, is so transferred in PostGIS. This information can be retrieved by Blender using other Python scripts, so Blender fully interacts with 3D data allocated in PostGIS. These data can be also accessed by many other clients, both directly using a database client and using other protocols (like HTTP on Internet). The second part of the research deals with the creation of a 3D Web Feature Service and an applet for internet browsers, in order to allow clients to visualize, explore and inquiry 3D model, retrieving data from database. © 2013 Società Italiana di Fotogrammetria e Topografia (SIFET).},

note = {Number: 2 

Publisher: Springer Verlag},

keywords = {3D Modelling, data set, database, Geographical Information Systems, GIS, software, three-dimensional modeling, World Wide Web},

pubstate = {published},

tppubtype = {article}

}

@article{scianna_experimental_2013,

title = {Experimental studies for the definition of 3D geospatial web services},

author = {A. Scianna},

url = {https://www.scopus.com/inward/record.uri?eid=2-s2.0-84874073932&doi=10.1007%2fs12518-012-0096-y&partnerID=40&md5=1bd89b168b9a0781e1b90c41c571b35d},

doi = {10.1007/s12518-012-0096-y},

year  = {2013},

date = {2013-01-01},

journal = {Applied Geomatics},

volume = {5},

number = {1},

pages = {59–71},

abstract = {The importance of geospatial information delivery, across Internet, is increasing more and more. But if, some years ago, visualizing 2D geographic information inside Internet browsers, extracted by HTTP servers supported by map servers (WebGIS applications) was satisfying, today users would acquire 3D information especially in some case or sectors as urban planning, environmental control, real estate management, cadastral applications, civil protection, and security. In these cases, availability of 3D information could be very valuable. Meanwhile, other needs came out such as the possibility to extract information with all Geographic Information Systems (GIS) software, in a transparent way for users, independently from the data format server-side, acquiring data from standardized 2D web services, made available by WebGIS servers; all this in the respect of principles of interoperability that is at the basis of the constructions of SDIs and one of the goals of Inspire European Directive. But behind this need, there exist many important aspects that today are only partially resolved as methods to save 3D information in geospatial database, the definition of topology relationships able to satisfy requirement of 3D GIS applications, the definition of 3D geospatial web services,. All these aspects are interconnected and are also dependent from some other aspects (i.e., the standardization of 3D geographic data models). The experimentation, here illustrated, deals with these issues, trying to define a 3D web service in order to visualize and query, by Internet Browsers, a 3D model of the built environment. Today, there exist few 3D data models (such as CityGML) whose standard definition process is also evolving. Often, these models are built with the main goal of 3D visualization even if at different level of detail. But some sectors require a better use of geographic 3D information such as querying it at different levels of detail (such as at a level regarding the different building parts defined through their attributes) and 3D processing. These are the environmental control, location-based services, cadastre, civil protection, security, archaeology, etc. For these reasons, it is strategic to study and propose new approaches and methods for structuring 3D geospatial information and for sharing 3D geospatial information on Internet granting an open access to it, also respecting interoperability issues. Based on a project named "Interoperability and cooperative management of geographic, dynamic, multidimensional and distributed data with Free and Open Source GIS: Management and use of distributed 3D data by open source WebGIS software" funded by Italian Ministry of Instruction, University and Research as Program of Relevant National Interest (2007), a part of the research process is here illustrated. The research deals with the design of 3D Web Feature Service and the development of a system mainly based on Java applications both client (Java applet) and server-side (Java servlet) and 3D geospatial database with topological structure compliant to a conceptual geospatial data model of an urban environment. The server-side system is capable to deploy a 3D Web Feature Service, which allows the extraction of GML 3D and the graphical browsing of urban model in 3D through the Java applet. © 2012 Società Italiana di Fotogrammetria e Topografia (SIFET).},

note = {Number: 1 

Publisher: Springer Verlag},

keywords = {database, experimental study, GIS, software, spatial data, World Wide Web},

pubstate = {published},

tppubtype = {article}

}