Database

CityGRID is a modular software system designed for the generation, and most importantly, the management of digital 3D multi-scale model data. The primary advantage of CityGRID lies in the innovative ‘line-orientated’ approach to 3D modelling as opposed to the conventional ‘face’ approach. This method allows us to:

• Maintain the topology of the geographic data, and
• Undertake maintenance routines en-masse and uniformly across the model.

The use of a relational Database Management System gives the user all the functionality of a database but applied to 3D data. This significantly reduces the costs associated with the continuous updating of models which is a necessary part of any design or planning process. It also allows the user to store a model at varying levels of detail. A city can be refined from Level of Detail 1 (LOD1: a simple block model) to fully textured building models (LOD3) as required.

Designed with urban planning in mind, our 3D models are typically used by a wide range of experts each focused on their respective areas of concern. The flexible user interface to the model facilitates integration into their existing workflows for urban planning processes, for example:

• Environmental simulation (noise, light and visual impact assessment)
• Homeland security
• Highways planning
• Tourism
• Emergency response planning (Fire-service assessments)