S. Augustine Su, Shueh-Cheng Hu and Richard Furuta
VRML-Based 3D Topographic Maps: Enhancing Educational Applications
in ED-MEDIA / ED-TELECOM 97, World Conference on Educational Multimedia/Hypermedia &
World Conference on Educational Telecommunications Proceedings University of Calgary, Calgary, Canada (June 14-19, 1997).
Maps are important tools in educational application. Three-dimensional
topographic maps enhance understanding by providing a degree of realism
unattainable in two-dimensional form. Furthermore, computer-based maps are
attractive when compared to paper-based maps because they can be viewed in many
different ways and because they can be stored and accessed easily. This paper
presents our methodology for composing three-dimensional topographical maps in
VRML, using data derived from the
U.S. Geological Survey's Digital Elevation Model data. With the capability of
navigation from any VRML-enabled Web browser, the maps are not only educational
for map-learning primary and secondary school students, but also informative
and entertaining for general users.