A Smoothing Algorithm for Contour Lines by Means of Triangulation

Authors: Irigoyen, Jesus1; Martin, Maria T.2; Rodriguez, Jaime2

Source: Cartographic Journal, The, Volume 46, Number 3, August 2009 , pp. 262-267(6)

Publisher: Maney Publishing

Key:
Free Content - Free Content
New Content - New Content
Subscribed Content - Subscribed Content
Free Trial Content - Free Trial Content

Abstract:

Contour lines are very important features in the representation of quantitative relief over a wide range of scales. As scale is reduced, contour lines should be generalized. One of the generalization routines involves smoothing lineal features. Nevertheless, contour lines are a special class of lineal feature, as they represent a three-dimensional object. Accordingly the generalization should be conducted while taking into account all the contour lines over the map, bearing in mind the three-dimensional object that they represent. The algorithm presented in this paper smoothes the contour line irregularities that generate flat and erroneous triangles in a Delaunay triangulation. Smoothing is achieved by moving only the sharp vertex toward the baricenter of the flat triangle; in an iterative algorithm, this produces a smooth line that does not generate flat triangles.

Keywords: ALGORITHMS; GENERALIZATION; DEM/DTM; TRIANGULATION; CARTOGRAPHY; SMOOTHING

Document Type: Research article

DOI: 10.1179/174327709X429401

Affiliations: 1: Departamento de Ingeniería Cartográfica, Geodesia y Fotogrametría, Universidad Politéctica de Valencia, E-46022 Valencia, Spain 2: University of Santiago de Compostela, E-27002, Spain

The full text electronic article is available for purchase. You will be able to download the full text electronic article after payment.

$39.00 plus tax      Refund Policy

 

OR

Back to top

Key:
Free Content - Free Content
New Content - New Content
Subscribed Content - Subscribed Content
Free Trial Content - Free Trial Content
Share this item with others: These icons link to social bookmarking sites where readers can share and discover new web pages.
Page Help Click here for Page Help
Shopping cart
Tools
Sign in






Need to register?
Sign up here
Text size: A | A | A | A