TunVis: Visualizing specific geologic features for tunnel planning and construction

by Horst Otto Meinhart, Rainer Wegenkittl and Eduard Gröller.

project duration: 1997

This page describes a project on the visualization of virtual tunnels by using data of existing geologic rock formations. A paper (Adobe Acrobat, 569KB) (zipped MS Word, 933KB) is available on the subject.

Overview

Various methods were implemented in TunVis, an interactive software system that enables geologists to visualize tunnels or tunnel pieces of interest. It was developed in cooperation with a geologist and is in use to create video sequences of camera animations through planned tunnels. These video sequences are intended to explain the results from geologic investigations in a graphical way. They provide a better understanding for non-experienced persons.

The tunnel is built from geologic data. This data is coming from vertical sample drills from the mountain top along the choosen tunnel axis. The wire frame model of the tunnel is edited by a geologist and image information of the rock appearance is textured onto the tunnel wall. This results in a photorealistic representation of the geologic rock formations which have to be expected when actually building the tunnel. The specification of a camera animation and video options allow to render a video sequence of a movement along the tunnel axis.

Sample Images

Click on images to see full size.

Sample Sequence

This sequence shows a small sample of an animation through a typical tunnel (QuickTime file, 444 KB) (MPEG file, 675 KB) .

Institute of Computer Graphics - Visualization and Animation Group - Research - Research in Visualization

This page was created by Horst Otto Meinhart. It was last updated on December 06, 1997.
If you have any comments, please contact me.