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Advanced and detailed terrain manipulation and analysis operations are enabled by SCALGO software.
Geometry
To handle large datasets and perform the complicated analysis required in many applications, existing terrain modeling and analysis software often implement heuristic solutions; instead of computing a certain desired output they try to come close to the desired output. This often leads to ill-specified outputs. For example, most terrain manipulation software contains functionality for simplifying a terrain model, that is, for removing detail from a very detailed terrain model in order to obtain a simpler model. However, very seldom it is possible to precisely specify what detail should be removed, resulting in the possibility of loss of important terrain features, which may lead to problems in your subsequent analysis applications.
SCALGO approach
Using novel geometric computation research results, SCALGO software does not use heuristics and always delivers a completely specified output. By using recently developed geometric manipulation techniques, SCALGO software allows for a number of very advanced and detailed terrain manipulation and analysis operations. For example, SCALGO software can simplify your terrain model in a fully-specified way by removing (filling) depressions in the terrain based on their area, volume or height (even depressions inside depressions). This way massive terrain data can be manipulated in a fully-specified way, leading to more reliable analysis results.
A ½ meter contour map generated from a detailed terrain model based on LIDAR, where SCALGO simplification software has been used to remove (fill) all depressions of height less than ½ meter. This results in only significant contours being shown. SCALGO software allows for removing depressions in a fully specified way based not only on height but also area or volume (even depressions inside other depressions).
A ½ meter contour map generated from a detailed terrain model based on LIDAR data. The many small depressions in the model results in many small and insignificant contors. Heuristic or simple simplification algorithms are often used to simplify the models to produce nicer contours, or directly remove insignificant contours. However, such heuristics may not only remove small insignificant contours but also small very significant contours such as those corresponding to hill tops.