Sky-View Factor as a Relief Visualization Technique

Title

Sky-View Factor as a Relief Visualization Technique

Creator(s)

Zakšek, Klemen

Oštir, Kristof

Kokalj, Žiga

Date

2011

Is Part Of

Remote Sensing

Volume

3

Issue

2

Pages

398-415

Language

eng

Rights

http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/

ISSN

2072-4292

DOI

https://doi.org/10.3390/rs3020398

URI

https://www.mdpi.com/2072-4292/3/2/398

Zotero BiDiAr

https://www.zotero.org/groups/5293298/bidiar/items/3Q6G2PJY/item-list

Abstract

Remote sensing has become the most important data source for the digital elevation model (DEM) generation. DEM analyses can be applied in various fields and many of them require appropriate DEM visualization support. Analytical hill-shading is the most frequently used relief visualization technique. Although widely accepted, this method has two major drawbacks: identifying details in deep shades and inability to properly represent linear features lying parallel to the light beam. Several authors have tried to overcome these limitations by changing the position of the light source or by filtering. This paper proposes a new relief visualization technique based on diffuse, rather than direct, illumination. It utilizes the sky-view factor—a parameter corresponding to the portion of visible sky limited by relief. Sky-view factor can be used as a general relief visualization technique to show relief characteristics. In particular, we show that this visualization is a very useful tool in archaeology as it improves the recognition of small scale features from high resolution DEMs.

Tag

visualization

analytical hill-shading

digital elevation model

relief mapping

sky-view factor

cited by

Novel airborne LiDAR-derived digital terrain models in the Emilia-Romagna Region (Italy): potential for archaeological prospection of medieval castles in the Vena del Gesso Romagnola and Valmarecchia