Modeling and Application of 3D Map Symbol

More and more attention has been paid to the research and application of 3D map as 3D map products visualization conductive to perceive geographic environmental information more intuitively and more clearly. The research on 3D map symbol is one of the core technologies. The data structure and modeling method of the 3D map symbol were studied in this paper. We could get the good expression of 3D symbol by using rational data organization and classification and by using several modeling methods, for instance, modeling directly based on mathematical description and modeling based on VRML. One 3D map symbol library was developed according to the models above. Such library had several functions such as model classification management, real-time construction and edit of model symbol, and management and maintenance of symbol library. And the library had got a good result in application.