Simulated City Generation Using Roadway Grids and Topographic Data
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Existing methods for generating three-dimensional models of cities are either too labor-intensive for manual creation or lack detail and randomness when using rule-based systems, making it difficult to accurately represent complex environments like actual cities in simulations such as video games or virtual maps.
Innovation Solution
A city model generator uses a combination of roadway databases, topographic data, photographic information, and generic/landmark building models to create a simulated city model with grid points, Bezier splines, and subtype associations, allowing for detailed and realistic representation of city environments.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Manufacturing precision
If manual creation methods are used to generate three-dimensional city models, then detail and realism are improved, but time consumption and labor intensity increase significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the city modeling process into distinct components: roadway network generation, building placement, and detail addition. Each component can be generated independently and combined to form the complete city model, allowing parallel processing and reducing overall generation time while maintaining detail quality.
Solution Approach 2:
The system performs preliminary actions by pre-generating roadway networks, building templates, and environmental elements before final model assembly. These pre-generated components are stored and can be rapidly deployed when creating new city models, significantly reducing the time required for detailed model creation.
2Productivity
If rule-based automated systems are used to generate city models, then generation speed is improved, but detail and randomness are lost
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies local quality by allowing different regions of the generated city to have varying levels of detail and randomness. Individual blocks or neighborhoods can be configured with specific density, building height, and architectural styles, creating realistic variation throughout the model while maintaining overall generation efficiency.
Solution Approach 2:
The system uses parameter changes to control the balance between automation and realism. By adjusting parameters such as building density, height variation, and roadway configuration randomness, the system can generate models with appropriate levels of detail and unpredictability while maintaining high generation speed through algorithmic control.
3Extent of automation
If rule-based systems are used to model complex city environments, then automation is improved, but the ability to capture city complexity is insufficient
Solution Approach 1:
The patent incorporates multiple dimensions of city complexity by considering not only the two-dimensional roadway network but also vertical building dimensions, temporal usage patterns, and hierarchical organizational structures. This multi-dimensional approach allows automated systems to capture the true complexity of city environments through layered data integration.
Solution Approach 2:
The system creates composite city models by integrating multiple data types and representation layers: roadway networks, building geometries, environmental features, and functional zones. This composite structure allows the automated system to represent city complexity comprehensively by combining various data sources and modeling techniques into a unified model.
Data Source
AI summary
A city model generation process. A city model is generated using information about an actual city. A roadway database including segments of roadways is used to generate a city model having grid points corresponding to intersections between the roadway segments. A type of roadway determined from the roadway database information is associated with sets of grid points defining a single roadway. Elevation data is added to the city model using a topographic database. Features, such as a road profile, are added to the roadway using the type. Photographic and zoning information is used to further refine the type of a roadway with a subtype corresponding to features of buildings that may be associated with the roadway. Generic building models and features are associated with the roadways based on the subtypes. Landmark building models are added to the city model to complete the city model.