On January 13, GCS Geospatial, in collaboration with Hobu, Inc., announced that it has successfully delivered new 3D analytics tools to the National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency (NGA), marking the completion of year one of a 3-year-long research initiative. The project, part of NGA’s Boosting Innovative GEOINT Research (BIG-R BAA) program, focused on Technical Element 1 (Simultaneous Co-Exploitation of Digital Surface Model, Point Cloud, Mesh Surfaces and Vectorized Geographic 3D Features) and Technical Element 3 (Line-of-Sight Enhancements). These efforts have produced practical solutions that improve how analysts work with complex geographic data.
The team developed browser-based technology that allows analysts to stream and manipulate 3D data types in real time. This new capability integrates cloud-optimized point clouds, digital surface models, and mesh surfaces into a single workflow, eliminating previous barriers between different data formats.
Working with the widely used Quick Terrain Modeler (QTM) platform, the team created new tools for visibility analysis across large geographic areas. These improvements help analysts better understand line-of-sight (LOS) relationships and accommodate various viewing scenarios, including satellite perspectives.
“We set out to solve complex challenges in 3D data analysis and we’re delivering solutions with immediate mission impact,” said Stephen Grover, CEO of GCS Geospatial. “These tools represent an evolution of 3D geodata analysis in ways that just weren’t possible or thought of before.”
The project also advanced open-source technology through updates to the GDAL library. A new cumulative viewshed feature gives analysts deeper insights into visibility patterns across wide areas. These improvements are now available in recent GDAL releases, benefiting the broader geospatial community.
Source: GCS Geospatial
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By Loren Blinde
January 24, 2025
