3D Geodatabase for CityGML 2016 17
properties. Consequently, data provided by appearances can be used as input for both
presentation and analysis of virtual 3D city models. The database supports feature
appearances for an arbitrary number of themes per city model. Each LOD of a feature
can have individual appearances. Appearances can represent – among others – textures
and georeferenced textures. All texture images can be stored in the database.
The version and history management employs Oracle’s Workspace Manager and,
hence, is only available for 3DCityDB instances running on an Oracle RDBMS. It is
largely transparent to application programs that work with the database. Procedures
saved within the database (Stored Procedures) are provided, which allow for the
management of planning alternatives and versions via application programs.
Complex digital terrain models: DTMs may be represented in four different ways in
CityGML and therefore also in the 3D city database: regular grids, triangular irregular
networks (TINs), 3D mass points and 3D break lines. For every level of detail, a
complex DTM consisting of any number of DTM components and DTM types can be
defined. Besides, it is possible to combine certain kinds of DTM representations for
the same geographic area with each other (e.g. mass points and break lines or grids
and break lines). In Oracle Spatial (but not Locator) Grid-based DTMs may be of
arbitrary size and are composed from separate tiles to a single overall grid using the
Oracle GeoRaster functionality. Please note that the Import/Export tool provides
functions to read and write TIN, mass point, and break line DTM components, but not
for raster based DTMs. GeoRaster data would have to be imported and exported using
other tools from e.g. Oracle, ESRI, or Safe Software.
Complex city object modelling: The representation of city objects in the 3D city
database ranges from coarse models to geometrically and semantically fine grained
structures. The underlying data model is a complete realization of the CityGML data
model for the levels of detail (LOD) 0 to 4. For example, buildings can be represented
by simple, monolithic objects or can consist of an aggregation of building parts.
Extensions of buildings, like balconies and stairs, can be classified thematically and
provided with attributes just as single surfaces can be. LOD4 completes a LOD3
model by adding interior structures for 3D objects. For example, LOD4 buildings are
composed of rooms, interior doors, stairs, and furniture. This allows among other
things to select the floor space of a building, so that it can later be used e.g. to derive
SmartBuildings or to form 3D solids by extrusion [Döllner et al. 2005]. Buildings can
be assigned addresses that are also stored in the 3D city database. Their implemen-
tation refers to the OASIS xAL Standard, which maps the address formats of the
different countries into a unified XML schema. In order to model whole complexes of
buildings, single buildings can be aggregated to form special building groups. The
same complex modelling applies to the other CityGML feature types like bridges,
tunnels, transportation and vegetation objects, and water bodies.
Representation of generic and prototypical 3D objects: Generic objects enable the
storage and management of 3D geoobjects that are not explicitly modelled in