3D Display

[KenF]

I'll have to admit having resorted to Google Earth in the recent past for the truly amazing 3D detail and "flyover" capability offered there  (and even the free version allows importing GPX  files for display).

But now that TF has full color aerials ....

So I'll sugest that  TF might look into incorporating some of the 3D  functionality found in GE.
I like the TF 3D controls - much faster than GE.

But of GE features,  the most significant would be filling a screen with a 3D view rather than the "tile floating in  space" view that relies on the constraints of the 2D view converted to 3D. When the 3D view (from, for example, a wide screen view)  is rotated, there is a LOT of black space on the  screen, even after redrawing.

Another would be a linear travel or "flyover" capability without requiring interim "redraws." For that matter automatic redraws under any 3D change of view would be worthwhile if it could be accomplished without dramatic delays in display speed.

Whadyathink?

[ScottMorris]

Yep, I'm with you -- I would love to see this in TF.

Step one is to get auto-downloading and caching of DEM data.  I don't think this will be too hard, but we need to work a bit with the NASA server to give us a cached (much faster) version of the DEM dataset.

Once there we can do a lot of cool things (like shaded relief, elevation at mouse location, etc).

It's going to be some work to change the 3D engine to function more like GE, but it's a worthwhile project for sure.  Thanks for the suggestion.