@loaders.gl/terrain

What is @loaders.gl/terrain?

@loaders.gl/terrain is a module within the loaders.gl suite that provides tools for loading and parsing terrain data. It supports various terrain formats and can be used to integrate terrain data into web applications, particularly those involving 3D visualization and geographic information systems (GIS).

What are @loaders.gl/terrain's main functionalities?

Loading Terrain Data

This feature allows you to load terrain data from a specified URL using the TerrainLoader. The loaded data can then be used for further processing or visualization.

const {TerrainLoader} = require('@loaders.gl/terrain');
const {load} = require('@loaders.gl/core');

async function loadTerrain(url) {
  const terrainData = await load(url, TerrainLoader);
  console.log(terrainData);
}

loadTerrain('https://example.com/terrain-data.terrain');

Parsing Terrain Data

This feature allows you to parse terrain data from an ArrayBuffer. This is useful when you have raw terrain data that needs to be converted into a usable format.

const {TerrainLoader} = require('@loaders.gl/terrain');
const {parse} = require('@loaders.gl/core');

async function parseTerrain(arrayBuffer) {
  const terrainData = await parse(arrayBuffer, TerrainLoader);
  console.log(terrainData);
}

// Assuming arrayBuffer is obtained from a file or network request
parseTerrain(arrayBuffer);

Integrating with 3D Visualization Libraries

This feature demonstrates how to integrate loaded terrain data with a 3D visualization library like Cesium. The example shows how to add a terrain model to a Cesium viewer.

const {TerrainLoader} = require('@loaders.gl/terrain');
const {load} = require('@loaders.gl/core');
const {Viewer, Entity} = require('cesium');

async function addTerrainToCesium(viewer, url) {
  const terrainData = await load(url, TerrainLoader);
  viewer.entities.add(new Entity({
    position: Cesium.Cartesian3.fromDegrees(terrainData.longitude, terrainData.latitude),
    model: {
      uri: terrainData.modelUrl
    }
  }));
}

const viewer = new Viewer('cesiumContainer');
addTerrainToCesium(viewer, 'https://example.com/terrain-data.terrain');

Other packages similar to @loaders.gl/terrain

three-geo

three-geo is a library for integrating geographic data with Three.js. It allows you to load and visualize terrain data in a 3D environment. Compared to @loaders.gl/terrain, three-geo is more tightly integrated with Three.js and provides higher-level abstractions for working with geographic data.

cesium

Cesium is a comprehensive library for 3D geospatial visualization. It supports loading and visualizing terrain data, among many other features. While @loaders.gl/terrain focuses on loading and parsing terrain data, Cesium provides a full-fledged platform for 3D GIS applications.

turf

Turf is a geospatial analysis library for JavaScript. It provides various tools for processing and analyzing geographic data, including terrain data. While @loaders.gl/terrain is specialized in loading and parsing terrain data, Turf offers a broader range of geospatial analysis functionalities.

README

@loaders.gl/terrain

loaders.gl is a collection of framework independent 3D and geospatial parsers and encoders.

This module reconstructs mesh surfaces from height map images, e.g. Mapzen Terrain Tiles, which encodes elevation into R,G,B values.

For documentation please visit the website.

@loaders.gl/terrain uses MARTINI for mesh reconstruction.

ISC License

Copyright (c) 2019, Mapbox

Permission to use, copy, modify, and/or distribute this software for any purpose with or without fee is hereby granted, provided that the above copyright notice and this permission notice appear in all copies.

THE SOFTWARE IS PROVIDED "AS IS" AND THE AUTHOR DISCLAIMS ALL WARRANTIES WITH REGARD TO THIS SOFTWARE INCLUDING ALL IMPLIED WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY AND FITNESS. IN NO EVENT SHALL THE AUTHOR BE LIABLE FOR ANY SPECIAL, DIRECT, INDIRECT, OR CONSEQUENTIAL DAMAGES OR ANY DAMAGES WHATSOEVER RESULTING FROM LOSS OF USE, DATA OR PROFITS, WHETHER IN AN ACTION OF CONTRACT, NEGLIGENCE OR OTHER TORTIOUS ACTION, ARISING OUT OF OR IN CONNECTION WITH THE USE OR PERFORMANCE OF THIS SOFTWARE.