Editorial

Abstract

In different scientific fields, the abbreviation ‘3D’ is used in a multitude of ways. Hence, one might easily lose track of what 3D means in a particular context. 3D is just a generic term which the authors are trying to classify into different groups. An overview of the technical status of 3D technologies serves to explain the importance of the three-dimensionality in cartography. Solid landscape embodiments as well as pseudo-three-dimensional and truly three-dimensional autostereoscopic visualisations on planar displays are treated. Starting with the reasons for the advantages and the necessities for true-3D representations the article deals with the classification and explanation of the different true-3D visualisation techniques so far materialized for geodata, in particular at the Institute for Cartography of the Dresden University of Technology.