Emerging technologies that combine the flexibility of digital landscape representation with
easy-to-interpret 3D physical models open new possibilities for user interaction with
geospatial data. A prototype tangible geospatial modeling environment lets users interact
with landscape analysis and simulations using a tangible physical model. We introduce a
concept that builds upon previous independent tangible user interface (TUI) and terrain
analysis research and aims at more intuitive collaborative interaction with digital landscape …

Capabilities for visualizing topography in GIS have evolved from 2D raster maps, contours,
and simple 3D meshes in the 1980s to interactive 3D rendered surfaces with shading and
color maps draped over the surface that became standard in the 1990s. Grass GIS was
among the first general GIS environments that offered surface and volume visualization in
3D space controlled by an easy-to-use GUI (see http://skagit. meas. ncsu. edu/~
helena/gmslab/appdoc/sg3d_tut. html). The system's capabilities included dynamic 3D …