Visualizing 3D Data in Global Mapper: Path Profile

A third viewer for exploring and interacting with 3D data, alongside the previously discussed 2D and 3D viewers, is the Path Profile tool in Global Mapper which creates a cross-sectional view of gridded 3D or point cloud data. The path used to generate a Path Profile view in Global Mapper can be drawn manually with the tool or initialized from an existing line feature. Many settings in the Path Profile tool control how the data is sampled for the cross-sectional view, what layers are displayed, and how the data and cursor labels appear.

Additional options in the Path Profile settings allow vector line and area features that cross the path and points along the path to be drawn in the cross-sectional view. With these options, the Path Profile view in Global Mapper has the ability to show 3D point cloud, gridded, and vector data from a side cutaway perspective different from both the top-down and dynamic 3D views.

See also:
Visualizing 3D Data in Global Mapper: 2D View
Visualizing 3D Data in Global Mapper: 3D View

Shaders

In the toolbar built into the Path Profile view window exists a shader drop-down. This option allows the color of the filled terrain in the Path Profile view to be colored with an elevation color ramp. The color ramp options in this dropdown are the same as the elevation value shaders available in the Shader dropdown on the Viewer toolbar that impacts terrain display in the 2D and 3D views. Applying a shader in the Path Profile View creates a visually informative cross-section view of terrain data that pairs well with the 2D and 3D rendering of the same data.

Elevation Corridor and Swath Width

For 3D raster data in the Path Profile view, samples at a user-adjustable interval are taken along the path of the line and plotted in the view. Often it is beneficial to view elevation data within a set tolerance of the exact path drawn across the 3D raster data. Options to set this elevation corridor width and whether the minimum, maximum, or average values from the corridor are drawn in the view are found on the Data Display tab of the Path Profile Settings.

A similar setting to the elevation corridor width setting is available in the Path Profile tool for point cloud data. Found on the same Data Display tab of the tool settings, the Lidar Display options allow a swath width to be defined for the cross-sectional view of point cloud data. Since a point cloud consists of discrete point returns, the cloud is not sampled and plotted like an elevation grid layer. With a point cloud, the Path Profile view simply renders all the returns within the defined swath width along the path.

Perpendicular and Parallel Profiles

Expanding how cross-sectional views of topographical features captured in 3D data can be viewed in the Path Profile tool are two methods for expanding the view parallel or perpendicular to the original profile path. These methods for viewing successive cross-sections of data help explore terrain features, such as ridgelines and streambeds, as well as manually classifying features within a point cloud.

Enabled through the Path Profile settings, the perpendicular profile option creates a series of paths perpendicular to the original drawn path. The length of the perpendicular lines and spacing of them can be customized in the tool settings and the arrow keys or toolbar buttons within the Path Profile window scroll through the set of perpendicular paths.

Also enabled from the tool’s settings, parallel profiles create paths on one or both sides of the original path. The spacing between the parallel paths can be adjusted in the Path Profile settings allowing for total customization profile views. Just like with the perpendicular paths the keyboard arrows or toolbar buttons in the Path Profile window move from one to the next path in the set generated path profiles.

With 2D, 3D, and cross-sectional data viewing available in Global Mapper any 3D data loaded into a workspace can be completely and thoroughly explored. Within these views edits can be made to various data types using the Digitizer or Terrain Painting tools. To view your 3D data in Global Mapper with all the tools and options mentioned in this blog, download a 14-day free trial today!