The Multi-Dimension Data Model of Virtual Geographic Environments and Its Expression in Geographical Processes

The mapping relation between the earth's surface spaces expressed by virtual geographic environments and the spaces of computer had been analyzed.The virtual geographic environments of one dimension,two dimensions,three dimensions and multi-dimensions had been defined,and along with the advancement of computer graphics,the virtual geographic environments (VGE) changed the methods,instruments and paradigm of geographic sciences and earth sciences.Today,the data models of the virtual geographic environments were still limited to the surface models and volume models,and there were many perplexing operations during the transformation.The issues of data model had become major obstacle of the VGE development.It was the urgent business to build a multi-dimensional data transform model that could have the ability to exert effect in the research of geographic process and geographic variables.In other words,the initial function of VGE is just an extensive part of the geographic sciences,now it gets through the course of simple spatial analysis.As a method or a paradigm of geographic sciences the VGE made a great visualization of geographic process and geographic variables in computer space whether they could be seen or not.