Web-based 3D map visualization using WebGL

The traditional 3D data visualization software is based on the Client/Server architecture. It is difficult to upgrade the application program and maintain the client program. This paper uses a more excellent Browser/Server architecture to realize the 3D map visualization. In this structure, the user interface completely through the WebGL enabled browser to achieve. Server key technologies applied in the visualization of 3D map, such as a method that can project the spherical coordinates of the earth onto the plane, the principle of loading the web map into the browser page. To add the height information of buildings to basemap, developers have to get a lot of city building data from the map service provider, but most of the data obtained can't be used directly, a special rendering process is needed, to solve this problem, this paper also describes the parsing process of B3DM files. Based on the above technique, three map engines are used to visualize the 3D map and the rendering process of different engines is analyzed.