computer science

OpenWebGlobe

OpenWebGlobe is a computer science topic covered in the lgStudy science library. This page brings together a partial reference excerpt, illustrations, worked examples, real-world applications and a short study plan, so you can understand OpenWebGlobe rather than just read about it. In short: OpenWebGlobe was a project and technology for processing and interactively visualizing vast volumes of geospatial data in a 3D virtual globe, even the forks on GitHub are rather dead [1]. The OpenWebGlobe virtual globe can have several data categories like image data, elevation data, points of interest, vector data, and 3D objects.

Key takeaways

OpenWebGlobe belongs to computer science; place it in that map before memorising details.
Learn the definition first, then one example that makes the definition concrete.
Connect OpenWebGlobe to a quantity you can measure, compute or draw — that is where exam questions come from.
Reproduce the core statement of OpenWebGlobe from memory before moving on to harder problems.

Reference excerpt

OpenWebGlobe was a project and technology for processing and interactively visualizing vast volumes of geospatial data in a 3D virtual globe, even the forks on GitHub are rather dead [1]. The OpenWebGlobe virtual globe can have several data categories like image data, elevation data, points of interest, vector data, and 3D objects. Before streaming such massive and complex data over the internet, this data must be pre-processed. Such pre-processing usually comprises a transformation from a local to a global reference system, creation of pyramid layers or levels of detail (LOD), tiling of the data, and optionally compression and encryption. Recently, these algorithms were ported to high performance compute cluster using OpenMP and MPI and are also released as open-source. Because data sets are usually large, containing several terabytes, advanced out-of-core rendering mechanisms with a level of detail approach are used for visualization. OpenWebGlobe is an open-source project. It is written in WebGL. The lead developer is the Institute of Geomatics Engineering at the University of Applied Sciences Northwestern Switzerland (German: Fachhochschule Nordwestschweiz).

Developing Globe Applications The OpenWebGlobe SDK is also a 3D engine on top of WebGL. With the OpenWebGlobe SDK it is possible to create custom virtual globe applications. This JavaScript "Hello World" example creates a virtual globe and adds an image and elevation layer:

Demos

Switzerland 3D The demo version of a potential 3D Viewer for geo.admin.ch - the geo-portal of the Swiss Confederation - was online on the OpenWebGlobe's website until July 31, 2012. The scene covered the entire Switzerland and was based on high resolution data from swisstopo (SWISSIMAGE).

Source code

References

External links Official website Demo: Switzerland 3D

Illustrations

Worked examples

Example 1 — a first encounter with OpenWebGlobe

Start with the simplest possible case. Write down what OpenWebGlobe claims or describes in one sentence, then invent the smallest concrete situation in which that sentence is true. In computer science, the smallest case is usually a single object, a single equation or a single measurement. Check that every symbol or term in your sentence has a meaning in that case.

Example 2 — changing one variable

Take the situation from Example 1 and change exactly one quantity: double it, halve it, or set it to zero. Predict what should happen to OpenWebGlobe before you calculate. Comparing your prediction with the result is the fastest way to find out whether you understand the idea or only the words.

Example 3 — an exam-style question

Typical questions about OpenWebGlobe ask you to (a) state it precisely, (b) apply it to given data, and (c) explain a limitation. Practise writing all three answers in under five minutes; the third part is what separates a full-mark answer from an average one.

Applications of OpenWebGlobe

In research: OpenWebGlobe appears in computer science research whenever the underlying quantities have to be modelled precisely. Papers usually cite it as a starting assumption and then explore where it breaks down.
In technology and industry: Engineering practice reuses OpenWebGlobe in design rules, simulations and safety margins. Knowing the idea lets you read a specification sheet and understand why the numbers look the way they do.
In the classroom: OpenWebGlobe is common in secondary-school and first-year university syllabi. It links to neighbouring topics Cross-platform free software, Geomatics engineering, JavaScript, so understanding it makes those chapters shorter.
In everyday life: Look for OpenWebGlobe outside the textbook — in sport, cooking, traffic, electronics or the sky above you. An example you found yourself is remembered far longer than one you were given.

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How to study OpenWebGlobe in 20 minutes

Read the reference excerpt below once, without taking notes.
Close the page and write down what OpenWebGlobe means in your own words.
Compare your version with the excerpt and mark what you missed.
Work through the three examples above with pen and paper.
Explain OpenWebGlobe out loud to somebody else — or to Teacher Smith in the lgStudy chat.

Frequently asked questions

What is OpenWebGlobe in simple terms?

Why does OpenWebGlobe matter?

Because it connects several computer science ideas at once: it gives you a definition you can apply, a quantity you can calculate, and a way to check whether a result is plausible.

How should I study OpenWebGlobe?

Read the excerpt, restate it from memory, then work through the examples and applications listed on this page. The five-step study plan above takes about twenty minutes.

What does this page cover?

It gives you a compact reference excerpt plus original lgStudy explanations, examples, applications and study material on OpenWebGlobe.