Overview#
Briefing a unit on a night assault route using a flat map requires the briefer to describe elevation changes verbally while the audience forms a mental picture that may or may not match reality. Rotating the same data into a 3D terrain view changes that entirely: the ridge that dominates the approach is immediately obvious, the dead ground in front of the objective becomes visible as a shadow, and the relative height of the fire support position above the breach point is self-evident. Commanders make better spatial decisions when the terrain is rendered in three dimensions.
The 3D Terrain Visualisation module renders geographic data with three-dimensional terrain elevation using MapLibre GL JS. Terrain surfaces are draped with satellite imagery, operational map layers, and analytical overlays including viewsheds, slope maps, and sensor coverage zones, giving operators an intuitive understanding of the operational environment that flat maps cannot provide. Configurable terrain exaggeration, hillshade lighting, and contour lines enhance terrain appreciation, and offline tile caching ensures full 3D visualisation capability without network connectivity.
Open Standards#
- WGS 84 / EPSG:4326: All terrain model data, DEM bounding boxes, and coordinate inputs are expressed in the WGS 84 geographic coordinate reference system, which is the default CRS throughout the terrain domain.
- GeoTIFF (OGC/ISO 19005): Digital Elevation Models are stored and loaded in GeoTIFF format, the primary raster file format for terrain data including SRTM and LiDAR-derived DEMs.
- GeoJSON (RFC 7946): Bounding boxes, viewshed boundary polygons, and operational overlay geometries are represented as GeoJSON, enabling interoperability with other geospatial modules.
- Mapbox Vector Tiles (MVT) / PBF: Vector tile layers served in Protocol Buffer Binary Format are cached and rendered on the 3D terrain surface, providing operational graphics and entity overlays offline.
- MapLibre GL Style Specification: The renderer consumes MapLibre GL styles, including
raster-demterrain sources and hillshade layers, to compose satellite imagery, contour lines, and analytical overlays on the 3D surface. - OGC Web Map Service (WMS / WMTS): Satellite imagery and map base layers are sourced from OGC-compliant GeoServer instances, providing interoperability with standard geospatial infrastructure.
- SRTM (NASA Shuttle Radar Topography Mission): SRTM-derived DEMs at 30 m resolution are a named source type for terrain models, giving the capability access to globally available, freely distributed elevation data.
Last Reviewed: 2026-04-02 Last Updated: 2026-04-14
Key Features#
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MapLibre GL JS 3D Rendering: The map display uses MapLibre GL JS with terrain raster-DEM tile sources to render true 3D terrain surfaces. Operators can pan, zoom, rotate, and tilt the view to examine terrain from any angle. Entity positions, tracks, sensor coverage, and operational graphics are rendered on the 3D terrain surface, accurately reflecting elevation.
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Configurable Terrain Exaggeration: Terrain vertical exaggeration is adjustable to enhance the visual distinction of elevation changes. Low exaggeration (1x to 2x) provides accurate terrain representation; higher exaggeration (3x to 10x) emphasises terrain features for briefings and planning. The exaggeration factor is adjustable in real time without reloading the map.
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Hillshade and Contour Lines: Hillshade rendering simulates sunlight illumination to reveal terrain shape through shadow patterns. Contour lines are rendered at configurable intervals (10m, 20m, 50m, 100m) with index contours labelled at major intervals. Both hillshade and contour layers can be toggled independently and combined with other map layers.
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Offline Tile Caching: Terrain DEM tiles, satellite imagery tiles, and vector tiles are cached locally for offline use. Operators can pre-load tile caches for a defined area of operations before deploying to disconnected environments. Cached areas provide full 3D visualisation capability including terrain rendering, hillshade, and contour lines without any network connectivity.
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Theme-Aware Visualisation: The 3D terrain display supports multiple visual themes including satellite imagery, topographic, and tactical map bases. Theme selection adapts hillshade intensity, contour line styling, and entity symbol rendering to maintain readability across different base map styles. A dark theme supports night operations with reduced screen glare.
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Analytical Overlay Rendering: Terrain analysis results from the Terrain Analytical Modelling module, including viewshed maps, slope classifications, and elevation profiles, are rendered directly on the 3D terrain surface. This lets operators see viewshed coverage draped over the actual terrain shape, providing intuitive understanding of what an observer at a given position can and cannot see.
Use Cases#
- Terrain Appreciation: Commanders examine the operational area in 3D to understand how terrain affects movement, observation, and fields of fire, supporting tactical decision-making.
- Mission Briefing: Brief subordinate units using 3D terrain views that convey elevation, dead ground, and line-of-sight conditions more effectively than flat maps.
- Observation Post Planning: Visualise viewshed analysis results draped over 3D terrain to identify optimal observation positions and understand what each position can and cannot see.
- Route Planning: Examine candidate routes in 3D to assess gradient severity, exposure to observation, and terrain obstacles that may not be apparent on flat maps.
- Offline Field Operations: Operate with full 3D terrain visualisation at forward positions using pre-cached tile data, maintaining terrain awareness without network connectivity.
Integration#
- Terrain Analytical Modelling: Viewshed, slope, and line-of-sight analysis results render as overlays on the 3D terrain surface.
- Geospatial Intelligence: Map layers, geofences, entity positions, and operational graphics display on the 3D terrain.
- Offline Maps: Shares the tile caching infrastructure for offline map capability.
- Drone Operations Management: Drone flight paths and telemetry positions render in 3D space above the terrain surface.
- Acoustic Sensor Network: Sensor coverage zones and detection locations display on the 3D terrain.
- Common Operational Picture: All operational entities and events are positioned on the 3D terrain surface.