16 July 2008: Cambridge – The GeoInformation® Group, publishers of Cities Revealed aerial photography ( www.citiesrevealed.com), announce today that it has formed a partnership with Lattico Ltd, who provide specialist computer aided design services with an emphasis on the digital reproduction of urban exteriors and 3D thematic mapping, to enhance the new 3D Building Blocks database specifically for the architectural and urban regeneration markets.

Lattico Ltd are using 3D Building Blocks as a basis for creating 3D city models, which can be used as massing models within architectural design and urban planning. By adding roof features such as dormers, chimneys and parapets and ground feature details, such as terrain, road networks as well as tree models it produces a highly realistic visual representation of the urban form. Lattico Ltd also utilise Cities Revealed Modern aerial imagery for parts of London to provide further accuracy and detail for the 3D city models it creates.

Andy Hoskins, of Lattico Ltd, commented “Over the last year we have worked closely with The GeoInformation Group to develop an innovative 3D solutions for our clients. We have continued to use the 3D Building Blocks database on an exclusive basis. The height information and off the shelf imagery provided by The GeoInformation Group has allowed us to offer our clients a full range of urban data, from basic massing models to photo-realistic city models throughout the UK. ”

The Lattico 3D city models ranges from small site plans to entire cities and are mainly used by architects, planning and environmental consultants and local authorities. These computer representations have proved to be very useful for proposed schemes at pre-application stages, for sensitive sites or where it is important to demonstrate how a new building fits into its surroundings. The 3D city models are compatible with standard computer aided design packages such as AutoCAD, 3ds Max, Bentley Microstation and Sketchup.


Andy Hoskins continued, “We have found Cities Revealed aerial imagery to be the highest resolution and up-to-date imagery on the market, allowing us to achieve a greater level of accuracy than previously possible. The recent announcement of The GeoInformation Group's annual aerial survey will allow us to model any new developments within the Capital. “

3D Building Blocks is a complementary addition to the Cities Revealed geographic information products portfolio. It is the ideal dataset for applications and projects that require a 3D urban landscape model. This off-the-shelf product is an excellent solution for clients who have limited time and budget. Three height values are recorded and supplied for each building block in a database format.

·        the height of the top of the block above sea level,
·        the height of the base of the block above sea level ,
·        the height of the block above the local ground.

3D Building Blocks is captured and processed independently of any national mapping agency. Data sources include: Intermap NEXTMap, Cities Revealed LiDAR and Cities Revealed Modern aerial imagery, with further height measurements quantified by fieldwork and handheld laser measurements. Unlike the Cities Revealed Building Heights database, which provides height information linked to the building outlines in Ordnance Survey MasterMap™ data, the building block outlines within Cities Revealed 3D Building Blocks are separated by their height differences.

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About the GeoInformation Group
The GeoInformation Group is a privately owned company based in Cambridge, UK, with offices in South Africa and partners in France and India.
With over 7000 licensed users worldwide The GeoInformation Group is a leading provider of high-resolution orthorectified aerial imagery and geospatial information products. Its aerial imagery products are published under the brand name Cities Revealed.
It also provides consultancy, training and mapping services to a broad array of professionals and has undertaken contracts to provide bespoke image databases across the world.
www.citiesrevealed.com