Introduction

In this chapter, we will delve into the 3D capabilities of PostGIS, focusing on three basic categories: how to get 3D data into PostGIS, 3D analyses within PostGIS, and ways of serving 3D data out of PostGIS. The chapter will focus on 3D point clouds, including LiDAR point clouds and point clouds derived from Structure from Motion (SfM) techniques. In addition, we will build a function that extrudes building footprints to 3D. Finally, we will explore ways of distributing the 3D models through the Web as exported from PostGIS using the X3D standard.

We will not be addressing the pointcloud extension in this chapter, which enables the use of larger LiDAR and other point cloud data in PostgreSQL with optional capacity to tie into PostGIS. For information on pointcloud PostgreSQL/PostGIS development, see Paul Ramsey's tutorial at http://workshops.boundlessgeo.com/tutorial-lidar/ and other forthcoming resources at http://boundlessgeo.com.

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