Rendering of landscapes for environmental assessment

These days, computer graphics are playing an important role in giving lifelike information for the estimation of landscapes after finishing large-scale construction projects. However, how to create vivid photo-realistic images based on exact geometry and optical phenomena is still an essential issue. The authors introduce rendering techniques for visual environmental landscape assessment using computer graphics and/or video sequence images. The techniques are classified into three categories: computer generated images and montages for visualizing landscapes with photo-realistic rendering techniques, panoramic images and panoramic montages employing image-based rendering techniques made from video sequence images, and panned/zoomed video sequence images composited with computer generated images. The basic techniques and their validity are discussed by using practical examples.