Evolution of 3D outrageGIS mapping

Creating interactive 3D maps in the browser is now trivial with open-source projects like MapLibre GL JS. We can even use custom elevations on which to drape our surface features, e.g., our project Phase 2 elevation and height explorer.

However, in the early 2000s, making a convincing bird’s-eye view meant spending hours tiling DEMs and rendering in open-source apps like POV-Ray and later Blender. The render wasn’t the final product; it was the start of bread-and-butter graphic design, adding features and labels to make a static, single view of your location.

This small collection of designs, starting in 2000, shows the evolution of techniques and capabilities. Some projects are not exclusively 3D. They are included to demonstrate how photography can be incorporated into traditional cartography to create an illusion of a bird’s-eye view.

Note: The images below link to Flickr unless they are active interactive maps.

2000 Kingdom Come State Park Bird’s Eye View, print

2002 Red River Gorge Bird’s Eye View, print

2006 John Muir Trail Explorer, print

2008 Bird’s-eye view of the Great Smokies, print

2015 Boone Trace Trail Explorer, interactive map

2016 Sheltowee Trace Trail Explorer, interactive map

2017 Bluegrass Trail Explorer, interactive map

2017 Cumberland Gap interpretive Bird’s Eye View, interactive map

2022 Rowan County Trail Explorer, interactive map

More early maps?

Visit remnants of our first web page to see early 3D maps and cartography from our early days. Alternatively, check the Internet Archive Wayback Machine for outrageGIS.com.