[gdal-dev] Most optimal algorithm for contour correctness?

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Am creating an app which correctly calculates contours from a DEM file or any
height-map given to it. The correctness of the contour holding the most
importance, since a person viewing the contours shouldn't end up taking
wrong planning decisions and maybe losing their life by the route they
choose after looking at the map.

I have already tried using GDAL 1.7 source code, compiled it and added some
features of my own to it for some other objective. Now I want to
add-to/modify the source to be able to use the contour generation function
of GDAL in C++.

But before proceeding, I wanted to know:
1. If GDAL offers the best free contour generation algorithm available or is
there any other library which I can link to my code and feed my DEM map to
it and receive contour vector lines (or go thru research papers and
implement the contour generation algorithm myself in C++)? If GDAL, then why
is it the best?
2. A generated contour will basically be points connected with straight
lines. Is it more correct for a contour to be depicted with connected
straight lines or will it give a more correct result to use a spline to
smoothen out the lines?

I won't be interpolating any contours or the DEM because I've read on this
website that interpolation leads to incorrect results. 



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