[GRASS-dev] user interaction with 3D vector data

[Henning Lorenz]

Hi all!

For feedback and discussion:
Although GRASS has a great 3D vector engine, I never utilised it's  
power because of the lacking possibility of direct user interaction  
with 3D data (or have I missed something essential here?), i.e. the 3D  
vector data can be stored, processed by many/most vector modules and  
visualised within and outside GRASS, but the user cannot interact with  
the data.
A first step toward user interaction would be a 2D viewer (or several  
simultaneous) that can be moved in the 3D vector space to look at  
(artificial) sections through the data (section needs not to be  
vertical to the Earth's surface). A second step would be the  
possibility to edit the vector data in these artificial sections at  
the cut-points and lines (and close-by nodes projected into the  
section). Together with existing and possibly new complementary tools  
for interpolation, surface generation (e.g. between sections) and  
autogeneration of volumes, this would be a very powerful tool.  
Alternatively, such a functionality can be integrated in a 3D viewer.
An obvious application for this is the construction of a 3  
dimensional  vector-"models" from several intersecting profiles (e.g.  
geology, spatial planning, etc.). According to the GRASS7 ideas  
collection, this has been considered before - see http://grass.osgeo.org/wiki/GRASS_7_ideas_collection#Library_2 
  :  "2d 'vertical' vector data (e.g. Geologic Cross Sections)" (What  
is the problem here, isn't a section the same as a number of faces in  
3D space?).
Are there more users/developers who miss this kind of functionality?
What are your thoughts?

Cheers,

Henning