LandSerf is a free geographic information system

Geographic Information System

A geographic information system, geographical information science, or geospatial information studies is a system designed to capture, store, manipulate, analyze, manage, and present all types of geographically referenced data...

 for editing, processing and visualizing

Geovisualization

Geovisualization, short for Geographic Visualization, refers to a set of tools and techniques supporting geospatial data analysis through the use of interactive visualization....

 spatial data. It is particularly suited to handling Digital Digital Elevation Models

Digital elevation model

A digital elevation model is a digital model or 3-D representation of a terrain's surface — commonly for a planet , moon, or asteroid — created from terrain elevation data....

 (DEMs) and other surface

Surface

In mathematics, specifically in topology, a surface is a two-dimensional topological manifold. The most familiar examples are those that arise as the boundaries of solid objects in ordinary three-dimensional Euclidean space R3 — for example, the surface of a ball...

 models. It is written in Java

Java (programming language)

Java is a programming language originally developed by James Gosling at Sun Microsystems and released in 1995 as a core component of Sun Microsystems' Java platform. The language derives much of its syntax from C and C++ but has a simpler object model and fewer low-level facilities...

 and runs on Windows

Microsoft Windows

Microsoft Windows is a series of operating systems produced by Microsoft.Microsoft introduced an operating environment named Windows on November 20, 1985 as an add-on to MS-DOS in response to the growing interest in graphical user interfaces . Microsoft Windows came to dominate the world's personal...

, Mac OS

Mac OS

Mac OS is a series of graphical user interface-based operating systems developed by Apple Inc. for their Macintosh line of computer systems. The Macintosh user experience is credited with popularizing the graphical user interface...

 and Linux

Linux

Linux is a Unix-like computer operating system assembled under the model of free and open source software development and distribution. The defining component of any Linux system is the Linux kernel, an operating system kernel first released October 5, 1991 by Linus Torvalds...

 platforms.

History

The first version of LandSerf was written in 1996 as a platform for performing scale-based analysis of Digital Elevation Models. It implemented the idea of multiscale surface characterisation proposed by Jo Wood's PhD where characteristics such as slope, curvature and feature type could be measured over a range of spatial scales.

Subsequent releases of the software have enhanced its visualization capabilities (for example, 3d real-time flythroughs using OpenGL

OpenGL

OpenGL is a standard specification defining a cross-language, cross-platform API for writing applications that produce 2D and 3D computer graphics. The interface consists of over 250 different function calls which can be used to draw complex three-dimensional scenes from simple primitives. OpenGL...

) and the range of file formats

GIS file formats

A GIS file format is a standard of encoding geographical information into a file. They are created mainly by government mapping agencies or by GIS software developers.Metadata often includes:...

 it can import and export. With the addition of Vector handling (1998), attribute tables (2003) and raster and Vector overlay (2004), LandSerf can be regarded as an example of a Geographic Information System (GIS).

Applications

LandSerf has been used in a range of application areas including landscape visualization, geomorphology

Geomorphology

Geomorphology is the scientific study of landforms and the processes that shape them...

, ecology

Ecology

Ecology is the scientific study of the relations that living organisms have with respect to each other and their natural environment. Variables of interest to ecologists include the composition, distribution, amount , number, and changing states of organisms within and among ecosystems...

, archaeology

Archaeology

Archaeology, or archeology , is the study of human society, primarily through the recovery and analysis of the material culture and environmental data that they have left behind, which includes artifacts, architecture, biofacts and cultural landscapes...

, 3d gaming, GPS mapping and file format

GIS file formats

A GIS file format is a standard of encoding geographical information into a file. They are created mainly by government mapping agencies or by GIS software developers.Metadata often includes:...

 conversion.

Availability

LandSerf is not open source

Open source

The term open source describes practices in production and development that promote access to the end product's source materials. Some consider open source a philosophy, others consider it a pragmatic methodology...

, but it is freely available and has a documented API to allow Java programmers to customise and enhance the software.