Processing old maps and drawings to create virtual historic landscapes

Virtual reconstructions of bygone landscapes are created using old maps and drawings. The creation of reliable and realistic virtual historic landscapes is problematic due to inaccuracies in historic sources, the lack of computerization tools and poor-defined visualization requirements. Our aim is to find a methodical way to process historic sources to create 3D virtual landscape reconstructions and search for decisive variables that influence user experience. This paper will focus on our proposed methodology to process old maps and drawings to create a 3D virtual reconstruction of the –almost completely- disappeared landscape around the former real estate Palace Honselaarsdijck. After digitizing and georeferencing a dedicated collection of old maps and drawings, we create a historic digital terrain model for the Cruquius map of Delfland (1712) by adapting a current elevation map to the historic situation. Next, we add more detailed topographic landscape features to the terrain model by fusing it together with the semi-automatic cleaned historic map. A 3D object library including churches, farmhouses, and windmills is created to decorate our historic landscape model in a procedural way. Finally, we rendered our virtual landscape model in 3D visualization software and validated the virtual landscape reconstruction for geometric and topographic differences.