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Application of the Fisher's “Horizon Viewshed” to a proposed power transmission line in Nozzano (Italy)
Author(s) -
Fontani Federico
Publication year - 2017
Publication title -
transactions in gis
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.721
H-Index - 63
eISSN - 1467-9671
pISSN - 1361-1682
DOI - 10.1111/tgis.12260
Subject(s) - viewshed analysis , visibility , geography , computer science , line (geometry) , horizon , object (grammar) , computer graphics (images) , skyline , cartography , artificial intelligence , archaeology , mathematics , meteorology , geometry
Visibility algorithms have progressed very little since early GIS software, and today the typical approach is still based on the simple binary logic (visible – not visible). Specialized packages, such as Esri's 3DAnalyst, provide tools able only to identify the cells from which an observer can see the evaluated target object. This technical note presents an experimental approach to combining different Esri tools into a model in order to return the visibility analysis based on the Fisher's “horizon viewshed” approach (Fisher, [Fisher, P. F., 1996]). The latter consists in evaluating whether an object in the landscape rises above the skyline or remains below it. The model has been applied to study the visual impact of an High Voltage Power line in the area of Nozzano Castle, Lucca (Italy).