How to tile DEM files into Cesium’s Terrain format?

In GISBox, we provide you with a one-stop conversion method for various GIS file formats. You only need to import local GIS files and tile them, and then distribute them to major GIS platforms or digital twin project building platforms.

1. Overview of DEM files

DEM (Digital Elevation Model) is a data model that records surface elevation in a regular grid format. It only contains terrain height information and does not include vegetation or buildings. The core function of DEM is to accurately present terrain undulations. The data sources include digitization of topographic maps, aerial photogrammetry, and satellite remote sensing. Common formats include ASCII Grid, GeoTIFF, Erdas Imagine Grid, TIN, and HDF. Each format has its own characteristics and applicable scenarios.

2. Overview of Cesium’s Terrain Format

Cesium Terrain is a terrain format designed for the Cesium.js engine, optimized for WebGL real-time rendering, and supports streaming loading of massive terrain data. Its notable feature is the use of a hierarchical slice structure that divides terrain data at different resolutions and levels. When users browse the map, Cesium can dynamically load the corresponding slices according to the zoom level, improve rendering efficiency, and reduce data transmission and memory usage. The format also supports quantization and compression of terrain data, reducing file size and optimizing transmission and loading speed.

GISBox supports tiling DEM files into Cesium’s Terrain format. Currently, only the GeoTIFF format is supported. Click to view the corresponding tutorial: How to convert GeoTIFF format to Cesium’s Terrain format? (Terrain Tiling)