A methodology for creating simulations using GIS data and the unity game engine

Abstract

The human ability to visualize space contributes to a better understanding of it and, therefore, entails a good ally in the decision-making process. The visualization of the environment could only be conducted either in the mind of a researcher or by creating sketches of the surrounding area. But now, that is simply not the case thanks to the development of digital twin technologies that can carry out this process more realistically and interactively, utilizing the spatial data available from geographic information systems (GISs) or data from other sources. This article will present a spatial data simulation methodology using the Unity Game Engine. Before simulating the GIS Data in Unity, they first had to be downloaded from multiple sources and processed to turn raw information into information that could be utilized. These data sources are open to the public, and they include OpenStreetMap, Copernicus Open Access Hub, and the Satellite Basemap of ArcGIS Pro. The preparation and processing of the data were done in a way that considered the weaknesses of some methods and tools but also the time parameter that can greatly affect the validity of the spatial data and, in turn, the simulation itself.