Infrastructure design using 3D reality data

1. A method for infrastructure design using three dimensional (3-D) reality data, comprising:

determining, by an electronic device, a boundary of a design region in a three dimensional (3-D) reality model, the 3-D reality model to represent existing conditions at a site including ground and non-terrain features, wherein non-terrain features are features that are not substantially at ground level including man-made 3-D structures and natural 3-D structures, the boundary of the design region formed as a polygon that extends over at least representations of the ground;

detecting, by a ground detection process executing on the electronic device or another electronic device, a plurality of ground points of the 3-D reality model for ground within the design region;

based at least on the boundary of the design region and the detected ground points of the 3-D reality model, generating a two-and-a-half (2.5D) terrain mesh that represents ground within the design region, the generating the 2.5D terrain mesh to flatten any non-terrain features within the design region;

clipping around the design region, the clipping to apply a clip mask to the 3-D reality model to show the 2.5D terrain mesh that represents ground within the design region and a remaining part of the 3-D reality model that represents ground and non-terrain features external to the design region;

placing one or more 3-D computer aided design (CAD) objects that represent planned infrastructure upon the 2.5D terrain mesh that represents ground within the design region; and

displaying, in the GUI shown by the electronic device, a combined view including the 3-D CAD objects that represent planned infrastructure placed upon the 2.5D terrain mesh that represents ground within the design region, and the 2.5D terrain mesh that represents ground within the design region surrounded by the remaining part of the 3-D reality model that represents ground and non-terrain features external to the design region.

2. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

obtaining textures for the design region from the 3-D reality model or another data source; and

applying the textures to the 2.5D terrain mesh.

3. The method of claim 2 , wherein the obtaining textures further comprises:

creating a series of texture bitmaps for grid cells of the design region.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the determining comprises receiving, in a graphical user interface (GUI) shown by the electronic device, user input specifying the boundary of the design region, wherein the user input specifying the boundary of the design region comprises a drawing of the polygon on a view of the 3-D reality model shown in the GUI.

5. The method of claim 4 , wherein the user input indicates portions of the boundary also extend over non-terrain features.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the ground detection process utilizes an iterative ground detection algorithm, and the method further comprises:

displaying in the GUI a preview of partial results while the ground detection process is executing;

receiving, in the GUI shown by an electronic device, user input requesting that the ground detection process early terminate; and

in response to the user input requesting that the ground detection process early terminate, either returning detected ground points of the 3-D reality model of the partial results or discarding the ground points of the 3-D reality model of the partial results.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein the 2.5D terrain mesh is a 2.5D multi-resolution terrain mesh, and the generating generates a plurality of levels of detail (LOD).

8. The method of claim 1 , wherein the clipping further comprises:

applying a clip boundary coinciding with the design region to the 2.5D terrain mesh.

9. An electronic device comprising:

a display screen;

a processor; and

a memory coupled to the processor and configured to store a three dimensional (3-D) reality model, the 3-D reality model to represent existing conditions including ground and non-terrain features existing structure, at a site and a library of computer aided design (CAD) objects, and instructions for a design application executable on the processor, the design application having a plurality of software processes including:

a design region definition process configured to determine a boundary of a design region of the 3-D reality model, the boundary of the design region formed as a polygon that extends over at least representations of ground,

a ground detection process configured to detect a plurality of ground points of the 3-D reality model for ground within the design region,

a terrain creation process configured to generate a two-and-a-half (2.5D) terrain mesh that represents ground within the design region, based at least on the user-specific boundary of the design region and the detected ground points of the 3-D reality model, the terrain creation process to flatten any non-terrain features within the design region,

a clipping process configured to apply a clip mask to the 3-D reality model to show the 2.5D terrain mesh that represents ground within the design region and a remaining part of the 3-D reality model that represents ground and non-terrain features external to the design region, and

a CAD modeling process configured to place one or more 3-D computer aided design (CAD) objects that represent planned infrastructure upon the 2.5D terrain mesh that represents ground within the design region, and display in a graphical user interface (GUI) on the display screen a combined view including the 3-D CAD objects that represent planned infrastructure placed upon the 2.5D terrain mesh that represents ground within the design region, and the 2.5D terrain mesh that represents ground within the design region surrounded by the remaining part of the 3-D reality model that represents ground and non-terrain features external to the design region,

wherein non-terrain features are features that are not substantially at ground level including man-made 3-D structures and natural 3-D structures.

10. The electronic device of claim 9 , wherein the software processes further include:

a process configured to obtain textures from the design region from the 3-D reality model or another data source,

wherein the terrain creation process is further configured to apply the textures to the 2.5D terrain mesh.

11. The electronic device of claim 10 , wherein the process is further configured to create a series of texture bitmaps for grid cells of the design region.

12. The electronic device of claim 9 , wherein the design region definition process is further configured to receive user input that specifies the boundary of the design region, wherein the user input specifying the boundary of the design region comprises drawing of the polygon on a view of the 3-D reality model shown in the GUI.

13. The electronic device of claim 9 , wherein the design region definition process is further configured to receive user input that specifies the boundary of the design region, wherein the user input indicates portions of the boundary also extend over non-terrain features.

14. The electronic device of claim 9 , wherein the ground detection process utilizes an iterative ground detection algorithm, and is further configured to display in the GUI a preview of partial results while the ground detection process is executing, receive user input requesting that the ground detection process early terminate, and in response to the user input requesting that the ground detection process early terminate, either return detected ground points of the 3-D reality model of the partial results or discard the ground points of the 3-D reality model of the partial results.

15. The electronic device of claim 9 , wherein the 2.5D terrain mesh is a 2.5D multi-resolution terrain mesh.

16. The electronic device of claim 9 , wherein the clipping process is further configured to apply a clip boundary coinciding with the design region to the 2.5D terrain mesh.

17. A method for infrastructure design using three dimensional (3-D) reality data, comprising:

determining a design region of a three dimensional (3-D) reality model, the 3-D reality model to represent existing conditions including ground and non-terrain features at a site, wherein non-terrain features are features that are not substantially at ground level including man-made 3-D structures and natural 3-D structures;

reducing the design region to be a two-and-a-half (2.5D) terrain mesh that represents ground, the reducing to flatten any non-terrain features that may be within the design region;

apply a clip mask to the 3-D reality model to show the 2.5D terrain mesh that represents ground within the design region and a remaining part of the 3-D reality model that represents ground and non-terrain features external to the design region;

placing one or more 3-D computer aided design (CAD) objects that represent planned infrastructure upon the 2.5D terrain mesh that represents ground within the design region; and

displaying, in a graphical user interface (GUI) shown by the electronic device, a combined view including the 3-D CAD objects that represent planned infrastructure placed upon the 2.5D terrain mesh that represents ground within the design region, and the 2.5D terrain mesh that represents ground within the design region in turn surrounded by the remaining part of the 3-D reality model that represents ground and non-terrain features existing structures external to the design region.

18. The method of claim 17 , further comprising:

obtaining textures for the design region from the 3-D reality model; and

applying the textures to the 2.5D terrain mesh.

19. The method of claim 17 , wherein the 2.5D terrain mesh is a 2.5D multi-resolution terrain mesh, and the reducing generates a plurality of levels of detail (LOD).

20. The method of claim 17 , wherein the clipping further comprises:

applying a clip boundary coinciding with the design region to the 2.5D terrain mesh.