The use of computer image generation technologies within the transportation field to aid both the design and the user communities to visualize better the essential elements of a proposed facility's structure as well as its operation is addressed. The primary focus is on current and future applications of these technologies and their integration within the overall notion of context-sensitive design and public involvement. The discussion suggests that a movement away from the visualization of what something looks like to the visualization of how something works or operates is being encountered, a trend that forces the integration of modelling and simulation. The discussion also suggests the importance of applications that use visualization to help bridge the gap between notions of design and notions of value. Such applications also reflect an increased integration of design-oriented applications and planning-oriented applications, such as those that incorporate the use of spatially referenced data systems such as geographic information systems.
Abstract