ABSTRACT
Towards the end of the twentieth century the availability of desktop computers allowed digital techniques of landscape visualisation to become more pervasive in presenting and conveying change to landscapes. Rather than hand-drawing plans, landscape architects began to employ computer software to draw, display and print their designs. Construction of an interactive 3D landscape model requires three basic elements: a 3D model of an area; software that can read this model and display it in real time; and computer hardware that allows the software to operate efficiently. Landscape planning processes are methods for legitimising and controlling anthropogenic impact on the environment. Consultation in landscape planning has long been supported by the more established visualisation techniques, such as plans, sections and photomontages. Virtual representations of landscapes used to be limited to being experienced off-site only, due to hi-spec equipment requirements. Experiencing the landscape in off-site mode typically reduces the complexity of the sensory experiences to a visual representation only.
