GIS5935 M2.1: TINs and DEMs

 The screen capture below shows the TIN and DEM contour sets overlaid on the study area, with the original elevation points included for reference

    In this week's lab, we explored the two elevation data models TINs and DEMs and compared how each represents terrain and supports contour generation.

    The most important part of this lab for me was Part D in which we compared the accuracy of point elevation data using contours we generated from both TIN and DEM datasets.  

    The TIN model was built from elevation points and our study area in the form of a soft clip polygon, producing a triangulated TIN surface that preserved sharp terrain features and abrupt elevation changes. 

    The DEM was interpolated using spline, resulting in a smoother, continuous surface that generalized some of the finer terrain details. To evaluate the differences, I generated contour lines from both models and overlaid them with the original elevation points. 

    The TIN-derived contours aligned more closely with the source data in my opinion, especially in areas with steep slopes or complex terrain. I believe TINs were more accurate in preserving elevation changes compared to the trade-offs involved when using raster-based interpolation. 

    Aside from the technical applications, it was nice to re-learn and visualize different terminology from this week's module. Seeing Aspect being represented in degrees along with Hillshade helped reinforce my understanding of these terms.