Rendering of Streamed Vector Maps on a Mobile Phone

This thesis documents the design and implementation of a 3D vector map renderer for mobile phones. It was carried out at Wayfinder Systems, which previously used a limited 3D renderer that is layered upon an old 2D renderer. An overview of mobile 3D API:s is provided, which focuses on cross platform compatibility and performance. A target API is chosen (OpenGL ES) and an extensible rendering framework is developed. The different steps required for preparation of vector map data for such a framework is documented. Features such as elevation model support are implemented in order to fully demonstrate the advantages of the new renderer and an overview of other map features that could be added is also provided. An algorithm for splitting up polygon data against a terrain model is presented which should be more effective than standard clipping algorithms. Finally, the thesis concludes with an evaluation of the new renderer.