Why Not a Single Image? Combining Visualizations to Facilitate Fieldwork and On-Screen Mapping

TLDR

Visualization products derived from raster elevation models remain the primary basis for most archaeological and geomorphological lidar studies. The authors aim to enhance existing visualizations by creating meaningful image combinations that retain the strengths of individual techniques, outlining criteria for good visualizations and presenting five blend modes to improve recognition of small topographic features. They blend multiple relief visualization techniques into a single enhanced image, offering a recipe and tool with detailed settings to generate visualizations that satisfy the established criteria. The resulting recipe and tool successfully produce archaeological topographies that meet all criteria for effective visualization.

Abstract

Visualization products computed from a raster elevation model still form the basis of most archaeological and geomorphological enquiries of lidar data. We believe there is a need to improve the existing visualizations and create meaningful image combinations that preserve positive characteristics of individual techniques. In this paper, we list the criteria a good visualization should meet, present five different blend modes (normal, screen, multiply, overlay, luminosity), which combine various images into one, discuss their characteristics, and examine how they can be used to improve the visibility (recognition) of small topographical features. Blending different relief visualization techniques allows for a simultaneous display of distinct topographical features in a single (enhanced) image. We provide a “recipe” and a tool for a mix of visualization techniques and blend modes, including all the settings, to compute a visualization for archaeological topography that meets all of the criteria of a good visualization.