[GIS] Which is better, DEM or Triangles (TIN/Terrain)

demterraintin

Which is better DEM or TIN?

What are the benefits/negatives of each?

Best Answer

It is all very dependent on your needs. You know that TIN is a vector-based representation whereas DEM is represented as a raster from grid of squares. Actually TIN is a type of DEM and derived from the raster DEM.

The TIN representation has information about altitude, slope and aspect and you can use them to extract the areas you require.

There is an information here about TIN and raster DEM.

Raster DEM and TIN examples:

raster dem vs tins

Why You Might Want to Use a TIN

(From http://www.srnr.arizona.edu/rnr/rnr420/dem2/tsld006.htm)

Raster DEM

Data redundancy in areas of uniform terrain

Inability to adapt to areas of differing relief complexity

Exaggerated emphasis along the axis of the grid

TIN

Non-redundant data

Allows extra data in complex areas and less data in non-complex areas

The ability to use natural features as break-lines

Of course, you have to like triangles

I hope it helps you..

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