A sketch-based system for highway design with user-specified regions of influence

To create traffic simulations of high visual-fidelity, each component part needs to be designed and modelled in great detail. Roads can be created manually, but this can become a time-consuming and laborious process when modelling large-scale networks. Therefore, automated techniques for generating road networks efficiently and effectively, is highly desirable in both urban-planning and entertainment industries. In this paper we present a novel sketch-based tool to semi-automate the design, creation, and visualisation of road networks across both flat and undulating terrains. Our tool is guided by input sketches and a combination of prioritised constraints, including the curvature of roads, their inclination, and the volume of ground that would be displaced during construction. We introduce ‘Influence Regions’ which are user-specified areas of the terrain that influence the path of the roads generated, and are used to attract or repel roads to/from certain obstacles or designated areas, such as forestation, listed buildings, marshland, etc. A user study is conducted to evaluate the usability of the system and the quality of roads generated in a diverse range of scenarios. The results indicate that our system is both user-friendly and able to produce roads that are true to the user's intention.

The user creates ‘Influence Regions’ and sketches the desired path of the road onto the terrain. The algorithm iteratively manipulates the path of the road to produce an optimal route, based on geometric and user-specified constraints.Figure optionsDownload high-quality image (164 K)Download as PowerPoint slideHighlights
► We constrain user-sketches to generate roads across diverse terrains.
► Influence Regions are introduced to attract/repel roads to/from certain areas.
► A user-study is conducted to evaluate the system's usability.