This application is a tool to obtain shadowed images (through light gradation) according to the relief and the position of the Sun. The localization of the Sun is determined by the elevation angles (in degrees) with respect to the horizon and the azimuth in relation to the North in clockwise sense (with 0¼ indicating the North). Specification of these angles will be required when generating the model derivations of DEM (Digital Elevation Model). These model derivations are the Digital Illumination Model, which calculates the cosine of the angle of incidence, and the Digital Shadow Model which determines the solar elevation angle from which each point of the terrain gets direct light from the Sun. These models can be pre-calculated with the corresponding applications: Illum and Ombra. In any of the cases, from the DEM, the application can generate temporarily the necessary model derivations and delete them when finished, or keep them for later usage. It has to be born in mind that the calculation of the Shadow Model can become a long process that needs large memory resources, and therefore, it is possible to not use this model. Without it, an acceptable result will be generated, although of a lower quality than when this factor is taken into consideration.

The model to be shadowed can be a raster or a structured vector of polygons. If it is a raster, it can be in any IMG format, and it can be either a categorical model, where a direct assignation from values to colour is implied or, a continuous model, where a lineal scale between maximum and minimum values and the number of symbols are established for the assignment. If it is a vector, the field through which the colour of the interior is symbolized and which will rise to the model of temporary raster that will be equivalent to the one that has to be shadowed, has to be specified. The rasterization will be completely internal and it will be done in relation to the scope and the length of the cell of the Digital Elevation Model (or of the Illumination model if the DEM is not necessary). Whichever it is the origin, in the present version it is necessary to specify the palette or table of symbolization that is being used and from which the new range of colours is being constructed.

The result is an image in JPG format, the quality of which is a configurable parameter, variable between 5 (minimum quality and maximum compression) and 95 (maximum quality and minimum compression). If the model to be shadowed is a raster the result can be added as 3 new bands (one channel per colour) of a multiband raster.

Shadowed algorithm is based fundamentally on the transformation of RGB colour (red, green and blue) into its HSI components (main colour, saturation and intensity), the modulation of the intensity component (illumination) according to the cosine of the angle of incidence through the zones that receive direct light and are darkened according to a percentage (/PERCENT_FOSC=) of the shadowed zones, without altering the other components, (main colour and saturation) the return to the RGB space. The user can determine some maximum and minimum percentage values, to limit the intensity component and to avoid, this way that the colours that are quite illuminated or not very illuminated, cannot be differentiated. As the modulation of the illumination based on the cosine of the angle of incidence represents, in the majority of cases, a diminution of this component, it is convenient to raise this intensity to a determined level, which will have to be adjusted in relation to the relief and the solar position.
The blank zones (NODATA), both from the elevation models and derivations and from the origin file, will not take part in this gradation, and will be converted into colour white (default colour for NODATA in rasters).


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