Konturer

Konturer is the plural form of kontur, meaning an outline or boundary of an object. The term is used across disciplines to refer to the line or shape that defines the outer edge or boundary of something. It is borrowed from the French word contour, meaning an outline.

In geography and cartography, konturer usually refers to contour lines on topographic maps. These lines connect points of equal elevation and together describe terrain form, relief, and slope. The spacing of konturer indicates steepness (closely spaced lines mean steep terrain). Contour intervals are the fixed elevation difference between successive konturer; index konturer are heavier and labeled.

In art and drawing, konturer describe the outlines that define the forms of subjects. Contour drawing emphasizes edges and shape, sometimes limiting shading to highlight the boundary. Artists use konturer to convey structure with minimal lines, and exercises such as blind contour drawing are common.

In digital imaging and computer vision, konturer are detected as boundaries of regions or objects. Contour detection and segmentation identify continuous curves representing object borders; algorithms such as edge detectors and marching squares are used to extract konturer from images.

Other uses exist in anatomy and fashion, where body contours describe the silhouette or shape, and in product design where contour lines influence ergonomics and aesthetics.