Konturverlauf

Konturverlauf, translating roughly as contour gradient, is a term used in several technical fields to describe how a property changes along a contour or boundary. In practice it refers to the variation of color, width, elevation, or other attributes measured along a path that follows the edge or a line of constant value.

In cartography and GIS, contour lines represent lines of equal elevation. A konturverlauf describes how the terrain attribute changes in the vicinity of a contour line, often used to illustrate slope or gradient across the landscape. The slope between two contour lines is computed as the elevation difference divided by the distance, giving a gradient value.

In computer graphics and vector design, konturverlauf can denote shading or styling that follows the shape's contour. A gradient can be mapped along a stroke or along a closed contour so that color or transparency varies in concordance with the boundary, enhancing depth or volume.

Implementation typically involves either sampling along the contour and creating a gradient field, or applying a path-based gradient where the gradient vector aligns with the contour's tangent. Software tools often support visualizing konturverlauf as a color ramp along a contour line or as variable stroke attributes along a path.

See also: contour line, gradient, slope, isopleth, shading, GIS.