Ytkartor

Ytkartor is a term used in cartography and digital visualization to describe maps that encode information about the exterior surface of objects or landscapes, focusing on surface characteristics rather than the underlying geometry alone. It emphasizes surface texture, material properties, reflectance, roughness, and micro-relief as primary data layers.

The concept integrates multiple data sources to produce representations that convey tactile and visual surface quality. Typical inputs include texture maps, spectral reflectance data, LiDAR-derived elevation and roughness, photogrammetric imagery, and in-situ measurements. Outputs can be 2D raster layers that encode surface attributes or 3D surface models that reproduce real-world micro-relief and material appearance, often used alongside traditional topographic information.

Ytkartor emerged alongside advances in remote sensing, photogrammetry, and computer graphics, with particular relevance to applications that require perceptual realism or material differentiation. It is used in urban planning, architecture, environmental monitoring, landscape visualization, and immersive media such as virtual reality and gaming, where understanding surface properties enhances analysis and communication.

In practice, ytkartor products vary from texture-rich terrain maps to city-scale surface visuals that differentiate materials (such as vegetation, water, concrete, and soil). They face challenges related to data volume, illumination effects, and the need for standardized metadata to describe data sources, acquisition conditions, and processing methods. See also cartography, texture mapping, digital elevation models, LiDAR, and photogrammetry.