DEVELOPMENT OF DEM Digital Elevation Model is a digital model or 3D representation of a terrains surface created from terrain elevation data.

There are many ways to develop it depending upon the type of data provided. We were provided with a contour map of NITC. This map was scanned to a .tif file which is termed as a raster. Now our task was to digitize this raster to vector polylines. This can be done using various softwares. We used AutoCAD MAP 3D, AutoCAD Raster design, AutoCAD civil 3D, Google sketchup and ArcGIS for this purpose. Here two approaches are listed. APPROACH 1: USING GIVEN CONTOUR: Steps adopted were as follows: Initially the raster was imported to AutoCAD Raster design which serves as a tool to AutoCAD MAP 3D. This software requires the raster to be in bitonal form. Bitonal means binary color i.e. either black or white. For this purpose histogram was used and frequency was set according to convenience of user. After changing our .tif file to a bitonal image now we need to digitize it. For this purpose we deployed raster tools>> followers>> contour follower. This tool identifies the path of raster and follows it. Usually the procedure is manual. And it requires user to follow each contour which is quite cumbersome. After following the contours we need to specify the elevation for each contour. And we can see that vector lines are imposed over raster path. This completes our process of converting raster to Vector image and the output we get is a digitized model. Now this digitized model can be imported in ArcGIS and a TIN (Triangular Irregular Networks)
model is developed. After TIN is done then create DEM option is used to develop the final Digital Elevation model. APPROACH 2: USING GOOGLE EARTH: Steps adopted are as follows: Open Google Sketchup and add location whose contour is to be developed. This is done using Google Earth. The snip of NITC is grabbed and imported in Sketchup. The imaged grabbed is toggled and is selected.

Add rectangles and give spacing of desired contour spacing. And intersection points with toggled image give us the counter. This contour is imposed on toggled image and this gives us the desired Digital Elevation Model.