DMCD-Designed Hudson Riverama Exhibition to open in February.

Solid Terrain Modeling (STM), manufacturer of the world's most accurate 3-D solid terrain models, said it is building a 4-foot by 31-foot 3-D solid terrain model of the Hudson River and surrounding areas. The model is being commissioned by the Hudson River Museum and coordinated by New York design firm, DMCD, and will be the centerpiece of its Hudson Riverama museum exhibition. The exhibition will open in February at the Hudson River Museum in Yonkers, New York. RH Guest is fabricating the exhibit.

James Hollingsworth, project designer for DMCD, said, "Like dioramas, topographic models have long been used in natural history exhibitions to engage visitors with three-dimensional renderings of the natural world. The model of the Hudson River and its surrounding regions will differ from traditional topographic models in that it is highly accurate, rather than impressionistic. Imagery generated by a range of contemporary scientific technologies will allow us to present different 'windows' on the river."

The 31-foot-long model is to scale in length and has a 3x vertical exaggeration. The form of the model is generated from the latest USGS topographic data. Its contours are cut by computer, using a fine grid with exact elevation points. Most of the imagery and color on the model comes from eight-meter USGS DOQQs overlaid with Landsat 7 satellite imagery. Numerous features on the model are magnified to a higher resolution to aid interpretation.