Converting GPS coordinates into 3D model

Question

As the question says, I am looking to use GPS coordinates (say from Google maps) to build a 3D model (a road).

So it should work as follows: You go to Google maps and select a route (this can be between 2 points or a circuit). You then get the lat long coordinates for this route.

Using this data, you then feed it into a program that generates a height map of the coordinates as obtained from Google maps.

I am trying to make a demo in C# (XNA) that you can quickly generate a course of your neighbourhood for a driving sim (as long as I get the main road sections right its ok, wont be able to add detailed characteristics of the road e.g. a ditch next to the road or small bumps in the actual road surface).

Does anyone have any ideas on where I would even start with a problem like this (tried Google already but the best I could find was here)

Answer 1

GPS coordinates (latitude, longitude, altitude) uses a speherical 3D modell. What you want is a transformation to a cartesian 3D Model.

For this case you can convert them into ECEF coordinates, this then are a x,y,z coordinates

For ECEF overview see ECEF

Answer 2

A starting point could be to look at the Dotspatial libraries for .NET: http://dotspatial.codeplex.com/

I have used these libraries, but mainly to gather GPS coordinates from an external device. I haven't used these coordinates on a map for instance. The documentation is limited, but if you pry around you might be able to find some info.