Method of synthesizing a cartographic imagery

Abstract

The invention relates to a method of synthesizing a cartographic image consisting of pixels and representing a terrain overflown by an aircraft, the cartographic image being computed at each pixel on the basis of several cues which include a first color altimetric cue obtained on the basis of a datum of absolute altitude or relative altitude with respect to the altitude of the aircraft, of a possible cue of presence of at least one intervisibility zone and of a possible cue of presence of a forest zone, a second shading cue representative of the relief of the terrain, and a possible third color planimetric cue, the entire set of altimetric cues constituting an altimetric image and the entire set of planimetric cues constituting a planimetric image, the method comprising at least two types of mode, on the one hand a normal mode type in which, at each pixel, the shading cue modulates the altimetric cue but not the planimetric cue and on the other hand an inverted mode type in which, at each pixel, the shading cue modulates the planimetric cue but not the altimetric cue, and the cartographic image being obtained, in a normal mode type on the basis of the modulated altimetric image and of the planimetric image, in an inverted mode type on the basis of the altimetric image and of the modulated planimetric image.