This will better enable residents to get an idea of what the visual impact will be. The idea of photographing balloons from 'key' locations wouldn't appear to be a very satisfactory method, since the view from one's own picture window would likely constitute a 'key' location. Considering that the structure would probably be visible from hundreds, perhaps thousands, of households, and numerous scenic locations, there must be a better way to predict the extent of the stack's visibility. The answer may be provided by a three-dimensional surface generated within a Geographical Information System. Perhaps in the future most GIS projects will be completed without a hitch.
Today there are potential problems with software as well as with data from unfamiliar sources.
Actually, one can almost expect at least a couple of minor 'issues' to arise while completing any GIS activity. This particular plan was no exception to that rule. This 'ideal conditions' scenario gives a feel for the 'flow chart' approach, where one process blends smoothly into the next, and so on. This is how, in theory, the project should have gone. The next section outlines a few of the major obstacles that prevented the project from being completed as originally visualized.