地圖是一種表現及記錄真實世界的工具，但傳統地圖受限於紙張之使用，必須將四度空間（包括時間因素）的真實世界以二度空間的方式來展示，因此傳統的紙張地圖有其本質上之限制。但隨著科技之進展，電腦視覺化技術爲地理資訊之展現開啓了一個嶄新的大門，透過三度空間之電腦模擬及動畫之使用，可以將真實世界以四度空間的方式逼真的展示在使用者面前。本文探討電腦視覺化技術應用在地理資訊視覺化之理論與實務，並透過技術整合之方式，發展出一套地理資訊視覺化系統，作爲往後發展空間決策支援系統之基礎。

Map has been used as a tool to represent and store real world phenomena. However, limited by the use of paper, map has to transform four dimensional real world (include time domain) into two dimensional paper format. Therefore, paper map has its limitation in representing real world, with the help of technology improvement, computer visualization technique opens a brand new aspect for geographic information visualization. 3D and animation techniques can be used to simulate dynamic real world. This paper presents the potential of computer techniques to develop a geographic information visualization system. A prototype system was developed based on the integration of related techniqies. The system can be used as a vital part for further development of spatial decision support system.