A method and system 5 for generating a three-dimensional world model for simulated real terrain optimized for a personal computer. Terrain data and other environmental data are acquired from at least one of a plurality of digital data sources 9 through an acquisition step 20 and the acquired data are processed in a transformation and formatting step 25 to construct a predetermined intermediate database format 30, from which intermediate database, in response to a user query 40, introduced through a query interface program 45 that is visible on a personal computer monitor 11, the data are further extracted, processed and composited in a formatting step 32 to create a three-dimensional world model file 35. The 3-D world model format 35 is optimized for a particular imaging system, preferably a browser that renders standard Virtual Reality Modeling Language 2.0 specification files, that allows the 3-D model to be viewed and navigated on the computer monitor 11. In formatting step 32 the terrain surface can be colored and textured automatically by the system corresponding to geographic database layers, and natural and man-made structures can be made to populate the terrain skin as 3-D objects in the composited world model 35. The method and system 5 allow a personal computer user to query the system for any geographic location for which source data are available and to adjust the geographic extent of the 3-D world 35 per the user's preference aided by expert system guidance.