How to extract a real terrain

[itsdonjon 25]

Hey there again dear Forumians!

After my "let's try it!"-Map turned out to be..exactly what it should be, a testfield, me and a friend wanna try to build a real island of the world. For the start we would really need the originial geo data of the island.

Is somewhere here a tutorial on how to extract those datas? Or can anyone tell us? We already made one, but thats blurred as hell!

I hope you can help me again!

Greetz, Don!

[Cype_Revenge 651]

i think you can found here all what you need:

http://forums.bistudio.com/showthread.php?94222-Resourcelink-collection-How-to-make-a-map-beginning-from-the-idea-in-your-head

[jakerod 254]

Although I find it unlikely, if your island is in the United States then check out the USGS National Map Viewer. It has some areas that are very high res, I'm talking 3m resolution. That being said not all areas are that hi-res but some of them are. Unfortunately it is only available for elevation data within the US.

[itsdonjon 25]

Well, my island is in greece...size of Stratis...and i can't find some stupid heightmaps for it! -.-

but i'll keep trying :D

[Cype_Revenge 651]

well im think that is the best for you :

http://forums.bistudio.com/showthread.php?109978-ZGM-Mapmaking-Tutorial

[jakerod 254]

Well, my island is in greece...size of Stratis...and i can't find some stupid heightmaps for it! -.-

but i'll keep trying :D

SRTM data might be your best bet then.

See post below.

Edited October 1, 2014 by Jakerod

[jimbop 25]

asta gdem

http://gdem.ersdac.jspacesystems.or.jp/search.jsp

[itsdonjon 25]

The zgm Tutorial isn't working anymore, unfortunately.

[meat147 1]

http://opentopo.sdsc.edu/gridsphere/gridsphere?cid=geonlidarframeportlet&gs_action=raster&opentopoID=OTSRTM.042013.4326.1

i get my Data from here import into l3dt and process it

[jakerod 254]

http://opentopo.sdsc.edu/gridsphere/gridsphere?cid=geonlidarframeportlet&gs_action=raster&opentopoID=OTSRTM.042013.4326.1

i get my Data from here import into l3dt and process it

I think jimbop's link has higher resolution data although I am not 100% sure since I have not used it myself... yet.

[bushlurker 46]

The zgm Tutorial isn't working anymore, unfortunately.

If you mean that the link to the tutorial itself is broken or down, you can get it from my sadly neglected little website

If it's the data sources you meant then - yes, check out the links posted above...

ASTER DEM's are generally better resolution than SRTM (32m/cell as opposed to #65-90m/cell), however, the dataset is known for occasional technical glitches, which result in occasional odd "sinkholes" and "vertical spikes"... make sure you visually check it over for obvious flaws before starting serious work with it...

B

[itsdonjon 25]

I was talking about the link, so thank you for your help and for the help of your website! :) I'm looking through the zgm-tu now, i hope it answers all my questions :)

Aunt Edith: So, this Tut is for A2/Visitor 3. Does it even work with A3/TB/V4? Because..that would be quite pretty. Espacially the wood/road-shape thingy.

Greetings, Don!

Edited October 2, 2014 by ItsDonJon

[Cype_Revenge 651]

yeah making roads is different....

but how to create a heightmap with real data works, still the same....

and to open your realmap in TB...

for tutorial roads you can search here....

[itsdonjon 25]

So, new day, new problem. The zgm Tut is for Global Mapper v11, but i can only find v16. and there i cant find the "create area shapes" command. And..i think thats a really important part ;D

[jakerod 254]

Select the digitizer tool (looks like a pencil) and right click on the main area. I have GM 11 as well but I don't think they would change anything around like that.

[Cype_Revenge 651]

i have GM15 and found it...

[itsdonjon 25]

So, this problems were sorted out luckily (Looks like i need some new glasses..). But here comes the next problem. I want to import that beauty into TB. I do as it worked the first time (With my test map)

1. Add Mapframe (Right UTM-Zone) -> Press cancel in the next window

2. Import -> Terrain -> Selected my .xyz. (Then my terrain shows up!)

3. Move it to 200000/0 for the roads

4. Center my view (using the button)

5. TADA! Terrain is gone!

Also using some help-mask/satimg didn't work out. I know, that maybe the size of the terrain is a problem (16384x16384). But i think this would get important afterwards. So if any of you knew what to do, that would be great.

[jakerod 254]

So, this problems were sorted out luckily (Looks like i need some new glasses..). But here comes the next problem. I want to import that beauty into TB. I do as it worked the first time (With my test map)

1. Add Mapframe (Right UTM-Zone) -> Press cancel in the next window

2. Import -> Terrain -> Selected my .xyz. (Then my terrain shows up!)

3. Move it to 200000/0 for the roads

4. Center my view (using the button)

5. TADA! Terrain is gone!

Also using some help-mask/satimg didn't work out. I know, that maybe the size of the terrain is a problem (16384x16384). But i think this would get important afterwards. So if any of you knew what to do, that would be great.

Can you describe it a bit better? When you center your view do you see the terrain and then it disappears or do you never see it? If you never see it try hitting the View Terrain Heightmap button along the top. It's towards the middle, left of the two buttons with the magnifying glasses and the one with the mountain.

[itsdonjon 25]

Can you describe it a bit better? When you center your view do you see the terrain and then it disappears or do you never see it? If you never see it try hitting the View Terrain Heightmap button along the top. It's towards the middle, left of the two buttons with the magnifying glasses and the one with the mountain.

Ermahgerd. Im so stupid i could sink into earth right now. Sorry for waisting you prescious time. Using wrong fu**ing move-view-button!! -.-

Edited October 6, 2014 by ItsDonJon

[jakerod 254]

Ermahgerd. Im so stupid i could sink into earth right now. Sorry for waisting you prescious time. Using wrong fu**ing move-view-button!! -.-

haha it's no problem. I was confused by it the other day too.

[itsdonjon 25]

Hey there, it's me again.

So i was trying to continue the project but faced the next problem. I try to make the terrain through TB, but i'm not quite sure what parameters to use (in my Testproject i made the Islands with L3DT, so i had all information). My Heightmap is 16384x16384m big and the mask is (for now) 1638x1638 (so 1px=10m, it's not perfect i know, but its all i got atm). There is no satimg yet, but afaik i don't need it right now (Correct me if wrong).

So for now i'm importing Terrain and Mask, setting them both to 200000x0 (for the roads to work). And the mask i enlarge to 16384x16384. Now i would set the second mapframe "framing" my terrain. Here i ensure that its still 200000x0 and go on to "Samplers".

And here is where my problem starts. Because the maximal Grid-Size is the Half of my terrain, i have Grid Size = 8192 and have my cell size 4. Because thats how i get my overall terrain size of 32768.000 (which is 16384²). Now to the Sattelite/Surface (mask) source images. I set those to 1638x1638 (Because thats initial resolution)...and then i go to "Processing" -> Rebuild Terrain (No errors) -> Add my layers.cfg -> generate layers -> "Layers generation - Bad Texel mapping for surface mask image (495.879x495.879). And this is where i don't know what to do. :/

So..pls fellow terrain builders, go on and keep helping a young, but eager for knowledge, mapper.

Greetz, Don!

[hdchristopher 11]

I'm a little confused, could you post a picture of your sampler tab? I want to see the numbers

[itsdonjon 25]

I'm a little confused, could you post a picture of your sampler tab? I want to see the numbers

Of course..here:

I hope you can help me.

[MiauX 10]

you should aim for a texture resolution that doesnt include arbitrary decimals like those 2.000488.

Try with a more exact proporcion like 2m/px or something that keeps a good divisible proportion with your terrain size.

TB and the RV Engine doesnt like those kind of numbers.

[itsdonjon 25]

Actually that helped! Thank you very much!

But right now the Bulldozer crashes right at the beginning. With the testproject it worked.

Splash window: Unable to load config file: dta\splashwindow.bin

=======================================================

-------------------------------------------------------

Exception code: C0000005 ACCESS_VIOLATION at 00BEE5D9

graphics: D3D11

resolution: 1024x768x32

Addons:

Mods: A3

Distribution: 0

Version 1.24.125979

Fault time: 2014/10/16 08:45:09

Fault address: 00BEE5D9 01:007ED5D9 P:\Buldozer.exe

file:

world:

Prev. code bytes: 0F AF EE F3 0F 10 25 40 CC 37 01 03 E9 8D 34 28

Fault code bytes: 0F B6 2E 0F B6 34 3E 0F 57 D2 F3 0F 2A D6 8D 34

Registers:

EAX:00000018 EBX:00000005

ECX:00000000 EDX:00000000

ESI:00000018 EDI:00000001

CS:EIP:0023:00BEE5D9

SS:ESP:002B:01E764FC EBP:00000000

DS:002B ES:002B FS:0053 GS:002B

Flags:00210246

=======================================================

note: Minidump has been generated into the file P:\Buldozer\Buldozer_2014-10-16_08-45-07.mdmp

Edited October 16, 2014 by ItsDonJon