Basemap"A"-Getting GoogleEarth&Map Images Overlayed on Baseboards...How you can do it

Basemap"A"-Getting GoogleEarth&Map Images Overlayed on Baseboards...How you can do it

It has taken me a long time to figure out how to get Basemap(s) to work. And putting maps and photos from Google Earth and such, is much easier than I had thought. It is really simple. I will relate more, as you post here. Anyone else having problems understanding Basemaps feel free to post here.

Howdy Cascaderailroad,
I have heard of Basemaps and have read a couple of post's about people using it but have no idea how its done so I'd be interested in any information that is put up here.
Cheers Mick.

Baseboards are easy and most people would have already done it.

Its not hard at all

http://www.g0akh.f2s.com/Trainz/Basemap_tutorial.html

Basemaps are fine and relatively easy to handle as long as you don't employ a DEM for the same route. If no DEM is involved you don't have to bother with exact scale and position or deal with compensating distortion caused by map projection. It's certainly a good start with geo data.

One you decide you want to shape your terrain as well things become a little more challenging. I have seen very few examples so far of routes combining HOG terraforming and GE image Basemaps (only one which I recall but I may be wrong). It should be possible though, at least for US routes, using TIGER based ground textures as guidance for placing the Basemaps.

Understanding Trainz Folders & Basemaps

The first step in understanding Trainz & Basemaps is where all the stuff you download...where it all goes, or ends up in the Auran Files. To find your Auran files and explore them. In my case I am using Vista OS and TRS2006. Right Click on the TRS2006 desktop icon, and select "Open File Location". In my case: "C/(my pcname)/ProgramFiles/Auran/TRS2006/Local" is where the Basemap "A" folder ends up at (listed as a really strange file code name). Do a "Search" of "Local" folder in order to locate the "Basemap" file. Explore the Local/Basemap file and you will see 5 or 6 subfolders, one of which has a jpg image that is square and is 1024x1024. This image is a colored background with a big "A" on it. There possibly is also a similar looking file with a non-square 240x180 "A" on it, don't confuse them. The square "1024x1024 jpg image" "1 Km Square A" is the one you will be working with. Do NOT delete the jpg folder. Instead, you select "EDIT" "1024x1024 jpg image" "1 Km Square A", with, in my case, "Paint" works great. Highlight the "1Km Square A" and select "Edit", then "Select All", then "Clear Image"...then "Paste From", and in my case, "My Photos" page, can be selected. (The real trick is allready having a square 1024x1024 image or map cropped, resized, and ready to use in "My Photos" file). Doing this is a whole nother process...but that too is really easy. I will relate more next post.

I know this is all such basic stuff to experts in Trainz, and may seem redundent and highly dumb to post. But I am just beginning learning at Computers and hope this helps all the beginners like me to understand Trainz files, and how to edit files and images. As well as capturing Google Earth and Topo Map images in a square 1024x1024-1km x 1km size. Which I will relate in my next post.

There are also excellent tutorials out there on using Basemaps.

Capturing GoogleEarth Images & Topo Map Images for Basemaps

With Vista using the "Snip Tool" you can custom crop and capture virtually any image on your screen. In Google Earth there under "Tools" the ruler can draw a 1 Km line over an image. Place pushpins at each end of a 1 Km ruler line. Four pushpins form a 1 Km square...now "Snip" the 1 Km square area where the 4 pushpins are. You now have a 1 Km square rough jpg image. Now preview it in Windows Photo Gallery, and click "Fix"-"Crop"-"Custom"-"Square"...now you have a perfectly square jpg image. Now resize it in something like Irfanview to custom crop and re-size the image to a jpg 1024x1024 size. Save it in "My Photos". You can have a whole panorama aray of nearly overlaping images and topo maps in you photos, ready to use.

Now as in the previous post: you can "Edit" the Basemap A square jpg image, "Select All-"Clear Image"-"Paste From"-"My Photos"-and select your map or Google Earth "Snip" captured image. "Select" and "Save" that 1024x1024 image in the emptyed "1Km Square A" basemap file. It will now show up when you lay a "1Km Basemap A" in Surveyor. (Note with "Paint" you can clarify blurry images and maps with paint tools, prior to saving the image in the 1 Km Square A jpg file).

You can adjust the height of the Basemap in Surveyor so it is just barely hovering above the baseboard...now start laying your track over the places in the image where "Paint" and "Pushpins" have helped you clarify the blurry images. You can use your Surveyor ruler to check the Feet or Km of the baseboard images.

This is all second nature to experts, and may seem dumb...but it helps clarify things for beginners (like me) about: Baseboards, Basemaps, and getting a jpg image or jpg map into a Trainz baseboard.

You can use not only "Basemap A"...but the whole shebang of "Baseboard-B, C, D, E, F,G, H, I"...etc, etc, and have a whole slew of maps and images ready to go in Surveyor.

Let me know if you need further explanation on these topics

How would I do this in TS2009. I know how to get a photo that is 1km by 1 km and 1024 pixels on each side but I can't find any file in local or another folder that resembles "1 Km Square A".

Basemap A-B-C-D...etc...etc

To see if it works in TRS2009...First you have to download Basemap A, B, C, D...etc from the DLS or the Auran-Black Pages.

There is a download pack containing Basemap A-Z as well as Basemap 0-9 ... (38 empty basemap files)

If it shows up in TRS2009 Surveyor, and you can lay it on a "Create New" route experimental baseboard, adjust the height so it is just hovering above the test baseboard...

Now you can procede going to your C/ProgramFiles/Auran/TRS2009/Local folder...Search Local folder by typing: "Basemap" it should be one of the first 10 folders in "Local" (as it is there in mine). (hint) In extra-large icon view, the folder will be viewed as a partially opened folder icon, white or turquoise, with a big "A" hanging out of a Local folder.

Find the wierdly encoded file which contains all the Basemap files, and explore that Local file...

In that file will be subfile: "1 km square a" which is a 1024x1024 jpg image.

DO NOT delete the folder ! Instead-"Edit" that image, Clear Image, and replace it with your own 1024x1024 jpg image, and save.

http://www.g0akh.f2s.com/Trainz/Basemap_tutorial.html

I just downloaded Basemap-A to Z, & Basemap-0 to 9...now I can place a map jpg in each one for easy placement of 38 map and image overlays on baseboards

I have customized my folders, and meticulously edited the screenshot image and pulled them to the edge of the page, (alphabet and numerals) in "Paint" so the Basemap images show hanging out to the folders for easy retrieval, in "Large Icons".

_____________________________________________________________________________________________________
This is the folder image that you "EDIT". and replace the photo with your new jpg image.

An older,obsolete photo of my basemap gridwork...but it gives you the general idear !

By clicking on the "Historical" content map view, you can get a B&W higher quality photo image...Example of an overall view of 1km x 1km basemap grid (drawn with the Google earth "Add Ruler" - Path) (metric-kilometer setting).

Example of a 1km x 1km basemap, it does not have to be exactly square, and not exactly 1km x1km, just a roughly square image. ("Snip" an image a little bigger than 1km x 1km, and you can fine tune and position and overlap the basemaps). Hint: edit the Trainzoptions File, way out to a fish eye, wide angle view at approximately: -surveyorfov=135, or as high as 185 for easyer manipulation of basemaps. (remember to reset the fov back to 35, later on when playing the game).

Using Google Earth-Ruler-Kilometer-Path as a tool to "Paint" lines where tracks go.

The Wopsy RR (Kittanning Indian-Wopsononock-White Mans Rock Land) Altoona PA-The most often bankrupted and traded RR (1890-1912)-(Abandoned 1920)-AKA: Altoona & Wopsononock RR, Altoona Clearfield & Northern, Altoona & Beech Creek RR, Pittsburgh Johnstown Ebensburg & Eastern RR, Altoona & Johnstown RR, Altoona Northern RR.

I can store 38 basemaps, all "snipped" images ready for use.

Making sure all the basemaps get laid in the same (exact) degree of rotation, is the key for lining them up.

However, I had to set my Trainzoptions File settings to Surveyor FOV-185. As they are cumbersome, and hard to manipulate.

With DEMs, basemaps are really difficult to use, as they don't conform to the hills and valleys...but they still do work if you raise the basemap above the highest terrain.

Anyone needing help creating a basemap image or map, feel free to contact me.

cascaderailroad said:

There are also excellent tutorials out there on using Basemaps.

Click to expand...

Hmm, some links to those would be helpfull...

Greetings from sunny Amsterdam,

Jan

cascaderailroad said:

To see if it works in TRS2009...First you have to download Basemap A, B, C, D...etc from the DLS or the Auran-Black Pages.

If it shows up in TRS2009 Surveyor, and you can lay it on a "Create New" route experimental baseboard, adjust the height so it is just hovering above the test baseboard...

Now you can procede going to your C/ProgramFiles/Auran/TRS2009/Local folder...Search Local folder by typing: "Basemap" it should be one of the first 10 folders in "Local" (as it is there in mine). (hint) In extra-large icon view, the folder will be viewed as a partially opened folder icon, white or turquoise, with a big "A" hanging out of a Local folder.

Find the wierdly encoded file which contains all the Basemap files, and explore that Local file...

Click to expand...

This may help finding your folders for BaseMaps in 2009. Locate them in CMP/CM2 and then open them for "Editing", now they will show in the folder C:/Program Files/Auran/TS2009/editing. In this folder they will look similar to what we have seen in 2004 or early before, only they have there name and not a kuid number. This will then (to me) be easier to work with. Once you have replaced the image in the file, do not forget to commit them in CMP/CM2 before you use them in Surveyor.

Another thing I once did as an experiment was to create more then the 9 (I think) basemaps was to copy all of them to another folder and then rename them and change the kuid numbers etc. So then I had BaesMaps folders A-I, and then BaseMap folders J-R. It will work, just takes some changes and to some may make things easier again.

BTW, I have never used them for an actual layout, I was just trying to understand them and follow instructions from someone else.

Hope this helps.

Craig

Whatever use of geo data (maps, imagery, DEM) you have in mind, I urgently recommend to observe this basic rule: Always align with the north axis. If at some stage you want to merge your route with another prototypical route module, north alignment is a must-have precondition. Yes, there are several variations of "north", and, including horizontal offset of up to +/- 360m, merging manually created modules will always require some tweaks and twists, but without some sort of true north you have no chance at all. There is no way in Trainz to rotate a module, once it has been created.

Routes

Now that we know that all the downloaded assets are in your "Local" files..does anyone know what file section all the "ROUTES" go to, routes that one themself creates in Trainz ?

cascaderailroad said:

Now that we know that all the downloaded assets are in your "Local" files..does anyone know what file section all the "ROUTES" go to, routes that one themself creates in Trainz ?

Click to expand...

All content goes into your "Local" folder, layouts, your creations etc. There is a tab in CM2 (I think) to sort these out for you.

Hope this helps.

Craig

Basemaps

Still can't find where my routes are located in the "Local" folder...I am aware that the CMP can help me work with the route...but I want to know exactly where my route is in the C/ProgramFiles/Auran/TRS2006 files ? Trainz is COOL ! Basemaps rule !

Great thread guys, lots of info here. If I get back home through the snow I'll try it out.

Snow

<-------------See Page: 1

Did someone use a four letter word ? Don't say "SNOW" !

In Austrailia it is summer and well over 100F...this case goes out to you Auranites ----^ ...for all you do for us in Trainz !

Altoona TIFF

Each one of these squares measures 1km x 1km

I am having problems with the basemaps and hope someone can help.

I used Google maps to select a 1km by 1km section and then used Paint.net to crop and square it to 1024x1024 pixels. When I place the object in Surveyor and line up the NW corner, the southern and eastern ends of the basemap hang over by 10-20%. (like the image is too big). I tried several of the basemaps from the DLS and they have the same problem. I did notice that the image sizes are 1024x1024 but the resolution varies from 20pix per inch to 150pix per inch. My default grid has the 10m squares and is 720m by 720m. Is this normal or is my grid messed up?

Any help will be appreciated, thanks

Basemaps

It takes @ 4 square baseboards, in the shape of a square, to accomodate 0ne 1km x 1km square basemap. There will be alot of excess waste outside of the basemap, as basemaps are bigger than one baseboard, but are smaller than 4 intrlocking baseboards...extend more baseboards onto your basemap baseboard so the basemap will not run off the edges. The un-needed extra baseboards can always be erased...or added again at a later new session.

Side note: Digholes also can be erased, and added again, over and over again.

cascaderailroad said:

It has taken me a long time to figure out how to get Basemap(s) to work. And putting maps and photos from Google Earth and such, is much easier than I had thought. It is really simple. I will relate more, as you post here. Anyone else having problems understanding Basemaps feel free to post here.

Click to expand...

I read this forum and still had difficulties with Basemaps in TS2009. I finally figured it out and for those who may be still having trouble I have posted a description of how I am using them on Jeff Gale's website "White Pebble Rapids RR". Go to:
http://wprrr.110mb.com/index.html and click the “How to” button.
On the "How to" page go to “2009 How To’s Tutorials” for a downloadable pdf.