A freindly request.

[mattm]

Hi everyone. I was wondering if anybody with experience in creating DEM files would like to assist me in a small matter. I am looking at creating the Cityrail route between Wyong and Gosford using DEM. However my computer skills leave a lot to be desired, and i am having trouble getting the DEM i need. Is there anybody who would be willing to assist me. I know there are a lot of people wanting Cityrail routes, and i would like to contribute something back to this wonderful community. There is just this one hurdle to jump.

To anyone who is able to render assistance, you have my thanks and gratitude.

 

[JackDownUnder]

Whilst I am still learning TranzDEM, creating a new rout for my own enjoyment, I believe we could possibly do something together.
I have managed to get my maps, DEM and started tracing the basic rout of the railway.

 

[Johnk]

What a great area to model. I wish you well!

John

 

[mattm]

Could there be a god after all?

Hey guys, thanks for taking an interest and replying to my post. It's much appreciated.
Johnk, i agree completely, it is a great area to model. That's why i chose it. Also as it is my local railway line its easy enough to take a trip or two lineside to get the all important details right.

JackDownUnder: Thank you for your kind offer of assistance. I greatly appreciate that. You sid you were still learning to use tranzdem; well that makes two people engaged in the wonderful sport of learning.
That said, any assistance is much appreciated. I hope to get this project underway as soon as possible, so if you feel up to the challenge of assisting me, let us know , and we can get started.

Once again, thank you for showing interest and being kind enough to reply.

 

[cascaderailroad]

I enjoy looking new places up on Google Earth.

I must say the you chaps that are hanging onto the other part of the globe (downunder), really do have an extensive rail system...something the US does not...ours in the US is dilapidated and patched.

Looks like a great project !

 

[Johnk]

Our rail system may well be extensive but it's not brilliant. Four days from Cairns to Melbourne is exhausting and disjointed. To go from Cairns to Longreach, you have to spend two days in Rockhampton because the Longreach train leaves Rocky 20 minutes before the Cairns train arrives. it's the same going home.

I'm surprised that people haven't picked up on the Japanese system. Now that is amazing.

 

[cascaderailroad]

But, I bet the long delays and layovers in the trip are a tourists dream ?

Austrailia...where else can you frolic in the ocean on a risque beach, on Groundhog Day, see an absolutely gigantic hopping mouse that has its own pocket, and step on a deadly scorpion...all inside of one day...quite an amazing wild continent you have there.

Is your weather there this year, as hot as last year ?
We have this much snow here: http://i525.photobucket.com/albums/cc339/cascaderailroad/SnowDrift.jpg
US Winter Hat: http://i525.photobucket.com/albums/cc339/cascaderailroad/WTF.jpg

 

[H222]

It's not as hot as last summer (Such as Black Saturday, RIP ) it got to 47 degrees C (about 125F) and 200 deaths occurred because of a hot windless, week. There is only one thing on the up-side. The Brumby Government is this time prepared.
Jamie

 

[mattm]

Edited post to remove comments, after it was brought to my attention that comments may seem offensive and ill-considered. To anybody who deemed my comments as such,you have my sincerest apologies. CascadeRailroad has given me a dressing down, via PM. I am taking his advice to lighten up; i suggest others do as well. Both posts were intended to be humorous, however, my attempt failed miserably (as evidenced by the responses i got!)
Again, i offer my sincere apology to all who took offence; i did get the joke, my reply just failed to show that, quite spectacularly, i must say.

Now that that's out of the way, could i respectfully suggest that we get this thread back on topic? Namely, finding out if anyone out there is still friendly enough towards me to assist with creating a DEM file for the region Gosford-Wyong? I was also considering the section Hornsby-Gosford; but creating the two halves separately, and merging the two together. Is anybody interested?

 

[mattm]

JackDownUnder, where are you?

Apologies if i sound like i am begging here, but if you are still interested in helping me out, please let me know. I understand if you are busy and unable to answer this post straight away. As i stated at the begining of the post i am ready to start, i just need that dem file.

I was re-thinking this over, and am now considering starting the route from Hornsby, rather than Gosford, and working to Wyong. If anybody is intersted in assisting me, please let me know.

Mattm.[FONT=Avenir 55 Roman,Avenir 55 Roman][FONT=Avenir 55 Roman,Avenir 55 Roman]
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[goochy]

Study on mattm, i'm sure cascaderailroad isn't having a shot at us, i'm sure every country has it's interesting bits.

You come to oz, careful where you swim cause if great white or bull sharks don't get you, the box jellies or the blue bottles are just past the breakers, you might be safe to get to the beach ok, but don't loita cause a croc will drag ya back quick smart.

Now if you make it off the sand, careful you don't step on a king brown or a taipan, but don't worry too much cause the 'pans are a little more inland.

So settle youself down at the local and wait for the 4:25 but for c.. sake don't grab under the bench cause the red-backs are queued up, and at 40 degrees C in the shade, ya blood is fairly ripp'n through the pipes and you be dead quick smart.

So come and visit, take a ride on any of the rails-of-down under, forget the bloody shrimp, we'll slam a skippy on the boiler plate for ya.


Cheers mate.

 

[Johnk]

It's horses for courses really. Here I am in Paradise - Cairns, the Gateway to the Great Barrier Reef, yet every year I escape to a much colder climate to:

• Get away from the oppressive 32+ (90+) heat and humidity that presents itself day in and day out for over three months in a row.
• Take a swim in water that's actually cooler than my body temperature.
• Actually be able to swim without killing myself. As goochy points out, the box jellyfish are deadly during every month with an "R" in it. That means we may be able to swim in our lovely ocean between May, June, July and August.
• Get away from the rain. We get a metre or more during Jan, Feb and March. We get about 2.5 to 3 metres a year.
• Dodge the odd cyclone or two. I've lost my roof twice in twenty years.

Wallabies often pay me a visit during the night, as do Bandicoots and 4 metre Pythons. We see a snake every week or so because they love feeding on the White Tail Rats that constantly raid our rubbish bins. Then there are the Flying Foxes or fruit bats. Every piece of fruit has been nibbled at before you can get to it.

The cat loves the Cane Toads which are everywhere, but the Green Frogs make up for it. I wish they'd eat a few Gekos that take over the place however. Their S**T has ruined quite a bit of my electronic equipment.

But hey, it's paradise, people pay a lot to visit here and so they should!

Then there's the issue of distance. I live 1900 km from the nearest big city. It takes just on 30 hours to get there by train. Fortunately, due to our pension scheme, it only costs me $11, plus another $100 for the food and grog!

 

[mattm]

Are you still mad? I did apologise.

Okay guys, i will give this one more shot. If ANYONE! out there is interested in helping out with the creation of the DEM file, i am begging you, PLEASE, drop me a line.
I know there are plenty of people interested in seeing a Cityrail route available on the DLS. Surely one of you has the skills required to create the DEM file that i need to kick this project off.
In particular, JackDownUnder, if you are still around and willing to help, please let me know, either via PM, or through this thread.

Yours, begging like mad, Mattm.

 

[Johnk]

mattm, you may need to strut your own stuff on this one. Very few people actually use DEM files and those who do seem to be frightfully busy.

I just asked one of the best I've seen if he could find time to write a tutorial. Well, I sort of asked him and I reckon he'll get back to me in the near future.

In the meantime there are some excellent tutorials and programs you can use if you have your own maps. Just go to the Trainz Resources Directory and poke your nose around there. Enter in searches like "dem" "tiger" and other map type words you can think of. You'll find stuff in both the Software and tutorials sections. The link is in my Signature.

John

 

[mattm]

Hi John, thanks for replying. It looks like you may be right. I guess that i should start to learn how to use HOG and DEM. Ah well, i need something to occupy my mind at the moment, and this seems a good way to do it.

Thanks anyway, i much appreciate all the people who took time to reply to my query. I will let people know via a new thread when i have started, which hopefully should be within the next week or so.

Mattm.

 

[Johnk]

Mattm, there are a few things you can do here, now that you've taken the plunge so to speak.

You can spend some time learning DEM and build your self a nice route.

or

You can spend some time learning DEM, build your self a nice route and record your progress as you go. Should you decide to take the first and easiest suggestion of the two, you will join the largest section of the Community by far. You will become yet another one of the the Community who doesn't bother, or doesn't like sharing.

Alternatively, you can run WordPad and IrfanView in the background, taking notes and screenshots as you progress. At a later date, you could then create a tutorial an share it with us all. In doing so, you would become one of the elite and join the Content Creators, Route Builders, Tutorial Writers and Wiki Contributors, all of whom have a special place in the World of Trainz. Without any of these dedicated people, Trainz may not even exist!

If you start from the beginning, the moment you begin downloading the software and report on problems, suggestions, frustrations, even better. No skills are required other than to write down what you do. Of course you can create your own tutorial using HTML or a wonderful little free program called Wink. Alternatively, you can send all the screenshots and your notes to me and I'll create the tutorial for you. That's what Bill69 did and here's the result: Tutorial Link

You can have it hosted exclusively at the TRD, or at your request, I'll also upload it to the Trainz Wiki, which like the TRD, is trying to keep Trainz on the rails.

If you need any help, please PM me and I'll send you my email address.

John

 

[crohakon]

Hi John, thanks for replying. It looks like you may be right. I guess that i should start to learn how to use HOG and DEM. Ah well, i need something to occupy my mind at the moment, and this seems a good way to do it.

Thanks anyway, i much appreciate all the people who took time to reply to my query. I will let people know via a new thread when i have started, which hopefully should be within the next week or so.

Mattm.

TranzDEM is not really that expensive and is a wonderful tool. I highly suggest, if you can, that you get it and learn how to use it.

 

[mattm]

Good morning from the land of Oz.

Crohakon thanks for the suggestion. from what i have read on the forums, Tranzdem would be a worthwhile investment, however my funds at the moment hardly cover a cheeseburger from Macca's, let alone a (highly useful, no doubt) computer program.

John, thank you (again!) for the kind words and encouragement. They are very much appreciated, especially early in the morning! I have taken the plunge, and downloaded Microdem and Hog, and have scanned a few tutorials on the subject (yes, they were on the TRD.) Thanks for drilling that into my head. It looks to be a very useful site, and i will take time to fully explore it later.

However, i do have one small problem already. Creating the DEM file and exporting it to trainz isn't as hard as i had first thought. That step has been completed. The next step should be to start laying track, HOWEVER there is one small problem.
I am unable to work out, using the minimap, where the hell i am! I cannot work out where my starting location is. Something like TIGER data would be extremely useful here, though as i understand it, nothing like that is available for Australian locations.

Suggestions anybody?