Adding Google Maps

[susanaes]

So ive seen pics of progressing routes where like people are using images of google maps on their basebords, i want to know if someone can tell me how they do that i want to try and do it for a subway route im making

 

[Zeldaboy14]

They use TransDEM. You have to pay for the program though. The only alternative to it is the old HOG tool for trainz. I do not know if it is possible to use Google Map images to create a good railroad base in Hog though.

 

[oknotsen]

People have used and are using Google Maps screenshots.

I don't have the assets myself, but what people sometimes do it create screenshots at the right size into square plains the size of a baseboard and than build the route on top of that. Once done, they remove those assets.

But it is very time consuming. If you have a few dollars to spend, get TransDEM instead. Not sure how that will work with subway lines, so you might still end up adding a subway map to a baseboard filling plain object.

 

[activerail]

Without creating another flame war regarding SketchUp, the program has a feature to capture Google images and then using Modeler's RubyTMIX software converts it to a file that can be imported into Trainz. The shortfall is that the input is flat...no elevation. I use it to locate structures near the ROW of my sims.

 

[JCitron]

As Oknosten mentions is the basemap objects. You simply take the map image, saved as a tga, and place it on the already created flat object. the image has to be 1024 x 1024. Activerail's method is similar, however, directly out of SketchUp using the RubyTMIX plug-in to create the flat objects. Which method you choose is up to you. In the end these objects get deleted from the route because they are only used to place track and objects. The pain with these objects is they can get in the way and also be hidden by terrain mesh. I will assume you are using TS12 and if you are you have the advantage of using layers to lock these objects into place. Since these assets are placed just a bit under the terrain, you'll need to use the wireframe view to see them. Once your objects are in place you can then change to the solid terrain and later delete the object as it's no longer needed..

John

 

[okhiu]

As Oknosten mentions is the basemap objects. You simply take the map image, saved as a tga, and place it on the already created flat object. the image has to be 1024 x 1024. Activerail's method is similar, however, directly out of SketchUp using the RubyTMIX plug-in to create the flat objects. Which method you choose is up to you. In the end these objects get deleted from the route because they are only used to place track and objects. The pain with these objects is they can get in the way and also be hidden by terrain mesh. I will assume you are using TS12 and if you are you have the advantage of using layers to lock these objects into place. Since these assets are placed just a bit under the terrain, you'll need to use the wireframe view to see them. Once your objects are in place you can then change to the solid terrain and later delete the object as it's no longer needed..

John

I always raise these plane objects a little bit, to minimize that "flickr" effect when the plane intersects with the terrain mesh. And i'd say that the pain with these objects is that whatever other object you place over them, if you want to roll it or change it's height, that plane always gets in the way.

I did not know about the SKetchup + RubyTMX method, i'll definetly check it. Do you know, does it also measure the image taken? Because this is very important.

 

[activerail]

Using SketchUp to create images for Trainz

I always raise these plane objects a little bit, to minimize that "flickr" effect when the plane intersects with the terrain mesh. And i'd say that the pain with these objects is that whatever other object you place over them, if you want to roll it or change it's height, that plane always gets in the way.

I did not know about the SKetchup + RubyTMX method, i'll definitely check it. Do you know, does it also measure the image taken? Because this is very important.

I create my sims using TransDEM overlayed with 1:24,000 topo maps. Using SketchUp you go to "File">"Geo-Location">"Add Location". This brings up
Google Earth. Type in the location you want and then adjust the picture to the area you would like to capture. Then capture the location. Save the image in its own folder and then using RubyTMIX to create a file that Trainz will accept. Next load Trainz Content Manager and import the image. This creates a image to the exact scale of my sim. You might need to rotate or move the image to "overlay" it on your model. You can then use the "measuring arrows" in Trainz to get the information you need from the overlay. Hope this makes sense. Good luck.

 

[JCitron]

I create my sims using TransDEM overlayed with 1:24,000 topo maps. Using SketchUp you go to "File">"Geo-Location">"Add Location". This brings up
Google Earth. Type in the location you want and then adjust the picture to the area you would like to capture. Then capture the location. Save the image in its own folder and then using RubyTMIX to create a file that Trainz will accept. Next load Trainz Content Manager and import the image. This creates a image to the exact scale of my sim. You might need to rotate or move the image to "overlay" it on your model. You can then use the "measuring arrows" in Trainz to get the information you need from the overlay. Hope this makes sense. Good luck.

This sure makes sense.

You do know that there are the UTM tiles in TrandDEM? These are the same images, however, they are generated automatically by TransDEM. In the more recent 2.5.x release, there is also the ability to create 3d terrain UTM tiles as well which might be useful.

John