Baseboard Number and Real Area

[pogbellies]

This may be a dumb question but here goes anyway, apart from counting them is there a way to see how many baseboards a layout uses in surveyor?

Also what area does one baseboard equate to.

The reason for the question is that the layout I'm working on is based on a DEM and open street map overlay (created in TransDem) but the scale of the map seems vast when I add buildings and roads.

 

[SharkNose]

If you created your route in TransDEM, look in the folder where TransDEM created the route. There should be a file called "New Route_TransDEM_info.txt". This holds some stats about the route, one of which how many baseboards were created. Here's an example:

TransDEM Trainz Export ---  © 2006-2011 Roland Ziegler
Geodetic Datum = WGS84
UTMZone = 17T
UTM Southwest Corner Easting  =  690800
UTM Southwest Corner Northing = 4458240
UTM Northeast Corner Easting  =  712400
UTM Northeast Corner Northing = 4485600
Extension East-West   =  21.600 km
Extension North-South =  27.360 km
Trainz World Origin = N 40° 23.377'   W 78° 37.233'
Baseboard UTM Grid Offset: x = 0 m,  y = 0 m
# Trainz Baseboards East-West                        = 30
# Trainz Baseboards North-South                      = 38
# Trainz Baseboards total                            = 1140
# actually created Trainz Baseboards after filtering = 142
# hereof in 5 m grid                                 = 37
Actual Elevation Range Minimum =   463 m
Actual Elevation Range Maximum =   785 m

The line you may be interested in is "actually created". Also, each baseboard in Trainz is 720 meters square.

Andrew

 

[pogbellies]

SharkNose thanks for the response but I essentially created the map by drawing a rectangle over the area that I wanted the route to cover in TransDem. Since then I have "trimmed" out the tiles that are not necessary for the route (more will be trimmed when I have more of the layout finalised if they aren't visible from the lines or interesting.) so the TransDem data won't help.

 

[steamboateng]

If you have a rough idea how many base boards you deleted you can make an estimate. If you do find a 'shortcut' to counting TransDEM boards after trimming please post. I usually end up trimming 20-25% after generating a route. As for map scale; well that can be a shock after the route is generated with a map overlay. As long as your georeferencing was correct in TransDEM, the map should be correct. I'm always surprised at just how much area I've modeled. With TransDEM, it's just too easy to get a bit carried away.

 

[pogbellies]

I'm pretty sure the georeferencing was correct as it was all through TransDem built in online mapping tools. I did try using the OS download data but found it extremely difficult to produce the whole area I wanted. The only other thing is baseboard size but as I followed the tutorial I'm assuming its correct.

 

[steamboateng]

I'm sure you got it right. TransDEM is quite reliable in placing maps. All that is required is the correct coordinates, input as a a format TransDEM can digest. Even Rand McNaley or DeLome maps can be used, as well as Google Earth data, to name a few. As long as you trust the data points you enter, from whatever source, the map should be ok.
When downloading DEM data to input into the program, often we lose sight of how much area we are actually modeling. Here in the northeast US I use a very rough estimate of 1 minute longitude or latitude equals one mile. UTM coordinates are easier to estimate as they read directly as meters.
I have been a TransDEM fan for well over 5 years, and I am a devout believer in the program, its reliability and its consistent accuracy. As a route builder, it's a program I wouldn't go without. Good Luck with your route.

 

[pogbellies]

I'm sure you got it right. TransDEM is quite reliable in placing maps. All that is required is the correct coordinates, input as a a format TransDEM can digest. Even Rand McNaley or DeLome maps can be used, as well as Google Earth data, to name a few. As long as you trust the data points you enter, from whatever source, the map should be ok.

I have been a TransDEM fan for well over 5 years, and I am a devout believer in the program, its reliability and its consistent accuracy. As a route builder, it's a program I wouldn't go without. Good Luck with your route.

I used the built in Map Tile Server function to get the area in Open Street Map and the US elevation data (I forget the site now) which covered the area so I didn't actually have to enter any coordinates it was fully automated which is cool and much easier than what I was trying to achieve with Ordnance Survey 1:25000 regions if probably less accurate. I have to agree that TransDem is a fantastic peice of software but like many such programs it requires some study to use it properly. For me it is a means to an end and the more quickly and easily I can achieve this the better