Baseboards

[Dermmy]

Don't know if that is going to work.

The new layout has about 12 boards and the seems are all over the place.
And that is only the end of the route. The entire route is 53 miles long.

This was also only using one DEM file from Geo.

I don't know if there is a way to create only one board at a time. Unless I was to crop the maps in Gimp while creating the .tga files.

Thanks

Merrill

You missed the point here, you don't create the HOG route one board at a time you create the HOG map as normal, get it into Trainz but DO NOT open the map. Next create a new single board route. Open the single board route and merge the DEM route to it. Save. Close. Open the saved route and no 'seams'. The seams are a bug in TS09 and up, but the merge trick fixes it...

Andy

 

[Dermmy]

While I was doing the tutorial, I am sure I remember something about adjusting the map and board overlap ar such. It would make sence that if the DEM or Hog is allowing for a Trainz board overlap to get the entire DEM listed in it that it would have an area that has no elevation. Thus, would leave those seems like that.

I am sure that if you adjust for no overlap, it may correct the problem.

I never trim the images to suit trainz board size, I just leave plenty overlap and delete edge boards which are not complete. I reckon it's quicker and easier that way...

Not sure about your reference to 'no elevation' areas but these are common on the edges of HOG routes. The Tiger data is packaged for a full county, DEM Quads are a fraction of that size. HOG filters the route based on TIGER data, not the DEM size so you get 'flat' boards everywhere the TIGER overlaps the DEM. Delete them

I'm working on downloading DEMs for now. Going to see how many can be merged together at one go. Or I am going to have to create one DEM using two and then take those and join to create another DEM and so on.

MicroDEM is a memory hog. You will find there is a limit to the number of quads you can merge before you crash out. Strangely tho it will happily merge merges. Confused? Say you can merge 10 quads successfully but it crashes out at 12. Merge 10. Merge another 10. You will now be able to merge the two 10-quad DEMs to make a 20 Quad DEM. 54 miles end-to-end should be merge-able in MicroDem, but you will find on larger routes that eventually MicroDem's limit is reached and you have to start creating multiple Trainz routes and merging in Trainz.

Andy...

 

[Maddox61]

You missed the point here, you don't create the HOG route one board at a time you create the HOG map as normal, get it into Trainz but DO NOT open the map. Next create a new single board route. Open the single board route and merge the DEM route to it. Save. Close. Open the saved route and no 'seams'. The seams are a bug in TS09 and up, but the merge trick fixes it...

Andy

Not sure I undertand what you are talking about. If I do not create a single board route in the surveyor, how or what would I do to add my Hog map to Trainz without adding it to an existing route.

I tried to find the location of the map file in my system, as in the tutoria,l to load the maps but that does not seem to exist.

Ok, Just found out how to merge the routes. The only thing I need to figure out now is how to get the Hog map into Trainz, as you mentioned, in order to merge the two routs.


I am also working on Merging the DEMs. I have successfully merged 20 DEMs with no trouble as of yet. I have yet to try and get it into Trainz. I want to first make sure I have all my ducks in a row with creating and loading the Hog maps first.



I did figure out that the measurements in MicroDem are just a bit off. When adjusting the screen pixel size to 10.0m. I found that when you select the "Zoom in Factor", no matter what size you start with, if you subtract .005 it willl always come to 10.00m. IE. 41.24 = 1.119
Don't know if this makes much difference. But it was bugging me bad.


Thanks for your help Andy. Being new, I need all the help I can get. As I mention in an ealier post, had it not been for Malc, I would still be trying to manualy create the layout.


Thanks everyone


Merrill

 

[Dermmy]

OK - back to the start

You have produced a .gnd file from HOG. One difference from the tute is that you MUST name the gnd file mapfile.gnd irrespective of the route name, the gnd file is ALWAYS mapfile.gnd

Start Trainz Surveyor, create a new route, select 'Save AS' from the main menu, give it a name and save.

Quit out of Trainz.

Open Content Manager, locate the route you just made (either 'My Content' or 'Today' tabs make it easy to find). Open the route for edit (Ctrl+Shift+E). Drag the gnd file you created from HOG into the edit window. You will be prompted about an over-write (if not your gnd file in not correctly named), allow the overwrite. Close the edit window and commit the route (Ctrl+M).

The route is now in Trainz but if you open it you will have ridges and/or hollows along board edges. This is not really a Trainz bug, it has to do with the way HOG referenced the board edges, but it's gotta be fixed. So don't open the route!

Back in Surveyor create another new route. Call it 'Temp' (or whatever) and save. Now load the new route 'Temp' and from the main menu choose 'Merge Routes' and merge the newly-created one-board route (Temp) with the route that contains the HOG gnd file and save.

NOW you can open the merged route and it will not have the ridge-and-hollow thing...

Andy

 

[Maddox61]

OK - back to the start

You have produced a .gnd file from HOG. One difference from the tute is that you MUST name the gnd file mapfile.gnd irrespective of the route name, the gnd file is ALWAYS mapfile.gnd

Start Trainz Surveyor, create a new route, select 'Save AS' from the main menu, give it a name and save.

Quit out of Trainz.

Open Content Manager, locate the route you just made (either 'My Content' or 'Today' tabs make it easy to find). Open the route for edit (Ctrl+Shift+E). Drag the gnd file you created from HOG into the edit window. You will be prompted about an over-write (if not your gnd file in not correctly named), allow the overwrite. Close the edit window and commit the route (Ctrl+M).

The route is now in Trainz but if you open it you will have ridges and/or hollows along board edges. This is not really a Trainz bug, it has to do with the way HOG referenced the board edges, but it's gotta be fixed. So don't open the route!

Back in Surveyor create another new route. Call it 'Temp' (or whatever) and save. Now load the new route 'Temp' and from the main menu choose 'Merge Routes' and merge the newly-created one-board route (Temp) with the route that contains the HOG gnd file and save.

NOW you can open the merged route and it will not have the ridge-and-hollow thing...

Andy

Thanks Andy,

I was probably doing this as you were typing.
I figured I needed to add it to an existing route. so I did exactly as you had explained here. The only place I had trouble was durring the merge. I did not undertand that the new map overlaid the old in the mini map window

So I had trouble getting tthe green tick to show up.

Got it now. It did remove the uneven terrian for the most part. Still finding a few flaws, but nothing that we can't live with.

Now, it's back to creating DEMs for me. Now that I know how to merge these tables, I should have the terrian done in about a week or so.


Thanks you very much for your help.

Merrill

 

[Maddox61]

Royal Gorge

WOW,

After all the help everyone has given me to learn to create and load DEMs into Trainz, the main part of the route has been removed from the Gis Depot, the DEM for the Royal Gorge.

This is the beginning of the route, just outside Cannon City. The main part the the SF and D&RG was fighting over. No to mention, the most narrow passage for a train in the US.

If anyone knows of a site that I can get the DEM for the Royal Gorge, that will work in MicroDem, it would be appreciated.

I have elevation charts for the area, I just don't know how I would convert an .png into a DEM.


Looks like I may still be doing half this route by hand.

And so life goes on.


Thanks,

Merrill

 

[Robert65d]

DEM files

On the subject of DEM files - can anybody tell me if DEMs are available for Soth Australia, namely the Barossa Valley Region. I would like to know before purchasing TransDEM.

Thanks in advance
Bob

 

[clam1952]

Should be able to get it from an alternative source I would think such as http://www.geocomm.com/ need to register, it's where I got my data from.

Edit this is a reply to Maddox61.

 

[Maddox61]

Should be able to get it from an alternative source I would think such as http://www.geocomm.com/ need to register, it's where I got my data from.

Yah, I'll check em out Malc.

I hope so. I don't mind doing this by hand since I am retired and have nothing but time. But it sure would be nice.

There is only the one section, or one DEM missing. The bad thing is it is the main one.

Thanks

 

[clam1952]

Should have been in bed a couple of hours ago! likewise I'm retired took an early retirement package a year ago, may look for something part time If I get too bored! Can't see that with my Hobbies though, Trainz and Ham radio.

Checked just out Colorado on that link seems, as far as I can tell from being in the UK, to be all there.

 

[Maddox61]

On the subject of DEM files - can anybody tell me if DEMs are available for Soth Australia, namely the Barossa Valley Region. I would like to know before purchasing TransDEM.

Thanks in advance
Bob

You can give Mapmart a shot. I ain't to sure what programs they work with since I am new to this and also working on a US route. But they do pretty much cover the globe.

Matter of fact, I was just checking them out.


Good luck,


Merrill

 

[Maddox61]

Should have been in bed a couple of hours ago! likewise I'm retired took an early retirement package a year ago, may look for something part time If I get too bored! Can't see that with my Hobbies though, Trainz and Ham radio.

Checked just out Colorado on that link seems, as far as I can tell from being in the UK, to be all there.

Going to check them out now.

Yah, my retirement was a forced one if you know what I mean. The word is disabled.
Shoot, I'm only 50 and the doc can't find the problem why I can't walk over 25 ft. without loosing it.
Modern Technology.:hehe:

This Trainz stuff keeps me sane.

Off to check out that link.


Thanks,

Merrill

 

[Maddox61]

Should have been in bed a couple of hours ago! likewise I'm retired took an early retirement package a year ago, may look for something part time If I get too bored! Can't see that with my Hobbies though, Trainz and Ham radio.

Checked just out Colorado on that link seems, as far as I can tell from being in the UK, to be all there.

Don't know where my mind was. This was the link to the site I have been getting all my DEMs.:hehe:

They are the ones that have all the DEMs for the entire state of Colorado. Funny because I downloaded and opened them all for 2 entire counties in
MicroDem and they were all there except for the one little hole. And as I zoomed in, I noticed that it was the most important piece of the model.

I have checked everywhere for the missing piece with no luck.

I do know that the land belongs to the D&RG and they also have photo rights as far as I know. My nephew stays out there and owns a photography studio in Colorado Springs.

Oh well, Back to the books.


Thanks again,

 

[Maddox61]

Contour Lines

Is there a way to take an image, like the one below and use the contour lines to create a DEM. Or is this just out of the question?

Also, if the DEM map is created using a color scale, could this not also be created using Photoshop, or am I going way outfield.

 

[Dermmy]

WOW,

After all the help everyone has given me to learn to create and load DEMs into Trainz, the main part of the route has been removed from the Gis Depot, the DEM for the Royal Gorge.

That's my usual source for quads. I just checked and I can't see anything obviously missing....

 

[Dermmy]

On the subject of DEM files - can anybody tell me if DEMs are available for Soth Australia, namely the Barossa Valley Region. I would like to know before purchasing TransDEM.

Thanks in advance
Bob

Absolutely yes - the entire globe is mapped! TransDEM will direct you to the exact download, and will even allow for the non-standard Australian grid references. For anybody working outside the USA TransDEM is absolutely indispensable (and in all honesty is probably equally invaluable for USA routes, I just have my feet stuck irremovably in doing it the old way!).

Even if you only ever make one map using TransDEM it is worth the money...

Andy

 

[Dermmy]

Is there a way to take an image, like the one below and use the contour lines to create a DEM. Or is this just out of the question?
Also, if the DEM map is created using a color scale, could this not also be created using Photoshop, or am I going way outfield.

Nothing is impossible, but that way has just gotta be too hard LOL

I'm outa here - three posts in a row is prolly two too many...

Andy

 

[Maddox61]

That's my usual source for quads. I just checked and I can't see anything obviously missing....

It don't realy say. The closest city to it is Canon City. It lists most every city in the county, but the main portion of the Gorge is outside any city limits or area. What is not private land belongs to the Government.

I do have one more question, Will a greyscale DEM work in Hog?

I found a way to create grey scale DEMs in Google Earth by layering black images over one enother with the opacity set real low, then adjust the image to the elevation.

Oh well, 2:44 am here. Time to get some rest.

Thanks,

Merrill

 

[geophil]

Brief overview of free DEM resources (non-exhaustive list), all tested with TransDEM:

• Worldwide (-60° to +60° latitude) : SRTM, 3 arc sec, some voids.
• Worldwide (ca -80° to +80° latitude) : ASTER GDEM V2, 1 arc sec (nominal), artefacts
• USA (CONUS) : USGS NED, 1/3 arc sec, some areas 1/9 arc sec
• Canada : CDED, 0.75 arc sec
• Mexico : MDE, 1 arc sec (nominal), requires upcoming TransDEM 2.2
• UK (Great Britain) : O/S Land-Form Panorama, 50m
• European Alps : Viewfinder Panoramas, 1 arc sec
• New Zealand : LRIS NZDEM, 25 m

More details in the TransDEM forum

 

[cascaderailroad]

Since you rarely roam several hundered feet from the mainline ... a DEM in most cases is un-needed ... Be careful what you wish for ... a DEM controls you, and gradients are a nightmare.