Below-Water Depth in DEMs with Trainz

[Xengeance]

I've been playing around with DEM maps with HOG and Trainz today, and I'm curious as to why there is no depth in any DEM maps for large bodies of water. They typically just show up as a flat surface that is really the surface of a river/lake/beach. Do any of you Trainzers out there that have experience with using DEMs in their routes know if there is a work around or solution for this without having to dredge out the terrain below water in Surveyor manually while trying to guesstimate the depth, and all the while potentially distorting the existing waterfronts of the DEM generated terrain?

 

[Dermmy]

Depending on the terrain you probably need to distort the existing waterfront. Unless a riverbank/lakeshore/seafront is past a certain degree of 'steepness' the water/land demarcation is likely to strobe terribly. More noticeable in Surveyor than Driver, it is still a nuisance.

Terrain 'heights' in DEM data are for the most part simply a reflection of the first thing the measuring beam hit, rooftop, tree canopy. water surface. It is not always indicative of the true land height. IIRC I read somewhere that newer DEM data has developed a work-around, but most free data is older.

So yes - dredge out the unwanted ground! No need to go too deep, a couple of meters will usually do...

Andy

 

[Jayturf]

DEM's are made using satellites and their beam doesn't penetrate liquid water very well. So lakes show up as flat. You will need to lower the height of land a few meters and paint it a dark blue or green colour then add your water to the correct height. A bit of a pain but so far that's all I have found to work.