DEM Tutorial ?

[stouthm]

Just downloaded my first DEM and I'm not sure where to begin. I've placed some track & roads and of course nothing is smooth. Most of the track runs on the side of mountains as the screens show and I'm assuming that once you get the track the way you want it you then use the smooth spline tool. I'm not sure.

I guess what I'm asking is for those who have already been through this and have built routes using DEM to give us some pointers or how they started. I would like to learn from their mistakes/experience. Not a full tutorial but just some ways in which they did their route. If enough info is obtained maybe me or someone could put this into some type of guide. A little help would be greatly appreciated. Andy has already stated that he will answer some specific questions but first I got to get started. Thanks

These two screens show what little track I have placed but the questions I have. Thanks.


track on side of mointain


should there be a tunnel here?

 

[HiBaller]

Depending on the DEM and how it was created, the cyan colored track indications could be WAY off from where they ought to be. I would recommend that you find a start place that is reasonably accurate and climb into the hills using the gradient tool judiciously. You may find that at the point you indicated that a tunnel would work, but you may also find that the track really did go around the point instead of through it; OR it may have just stayed down in the valley alongside the river.

Bill

 

[NSWGR_46Class]

Use Google earth to have a look at the area, you can soon see if there is a tunnel there or not, when it come to DEM maps Google earth is your best friend