Google Earth Images as Ground Textures???

J

JakeTrainz

Trainz Content Creator
I've read somewhere (thttp://www.dhobh.net/trainz/TransDEM/GroundTextures.htm) that you can use imagery from Google Earth as ground textures using a program called TransDEM (which I've never used), but when I tried to install the program from here (http://www.rolandziegler.de/StreckeUndLandschaft/startseiteEngl.htm), I got a logical error. I tried re installing and I got the same error, even with a different version. I would really like to use the imagery to build track on top of it for realistic results. I've successfully been able to use gmax to place screenshots on a plane, but it is time consuming and I would need to make many planes and line them all up perfectly in surveyor, which I find to be quite difficult and time consuming. I've even read posts about people successfully doing this, but where do I start? All help is greatly appreciated and credit will be given to whoever may help me. Thanks in advance!

Happy early Thanksgiving,
Jake
 
Hi there,

The program (TransDEM) is a payware program. You've only downloaded updates for old versions, not the program itself.

Edit: Beaten to it. :(

Kieran.
 
With Transdem it is not a magic program: "Make Me A DEM" ... The program will require a weeks worth of reading, and a months worth of trial and error experiments, to download topo maps, to import into Transdem, and a at least a masters degree in model rocketry science, just to produce a DEM that has roads, rivers, and rail lines on it
 
Well, it's not quite as difficult as Cascaderailroad suggests, but is does require some effort on your part to read the documentation. The program itself is simple to run. Roland has gone through considerable effort to automate the sequences to produce a quality Trainz map. TransDEM is a first-class program, and well worth the investment.
 
cascaderailroad said:
With Transdem it is not a magic program: "Make Me A DEM" ... The program will require a weeks worth of reading, and a months worth of trial and error experiments, to download topo maps, to import into Transdem, and a at least a masters degree in model rocketry science, just to produce a DEM that has roads, rivers, and rail lines on it
Click to expand...

Have to totally disagree with you here, When I got Trans Dem a good few years ago it was super simple 1st time out, real easy just follow the tuts and hey presto 1st evening of work I had a map simple.

Things have got a little more difficult now with USGS complicating there seamless server. it took me couple of days to get that sorted but that's all sweet now.

Cascade while you may be having some problems or are missing something thing or havn't quite figured it out yet, I think its a little unfair to go slagging off TransDem, I think its says more about you than anything, as over the years there has been so many positive comments about TransDem, you are the exception not the rule.

Cheers

Lots
 
As Lots says, TransDEM isn't too complex (though I wouldn't exactly call it simple either). Once you've completed the tutorials, it's relatively straightforward to translate what you've learned across to your own projects.
 
JakeTrainz said:
I've read somewhere (thttp://www.dhobh.net/trainz/TransDEM/GroundTextures.htm) that you can use imagery from Google Earth as ground textures

Happy early Thanksgiving,
Jake
Click to expand...

Check the copyright on the textures. If you're uploading to the DLS they need to be licensed so they can be used as payware. Other sites may not have this requirement.

Cheerio John
 
cascaderailroad said:
With Transdem it is not a magic program: "Make Me A DEM" ... The program will require a weeks worth of reading, and a months worth of trial and error experiments, to download topo maps, to import into Transdem, and a at least a masters degree in model rocketry science, just to produce a DEM that has roads, rivers, and rail lines on it
Click to expand...

Actually, I followed Roland's tutorials and was able to create my first DEM within a couple of hours. Since then, TransDEM has improved and is now even more straightforward to use. Roland's achievement is to take extremely complicated stuff and make it accessible to and usable by dummies like me!

Paul
 
I am making great progress in Transdem

As to Google Earth Images as ground textures, I have seen many succeed in this, using Transdem.
========================================================================
EDIT: I am having some success by manually georeferencing by 2 corners only, using a jpg map image, instead of using a PDF file.

I apologize for being so frustrated with Transdem ... I believe that I have begun to figure out the work around to all my problems.

GDAL Utilities: http://www.gisinternals.com/sdk/Down...-1600-core.msi (06/2013)
======================================
PDF Georeferenced DEM's: http://viewer.nationalmap.gov/viewer/
======================================
PDF georeferenced historical topo maps from: http://geonames.usgs.gov/pls/topomap...C,Historical
 
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