More TransDEM questions

[ThatDonGuy]

I've finally gotten TransDEM to create .GND files from USGS NED files that have accurate elevations. However, I am still having a few problems.

1. Is there a way to select multiple subsets of a map at once (similar to what happens when you have a route and a group of small maps is generated automatically, only I have more control over the sizes of these "blocks")?

2. I can have a raster map and a DEM appear simultaneously (and aligned with each other) if I use WMS to generate the raster map and then open the existing DEM, but if I have a raster map saved, TransDEM won't let me open both the raster map and the DEM simultaneously. Is there a way to load two saved maps (one raster, one DEM) simultaneously so I don't have to keep going to WMS?

3. Okay, I'll ask: how do I get something even resembling terrain to show up from an exported map in Surveyor and Driver? I get the elevations correct, but all I see is the gray-with-yellow-lines grid. I tried "Export & Create UTM Tiles", but nothing showed up even after I imported what I thought were the correct files with Content Manager.
(And what is supposed to show up - is the raster file supposed to be overlayed on the terrain floor?)

 

[Jerker]

G'day ThatDonGuy,

Answering your questions in order..

1. I am not sure exactly what it is you want to do here. Could you provide further explanation...

2. In order to display a DEM AND a previously saved 'raster map' as a map clipping, the raster map must be geo-referenced. Please refer to the excellent instructions and tutorials that come with the program. I would only be re-inventing the wheel by explaining how to do this here...

3. As with all previous programs that use a texture.txt file to display textures onto the Trainz terrain, TransDEM needs to have it's own texture.txt file installed into the Trainz installation before any 'textures' can be displayed on the terrain. This IS explained in the instructions...

...as for what SHOULD be displayed on the terrain, that will depend upon the nature of the map clippings that you have used and the settings you have provided for the export process - once again, these are covered in the instructions/tutorials..

Jerker {}

 

[ThatDonGuy]

What I want to do is, let's say I have a 1000 x 1000 map, and I want to include the 600 x 600 section in the upper-left and the 600 x 600 section in the lower right, but not the lower-left nor upper-right areas (so I can save space). (Yes, there is a 200 x 200 overlap in the middle.) Is there an easy way to do this?

Drawing a vector route causes TransDEM to create many small segments, but that's not what I want - I want to be able to see mountains in the background which aren't being included because they're not near the route.

 

[Jerker]

G'day ThatDonGuy,

TransDEM allows you to crop an existing raster map whilst that map is displayed in the TransDEM window. Once again, this is covered in the instructions/Tutorials but please keep in mind that each 'portion' of the original, after cropping, must needs be saved as a separate map to be geo-referenced yet again...

...but 'cropping' a 1000 x 1000 pixel sized image isn't really going to save a great deal of memory - I regularly use that image size as a standard for my clipping size when obtaining maps via WMS, anyway...


...you wrote...

...I want to be able to see mountains in the background which aren't being included because they're not near the route...

...in which case, you must needs increase the "Draw Distance" setting of your Trainz installation or increase the size of the filter you are using during the TransDEM export stage. Either way, there will be a substantial impact on the end result in Trainz, the latter option, especially, resulting in a *.gnd file that may be many Gigabytes in size...

Jerker {}

 

[geophil]

What I want to do is, let's say I have a 1000 x 1000 map, and I want to include the 600 x 600 section in the upper-left and the 600 x 600 section in the lower right, but not the lower-left nor upper-right areas (so I can save space). (Yes, there is a 200 x 200 overlap in the middle.) Is there an easy way to do this?

You can load many georeferenced map clippings concurrently. They can overlap and they also don't need to be the same scale or size. There is also the group file (.lgb) to combine a number of clippings for quick loading. TransDEM WMS in path mode will create such groups automatically but you can create them manually as well. Just open a number of clippings and save again. TransDEM will offer to save them as a group.

Drawing a vector route causes TransDEM to create many small segments

Small segments? Your vector route drawing should be made of continuous lines.

I want to be able to see mountains in the background which aren't being included because they're not near the route.

There is a field in the export dialog to indicate how may baseboards you want TransDEM to create laterally. This defines the width of the route. Setting it high enough, it will create "distant mountains". A higher number will, of course, increase the size of the .gnd file.