TIGER lines on the latest MicroDEM?

Tokkyu40

Active member
I'm trying to learn the new microDEM, but there are too many changes to follow the Weewain tutorial.
Does anyone know how to overlay the TIGER lines onto the DEM map? I can't get anything to show up.

Claude
 
I'm trying to learn the new microDEM, but there are too many changes to follow the Weewain tutorial.
Does anyone know how to overlay the TIGER lines onto the DEM map? I can't get anything to show up.

Claude

I have used the latest Microdem however Tiger Lines are of no use in the UK as there are none, so never bothered with them, however you need to make sure you have all the Hog textures installed in Trainz, that's the usual reason for nothing showing up. If for some reason you haven't got them, they are here http://www.fishlips.net/Trainz/Hog Textures/ Download still works as well just checked it.
Most of the changes in microdem are straight forward, one menu is slightly different to Wewain tutorial and has a setting that you can ignore. Most important is do not do the height conversion as it's now in Metres anyway and you do not need to save as a bmp and convert to TGA as there is a TGA option when saving.
 
I don't have the latest version but mine is newer than the tute.

TIGER in my version is Overlay > Vector Data (or similar) then you need to browse and manually select each tiger file from a list and add them one at a time. Seems a backward step from the good old ''All Tiger" option in earlier versions, but it gets the job done. If there's a quicker way in the newer versions it eludes me...
 
Thanks, Dermmy, I'll give that a try.
The problem isn't a lack of TIGER stripes on the layout, they aren't showing up in MicroDEM.
I'm still in TRS 04, so I'm confident that once I get the images I should be able to get it to work in HOG.
The new interface is a bit of a mess. I wish I still had the old version.

Claude

Update: Semi-success! It recognized the TIGER file and accepted it. It just wouldn't do anything with it.
Well, I guess that's some progress. Just need it to take the next step and draw the overlay for me.
 
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Current Progress!
I still can't get the TIGER lines to show up. It seems to be accepting them and processing them, then it automatically redraws the project, but nothing shows up.
I tried making a map without the lines. It looks like this so far.
missiontrails.jpg
[/URL] Uploaded with ImageShack.us[/IMG]
This is Mission Trails Park, looking north across the San Diego river to Fortuna peak. A somewhat questionable representation, to be sure. Pretty cool effect, though.
I have version 16, build 2012.4.30.1 I looked for an earlier version that actually worked, but no luck. It's this version or nothing, and so far nothing looks like a lot less work than fighting MicroDEM.
Any ideas?

Claude
 
You haven't got a mix of 10 meter and 30 meter data have you? That will throw up oddities like that...
 
The link at Softpedia downloads from the MicroDEM homepage, so instead of MD10 you end up with 16 again.
I've considered using heights gleaned from Google Earth to lay track at key points and smooth it to fix the shapes and see how it looks. Everything is in the right place, just..wobbly.

Claude
 
The link at Softpedia downloads from the MicroDEM homepage, so instead of MD10 you end up with 16 again.
I've considered using heights gleaned from Google Earth to lay track at key points and smooth it to fix the shapes and see how it looks. Everything is in the right place, just..wobbly.

Claude

Found the setup file for Microdem10 I can stick it on Mediafire if you want?
 
I already tried that with the set up file I had back in 2007. The setup file calls home to get the program, so it'll download the latest version anyway.

Claude
 
I already tried that with the set up file I had back in 2007. The setup file calls home to get the program, so it'll download the latest version anyway.

Claude
That sounds like the updater.

This one is the full Microdem program, not a link to the site. I installed it on another PC to check the version, says Microdem 10 build 2009.5.27.1 the setup is 60MB http://www.mediafire.com/?da9b7baa1mit5nq It doesn't update unless you do so manually.
 
I don't think it's the MicroDEM version. I'd assume it's what you feed to HOG and how you prepare it in MicroDEM. Are you using colour band raster images or the HOG Piglet utility? If the former, make sure your raster image has a 10m pixel resolution. If the latter, make sure you have re-sampled your entire DEM to 10 m resolution before you export as .xyz.

Regarding the TIGER overlay, you either did not load the TIGER image in HOG or you did not install the HOG texture. Also ensure you have the correct texture colour mapping for TIGER in your textures.txt.

The MicroDEM/HOG process has a few pitfalls. It helps a lot if you understand what's going on in each step.
 
Success! I have MD 10 now, and it worked as advertised. Thanks.
missiontrailsagain.jpg

I missed something and the TIGERS aren't showing up on the terrain, but it's close enough. I can draw in the features I want with the regular textures.
The big problem was that MD16 didn't want to generate a TIGER overlay, so I had a lonely DEM with no image for filtering. 10 is more willing, so I got my TIGER overlay and made my full image set. Since it was only one DEM there was no possibility of mixing different resolutions.
Now if I ever have free time I can play with it.
Thanks for all the help.

Claude
 
I missed something and the TIGERS aren't showing up on the terrain, but it's close enough. I can draw in the features I want with the regular textures.
You probably did not install the HOG textures in Trainz Content Manager. Since that tutorial war written for TRS2004, that step, required for more recent Trainz versions, is missing.

The minimap you see is created by HOG. The moment you add something to a baseboard in Surveyor and save the route, the minimap will be recreated. With no HOG textures the minimap will go blank (apart from the features you have added yourself).
 
I'm in TRS04. It still works, so the heavier programs were never enough of an advance to be worthwhile for me.
I didn't tell it to texture the baseboards. When I redid the GND this morning it textured the whole layout, including a nice background color. I don[t remember HOG working like that before, but at least I have everything working again.

Claude
 
When I redid the GND this morning it textured the whole layout, including a nice background color. I don[t remember HOG working like that before, but at least I have everything working again.
In this case you have used the HOG orthophoto texture colour mapping. I think that's the default. That texture set is optimized for arid or semi-arid landscape, all rather brownish.
 
Just to add to geophils' comments Claude you have used the default texture set which hides the grid and has the rail lines in the wrong colour. In your HOG install the file TEXTURES.txt must be a copy of hog-tiger.txt. At the moment you will find your texture.txt is a copy of hog_default.64.txt. It is well worth replacing the texture file and re-making the route, you will find the overall ground colour a right royal pita while building the route....

EDIT: an alternate (quicker) fix is to simply delete the offending overall texture, if memory serves it is HOG19, but check first, that could be wrong. I'd be re-making the route. The HOG part is the quick easy bit, you already have the image files from MicroDEM...
 
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That did it.
missiontrailstest.jpg

I have a clean grid of Mission Trail Regional Park.
I drew in rough indications of where the trails might be, but as you can see I missed and have to make some corrections.
That access road, by the way, came out to 20%. The Brisbane drop center does fine in DCC mode.
Now when I go hiking I can scout out the places where I want to add a trolley and come home to decorate the route. That should keep me occupied for a few years.
Thanks for the help.

Claude
 
You are probably aware of the TIGER map scale. It's only 1:160,000, according to the specs. Therefore don't expect too much precision. Furthermore, the MicroDEM/HOG process will usually add additional error.
 
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