topographic maps to trs 2006 maps

G

GNR.FR

New member
Hello.
Does somebody have a tuto to apply mountains and valley coming from topographic maps to the map of TRS 2006?
I am searching also somebody who could make me share his experiment to conceive a narrow gauge system in fixed tracks and spline. I have finished an exemple in Gmax format, but I do not find the tuto to export it in TRS 2006 (just to try for beginning)).
Thank you and best regards.
JCG
 
Regarding Maps into Trainz

There is a tutorial on Virtual Railroading at: http://www.virtualrailroader.com/DEM-Trainz.pdf which convert DEMs(Digital Elevation Maps) and imports them to Trainz2006. The main problem is that the DEM maps are no longer free on the internet. You can check out the sites the author list as I did but I found no "free" DEMs on the Internet. You may want to print out some Google World map sections of you planed route which lists latitude, longitude and elevations.
Good luck,
Gary Orr
Coarsegold, CA
 
DEMs are still available for free from several sources. Check again Gary, Bills favorite http://www.Mapmart.com still has dems for free but limits downloads to 10 quads at a time. His other option http://data.geocomm.com/ still provides free dems but data is limited to dems selected at county level.

If you are working on locations outside the US your best bet is probably the SRTM DEMS produced by NASA - they are free. Search the forums here geophil has posted several links to them. These are 3 arc sec - roughly 90m horz resolution but they are lat/long grid so it varies with latitude. In many cases outside the US they are the only ones available free or otherwise.

Programs to use: MicroDem and HOG (both free but steep learning curve), Mapmaker (also free but used only with 3 arc sec SRTM) and TransDem - a payware program with lots of features. Do forum searches on any of them to get more info - a lot has been written. Sadly a lot was lost on the old forums.

For content creation you must have and read the CCG - a new one for 2006 is available in beta form for review - check forum for link to it. Also if you don't have it the Trainz content creation game pack for Gmax which provides the exporter. Just a start but splines and scenery objects like fixed track are easy and good to start on.

Bob Pearson

PS link to content creation game pack if you need it:
https://www.auran.com/trainz/contentcreation.htm
 
Last edited:
@GNR.FR:

In addition to what Bob has already said about DEMs outside North America, we do have 1 arc sec (ca 30m) DEMs for the European Alps. These DEMs extend well into south-eastern France.

With the aid of topographic maps and a suitable software tool you can also enhance 3 arc sec SRTM DEMs using contour tracing, should you wish to do so for particular areas in mountainous regions. TransDEM supports it and includes a tutorial how to accomplish this.

TransDEM also directly supports French coordinate systems Lambert93/RGF93 and NTF Lambert/Paris.

As Bob has mentioned, TransDEM is payware. See my signature for more info.

geophil
 
Hi,

I'm using a technique that is time consuming, but maybe some people are interested in laying streets, routes and buildings very precisely, as in the real world.

Although not finished yet, you may catch a glimpse at some screenies here : http://forums.auran.com/trainz/showthread.php?t=3397

I use 1km square baseboards exported in trainz. I first gather the topographic data, 25m resolution and proceed to terrain elevation. Then I gather the "decoration" data, with the good location, shape, and texturing of objects.
Here's the link to the maps :
http://www10.gencat.net/ptop/AppJava/cat/actuacions/territori/hipermapa.jsp

You also may have a look at this thread :
http://forums.auran.com/trainz/showthread.php?t=4763

Regards,
Hawkwind
 
@geophil

Do you know where I can find some very high quality DEM's of Germany? I am mainly looking for around Alzey, Wiesbaden, Diez, Mainz, Wuerzburg, Schweinfurt, Kitzingen, and Dettelbach.

WileeCoyote:D
 
German high quality DEMs are available, unfortunately nor for free. The only exception are the southernmost parts of Baden-Württemberg and Bavaria, where we have ViewfinderPanoarma 1 arc sec.

I recommend using standard SRTM DEMs (3 arc sec, 60 x 90 m in TransDEM) and enhance them where necessary with topographic map contour line tracing - usually in immediate vicinity of the route only, if at all. The TransDEM algorithm for this is quite efficient and easy to use.

Topographic maps 1:50000 with contour lines are available online via WMS or classic web browser for Rheinland-Pfalz, Hessen and Bayern. 1:25000 would be better, though.

geophil
 
Hello Geophil.

I have the same question than WileeCoyote but for the north east of France, free or not free DEM. I need precision. It is for narrow gauge railway system of Maginot Line and Séré de Rivière line.

Many thanks.
 
@GNR.FR:

I would give SRTM a try. You get these DEMs here: ftp://e0srp01u.ecs.nasa.gov/srtm (possibly one of the most often posted links in this forum ;) )

Those DEMs do not show cuttings or embankments. Even the 1 arc sec DEMs wouldn't represent them. You suggest topographic maps in your first posting. I always recommend combining DEM and topographic maps to get the best of both. DEMs for efficient terrain generation and the topographic map for details. As said before, TransDEM should be able to to "align" the topographic map with the DEM and to process the French coordinate grids for georeferencing.

geophil
 
activerail said:
There is a tutorial on Virtual Railroading at: http://www.virtualrailroader.com/DEM-Trainz.pdf which convert DEMs(Digital Elevation Maps) and imports them to Trainz2006. The main problem is that the DEM maps are no longer free on the internet. You can check out the sites the author list as I did but I found no "free" DEMs on the Internet. You may want to print out some Google World map sections of you planed route which lists latitude, longitude and elevations.
Good luck,
Gary Orr
Coarsegold, CA
Click to expand...

hit up http://data.geocomm.com/ and sign up for a free account there. They offer free downloads, although you'll have to deal with doing them "section by section", as the info "packs" cost some $$$. http://www.geobase.ca/geobase/en/data/cded1.html also offer free downloads for DEMs of canadian locations, if you're interested - they're in 1:50,000 resolution, though, so more work will be required to get them down to a reasonable size for HOG etc (one grid square rendered to a 700mb mapfile.gnd).
 
I downloaded DEMs from Geocomm and installed MicroDEM. Unforunately not all the DEMs I need are available. I got a nice PDF image of the area I want to model from the seamless site, but I'm not sure what to do with it. I also downloaded a file from the NASA site, how can I open it in MicroDEM?
 
Hello and many thanks everybody.

I give you this news. A train (2ft) has circulated on a track in restoration last Sunday in France close to the town of Epinal. It is the first train which circulates at this place since WW2.
I will give soon you a link to see the photographs on an Internet site.

JCG
 
Ok, I'm making some progress. I got the GeoTIFF from seamless that has all my area, and after placing it in the correct folder MicroDEM can use it. I've even gotten the Tiger data to overlay properly. Now on to HoG.
 
Hello.

The site has been updated.
http://perso.orange.fr/fort-uxegney/
There is a presentation in english on the link "presentation".
The pictures of the train are on the link "les travaux" and look at the pictures with rail. Sorry, it is not in english:( :( .
The last pictures with the snow, show the first run.
It works well.
Now, it is necessary to find historic loc and wagon like years 1890 to 1914.
 
Tiger Overlay

Smtty58, how did you get the Tiger data to overlay....I'm pulling my hair out with this last step (which I really want because it makes it so much easier to lay the tracks where they are supposed to go!).

I created my file in Microdem....and when I click on Overlay-All Tiger it just hangs up, nothing happens.

Thanks in advanced for whatever help you can send my way!
 
GNR.FR said:
Hello Geophil.

I have the same question than WileeCoyote but for the north east of France, free or not free DEM. I need precision. It is for narrow gauge railway system of Maginot Line and Séré de Rivière line.

Many thanks.
Click to expand...
Hi
I want to create a DEM from topographic map, but I don not know how to do that!!
May I ask you, please?
 
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