Topology Advanced Questions

[misquetofarmer]

I get how to make bmp or jpg files for importing into Surveyor for a customized displacement map. What I don't get is how to calculate the values of the gray-scale image?

I have a particular problem concerning two canals at different levels there is a 40 ft drop between the two canals in this particular layout with only a few hundred feet between them. Since I am duplicating a real life city the orientation of the canals although parallel are not aligned along the grid lines. so I would like to make a a bitmap that could create a slope from the NW corner to the SE corner...the northwest being the High point of 60 ft and the and the SE being a value of 20 ft.

how do I calculate the pixel values what ARE the ranges of values I can use and What is the baseline reference...in surveyor? does BLACK mean 256? while White seems to represent 0 grayscale value.

If you know the answer Please advise. Also What ARE the maximum and Minimum elevation values that can be used in Surveyor?


I am using 2010 EE.

The hardest part of 2010 EE is that there is little support available as of yet. Some cool tricks and graphics but difficult to really get a grip on the differences. More than a just a few choke points when it comes to compatible content from older versions. The Old manuals are not only Obsolete but have some things that will get you in all kinds of confusion. the new manual barely gets you started on some the best looking features and more importantly doesn't clearly point out the differences that can save much frustration. I have been at it for weeks and have made some progress however

I have to admit its getting harder to stay polite when it concerns Auran documentation of the product they are producing. 2010 EE great idea...but you get an F on documentation.... having a years worth of canned food but starving anyhow because you don't have a can opener.

 

[wreeder]

Some basics:

A newly created baseboard is at 0 meters.

You can increase or decrease its height by 3000 meters.

The gray scale value of 127 means make no change to the height when using a displacement map. Less than 127 means the land will go down, more than 127 will make the land raise.

The relationship between the gray scale values and the changes to height are relative based upon the setting of the threshold dial. At its lowest setting the displacement has zero effect. At the highest setting, then white will produce a 3000 meter value provided you have enough baseboards to do this without creating a vertical spike. So to get something exact is mostly trial and error.

And lastly, on a newly created route the view in surveyor is looking East. If you set the direction control to North then the displacement preview window will look like the way the displacement map will effect the terrain. In other words the direction control is 90 degrees out of alignment.

William

 

[Approach_Medium]

Why not grab the DEM for the area you need, then use TransDem or other DEM to Trainz app to get what you want.
I have been using TransDem Trainz edition for a couple of years, and love it. Makes the whole job so much easier than using bitmaps, or doing it by hand.

FW

 

[sniper297]

I haven't seen this yet, anyone got a link to how you do topology with a BMP?

As for grayscale values, computer colors are in red, green, and blue (being based on old CRT technology), in that order. So 255 0 0 would be red, 0 0 255 blue, 255 0 255 purple, 255 255 0 yellow, and so on. Grayscale uses the same red green blue but always with equal amounts, so 255 255 255 is white, 192 192 192 light gray, 128 128 128 medium gray, 64 64 64 dark gray, 0 0 0 black. 255 is full intensity light, zero is the absence of light, AKA black.