Tutorial for Using Google Earth & TransDEM for route creation

Guys, can anyone tell current GE string number for transdem?
Can't update to 2.6 64x, it is showing message "no suitable patch found"
Got ideas?
 
Hi there,

I'm attempting to persevere with TransDEM and have successfully followed the instructions in Tutorial 7 of the TransDEM manual, with the aim of importing Bing (Virtual Earth) images. However, I'm stuck from hereon. With the virtual earth images set out and the route identified, I then don't have the option of converting to UTM or exporting DEM and ground textures. Is there something I'm doing wrong? Is there more than just reading the tutorial 7 in order to create a route to import to TANE?

Thanks,
Paul
 
Is there more than just reading the tutorial 7 in order to create a route to import to TANE?
Yes, there is. You'll also need a DEM. There is no explicit tutorial for that, but the steps required are listed in the Quick Start Guide, in the TransDEM Trainz manual. SRTM as the DEM source is the quick and easy solution, but there are also more advanced options like O/S Terrain 50 and possibly hi-res LIDAR, in case you are building somewhere in England.
 
Lately, Google Earth has made some changes to ther "Pro" verion. At the top is a toolbar. The second from the right is a button labeled "Save Image". When you click the button, a smaller toolbafr appears. At the left side of the toolbar is another button labeled "Map Options". If you click that button, a dialogue box opens containing check boxes for various items placed on the image. My advice is to UNCHECK all the options or you will have white boxes and other text appear on your images you are saving for TransDEM. You can save those options and recall them the next time you use GE.

The menu item "Save --> Save Image" will also bring up the smaller toolbar. It does NOT save the image as it used to before. You now have to click the "Save Image" button on the small toolbar to actually save the image. There is a choice of resolution as well. Choose the resolution you want.

Bill
 
About google earth & TransDEM

I have created a tutorial that will assist you in taking images from Google Earth and converting them into routes and 3D UTM Tiles using TransDEM. The procedure isn't that hard, but it might seem a bit tedious, mostly from repetition of steps. The results look good, however, and when you've laid down all your content, you can simply delete the DEM tile layers and let your own textures cover the ground.

Please use this thread if you have any questions or helpful hints related to the process. I am always open to new input.

The URL for this tutorial is here.

This download was updated on October 23, 2016. Changed to reflect proper placement of the yellow placemark in Google Earth.

Bill
Is there a Way you can make Video tutorial on how to do it. It's much simple as to watch someone make a route for Trainz.
 
Sorry, no. I don't have any video capability on my gaming machine (where TransDEM and my Trainz games are).

Bill
 
Ok, I've used your tutorial and after a few issues with GE (or my keyboard isn't using "U" properly..) I got through the performance and finally had it altogether. However, on dragging the map folder from my TANE save folder as instructed it fails every time saying it's unable to copy into content manager. No doubt I've missed something but what?
 
If you've installed TANE in the default location, it could be a permissions thing. An alternative is to use the CM menu and Import a folder into Trainz. Point the Import dialogue window to the folder where you stored the finalized route for TANE. It should import fine.

Bill
 
Well, I got the exact same problem. I believe it may be some sort of permissions problem, yet I can access cdp files no problem. I copied the folder over to a documents section I have for working on maps, and was able to import it from there, thanks.
 
About google earth pro & TransDEM

I have created a tutorial that will assist you in taking images from Google Earth and converting them into routes and 3D UTM Tiles using TransDEM. The procedure isn't that hard, but it might seem a bit tedious, mostly from repetition of steps. The results look good, however, and when you've laid down all your content, you can simply delete the DEM tile layers and let your own textures cover the ground.

Please use this thread if you have any questions or helpful hints related to the process. I am always open to new input.

The URL for this tutorial is here.

This download was updated on October 23, 2016. Changed to reflect proper placement of the yellow placemark in Google Earth.

Bill
Is there a way you can make a video tutorial on how to do this and put it up on youtube it would make more sense since I'm gettig stuck on this.
 
Sorry. I have never made a YouTube video in my life and don't know the first thing on how to go about it. What, specifically, is getting you stuck?

Bill
 
That's great but can you make a tutorial video on how to get goggle earth pro image as ground texture for TANE and how to do multiple images
 
That's great but can you make a tutorial video on how to get goggle earth pro image as ground texture for TANE and how to do multiple images

Ortho-images on ground textures only make sense as background baseboards. The resolution is limited to 1 pixel per ground vertex (10m or 5m), for technical reasons related to the internal Trainz data structures. As a navigation aid and template for route building, you'd better put the ortho-images on 3D UTM tiles, as indicated in previous posts in this thread.

But with Google Earth you have to do them image by image, a tedious task if there are hundreds to be processed. It is much easier to let TransDEM do that kind of work for you, and utilize a Map Tile service. There are a few providers that offer decent imagery, all pre-configured in the settings that come with TransDEM. (You will have to register for an API key if you insist on using Google Maps, but I would look at Bing and ESRI first as those can be suitable alternatives.)


For ground textures alone (not using UTM tiles), this is what you can expect (quoted from the recent announcement for the latest TransDEM update):

Standard Textures (TRS2019):








Otho-image Textures (TRS2019):




 
I understand that HiBaller is not up to creating a video, but I bet there is someone on this forum who could probably do it in a snap. It would be great if someone could take the initiative! :)
 
I mean what it says to do in the manual seems llike something is left out it doesn't explain in detail on how to do it. that's why I'm stuck on the situation where there's no video in english on how to get google earth pro image as
a ground texture even the guy on Approach Medium Youtube channel who doing the Rochester Division is using a google earth image as a ground texture and also Trainz Rail Operations also did the same thing but they don't want to upload a video
on how they did it. It would be nice if someone took the initiative to creat a video and upload it on youtube because doing the google earth pro image as ground texture gives the ability to trace over the track on the image
 
There already is a video on youtube.
But not using TransDEM.

On the other hand, that one helps to understand how complicated things become if we neglect an essential piece of information in any map or ortho-image: the geo-reference.

I received an email from a user the other day, complaining about the poor perfomance of TransDEM when it exceeded physical memory(!), due to the vast amount of geo data he'd loaded for a route more than a 100km long. This would definitely not happen with the base map approach shown in the video, because of the enormous time it takes to complete all those manual steps over and over again.

And still, I again suggest for TransDEM to use the Map Tile client for acquiring the ortho-images and not bother with the semi-automatic or semi-manual procedure with Google Earth images and placemarks.

With individual Google Earth images to still have to repeat for each image:
  1. In Google Earth, position the image, align "Up" and "North",
  2. Set a placemark and name it,
  3. Save the placemark,
  4. Save the image, assigning same name as for placemark,
  5. In TransDEM, open the image,
  6. Convert to UTM,
  7. Save

With the TransDEM Map Tile client, on the other hand:
  1. Acquire a single medium scale map clipping that shows your route,
  2. Trace the route path with the built-in vector line editor,
  3. Let the Map Tile client acquire all the large scale images along the path.
 
I couldn't agree more. TransDEM is the only way to go. But some people have to learn the hard way. :)

Speaking of that, I asked in your payware thread about getting an update for me.

William
 
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