DTED0 Files...

[Guest Ideas]

Has anyone ever tried to take the Roads DTED0 File and make a Utility to transfer the information to VTP files?

[rhumbaflappy 113]

The idea of having a GIS data to VTP translator has been discussed before, and no one has developed this for general use. A couple of users have done this for specific GIS applications, but that code has not been released, and those GIS applications are very expensive.The "DTED0" files you mention would be based on the Digital Chart of the World data, which MS already uses in the sim. So there would be no benefit in that.Smaller areas can be made from maps and loaded into Ground2K as bitmap backgrounds. Although that process isn't automatic, you can draw the roads with pretty good accuracy. The maps should be in lat-long projection.With a new terrain SDK, we should be able to have better looking roads for FS2004. Hopefully, the wait will not be too long.I agree a GIS to VTP ( or LWM ) program would be very nice, as would a program that would load a TDF BGL and allow editing. Dick

[Guest Ideas]

The Problem is, Microsoft adjusts GIS data to the "Microsoft World" instead of adjusting the "Microsoft Data" to the GIS Real World.

[rhumbaflappy 113]

The MS world actually is the Digital Chart of the World ( for the most part ).I can take DCW vector data, make a geo-referenced raster image bitmap, put it in Ground2K, and reproduce the default roadlines. The problem is not the sim, but the data. DCW data is free, and you get what you pay for ( sometimes ).I had hoped the design team would have better roads, streams, lakes... for FS2004, but that didn't happen. Maybe FS2006. But I understand better data will mean more detail, will mean more BGL size, will mean more CDs and more time to process ( and check ) the data in the sim.Bottom line is the time and expense. But for $55 we get a pretty good sim. Dick