Wanna order your Ground2K4 background bitmap for free?

[Holger 0]

Hi Rhumba:thanks for the link - nice "backup" in case GLCF doesn't have cloud-free images of an area.Here's another link, pointed out by Horst (LOWW) in the German-language FSL forum: http://www.earthetc.com/ecwearth/asps/ecwe...orld/landsat742This one is one giant (2 terrabyte!) online mosaic of Landsat 7 imagery covering the planet except for the polar regions. What's really neat is that it is in lat/long WGS84, the exact projection FS uses!!!In theory (haven't tested this) one should be able to zoom in to a particular spot, then take a screenshot (or several, which can be merged with any photoediting software) and import the bitmap to Ground2K4. After (!) you have taken your screenshot you can click on the "coordinates" button and write down the Top-Left Corner and Bottom-Right Corner coordinate pairs; those need to be put into Ground2K4 for reference. That's all!If this works, this source should ease my workload of generating background bitmaps! However, the image is restricted to this particular color/band combination (7-4-2) and to 30-m resolution.Thanks to Horst, good find!Cheers, Holger

[Guest Claviateur]

HiI am the designer of OLBA2002 scenery http://pages.infinit.net/mkaram/Leb2004/evolution.htmAnd I am looking forward to use Ground2k4 to improve the coastline of the country from north to south. It is a small land 10450km2 and I would apreciate it if there are any bitmaps that allow me to trace a more detailed coastline and why not roads and rivers if possibleThe coordinates are:N34 44E35 06toN33 02E36 36ThanksMichellebor@videotron.ca

[Guest Eisbaer]

Hi,thank you so much for this service Holger!I'd like to order the 15m grayscale and the 30m real color of N51.745

[Guest Eisbaer]

Hi,thank you so much for this service Holger!I'd like to order the 15m grayscale and the 30m real color of N51.745

[Holger 0]

Hi everyone:well, the first two bitmap packages are being uploaded to AVSIM's FS2004 Scenery Design category as I type this. File names are G2K4-bmp_sporadic.zip and G2K4-bmp_beartooth.zip.I started with Montana's Beartooth Mtns, requested by Wil (who got me onto the idea of doing this) and also did the Sporadic Island group of Greece for Lars Frederiksen.Lars, the image area is smaller than you requested; sorry, my mistake! It is true that all the water helps to compress the image but with your Ground2K4 work you need it as an uncompressed 24-bit bitmap. When I selected the full extent you suggested the 15-m image ended up being >100MB! I had to cut it down to the island chain without any of the mainland. Once you're done with the islands get back to me and I'll pack up the mainland section.---In general, I forgot to emphasize that image size is more of an issue with the 15-m images, which will be 4 times the size of an equivalent 30-m image. For this reason I don't think it's suitable to request an area larger than approx. 1 degree by 1 degree unless you don't need or want the 15-m greyscale.The uploaded packages are 39 and 20MB, respectively! Keep in mind, though, that the compiled Ground2K4 files will be tiny in comparison. My Canadian Rockies files, based on four separate Landsat images, are about 1MB in total.Lars (Eisbaer) and Michel, please choose a subset of the coordinates you listed above. Again, I'm open to provide more sections once you've successfully started on the first subset.Before uploading, I do a quick test in Ground2K4 of the (relative) accuracy of the satellite imagery's placement. Below is a snapshot from the Beartooth mountains, with FSG 38-m mesh installed. The thin stream was placed based on the satellite image, the thicker one to the right is the default stream. Nice, huh? http://forums.avsim.net/user_files/64336.jpgHaven't heard from Paul Kane, so the current "line-up" is as follows: Luis (a few islands to start with!), then Michel, then "Eisbaer".Anyone downloading the first batch of images, please provide feedback on the read-me file and brief how-to section. Thanks! Cheers, Holger

[larshgf 2]

Hi HolgerI tried to find G2K4-bmp_sporadic.zip on AVSIM's file-library under FS2004 Scenery Design, but it was not there. I'll try later today and give you a mail then.Best RegardsLars

[Guest Eisbaer]

Will this work?N49.833

[Holger 0]

Hi all!Me again...I just uploaded package No.3. This one is different in that it hasn't been requested by anyone so it's a true free-for-all!File name is G2K4-bmp_tetons.zip and it should show up in the FS2004-Scenery Design category soon. There are three bitmaps in total, covering southern Yellowstone National Park, Grand Teton National Park, and the town of Jackson with its two ski areas.A number of people have asked me to do the Jackson-Grand Teton area as a full-blown Ground2K4 project but I won't have the time for it. However, I did have the satellite imagery and thus did the pre-processing so that others can jump in ;-)I'm a bit baffled that more than 60 people have downloaded the Greek Island bitmap package in the last 24 hours. Either there are a lot more closet G2K4 designers than I thought or people just like to look at pretty pictures ;-)Cheers, Holger

[larshgf 2]

Hi HolgerI have downloaded "G2K4-bmp_sporadic.zip" from AVSIM's file-library. Everythings seems fine. I hope it's OK with a few questions along the way if my design-start give som problems?Thank's a lotLars

[LuisFelizTirado 33]

Hello Holger,It is no surprise that so many people should have downloaded your bitmaps. After all, we all like aviation, and the next best thing is pictures taken from the air. Obviously, we all like those as well.I would even venture to say that even more people would download the files if you would add the following line to the file description:"Should also be downloaded by all those who like to look at pretty pictures!"The Caribbean will probably be a popular download. And, I have a request for a future project that will please even more people (including Joe Watson and Bob Brown) - South Florida. For so many Americans, this is some kind of paradise. In reality, it is an ecological disaster area, but the weather is nice. I'll get you the coordinates for this in a few months with many thanks for your efforts.Best regards.Luis

[Holger 0]

Howdy!Lars, you're welcome. Good luck with the project and, of course, feel free to post here any questions you might have. It's a great community of designers!Luis, you might get to work on South Florida sooner than you think ;-) There are plenty of free satellite images for the Caribbean but it seems the respective governments have placed permanent clouds over strategically important places ;-) Thus far, I've found cloud-free (~95%) data for Saint Kitts, Nevis, Barbuda, and Antigua only and even those are in two different images. What are your plans? Just coastlines or the whole enchilada? Some of the cloudy images could still be used for coastlines but roads, landclass, etc. would be sketchy. BTW, have you been able to log into GLCF?I like that suggestion about the "pretty pictures" :-)Cheers, Holger

[LuisFelizTirado 33]

Hello Holger,Thanks as usual for your efforts. Basically, I intend to re-draw coastlines (that is, the entire island, but they are small and this is no problem), so as to be able to apply a correct altitude mesh. This will fix the basic problem in the Caribbean.So, clouds are no problem. I think that these clouds are placed there by Canadian ski resorts that want to prevent Canadians from flying down here for their winter holidays. Too much competition!Any details like roads, rivers, or land class can be obtained otherwise.I have finally managed to get on GLCF - it seems that I had to turn off my Pop-Up Stopper, my Ad Blocker, my Cookie Protector, unlock my front door and put a sign out saying "send me your spam and viruses". That seems to have done the trick. Thanks.Best regards.Luis

[Holger 0]

Hi all:Luis, I'm about ready for "shipment" of the first two packages with Caribbean Islands. The question is now how to wrap them up.Horst pointed out that there's a special image compression format (using wavelets), called ECW, which allows extreme compression ratios with hardly any loss of quality. I did a couple of tests with visual comparison of before-after, and difference images ("before" minus "after") and the loss of quality really is very small. The big difference is that instead of a 50-60MB package the download would be between 3 and 6 MB!The only potential stumbling block is that ECW is a proprietary process and requires plug-ins (to Photoshop or PSP) or a small stand-alone utility for decompression. Plug-ins and software are free and easy to install but require free registration (email and password) at the ER Mapper website: http://www.ermapper.com/download/ So, anyone highly allergic to potential sources of spam or yet another commercial website might shy away from this option. It sure is an effective compression technique though, and fast too. Let me know what you prefer - not just Luis but anyone who requested images. I don't care either way. Cheers, HolgerP.S.: Someone just sent me an email asking permission to upload to Avsim a scenery package based on my Grand Teton/Yellowstone image. He didn't specify what the scenery contains but that is one hell of a fast turnaround time ;-) BTW, I appreciate the notice but I don't need to be asked for permission unless the scenery ends up being shareware or payware; then I'd like to have a royal part of the royalties ;-)

[LuisFelizTirado 33]

Definitely, Holger, please do the compressed ECW version. Even more than spam, I am averse to large downloads.Many thanks.Luis

[Guest paulvanharte]

Holger using http://www.earthetc.com/ecwearth/asps/ecwe...orld/landsat742this works like a charm. First try I connected to FS and it was right on. No more large downloads. Instant landclass updates possible.