Slartibartfast is now available for download

[Guest jimkeir]

Hi all, I'd like to announce that at long last, 'Slartibartfast' is available for download from this link: [a href=http://www.jimkeir.co.uk/FlightSim/SlartiFree.exe]http://www.jimkeir.co.uk/FlightSim/SlartiFree.exe[/a] (4Mb) What will it do for you? - Mesh merging - SRTM Patching - Coastlines, rivers and lakes (LWM and VTP) from satellite maps or hand-drawn images - Landclass and waterclass generation - Merge your scenery with the default FS9 BGLs - Patch airports etc. to match new mesh - Remesh lakes/coastlines if required - Loads images, SRTM, Aster, RAW etc. - Detailed manual This is the first public release of the freeware version. I'll also be releasing a payware version soon, with faster processing and more detailed options. In the meantime, try this one out and please let me know what you think. Cheers, Jim Keir

[Guest victorwest]

Excellent Jim. I'll be downloading this evening. Yet another tool for us.Victor

[LuisFelizTirado 33]

Thanks very much, Jim. Looking forward to trying it out.Best regards.Luis

[bob.bernstein 0]

Jim, my compliments to you. Your manual contains extremely well written descriptions of the challenges involved here...excellant examples. The content is presented in the way I learn best, some introduction, details, summary, and examples with LOTS of pictures.Bravo!Bob Bernstein

[Guest jsvw2001]

I fully agree with Bob! Thanks for a excellent and extremely useful program. It will make life much more easier for the scenery designer.To those that got a fright for the 'command line tool', work through the well written tutorial at the end of the document and you will see how easy it is to use.I am looking forward to the Registered Version.RegardsJohan

[Holger 0]

Hi all,and another congratulatory note to Jim - you made it!!! ;-)I just checked: the oldest development version of Slartibartfast I have (don't know whether it was the first) is dated Nov 27, 2003! It's been a long road but Jim has done an outstanding job in continously improving on the code and responding to my constant "Well, how about this feature: ...", and probably those of his other beta testers. The result is a powerful and highly versatile utility, which FS landscape developers will greatly enjoy. I'm currently working on an extremely complex area with highly detailed source data and I can't keep myself from flying across the half-finished area ;-) Jim's Slartibartfast makes the task endurable and enjoyable.In concert with SBuilder, AutoASM, and Ground2K4, plus some of the supporting utilities, we do have an amazing array of software to work with - thanks to all utility wizards!Cheers, Holger http://forums.avsim.net/user_files/87456.jpghttp://forums.avsim.net/user_files/87457.jpg

[Guest victorwest]

I found Ground2k4 looked complex at first but now I see how easy it is.I thought AutoAsm looked complex but now I see how easy it is.I'm sure it'll be the same with Slartibartfast

[Guest jimkeir]

Hi.Er, yeah. It probably does look a little intimidating at first, there's a *lot* of options in there. Run through the tutorial, or at least follow it using your own data. It introduces things one stage at a time; basically you can start simple and only bring in the more advanced features when you need them.I'm going on holiday at the end of next week, but until then I'll be around to answer questions. I know some of the beta testers hang out here, and they'll probably have their own ways of working.Anyway, have fun with it. It's as simple or as subtle as you want, but since I wrote both the software and the manual there are bound to be things I've not covered well. Ask whatever you want, it'll all help.Cheers,Jim

[Guest JoeW]

Jim..... I downloaded the EXE and ran the install. I found the TDFMacros.inc and TDFHeaders.inc. I have both Photoshop and PSP 7 and 8. I looked in the folder "Terrain Tools" and there is no Slarti.exe, I did find a exe named Slarti_Begone.exe. This un-installs the program.But.... I can't find the program. I am reading the manual now and it says nothing about starting the program.Also... How much is the payware program?Joe Watson

[Guest jimkeir]

Hi.There should be a program called "strip.exe" in that folder, that's the one you need. It's called that because the whole thing evolved from a program I wrote for a one-off job, stripping negative values from a DEM. I probably should have renamed it - too late now!The payware version will hopefully be out in late September. I'm going on holiday for a few weeks, and I still need to sort a few things out so I don't know exactly how much it will be. That depends on how it eventually gets sold. I hope to have it cheap enough to be a casual purchase, anyway.The free version is hopefully still very usable for small to medium projects, I didn't want release something that was nothing more than a demo. The differences are listed in the manual; in brief, the payware one will be faster, more detailed and better suited to large or very detailed projects. I'll find out over the next few weeks if I've got the balance right :)Thanks for your interest - let us know how you get on! I'm still open to suggestions for improvements.Cheers,Jim

[Guest JoeW]

This has to be my dumb day. Found that and ran it and there are no buttons or anything on it and it closes in about 5 seconds.Also I located Cinepaint 18-3 and 18-2 and extracted it to a folder and there is no exe or READ_ME about installing it/ them.I opened Paint Shop Pro 8 and looked at file compatibility and the closest thing to a *HGT file was a HGL and HPG.I seem to be hitting walls just trying to set it up.ThanksJoe W.

[Holger 0]

Hi Joe,Slarti is a DOS executable without any graphical user interface. To run it you need to supply a parameter file with all the necessary information (in the same .inf format that FS resample.exe uses) and then run Slarti in a Command Window (see the manual on page 41).Sorry, can't help with the Cinepaint question as I've never used that nor Slarti's SRTM mesh functions. As background mesh for US projects I recommend the USGS NED 30-m or 10-m data. They will generate a much cleaner coastline than the SRTM data, without the need for pre-processing.Cheers, Holger

[Guest JoeW]

Thanks Holger.....I had figgered as much. I am doing their "Walkthrough" project where the manual holds you hand thru it. I got the 2 files and processed the inf in there too but don't get anythng in the bgl. I'm still doing something wrong.ThanksJoe W.

[wsieffert 0]

Try the CinePaint17, it comes with the Win32 executable - http://prdownloads.sourceforge.net/cinepai...17.exe?download .The readme indicates your psp or photoshop should work with the files.W. Sieffert

[Holger 0]

Hi Joe,you probably know this already too but running Slarti with the .inf file creates the asm code and base files only. To compile the .bgl files you need to execute the .bat file (via double-click) that Slarti produced.Cheers, Holger