Need Help with a Project...

[Guest Ideas]

@-@ I am trying to figure out how to take USGS Coastlines and transfer them directly into FS2004. I realize that a lot of people would not want the detailed coasts due to frame rates but I think it would be a nice option to have. My programming skills are not that great, but the program I am thinking of would be written in Blitz Basic and input Coastline data then output the coastline *.asm code.Anyone want to help me understand how to convert the USGS data?

[Guest Horst]

Hi,Are you talking about these data?:http://rimmer.ngdc.noaa.gov/mgg/coast/getcoast.htmlAutoAsm can do it!----------------------------Part of a mail of Chris:There are several formats, UNG is the second. Whichever format you choose, the file name always seems to bexxxx.dat, so if you download the UNG format you'll need to change thefile name to xxxx.ung AutoAsm uses this to determine the format when importing.The first format is Mapgen - this is actually the original format thatAutoAsm could import. Therefore, if you download in Mapgen format theformat xxxx.dat will be recognised by AutoAsm as Mapgen format (i.e. youwouldn't need to change the filename).-----------------------------I never tried yet, doing shorelines alone.RegardsHorst

[rhumbaflappy 113]

I'm not so sure those coastlines are any better than the default FS9 data. Dick

[Holger 0]

Howdy,here's an alternative I came across just yesterday (while looking for something entirely different): http://nauticalcharts.noaa.gov/csdl/ctp/cm_vs.htmThey look quite decent and, at least for SE Alaska, the area I checked in more detail, much better than the default. However, the best Alaska shoreline data I know of are available here: http://www.asgdc.state.ak.us/homehtml/tb_phys.html (the 1:63,360 file with islands). The screenshot below is a comparison of the default and new shoreline.The files on both sites are in ArcInfo shape format; don't know whether there's a freeware utility that can translate those into a usable format.Cheers, HolgerP.S.: I don't think there's need to worry about frame rates. Even those highly detailed coastlines don't seem to have much of an impact. If you're sceptical, check out some of the coastal files on Jim Keir's website: http://www.jimkeir.co.uk/FlightSim/scenery.htmlhttp://forums.avsim.net/user_files/88957.jpg

[Guest Horst]

Hello,You can import Esri shape files (*.shp) to GPSMapedit and save it to "polish format" (*.mp), AutoAsm and Sbuilder can read.e.g alsohttp://www.esri.com/data/download/basemap/index.htmlhttp://www.esri.com/data/download/census20...line/index.htmlI can follow only some threads:http://forums.avsim.net/dcboard.php?az=sho...17634&mode=fulland I am always happy, when someone compare the data available to the data used in the simulator.Thanks, Holger.I will agree to Dick for the World coastlines. But maybe the medium resolution, covering the US? But I never tried and compared the data.RegardsHorst

[scott967 62]

Where is autoasm located. I've never been able to find it?scott s..

[Guest vlada stoje]

Hi all,about the conversion of the shapefiles, for the occasional scenery fiddlers (as me) perhaps would be useful also the trial version of the Arcv2CAD by Paul Guthrie http://www.guthcad.com.au and his freeware dxf2txt, which will complete the conversion shp

[Guest Horst]

Hallo Vlada,Off topic from Ideas idea! :)Yes, there always some tools going from one format to another!Following my post:http://forums.avsim.net/dcboard.php?az=sho...id=22109&page=2Google really helps!ArcInfo E00 to shp.Some days ago I was reading a thread in a forum I am following:http://groups.google.com/groups?dq=&hl=de&...infosystems.gisor maybe:http://mcmcweb.er.usgs.gov/drc/dlgv32pro/index.htmlIf EOO to shp possible for free, I do not know!I can not follow every approach for freeware.A very nice guy from Sweden made an mp2bln converter. Then Luis decided to go over the format. And he understood it!As you can see on the number of the posts from Luis, he seems very busy to developing his own scenery, than developing Sbuilder.I can fully understand this!Going always over the code to find the problems for a freeware tool, and teaching scenery design?No, it is not possible with Version 2.01!On the other hand the big concern, to use data 1:1 !!You make a scenery, and Jim Keir is exporting the points to bln?Very useful and more than essential - that the data will fit together! (except the chaos for the user, changing the default files)(e.g It is not possible!!, but: Import the default files

[Guest luissa]

>As you can see on the number of the posts from Luis, he seems>very busy to developing his own scenery, than developing>Sbuilder.Hello Horst,Actually I am returning from a vacation in the South of Portugal :-cool ! About Sbuilder I had a hard time to solve a simple programming problem but I finally came to a solution. I am referring to the problem of matching LWM lakes to a mesh. In the preferences menu I set the altitude of 570 meters to show in blue. Then I have to manually adjust the LWM points.http://forums.avsim.net/user_files/89154.gifRegards, Luis

[Guest cwright]

Hi Scott, unfortunately AutoAsm is in a state of flux at the moment, but I hope to have the final new release ready in September. The documentation needs a lot of updating. Meanwhile you can get the latest version in three downloads:http://www.kline.demon.co.uk/AutoAsmV05.zip (the original release last December)http://www.kline.demon.co.uk/AutoAsm_Update_2.zip (update from the end of January)http://www.kline.demon.co.uk/autoasm_temp_update.zip (the latest temporary update) Best regards, Chris

[Guest cwright]

As Horst says, AutoAsm can be used for this. Another approach is to use TerraScene in conjunction with AutoAsm. A nice feature of TerraScene is that it automates the process of downloading the required USGS files - you just define your scenery area and TS does the rest. TS can be found in the Avsim library. There is a detailed tutorial on how to set up TS to generate the required bitmaps for use with AutoAsm. TerraScene then creates a bitmap which can then be read into AutoAsm. Roads can also be generated as well as coastlines. The resulting scenery can be very detailed, but you can define the level of detail you want. Best regards, Chris

[scott967 62]

Thanks Chris, I'm sure even in the current state it willbe helpful.scott s..

[Gridley 257]

Chris,Sorry to bother - is that TS-->AutoASM tutorial here at AVSIM?Thanks!sg

[Gridley 257]

Nevermind, I think - you were referring to the description in the readme regarding using a TS generated watermask as a bmp in autoasm, right?

[Guest vlada stoje]

Hi Horst,thanks for the list of links and knowledge, particularly I like your parallel with the fs people and gps people! You are right, the free gps maps are also interesting source for fs scenery (and vice versa?)CheersVlada