SRTM 3ARC.SEC Data and Terrascene

[Harald_Kraft 1]

Hihas anybody used the free SRTM 3ARC.sec Data with Terrascene?Are there any Tips how to use them ? (I am familiar with Terrascene).These are the best Elevationdata available for Europe. I would like to use them for upgrading the Austrian mesh.greetings Harald

[Guest Colins2]

Harald,TS2 will only read the USGS format dem data.There are probably several tools that will do the job but MicroDEM will import SRTM data and then export to USGS format.I've been working on your E00 files and have almost got them sorted.I have the dnnet file converted but there are some format errors in the ponet file. I'm still testing at the moment but I can send you the dnnet file if you want?Do you have an address for the SRTM data?Colin

[Harald_Kraft 1]

Hi ColinThank you for your help. I got my data from the following adress.ftp://edcsgs9.cr.usgs.gov/pub/data/srtm/I am making slow progress with my project to terrascene Austria. There are no detailed free shapefiledata for Austria available. So I started to create my own.First I tried to add them to the DCW-Files with a CAD Program. But I was not happy with the it.Now I started from Scratch. I use Easytrace 4.3(a free russian Software) for converting scanned maps from rastergraphics into shapefiles and/or DXF-Files. This software is DOS, but has a graphic User interface and runs wonderful on my XP-System.There are no problems to use this files in Terrascene and Terrashape. (Railroads and Streets).The drawback is, it only supports Polyline and Point-DB's. You can't export a Polygon Shapefile/Autocadfile (type 5, which I would need for Landuse/Landclass data).Please send me your DNNET-File.thank youHarald

[Guest BOB_J]

Precise LULC in 44 classes for most part of the Europe in raster .BIL, GRID and Imagine formats can be found here : http://natlan.eea.eu.int/dataservice/metadetails.asp?id=571Two datasets : 250m and 100m (uge! Both of them are free of charge even if some passwords are to be claimed.The last one is a massive 2Go file once uncompressed, so without special equipment, you should split, I'm using ERviewer 2.0e for that).Erviewer at : http://www.ermapper.com/download_new/downl...T_VERSION_ID=48Shapefiles in polygons may be extracted with the vectorize facilities of CHIPS, for example.http://www.geogr.ku.dk/chips/Download.htmThe University of Copenhagen send to you freely a .dat file to fully unlock the program.You have to do by yourself a conversion table between textures and LC, of course, because classification is somewhat different between US and European datas, as usual... Main pb : the shapefiles need to be reprojected from LAEA into UTM for Terrascene so I don't go further for the moment, because of lack of time and present production of newly enhanced photo termplates for France (10m SPOT panchro's courtesy by nima conversion into 7.5m globe tiles), most recent results on this subject can be found here : http://pro.wanadoo.fr/marieclaude.jeannot/...y!/pyrenees.htm In fact, I think this is a good solution for mountaineous areas if orthoimages, even in black and white, are found and the new process used. This too prevent hillshading.It reminds to me that this tool accept .hgt and export into USGS dem, (Geo)Tiff,: http://www.simtel.net/pub/pd/6700.shtmlRegards,Robert

[Harald_Kraft 1]

Hi Robert!Thank you for yourhelp.I will try your tips. Which format of the LULC-data do you recommend for Terrashape ?Do you know an other free source for Satelite images? Unfortunately most parts of Austria are not covered by the SPOT-Images of nima.mil.Thank youHarald

[Guest HeliFLYer]

Thank you Harald,getting more precise data is the problem for all European countries. Therefore I did not hesitate and actually download the described converter (rastergrafics - shapefiles). For all other interested in this software, you can get it for free fromhttp://www.easytrace.com/work/english/temp...tet.phtml?v=dosHope it will help to get some better streets/railroads for my project.RegardsGeorg (EDDW)

[Guest BOB_J]

Terrashape, courtesy Sir Colin, is a shp to dxf and vice-versa converter, so you can use both, autocad dxf and shp files.European CORINE CLC90/2000 databases are similar to the USGS ones, and sources may be acquired directly in shp, but not for free for most of the countries. The Italian territory, with Sardenia and Sicily of course, is a exception : in shp, UTM, and free! What a gift for Italian FLY!ers. Nevertheless, out of CHIPS, after vectorizing the free raster database, you'll too have polys shapefiles, but in Lambert Azimuthal Equal Area. I have 700Mo of perfect shp for France with 44 "links" for textures, but alas in LAEA. Free tool for UTM projection is needed and process of such huge files is not easy. May be GRASS useable? Should they be cut for convenience? In fact, I'm far to be a cartography genius! ;-) The networks : don't forget the low cost road mapping program, I even have one with the whole Europe acquired for free in a promotional operation from Sony! Conversion may be made layer by layer at max zoom with any raster/vec program, this is a tedious task, but surely easier than paper map scan. I think Colin has "detected" such roadmap progam with vector output, just another conversion, one vector format to another.Orthoimages are money... we are far to know our own planet with the "money way of life"! :-roll

[Harald_Kraft 1]

Hi George3 hints for starting:On my Computer Easytrace only workes with .pcx format (not .tif, not .bmp as desribed)for the rasterfile (White lines on black background).To get a correct shapefile you have to use the geografic coordinates in dezimal representation (48.234)for your min/max X and Y Value of the drawing when creating a new project (in the Linker Module) or your shapefile will be misplaced.Use the .dxf and .dbf File from the free DCW Data as template when creating a project in the Easytrace linker module. It works fine with streets and railroads. Colins is working on solving some Problems I have extracting rivers and lakes from the available DCW E00-File.I exported the shapefiles for Roads and Railroads direct fom Easytrace and had no Problems to use them in Terrascene without any changes.Don't hesitate to email me (you get my adress via AVSIM) as soon as you start your Project. I think, we will have the same problems to solve creating more detailed european scenery, so lets share our knowledge.

[Guest HeliFLYer]

Hello Harald,thank you very much for your reply and those important hints. The first thing I could do until now is to install Easytrace, proove whether it runs under my XP (seems there are no problems), looked into the doc and printed it out (because I have the chance to read something when I'm away from my computer). It seems to be a very complex program and that I have to learn much. So actually I cannot say more but I am very thankful you mentioned this program (I wished that there would be something like this but didn't know anything until you posted) and gave me those extra tips.I fully agree that we have the same problems and I would share all I know, but the difference between you and me is that I am a bloody amateur trying to do this job because there is no other who will (and has the aim to have a FLYable part of my homeland to share with others) and you are a real professional scenery-designer with much experience (who's work I admire since a long time). Big difference, isn't it? Right now I am just playing around with ArcExplorer, TS, Terrashape, TurboCad V6 to get knowledge of the tools I need for serious work, really headachy! But I would be a fool not to take this chance and contact you next week. Thanks again for this offer!RegardsGeorg (EDDW)

[Harald_Kraft 1]

Hallo GeorgI am an amateur too. I started with terrascene about 6 weeks ago and for me there are still many problems to solve.What I have done up to now is: Created shapefiles for roads, railways and towns with Easytrace from Maps and "terrascened" them. I also added the DNNET-data (rivers and lakes) from the E00-File provided from "Digital Chart of the World". (Thanks to Colin for his new Terrashape-Version)It is a very slow learning curve an I spent really a lot of hours.Unsolved Problems are the use of SRTM elevation Data an the use of LULC-data. But with the help of users of this forum I am sure to solve these problems.regardsHaraldN.B. I use 3DEM to convert SRTM to USGS .DEM, but Terrascene seems not to recognice these files.

[Guest HeliFLYer]

Hi Harald,thanks for your reply and the reference you give me as I am a big step behind you. Just before scanning the forum I spent some hours with creating DXF-files from EOO with Colins wonderful new version which now can convert EOO files of Germany which made an program-error in the old Terrashape (Thanks a lot, Colin!). That was quite easy but as I never used a CAD-program before it was a lot of work to config TurboCAD, get used to it a little bit and change/join some lines (which made me nearly crazy until I managed it). I must admit that all those data I got until now (ECW and EOO from separate sources) are very rough and not satisfying so that the next step will be trying to make shapes with Easytrace as you did already.Nevertheless within the next days I will mail you some further ideas I have (only ideas, to realize them is another thing), not hiding this or having secrets but I can write it in German and save much time. If there would be concrete results of this brain-storming, we could tell it here later.Have a nice weekendGeorg (EDDW)