Best Online Sources for Topo Data?

[Downtown]

I don't know any, but would like too!

Know a secret, post the link below!

Perhaps one day Pyro can add em to the Terrain Editor Help File.

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"Downtown" Lincoln Brown.
    lkbrown1@tir.com    
 http://www.tir.com/~lkbrown1
Wrecking Crews "Drag and Die Guy"
Hals und beinbruch!

[CavemanJ]

go to Ogre's page (link on HTC downloads page) and click the 'interactive' link
That'll take you to the area of the USGS site where you can download the topo data for sections of the world.  The data for the US is the most complete, the rest of the world was done a somewhat larger scale.  You won't find better data.  The files range from 1mb to 25mb to download I think, but you click on the map for the part of the world you (the 'tiles' are linked to the files for that 'tile')

You'll also need Ogre's mapmaker tool to make use of the files.

[Vermillion]

What Caveman said.

Ogre's Terrain Tool will allow you to use real world elevations and land use in your AH terrain. Follow the link, and follow his directions. The files that you need to DL are big so plan some long download time into your construction plans.

AKWab has a tool also that is slightly different in nature and is definitely worth checking out.

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Vermillion
**MOL**, Men of Leisure
"Real Men fly Radials, Nancy Boys fly Spitfires"

[CavemanJ]

Verm is AKW's tool on the net where we can find it?  I snagged the tile for UK-northern Europe, but when I try to open it in mapmaker (after setting the lat/long I want to start with, took a few min to figure that one out   ) in the dos window I see all kinds of bad data [location] lines and what I get in the mapmaker window dinnae anything like a map.

[Vermillion]

Cave, make sure your Winzip (or whatever you are using) is not adding in a CR/LF at the end of each line in the file, whenever you decompress the UNIX file that you have to download. Ogre's instructions talk about this. If you don't it will cause the problem you are describing (or a very similar problem).

Wab's tool is out there, but I will have to get its location for you when I get home from work tonight.

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Vermillion
**MOL**, Men of Leisure
"Real Men fly Radials, Nancy Boys fly Spitfires"

[Ogre]

Caveman,

In addition to Verm's suggestion (which I think should fix your problem) make sure you aren't selecting a location that is outside the tile.

For example, if you are trying to grab the Battle of Britain area you should be using something like:

Latitude 55.0
Longitude -2.0
Width in Degrees  7.0

Let me know which problem it turned out to be.

[CptTrips]

My little util isn't even in the same league as Ogre's.  

Its a simple little util that takes a 1024x1024 gray-scale bmp (white equals max-alt, black = min-alt) and converts it to a AH map and texture file.  

This isn't really appropriate for pure historical maps.  More for fantasy maps(lke beta terrain and current).
But it is useful in roughing out and texturing the bulk of the terrain first for more detailed work in the editor.

I'm not finished having some squadies test the latest version, but if you feel brave you can try it out:
 http://www.digitalsim.com/AcesHigh/Editor/akbmp2map.exe


Regards,
Wab

[CavemanJ]

I entered 55.0 4.0 20width
the 20degrees on lat was inside the tile, but the long goes well south of it.  Was wanting to get the southern half of England, most/all of France and Germany.  I'll check on what Verm said and double check everything and let ya know.

[CRASH]

U understand that ms flight sim 2000 can dl us geological data and create terrain.  Is it possible to use their textures?  What is a good source for accurate textures?

CRASH

[CavemanJ]

Ok, it's the CR/LF thing.  Guess I oughta read the directions a little closer eh?  

thanks guys

[Ghosth]

Error opening .dem files.
Yes read the notice about unchecking the box in winzip, did that. Checked size, seem ok.

Reads the ground cover file ok.

Any ideas anyone?

[Ghosth]

Ooops, had my lat & long reversed!

Working now.

[Sundog]

So your program would be good for someone exporting terrain shape files out of Bryce?
I will have to check it out! Thanks! Wabbit

[Snoopi]

Can Bryce import dem's ?
I would assume it can.

I have used similar app.s that could import dem's and export the texture as a .bmp and the mesh as a .3ds .lw  or a new .dem

Seems the best way to generate both map and texture.

I remember another site with elevation models that I used many years ago.
It had some higher resolution files.
(I'm thinking small pacific islands)

Regards,
Snoopi