May be Interesting for REAL WORLD TERRAINS builders

[pokie]

Merry Xmas everyone!

Just thought that some of you guys might find this useful.

This program can open GTOPO30.dem files.
You can't make .elv or .typ files, but you can make .bmp files.
This bmp file then can be opened with the bmp2map program which will generate the .elv and .typ files.
The bmp will first need to be resized to 1024 X 1024 and converted to grayscale.

Even if you don't want to use this 3dem program with the bmp2map program to make your .elv and typ files it can still be useful in helping you get the Longitude and Latitude coordinates of the section of the globe that you want to make your terrain from.  The 3dem program also will tell you what GTOPO30.dem files you need to load this section.  
This way when you know these files then you can place these .dem files into your MapMaker folder to be used with this program.

Web Site : <http://www.visualizationsoftware.com/3dem/downloads.html>

3DEM is now a freeware program and can be downloaded at no cost. Click the button below to connect to Simtel.net to download a zip file (3dem156.zip) containing the 3DEM setup program (setup.exe). Download size is 4.6 MBytes. Run setup.exe to install 3DEM on your computer.

Download from: <http://www.simtel.net/pub/dl/6700.shtml>


Here's a sample of what you can do!

Install the 3DEM program on your computer.
Unzip the sample GTOPO30.DEM .... E140s10.zip  http://www.accesswave.ca/~tscott/AH-stuff/AH-Editor&Stuff/DEMs/E140s10.zip
( You can place this file anywhere on your computer )
I'm using New Zealand as the example.

Took this view ( default )
http://www.accesswave.ca/~tscott/AH-stuff/AH-Editor&Stuff/DEMs/NZ1.jpg
Changed it to this in about 1 minute!
http://www.accesswave.ca/~tscott/AH-stuff/AH-Editor&Stuff/DEMs/NZ2.jpg

Run 3dem.exe
Goto File   
Load Terrain Model
Select GTOPO30 Tile   
OK
Enter -40 Lat, 170 Long, 20 Width and for Projection select Lat/Lon
Click on Color Scale and you can select Show Scale....  Feet or Meters if you want!
Click on Color Scale
Select Modify Scale
In the Terrain Colors select 1m and slide the Color Controls for the Red, Green and Blue to the far Left.
This will turn that 1m color to Black
If you say ok it will now show those areas on the terrain in Black.
Select Modify Scale again.
Now select 3173m and slide the Color Controls for the Red, Green and Blue to the far Right.
This will turn that 3173m color to White.
Now say ok, I could only see one Dot on the terrain that was at this Height.
( You don't see a lot of white until you change the 1953m color! )
Select Modify Scale again.
Select 1m and then click "Spread To"
Then Click 3173m, you then see the colors blend from Black to White.
Click OK to view the terrain now.

NOTE!  It would be best not to use pure black for the 1m when it comes to making the bmp because you need to change the Blue water to Black so that it become 0 Altitude.

Now the default size of this terrain is view on your screen as 600 X 600 and if you goto File and select Save Map Image, it will save a Bmp file as 600 X 600.
The closest you can get to the 1024 X 1024 bmp file that the bmp2map program requires, is either Save Map Image as 1008 X 1008 bmp or as 1032 X 1032 bmp.
You could always use IrFanView program to Resize it to 1024 X 1024 bmp because you need to also convert this bmp to Grayscale.
To resize image....goto Operation
Resize Overhead View
Select the size you want and then Ok.

NOTE!!!!  When ever you Save Map Image so that it makes a bmp file you'll need to make sure that the Coordinate Grid is OFF.  You do this by going to Geo Coordinates and select Coordinate Grid OFF.

Now for the fun part.

Since there isn't alot of the terrain that is higher than 1709m lets click on 3173 and then in the Altitude Range enter 1700 in the Max box, click Modify and then Apply then OK

Now the land is Blended from 1m to 1799m, everything higher than 1799m is also going to show as White!

The information here can be downloaded in a Wordpad file
http://www.accesswave.ca/~tscott/AH-stuff/AH-Editor&Stuff/DEMs/3DemHelp.doc

P.S  This site was good but its down at the moment http://home.pes.com/demprog.html

So you can look at this instead http://www.ofp-ojr.info/images/utmworld.gif

Took it one step farther http://www.accesswave.ca/~tscott/AH-stuff/AH-Editor&Stuff/DEMs/GTOPO30Globe.jpg and you can download it at
http://www.accesswave.ca/~tscott/AH-stuff/AH-Editor&Stuff/DEMs/GTOPO30Globe.zip


Pokie

[BenDover]

thanks pokie, its just what i wanted

[pokie]

3DEM can produce high resolution, large area grayscale heightfield bitmaps for use by other 3D terrain modeling programs.  These are overhead view images in which height is scaled to shades of gray from black at the lowest elevation to white at the highest elevation.

Then choose “Color Scale - Shaded Relief ” from the overhead view menu, and set “Shade Depth” to zero.   This will remove all shadows from the image.

Pokie

[NUTTZ]

Hey Pokie, I didn't get to much time to play with the program, But i liked what i saw. My main problem with taking greyscale pics and using them for the maps, is...

To "see" the height elevations in most greyscale, they shade or really darken one side of the mountains, so you can visually distinguish the difference in alt. When you use they greyscale the mountain ranges become cliffs since black is the level of water. So what I do is make a gragh over the greyscale and Shade the rings out, so the mountains will slope on all side. I'm not sure but Is there anyway that this program will do this? from what you explained it does, but you lost me in the directions.

NUTTZ

Originally posted by pokie
3DEM can produce high resolution, large area grayscale heightfield bitmaps for use by other 3D terrain modeling programs.  These are overhead view images in which height is scaled to shades of gray from black at the lowest elevation to white at the highest elevation.

Then choose “Color Scale - Shaded Relief ” from the overhead view menu, and set “Shade Depth” to zero.   This will remove all shadows from the image.

Pokie

[pokie]

Got the info from the help section.


I don't know anything about Paint programs or dealing with Textures, Lighting etc.
I had to  look up Azimuth to see what it meant!

Arimuth:  veritcal arc from zenith to horizon; angular distance of this from meridian.  Gee, I don't feel any smarter

Also I changed the scale from 0m to 2100m but set the 0m Black Color Controls at Red 20, Green 20 and Blue 20 ( 20,20,20 )
 Note:  I think I'll reset them to 1,1,1

You then can change the Ocean ( other Colors ) from its original 60,80,100 to 0,0,0 for pure Black or do it in the Bmp.

Pokie

[NUTTZ]

Thanx, I figured it out. Ya, I did that with the water, also. GREAT program to recreate historic and accurate terrains. Do me a favor? I'd like to finish my pearl Harbor map. Could you send me the DEM file???
Once in an art program, if your working with RGB or greyscale , you can use the "picker" tool and select the color you need to change, then the "new" color you want it to change to and sorted like the eraser, you slide it over your art and it ONLY changes that color you picked and changes it to the selected new color. That way you don't fudge up all the other colors and/or Alts. The "brush" used to lay down the new color can vary with what you want and is completely changable, I.E, shape /transparency/size/fadeout/ETC.

NUTTZ



NUTTZ

Originally posted by pokie


Got the info from the help section.


I don't know anything about Paint programs or dealing with Textures, Lighting etc.
I had to  look up Azimuth to see what it meant!

Arimuth:  veritcal arc from zenith to horizon; angular distance of this from meridian.  Gee, I don't feel any smarter

Also I changed the scale from 0m to 2100m but set the 0m Black Color Controls at Red 20, Green 20 and Blue 20 ( 20,20,20 )
 Note:  I think I'll reset them to 1,1,1

You then can change the Ocean ( other Colors ) from its original 60,80,100 to 0,0,0 for pure Black or do it in the Bmp.

Pokie

[Wlfgng]

I've been using the same program to import RL data..
it's awesome!

you can 'turn off' the relief map and make true greyscale DEM's
it's great.

what size do you want the pearl harbor data.. I did one a while ago but never went past importing it.