ReDem Expert needed

[RAILSOHIO]

I am modeling multiple lines that cross each other. I made a path in Goggle Earth ( I had to do it 3 times to get it small enough to fit the seamless servers limit). This gave me a BIL download split into 6 files. Two of those files had 2 BIL files in each download. This gave me a total of 8 BIL files. I found out Redem really only wants 1 file. If you load multiple files,you get gaps and large missing pieces. Small gaps I could fill with 1x1 srtm data. But the large missing chunks I am frustrated by. I read the data could be re-combined in Microdem. So I downloaded it,but can not find enough info online or in the help,to merge the files. So how DO you create a large route?

[PapaXpress]

I've used up to 4 BIL files, and I just run them one after the other without any problems. There was one time where I found a gap several months after, but I re-ran ReDem to get the tiles and it was fixed.

[RAILSOHIO]

I am thinking about making each route one path in Goggle Earth. This would reduce the number of files quite a bit. Then have ReDem extract each path (rail line) one at a time. I know I need to list the same starting point,no matter where my path starts,right? And choose the overwrite tiles,where the paths cross? Or do I just allow an overwrite when duplicated tiles are dropped into the terrain folder? Also,is there a "map" that shows you the extracted tiles in RW,so you could identify the missing ones by file name? I am thrilled with the 1/9 arc second terrain it is fantastic. I am just trying to figure out some things that are not clearly explained.

[NDORFN]

It should just be a matter or accumulating all the terrain files need to cover the route in portions. I have to add a few tiles to one end of my route because they come from a seperate .bil file, so I'll be keeping an eye on responses to this thread. 1/9 arc terrain is awesome huh! Slap some decals down and you can litterally plonk track and objects down visually.

[PapaXpress]

yes, you must use the same starting point. Try not to slim the number of files down too much or you will lose any distant details. In my case I had to crank it to the max to get the feel of the area right.

[barnez]

Guess I shoulda hit "post" before letting the page sit open for 2 hrs ...

you seem to be on the right path. ok, a few points with ReDem:

1. Best approach is to bring each line in seperately, no issues there with ReDem bringing multiple lines/ files in
2. Each path must reference the same starting coordinates. No worries if the rail line comes nowhere near that point, this is just where the software (both RW3 & ReDem) draw their reference for. Maps in RW3 extend about 600 miles (1000k) from the start point
3.Familiarize yourself with what data USGS Seamless has for the area you are modeling (example - the area I'm working with has mostly 1/9 arc with most of the rest 1/3 arc. If I don't pay attention to the boundries of the 1/9 area I get some really really flat terrain about 200m down from everything else)
4. After bringing each line in, check for trouble tiles, you may have to replace them manually to get everything to fit nice
5. Don't sweat stuff more than about 1 mile from the track, focus on the areas the user will see
6. Be sure automatic over-write of tiles is off, you want control over what tiles get over-written. I extract each BIL to its own folder and combine 1 at a time into the route folder. Then I look for trouble tiles and see if I can get better data for that tile from a different BIL file
7. Need more tips, we are here
8. Have fun and good luck

(a reasonable approximation of what I wrote)



-barnez

[RAILSOHIO]

Well I have learned a good bit,part of it by trial and error. Lots of great advice guys,thanks! Here is where trouble always occurs. I am using 1/9th BIL,and whenever a single downloaded file folder contains 2 bil files within it (the second one has a bil_2) denotation,that is the one I can not process properly through ReDem. Weather I process each one separately ,then drop it in the terrain file,or run them one after another,and put then in a folder,then drop the new combined file into the terrain file, I get missing,or flattened terrain. Now I have learned I do have to patch holes,but it just seems strange. Even on short 5 mile paths,I sometimes get a download file,that is internally split into 2 files. Is it because of crossing a boundary? And has anyone else had this problem? Joe

[hminky]

You can merge bil files with MicroDem. It is free.

Harold

[RAILSOHIO]

I did download Microdem,but no luck in merging files. Its just weird that no matter how small the files I download from the seamless server,the single folder has the BIL file broken into 2 equal parts. This was not happening with the larger files. I am having a hard time trying to fill in a 2 tile gap. It fills in 2,then deletes 2 in the same direction,when I add new tiles created by ReDem. I am trying not to use SRTM to fill the gaps. Its hard to go back to that,when you have become accustom to 1/9 BIL. I asked this near the beginning of the thread......is the any easy way to identify the co-ordinates of a tile?

[barnez]

The camera's coordinates are displayed in the top drop-down in the editor.

That said, if you are running into seams where 1/9 data doesn't exist, download a 1/3 arc file for the area. Import the 1/9 first, then (be sure overwrite tiles is OFF) import the 1/3. That should fill the gaps. Then check in the editor for gaps and replace manually.

I always have ReDem output its results to a temp folder outside of RW. Then I manually copy the tiles into the route folder. This gives control for tile overwrites and finding data gaps.

Example: tile -000001+000002 shows a nasty seam with no data. (The tile ID is in the bottom bar of the editor) Find that BIN in the Redem output package and manually drop it into the route.

Worst case scenario is that you will have to download 1 arc data off of USGS Seamless and use that for a handful of tiles, but if 1/9 arc data is plentiful for the area you are working with then I would expect that 1/3 arc should cover the entire region.

-barnez

[RAILSOHIO]

The camera's coordinates are displayed in the top drop-down in the editor.

Yes ,I am adept at using the navigator. What I poorly explained was determining which tile is which. I can not believe I had not noticed the display in the toolbar along the bottom. That was a very helpful piece of info! Now it will make it easy to select tiles to delete,if I split this mega route into smaller ones. I also did not think that the reason I could not get a few tiles to create,was bad/missing data in the 1/9 bil. I had extracted it 3 times,now I will grab that chunk in 1/3,and see what happens. I got to tell you,I was a big proponent of Trainz for a long time. My biggest gripe was that it was hard to get real terrain into that program. And then compass errors would multiply as you moved away from the starting point. Even though it has taken almost a week,I am just tickled-pink over what I have got done so far. I have more real world groundwork in RW,than I formed by hand in 8 years of Trainz. Thanks,Barnez and everyone!

[barnez]

What I poorly explained was determining which tile is which. I can not believe I had not noticed the display in the toolbar along the bottom.

Ya, that's an easy one to miss, I worked in the editor for quite a while before noticing/ realizing all of the information along the bottom strip.

And yes, there is much less compass drift in RW, however, it is still there (noticable on long routes) partly due to a different method of determining coordinates in RW than Google Earth (more complicated than I really understand)

Thanks,Barnez and everyone!

You're very welcome - hey it's what everyone is in this board for

-barnez

[RAILSOHIO]

For two days it seems the seamless server is down. I have about 2/3rds of the route extracted,just anxious to get the rest.

[NDORFN]

I'm trying to DL from the server too. Has planning to spend boxing day on my route but can't get the terrain in yet.

[RAILSOHIO]

It is back up as of the time of this post. I am finding it best to download a chunk of 1/9 bil,then modify the request to d/l 1/3 bil afterwords,and save in a different file. I keep finding holes in the 1/9th.