CONDOR

Here is a small tutorial to help you start designing your own scenery, the steps should be simple enough with some guide lines.

Step 1:

Download your SRTM data that you require and unzip into a directory of your choice, to help with selecting your scenery area I would download and install Google Earth.

SRTM Data : ftp://e0srp01u.ecs.nasa.gov/srtm/version2/

Google Earth : http://earth.google.com

Download and install 3dem.

3dem : www.visualizationsoftware.com/3dem.html

Step 2

Start 3dem and max out the window.

Select File->Load Terrain Model from the menu, you should now see 8 different types of data that can be selected.

Select SRTM Data (hgt, bil) format, then click OK.

Locate your hgt tiles that you have downloaded and unzipped, the best option when selecting your tiles is to keep the CTRL button pressed down while selecting your tiles, once you are happy with your selection click OK.

I would suggest to start with only opening a 3x3 grid of tiles.

Example :

N01W001, N01W002, N01W003, N02W001, N02W002, N02W003, N03W001, N03W002, N03W003.

After a short while you should see your data being displayed.

Step 3

The next step is to remove any voids left in the SRTM data, select from the menu Operations->Patch Missing Data or press F7, you should see some text towards the top of the screen, place your mouse pointer just outside of the selected group of tiles that you can see, next press the left mouse button, now as you move the mouse you should see red square or rectangle as the mouse is moved, place the mouse at the bottom right and left click again then press the enter key.

After a short while another small window should indicate how may points have been removed, click OK.

Step 4

The next step is to convert to UTM Projection, select from the menu Operations->Change Projection->Convert to UTM Projection, you should now see 4 options:

WGS84
WGS72
NAD83
NAD27

Select WGS84, click OK.

Step 5

The next step is to save your work, select the following from the menu,

File->Save Terrain Matrix

There should now be 3 options:

Binary - Floating Point
Binary - Signed Integer
ASCII - Text String

Select Binary - Signed Integer

Save into a directory of your choice with a suitable name of your scenery.

When you save your terrain 2 files are saved.

scenery_name.bin
scenery_name.hdr

Step 6

You will now need to convert the bin file into raw format, select the Command Prompt from the Windows Start menu, then locate the directory where you have saved your Terrain files, next type the following to covert from bin format to raw format.

rename scenery_name.bin scenery_name.raw

Press return and close the Command Prompt window.

This is all that can be done for the time being, but should be enough to get you going.

Good stuff... I am putting it as sticky.

_________________
Gregor Rozman, Condor Team
http://www.condorsoaring.com

With this tutorial I have been able to create the land, but where program I can create the airports? In order to create hangars and other objects I do not have problem, but to create the zone of the airport I do not understand it.

Thanks!

_________________

To prepare the airfield for the Scenery toolkit it is best to do the following.
Create whole airfield (structures and runways) in 3d modeling software in one, same scene.
The scene origin (0,0,0) should be at the main runway center.
Airfield should also be oriented in such way, that the main runway points to the north (Correct rotation will be done in toolkit).

P.S. The runways, ground, para zone, etc. should be 2d flat objects.
Also try to minimize the poly count as much as practical. For example, para zone can be 2d rectangle with alfa texture defining the circle.

_________________
Gregor Rozman, Condor Team
http://www.condorsoaring.com

well, i,ve followed the instructions preciswely, and i`ve obtained a lot of files, each one containing 3x3 ".hgt" files, just like the tutorial say.

But if i want to do a spain scenery, it is supposed the scenery toolkit whoul mixed up all toghether?

Another question: what`s the utility of the Google Earth program you mentiones in the tutorial? i`ve downloaded, but i didn`t used it.

Besides, the Raw format obtained at last, when i try to see it with the photoshop, i don´t see anythihg but a "black mess". ¿It is normal?

pckormic,

When you download the SRTM data each hgt tile is 1 degree of latitude by 1 degree of longitude, and when you select your hgt tile using 3dem these will then be put automatically in order, in the map view.

To progress futher you will have to wait for the Scenery Toolkit release.

Google Earth can give a good indication of the area you are trying to create using the various options that google has to offer, you do not need to use use Google Earth you can use any other reference that may help you.

pckormic you have a private message

_________________

Hi ASH33M,

thanks for your tutorial. It's great. I just asked myself how to connect different parts together with LandSerf.

But one thing i'm wondering. I read in the QuickStart:

'SRTM data are distributed in two levels: SRTM1 (for the U.S. and its territories
and possessions) with data sampled at one arc-second intervals in latitude and
longitude, and SRTM3 (for the world) sampled at three arc-seconds.'

Thus, all data for europe should be SRTM3?

Hi mitterberger,

Using landSerf to place or your tiles together, you will first need to open all your tiles on there own, then you can only stitch 2 tiles together at any one time.

First you will need select one tile as primary and the other as the secondary tile then combine both together and repeat the process, next you will need to select your first tile that was combined as your primary tile and then another combined tile as your secondary tile and combine these 2 together, you will now have 4 tiles put together, this is the process of putting tiles together in LandSerf.

It is recommended to use NASA SRTM digital elevation data with 90 m resolution, which is accessible for the entire globe at: : ftp://e0srp01u.ecs.nasa.gov/srtm/version2/.

Hope this helps.

I cant access the 3dem dowwnload from the link provided, anyone else with the same problem? If its a problem with missing file could anyone care to post it on the net somewhere for download?

_________________
Haldor
LS6a / LN-GHY
Norway

~~ if this is torture chain me to the wall ~~

Just google "3dem download"

or download it from (found with google)

http://ftp.us.es/ftp/Mirror/www.winsite ... dem190.zip

I did search for the program and also the specified title (3dem189.zip) but didnt find it. Wasnt too far off though.

Thanks a lot for the link!

_________________
Haldor
LS6a / LN-GHY
Norway

~~ if this is torture chain me to the wall ~~

Hi ASH33M,

when i tried to open more than one files (3x3 tiles; N49E009.hgt, N49E010.hgt, N49E011.hgt, N50E009.hgt, N50E010.hgt,
N50E011.hgt, N51E009.hgt, N51E010.hgt, N51E011.hgt), 3dem displays only 3 tiles.
Latitude 49 up 52 (ok) but the Longitude shows values from zero up to 1?! The displayed tiles are the most east tiles
(N49E011.hgt, N50E011.hgt and N51E011.hgt).

Screenshoot (loading 3x3 tiles)
http://www.miku.at/download/3x3_tiles.jpg

And this Schreenshoot, when i open 3x1 tiles (N49E011.hgt, N50E011.hgt and N51E011.hgt).
http://www.miku.at/download/3x1_tiles.jpg

Using 3dem 1.90, downloaded from link above.

This link direct to a SRTM 90m data site which have voids already removed - http://srtm.csi.cgiar.org

The 5x5deg tiles are zipped and contain a .TIF image which can be imported to 3dem.

_________________
Haldor
LS6a / LN-GHY
Norway

~~ if this is torture chain me to the wall ~~

Hi mitterberger,

I have downloaded the tiles you have selected and loaded them into 3dem, all the tiles have loaded correctly then conveted the tiles into UTM projection without any problems at all, just double check that you have all the tiles inside one directory, when you start 3dem and you are selecting your tiles keep the CTRL pressed down and then select the tiles making sure they are highlighted then click OK to load the tiles into 3dem.

If you are still having problems send me the hgt tiles that you are trying to load into 3dem.