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cazador
08-22-2001, 12:44 PM
Maybe FSC can rep
lace







scasm, although it is not yet fully compatible.

Andreas

My question is: Why doesn't someone write a front end for C++ ?? Straight
from the horse's mouth, so to speak.

Justin
FSGenesis (http://www.fsgenesis.com)


If I would have the time, I would write a program to handle shape files and
make editing geographic features less of a hassle. That's a huge project
though, and I lack the time. I hope that the gMax program will be a basis for
good scenery design. Otherwise, I will look into using GRASS and write a few
export macros...

Cheers, Christian

Hi Christian,

I use a great little GIS called Manifold that is relatively inexpensive as far
as GIS' go. You can check it out at http://www.manifold.net. Price might be a








little steep for a freeware hobbyist, but I find it invaluable. It can
import/export just about any GIS format and has a wealth of features for
manipulating data.

Justin
FSGenesis (http://www.fsgenesis.com)



Hi Justin,

Thanks for that, I had a quick look. It looks quite good, but I have access to
ArcView over my job. My idea of writing GRASS macros was that not many people
can afford ArcView, but GRASS is free...

BTW, why do you want C++ scenery output? The opcodes don't translate to C++
anyway, so you have to make up you're own 'commands' anyway (or use the SDK
'commands'). Am I missing something?

Cheers, Christian


Hi Christian,

Maybe I'm missing something. I >thought< the SDK opcodes could be compiled with c++, but come to think of it, there is a compiler that comes with the SDK, I guess. I was just sort of assuming that the SDK would be the most complete and definitive source of information for the whys and hows of coding for the FS scenery engine since it comes from the people who developed the product. And on that assumption thought using the info in the SDK to write code would seem to be the best way to go about things. As you can probably tell, I'm not a nuts & bolts, high-level, low-level programmer outside of writing Terrain INFs and tweaking existing GUI SCASM output code a bit.

Yes, ArcView is way out of the ballpark for a mom & pop outfit like me.
Manifold can do anything ArcView can do, and a few things it can't, for less
than a tenth of the price, so I'm learning it and am more impressed with it the


deeper I delve. I got a great upgrade price on Manifold 5 and have no
complaints with the software. So far it's been able to do everything I've
asked of it. I've output 1:100000 DLGs and imported them directly into ASD for


compilation. Once FS2002 gets here (presuming custom terrain texture
capability), I'll be outpu
tting millions of square miles of DOQQ-based textures

using automatic scripts. I'm close to teaching it (or it me) how to write
terrain INF files using the metadata of DEMs in any format. Once the SRTM data


begins hitting the streets sometime in the next six months, I'll be putting out


high-res terrain CDs for the whole world.


You a GIS professional? Heh, heh, can you get me the CDED data?? I'm a little


short of the $127000 or so Canada wants for the same type of data the USGS
gives away for free.


Justin
FSGenesis (http://www.fsgenesis.com)




Hi Justin,

No, the opcodes are just binary codes, and can't be compiled with a C++
compiler. In principle, SCASM should be the equivalent to M$ bgl compiler
(although Manfred uses different 'commands' to describe the opcodes).

I'm also looking forward to the SRTM data. I have spent some time thinking how
to get rid of the shading of the sample pictures to produce some high detail
dems already now, but haven't come up with a solution. From what I gather from
the website, it'll still be more than a year though until the final data is
released... I'm planning the same for the texturing (convert the vector land
classes to a grid). I have tried to get it to work in FS2000, but the format
seems to be slightly different in what the resample.exe produces...

I'm starting a post-doc in terrain modelling in October, but have done a PhD in


Earthquake Hazard, so I'm not really a GIS pro (yet). In NZ the whole lot of
data costs ($2500, really cheap in comparison; I get it for free), and the DEMS


are much better than the SRTM data (20m vs 90m res). My post-doc is in
Melbourne, so I hope to also get free access to Aussie data (which is like the
rest of the world VERY expensive). :)

If you go to http://freegis.org under the free data section, you should find
dems for the Yukkan (or so) province. You'll have to reproject it to WGS84
coordinates though...

Cheers, Christian

Dear Justin:

If i have a aerial picture with 30 x 30 minutes, but the corners coordinates
aren't parallel due to the WGS84 format, is there any way to convert the areial
picture to a square shape to digitalize that picture and use it with the Fs
coordinates (Square cuadrants).

When i digitalize my maps I have troubles with the coordinates because the
topograhic maps aren't in square shape, and the digitalizing software i'm using
need square maps.

Thanks.
Alfredo Mendiola Loyola
Lima Peru

jtyme
08-22-2001, 03:20 PM
world VERY expensive). :)


If you go to http://freegis.org under the free data section, you should find
dems for the Yukkan (or so) province. You'll have to reproject it to WGS84
coordinates though...

Cheers, Christian

Hi Christian,

Yep found those a few weeks ago and have added them to my 75m Alaska CD. The
reprojection from Albers created some artifacts and I've spent the past two
weeks rectifying that situation. After all the hassles, The Yukon has turned
out pretty well. I'll be shipping the CDs tomorrow after more rigorous testing
the rest of today.

I'm trying to work out how to turn the 30-meter shaded-relief available for
Canada into DEMs and if that goes well I'll be putting out Canada by province
in high-res terrain, too.

I believe they start releasing the SRTM data later this year. They're supposed
to be releasing some beta sample of SoCal pretty soon. It will probably take
the better part of a year to get the whole dataset out, but I think they're
starting before the end of the year.

Wonder what NIMA will do then with the DTED1 data. It's semi-classified right
now. If the SRTM is freely available for the whole world, NIMA probably should
make all the world 3-arc-second data unclassified. On the other hand, NIMA may
lean on USGS/NASA to not release the whole world or come up with some sort
scheme to keep the data "need to know" or something. Hope not.

Justin

jtyme
08-22-2001, 03:23 PM
Maybe FSC can rep
lace







scasm, although it is not yet fully compatible.

Andreas

My question is: Why doesn't someone write a front end for C++ ?? Straight
from the horse's mouth, so to speak.

Justin
FSGenesis (http://www.fsgenesis.com)


If I would have the time, I would write a program to handle shape files and
make editing geographic features less of a hassle. That's a huge project
though, and I lack the time. I hope that the gMax program will be a basis for
good scenery design. Otherwise, I will look into using GRASS and write a few
export macros...

Cheers, Christian

Hi Christian,

I use a great little GIS called Manifold that is relatively inexpensive as far
as GIS' go. You can check it out at http://www.manifold.net. Price might be a










little steep for a freeware hobbyist, but I find it invaluable. It can
import/export just about any GIS format and has a wealth of features for
manipulating data.

Justin
FSGenesis (http://www.fsgenesis.com)



Hi Justin,

Thanks for that, I had a quick look. It looks quite good, but I have access to
ArcView over my job. My idea of writing GRASS macros was that not many people
can afford ArcView, but GRASS is free...

BTW, why do you want C++ scenery output? The opcodes don't translate to C++
anyway, so you have to make up you're own 'commands' anyway (or use the SDK
'commands'). Am I missing something?

Cheers, Christian


Hi Christian,

Maybe I'm missing something. I >thought< the SDK opcodes could be compiled with c++, but come to think of it, there is a compiler that comes with the SDK, I guess. I was just sort of assuming that the SDK would be the most complete and definitive source of information for the whys and hows of coding for the FS scenery engine since it comes from the people who developed the product. And on that assumption thought using the info in the SDK to write code would seem to be the best way to go about things. As you can probably tell, I'm not a nuts & bolts, high-level, low-level programmer outside of writing Terrain INFs and tweaking existing GUI SCASM output code a bit.

Yes, ArcView is way out of the ballpark for a mom & pop outfit like me.
Manifold can do anything ArcView can do, and a few things it can't, for less
than a tenth of the price, so I'm learning it and am more impressed with it the




deeper I delve. I got a great upgrade price on Manifold 5 and have no
complaints with the software. So far it's been able to do everything I've
asked of it. I've output 1:100000 DLGs and imported them directly into ASD for




compilation. Once FS2002 gets here (presuming custom terrain texture
capability), I'll be outpu
tting millions of square miles of DOQQ-based textures

using automatic scripts. I'm close to teaching it (or it me) how to write
terrain INF files using the metadata of DEMs in any format. Once the SRTM data




begins hitting the streets sometime in the next six months, I'll be putting out




high-res terrain CDs for the whole world.


You a GIS professional? Heh, heh, can you get me the CDED data?? I'm a little




short of the $127000 or so Canada wants for the same type of data the USGS
gives away for free.


Justin
FSGenesis (http://www.fsgenesis.com)




Hi Justin,

No, the opcodes are just binary codes, and can't be compiled with a C++
compiler. In principle, SCASM should be the equivalent to M$ bgl compiler
(although Manfred uses different 'commands' to describe the opcodes).

I'm also looking forward to the SRTM data. I have spent some time thinking how
to get rid of the shading of the sample pictures to produce some high detail
dems already now, but haven't come up with a solution. From what I gather from
the website, it'll still be more than a year though until the final data is
released... I'm planning the same for the texturing (convert the vector land
classes to a grid). I have tried to get it to work in FS2000, but the format
seems to be slightly different in what the resample.exe produces...

I'm starting a post-doc in terrain modelling in October, but have done a PhD in




Earthquake Hazard, so I'm not really a GIS pro (yet). In NZ the whole lot of
data costs ($2500, really cheap in comparison; I get it for free), and the DEMS




are much better than the SRTM data (20m vs 90m res). My post-doc is in
Melbourne, so I hope to also get free access to Aussie data (which is like the
rest of the world VERY expensive). :)

If you go to http://freegis.org under the free data section, you should find
dems for the Yukkan (or so) province. You'll have to reproject it to WGS84
coordinates though...

Cheers, Christian

Dear Justin:

If i have a aerial picture with 30 x 30 minutes, but the corners coordinates
aren't parallel due to the WGS84 format, is there any way to convert the areial


picture to a square shape to digitalize that picture and use it with the Fs
coordinates (Square cuadrants).

When i digitalize my maps I have troubles with the coordinates because the
topograhic maps aren't in square shape, and the digitalizing software i'm using


need square maps.

Thanks.
Alfredo Mendiola Loyola
Lima Peru

Hi Alfredo,

You'll need some sort of Geographic Information System. The high-end ArcView,
etc., cost several thousand dollars, but there is one for $250 called Manifold
that will do the trick. It's sort of like a PhotoShop with a geography engine

www.manifold.net

Justin