SRTM data not loading

[bnsfsubdivision]

Try redownloading your files in the (.img) format as that always did the trick for me without any issues.

I have been downloading from the Earth Explorer, and, at least under the digital elevation, I don't see a download option for any type of image file. I did merge the file in MicroDEM to a jpeg, but QGIS game me the same error when trying to merge that file to a .hgt type.

Use the National Map Viewer instead. Here's a tutorial for that: https://www.dropbox.com/s/aclpy3cd2xhja ... s.pdf?dl=0

[bnsf9580]

Try redownloading your files in the (.img) format as that always did the trick for me without any issues.

I have been downloading from the Earth Explorer, and, at least under the digital elevation, I don't see a download option for any type of image file. I did merge the file in MicroDEM to a jpeg, but QGIS game me the same error when trying to merge that file to a .hgt type.

Use the National Map Viewer instead. Here's a tutorial for that: https://www.dropbox.com/s/aclpy3cd2xhja ... s.pdf?dl=0

I finally found the image files downloads after much trial and error. I tried to raster them with QGIS into the .hgt files with no success. I still end up with the "piecewise writing" error. Unless I'm not supposed to convert them through QGIS? I assume that's what I was supposed to do, and it didn't work. Hmmmm...

[bnsfsubdivision]

QGIS will convert the files into the .hgt format, I just can't get past the issue where I have to change the dimensions of the map in order for to converting process to work. Now there's still a way to generate your .hgt files but that would require you to redownload your DEM's in the "GridFloat format .flt" instead of the ".img format" as shown in the tutorial I posted. If you follow that tutorial closely, you'll be able to get your .hgt files.

[bnsf9580]

QGIS will convert the files into the .hgt format, I just can't get past the issue where I have to change the dimensions of the map in order for to converting process to work. Now there's still a way to generate your .hgt files but that would require you to redownload your DEM's in the "GridFloat format .flt" instead of the ".img format" as shown in the tutorial I posted. If you follow that tutorial closely, you'll be able to get your .hgt files.

Unfortunately, this brings me back to square one, as BILxSRTM does not seem to convert the BIL files. They're the only files in that folder, with the BILxSRTM application. I open BILxSRTM, make sure the directories match, and click Start, and it tells me that it is looking for BIL data, and then it says "Done" and no .hgt files are found. Man, this is one complicated mess! It's only one step in the process that is completely throwing everything else off!
There wouldn't be a plug in for QGIS I need for this to work? There are many listed and I haven't seemed to find one that fits what I need it to do, but maybe you have one installed that I don't have. That seems somewhat logical, as I have no plug ins installed.

[bnsfsubdivision]

QGIS will convert the files into the .hgt format, I just can't get past the issue where I have to change the dimensions of the map in order for to converting process to work. Now there's still a way to generate your .hgt files but that would require you to redownload your DEM's in the "GridFloat format .flt" instead of the ".img format" as shown in the tutorial I posted. If you follow that tutorial closely, you'll be able to get your .hgt files.

Unfortunately, this brings me back to square one, as BILxSRTM does not seem to convert the BIL files. They're the only files in that folder, with the BILxSRTM application. I open BILxSRTM, make sure the directories match, and click Start, and it tells me that it is looking for BIL data, and then it says "Done" and no .hgt files are found. Man, this is one complicated mess! It's only one step in the process that is completely throwing everything else off!
There wouldn't be a plug in for QGIS I need for this to work? There are many listed and I haven't seemed to find one that fits what I need it to do, but maybe you have one installed that I don't have. That seems somewhat logical, as I have no plug ins installed.

There's no plugin necessary. BilxSRTM works however It seems as if only BIL's converted through Microdem will work.

[BoostedFridge]

I've just been catching up on this thread while on break at work, so I might have missed something. From what I recall, doesn't Redem actually generate the .hgt files when getting your DEM data from the .img format?

I am almost certain that was how I got the .hgt files for a few of my routes.

[bnsf9580]

QGIS will convert the files into the .hgt format, I just can't get past the issue where I have to change the dimensions of the map in order for to converting process to work. Now there's still a way to generate your .hgt files but that would require you to redownload your DEM's in the "GridFloat format .flt" instead of the ".img format" as shown in the tutorial I posted. If you follow that tutorial closely, you'll be able to get your .hgt files.

Unfortunately, this brings me back to square one, as BILxSRTM does not seem to convert the BIL files. They're the only files in that folder, with the BILxSRTM application. I open BILxSRTM, make sure the directories match, and click Start, and it tells me that it is looking for BIL data, and then it says "Done" and no .hgt files are found. Man, this is one complicated mess! It's only one step in the process that is completely throwing everything else off!
There wouldn't be a plug in for QGIS I need for this to work? There are many listed and I haven't seemed to find one that fits what I need it to do, but maybe you have one installed that I don't have. That seems somewhat logical, as I have no plug ins installed.

There's no plugin necessary. BilxSRTM works however It seems as if only BIL's converted through Microdem will work.

I can try again, but I did use Microdem to convert to the BIL, and I moved all the BIL's into their own folder, then moved the BILxSRTM application there, ran it, and still saw nothing happen.

[BDWorkshop]

Today I decided to read the above tutorial to get DEM maps into TS2016. I downloaded he proper programs and went through the process fairly easy. I was good until the last step. As reported by another poster here, nothing happened after hitting the import button. It seemed like something was going on within the game for a few seconds but the land remained flat. Any ideas on what is going wrong?

[BDWorkshop]

Ok, I found out the problem...I think. It's the height resolution. I was working in 1/3 arc DEM and apparently TS2016 can only handle the lower res 1 arc. What I'm not understanding is that the tutorial above doesn't mention this at all. Has something changed in TS2016 since the tutorial was made? Also, Is there anyway to get TS2016 to read the 1/3 arc DEMs?

[BoostedFridge]

Also, Is there anyway to get TS2016 to read the 1/3 arc DEMs?

Yes, there is a program called ReDem which converts the 1/3 or 1/9 arc second DEM into .hgt files which TS2016 can use. There is second tutorial by bnsfsubdivision on the forums here to walk you through the process. It is a more involved process because you will need to merge your DEM files using ARCGIS, or QGIS, and then use ReDem to convert that file to the terrain files TS2016 can use.

Some more about Redem --> http://www.zugware.com/site/products/redem The program is $7 USD.

I used it to generate the terrain for my route, and am quite pleased with the results.

[BDWorkshop]

I'm just a little confused...It's said that Railworks can only handle 1 arc height files, but using Redem you can get 1/3 and 1/9 arc to work. So technically the Railworks program can use the higher res files. Does anybody know what Redem does to the files to make them work? I'm just trying to get my head wrapped around map making in Railworks.

I ended up using height files from here...
http://www.viewfinderpanoramas.org/dem3.html

In a unrelated note...When importing a map you have the option of how many blocks you can add to the map...3x3, 5x5, 7x7 and so on. Can anybody tell me how big is a block in Railworks? Just curious.

[BoostedFridge]

I'm just a little confused...It's said that Railworks can only handle 1 arc height files, but using Redem you can get 1/3 and 1/9 arc to work. So technically the Railworks program can use the higher res files. Does anybody know what Redem does to the files to make them work? I'm just trying to get my head wrapped around map making in Railworks.

Okay, for Railworks to use DEM data directly it has to be in an .hgt file as seen in the picture below. Railworks can only handle 1 .hgt file for each Latitude/Longitude grid square. See pic below. Note the size of each .hgt file. For comparison a 1/3 arc second DEM file is approximately 350mb.

Railworks SRTM DEM.jpg

Redem takes the DEM data, then converts that data directly into the .bin files that draw the terrain in game, bypassing the Railworks SRTM system. Each bin file draws the terrain for a single tile in railworks. In the example below, as opposed to using 5 .hgt files to draw the terrain for my route, 2,243 individual bin files did the job, allowing much more terrain detail.

Redem Output pic.jpg

Make any more sense yet?

[Bananarama]

It's said that Railworks can only handle 1 arc height files, but using Redem you can get 1/3 and 1/9 arc to work.

Whoever told you that was wrong. IIRC, tiles in TS are 8m resolution, and standard SRTM files are 30m (in the US, 90m elsewhere). 1/3 and 1/9 are approximately 10m and 3m respectively, so you lose only a little resolution with 1/9 arc sec DEM, but gain a slight edge over 10m in lateral resolution. You can also mix DEM, but better with higher res 1/3 and 1/9, than say 1/3 and 1 sec - the latter which would show significant differences and borders.

So, in a nutshell:

3 sec arc (SRTM 90m) = Fine for flat areas, but poor resolution with significant offset in mountains
1 sec arc (SRTM 30m) = Good for most flat areas and fine for some mountainous routes
1/3 sec arc (10m) = Better, with coverage throughout the US and very few errors
1/9 sec arc (3m) = Best, but some data loss (gaps + down sampling to Railworks 8m resolution)

Note: there are a few US States that are completely covered by 1/9, but also a few completely devoid of it. The National Map Viewer will show colored detail of where it is and isn't.

[BDWorkshop]

It's said that Railworks can only handle 1 arc height files, but using Redem you can get 1/3 and 1/9 arc to work.

Whoever told you that was wrong. IIRC, tiles in TS are 8m resolution, and standard SRTM files are 30m (in the US, 90m elsewhere). 1/3 and 1/9 are approximately 10m and 3m respectively, so you lose only a little resolution with 1/9 arc sec DEM, but gain a slight edge over 10m in lateral resolution. You can also mix DEM, but better with higher res 1/3 and 1/9, than say 1/3 and 1 sec - the latter which would show significant differences and borders.

So in TS the maximum resolution I can get, without loosing any detail is 1/3 sec arc?

I guess this takes me back to my original problem then...Why did my converted 1/3 sec arc height files not work?

[Bananarama]

I guess this takes me back to my original problem then...Why did my converted 1/3 sec arc height files not work?

Perhaps TS doesn't know what to do with those, as it was designed to use standard SRTM HGT files (never worked for me with converted BIL > HGT). Your best bet is to convert to as few BIL files as possible (or one big seamless piece), and then use ReDem to generate the terrain.

When DTG releases their UE4 version, you'll be able to generate terrain to 1m, and also be able to adjust the tesselation for finer edges along cuts and fills.