Idiot-Proof DEM

[AdmiralLeviathan]

Right then. I'm trying to get DEM working in a WIP-route I hope to release here. I'm never going to forgive myself if I just leave the default flatness, but when I do terrain manually it ends up looking too hilly (For the area I'm trying to recreate), and is overall more time-consuming.

I've downloaded DEM terrain from sites before (Mainly DEM of the UK and Canada), but it never seems to work in-game (I know how to put the .hgt files in the SRTM folder, and I hope I am using the correct coordinates for the area the DEM covers). Where could I find DEM for Northern Illinois? Specifically around the coordinates 41 21'55.13" N 89 35'o2.35 W (AKA Wyanet IL).

So, this is a two-part "For Idiots" question since I get stuck using ReDEM.

Part 1: I'm using RWTools to make a route template using coordinates I get from Google Earth. When I enter the coordinates into the box (Ex. Lat and Long), do I enter in the order of N and W? Because it appears Railworks reverses that order ingame (Ex. it appears Long and Lat). I could just be doing it wrong, but you guys know far more about this stuff than I do.

Part 2: Getting it working ingame. I know the files need to be in .hgt format, and for the most part I find DEM in this format, so I place the files in the SRTM folder, press the generate terrain button ingame, and. . . nothing happens. I'm guessing this has something to do with me doing the coordinates wrong. Is there another step that I may have missed? What boxes do I tick when I click on the import terrain icon? (I don't understand the whole 3x3 and 19x19 thing)

Essentially, if someone could be so kind to do a step-by-step guide on successfully generating DEM on a route, specifically addressing;

1-How to input coordinates into RWTools from Google Earth correctly
2-How to import DEM terrain successfully

[Ccarruth]

1: Railworks needs co-ords in decimal degrees, lat 49.46572 lon -121.45631 , instead of N49 01.45. W 121.36.44

2:
http://railworksamerica.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=7&t=6151&start=90

Good tips in the above discussion and a great tutorial written by bnsf subdivision. If you are using ReDem as you mentioned, the output files (.bin terrain files) should be going into a terrain folder within the route folder, instead of the dem\srtm folder.

Trust me, I've been frustratingly stuck in the same place as you, and the above tutorial is the only one I've ever been able to make work. I would also suggest ReDem is absolutely worth the $7 asking price for how easy it all becomes.

Best of luck,

Chris

[AdmiralLeviathan]

1: Railworks needs co-ords in decimal degrees, lat 49.46572 lon -121.45631 , instead of N49 01.45. W 121.36.44

Right. How should the coordinates I listed be put into RWTools when I create a route then?

[Ccarruth]

Fire up Google Earth
Go to settings
'Display decimal degrees'
Find your points of interest and copy the correctly formatted co-ords.

Railworks, RWTools and ReDem all require co-ords to be decimal degrees.

[AdmiralLeviathan]

Fire up Google Earth
Go to settings
'Display decimal degrees'
Find your points of interest and copy the correctly formatted co-ords.

Railworks, RWTools and ReDem all require co-ords to be decimal degrees.

Thanks, coordinates were my problem.

Success:

[Howndog]

I'm looking for a sleezy-easy way to get terrain into my route as well.

Does Redem include Canada? Do they have a map on what areas it covers?


Thx
HD

[Ccarruth]

ReDem will process data for any portion of the world. To get Canadian elevation data do a google search for GeoDem. The tutorial I linked to further up this thread has info on using the Canadian info if I recall.(just looked,yes it's in the above tutorial)

[AdmiralLeviathan]

I'm looking for a sleezy-easy way to get terrain into my route as well.

Does Redem include Canada? Do they have a map on what areas it covers?


Thx
HD

I use http://www.viewfinderpanoramas.org/dem3.html for my DEM terrain.

I also use http://www.viewfinderpanoramas.org/Coverage%20map%20viewfinderpanoramas_org3.htm, but I've had occasional problems with giant holes being created.

I'm not sure how great either of those sites are, but they've both given me decent terrain (Better than making it myself).

This is how I add terrain to my routes:
1. First download my DEM data from those two sites (Or any other sites). I use files in a .hgt format.
2. Place the individual files in my railworks/DEM/SRTM folder (If it doesn't exist, you need to create it)
3. Once you have created a route template with the correct coordinates for your DEM files, you just use the function for generating the terrain and the game should create the appropriate landscape.

Someone could explain it far better than I could, but I was able to get it working which means that this method is pretty easy .

Now, for something somewhat related;


Bonus points to anyone who can guess where this is (It's not America).

[Howndog]

Forgive me, The light is not coming on.

I keep trying to get started making a route but after days of reading tutorials, downloading and installing software and starting and stopping RW I end up throwing it all in the corner and going outside.

The NBSF tutorial doesn't mention ReDem but uses a couple other programs. Another TS2012 tutorial uses another mix of programs. Other threads on the topic mention other software, etc. etc.

I finally got RWDecal to run (after 3hrs of fiddling with co-ords and GE trailpoints....). I go into TS2013 and don't see the decal files anywhere!



I just want to build a good route not spend weeks downloading and testing software!

Sorry if I sound frustrated.

What's the easiest way to get western Canada (BC) terrain into a route? and is there a simple tutorial to help me with that method?


Thx, appreciate all your patience.
HD

[Howndog]

Got the Decal thing figgured out. 4 hrs of processing and about 300 decals show up in route builder now.

.......still no joy on the terrain. Getting sunny outside and I'm feeling bit better (was sick). May need to come back to this later.



HD

[bnsfsubdivision]

Forgive me, The light is not coming on.

I keep trying to get started making a route but after days of reading tutorials, downloading and installing software and starting and stopping RW I end up throwing it all in the corner and going outside.

The NBSF tutorial doesn't mention ReDem but uses a couple other programs. Another TS2012 tutorial uses another mix of programs. Other threads on the topic mention other software, etc. etc.

I finally got RWDecal to run (after 3hrs of fiddling with co-ords and GE trailpoints....). I go into TS2013 and don't see the decal files anywhere!



I just want to build a good route not spend weeks downloading and testing software!

Sorry if I sound frustrated.

What's the easiest way to get western Canada (BC) terrain into a route? and is there a simple tutorial to help me with that method?


Thx, appreciate all your patience.
HD

I didn't mention ReDem because it's payware and a lot more experience is needed in order to use it properly. I wrote this tutorial especially for newbies, who just want to import their terrain without having to have any prior knowledge

[buzz456]

So when I try to open MicroDem I get this. Any ideas?

missing UDGS Files/GT_Datum.CDS and also GT_ELLHPS.CDS