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Color coded/shaded contours and DTM


holsteinson

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i agree, this would be great. The DTM function could do with a good overhaul. it seems very clunky at present.

It would be great if there were a function for dropping a base/aerial image onto to dtm as well. I know you can do this already in a very long winded way, but the time and effort needed outweighs the benefits at the moment.

I have done this in the past and there are problems with the images/base's stretching over very hilly terrains, dont know if this is a hurdle that can be overcome

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Mapping aerial / satellite images to terrain is a very intense process.

Google Earth has invested many years and $$$$$$$$$ in getting it right.

The NASA radar telemetry data for the entire Earth at various resolutions is now readily available to work with as well.

X-Plane Flight Sim includes DVD's of the topo datasets for the Earth, Moon & Mars... all for only $50 US !

As noted, VW only supports standard image texture mapping algorithms.

It's doubtful that this inadequate process will be changed anytime soon.

However, with a little wizardry you can utilize images exported from GE at the exact geo-spatial coordinates

of the DTM ViewPort set-up to achieve convincing localized texture maps.

The problem , naturally, is in getting all of the various spheric-trig coordinate conversions correct for the site.

The first evolutionary step for VW would be recognition of the geo-spatial location of the DTM

and to make the necessary adjustments to conform to the constantly changing curvature of the Earth

based on realtime access to the public database.

The next time you are using Google Earth set the View to show the Lat-Long Grid lines.

Note how they bend and undulated as you fly over the terrain.

Now... that's a mapping problem ... how did the Wizards manage that ?

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Not that I'd be a huge fan of the current DTM, I wonder about these "coloured contours". The good professor has not provided any references, so at least I have no idea what is that he is after.

Coloured contours? Curious? Why would one want to colour contours? I prefer to colour the DTM, eg. slopes or relative elevations. The latter like this (in 2D):

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I,

With the Quicktime API becoming "legacy 32 bit" it is likely that NNA will be addressing image handling in the not too distant future.

Not that I would expect terrain mapping as a feature anytime soon, but it is a possiblity depending on how a replacement is selected for handling bitmaps internally.

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Kool Aid, it would be great to be able to apply different colours to different contour heights/slopes on the DTM, currently what can be done in my opinion looks crap, and prints even crapper. I have produced these for clients on the past and they were not that impressed. The slope analysis could do with an overhaul as well as it can be quite confusing to someone who doesnt know how it works and finds it difficult to interpret.

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I'm not against new features, but the DTM has very serious problems. It can't handle large data sets, it produces totally erroneus results even with perfectly valid data, its error handling is remarkably bad. First fix what is broken, then consider new features. At present, out of the box, the DTM works only if your terrain is of the type approved by NNA. It usually is not.

Anyway, ?analyses? produced by a computer program are only a starting point and factual evidence for one's findings and real analyses. A computer cannot analyse anything, it only computes? The carbon-based biped analyses and draws his or her conclusions, maybe even produces a drawing. The crappy supporting images are, I think, quite sufficient.

I'm also conscious of the price and, more importantly, the usability of the DTM module. We are talking about a module of a module of a low-cost, general purpose CAD-program, not a fully-featured DTM-program, used by dedicated specialists and then interpreted by other specialists.

However, an easy (?) improvement ? and maybe a partial solution to the good professor's crayon problem ? would be, to me, to have the ability to define a reference level and colour scales to two directions (above & below.)

Meanwhile, adjusting the contour interval may make a difference. Here's the St. Kilda Hill with 3m contours.

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i know its a general purpose CAD program, and i dont expect the moon on a stick, but i do expect to be able to use the tools they sold me effectively and in a manner that displays well. i dont want to have to change the contour level to make it more clear, i want to show the levels i want to! trust me, i have spent weeks messing around with this module trying to find a way to incorporate it into our daily work............. but it just isnt worth it at all.

to me the DTM module is below par. As a Landmark user, i dont see many new tools that are aimed at us, most are for the architects. If this module was further improved (and as you say, worked without producing eroneous results) i would consider purchasing an upgrade, but from what i have heard, this has not happened in 2009, and i dont hold my hopes up for 2010.

I have recently bought a piece of software for developing wind farms. It only cost ?1000 from new, and is able, as a module of a module to produce coloured DTMs, and coloured 2D overlays from height data in seconds, and this is for 40km x 40km areas, and using 5m grided height data. This is just a side show of the program and play no part in what it is actually for, but provides a nice flashy visual to provide to clients. i wish VW could do these kinds of things

Edited by monkey
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Monkey, I hear you loud and clear and fully agree. But VectorWorks is a road of workarounds, paved with good intentions, instead of yellow bricks.

Nevertheless, the integration VW offers is of great value. If only they'd put up the price by 100% and make things work!

I consider myself almost a landscape architect, too; at least as comes to large-scale landscape planning and as long as I have real professionals doing the difficult parts. What: I spent a good part of my best years doing slope analyses with colour pencils and cutting layers and layers of 10% grayscale Letratone with a scalpel, to produce background data for ecological analyses? Hey, do you want a Buffer Zone tool? It's on special this week?

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KoolAid, i've got to agree with you on all counts even if i use a different Mod of VW, but you have to remember that those of us that already have a VW licence only have the upgrade price to pay. Those that are looking at it as a new tool might be pushed to another choice due to the price tag if it were to be doubled and i think "New Blood" is a major consideration when NNA look at the "Price Game".

Now, if the extra income meant NNA would produce a rival to SolidWorks then they'd put the cat squarely amongst the pigeons and pull in a mountain of new devotees . . . . .

But that's also, yet another story!

:)

Dusty Springfield: Wishin' and Hopin'! that takes me back . . . . . . . . .

:)

Edited by AndiACD
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This is a must have DTM tool no matter what it is coming by default in US$300 DTM software so how come we are making excuses for Landmark not to have them long time ago

This is part of the tools to sell our services so come on R&D get you act together and give us what we need now please

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Holsteinson, this is easily doable in any GIS software, but not in VW unfortunately. I would love to be able to do this in VW so i could incorporate it into my plans, but at present i have to create these in another bit of software (for designing wind farms!!)

as i have said before, the DTM module does need a rethink and redesign......... but im not holding my hopes up. Im still on 2008 and from what i have heard, 2010 is pretty much the same!

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Indeed I have paid for 2008, 2009 and 2010 version updates and this sad excuse of DTM and survey input or its very poor GIS integration have not been improved an iota...

I think that if VW is not capable or it is not interested in this market segment it should drop LandMark module, since it is not up to the high standard CAD software that we grew used to from MiniCAD to VW

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