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PostPosted: 03 Sep 2022 06:46 
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Joined: 21 Jun 2018 03:33
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Howdy. I'm making this topic to inquire how to fix TransDEM so it properly ports custom DEM's into Trainz made with height values in feet to meters.

I've been able to make a good custom DEM with the right height values as measured in feet, however, I noticed when I port the map into Trainz, the elevation is super high and steep than what I expected and makes the map impossible to build a functioning railway on it without it being rack-rail lol. I struggled for a while to figure out why the map ported like this, I followed all the elevation data which I assume was all feet, same results come when remaking the map. I recently learnt that Trainz reads elevation data in meters when maps are opened in Surveyor. I figure that when I ported the map, it retranslated the height values from feet to meters without properly converting it to such.

So, for example, the highest height value is 2,000 ft. which I made a control point for on the map. Despite this, Trainz just took this as 2,000 meters when the map was ported into the game and made the height valve higher than it should actually be. Properly converting meters to feet, 2,000 meters amounts to 6,582 feet, which is not at all the right height the map should be in-game.

I don't think I saw anything in the tutorials on how to set TransDEM to properly convert height values from feet to meters when porting custom DEM's into Trainz, so might anyone on here know how to fix that?


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PostPosted: 04 Sep 2022 15:40 
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Joined: 05 Jan 2011 16:45
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The setting in TransDEM for elevations, feet or metres, is for display only and will not affect the actual DEM and its transfer to Trainz. Trainz itself is metric throughout and almost every DEM around is metric, too. Although there are a few in decimetres or even centimetres instead of using floating point. For some of these, the DEM settings dialog would allow you to set the elevation unit correctly.

However, there has been an elevation cap in Trainz restriction the elevation range to an upper limit of 3000m, if I remember correctly. I'm not sure whether this still exists in more recent versions of Trainz.

What is you DEM data source?


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PostPosted: 04 Sep 2022 19:33 
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Joined: 21 Jun 2018 03:33
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DEM data source? Where do I locate that?


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PostPosted: 04 Sep 2022 21:43 
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Joined: 05 Jan 2011 16:45
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What DEM are you using? Where did you download it from?


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PostPosted: 04 Sep 2022 22:07 
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Joined: 21 Jun 2018 03:33
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Ohh yeah, I made it myself as I specified in the first post. It was the Sodor map I also posted an inquiry about in another post. The first one I made was based off a couple of DEM's I gathered of the area around England and the Isle of Mann. However, the problem persisted even making the map entirely from scratch when porting them into Trainz.

Image


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PostPosted: 05 Sep 2022 08:07 
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I see. In that case check the DEM elevation range. Load the DEM in TransDEM, do not zoom in, position the cursor anywhere on the DEM, right click and select "Min/max elevation". It will show the minimum and maximum values, in feet or in metres. Are they as expected?


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PostPosted: 06 Sep 2022 06:14 
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Joined: 21 Jun 2018 03:33
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I’m afraid not. Somehow the old DEM has a max elevation of 6,030 feet. Since it’s merged with parts of England and Mann, I’d assume it came from those. However, with a brand-new map I made, strangely the elevation came out at 28,539 feet! Max height at Culdee Fell Summit is supposed to be at 3,948 feet.

Made sure all the control points followed all the elevation data... dunno what went wrong. Hope there’s some way to lower the elevations overall on the new DEM to salvage it.


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PostPosted: 06 Sep 2022 16:55 
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Activate contour lines and shading for the DEM (on the toolbar) for easier inspection. Find the highest and lowest point. Any irregularities there?

And yes, you can re-map the entire elevation range, in case the error is systematic. Use the Raise/lower function for that.


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PostPosted: 06 Sep 2022 21:14 
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Joined: 21 Jun 2018 03:33
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Alrighty. I realized I was able to save the control points and make a whole new DEM. They came out at the right elevations. Guess it was because with the last attempt, I kept saving each elevation stage with my control points and rendered the DEM each time, which exaggerated the elevation.

Looks much better now, and I realized the elevation is much smoother when I set the grid width to 70m. Guess that was the problem the whole time, the grid width set in the wrong value messed up the elevation! 70m would be a good value to set to make it compatible with Trainz right, or would you suggest another value?


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PostPosted: 07 Sep 2022 08:51 
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Joined: 05 Jan 2011 16:45
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The DEM grid width is independent of the control points. Only when you process the control points to let TransDEM create the DEM from, then the grid width takes effect. Theoretically, the finer the grid, the sharper/crispier the DEM. The optimum would be 10m or 5m, equivalent to the selected baseboard grid for Trainz. 60m or 70m may be a bit low. Yes, it will make for a smooth DEM but is that what you want? I remember from by visit to the Isle of Man very sharp cliffs on various stretches along the coast line and even if your map is fantasy, it's still based somewhat on the real island, I'd think.

I assume you place and view your control points with contour line mode on, so that, together with the DEM contour lines, you have the best visual control over your terrain shaping. And always check the numerical elevation values, too, because the DEM colouring is relative (same for the ctrl point contour line colouring).


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