UTM overlay objects

[ganmar]

When using Google Earth Pro I get the message "one or more raster maps open have a scale of larger than 1 pixel per 2.5m such maps give poor results when used for ground texture.
If applicable these maps should additionally be exported as UTM overlay objects."
I go on to create the route in Trainz12 but would like better images.

How do I export UTM overlay objects additionally?
Any help appreciated.

[geophil]

The standard raster map export applies Trainz ground textures. Unfortunately, ground textures in the mapping context are of very limited resolution, 1 pixel per 5m or 1 pixel per 10m, too low for aerial images like Google Earth.

To solve this, TransDEM offers UTM tiles which are simple Trainz scenery assets, albeit very large ones, with the sole purpose of carrying a higher resolution texture, a much sharper image than achievable with ground textures.

TransDEM has an extra exporter which you invoke via "Export and create UTM tiles" or with the toolbar symbol. Depending on your TransDEM version you can choose between 2D and 3D UTM tiles, the latter taking the shape of the terrain.

[couven92]

I noticed that when you generate these UTM overlay objects, you have to seperately add them to Content Manager.

I also noticed that they are not added to the dependencies of the generated route, but they just magically appear in the route when their KUIDs are available in Content Manager.

That means I can just add the UTM tiles to the route, and when I am done and upload it to DLS, the tiles will no longer part of the route for others who download it, correct?

[geophil]

I also noticed that they are not added to the dependencies of the generated route, but they just magically appear in the route when their KUIDs are available in Content Manager.

Not quite. There is a dependency, as there must me. Otherwise Trainz Surveyor wouldn't know that a particular UTM tile exists and where to render it. The dependency is placed into the .obs file, with KUID, position, height and rotation. When you save a route in Surveyor, Trainz iterates all those dependencies and recreates the dependency list. So, not magic here.

and when I am done and upload it to DLS, the tiles will no longer part of the route for others who download it, correct?

That would yield missing dependencies but will probably not cause any harm. But you better remove these assets from your route before uploading for a clean deployment package.