TransDEM Forum

When exporting from TransDEM a message pops up after trying to create the UTM's.
https://www.trainzportal.com/mytrainz/v ... _id=119149

The baseboard grid (720m) and the UTM grid (1000m) are different. For a UTM tile to be created, its anchor point in the south-west corner (1000m tiles) needs to be present as a baseboard. For 500m tiles all four corner points must exist as a baseboard. While some pre-filtering is applied - slightly dependend on the TransDEM version - UTM tiles near the outer edges of the route may fall out of scope (no anchor point) and will then be skipped, as the pop-up message indicates.

To avoid this message, let TransDEM display both the baseboard and the UTM grid and draw a rectangular mask well inside the outer boundaries of your generated route.

Many thanks for that however
a) UTM Tiles are indicated on Map see image below
https://www.trainzportal.com/mytrainz/v ... _id=119196
b) UTM Tile are missing as indicated by the little bounding boxes see image below
https://www.trainzportal.com/mytrainz/v ... _id=119195
c) At editing zoom level only the background map is evident

It isn't quite clear from the image you posted (too many tag lines overlapping each other) where the missing tiles are. Near the edges or not? The UTM tile names represent the UTM coordinates (plus quadrant for 500m tiles).

Have you tried to draw the rectangular mask around one of the missing tiles and generate it explicitly? Will it create another "skipped" message?

Just to make sure: I guess you are fully aware that you need to re-import the entire route plus the tiles with Trainz Content Manager for T:ANE SP2/3 and TRS19 after adding tiles in TransDEM.

The cube indicates missing items
I have just exported again from TansDEM and imported into TRS19 with 1000m tiles not the 500m tiles like before.
I believe that what is missing are the 1000 & 500m tiles/baseboards.
I have had this problems for a long time now, however I could always construct what I wanted myself using the Historic UK 25inch maps.
This time I am trying to construct the York Station in North Yorkshire which is loaded with track. probably more that already installed on my route.

The baseboards are created when you first generate the route in TransDEM. The UTM tiles are created when you invoke the UTM tile exporter.

I checked the code again. This "skipped" message is indeed sent, when there is no baseboard for the SW corner of the UTM tile, regardless of 1000m or 500m.

Having been to York myself only last week (NRM, station, and city) I became curious to generate a small York route myself.

OS 1:25000 map (via Bing maps) with 2m LIDAR DTM. 25k map for ground textures.


Historic 25 inch OS map with DTM. 25in map for UTM tiles.


Zooming in. City wall can be clearly distinguished.


Export to TRS19. OS 1:25000 ground textures.


TRS19, zooming in, UTM tiles taking over. SW corner of route. No UTM tile here, as there is no baseboard for the SW corner of the tile. Hence the "skipped" message. (Using 1000m tiles here as the 25in map does not need max resolution)


TRS19, zoomed to York station:

I must be missing something or not carrying out the correct procedure.
You indicated as follows
OS 1:25000 map (via Bing maps) with 2m LIDAR DTM. 25k map for ground textures.

My install does not appear to have OS 1:25000 map (vis Bing maps). I use Historic UK25inch

Not use Lidar before so downloaded SE55SE. Open and saved which created a file se5550_DSM_2M_t

I already had a 25k map for ground textures. From same source as mentioned above.

Procedure I carried out as below
- opened the new DEM
- opened the 25k map for ground textures.
- Both the DEM and 25k map for ground textures disappeared.

Where do I go from here?

I would like to resolve this issue as my frustrations are keeping me awake at night.

We could continue this discussion to sort out the problem(s) I am experiencing however please note that it is not my intention to create any further routes or extensions to my existing one.

I commenced construction of this route with TRS2004 and have modified and added to it since then. As I finally retired and closed my engineering consulting business in 2013 I have been able to spend more time with the route.
I do not believe I have many more years to go being 80 last January.
My whole aim now is to incorporate data from the old NER Line diagrams together with the carriage roster from 1926, this is the oldest one that there is available however my route is designated as pre WW1
Here is a image of the whole route.
http://www.trainzportal.com/mytrainz/vi ... _id=119409

To save you having to devote more time to this discussion I am going to propose that you let me have a copy of the Trainz exported file you have created in Tane content Editing directory.

Jack Drake wrote:I commenced construction of this route with TRS2004 and have modified and added to it since then.

Which version of Trainz are you using at the moment?

Theoretically, TransDEM can add UTM tiles to an existing route, but the Trainz version has to be T:ANE SP1 or lower. And the procedure is:

1. Use Trainz Content Manager on the existing route and "open for editing".
2. In TransDEM, identify the exported route (can be a bit tricky if the original route generated by TransDEM is still in the same folder).
3. In TransDEM, export the new UTM tiles to the exported route.
4. In Trainz Content Manager, add the newly created UTM tiles.
5. In Trainz Content Manager , commit the changes in route that had been opened for editing.

However, if your Trainz version is T:ANE SP2 or higher, this does not work. With SP2, Trainz has changed route file formats and TransDEM cannot yet read the new structures. But reading is required as TransDEM would modify the route and then rewrite it with the anchor points for the new UTM tiles.

Jack Drake wrote:Procedure I carried out as below
- opened the new DEM
- opened the 25k map for ground textures.
- Both the DEM and 25k map for ground textures disappeared.

For a quick recap you might want to do the "Muengsten" tutorial again, from the TransDEM Trainz manual, with all its steps, as it illustrates the export procedure in all detail. And that's the better explanation than any instructions I'd write here.



The data sources in use have little to do with the problem your encounter, so the following remarks are just hints.

Jack Drake wrote:My install does not appear to have OS 1:25000 map (via Bing maps).

The OS top maps 1:50k and 1:25k are available with Bing map tiles, but only if you register an API key. Those are not really needed here, any suitable one like Open Street Map will do for ground texturing.

Jack Drake wrote:I use Historic UK25inch

Some of the "Yorkshire" tiles are missing on the server but you may find them in "England Holes".

Jack Drake wrote:Not use Lidar before so downloaded SE55SE. Open and saved which created a file se5550_DSM_2M_t

LIDAR has limited coverage. You may need to fill in the gaps with classic 50m data. There is a specific function in TransDEM "Fill up DEM" for this.

With these hi-res LIDAR DEMs you have two variants: DSM and DTM. "Digital Surface Model" and "Digital Terrain Model". The DSM would include buildings and other structures, maybe even forestry, like the good old SRTM satellite data. I would normally go for the DTM. That still includes earthworks, like cuttings and embankments, river/reservoir dams and bridge abutments, but no buildings.

I must apologise for taking up your valuable time.
I am using TRS2019.
I am now reinstalling TANE SP1.
I will now carry out the procedure again.
Will keep you informed