Condor Landscape 3.0 Tutorial

[finalglide]

Hi Guys, I've been trying to figure out how to get Landscapes working for Condor 3. I have never done a landscape before, so using Condor 3 and CLT3.0 will be my first try. I've learned a few things during the process, but I can't seem to get it working yet. Hopefully this will help others and maybe someone could help me figure out what I'm doing wrong.

First off, I go to the Earth Explorer site. I'm just going to download one tile from their site. It's the n 45, w -123 tile. I download the files to my newly created landscape/Tutorial/bil folder

Ok, next off, create the HeightMaps folder in the tutorial folder, which will be needed later to create the terrain files using RawToTrn utility. Important note here, the CLT3 utilities doesn't come with this utility, you have to go download the CLT2.7 utilities from Condor 2. I think the admins should include this in the CLT3 zipped files as this took me some time to figure out how to get it.

snip_tutorial_3.png (15.44 KiB) Viewed 537 times

[finalglide]

Ok, next I open up QGIS. I'm on version 3.40.3-Bratislava.
First thing is to merge the files, in my case, it's only one file, but just following the guide here. First, select the "bil" file

Next, set the output file to tutorial_merged.bil
EDIT: I realized the datatype format in my shown image "Float32" is incorrect, make sure you use the "Int16" data type or Condor will have some really strange terrain.

Next, click run and close and we should see the merged single tile in the window.

[finalglide]

Ok, next step is to reproject(warp) the image.

The manual says to choose the target SRS, however in my version there is no SRS, only CRS, so I set the CRS to my UTM zone 10. I also change the resampling method to Cubic B-Spline. I set the output file to tutorial_warped.bil, and set the additional command line parameters to -tr 30 30, this way the console preview matches the text I see in the CLT2 guide. Click run and close and we see our reprojection on screen.

Next, we change the CRS system for QGIS window to my UTM zone 10N and now the image looks more like the original with the warping.

[finalglide]

Ok, next we perform the clipping of the image. I add the additional command of -tr 30 30, and set the output file to tutorial_clipped.bil. As far as settting the clipping extent, the manual shows a window where you can enter the UTM coordinates using text boxes, however in my version of QGIS I can't find that, so what I do is use the "draw on map" feature, then I change the text in the clipping extent entry line to match what I got out of the UTMtools application.

Run and close and the image now is fully square and clipped.

Next, I open the RawToTRN tool I got from Condor 2 toolkit and I set the load parameters to what the file tutorial_clipped.hdr file's NCOLS and NROWS says. You can open the hdr file in notepad.
NOTE! Before you "Load raw heightmap", you have to go into your "bil" folder and rename the tutorial_clipped.bil file to tutorial_clipped.raw, otherwise the file filter in the file selection window will not recognize the file. You can also simply copy it, so that you can still access it in QGIS if needed. On my uploaded image, don't pay attention to the "Tutorial.trn" file name, you want to open and use the tutorial_clipped.raw.

[finalglide]

Ok, after loading the Heightmap, we should have a green grid, if you don't something is wrong.

Next, I go to the save tab and enter the UTM easting and UTM northing gathered from the UTMTools application, I enter the UTM zone and then click Save to TRN button, where I manually enter the file name Tutorial.trn and save it in the base Tutorial folder. This will create the terrain files in the HeightMaps folder.

[finalglide]

The Terrain files are there now.

snip_tutorial_16.png (46.92 KiB) Viewed 531 times

Next, I open the Landscape Editor and select the Tutorial landscape. This is where I start not understanding things. The manual says you should be able to see the Terrain in the window, but all I see if an empty grid, since this is my first time, I'm not sure exactly what I should see here.

I keep moving on and create the Airport like the guide says to do. The airport shows up fine.

[finalglide]

We then save the landscape

Next, we export the flightplanner map and forest map

Next, we export the thermal map. However I get and error that the thermal map is not loaded, the manual indicates this should work, but it does not.

[finalglide]

Next, we export the textures to DDS. Important note, you have to use a very old utility called nvdxt.exe that is no longer available for download from Nvidia. I found the utility on github.
Here. https://github.com/Stehfyn/Legacy_DDS_Utilities

Next, export the terrain hash

Next, export the forest hash

[finalglide]

We save the landscape again.

At this point the manual says the landscape is ready for Condor to open and use. However when I go to open it, it doesn't show in the list, so I do research.

In the editor, there is a missing files check, which tells me I'm missing the thermal map and ini file.

[finalglide]

So, the manual shows how to create the ini file, so I manually create that and enter it's data. I also just create a blank text file and rename it to Tutorial.tdm as it wouldn't export the thermal map from earlier steps. Not sure if that's what I'm suppose to do or not.

Now, the file checker shows all files are present. However, I heard from some other posts that Condor 3 needs and airspace file to run, so I create a blank file and rename it to .air.

Finally, I open Condor up and now it sees the Tutorial Landscape, however it says it's corrupted.

This is where I get stuck. Many hours into figuring this out and still can't get a landscape. I'm really hope this post helps point out some issues I had creating a landscape for the very first time using Condor 3 and hopefully someone will chime with what I'm doing wrong.

Thanks for taking a look.

[6266]

I guess it's the missing thermal map.

You created a Tutorial.bmp for the flight planner. In Condor 2 you needed a bmp file in the same size, copied in working folder and named ThermalMap.bmp. Then you imported the thermal map with LandscapeEditor.

I still do it with C2, import then the C2 thermal map in C3 LandscapeEditor (don't have it open now, so can't say the correct commands and filenames, but you will find it in the menue).

To do it directly with C3, you need an albedo.bmp in working\ThermalMap, content like the C2 ThermalMap.bmp, and a command in C3 LandscapeEditor. Haven't done it yet that way, but maybe you search here for albedo

Good luck

EDIT: There is a description how to make a thermalmap in C2 in the Landscape guide for C2

[finalglide]

Thank You for the helpful suggestions. Ok, I read into the ThermalMap, since I haven't started on any Textures yet, it seems like I just need a blank ThermalMap.bmp file added to that working directory to get Condor to import/export a plain thermalmap.

So, I copied the Tutorial.bmp which really just seems to be a plain white .bmp file in 768x768 pixels to ThermalMap.bmp placed into the Landscape/Working/ThermalMap/ folder. Should that Tutorial.bmp only be white like that?
I also tried creating a new bmp in Gimp, 768x768 in size(9 tiles) with a white background.
I also tried a new 768x768 bmp with a black background.

In all cases, the Landscape editor gives me the following error when I choose the dropdown "Import V2 albedo map (TDM)". From the error, I can't tell if it is finding the file but doesn't like it, or Landscape editor can't find the file.

[6266]

For the moment it's the same, if the file is black or white, white will give more thermals.

Two ways you can do

1. Via C2 LandscapeEditor

a. name that file ThermalMap.bmp and save it in working folder
b. import thermalmap in C2 LE -> you get the tdm file
c. import V2 albedo map
d. safe thermalmap (don't know the exact command at the moment)

2. Only C3 LE

a. name that file albedo.bmp and save it in working\thermalmap
b. import and save thermalmap in C3 LE (don't know the command at the moment)

Hope you will find it, else I have to look in LE, when I'm there later

[finalglide]

Thanks again.

Ok, So, I opened up Condor Landscape Editor 2 after copying the Tutorial folders to my Condor 2 landscape directory and making sure the working/ThermalMap/ folder had the ThermalMap.bmp file. The bitmap then appeared in black on the "Albedo map" under View/Modify. I could then export the thermal map. It exported to the local C2 landscape/Tutorial base directory as "Tutorial.tdm". I copied that file over to the C3 Tutorial base directory and reopened in C3 Landscape editor and this time I could successfully import the V2 albedo map and then I could perform an export of the Thermalmap. I see that when you export the Thermalmap in the editor, it creates the /working/ThermalMap/ThermalMap.bmp file from the Albedo map. Now in the editor I can see more green which I think is good right.

I then exported all the hashes again just to be sure and saved the landscape.

Unfortunately, when I open up in Condor 3, I still get the error the landscape is corrupted or not installed.

I feel like I'm getting very close.

[6266]

I feel like I'm getting very close.

For sure, compare the files in your tutorial folder with the files in Slovenia3 folder. Is there a file missing in your tutorial folder?

Here the file list of Slovenia3:

Slovenia3.aha
Slovenia3.air
Slovenia3.apt
Slovenia3.bmp
Slovenia3.cup
Slovenia3.fha
Slovenia3.ini
Slovenia3.obj
Slovenia3.oha
Slovenia3.tha
Slovenia3.tm3
Slovenia3.trn