Standardizing the landscape grid

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NickB
Posts: 61
Joined: Mon Oct 25, 2010 4:07 am
Location: Canada

Standardizing the landscape grid

Post by NickB » Wed Jan 04, 2023 11:34 pm

In order to be able to easily merge landscapes, it would be great if all landscape developpers would use the same UTM grid so that merging could be done at the tile level, simply renaming tile names. A standard grid could be used so that tiles always fall on a multiple of a tile size (90 meters * 64) with reference to the equator and the centre of a UTM zone. You could then easily merge adjacent sceneries and crop what is needed for a competition in a desired location for example.

Example to standardize the grid given a starting UTM range:
Tile_Size := 90*64 // 90m * 64
UTM_Width := UTM_Right - UTM_Left;
UTM_Offset := 500000;
UTM_Left := Floor( (UTM_Left - UTM_Offset + (Tile_Size/2)) / (Tile_Size) )*(Tile_Size) + UTM_Offset;
UTM_Right := UTM_Left + UTM_Width;
UTM_Height := UTM_Top - UTM_Bottom;
if (UTM_ZoneNS = 'N') then begin
UTM_Offset := 0; // north
end else begin // 'S'
UTM_Offset := 10000000; // south
end;
UTM_Bottom := Floor( (UTM_Bottom - UTM_Offset + (Tile_Size/2)) / (Tile_Size) )*(Tile_Size) + UTM_Offset;
UTM_Top := UTM_Bottom + UTM_Height;

This has been implemented in Condor_Tiles in SoaringTools.org

6266
Posts: 925
Joined: Tue Aug 25, 2020 7:07 am

Re: Standardizing the landscape grid

Post by 6266 » Thu Jan 05, 2023 9:33 am

NickB wrote:
Wed Jan 04, 2023 11:34 pm
...

This has been implemented in Condor_Tiles in SoaringTools.org
Sounds interesting to be able to merge landscapes. I made some landscapes, all with Condor_Tiles. Started now to make my first landscape again new and bigger. The tiles can't be merged although using Condor_Tiles. On the picture you can see two tiles of the same region in both landscapes.
tiles.png
I have seen now, that one landscape is made with Range Margin None, the other one with 1/4 tile, is that the reason? Would be great to reuse f.x. the height maps
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NickB
Posts: 61
Joined: Mon Oct 25, 2010 4:07 am
Location: Canada

Re: Standardizing the landscape grid

Post by NickB » Thu Jan 05, 2023 5:48 pm

Because the last tile all around the edge of a landscape is not flyable, you can select 1/4 tile extra range to your selected area. If you have already accounted for that non-flying area yourself, then you can select 'none' to not add any extra area. Condor_Tiles will expand the area from the centre so that the width and height are a multiple of 23040 metres. The 'TL BR' option is used so that the TopLeft and BottomRight coordinates only are used instead of all four corner coordinates to determine the UTM extents. When projected to UTM the lat/long coordinates are skewed/twisted. If the coordinates is on the edge of a UTM zone, and you may want later to merge with another landscape to the left or right, you can select a zone offset to force which UTM zone is used for projection.
With Condor_Tiles, you can use the merge function to expand and/or crop an existing landscape. When you expand, you can then fill in the extra area with data as needed. You can also merge two or more landscapes and re-use all the tiles when certain conditions are met, such as being on the same grid and same zone.
The pictures you attached show quite different areas. On the DEM tab you can see the UTM extents (in metres), and you can manually change (i. e fine tune) these extents as needed before you generate a landscape, but you need to adjust the East/West by the same amount, same for N/S, or change by a whole 23040 m tile size. At this time, if you want to only adjust by quarter-tiles (5760 m) instead of a whole tile, You can generate the landscape with whole (4x4) tiles and then crop later with the merge/expand/crop function. In the latest version, you can also force the UTM extents to a standardized grid.
DEM_Helper.jpg
Merge-Crop-Expand.jpg
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6266
Posts: 925
Joined: Tue Aug 25, 2020 7:07 am

Re: Standardizing the landscape grid

Post by 6266 » Thu Jan 05, 2023 6:15 pm

Thanks for your answer. Looks like I use an older version, never seen a merge function
NorthGermany.png
I'm to far in the process to stop it, will continue with that I have. But will look if I find the newest version
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NickB
Posts: 61
Joined: Mon Oct 25, 2010 4:07 am
Location: Canada

Re: Standardizing the landscape grid

Post by NickB » Thu Jan 05, 2023 6:46 pm

I'll send you a link by PM.

6266
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Re: Standardizing the landscape grid

Post by 6266 » Thu Jan 05, 2023 7:25 pm

Thanks, got it
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n98Bk9-NT3
Posts: 56
Joined: Sat Jun 17, 2017 6:27 am
Location: Tokyo, Japan

Re: Standardizing the landscape grid

Post by n98Bk9-NT3 » Fri Jan 06, 2023 7:18 am

Dear NickB,

Is that a newer version of Condor_Tiles than 0.8.3?
I also want to use it.

Naoki
Image

NickB
Posts: 61
Joined: Mon Oct 25, 2010 4:07 am
Location: Canada

Re: Standardizing the landscape grid

Post by NickB » Sat Jan 07, 2023 1:39 pm

I've sent you a link by PM.

n98Bk9-NT3
Posts: 56
Joined: Sat Jun 17, 2017 6:27 am
Location: Tokyo, Japan

Re: Standardizing the landscape grid

Post by n98Bk9-NT3 » Sun Jan 08, 2023 9:59 am

I've got it. Thanks a lot :D

Naoki
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tarn
Posts: 29
Joined: Mon Dec 23, 2013 10:21 pm

Re: Standardizing the landscape grid

Post by tarn » Tue Nov 21, 2023 8:49 pm

Hi NickB,

I'm working on a landscape and wanted to know if I can have access to the newer version of Condor_tiles. Right now I am using version 0.8.3 from your soaringtools.org website. I also want to thank you and the whole team from soaringtools.org for all the great content you have provided. :D

Thanks,
Tim

NickB
Posts: 61
Joined: Mon Oct 25, 2010 4:07 am
Location: Canada

Re: Standardizing the landscape grid

Post by NickB » Sat Dec 09, 2023 4:11 pm

The latest version of Condor_Tiles is available here:
http://varicalc.synology.me:1080/Condor ... 0.8.19.zip

6266
Posts: 925
Joined: Tue Aug 25, 2020 7:07 am

Re: Standardizing the landscape grid

Post by 6266 » Sat Dec 09, 2023 7:07 pm

Thanks for that great tool, I use it very often. But I have one thing:

On the Airport Placement tool is a button "Add". Clicking on it makes a new airport. I can't rename or delete it with the tool. Because it's very close to the "Save" button it happens to click on "Add". Then I have to close the tool, open landscape editor and delete the new airport.

So my wish is

1. make the "Delete" button work

or

2. make the "Add" button not to work or give it another place far away from "Save"

Thanks
CondorTiles_Add.png
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tarn
Posts: 29
Joined: Mon Dec 23, 2013 10:21 pm

Re: Standardizing the landscape grid

Post by tarn » Sun Dec 10, 2023 2:41 pm

Hi NickB,

Thank you so much for making the latest version of Condor Tiles available! This is really packed with some great tools. :D

Tim

NickB
Posts: 61
Joined: Mon Oct 25, 2010 4:07 am
Location: Canada

Re: Standardizing the landscape grid

Post by NickB » Tue Dec 12, 2023 4:38 pm

I keep adding features that are useful as I need them when I make a new landscape.

The Airport Delete button has potential to damage a landscape, so I have disabled it, as it is unlikely to be needed. However, if you inadvertently add one and want to delete it, it would be nice to have. I can enable it and add a confirmation dialog. I can also reduce the size of the buttons a bit so they are not so close, and can re-order them in the next release.

Note that you can also 'Export' the airport list as a .csv and edit it (add/delete/change) with a text editor, and then 'Import' it back.

Thanks for the feedback.

6266
Posts: 925
Joined: Tue Aug 25, 2020 7:07 am

Re: Standardizing the landscape grid

Post by 6266 » Tue Dec 12, 2023 6:04 pm

thanks for your answer. To have the delete is not really important, not to click on add by accident is more important. A Ctrl-S for saving would be maybe the best solution, if that is easy to realize.

I use another tool for import and export the airports, so that works good. Have my own management tool to organize making airports, that manipulate the csv files too. And I import all airports from ourairports.com. Your tool I use for positioning the airports, that works very efficient. Made this year more than 3900 airports, so I guess I used the save button round about 8000 times, more than 20 a day in average. Ctrl-S would save time, but without the tool is great enough
Visit https://www.baleit.no

Vintage Series 24, The Journey
25 landscapes with free available textures, newest: Maine

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