Convert DEM to xyz for Visitor 3 Using MicroDEM

[MemphisBelle]

Creating_a_Heightmap with L3DT and saving for V3

Mondkalb, your tutorial is quite well and covers all questions of terrain making newcomers. But by using L3DT by the way you suggest, you end up in always create a new hightmap becuase the one before dont fit your wishes.
So I highly suggest to go through this tutorial. This is didicated to L3DT too, but it explains the use of the Blank designable map, by that one can use ALL possibilities of L3DT in conjunction with the own ideas.

[vasf_jeffs]

There isn't really anything new here, but as I've just gotten back into fiddling with terrain I thought I'd share the steps I've used for getting it into visitor. You don't need L3DT, but I'd highly suggest it. If I'm doing something redundant please let me know so others won't have to suffer the same fate.

Assuming you have your project folder, name space, tools installed, etc, etc and are looking for dem data... here's what I've done.

1. I downloaded the dem data from the seamless server (geotiff).
2. Searched all the forums, read a bunch of tutorials and lost some hair…
3. Downloaded / Installed Wilbur
4. Downloaded / Installed microdem (note I didn’t use it)
5. Downloaded / Installed 3DEM
6. Downloaded / Installed L3DT

Getting the dem into game
a. Open dem 3DEM
1. Optional? Operation -> Change Project -> Convert to UTM
(I did this as the dem looks “stretched” after applying this it looks more “normal”. I’m not a GIS guy but I imagine there is a reason for this (curvature of the earth?)
2. Operation -> select smaller area -> Click and drag area (make sure it will be bigger than your actual map size) OR Calculate the size of the map based on meters and extract the exact size by altering the Northern or Southern Edge and the Western or Eastern Edge by subtracting (or adding the number of meters needed for the exact map size you will be using (i.e. 5120 , 10240, 20480. If you do this you can skip the crop in Wilbur.
3. File -> Save Terragen Terrain -> Entire Terrain
B. Open Wilbur
1. File -> Open -> (choose Terragen Surface (*.ter) -> select file you saved from 3DEM. The file should load at this point. But it isn’t the right size for your map.
2. Choose select (the dashed box on the tool bar) -> style -> Fixed Size -> then enter in the map size (i.e. 512x512 or 1024x1024, etc) click on the map so the Area you want is in the selection box.
3. Surface -> crop to selection
4. Edit what you want here (i.e. water heights) or do it elsewhere. (I like L3DT)
5. Write Down MIN and MAX Height (Surface -> Find Min Max)
6. Save As PNG Surface
C. Put the png in your working folder (name it terrain.png) and make sure the terrain.pbl contains the min and max info you wrote down earlier.
D. Open visitor and terrain -> import from picture and select the terrain.pbl and it should import just fine.

I have noted that if I open a file in wilbur after it has been edited the height fields get screwed up, so one I have the min and max I don’t put it back in Wilbur.