We need to be able to mod the terrain database
 

The game is great, but unless you're blue water or well out at the edge of the littoral zone the terrain database is pretty bad.

For exmaple, Halifax harbour in Nova Scotia is cut in half by some kind of anomalous land mass, the islands at the mouth of the harbour are missing, and the bathymetry is way off.

Now, I know this is to be expected given that the entire world is represented, so, how can we modify the terrain database to put in the detail we need for proper littoral scenarios?

I have access to DTED information of just about anything I want, but I need to know what format it should end up in.

-Allan

During beta testing this was a item we discussed, this is a part of what Jamie says about:

Hmmm Im far from an expert at this, but i do know that terrain meshes created from space shuttle scans of the earth are freely availible on the net.

Microsoft flight sim had a number of freeware addons created around this data.

Now i know that the size of these files can be large. So why not raise the DEM of the most inportant places? IE murmansk and nova scotia. If its possible just to raise the LOD for a local area surely that could be an answer?

Actually, I wouldn't care too much about the size of the data file for a modded world. After all, if I want to put a 12.7GB file on my hard drive then so what? If I have to mail that to you on CDROM then, fine, it's too much.

So, are those world files standard DTED information in an open format? If so, can I just call up the mapping and charting guys and have them generate a new world for me?

I suppose DW would probably choke on the higher resolution files....

-Allan

I believe there is sites around that have the files available for free download, and some that make you oay for them.


Regarding converting them into the required format for DW - i have no idea at all. But I definately would like to find out.
Would be a great addition for those of us who have or can get access to DTED files :cool:

Not sure what format they are in, seems they were easily converted so MFS could use them. The resolution would be a vast improvement over what we currently have.

If you take a look on avsim or flightsim.com's file libarary you sould find them easy enough.

heres a bit more info on whats been going on.


For info on the raw data catch this url http://srtm.usgs.gov/

All the while reading this, I hear something inside me scream, "Give me this 12,7 GB file to download, and I shall download!!!". :nope:

As far as I know the DEM's used in DW are merged files from GTOPO30 and TerrainBase Data

This is a topic I am going to make a sticky in the hope that Jamie and SCS will take note and somehow modify some of the land data.

I would be happy if for some areas, ie the Bosphorus and Panama canal they would jack terrain generation being read from DEMs and instead use a terrain algorithm that would work on preprogrammed points to draw it in.

It would take some work but if they could come up with a work around I would be happy. It was something I thought would be fixed in DW as you could have some fun missions in these areas.

Anyway here's hoping.

This global data only applies for coastlines, right? If it did not, meaning the whole globe would be more accurately depictured, you could simply UNdraw a large area by freehand, like inland America, Eurasia and Africa, from the map. Perhaps that would reduce some of the file size? It'd be as a... layer.
Ah, probably not the way it works. :up:
Needless to say, I would wet my pants in glee for a more accurate Norwegian coast.

According to the DW binary files:

TerrainTypes.dem = based on Global Ecosystems Data
WCDEM.dem = Merged Gtopo30 and TerrainBase Data
wcicd01-12.dem = Ice Coverage Data from January to December, based on ???

perhaps all data sets with slight modification/reorganisation of the original format to suit the DW terrain engine.

The data availible allows us to modify the entire globe.

I would suggest that only the pertinate areas recive the special treatment.

those such as that are commonly seen. By all means download the alps. Just dont expect to see a difference in game :rotfl:

I believe that if only the areas for littorals were included, the file would shrink a lot from the 12Gb...

If the game engine can handle such a 'two-layer' map is another thing entirely though.

also the kola peninsular regioun the white sea and so on are too shallow

Getting out of Bremerton, WA via the Juan de Fuca strait submerged would be my pick. :lol:

Off topic

Ula Jolly: From which game are those screenshots in your sig from? I don't think DW looks like that.....

Looks like Silent Hunter III. If DW had the graphics of SHIII, then I'd be in heaven! :sunny:

How about instead of Bremerton, WA...doing our angles and dangles in Dabob Bay outside of Bangor off Hood Canal and then transit thru the Hood Canal Bridge to the straits? I loved the scenery to the west of the Olympic Mountains!

You know what I dream about ?
I dream about something already existing.
and used in google earth :
downloading the map where you are playing when choosing the map, on solo and MP.

A switch to select the DTED level, 0 the stock version (for low connection) or 1, and why not 2 with braodband connections.
As soon as the scenario is selected, the part of the map you play with is downloaded in background, and cached once downloaded for next use of this scenario.

Of course, this need strong connections, but I can see that very fast connection explode in numbers: here I have 11.5 Mbps / 1 Mbps + 100TV + phone for €30.

I think SCS could think about something like this in next versions of their simulators.

If the data is in fact free why can't SCS sanction a 3rd party addon which would come on 3 DVDs? Much like the upgraded terrain meshes that are available to MSFS 2004 right now....

Space/price is certainly not an issue here, you can purchase a 250 gb harddrives here in canada for $140. (Western Digital)