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I've been doing some surfing, mainly DEM related, in advance of commencing on the KC&G route.Perhaps I was under the misguided notion that DEM's are a service provided to US citizens via our taxpaying. i.e. US Geological Survey.Thus far, I'm seeing paysites for downloads. I realize that there ain't no free lunches... but at $2-5 per DEM, a 100 mile route that snakes through many topo quadrangles can get a bit on the expensive side of the billfold.Am I overlooking something? I also was under the impression that the software needed to handle DEM's was freeware/shareware. Is that incorrect too?While I'm talking DEM's, there seems to be two sizes, I think I recall 30 Minute and 7.5 Minute(?). Which is the one I would be after if I go the DEM route?Thanks for any input.Andre
Andre, By now you should have the URL's I sent you in email yesterday. I would include them in this message but I am at work and don't have my notes with me. The downloads are free. The prices shown are for having the DEM files you want all put on a CD and mailed to you. You have to go with the DEM's that are available for the area. Some will be 7.5 and some will be 30. I think I have seen some other sizes also. You have to use the DEM editor program (microdem)available from the second URL to put together all the different DEM sections and convert them all to the same standard before you extract the terain. I think I used 30 as my standard. The more the sample points the more data to process. The more data points, the longer it takes to process, but the terain matches reality closer. You should end up will one big DEM file, one scale, for the entire area you want to model. Keep in mind it doesn't have to be a square, but the DEM's seem to always be quads for an area. Piece them together until you cover the whole route. Once you have made the DEM file, there is a program in the download area to read it and apply it to the terain you extracted with the route editor.By the way, the DEM editor program is sort of fun in itself. It can make 3d terain models color coded to height and lets you do fly bys or just set an altitude and look around.As I've said before, this task isn't for the faint of heart, but it should be easier now that tools are availible in the down load area. When I started the FRISCO sub last year, there was nothing. I had to DIG DIG DIG because nobody knew anything.I havn't looked around for it, but surly there is a tutorial for download somplace out there in sim land to walk you through this.Opps: here comes the boss....
Larry:I got your note, thanks. Apparently you haven't had a chance to glance at my reply to it (sent late last night). Your note was one of the reasons for this post. Once going to the site you supplied the URL's to, I found it too, was charging for the DEM d/l's. Perhaps I've misunderstood their purchase system, I will check it out later tonight when I have the time.BTW, thanks for the input.Andre
<http://www.gisdatadepot.com/dem/demdownload.html> When you get down to the DEM file you want there are 3 icons. The green icon downloads it free, but is not a priority on their server. The gold icon is fast download but you have to join the service and pay a fee, and the good old add to shopping cart gets it delivered on CD. The green free icon works very well for me, taking only a few seconds per file even with my slow 28,800 connection at home.
At Mapdata.com you can download 10 at a time for free. The system makes you go through an order process, but at the end you get to download each one, no charge.The USGS itself has the files for free. So does geocities.com.You want the 7.5 files, either 30 meter or 10 meter.Microdem is free.Bob Siederer Co-author of Marias Pass 3.0
Man oh man, thanks for all this good input guys, looks like I can go surf some more later tonight!!Feel free to continue posting any/all observations 'bout dem dar DEM's.(Are we hooked on this silly sim, or what?)Andre
