Idea For Marker Utility

I have been using MicroDEM and DRGs to make marker files, but they are never where they are suppose to be.Then it hit me, a small program to use the offset data on the DRGs to offset the markers is needed. It could include a merge funcution to combine marker files.Could one of the programing gurus on this site make this program??Thanks

CarToad Dave Wise
Camas Prairie Route
Started over, Bummer!

Alert | IP

Printer-friendly page | Edit | Reply | Reply With Quote | Top

RE: Idea For Marker Utility, Motley24Crue2, Oct-27-02, 00:41 AM, (1) RE: Idea For Marker Utility, Kip, Oct-27-02, 00:50 AM, (2) RE: Idea For Marker Utility, highball5, Oct-27-02, 01:54 AM, (3) RE: Idea For Marker Utility, Hobart, Oct-27-02, 02:43 PM, (4) RE: Idea For Marker Utility, markhyams, Oct-27-02, 03:36 PM, (5) RE: Idea For Marker Utility, Sarasota, Oct-28-02, 10:23 PM, (6) RE: Idea For Marker Utility, griffinmt, Oct-28-02, 10:35 PM, (7) RE: Idea For Marker Utility, JohnCS, Oct-29-02, 07:20 PM, (8) RE: Idea For Marker Utility, griffinmt, Oct-29-02, 11:35 PM, (9) RE: Idea For Marker Utility, LawrenceKellie, Oct-29-02, 11:46 PM, (10) RE: Idea For Marker Utility, JohnCS, Oct-30-02, 08:36 PM, (11)

Conferences | Topics | Previous Topic | Next Topic

LAST EDITED ON Oct-27-02 AT 00:41 AM (EDT)

Well as for Markers i have been Using USAPhoto Maps and as for being Accurate so far the Markers have been right on You'll also want Demex "if you don't already have it" to use the Marker function on demex you have to register ithttp://jdmcox.com << USAPhoto Maps >>
Bob
Philadelphia, Pa

Alert | IP

Printer-friendly page | Edit | Reply | Reply With Quote | Top

I concur with using USPhotomaps. I love that program. Not only can you download the aerials but topo's as well and revert back from aerial to topo for information. I used the Aerial maps to make markers and they are pretty darn accurate. Kip
3DTS Route Developer
3dtrainstuff.com
The Priest River Railroad "...it's so fictional, it's almost real"
PRRR Wesite Coming very soon: PRRR's Hoodoo Pass Route Beta 1.5

Alert | IP

Printer-friendly page | Edit | Reply | Reply With Quote | Top

I was fortunate enough to get reasonably accurate coords for a good
chunk of mainline that I'm working with. Required a bit of manual
keying to get it set up. Many sections, especially with many sidings,
spurs, and 'other' railroads in the near proximity lacked the coords.
So for fun I tried the arial maps at terrafly, obtaining coords for
a couple of the missing sections. I was totally amazed at the
accuracy. Even taking into account the inaccuracy of my clicking on
a map to get the data, the markers came out within a few meters of
where they should be. A long section that follows directly along
the bank of a river has a stair step-grade from the river up to the
track bed, the tracks running on the 3rd 'step' up. The manual
markers lay nearly perfectly along that ridge, as well as lining
up with the hills and valleys for over/underpass approaches.
Doing a whole route that way would be one tedious pain in the butt,
but to fill in my blanks, that method actually comes closer to
matching the DEM'ed landscape than the 'official' coordinates do.

Alert | IP

Printer-friendly page | Edit | Reply | Reply With Quote | Top

I use MS Streets and trips for making marker files. It shows mainline RR's and most streets. Just point the mouse at a point where you want to place a marker, alt tab to wordpad and type the coords directly into the marker file. It's a snap.

Alert | IP

Printer-friendly page | Edit | Reply | Reply With Quote | Top

I would also like to praise USAPhotomaps. It is possibly the coolest thing I've ever gotten from the internet. It allows you to click up to 500 GPS waypoints and gives an XML file filled with all the lat-long data. You actually don't need DEMEX to create the markers from the XML file, although it does make it very easy. If you have Excel (I imagine Lotus would work too), it can open XML files and each piece of data gets its own cell, so it's a simple matter of swapping columns and adding a few things like "Marker (" on one side and "2 )" on the other.DEMEX does rock, however, as I just used to create distant mountains on my route. What a difference!MarkMoffat Road Tabernash to Craig (56% of track laid)

Alert | IP

Printer-friendly page | Edit | Reply | Reply With Quote | Top

Hallo,
it is my first contact, sorry for my bad English.(I’m from Germany, bad I live in usa)
I'm building the route from Jacksonville to Pensacola.
To use the -MS Streets and trips- and –USPhotomaps- both is a very good help.
It is only 50% for build the route, what I need is photo’s for a scenery.Regard
Sarasota

Sorry for my bad English

Alert | IP

Printer-friendly page | Edit | Reply | Reply With Quote | Top

If you don't have the full version of DEMEX, download WAYPNTV1.ZIP from the library (should be in by tomorrow). It will take the USAPhotoMap waypoint file and generate the routes marker file for you.You can control the types of markers it uses as well.Martyn T. Griffin
griffinmt@mindspring.com

Alert | IP

Printer-friendly page | Edit | Reply | Reply With Quote | Top

Its been proposed that some people have registered DEMEX just to get the USAPhotomaps waypoint conversion tool. That was never my intent, but just to serve as a bonus for everyone who had registered.As Martyn has pointed out the actual conversion is pretty trivial (didn't use to be as they were saved in UTM format, but Cox changed the USAPhotomaps file format just before I was about to release the old version).Anyone who registered DEMEX just for this feature please send me an email.

JohnCS
dem_ex@hotmail.com
visit the DEMEX website:
http://www.dem-ex.com

Alert | IP

Printer-friendly page | Edit | Reply | Reply With Quote | Top

John,Wasn't trying to steal business from you. Just thought that running a quick standalone utility to insert additional markers into an existing route seemed a lot easier than firing up DEMEX and run the risk of 'DEMing' some existing stuff.In my case I have been just making incremental changes to a terrain that has been fully demmed. Handy for marking the outline of an airport or location of a racetrack that you hadn't planned on originally.Martyn T. Griffin
griffinmt@mindspring.com

Alert | IP

Printer-friendly page | Edit | Reply | Reply With Quote | Top

There is no way that you can accidently DEM any existing stuff!Why?Because you don't have to load any route or DEM data.Just start Dem-ex, select Utilites, Create USAPhotoMap Markers.That's all.Lawrence

Alert | IP

Printer-friendly page | Edit | Reply | Reply With Quote | Top

Martyn, no problem - glad you did it. I just hadn't realized I was starting a new revolution at the time.

JohnCS
dem_ex@hotmail.com
visit the DEMEX website:
http://www.dem-ex.com

Alert | IP

[ Home | MSTS Forum | MSTS FAQ | File Library ] Copyright © 2002 by Nels Anderson. All Rights Reserved.