Creating Photo Scenery From Older Satellite Images

[GaryGB]

I must now travel to a full-service computer store with in-stock high performance video cards to complete a hardware upgrade ASAP.

When I am able, I will clarify the basis for my suggested GIS work-flow, and why it is preferable to do that rather than a SBuilderX 'Calibrate hack'.

In the mean time, some comedy relief ...from the movie "Airplane":

GaryGB

 

[Bushpilot]

As far as the information regarding the xDim and xDim and Cell X and Y Dimension Deg, I do not have that information and it automatically shows the cell dimensions after I enter the coordinates:

xDim = CellXDimensionDeg
yDim = CellYDimensionDeg

I do not have no idea what these mean and where you get the information, and has not been explained

Look at my post #18...
If CellXDimensionDeg and CellYDimensionDeg in the inf-file do not match the background image, then the compilation process also aborts.

 

[kmanning]

No you don't need to reproject to WGS84, if you're saving your .tif as a .bmp and calibrating that in SBuilder the NAD83 projection will work fine. Resample will choke on a NAD83 .tif when that info is stored in the .tif as geodata but a .bmp can't store geodata so as long as the coords and xDim yDim are correct it will carry out the resample regardless of the projection. Sbuilder does exactly this every time you "add map from background" and resample it to a photoreal. There's something else wrong and if SBuilder is outputting an .inf but not a .bgl then it's choking on the same error you're getting when you try to drop the .inf on resample.exe manually. My bet is the .bmp is coming out of Gimp and "write color space information" is the problem.

Hi JRobinson,

That's what it was. I thought I put that checkmark on "Do not write color space information" but apparently I forgot to do that. I get tired of having to remember to do that. But it will resample now. Thanks for reminding me.

 

[kmanning]

Hi Ken,

It doesn't matter if your background image is in WGS84 format.
You can bring any image into the simulator.
You just have to align it in SbuilderX so that it fits.

To illustrate, I just took a Santa picture from the net in jpeg format.
Converted it to bmp format....
Placed it in SbuilderX...
Created an inf-file and resampled the whole thing...

This is how the result looks like in P3D.
View attachment 66445

To make the transition better, I added a blend mask.
View attachment 66446

CellXDimensionDeg and CellYDimensionDeg can be found in SbuilderX.

Calibrate the imported image in SbuilderX.
You have found that.

To find CellXDimensionDeg and CellYDimensionDeg...
Select the image, it will be green bordered...
View attachment 66447

Right click on the green border and select Properties...
View attachment 66448

In the next window you will find CellXDimensionDeg and CellYDimensionDeg.
View attachment 66449

This value depends on your background image size in pixels.

If you change your image size (pixel) and import it again in SbuilderX (with the same coordinates),
then the CellXDimensionDeg and CellYDimensionDeg value will change.

Thanks Mike for explaining this and showing the screen shots. But there's another window that pops up after putting in the coordinates and clicking on the Calibrate button. This window is called Map Calibration:

It shows latitude and longitude for both points 1 and points 2. I'm not sure if I actually put in the correct coordinates but I entered the same ones that I entered into the Map Properties. What's the difference between the 2 and what's this points 1 and points 2? That's the part I don't get. Did I put in the coordinates correctly? Once again, thanks for providing a good demonstration.

Ken.

 

[Bushpilot]

Hi Ken,
sorry that I answer only today.
I somehow missed the notification.
I hope my answer is not too late.

The background image in SBuilderX is a rectangle.
Points 1 are the coordinates of the top left point.
Points 2 are the coordinates of the bottom right point.

 

[kmanning]

Hi Ken,
sorry that I answer only today.
I somehow missed the notification.
I hope my answer is not too late.

The background image in SBuilderX is a rectangle.
Points 1 are the coordinates of the top left point.
Points 2 are the coordinates of the bottom right point.

View attachment 67414

Hi Mike,

Thanks for explaining that. It's just strange why it asks to put in these coordinates 2 times, once using the Map Properties and again using the Map Calibration. They must serve different functions, I guess.

Ken.

 

[kmanning]

I must now travel to a full-service computer store with in-stock high performance video cards to complete a hardware upgrade ASAP.

When I am able, I will clarify the basis for my suggested GIS work-flow, and why it is preferable to do that rather than a SBuilderX 'Calibrate hack'.

In the mean time, some comedy relief ...from the movie "Airplane":

GaryGB

Hi Gary,

I'm looking forward to those explanations.

Ken.

 

[GaryGB]

Hi Ken:

Here is some info that may help explain (although it is still rather technical and intended for those with more GIS knowledge):

WGS84 vs. NAD83

What is the difference between the WGS84 and NAD83 datums?

www.esri.com

ArcGIS Desktop Help 9.3 - Projection basics the GIS professional needs to know

Vertical Coordinate Systems: Local Use Cases

ArcGIS Pro is a powerful rich client that supports vertical coordinate systems (VCS) in both global and local scenes. This blog focus...

www.esri.com

About geographic transformations and how to choose the right one

By Aileen Buckley, Mapping Center Lead You will often be prompted to select the geographic transformation when you are projecting data...

www.esri.com

Archived Content | Esri Support

support.esri.com

I do not recommend attempting to circumvent use of a GIS application for the tasks you appear to want to implement for your project(s), which based on past threads, will involve placement of numerous adjacent imagery tiles in precise alignment with each other around an airport.


You 'could' use SBuilderX to compose and output 1 or more BGLs for the area of interest, but you would need to work through these tutorials:

Make photo-real ground textures

File Description:
It is very easy to create your very own high-resolution, custom (photo-real) ground textures. This document explains the concepts and techniques and illustrates the use of SBuilderX with which you can quickly and easily download aerial images and make this type of scenery. So, why hesitate? Make Flight Simulator scenery as real as it gets! Very sorry - no support of any kind is offered. Please do not write. For any questions, please post in the Avsim Scenery Design Forum.

Filename: make_photo-real_ground_textures_in_fs_x.zip
License: Freeware
Added: 21st November 2009, 23:20:06
Downloads: 17714
Author: Luis Feliz-Tirado
Size: 2143kb

https://library.avsim.net/esearch.php?CatID=fsxsd&DLID=140539


Using the Autogen Annotator

File Description:
The Autogen Annotator is a powerful tool for modifying the autogen of default ground textures or adding autogen to custom (photo-real) ground. This document illustrates the use of the tool, and includes a pictorial guide to all autogen object types. Very sorry - no support of any kind is offered. Please do not write. For any questions, please post in the Avsim Scenery Design Forum.

Filename: using_the_autogen_annotator_264833.zip
License: Freeware
Added: 21st November 2009, 16:18:51
Downloads: 4220
Author: Luis Feliz-Tirado
Size: 8930kb

https://library.avsim.net/esearch.php?CatID=fsxsd&DLID=140537


You may also wish to review at least the first few pages of this (long) very informative thread by Tiberius et al:

https://www.flightsim.com/vbfs/showthread.php?250762-How-to-create-photoreal-scenery-for-FSX:


To make more accurate FS scenery, you are likely to also encounter these topics at some point as well:

Terrain Design

File Description:
Terrain Design for Flight Simulator X

This simple illustrated document explains the basic concepts in Flight Simulator X terrain, and how to change them using SBuilder for FS X. Make new water bodies, roads, vehicle traffic, airport flattens, remove autogen, add more detail - anybody can do it easily and quickly.
My most sincere apologies - I am unable, for lack of free time, to offer support of any kind. For questions or problems, please post in the Avsim scenery design forum.

Filename: terrain_design_for_flight_simulator_x.zip
License: Freeware
Added: 14th December 2009, 13:29:15
Downloads: 16648
Author: Luis Feliz-Tirado
Size: 3991kb

https://library.avsim.net/esearch.php?CatID=fsxsd&DLID=141643


FYI: I solicited input from others above regarding a tutorial on how to use GDAL, OSGEO4W and/or QGIS (freeware) GIS applications to help you.

Hi Ken:

As I explained in our PM communications related to this thread, SDK Resample (and SDK SHP2VEC as well !) require source data in a specific GIS projection.


Re-projecting your USGS imagery from UTM projection, NAD83 (Alabama HPGN) datum to Geographic projection, WGS84 datum requires a GIS application.


Perhaps others with the time and patience to allocate for learning how to use the QGIS and/or OSGEO4W GIS platform ...might provide a tutorial here ?

GaryGB

I do not have time to engage in the learning curve for those applications myself, nor to personally research how to use them and then make a tutorial.


I specifically cautioned against attempting to approximate imagery formatting or positioning by trial-and-error methods using "fudged" calibration or "rubber sheeting cheating" methods.

CAVEAT: Re-projection involves spherical trigonometric functions and changes of Geo-referencing coordinates which can only be performed via GIS applications, thus one should not attempt to approximate imagery formatting or positioning by trial-and-error methods using "fudged" calibration or "rubber sheeting cheating" methods. ;-)

GaryGB

The methods Mike and Jim describe above may certainly be useful in the relatively rare circumstances when one must re-position imagery that is "warped" due to off-NADIR imagery sometimes being projected for use in an online map viewer at locations off the vertical axis of the imagery recording camera; however, It is otherwise always a best practice to utilize on-NADIR imagery that is correctly projected into the GIS format required by SDK Resample.

GaryGB

 

[JRobinson]

But there's another window that pops up after putting in the coordinates and clicking on the Calibrate button.

Don't hit the "Calibrate" button at that point, just hit the OK button and you're done.