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Satellite Imagery

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us-ohio
What is the best free source for satellite imagery that is usable in GMAX (has a scale ratio or whatever it's called) for creating ground polys? The USGS maps recommended in tutorials for my airport (CLE) at least are black and white and are very low quality.
 
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england
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us-ohio
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england
Hey Jason
I use SBX_313
Open SBX_313
Click on file/then click on new project
Name your project
then add the path to where you want to save your BGL File and tick the box below,and click ok
Then click on view and click on show background
Then click on file and go down to add map from background
Draw a box around the area you want press ok
Your tiles will down load
your tiles probably won't all download the first time
so what you have to do is close add map from background
Click on view/click on show background/click on view again/click on show background again
then click on file/then click add map from background and press ok
All your tiles will download
Tell me if you need help getting satellite image into GMAX
If you want a step by step tutorial writing out with pictures
I will write you one out
Regards
Ian
 

arno

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Be aware that you are not allowed to release sceneries that contain images from Google. So if you plan to distribute your work, you need to find another image source.
 
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australia
Arno your reply interested me as recently I created photo realistic scenery for an area in British Columbia, Canada and made mention that I was considering releasing it as freeware and received a similar warning. I was advised to try image tiles from SCRD http://www.scrd.ca/data-download which it seems are freeware (you need GEOVIEWER to view and convert the downloaded SID files to GeoTIFF).
Now SCRD is only for the Sunshine Coast of BC Canada (which was ok for me but probably not for Jason) so are there any other tile servers which can be used to create satellite imagery which can be distributed (I tried contacting the following without success which have tile servers for SBX) -
VirtualEarthSatellite
ArcGisImagery

Maybe there are other web sites similar to SCRD for other areas of the world. Note there is an interesting web site at 15 free satellite imagery data sources which maybe useful (I have not explaored any).
 

arno

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Hi,

More and more countries, provinces and cities are making their data open. But it's hard to give a list of that, since it really depends on the location you are making a scenery for. So it's always a good idea to check the official website of the area you are working on and check if hey have a GIS department or some other open data.
 
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australia
Thanks Arno

That may be easier said than done from the quick check I just did for areas here in Australia. I found such a web site for an area which listed GIS data but when I navigated there all it contained was an interactive satellite image which could be scrolled and zoomed but no downloadable (SID) files. Probably just a trial and error method to find them.
 
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195
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us-ohio
It would be legal to use google imagery to reference taxiways but never have the image on our scenery though, right?
 
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us-idaho
Jason,

I use Google images all the time to reference taxiways, aprons, key buildings, etc when creating or modifying an airport with ADE. Once I am done with layout I throw the image away, so "Yes", as long as you remove the image before releasing it you are fine. It's probably also fine as long as the image is for your personal use only, but not positive.

Randy
 
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australia
Jason,
It's probably also fine as long as the image is for your personal use only, but not positive
You are correct according to what I have been told unless you use satellite imagery which is supplied as free to use image files from such places as SCRD. Google satellite imagery is definitely copyright so ok to use for personal use but nothing else.

It makes me wonder though about the freeware scenery which includes satellite imagery which is available to download such as the FSX Midway Atoll (Midway Islands) Photoreal Scenery.
I wonder where the author obtained the satellite imagery from.
 

rhumbaflappy

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They want the text directly on the image. Not just in a "readme" file. Kind of destroys the illusion, yes?
 
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us-ohio
They want the text directly on the image. Not just in a "readme" file. Kind of destroys the illusion, yes?
I think as long as it's in the texture sheet you should be fine. It doesn't necessarily have to show up on the scenery itself but since it's on the image (texture sheet) it should count.
 

arno

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I don't think you are right there. For film it says:

Attribution to both Google and our data suppliers must appear on-screen for the entire duration the content is displayed.

So that would mean that for our simulation usage it would have to be on screen all the time as well.
 
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195
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us-ohio
I don't think you are right there. For film it says:



So that would mean that for our simulation usage it would have to be on screen all the time as well.
Then I honestly wonder where everyone else gets theirs. SBuilderX uses google as a plug in so that's no solution.
 

arno

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For project that are released developers use various sources, but it depends per country what these are. So no general answer can be given. Also developers often pay for images.
 
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