Multiple impoted terrain layers

[monks]

Hello, is it possible to import more than one terrain and have them reside in seperate Project Layers?

Cheers,
monks

[imported_cajomi]

yes, no problem. Just add a layer, change to the terrain panel and import it.

[monks]

Thanks- I've imported a terrain into GC, but it seems to be altering the height of the terrain.
The file is a Terragen exported from Leveller. It is a mountain, with the rest of the terrain set to a uniform 0 altitude.
When I import onto a new project layer, GC is changing the 0 alts to 81.

I've just checked and it's adding 81 to all of the file elevations.

I tried the span settings in teh Project settings- I set the to the correct values (0-1785) but it still has the lowest points set to 39.

Is there a way to re-span the elevations, or correct this?

monks

[imported_cajomi]

simplest way is to use the height correction filter. But I will have a look why the ter terrains are not set to 0.

[monks]

I find that if I set the max span to the correct value of 1785, then the min span changes to 39. That's the closest I can get at the moment to the 0 alt I need for complete accuracy.
I've noticed that if I then open up the Terrain tab, the min height reads 81 again, but it is reset back to 39 in the Project tab.

monks

[imported_cajomi]

I had just tested it. The wrong lowest altitude is produced by Leveller. I got the same result, 39.

The span can only squash the terrain.
But you can use the cut tool, to lower the lowest parts. Set the min height to 100-120, and the lowest parts are zero.
But I have found, that is lowers below zero, this is fixed for next build, which is nearly done.

[monks]

I don't think the wrong lowest altitude is produced by Leveller because when I open up in Wilbur, it also gives a uniform lowest altitude of 0.
The terrain is a 4097 .ter. I tried exporting from both Leveller and Wilbur but still get the same result in GC.
It could of course be both Leveller and Wilbur- but I strongly doubt it. :)

I understand the span function now: the figures are relative to GC's internal scaling, not absolute.
I'll try the cut tool, see if I can get something close to what I want.

The reason why I need the scaling to be exact (or at least the minimum alt to be at 0), is because I was hoping to combine a few terrains in GC, using the Layer properties Add. This way the areas set to 0 alt would serve as a mask, the 0 alt areas would be removed upon merging.
I was really hoping to merge the terrains as a Project in GC. I could always work on them seperately as single terrains in GC and combine them elsewhere. I'll try this again in the next build.


Good luck in the World Cup btw :D

monks

[imported_cajomi]

That forces a closer look. So I have compared all the results. Here the report:

Well, I had created a terrain in Terragen, with much 0 heights and exported it as ter.
Then I imported this into Leveller and exproted the terrain as ter without any changings. I had a look at the span (using the span filter of Leveller), and as minimum for the span in Leveller there was 1 unit instead of 0.
I then imported first the terragen ter into GeoControl. All heights were correct, many 0 heights. Then imported the Leveller terrain, the 0 heights were gone.

Then imported the Leveller output into Terragen, the terrain has changed.
Then imported the GeoControl terrain, which I exported as ter, from the original ter file. The terrain was the same in Terragen.

So it is sure: GeoControl works 100% with Terragen, im- and export, while Leveller does not deliver the original terrain with im- and export. If Wilbur does exact the same, then it also changes the heightinformations.

[monks]

Hmm- interesting. I'll have to contact Ray and Joe regarding this, as it means that there is no way that I'm going to be able to get the 0 alts in GC. Going through Terragen will only work as a solution if I can recale- respan the terrain in there- I can't remember if that's possible off hand as it's been a while since I used it
- I've just looked and it is possible.

Great, so I'll try re-spanning in TG.

//update: I've just re-spanned in TG and opened in GC, and the alts are indeed now at 0 alt. So there does appear to be a re-configuring in Leveller and Wilbur.

monks

[monks]

I have more TG import problems- I've sent you a sequence of shots to illustrate.

monks