Australian DEM Data

FDL_12 · Posted: Sun Sep 19, 2004 10:09 pm

Finally there is a source for free Australian DEM Data for route terrain creation. Even though it is only 90 metre resolution, it is a hell of a lot easier than creating the terrain by hand, or using scanned topos and the TS Tools/Microdem approach to making a dem. The only problem I have noticed is there are a few locations with missing data, which results in holes in the terrain. Though they are easily fixed in the RE.

This is the result of digitizing topo maps with Microdem.

And the same area done with the DEM data.

The elevations are with-in 10 metres of the real thing, so unless someone knows the area well, no-one is going to notice if it is not 100% accurate.

Details on the procedure is available here: http://forums.atomic-systems.com/viewtopic.php?t=24507&sid=79e52e0afa17f7b373625e37524bebbf

NOTE: URL updated 12-5-2006 ftp://e0srp01u.ecs.nasa.gov/srtm/version1/Australia/

The file names are the South West corner of the 1 degree squares. EG: S38E144 covers most of the Footscray - Ballarat route. Demex now opens the .hgt files, so 3Dem is no longer required to convert the files.

So there is now no need to build an Australian route that looks like a pool table, or has flat topped hills that bear no resemblance whatsoever to the real location.

Sparks:

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MikeS · Posted: Mon Sep 20, 2004 8:18 am

Pity that was not available when I built the Blue Mountains route, I had to trace thousands of contours from hikers maps into TsTools to get the contours Sad

How long has the Australian data been available, as I visited that site a few months ago to get data for a UK route I am working on, and there was no southern hemisphere data at all?

Mike.

FDL_12 · Posted: Mon Sep 20, 2004 7:59 pm

Mike,

Looks like it has been available since July 10. But I checked the site last month and it wasn't there. But at least we now have something to help with route creation! I'm going to do the local area and will see how it compares. So far it's very promising.

FDL.

Gavin · Posted: Thu Sep 23, 2004 3:41 pm

One advantage contour maps had, was that they showed the rail line. I don't know how TSTools works, but in TSTF, you are able to plot markers from the map and these would show up in route editor. With DEM, you really have no reference to where the rail line is.

Gavin Woolf

FDL_12 · Posted: Thu Sep 23, 2004 6:06 pm

MikeS · Posted: Thu Sep 23, 2004 8:07 pm

TsTools is quite good in that it does allow you to place the markers along the trackbed. For a UK route I have been fiddling with, I did the terrain using DEM, but used TsTools just to generate the marker file from a map then used this marker file with the DEM produced terrain. It seemed to be fairly accurate.

Mike.

gallop3 · Posted: Sun Sep 26, 2004 4:24 pm

Talking of tstools.
How do i convert this dem for use with tstools ?

gallop3

FDL_12 · Posted: Sun Sep 26, 2004 6:09 pm

TS Tools wont work on my system. What formats can it use? 3Dem can save them as:

# USGS ASCII Digital Elevation Model (*.dem)
# GeoTiff Graphics File (*.tif)
# GeoTiff Digital Elevation Model (*.tif)

Which are common formats for DEMs and can be opened with Demex I presume TS Tools can as well.

FDL

gallop3 · Posted: Sun Sep 26, 2004 6:31 pm

You need to have the java environment active for it to run.
Thanks for url to 3dem, it looks a nice little conversion program.

gallop3

FDL_12 · Posted: Wed Sep 29, 2004 6:11 pm

No problems Ian. Happy to help.

superheatedsteam · Posted: Thu Nov 18, 2004 6:26 pm

Checkout the following site.

http://satmap.ga.gov.au/IWS/images/SSC03/SSC03.shtml

I have found it very useful as you can cross reference the railway line in the landsat picture with the map next to it. Zoom in/out and click in the image for a Lat/Long to 4 decimal places.

Have fun.

FDL_12 · Posted: Sat Dec 18, 2004 6:37 pm

Thanks for the link, superheatedsteam. Very helpfull. Does anyone know if it would be possible to write a plug-in/utility that would copy/paste the lat/lon co-ordinates into a text document to make a marker file? So when you click on the map, the figures can be transferred with another click?

FDL_12 · Posted: Wed Jan 05, 2005 8:23 am

Ahhh, I see you are new here, but did you bother to read the entire thread?

Sparks:

Sound
Pathetic
And
aRe
Krappy
Shitboxes