• Which the release of FS2020 we see an explosition of activity on the forun and of course we are very happy to see this. But having all questions about FS2020 in one forum becomes a bit messy. So therefore we would like to ask you all to use the following guidelines when posting your questions:

    • Tag FS2020 specific questions with the MSFS2020 tag.
    • Questions about making 3D assets can be posted in the 3D asset design forum. Either post them in the subforum of the modelling tool you use or in the general forum if they are general.
    • Questions about aircraft design can be posted in the Aircraft design forum
    • Questions about airport design can be posted in the FS2020 airport design forum. Once airport development tools have been updated for FS2020 you can post tool speciifc questions in the subforums of those tools as well of course.
    • Questions about terrain design can be posted in the FS2020 terrain design forum.
    • Questions about SimConnect can be posted in the SimConnect forum.

    Any other question that is not specific to an aspect of development or tool can be posted in the General chat forum.

    By following these guidelines we make sure that the forums remain easy to read for everybody and also that the right people can find your post to answer it.

Can I extrude 2D shapefiles?

Messages
491
Country
us-missouri
Is it possible to turn 2D Microsoft building shapefiles into 3D scenery, which I can assign heights and then build roofs? As always, I spent way too much time searching before asking, but I apologize if I missed something.

Thanks,
 
Messages
7,450
Country
us-illinois
Hi Chris:

IIUC, you are referring to the MS Bing Maps (aka "Virtual Earth") derived GIS data set containing 9.8 million high-quality building footprints with heights in 44 U.S. states ? :scratchch

https://www.google.com/search?sourc...Mi0xmAEAoAECoAEBqgEHZ3dzLXdpeg&sclient=psy-ab


If so, this can be done in GIS applications, ScenProc and/or Sketchup ...provided that you also have a data set assigning total building height.


I am not acquainted with ScenProc's output using that source data, but AFAIK it can output placed as 'randomized' Autogen using FS BGLComp XML "Generic Buildings".


NOTE: If FS "Generic Buildings" are placed via BGLComp library object methods, they may also be 'randomized', but with an even greater FPS impact than Autogen placement.


Certain distinctive land marks can be extracted / imported into Sketchup as ESRI *.SHP files to create 'non-randomized' 3D models with realistic roof geometry / textures.

After processing as scenery MDLs in MCX, they can be exported / placed via BGLComp library object methods.

GaryGB
 
Last edited:
Messages
491
Country
us-missouri
I think we are talking the same data - all I know is it comes from Microsoft. I have had a decent amount of success placing these buildings into the sim by ScenProc.

But my aim here is to pull the building footprint polygons out of Illinois' GEOJSON file (which I filtered down to a particular Air Force base) and somehow export to a file format where I can extrude custom 3D models for each one. ScenProc would be ok for base housing, but hangars, fire stations, hospital, the commissary, and so on have complex shapes and are beyond my limited ScenProc script-writing capabilities (and I don't think are supported by the program).
 
Messages
7,450
Country
us-illinois
Hi Chris:

Which IL airbase are you referring to within the above-cited MS Footprint data ? :scratchch

GaryGB
 
Messages
491
Country
us-missouri
Which IL airbase are you referring to within the above-cited MS Footprint data ? :scratchch

My old stomping grounds of Scott AFB, but I'll be doing vintage air bases (such as Chanute in all its Cold War glory) once I have this trial run figured out.

I have a shapefile of all U.S. military installations and I told QGIS to filter out all but Scott. I told QGIS to clip out the Microsoft footprints that fall within the extent of the base property layer, which instead of giving me ONLY those footprints, gave me a square that fits the shapefile, making it necessary to trim out a few buildings that are off-base, like Mid America airport buildings, which will be covered by a ScenProc autogen script. But I can't figure out how to get QGIS to remove these unwanted building shapefiles; it reminds me of trying to edit files that are read-only. Everything on the base will be extruded and trees, flightline objects, flagpole, etc. will be manually placed.

I officially began feeling "old" once I realized I had to go back on Google Earth's image history to the black-and-white era to see the base as I remembered it. And it probably seems from all my questions that I am doing a million things at once.

I am.

Because when I get stuck on something -- hydro and transportation vectors, landclass, photoreal, autogen in proper places, terrain mesh -- I can just shift to another project and continue moving forward.

Thanks again to everyone's fantastic help.
 
Messages
7,450
Country
us-illinois
Hi Chris:

This is what I see if I load OSM MS USA Footprints ESRI SHP ZIP file for IL in Global Mapper with a 1x1 Mile tile of ESRI World Imagery:

https://onedrive.live.com/?authkey=!ACKuakK_2LxFlN4&cid=6472EB0D5DD0AFA5&id=6472EB0D5DD0AFA5!142&parId=6472EB0D5DD0AFA5!106&action=locate

osm_ms_il_footprints_esri_shp_extents_scott_afb-jpg.60272


It appears that the extent of coverage of that OSM MS data set does not include Scott AFB ? :scratchch

GaryGB
 

Attachments

  • OSM_MS_IL_Footprints_ESRI_SHP_Extents_Scott_AFB.jpg
    OSM_MS_IL_Footprints_ESRI_SHP_Extents_Scott_AFB.jpg
    22.5 KB · Views: 358
Last edited:
Messages
491
Country
us-missouri
By OSM I take it you mean OpenStreetMap? I've found OSM data is much better in some places than others. I can only speak to Southeast Missouri coverage -- and it's nowhere near detailed enough for my needs, so far as buildings go. The Microsoft data covers Scott, and I attached below what I see in QGIS.

I bet that there will not be satellite imagery or even perhaps building shapefiles for certain areas of the Edwards AFB complex or Fort Bragg for national security reasons, but there isn't much that our nation's enemies would find interesting at Scott. At least there wasn't ages ago when I was drinking beer and chasing women.
 

Attachments

  • gdb.JPG
    gdb.JPG
    54.9 KB · Views: 135
Last edited:
Messages
7,450
Country
us-illinois
Hi Chris:

Indeed, OSM data completeness and vector fidelity to IRL shapes varies considerably. and is generally more complete in Europe and other non-USA locations.


FYI: I was intrigued by the less complete coverage of the OSM-MS data set for the IL area cited above, and found another ESRI *.SHP derived data set here:


https://www.illinoisfloodmaps.org/DFIRMpdf/building/stclair_MS.zip


I now see this when that local MS data sub-set for St. Clair County is loaded in Global Mapper:

ilsws_st_clair_co_ms_il_footprints_esri_shp_extents_scott_afb-jpg.60270


The area of interest is depicted above with an overlaid 5x5 mile tile of ESRI World Imagery.


Here is the same area without the overlaid 5x5 mile tile of ESRI World Imagery:

ilsws_st_clair_co_ms_il_footprints_esri_shp_extents_scott_afb_no_world_imagery-jpg.60271



BTW: The ISWS web portal linked above has newer, more complete LiDAR-derived footprints available:

https://blogs.illinois.edu/view/7447/767428

https://www.illinoisfloodmaps.org/DFIRMpdf/building/stclair_building_footprints.zip

"Additionally for a select number of counties in Illinois, ISWS extracted building footprints from LiDAR data in LAS format and converted these into polygons. As part of the extraction process, a squaring function was performed to produce an approximation of the roof outlines of buildings by squaring the traced building outlines. Thus, the extraction detected rectangular buildings very effectively, but the buildings with other shapes may not be extracted as their real shapes.


How does the data compare for counties where both building footprint types are available? In short, the ISWS derived footprints are more numerous. One reason for this is the LiDAR files for each county included areas close to, but outside the county boundary, and building footprints for these areas are included in the shapefile. An additional reason may be that the LiDAR used by ISWS was more recently acquired than the imagery used by Microsoft in creating footprints. A more detailed explanation of the comparison process is found in this report."

IMHO, the MS data set has more precise rectangular shapes that may work better when extruded. ;)

I hope this adds some more useful data to the current area of interest for your project. :)

GaryGB
 

Attachments

  • ILSWS_St_Clair_Co_MS_IL_Footprints_ESRI_SHP_Extents_Scott_AFB.jpg
    ILSWS_St_Clair_Co_MS_IL_Footprints_ESRI_SHP_Extents_Scott_AFB.jpg
    290.2 KB · Views: 384
  • ILSWS_St_Clair_Co_MS_IL_Footprints_ESRI_SHP_Extents_Scott_AFB_NO_World_Imagery.jpg
    ILSWS_St_Clair_Co_MS_IL_Footprints_ESRI_SHP_Extents_Scott_AFB_NO_World_Imagery.jpg
    288.6 KB · Views: 366
Last edited:
Messages
491
Country
us-missouri
Of course it does, thanks Gary!

I'm still perplexed that I can type the letter "W," save it as an .SVG file, then import that W into 3D software and model that sentence into a house with textures and complex roof shape -- but I can't do that with squares and rectangles from a shapefile? Of all my harebrained adventures in scenery design this seems to be the simplest step, but has turned into quite the dead-end.
 
Messages
7,450
Country
us-illinois
Hi Chris:

Sketchup can import a *.SHP file via a plugin Ruby script that can also semi-automatically extrude a 3D model ...to be textured, and exported as a Google Earth *.KMZ file. :idea:

The 3D model can be exported from Sketchup as a Geo-located Google Earth *.KMZ file.

The Google Earth *.KMZ file can be imported by Arno's MCX, converted to a Geo-located *.MDL, then exported as a textured, precisely placed, FSX / P3D Scenery object BGL.

Feel free to inquire further if you would like to explore this option. ;)

GaryGB
 
Messages
491
Country
us-missouri
Sounds so easy even I could do it! :) I'll try it out,,. I was wondering the other day how far I would get before I needed Model Converter X.
 
Messages
7,450
Country
us-illinois
Hi Chris:

I don't recall if you previously indicated elsewhere, whether- or not- you have worked with Sketchup ? :scratchch

GaryGB
 

dave hoeffgen

Resource contributor
Messages
1,439
Country
germany
Hello @crushnik ,
I case you are familiar with Blender, there is an addon called "BlenderOSM" which downloads OpenStreetMap data and generates buildings out of the blueprints right away:

1595780286514.png


1595780413725.png
 
Messages
491
Country
us-missouri
Hello @crushnik ,
I case you are familiar with Blender, there is an addon called "BlenderOSM" which downloads OpenStreetMap data and generates buildings out of the blueprints right away:

That looks glorious! I'll have to see if there is decent OSM data for St. Louis once I make it that far with my ortho scenery and autogen
 
Messages
491
Country
us-missouri
Feel free to inquire further if you would like to explore this option. ;)

GaryGB

Gary, having hit dead-end after dead-end on converting building shapefiles to DXF files and importing into Blender, I am interested in hearing more about the Sketchup option you mentioned in July when you have time.
 
Messages
7,450
Country
us-illinois
Hi Chris:

Sketchup can import a *.SHP file via a plugin Ruby script that can also semi-automatically extrude a 3D model ...to be textured, and exported as a Google Earth *.KMZ file. :idea:

The 3D model can be exported from Sketchup as a Geo-located Google Earth *.KMZ file.

The Google Earth *.KMZ file can be imported by Arno's MCX, converted to a Geo-located *.MDL, then exported as a textured, precisely placed, FSX / P3D Scenery object BGL.

Feel free to inquire further if you would like to explore this option. ;)

GaryGB
Gary, having hit dead-end after dead-end on converting building shapefiles to DXF files and importing into Blender, I am interested in hearing more about the Sketchup option you mentioned in July when you have time.

Hi Chris:

The plugin I was alluding to is cited here:



BTW
: This extrudes 2D footprints to create flat roof buildings as "Manifold" Solid primitives.


One can then add the appropriate roof type via various methods and plugins as discussed here:

:


Also see:

TIGs Roof plugin:



Custom extruded 2D Faces using the Sketchup default "Follow Me" feature are discussed in Aidan Chopra video tutorials on Roofs:




GaryGB
 
Top