GIS Data Sources

[rhumbaflappy]

Perhaps we need a thread to point to available GIS data sources.

Here's a start:

SRTM and ASTER dem data at Global Data Explorer

 

[HolgerSandmann]

good initiative!

One of my favorite site for many years, since it not only includes links to all sorts of free data and tools but also tutorials and (political) background information regarding those sources: http://www.terrainmap.com/

US public domain orthoimagery and terrain data at http://seamless.usgs.gov/

Canadian public domain orthoimagery, vector data and terrain data at http://www.geobase.ca/ and http://www.geogratis.gc.ca/

Jonathan de Ferranti's enhanced Shuttle Radar Terrain (SRTM) data: http://www.viewfinderpanoramas.org/dem3.html

Cheers, Holger

 

[rhumbaflappy]

CGIAR maintains a set of 5x5 degree tiles of reworked SRTM 90 meter DEMs

These large tiles incorporate some of Jonathan de Ferranti's improvements.

Dick

 

[arno]

OpenStreetMap is a good source of vector data for many countries as well. Shapefiles are available from different sources, for example GeoFabrik: http://www.geofabrik.de/data/download.html

 

[ollyau]

USGS The National Map Viewer
USGS EarthExplorer
USDA NRCS Geospatial Data Gateway
Japanese ASTER GDEM site

 

[rhumbaflappy]

Another world dem source:

GMTED

You could also use it to check/fill ASTER data. It is actually several sets of data. "breakline" was created to preserve water channels and hill ridges. It comes in different resolutions. 7.5 arc second would be OK for an LOD7 mesh.

Dick

 

[nz255]

Quite a bit of New Zealand data - www.koordinates.com

 

[GaryGB]

Commercial Higher resolution Digital Elevation Model (aka "DEM") source data:


Intermap® - NEXTMap Digital Elevation Models (DEMs)

This low-altitude IFSAR / hybrid multi-source data can achieve approximately a 5 Meter output gridding after processing for use in FS):

Ex: licensed NEXTMap data used by FranceVFR, VFR Photographic Scenery Generation X mesh, FS Dreamscapes NEXTMap ProMesh / Ultimate VFR products and/or FSGenesis etc.


http://www.intermap.com/Portals/0/doc/Brochures/INTERMAP_IFSAR_Data_Collection_English.pdf

http://www.intermap.com/en-us/solutions/nextmap/digitalelevationmodels.aspx



A very promising site to watch for availability beginning in 2014:

http://www.astrium-geo.com/en/168-tandem-x-global-dem


"TanDEM-X Global Digital Elevation Model

Global Coverage - Unique Accuracy - Unprecedented Quality
TerraSAR-X and TanDEM-X radar satellites in space

The TanDEM-X mission will generate a global Digital Elevation Model (DEM) of unprecedented quality, accuracy, and coverage.

This homogenous elevation model will be available for the Earth’s entire land surface, i.e. 150 million square kilometres in 2014.
Unique Quality Features
TanDEM-X DEM Teide, Teneriffe

TanDEM-X Digital Elevation Model of Teide Volcano on Teneriffe Island, Spain © DLR

The accuracy of this global DEM will surpass that of any satellite-based elevation model available today and have the following unique feature:

Vertical accuracy: 2m (relative) / 10m (absolute)
12m x 12m raster
Global homogeneity
Highly consistent dataset thanks to data collection within 2.5 years only
No ground control information needed thanks to high geometric precision of sensors
Final manual editing secures international quality standards"

GaryGB

 

[igr]

Osm

I was on OpenStreetMap to see how it works and on wiki
Planet.osm
http://wiki.openstreetmap.org/wiki/Planet.osm#Processing_the_file

But I would like to know how to do it if I would want to get the data of rivers. What do I need to have and to do? As I think about doing winter textures, where I need to get masks for rivers.

 

[arno]

Hi,

It's often easier to download shapefile versions of the OSM data. For example from:

http://www.geofabrik.de/data/download.html

There is a shapefile with the rivers as well.

 

[igr]

Hi,

It's often easier to download shapefile versions of the OSM data. For example from:

http://www.geofabrik.de/data/download.html

There is a shapefile with the rivers as well.

OSM is free service, but this is paid.
I didn't say I want shape data, but raster data. I meant that the OSM could provide vector data which I will convert to binary mask.

 

[rhumbaflappy]

http://www.geofabrik.de/data/download.html provides OSM data for free. It is not a paid service.

Dick

 

[Aviasim]

Any Shapefiles for Canada, Saskatoon?

I have fount some but none include buildings data

 

[adamjedgar]

Commercial Higher resolution Digital Elevation Model (aka "DEM") source data:


Intermap® - NEXTMap Digital Elevation Models (DEMs)

This low-altitude IFSAR / hybrid multi-source data can achieve approximately a 5 Meter output gridding after processing for use in FS):

Ex: licensed NEXTMap data used by FranceVFR, VFR Photographic Scenery Generation X mesh, FS Dreamscapes NEXTMap ProMesh / Ultimate VFR products and/or FSGenesis etc.


http://www.intermap.com/Portals/0/doc/Brochures/INTERMAP_IFSAR_Data_Collection_English.pdf

http://www.intermap.com/en-us/solutions/nextmap/digitalelevationmodels.aspx



A very promising site to watch for availability beginning in 2014:

http://www.astrium-geo.com/en/168-tandem-x-global-dem


"TanDEM-X Global Digital Elevation Model

Global Coverage - Unique Accuracy - Unprecedented Quality
TerraSAR-X and TanDEM-X radar satellites in space

The TanDEM-X mission will generate a global Digital Elevation Model (DEM) of unprecedented quality, accuracy, and coverage.

This homogenous elevation model will be available for the Earth’s entire land surface, i.e. 150 million square kilometres in 2014.
Unique Quality Features
TanDEM-X DEM Teide, Teneriffe

TanDEM-X Digital Elevation Model of Teide Volcano on Teneriffe Island, Spain © DLR

The accuracy of this global DEM will surpass that of any satellite-based elevation model available today and have the following unique feature:

Vertical accuracy: 2m (relative) / 10m (absolute)
12m x 12m raster
Global homogeneity
Highly consistent dataset thanks to data collection within 2.5 years only
No ground control information needed thanks to high geometric precision of sensors
Final manual editing secures international quality standards"

GaryGB

great idea, but have u read the licensing fine print? those mongrels wont allow your images to br includee in commercial packages fron what i read in their purchase agreement. bloody ridiculous if u ask me...its a damn paid resource. one should be allowed to incorporate it in commercial packages!

 

[kevintampa5]

great idea, but have u read the licensing fine print? those mongrels wont allow your images to br includee in commercial packages fron what i read in their purchase agreement. bloody ridiculous if u ask me...its a damn paid resource. one should be allowed to incorporate it in commercial packages!

So if you spend $100,000's of dollars to launch a satellite, then another $4,000 to generate the imaging, process them to format, and then prepare it for use, you shouldnt be allowed to charge for it?
They invest a lot of money to make those maps, its not cheap. Think, you are making money on their investment and work while they get nothing because you want it for free. Wouldnt seem fair to me. You have to spend money to make money, ask any businessman, thats the basic model you have to know when getting into a business. Investment is the beginning.

Note: This is not an attack or demeaning state, it is meant to illustrate the purpose of charging you to use it commercially.

Update:
Further reading I misunderstood the comment. To be honest, if you want to use it commercially, then dont buy from those who wont allow a commercial product to be created with it. You can also try to contact them and request, in writing, permission to use in a commercial product that is geared to a limited community, that probably wont generate more than a set amount of money over a given time. If they see no loss in it or a supergain on your part, then they will probably allow it.

 

[hcornea]

great idea, but have u read the licensing fine print? those mongrels wont allow your images to br includee in commercial packages....

This type of license is the most common.

In general, you will require a different (expensive) license to use in a package.

 

[GaryGB]

I encountered this interesting info today while chasing some links about use of Sketchup for scenery creation.

Google has sold Sketchup to Trimble, and Trimble has developed some amazing software and hardware tools to allow creation of ones own high-resolution GIS data for both aerial imagery and elevation via digitally-programmed low-altitude flight grids with very small radio-controlled aircraft:

http://www.mastersketchup.com/why-google-doesnt-need-sketchup-anymore/

http://www.gatewing.com/

http://vimeo.com/40452792



Hopefully this may prove to be an affordable alternative to costly licensing for use of (all too often ...poor quality) aerial imagery and/or elevation data by allowing individuals and/or consortium groups to generate their own higher-quality GIS resources.

Perhaps this technology may also prove to be accessible to the FS development community !

GaryGB

 

[rhumbaflappy]

Landsat8

The landsat8 satellite is up and running. The image data will be 30m with a 15m panchromatic band. The imagery is supposed to be free and will be available starting in late May of 2013 ( pretty soon ).

LandSat8 website

Here's a link to a thermal image of the Salton Sea in Southern California:

http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/landsat/news/salton-sea.html


Dick

 

[nz255]

I encountered this interesting info today while chasing some links about use of Sketchup for scenery creation.

Google has sold Sketchup to Trimble, and Trimble has developed some amazing software and hardware tools to allow creation of ones own high-resolution GIS data for both aerial imagery and elevation via digitally-programmed low-altitude flight grids with very small radio-controlled aircraft:

http://www.mastersketchup.com/why-google-doesnt-need-sketchup-anymore/

http://www.gatewing.com/

http://vimeo.com/40452792



Hopefully this may prove to be an affordable alternative to costly licensing for use of (all too often ...poor quality) aerial imagery and/or elevation data by allowing individuals and/or consortium groups to generate their own higher-quality GIS resources.

Perhaps this technology may also prove to be accessible to the FS development community !

GaryGB

Only problem is we want airports...with planes taking off and landing in the path of the x100....

 

[hcornea]

And a Gatewing is worth about $50k ... apparently.

That's quite a bit of WV2 60cm imagery.