That's sort of the understanding I have but maybe your illustrations will explain more, hopefully with pictures.
I didn't think TIN was around that long. I thought it was a new or updated way for providing more accurate DEMs. You mentioned something about using SBuilderX and Sketchup in another thread and you were doing some tests. I guess this topic would cover that. I might have misunderstood you but I thought you were going to provide a tutorial on this subject.
Thanks for providing the instructions above about importing CVX2420 into SBuilderX. Will you be providing instructions about how to make modifications? Of course, when you have the time.
Ken.
Tests are still ongoing with Sketchup plugins to provide a specific workflow for tasks to be performed in the modified Nauru project.
So, I would hesitate to compare my status for testing of potential work-flows with such tasks that others regard as "Wish List" items.
IMHO, the tasks to be completed in the context of this thread's latter example at KBHM, IMHO, would best focus on:
* Editing extent of flat / level "Central" CVX Vector AB Flatten Polygon(s)
* Editing extent of sloped triangulated "Peripheral" CVX Vector AB Flatten Polygon(s) that Blend a flat / level poly into surrounding terrain
First, I recommend FSX' default KBHM ARP / AB Flatten Poly Altitude values are used, since that saves learning to edit Approach code.
So, in SBuilderX, after you edit the extent of flat / level "Central" CVX Vector AB Flatten Polygon(s), you will assign their Altitude.
NOTE: I use terms for CVX Vector polygon(s) as there are technically
multiple Polygons after clipped to QMID-11 quads via compilation:
NOTE: Black lines are TMF Grid quad boundaries used when clipped during compilation of CVX Vector source data.
I believe you should recall both Luis Feliz-Tirado's tutorials- and SBuilderX' Help docs- on Altitude assignment:
*
Constant
...versus:
*
Variable
https://www.fsdeveloper.com/forum/t...ects-in-sbuilderx-for-katl.444877/post-818288
SBuilderX Menu > Help > {Search} Tab > query string:
Altitude > click [
List Topics] button > click all listed items to view all hits
IMHO, of particular note, is the SBuilderX Help section:
Working with Points, Lines and Polygons > Set Altitude
In the context of making a flat / level AB Flatten Polygon, you will assign a
Constant Altitude value in Meters to that "Central" Polygon.
That Altitude value, for at least 'initial' practicality here, will be kept identical to that of FSX default KBHM ARP:
196.291 Meters / 643.9974 Feet AMSL.
After assigning that value to
all selected vertices of the "Central" flat / level AB Flatten Polygon, you will next construct
sloped Polygons.
Sloped AB Flatten Polygons are added as Triangles connected to 'Edge' Poly-Lines of the "Central" flat / level AB Flatten Polygon.
Sloped AB Flatten Polygon Triangles are drawn as Poly-Lines from 'Edge' Poly-Line vertices of the "Central" flat / level AB Flatten Polygon.
Broad Triangles may result if vertex point intervals of the "Central" flat / level AB Flatten Polygon are larger distances (> 10 Meters apart).
The same rules apply for GIS vertex sequencing when drawing Polygons: Counter-clock-wise for 1st polygon, Clock-wise for 2nd polygon.
BTW: This concept is sometimes referred to as the vertex "winding" order or direction for Geographic coordinates.
See my explanation on this GIS vertex sequencing procedure, and the rationale for it ...here:
https://www.fsdeveloper.com/forum/threads/problem-with-terrain-elevation.460137/post-935243
'Sequencing' also applies if drawing vertices for Edges of Faces in a 3D modeling application, and determines "Front" versus "Reverse" sides.
If we draw "Holes" in walls, (you guessed it), we 'face' similar challenges to those seen in SBuilderX, but Sketchup can make this easier.
FYI: Reportedly, Google draws Clock-wise for 1st polygons, which may impact work-flow for those using FSX_KML CVX objects.
But we are using SBuilderX, which can control (and even reverse, if needed) ...GIS vertex sequencing when drawing Polygons.
In our case, Appended ESRI FLX2420.SHP is 1st polygon, thus as a "Central" flat / level AB Flatten Polygon, it must be 'Counter-clock-wise'.
And, in our case, we use 'Clock-wise' for drawing (
all of) the 2nd polygon(s) ...each of which in that group will be Triangles.
But this work-flow is laborious if performed manually via SBuilderX, ADE, Google, FSX_KML etc. as they do not enforce drawing sequence.
For this reason, a 3D modeling application such as Sketchup may save labor when creating
Triangulated Polygons as a peripheral 'ring'.
However, we must intersect the "Ground" surface of an underlying 1 Meter LIDAR FSX Terrain Mesh with each peripheral Triangle vertex.
We would normally have to manually assign the position and Altitude of each such vertex using a FS utility feature.
And we will have alternating Up / Down vertically oriented Triangles such that bottom 'ring' Triangles have their bases on the "Ground".
Again, it is possible Sketchup used with plugins may save this manual labor when creating
Triangulated Polygons as a peripheral 'ring'.
NOTE: Existing FLX2420 TMF grid Quad clipping is preserved during ESRI Shapefile data export from SBuilderX / Sketchup data import.
A 3D view of the ESRI Shapefile data export from SBuilderX can also be seen if we "Open" it in Google Earth Desktop Edition:
I shall attempt to create a consolidated tutorial of constructing such a Triangulated sloped polygon ring surrounding a 'level' central polygon.
That tutorial may apply to both the Nauru and KBHM tasks of creating a sloped peripheral 'ring' polygon using Triangles that descend from a higher to lower Altitude in 3D space.
In the case of Nauru, the boundary of the Central polygon is at the Edge of a horizontally 'level "Hole", whereas at KBHM, the boundary of the Central polygon is at the Edge of a horizontally 'level' AB Flatten.
Both these sloped 'ring' TIN objects will become CVX Vector "Flatten" objects.
I shall present a prototype of using Sketchup to create a Triangulated 'sloped' polygon ring surrounding a 'level' central polygon ASAP.
As typing tutorials is also laborious, I shall explore options for use of Sketchup "Scenes"- versus GIF Animations- to present this info.
I first need to see what file sizes must be used to fulfill their intended purpose 'legibly' as attachments in- or files linked via- FSDEV forum.
Alternatively, a full-featured GIS application 'should' be able to do the required tasks even more easily than in Sketchup and SBuilderX.
I have work-flows for doing this using Global Mapper, but I do not have time to determine whether QGIS can perform comparable tasks.
More on this tomorrow...
GaryGB
