Hoisted from the comments from my post on creating ESRI ArcGrid DEM files for use with Terrain Bender, two more options for converting other DEM formats to ESRI ArcGrid, plus many other formats as well.
LandSerf: A multi-platform (Windows, Mac and LInux) terrain visualization and analysis program, LandSerf can also import/export DEMs in a number of formats (.bil, .flt, .grd, .asc, .dem, .bin, .hgt, .ter, .bt); VRML (.wrl) is an additional export format.
VTBuilder: Windows only, VTBuilder lets you import/merge/resample DEM data in any GDAL-supported elevation format (and several additional ones like MicroDEM DEM files), and export the data in the following formats:
- ArcInfo ASCII Grid (*.asc)
- GeoTIFF
- TerraGen (*.ter)
- STM
- MSI Planet
- VRML ElevationGrid (*.wrl)
- RAW/INF for MSFS
- ChunkLOD (.chu)
- 3TX
- VTP (*.bt)
VTBuilder was primarily designed for use in putting together data for the Virtual Terrain Project, an open-source 3D landscape visualization program. The VTP site contains a wealth of links to software, data, and general information about terrain visualization, and is well worth a look.
One more brief post on Terrain Bender, a program that lets you create varying-perspective terrain views, analogous to what you get looking from an airplane window: straight-down for nearby terrain, an oblique view for terrain further away:
Continue reading ‘Create A Horizonless Projection View With Terrain Bender’
In an earlier post, I covered Terrain Bender, a program that lets you create varying-angle terrain views from digital elevation models (DEMs), with optional overlay imagery, analogous to the view you get from the window of an airplane:
Continue reading ‘Converting DEM Files To .asc Format For Terrain Bender; Creating Matching Raster Overlays’
Standard terrain visualization programs like MicroDEM or 3DEM typically give you the option of viewing terrain either from top down:
Or from an oblique angle, looking in one direction:
Continue reading ‘Varying-Angle Terrain Views With Terrain Bender’
I’ve covered the program 3DEM before on this blog; it’s a first-rate 3D terrain visualization program, and does the best out-of-the-box map relief shading of any free program I know. Here’s a standard USGS topo shaded with a digital elevation model using this program:
Unfortunately, the author, Richard Horne, has ceased development of the program, and shut down the website permanently. But he’s graciously given me permission to host the last version of the program (version 20.7) here on Free Geography Tools; you can download it here. It comes with a full PDF manual, and my posts may offer additional insight on using it. I can offer some limited help if you run into problems, but any bugs in the software are there to stay.
In a previous post, I gave a random overview of LandSerf’s strong terrain analysis functionality. But it has some some useful vector functions as well, some derived from or related to raster elevation data, others more general. I won’t talk about the general vector data creation functions here; they’re perfectly fine, but lots of free GIS program can do that; instead, I’ll just highlight a few of the more distinctive vector functions that aren’t as common. Note: Save the derived vector data if you want to keep it; LandSerf doesn’t save created, modified or derived datasets automatically.
Continue reading ‘LandSerf – Vector Functions’
I’ve been waiting for LandSerf 2.3 to officially come out of beta before posting on it, and that finally happened about a month ago. LandSerf is a Java-based GIS program with:
- Terrain visualization and analysis functions (its primary focus)
- Some vector functionality related to terrain analysis, plus other basic vector functions
- GPS and Google Earth utilities
Today, I’ll walk through some of LandSerf’s basic terrain visualization and analysis functions; upcoming posts will deal with the vector and GPS/Google Earth capabilities.
Continue reading ‘LandSerf – Terrain Visualization And Analysis For Windows, Mac And Linux’
A bit of a departure from the usual posts, since this service is definitely not free. I just purchased a solid 3D landscape model from LandPrint.com and thought I’d review the creation process and the results, offer my opinion, and give some tips for getting the best results if you order your own.
LandPrint lets you select a square/rectangular section of the Earth’s terrain, and creates a small 3D model of that terrain along with your choice of overlays:
Continue reading ‘Solid 3D Landscape Models From LandPrint’
