L3DT Users' Community

Someone asked me is L3DT import relief maps. Does it? I don't really know what that is.

Hi nicethugbert,

Do you mean cartographic relief maps? (there are other kinds of 'relief maps'). L3DT can import cartographic relief maps as image layers. However, L3DT cannot convert said relief maps into heightfields, so it that's your intention, you're out of luck for the moment.

Regards,
Aaron.

That looks like the type of map I was shown except that this one has coloring in between the altitude lines.

So, if the relief map can be made transparent except for the altitude lines then it can be used as an image drape on the DM map so that an approximation can be brushed in?

How to convert Hypsometric tints to gray scale height?

Hi nicethugbert,

So, if the relief map can be made transparent except for the altitude lines then it can be used as an image drape on the DM map so that an approximation can be brushed in?

Yes.

How to convert Hypsometric tints to gray scale height?

Is there a colour key on the map?

Cheerio,
Aaron.

I don't know if there is a color key. But, you mean to say it is possible if there is a color key?

Hi Nicethugbert,

No, not if you mean automatically converting hypsometric tints to grayscale heights. If you're doing it manually, using the design map brush and the image drape, you'll probably find the colour key useful. That was my thinking.

I'm sure such software is available, but I personally don't know of any particular software that can automagically convert colour coded relief maps / topo contour maps to raster heightfields. Then again, it's not something I've looked into. You might find something suitable by nosing around on the virtual terrain project website.

Edit: There you are. I've heard good things about Global Mapper.

Cheers,
Aaron.

NEAT! That's a gold mine! Let me see what I can dig up.