How do I add rivers?

[OlaHaldor]

I've been flying through the valley where I grew up dozens of times, and every time I think to myself: "I should report this river missing asap!" but I never do.

And what's the chance the river will be included in an X-Plane update along the way?

It's completely lacking, where there should be bridges, it's just normal road.

Until that happens, if it's going to take a while, is it possible to add the rivers on my own?

If so, how? And with what tools? Hopefully WYSIWYG, like WED or similar.

Edited July 30, 2012 by OlaHaldor

[chris k]

No such "easy" tools exist. WED and OE cant change terrain or add rivers/water.

Best way is to edit the OSM databse, and hope that LR recuts the tiles based on new information every now and then.

- CK.

[greggerm]

Best way is to edit the OSM databse, and hope that LR recuts the tiles based on new information every now and then.

The more people who edit the database to add in their local water bodies and mentions their interest in getting this data into the sim to Laminar Research, the better! They should see that there are willing participants who are actively improving the source data which they used to create XP10's scenery world, and we'd love to have our work count for something above and beyond just improving the OSM maps.

I'd have never edited a single node in OSM if it weren't for X-Plane 10 using that data!

-Greg

[OlaHaldor]

Funny thing is that the small ponds and lakes are included in XP10. The rivers are there in OSM too. Just not in XP!

[chris k]

...All depends on when the OSM data "scrape" was done to build the XP10 terrain - which is probably over a year ago by now.

- CK.

[OlaHaldor]

Can't believe the rivers were done AFTER. But I'll have Ben or someone look into it.

[woweezowee]

there already was an explanation that goes like this: one can draw rivers two different ways in OSM (that I can't name exactly). and only one them is recognized by Bens tools.

Edited July 30, 2012 by woweezowee

[whiskeyportal]

How often is XP updated with new OSM data? I just added several hundred lakes in Montana, I'm just wondering if I'm doing it for nothing. I REALLY miss the KLM to BGL tool for FSX. Too bad there is no such amazing scenery tool for XP.

[Mario Donick]

Not sure how to use it, but maybe the official MeshTool (a command line tool) could help you:

 

http://developer.x-plane.com/tools/meshtool/

 

The download contains a readme which explains what it does and which data formats it expects. One possible input format is .GeoTiff, and maybe OSM can be somehow converted to GeoTiff, as speculated here:

 

http://gis.stackexchange.com/questions/42313/does-anybody-know-a-service-that-exports-osm-maps-to-georeferenced-geotiff-files

 

 

Disregard my answer if I misunderstood your question.

[whiskeyportal]

Not sure how to use it, but maybe the official MeshTool (a command line tool) could help you:

 

http://developer.x-plane.com/tools/meshtool/

 

The download contains a readme which explains what it does and which data formats it expects. One possible input format is .GeoTiff, and maybe OSM can be somehow converted to GeoTiff, as speculated here:

 

http://gis.stackexchange.com/questions/42313/does-anybody-know-a-service-that-exports-osm-maps-to-georeferenced-geotiff-files

 

 

Disregard my answer if I misunderstood your question.

 

 

I'll check it out, but a GeoTIFF is a rectified image with projection information tagged. Maybe you can use a GeoTIFF as an overlay like in WED. Thanks for the link. I'll report back if it is useful for importing bodies of water.

[Cameron]

You'd need to create your own mesh with a geotiff and apply a shapefile to the entire area of the DSF being created.

 

Unfortunately, you'll be stuck with a V9 mesh until Laminar updates MeshTool. 

[Carlos Garcia]

Please take a look here There are some tools maybe you can use.  Sorry is in Spanish but you can use google translator or any other tool. Cameron knows Spanish so he can help.

 

http://www.cestomano.com/mas/xplane/

 

You can download some sceneries made with this tools

 

Regards

 

Carlos

[Cameron]

Please take a look here There are some tools maybe you can use. 

 

Interesting tools, Carlos. Unfortunately they don't solve this particular problem, but cool to know those exist.

[Carlos Garcia]

Interesting tools, Carlos. Unfortunately they don't solve this particular problem, but cool to know those exist.

 

 

What about this one (rasterTool helps you make localized edits to base mesh for X-Plane10.) : http://forums.x-plane.org/index.php?app=downloads&showfile=17173

 

Sorry if dot work or is not the right tool, Just trying to help.

 

Carlos

[scubajuan_new]

Cestomano's tools are awesome. A bit complicated to use for the non initiated, since they use line commands, but once the process is understood they can produce a number of great scenery enhancements for small or large areas. 

[Tom Knudsen]

How about draped polygons in oed, is it possible?

[scubajuan_new]

Draped polygons will not have the same appearance as water (lack of reflexions to say the least) and since the color of water changes with the color of the sky, they will only look acceptable for one particular angle and under specific light situation. This can improve with a little bit of transparency on the coastlines, but if the river (and underlaying water) is missing this will reveal the terrain underneath.

[w9nwrwi]

I've been flying through the valley where I grew up dozens of times, and every time I think to myself: "I should report this river missing asap!" but I never do.

And what's the chance the river will be included in an X-Plane update along the way?

It's completely lacking, where there should be bridges, it's just normal road.

Until that happens, if it's going to take a while, is it possible to add the rivers on my own?

If so, how? And with what tools? Hopefully WYSIWYG, like WED or similar.

This from the developers blog, 13 dec 2011. May or may not answer your question.

Quote from the Response:

 

Andras Fabian says:

December 13, 2011 at 5:25 pm

Hi edward, please check OSM (OpenStreetMap.org). If there is no polygonal river (river that is drawn as a polygon, not just out of line segments), then there is no river in the DSFs (the scenery tiles) either. Read my Interview, it covers this aspect of the OSM processing too:

http://xplane10.wordpress.com/2011/12/10/developer-interview-andras-fabian-mr-x-terrain/

So, there are two possible solutions. If there is no river in OSM at all (no polygon, no line river), then the data needs to go in OSM in the first place. If there are only line rivers (but not polygon rivers), then its something we will need to implement in upcoming X-Plane/Global Scenery versions (yes, its on our wish list too )

 

Unquote.

 

I think it still holds true and I stand to be corrected.

 

Chuck

 

 

 

[whiskeyportal]

Going back to an old topic here but I'm very disappointed in X-Planes inability to allow editing of such features as water. I'm a cartographer an have data sets for the entire US and no way to create an addon using them. I have the materials to create the most accurate road, rail, water, utility, forest coverage, ect. addon ever but X-Plane lacks the ability to have them imported. FSX makes it extremely easy, but FSX sucks.

[Mario Donick]

Going back to an old topic here but I'm very disappointed in X-Planes inability to allow editing of such features as water. I'm a cartographer an have data sets for the entire US and no way to create an addon using them. I have the materials to create the most accurate road, rail, water, utility, forest coverage, ect. addon ever but X-Plane lacks the ability to have them imported. FSX makes it extremely easy, but FSX sucks.

 

This is because X-Plane is based on OpenStreetMap data. You better invest your time to improve OpenStreetMap; then X-Plane will make use of it automatically.

[whiskeyportal]

Why would I give away these geo-databases I use for maps I charge for to anyone using OSM? I would be glad to convert them into a usable XP product to share.

[Mario Donick]

Why would I give away these geo-databases I use for maps I charge for to anyone using OSM? I would be glad to convert them into a usable XP product to share.

 

Maybe you should contact a professional scenery developer then? Team up with them, create a product?

[whiskeyportal]

Maybe you should contact a professional scenery developer then? Team up with them, create a product?

That's a great idea, if I can't find a way to do it myself I'll have to do that. I tried the OSM thing with several HUNDRED missing lakes and rivers in Montana. I just checked and they're not in the sim

Edited November 24, 2013 by whiskeyportal