New way to generate map elevation levels

[SlowMotion]

It would be very cool if one could use a device like this to scan map's elevation to a file and import it to Scenario Editor.

http://blogs.msdn.com/b/kinectforwindows/archive/2013/03/06/kinect-fusion-demonstrated-at-microsoft-research-techfest-coming-soon-to-sdk.aspx

[Quintus Sertorius]

I'd settle for importing a greyscale image into the editor for use as a height map.

[George MC]

Ah but then you would kill the art of map making!

[SlowMotion]

With such device the elevation part of map making could mean literally going to sand box

Adding trees and such would still have to be done in computer, but this 3d part is so much easier to do manually.

If greyscale image could be used as height map (BF part of the work) then making an app that could scan the real world and create the greyscale image could be done by a third party.

[winkelried]

in my experience with the overlay, there is no necessity for grayscale or other stuff. usually i use a good 1:25'000 or better map as overlay and then can follow height lines pretty quickly. There is not too much time consumed with this. there is other stuff as I mentioned in an earlier post which would really speed up map making.

[SlowMotion]

What if you're making an imaginary map, like for QB usage or fictional scenario. Where do you take the overlay?

I'm not proposing greyscale elevation import as necessity, but it would make one part of map making easier.

[Pak40]

3 words: Digital Elevation Model

Importing DEMs would be the way to go. The data is already out there and is generally available to the public for free, at least in the U.S.

[SlowMotion]

DEM would be interesting, because of the existing data. I checked from Wiki and much of the data is not very accurate. Uses grid size of 30 meters or bigger. There is a new satellite system called TanDEM-X which captures elevation data using 12m grid. I don't know if that accurate data is available for free. Found some images here:

http://www.popsci.com/science/gallery/2010-06/gallery-mapmaker-satellites-first-images?image=1

[Quintus Sertorius]

Adding trees and such would still have to be done in computer...

That's why we need a foliage spray gun tool in the editor, one with flexible parameters for tree and bush types and density.

[winkelried]

DEM would be interesting, because of the existing data. I checked from Wiki and much of the data is not very accurate. Uses grid size of 30 meters or bigger.

I use DEM sometimes to check stuff, but you are right, the data is not very accurate. Preferring elevation data i get with contours from maps. CMBN does support this kind of data in the Direct mode pretty well. Then you need just to adjust for the small anomalies you find in the field.

[winkelried]

What if you're making an imaginary map, like for QB usage or fictional scenario. Where do you take the overlay?

Sounds to me a bit like the Alice in Wonderland and the Chesire cat story. If you don't need the overlay, then it doesn't matter - you'll work with the available tools anyway.

[SlowMotion]

The reason I originally posted this was: IMO getting the elevations part of the map right is where I'd spend most time. If one could do this part with sand or other such physical stuff in real world and then digitize the result I think it would be sooo much better than what we currently have. Once elevations are there it would be much easier to add the rest. This would be best suited for making imaginary maps for QBs and maybe fictional scenarios.

When it comes to making maps based on real battlefields I think it's best if you make a map *based on* real map, because you just can't make it exactly like the real thing. Buildings and roads on real maps can be oriented in any angle where as in CM we have only 45 angle steps available. So this digitized solution MIGHT be useful there as well.

Maybe this is just another technology that will have no use in CM community, but if this "import elevations" ability was available in Scenario Editor, then third parties could write SW that produces those elevation maps in various ways. Just like the overlay image support in 2.0 makes it easier to place correct tiles to map.