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Download Shapefiles via URL

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Download Shapefiles via URL

Postby Nick R » Wed Mar 04, 2015 12:40 am

I'v tried to download scenery via the following URL:
mapserver.flightgear.org/dlshp?layer=V0&xmin=N20&xmax=N21&ymin=W155&ymax=W156
But I get 500 Internal Server Error

What am I Doing wrong?
I think it would help to know if xmin = min-lat or min-lon. It would also help to know if I should use a minus sign for west or a W.
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Re: Download Shapefiles via URL

Postby ludomotico » Wed Mar 04, 2015 12:47 am

xmin is longitude
You must use minus sign instead of N, E, W, S
Also, the name of the layer is lower case v0

mapserver.flightgear.org/dlshp?layer=v0&xmin=-156&xmax=-155&ymin=20&ymax=21

Keep in mind you will also get server errors if you request an area too large. This is not the case, but be careful.
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Re: Download Shapefiles via URL

Postby Nick R » Wed Mar 04, 2015 1:03 am

OK thanks. Is this documented anywhere? If not it should maybe be documented in the wiki or on the mapserver dlshp page. I tried all possible outcomes eccept lower case v in v0 :oops:
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Re: Download Shapefiles via URL

Postby Nick R » Wed Mar 04, 2015 5:44 am

What's the differents between cs, v0, and v1? Which is used in the terrasync scenery server?
If I want to edit landclass data which should I donwload to contribute back to flightgear scenery?
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Re: Download Shapefiles via URL

Postby ludomotico » Wed Mar 04, 2015 12:01 pm

- v0: global coverage, low detail. This is "the last resort", but unfortunately it is the only layer that covers the entire world.
- cs: it is v0 with some contributions someone did in the past. Get this instead of v0
- v1: only parts of some countries available, higher detail than v0
- clc06: only Europe. Very high detail. This is the preferred choice for an European country.
- osm: global coverage, high resolution but very low detail. This means: if you are interested in an area out of Europe and forests are defined in OpenStreetMaps for your area, this is going to be the best data source. If forests are not defined, you will get a dull, neverending DEFAULT landclass. osm provides the best coastline and I encourage you to use this coastline even in Europe.

As far as I know, currenly you cannot contribute back to any layer. We don't have the resources to manage this. The v0, v1 and clc06 layers are read only, they come from external institutions and we are not going to change them. cs means "custom" and this is the layer that would contain user's contributions, if we had the resources (and we don't)

Your best bet is collaborating with OpenStreetMaps in your area, defining roads and buildings. Green areas are usually defined by the local authorities, but you can try to define them if you are in the mood: http://www.openstreetmap.org/ Any change you do in that webpage will eventually appear in the osm layers. It is not automatic, you have to wait weeks or even months. The good news is you can download OSM data as SHP layers from many other sites: http://wiki.openstreetmap.org/wiki/Shapefiles For example: http://download.geofabrik.de/
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Re: Download Shapefiles via URL

Postby henrikp » Wed Mar 04, 2015 12:38 pm

Thanks for the answer, was curious about it too but too lazy to ask for myself :) Updated the wiki as well - http://wiki.flightgear.org/Using_TerraGear#Landuse_data
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Re: Download Shapefiles via URL

Postby ludomotico » Wed Mar 04, 2015 1:05 pm

This is what OSM can do to improve an aera where only V0 is available. This is the default scenery for Misiones, Argentina: an infinite forest if you use V0:

Image

This is the scenery from exactly the same spot (notice the rivers) using the OSM layer. In fact, OSM only provides DEFAULT and FOREST layers but they are enough to enhance the scenery.

Image

The next step is using regional textures. They can do a lot to improve the large areas of an v0 scenery without the need of downloading or building anything. For example, this is the snapshot of a huge DEFAULT landclass, where textures are a bit more interesting than the default crop and forests are pseudorandom. The position of these forests do not correspond to reality, but in some areas this could be perfectly ok.

Image

wlbragg has mastered this technique for Kansas. Check for example: viewtopic.php?f=5&t=22803

Image
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Re: Download Shapefiles via URL

Postby Nick R » Thu Mar 05, 2015 2:55 am

Another question I have is what to do with such shape files in the ogr-decode step that don't have and similiar materials in the materials.xml? Just skip those?

Here are some that don't have any in the materials.xml:
v0_depthcontour
v0_elevcontour
v0_fishing
v0_floodland

There are more but these are at least some of them.
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Re: Download Shapefiles via URL

Postby Nick R » Thu Mar 05, 2015 3:02 am

Browsing around in the Materials directory I found more materials in other subdirectories. In the wiki it just says look in $FG_ROOT/Materials/default/materials.xml
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