QGIS and Falcon BMS guide.
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Yeap guys coming… soon. hehehe this is a teaser only, so hold your horses… links are coming soon.
just for the guide the project is already more than 100Mb in size and it’s the bare minimums… just to showcase.Writing documents it’s not my strongest point. It takes time as something that might take one minute to execute might need half a days work to describe and explain it.
I don’t want to give you something like click this click this done. I’m trying to explain as much and point you to other guides and resources so to get a better picture on the subject, also include some tips and tricks that might make your life with GIS data manipulation and sharing easier, learning from my struggles and fails in the past. I’m still learning and hope you guys will surpass me sooner than I expect.Please have in mind that I’m no expert in GIS or QGIS. I started in 2014 learning by my self from guides, doc’s videos and forums and testing things out to get familiar.
Along the way I found out that you can do the same thing with different choices and procedures (selections) in QGIS. So what I present here might not be the best or more efficient way, or their might be other ways to accomplish the same or better results. Please if you find a more efficient way or a mistake in this guide and you are willing to contribute, please do so in the public BMS forum.just a glimps of what’s coming done(green) /wip(yellow) / not started(white) :
Here is a first draft of the document.
PDF Version: https://1drv.ms/b/s!AtJa23BCDEy5gsJ1BAyRDZwyRC2MYg?e=xP0pehHTML Version: https://1drv.ms/u/s!AtJa23BCDEy5gsJ3QlG9vEobkp858A?e=2yzwbL
QGIS beginner guide:
Enjoy guys…
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For future need…
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So this is the alternate of avcexport and e00,D2T approach ? This will surely solve all the objectives/features not being imported issue…I guess?
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I can’t really answer you that.
I never done a theater from scratch. I have a serious gap in the current theater creation.
As I said in other threads the data will not be spot on and maybe shifting will be needed but you already have that in Falcon.What you’ll get is the ability to get gis data and be able to import them in Falcon.
You will be able to have your elevation height map. Edit: maybe we could try to get new elevation from GIS in falcon and go Crazy??? after all it’s a raw image file, right?
You will have a zillion basemaps for reference to help you out with objectives and features placement.
Various ways to filter and select your data.
Easier way to manipulate your data and instead of heaving trouble to work on and import objectives your trouble will be to exclude data. Yeap they are waaaaaay many.
Haven’t done it yet but we could also import the whole falcon tiles in QGIS to have the same tiles, and actually I believe this is a good idea.
You will be able to get photoreal tiles for airports or specific areas as it’s done now and tile them ready for falcon.
You will be able to create custom tiles if you like using some nice overlaping and merging and processing techniques…
You will be able to create UI maps.In general I’m very excited with QGIS and I consider it a platform and not an application as it’s potential is unlimited for what we want to do for falcon regarding GIS data and not only.
It’s not an easy ride and my try is to assist you with the guide giving you some directions and later on discover things by your self and open your wings by doing magic.
Stay tuned…
Edit: also here it will be a nice place to share new findings for more efficiency and try new things out by experimenting.
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Nice looking forward
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I can’t really answer you that.
I never done a theater from scratch. I have a serious gap in the current theater creation.
As I said in other threads the data will not be spot on and maybe shifting will be needed but you already have that in Falcon.What you’ll get is the ability to get gis data and be able to import them in Falcon.
You will be able to have your elevation height map. Edit: maybe we could try to get new elevation from GIS in falcon and go Crazy??? after all it’s a raw image file, right?
You will have a zillion basemaps for reference to help you out with objectives and features placement.
Various ways to filter and select your data.
Easier way to manipulate your data and instead of heaving trouble to work on and import objectives your trouble will be to exclude data. Yeap they are waaaaaay many.
Haven’t done it yet but we could also import the whole falcon tiles in QGIS to have the same tiles, and actually I believe this is a good idea.
You will be able to get photoreal tiles for airports or specific areas as it’s done now and tile them ready for falcon.
You will be able to create custom tiles if you like using some nice overlaping and merging and processing techniques…
You will be able to create UI maps.In general I’m very excited with QGIS and I consider it a platform and not an application as it’s potential is unlimited for what we want to do for falcon regarding GIS data and not only.
It’s not an easy ride and my try is to assist you with the guide giving you some directions and later on discover things by your self and open your wings by doing magic.
Stay tuned…
Edit: also here it will be a nice place to share new findings for more efficiency and try new things out by experimenting.
For the height map yes its doable and very accurate too… as long as within the project and qgis layers you stay within the same projection.You can download STRM data directly from NASA as long as u have an account with the strm downloader plugin. And of course manage the dimensions of your theater as well. Im experimenting on that right now. As long those things are ok i dont see any mistake if there isnt exactly the “classic” projection of Falcon as long as evertyhing “sits” ok.
Basically what im experimenting is to find the sweet spot and get the right formula from exported tiff from qgis till the “injection” of it into Falcon terrain. -
Added importing data from OSM with overpass turbo API, Georeferencing a raster image like elevation heightmap from Falcon and elevation edit.
First post updated, re-download the PDF, same link.
Also added the HTML version link.
https://1drv.ms/u/s!AtJa23BCDEy5gsJ3QlG9vEobkp858A?e=2yzwbL
Download, extract and open index.html
Guys in case you see something wrong or however stupid it might seem to you please don’t hesitate to tell me or ask.
I would appreciate it if you ask me in this thread so that everybody get’s informed and updated on the subject.Now regarding the elevation edit there are other ways and might be needed for areas where you don’t have like airport polygons… this will be covered when the chapters add objectives and features from Falcon will be ready…
You can do it your self if you are eager…
as a quick and general procedure:
1. From MC export objectives in csv.
2. Open the csv in excel and add 2 new columns named Falcon_X and Falcon_Y. On Falcon_X set the value of column X multiplied by 1.000 same for Falcon_Y=Y*1000
3. Save the csv
4. Import the csv in QGIS
5. Set for XY the new Falcon_X and Falcon_Y columns
6. Set your theater CRSEnjoy having your Objectives in QGIS.
For Features it’s a bit more complicated and dictates a Left Join of objectives and features, I do it in MS Access but I believe we will be able to do it directly in QGIS as it supports SQL commands which is exactly what we want.
Stay tuned…
Edit: if you find a good or new procedure, please share.
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Added a beginners video guide in the first post:
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-T818A using Tapatalk
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According to this (the green ticked answer)
https://gis.stackexchange.com/questions/22067/loading-adf-files-into-qgis/22077
.adf files can be used in Arcgis and load the data from the succesfully. -
From the pdf :
To calculate your theater CRS you must have one thing only.
The center coordinates of your theater area.Coordinates in what format ?
“bms coordinates” ?
QGIS “coordinates” (from the program?) (I’m just installing it now, and I downloaded your video, where I see you
refer to coordinates there).Then to calculate the CRS you must ask me or a BMS dev to create it for you until we have a public way of
calculation…. <todo>Once you have the theater CRS string you must enter it in QGIS as a custom CRS.
To do so you go to Settings -> Custom Projections</todo>Have any of you guys created a theatre using QGIS ?
Does QGIS replace the DCW data ?
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Real world coordinates in wgs84.
Yeap Manos used QGIS for Georgia as far as I know.
He didn’t start with QGIS he had already started the theater and then populated staff via QGIS usage.
well DCW IIRC are way old and haven’t been updated for many years.
Nowadays and specially with OSM the GIS data are pouring like rain everywhere.Imagine QGIS as a data creator, container and manipulator. Keep track of your data and states, filter them and use what you want.
You can export the data in excel format in Falcon coordinates and import them in te_new.tac -
How are you calculating the CRS ?
Your pdf has lots of great info in it, but you stopped short of the thing I’m really interested in :
- converting the data to what BMS needs in the theatre directory.
Do you know how to do that ? … and haven’t updated the doc yet ?
Or is that something you are still trying to figure out ?
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How are you calculating the CRS ?
Your pdf has lots of great info in it, but you stopped short of the thing I’m really interested in :
- converting the data to what BMS needs in the theatre directory.
Do you know how to do that ? … and haven’t updated the doc yet ?
Or is that something you are still trying to figure out ?
Stuff here is kinda mixed, but technically the CRS will be calculated using Transverse Mercator.
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How are you calculating the CRS ?
Your pdf has lots of great info in it, but you stopped short of the thing I’m really interested in :
- converting the data to what BMS needs in the theatre directory.
Do you know how to do that ? … and haven’t updated the doc yet ?
Or is that something you are still trying to figure out ?
Oh I do know and it’s already used and tested and kinda easy once you get familiar with it.
Just too many things in my hands…
I’ll update asap aka in 3-4 weeks. -
Oh I do know and it’s already used and tested and kinda easy once you get familiar with it.
Just too many things in my hands…
I’ll update asap aka in 3-4 weeks.I don’t need the “pretty version”
Just give me the “crib notes” … brief & terse
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Reproject the layer with data to your theater crs.
Edit the table data layer.
add 2 columns like X and Y.
For X set it to $x (from geometry)
For Y set it to $y (from geometry)
exit editing mode to save the new columns and their calculated data.
Now your X Y will be instead of real world coordinates Falcon coordinates thus from 0,0 to 1023,1023.
Export the layer as xls or csv whatever you like.
Export te_new.tac from Mission Commander by Falcas as csv.
Open the two files and merge what you want like.
Import the new file via MC and you are ready with your new objectives.Those are your dirty “crib notes”.
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I know I wrote "brief & terse " …
But I should have added “for someone who has never created a theatre in bms”.
Reproject the layer with data to your theater crs.
Well, again I ask … how do I calculate the crs ?
Edit the table data layer.
add 2 columns like X and Y.
For X set it to $x (from geometry)
For Y set it to $y (from geometry)
exit editing mode to save the new columns and their calculated data.
Now your X Y will be instead of real world coordinates Falcon coordinates thus from 0,0 to 1023,1023.
Export the layer as xls or csv whatever you like.
Export te_new.tac from Mission Commander by Falcas as csv.
Open the two files and merge what you want like.Import the new file via MC and you are ready with your new objectives.
“Ready” to do what ?
How do I generate the minimal files needed, to be able to pick a theatre within BMS ?
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I know I wrote "brief & terse " …
But I should have added “for someone who has never created a theatre in bms”.
Well, again I ask … how do I calculate the crs ?
Edit the table data layer.
add 2 columns like X and Y.
For X set it to $x (from geometry)
For Y set it to $y (from geometry)
exit editing mode to save the new columns and their calculated data.
Now your X Y will be instead of real world coordinates Falcon coordinates thus from 0,0 to 1023,1023.
Export the layer as xls or csv whatever you like.
Export te_new.tac from Mission Commander by Falcas as csv.
Open the two files and merge what you want like.“Ready” to do what ?
How do I generate the minimal files needed, to be able to pick a theatre within BMS ?
u can’t calculate the CRS. Edit: Unless u are a GIS knowledgeable person and can calculate it for Transverse Mercator.
just give me the theater center real coordinates in wgs84.
Ready to do what?
well u have GIS data as points on the map in a known official CRS format.
if u have them in QGIS how do u export it for falcon?
Falcon projection is a flat Earth and uses instead of real coordinates X,Y values ranged from 0 to 1023 thus 1024 and those are kilometers as are the kilometers of a 64 segments theater…
Oh dear u make me write stuff that are kinda in the guide, but anyway I’m expecting such…so u have GIS data that you want to import in Falcon as objectives like cities factories bridges and whatever u want within limits of the DB. In order to be able to do so (import to Falcon) u must convert real coordinates to Falcon coordinates.
There comes in the Falcon theater CRS. This tells to QGIS that this 1024km (1Kkm for short) area will use a different CRS and will start here and end here and will be kinda flat (well all projections are kinda flat, or ellipsoid or cylindrical but they end up represented in a flat screen).
when u have the correct CRS in QGIS and u reproject the data u got to the theater CRS then when u tell QGIS tell me it’s geometry X and Y instead of Lat and Lon it will give u something like x=450 y=891. Feeding that to the te_new.tac CSV file as a new line and name it and add all the rest of the columns needed and import it back via MC you will have a new objective.
Now instead of doing it one by one to place name etc via MC you can get all the GIS data cities airports bridges and whatever and import them at once in MC like if you start a brand new theater.