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Tutorial

Using TNTsim3D

TNTsi

m3D

TM

for Windows

Before Getting Started

It may be difficult to identify the important points in some illustrations without acolor copy of this booklet. You can print or read this booklet in color fromMicroImages’ Web site. The Web site is also your source for the newest GettingStarted booklets on other topics. You can download an installation guide, sampledata, and the latest version of TNTlite.

http://www.microimages.com

TNTsim3D™ for Windows provides you with the ultimate way to explore yourgeospatial data: real-time, interactive, 3D viewing. Use your joystick, keyboard,or mouse to move over and around a simulated 3D landscape and view yourgeospatial data from any vantage point. Open different views of the landscapeand view different landscape textures. You prepare data for use in TNTsim3Dwith the Landscape Builder process in TNTmips®. Each Landscape File cancontain one or more terrain layers, any number of textures to be viewed over theterrains, as well as several types of overlays.

Prerequisite Skills TNTsim3D is easy to use even if you have no previousexperience with geospatial analysis software. If you have used a flight simulatorsoftware program and have a joystick, you are already familiar with moving througha simulated 3D scene. But even those without a joystick can use the keyboard toeasily control movement, speed, and attitude.

Sample Data The exercises presented in this booklet use sample data distributedwith the TNT products. If you do not have access to a TNT products CD, youcan download the data from MicroImages’ web site. In particular, this bookletuses sample files in the TNTSIM3D sample data directory. Many other samplelandscape files are available for download from MicroImages’ web site.

More Documentation This booklet is intended only as an introduction to thefeatures of TNTsim3D for Windows. For information about creating LandscapeFiles for use in TNTsim3D, consult the Tutorial booklet entitled Building 3DLandscapes.

TNTmips and TNTlite® TNTmips comes in two versions: the professional ver-sion and the free TNTlite version. If you did not purchase the professionalversion (which requires a software license key), TNTmips operates in TNTlitemode, which limits object size and enables data sharing only with other copies ofTNTlite. TNTsim3D is a free product that works identically with either TNTmipsor TNTlite, but it can be used only on Windows computers.

Randall B. Smith, Ph.D., 23 April 2004©MicroImages, Inc., 2002

Copy the files in theTNTSIM3D sample datadirectory on the TNTproducts CD to yourlocal drive

Welcome to TNTsim3DMost geospatial objects that you work with portrayfeatures abstracted from a complex three-dimensionallandscape. But flat maps and images frequently con-vey little sense of the vertical dimension. Contoursand relief shading can be included with the map datafor this purpose, but the ideal way to visualize thetrue shape of your geospatial data is to combine thedata with an elevation model and “fly” over andaround a 3D scene, examining features from any van-tage point in real time. TNTsim3D for Windowsprovides this capability, allowing you to move oversimulated 3D landscapes using joystick, keyboard,or mouse controls. You can control all aspects ofthe viewer orientation (attitude), height above thesurface, and speed.

Your TNTsim3D landscapes can include one or moreterrains (elevation rasters), map and image rastersas “textures”, and several types of 3D point andpolygon overlay. You create the data for TNTsim3Dusing the Landscape Builder process in TNTmips,which creates terrain and texture raster objects thatare specially optimized for real-time interactive 3Drendering. These objects are stored together in aLandscape File, a specialized type of TNT ProjectFile with the file extension *.sim.

TNTsim3D is similar in many respects to flight simu-lator software products. It uses similar 3D renderingprinciples and techniques and provides the samereal-time 3D movement. But the purpose of flightsimulator software is to mimic the experience of flight,including different weather conditions and the flightcharacteristics of different types of aircraft; the back-ground landscape is secondary. The purpose ofTNTsim3D, on the other hand, is to allow you toview your geospatial data as a landscape. Its em-phasis is on allowing you to move around and overthe simulated landscape in real time while maintain-ing high-quality rendering of your geospatial data.

The exercises on pages 4-9cover hardware andsoftware requirements,launching TNTsim3D, andconfiguring input devicecontrols. Pages 10-21introduce texture selection,the available tools forkeeping track of your flightposition and attitude, andthe use of different types ofview windows. The Point-of-Interest tool, texturesmoothing, fog, and otherspecial effects are detailedon pages 22-26. Pages 27-33 cover the use of over-lays, vertical exaggeration,and atlases. The finalsection (pages 34-35)provides examples of howyour TNTsim3D simulationscan be customized usingSML scripts.

For information on creatinglandscapes for use inTNTsim3D, see the Building3D Landscapes tutorialbooklet.

Launching TNTsim3D

STEPSlaunch TNTsim3Dif a Select GraphicsSystem window opens,select either DirectX orOpenGL and click [OK]

TNTsim3D is installedautomatically when youinstall TNTmips. A shortcutto the program is created inthe MicroImages \TNTproducts folder shownin the Windows Start menu.You can launch TNTsim3Dfrom the Start menu, ormake a shortcut on theWindows desktop. You canalso double-click on anyTNTsim3D landscape file tolaunch the program andload the data from that file.

Before running TNTsim3D, make sure that eitherOpenGL v1.1 or Microsoft DirectX 8.0 (or a later ver-sion) is installed in your Windows system. OpenGLis a cross-platform program library for 3D renderingand 3D hardware acceleration. Support for OpenGLv1.1 is included with Windows98, NT 4.0, and laterversions of the Windows operation system. DirectXis a suite of Microsoft multimedia program librariesthat include Direct3D for 3D rendering and hard-ware acceleration and DirectInput for configuringmotion controls for input devices (such as keyboardand joystick). The TNTsim3D page on theMicroImages web site provides links to instructionson how to determine what version of DirectX is in-stalled and how to download and install updates.

If only DirectX or only OpenGL is installed on yourcomputer, TNTsim3D opens directly using thatgraphics system. If both DirectX and OpenGL areinstalled, before TNTsim3D opens you are presentedwith a window asking you to select which graphicssystem to use. In principle, DirectX and OpenGLprovide similar capability and performance in 3D ren-dering. Both systems can take advantage of any 3Drendering capabilities built into your display boardto accelerate performance, which means higher framerates and smoother movement. However, some dis-

play boards and drivers may notprovide equal support for DirectXand OpenGL, so one may performbetter than the other on your com-puter. You will need to experimentto determine which system worksbest for you. For best performance,make sure that you have the mostrecent Windows-certified driver foryour video display board and fol-low the manufacturer’s instructionsto adjust hardware acceleration set-tings.

For information on and updates for the 3Dgraphics libraries used by TNTsim3D, go to:

• www.opengl.org• www.microsoft.com/directx

STEPSchoose Open from theFile menunavigate to the directoryinto which you copiedthe Landscape Files(*.SIM) from theTNTproducts 6.7 CDselect BIGPINE3.SIM

choose Wireframe fromthe View menurepeat the previous stepto return to solid viewselect Options from theView menu andexamine the Displaypanel, then click [OK]

Loading a Landscape FileTNTsim3D opens by default with a single windowon your desktop. The File menu is used to open aLandscape File and to exit the program. This menualso shows the last four landscape files you haveused, providing easy loading of recently-used data.

When you open a Landscape File, TNTsim3D readsall terrain rasters in the file and constructs a 3D modelof the terrain surface. The surface model is a mesh ofinterlocking 3D triangles that provides an efficientapproximation of the terrain surface. The first tex-ture raster in the file is then draped over this surfacemodel. To see the surface model alone, choose View/ Wireframe; this menu option acts as a toggle be-tween solid and wireframe view modes.The state you have set when you exitthe program is used by default whenyou next open it.

You can resize the TNTsim3D windowby dragging any edge or corner, or usethe standard Windows maximize/restorebutton on the right side of the windowtitle bar. Keep in mind, though, that in-creasing the window size puts a largerdemand on video memory and may re-duce the speed and smoothness ofmovement through the simulation. In some in-stances your attempt to enlarge the window mayexceed the amount of available video memory.TNTsim3D in that case returns to the previous win-dow size and displays an error message explainingthe problem. DirectX appears to be more demand-ing of video memory than OpenGL. If both graphicssystems are available on your computer, you canswitch between them using the GraphicsSystem menu on the Display panel of theOptions window.

wireframe view

solid view

You can switch betweenDirectX and OpenGL on thefly using the GraphicsSystem menu on theOptions / Display panel.

First Flight: Using Keyboard Controls

Default input controlsettings. If DirectX isinstalled there are noNum key assignments.

Although you may already have a joystick or otherflight control device installed on your computer, let’suse the keyboard for your first flight, because a num-ber of actions have been pre-assigned to specifickeys. These default input control settings are shownthe first time that you open the TNTsim3D Controlswindow. You can keep this window open on yourdesktop as a quick reference to the keyboard con-trols while you try them out.

The keyboard controls allow you to move in variousdirections through the scene, control forward andbackward speed, and change your viewing orienta-tion (attitude). The attitude controls use the samemotions that would apply to an aircraft: pitch, roll,and turn. If you are not familiar with these terms,pitch affects the vertical angle in the direction offlight, roll affects the angle of the wings relative tothe horizontal, and turn affects the heading (thehorizontal direction of flight).

The way in which you use a key on the keyboarddepends upon which control is assigned to it. Thegeneral motion controls (Altitude Up/Down, For-ward/Backward, Slide Right/Left/Up/Down, PitchUp/Down, Roll Right/Left, Turn Left/Right) moveyou at a specified speed (discussed later) as longas the key is held down. To move forward withouthaving to continue holding a key down, use theThrottle Up Key, which increases your speed by afixed amount each time it is pressed. The ThrottleDown key slows your forward speed and, if youslow down to a stop, moves you backward at in-creasing speed. The Throttle 0 key stops the motionbegun by the other Throttle keys, while Roll 0 lev-els the wings of the virtual plane. The Look Right/

Left/Up/Down keys direct your view in a particulardirection as long as they are held down. The Alti-tude Lock key acts as an on/off toggle for maintainingthe current altitude.

STEPSchoose Show Controlsfrom the View menuusing the keyboardmotion controls shown,experiment with movingthrough the 3D scene

NOTE: TNTsim3D onlyresponds to input from yourcontrol devices when 1) themain TNTsim3D window isthe active window and 2)the Viewpoint tool (shownbelow) is selected.

STEPSfrom the View menuselect Optionsclick on the Input tabif you have a ConfigureDirectInput button at thebottom of the panel,press itclick on the Keyboardtab and edit thekeyboard controls if youwishclick [OK] on theDirectInput window andthe Options window

TNTsim3D uses the DirectInput software compo-nent of DirectX to allow you to configure the flightcontrols for your keyboard or other input device.You can reconfigure the controls while operatingthe simulator in either DirectX or OpenGL, butDirectX must be installed on your system in orderfor you to do so. (OpenGL does not provide aninput configuration utility.) If you do not haveDirectX installed, there is no DirectInput push but-ton on the Options window Input panel, and you arelimited to using the default keyboard controls. If so,this would be a good time to download and installthe latest version of DirectX fromMicrosoft (see page 4).

The DirectInput window has a tabbedpanel for a joystick or other game con-troller (if one is installed in yoursystem), the keyboard, and the mouse.The right side of the keyboard panellists the keys and the currently as-signed action foreach. To changethe assignmentfor a key, click onits entry in the listor press the keyon the keyboard.Either action high-lights the controlentry and showsa scrolling list ofavailable actionsin the lower leftportion of thepanel. To activatethe action list,press Enter (or double-click on the control entry)and select a new action from the scrolled list.

Configuring Input Controls

DirectInput control window

Configuring a JoystickSTEPSIf you have a joystick orother game controller, makesure that it is:

plugged into yourcomputerset up and calibrated inMicrosoft Windows

Then proceed to:press the ConfigureDirectInput button on theOptions window Inputpanelselect the tabbed panelfor your controllerconfigure the stick(axis) controls and thebutton controlsclose the DirectInputand Options windowspractice moving with thejoystick, supplementedby keyboard controls asneeded

A joystick, yoke, or similar game controller givesyou more realisitic, intuitive control over your move-ments in TNTsim3D. The lowest-cost joysticks haveonly two rotation axes, so you must change roll andpitch (bank the plane) to make turns. Higher-priced(but still inexpensive) joysticks allow the stick totwist, providing three axes of rotation and indepen-dent control of turn, roll, and pitch. They also havea separate throttle control that can be operated withyour other hand, as well as a number of buttons thatcan control other motions.

You can also use the mouse as a motion control, butonly in a very limited way. The mouse is better usedto interact with the data in the TNTsim3D window,as described later.

TNTsim3D allows simultaneous use of different in-put devices. So even if you have a joystick, youmay still want to use the keyboard to control someactions. For example, if your joystick does not havea throttle control, you can use the throttle up, throttledown, and throttle 0 controls on the keyboard tocontrol your speed.

Sample actionassignments that Ihave set for the3-axis joystick Iuse at Micro-Images. I movethe stick forwardor back to changepitch, side to sideto roll, and twist itto turn.

Setting Other Input OptionsSTEPS

from the View menuselect Optionsclick on the Input tabchange the value in theSpeed Forward /Backward field to 500turn on the MinimumHeight check box andchange the height valueto 400click [OK] on the Optionswindowuse any controls tomove closer to theterrain surface until youreach the minimumheight you have set

Flight following the ups and downsof terrain at minimum height of 400 m.

The Input panel on the Options window also pro-vides other settings that affect your movementthrough the simulation. In the upper left part of thepanel are three linear speed settings: Up / Down,Left / Right, and Forward / Backward. All are ini-tially set to the same velocity (in meters per second),which is based on the areal dimensions of the land-scape. The default speed is computed to traversethe maximum extent (height or width) of your land-scape in 120 seconds. Each of these linear speedvalues sets the speed used by the associated mo-tion control. When you use the throttle controls toincrement speed, the Speed Forward / Backwardvalue sets an upper velocity limit. You can changeany of these linear speeds to movemore quickly. But keep in mind that atfaster speeds the scene changes rap-idly, forcing TNTsim3D to read moredata more quickly, and the image in-formation held in memory must beupdated more frequently. Your move-ments may become less smooth, andyou may see more transient renderingartifacts.

The settings in the upper right part ofthe panel control the angular speeds (indegrees per second) for pitch, roll, andturn. The default values are indepen-dent of the landscape characteristics,and any changes you make are retainedfor use in later sessions. You can alsoset both minimum and maximum heightvalues, which are also retained until re-set. Setting a minimum height preventsyou from flying through and then un-der the terrain surface. If you set thesame value for minimum and maximum height, youcan maintain a constant height above the surfacewhile flying in any direction.

turn off the MinimumHeight check box whenyou have completed thisexercise

Terrain Quality and Frame RateSTEPS

turn on the Wireframeview mode (View /Wireframe)select Options from theView menuclick on the Terrain tabincrease the Qualitysetting to 90 and click[OK], and note theincreased detail in thewireframereset the Qualitypercentage to 75

To improve both quality and frame rate, try the following:shut down other programs to free computer resources for TNTsim3Dmake your TNTsim3D windows smallermake sure your graphics card’s 3D acceleration options are turned onget a graphics card with faster 3D acceleration and more video memoryget more random access memory (RAM) for your computer

A new terrain model is builtfor each frame using onlythe visible part of theterrain. The level of terraindetail varies spatially ineach frame: more detail isshown (by smaller terraintriangles) in the foregroundand in areas of greater localrelief. As you movethrough the simulation, theamount of detail for aparticular area may change,but height valuesare adjustedincrementally toproduce gradualrather thanabrupt visualchanges in localdetail. As aresult, you maynotice gradualupward ordownwardmovements ofportions of theterrain as you fly.

As you use TNTsim3D, you will likely want to movethrough each landscape smoothly and realisticallyand at the same time see the maximum possible scenedetail. But achieving these twin goals may exceedthe resources available on your computer, so youmay need to choose which of them is more impor-tant to you for a particular simulation session.

You can make that choice in TNTsim3D by using thesettings on the Options window’s Terrain panel,where a pair of radio buttons allow you to give pref-erence to either quality or frame rate. Quality refersto the amount of detail in the surface model createdfrom the terrain raster(s) in the Landscape File. Qual-ity is expressed numerically as a percentage; settinga higher percentage produces a surface model thatshows more of the detail in the terrain. Frame rate isthe number of times the scene is redrawn each sec-ond. A higher frame rate produces smoother, morenatural movement through the landscape.

If you choose the Quality preference, TNTsim3D usesavailable resources to maintain your target terrain

quality and reduces the framerate if necessary. If you choosethe Frame Rate preference, theprogram instead attempts tomaintain your target frame rateand lets the terrain quality varyas needed. The effects ofthese selections dependgreatly on the hardware capa-bilities of your computer; theyare more significant for newer,faster computers and graphicscards.

Background Color and Texture SmoothingSTEPS

select Options from theView menu and click onthe Effects tableft-click on theBackground Color colorsample buttonuse the resulting Colorwindow to select abackground color (orcreate a custom color)and click [OK]if the Smooth Texturecheckbox on the Effectspanel is active (notdimmed), turn it onclick OK on the Optionswindow

The Effects panel of the Options window lets youcontrol a number of visual effects for your simula-tions, including background color and texturesmoothing. The Background Color control allowsyou to pick a color from a standard palette or definea custom color for use as a background.

The Smooth Texture option is available only whenyou are using DirectX as the graphics renderingsystem for TNTsim3D. Smoothing has two majoradvantages: it reduces the blocky appearance of fore-ground texture cells viewed at close range, and itreduces “sparkle” in the more distant portions ofthe moving image. If you have a modern graphicsboard with 3D acceleration, the smoothing is per-formed by the graphics hardwareitself, so there is minimal impact onframe rate. (If your board does notsupport hardware smoothing, theDirectX software performs thesmoothing, though more slowly).

unsmoothed smoothed

TNTsim3D window with newbackground color and DirectX texturesmoothing enabled. Magnified viewsof boxed area are shown above withand without texture smoothing.

Turning on the Antialias option (only inDirectX) enables TNTsim3D to use afeature of some graphics cards thatsmoothes color edges in the renderedscreen image.

Selecting TexturesSTEPS

click on the Layer menuand move the cursorover the TERRAIN entrynote the check marknext to the LandsatTMmenu entryselect Layer / TERRAIN /COLORSHADE

select Layer / TERRAIN /DRG

A single Landscape File can include any number oftexture objects showing different aspects of the land-scape. For example, the BIGPINE3 file includes threetextures: a “natural color” pan-sharpened LandsatEnhanced Thematic Mapper image (LANDSATTM), acolor shaded relief texture (COLORSHADE), and ascanned topographic map (DRG). The available tex-tures are shown on the Layer menu in the TNTsim3D

window. The first texture written to theLandscape File is the first menu entry (inthis case, the LANDSATTM texture) and isautomatically selected by default whenyou open the Landscape File inTNTsim3D.

Using the Layer menu, you can selectany or all of the textures in the file forviewing. Each texture entry on the Layermenu acts as a toggle to turn the corre-

sponding texture on or off. A checkmark is shown next to the entry for eachselected texture. Under DirectX, tex-tures are rendered by TNTsim3D in thesame order as their menu listing. Withall textures in the the BIGPINE3 file se-lected, for example, texture LANDSATTMis rendered first and DRG is renderedlast. (OpenGL renders textures in the

opposite order.) In this case each tex-ture image covers the full extent ofthe landscape, and each is rendereddirectly over the terrain model, soonly the last texture is visible in thewindow. To find out how to visualizemultiple overlapping textures simul-taneously, proceed to the next page.

Keep the current settings andproceed to the next page.

Layer Offsets and Partial TexturesThe Layer Offsets window lets you set a verticaloffset from the surface model for any texture. Youcan use these settings to create a stack of “floating”textures, allowing you to see all textures for the samearea at the same time. You can even fly through or inbetween the floating textures.

STEPSselect Offsets from theLayer menuenter an offset value of3000 for the LANDSATTMtextureenter an offset value of1500 for the COLORSHADE

texture

click [OK] on the LayerOffsets windowuse the flight controls tomove beyond the edgeof the landscape, thenturn to look back towardthe center of the scene

Floatingtextures forthe BIGPINE3LandscapeFile

Flyingbetweenfloatingtextures

A texture can be cropped in the Landscape Builderso that it covers only part of the terrain surface.Several of the Landscape Files you will work withlater in this booklet include both full and partial tex-tures. If a partial texture and “underlying” full textureare both set to be visible in TNTsim3D, the full tex-ture is seen in the areas surrounding the partial texture(see the illustration above right).

The STHELENS4 sampleLandscape File includesseveral satellite imagepartial textures of Mount St.Helens as well as a fullcolor shaded relief texture.

reopen the Layer Offetswindow and reset alloffets to 0

Keeping Track of Where You AreSTEPS

use the Layer menu todeselect the COLORSHADE

and DRG texturesselect Readouts fromthe View menuclick on the Viewer tabin the TNTsim3DReadouts windownote how the listedvalues are updated asyou move through thelandscape

A simulation opens with a default viewer positionabove the upper left corner of the scene, pointingtoward the scene center. As you fly around, infor-mation on your viewing position is shown on theViewer panel of the TNTsim3D Readouts window.This panel shows your horizontal (x y) position (inmap coordinates if the simulation objects aregeoreferenced), altitude above sea level and heightabove the terrain surface (both in meters), and anglesin degrees for pitch, roll, and heading. By monitor-ing these dynamically updated readings as you

move through the landscape, you can easilykeep track of your position and attitude.

The TNTsim3D window shows a forward(pilot’s) view in the direction of flight. Youcan use the movement controls to changeyour direction of flight to bring any feature ofthe landscape into the view. But there are

also several shortcuts that let you instantly changethe viewer attitude. With the default Viewpoint toolactive, you can reorient the flight toward any terrainfeature in the view by placing the mouse cursor onthe feature and pressing the left mouse button. Ifyour flight leaves you pointed away from the land-scape, the Recenter option on the View menureorients the viewer toward the center of the scene,while the Restore Initial Viewpoint option on thesame menu jumps the viewer back to the defaultstarting position and orientation.

(left-click)

make sure theViewpoint tool isactiveto redirect the view to aparticular feature in thelandscape, move themouse cursor to thatfeature and press theleft mouse buttonselect Recenter from theView menuselect Restore InitialViewpoint from theView menu

With theViewpoint toolactive, left-clickin the view toreorient theflight toward aparticularlandscapefeature.

Using the Compass GraphicSTEPS

from the Layer menuselect the COLORSHADE

texturechoose Options fromthe View menu and clickon the Extras tabif the Show Compasscheckbox is notchecked, click in it toturn it onnotice how thecompass rotates as youmove through thelandscape

An optional compass graphic in the lower right cor-ner of the TNTsim3D window provides an additionalaid to 3D navigation. This graphic, which is turnedon by default, is controlled by settings on the Extraspanel of the Options window.

The compass graphic consists of a central sphere,arrows that point in the four cardinal directions(north, east, south, and west), and arrows for thefour intermediate directions (northwest and so on).The north arrow, other cardinal arrows, and interme-diate arrows are shown in separate colors. (Colorcontrols let you change the arrow colors if you wish.)If the landscape objects aregeoreferenced, the north arrow points inthe north direction; otherwise it pointsparallel to the column direction in theterrain raster.

The compass points are drawn to lie inthe horizontal plane, so the compass im-age provides a visual cue to your attituderelative to the horizontal. This attitudeinformation is enhanced by shading ef-fects on the points and central sphere,which are illuminated from a point abovethe compass and to the north.

Enter a new Size value tochange the size of thecompass graphic.

View nearly straight down View nearly horizontal Banked turn

when you havecompleted thisexercise, use theLayer menu todeselect theCOLORSHADE texture

Map View WindowThe optional Map View window provides you withan easy way to keep track of your position visually,along with graphic controls that let you quicklychange your viewing geometry. This window pro-vides an overhead view that does not vary in scaleas the viewer’s altitude above the terrain changes.The Map View window opens at Full View (display-ing the full geographic extents of the landscape),but you can use the icon buttons at the top of thewindow to zoom in or out (or return to Full View).Once you have zoomed in, the Map View remainscentered on the ground position that is currentlydirectly beneath the viewer, except when you areclose to the edge of the landscape.

You can select any texture layers in the LandscapeFile to display in the Map View. A topographic maptexture is a natural choice, since it combines labeledmap information with a representation of the terrain.The texture shown in the Map View is oriented bydefault with north at the top. You can use the Orien-tation setting in the Map Options window to orientto the current flight direction instead (Viewer radiobutton). In this mode the Map View image reorientsas the flight direction changes.

STEPSselect Map View fromthe Window menufrom the MapView window’sLayer iconbutton menu, select DRGpress theOptions iconbutton on theMap View windowin the Map Optionswindow, make sure thatthe Locator option is setto Viewer-Center

Full Zoom In Zoom Out

The Extents field shows theapproximate percentage ofthe landscape area that isvisible in the Map View atthe current zoom level (100percent equals full extents).

The texture detail shown in theMap View varies automaticallyas you change zoom levels.

Map View Locator ControlsThe Map View window shows a locator graphic thatindicates the map position of the current viewer lo-cation. The form of the locator is set by your selectionin the Map Options window. The Arrow graphic is asimple arrowhead whose base is at the viewer posi-tion and which points toward the current view centerof the main TNTsim3D window (center of the pilot’sview). The Viewer-Center graphic indicates the viewerposition with a cross and an arrowhead pointingnorth, and also marks the exact location of the viewcenter with an open circle; the viewer and view cen-ter positions are connected by a dashed line. Youcan choose the color for these graphics by pressingthe Configure button on the Map Options window.

STEPSuse the flight controls tomove through thelandscape and notehow the locator graphicupdates to keep track ofyour positionclick and drag on theViewer location graphicand note how the viewupdates in the mainTNTsim3D windowclick in the Map Viewwindow at a locationaway from the locatorgraphic and note howthe View Center snapsto that location

With either locator graphic, you can use the leftmouse button to drag the viewer position indicatorto a new location within the Map View. (The mousecursor assumes a cross shape when it is closeenough to control the viewer position indicator.) Thisaction changes the viewer position and heading, butdoes not affect pitch or roll. With either graphic, ifyou left-click with the mouse away from the viewerposition, the view center jumps to that location. Youcan also drag the view center indicator to a newposition.

If the viewer is close to theterrain in an area withsignificant relief, hills orridges in the foregroundmay move in or out of theline of sight to the viewcenter as you move. As aresult, you may see theview center indicator jumpin or out along the lineconnecting it to the viewerlocation.

Viewer-Center locatorView Centerlocation

Viewer location

Map View with Arrow locator

Directional View WindowsSTEPS

use the Window menuto open Left, Right,Rear, and Verticalwindowsclick the Layericon button on theRear window andselect COLORSHADE fromthe menu

The main TNTsim3D window shows the pilot’s viewin the current direction of flight. But to gain a widerperspective on the landscape, you can open addi-tional windows that provide views in otherpredefined directions. These selections are avail-able from the Window menu. You can also selecttextures for viewing independently in each direc-tional window using the Layer icon button.

The Left, Right, Rear, Down, and Up windows showviews that are oriented relative to the current atti-tude of the viewer “aircraft”. The Left and Rightwindows look to either side of the flight path (paral-lel to the wings), while the Rear window shows theview backward along the flight line. The Up andDown windows show views perpendicular to thewings and the direction of flight. To illustrate thisattitude-dependence, fly a level course and roll 90degrees to the left; the Left view shows a view of theground and the Right views shows nothing but sky(background color). The Vertical window works dif-ferently; its view direction is absolute, not relativeto the atttitude of the viewer. The Vertical windowshows a vertical view toward the surface (down-ward if the viewer is above and upward if the vieweris below the surface).

fly through the 3Dlandscape and notehow the views relate toeach other

Keep these directional view windows open and proceed to the next exercise

Window ReadoutsSTEPS

if the TNTsim3DReadouts window is notopen, select Readoutsfrom the View menu onthe TNTsim3D windowclick on the Forward tabto view the readouts forthe main view windowclick on the Right tab tovew the readouts forthe Right view window

The TNTsim3D Readouts window provides posi-tional information about each open view. TheForward panel provides readouts for the mainTNTsim3D view window. Each window readoutpanel lists the map coordinates and elevation for theview center position along with the distance fromthe viewer to the view center. (If the landscape ob-jects are not georeferenced, the line and columnnumbers of the corresponding terrain raster cell areshown.) If the view center lies outside the extents ofthe landscape, position readouts are blank for thatview.

Keep the directional view and Readouts windows open and proceed to the next exercise

Readouts are provided foreach open view window.

Readouts for the main TNTsim3Dwindow are provided on theForward panel.

NOTE: You can reorient theviewer using the Viewpoint toolby left-clicking in any of thedirectional views just as you canwith the main TNTsim3D view.

Find Surface Coordinates with the MouseAs we have seen, knowing your viewing position inthe simulation is important. But TNTsim3D enablesyou to view georeferenced spatial data, so you maybe more interested in finding the map coordinatesand surface elevation of particular locations on thelandscape surface. With TNTsim3D you can usethe mouse to determine point coordinates for anyvisible portion of the scene in any open view.

In the TNTsim3D viewing model, a view window onyour computer screen is a plane perpendicular to

the viewing direction through which theyou (the viewer) look at the 3D land-scape. When you place the mouse oversome point on the scene in a TNTsim3Dview window, the program projects asight line from the viewer positionthrough the screen position of the cur-sor and on to the corresponding positionon the landscape surface. The horizon-tal (x-y) map coordinates of this positionare reported as the Mouse Location itemon the Mouse panel of the TNTsim3D

Readouts window. (If the landscape objectsare not georeferenced, the line and columnnumbers of the corresponding terrain rastercell are shown.) The Mouse Elevation entryshows the corresponding surface elevation,which is interpolated from the closest terrainraster cells along the sight line.

The four Accuracy values give you estimatesof the positional accuracy limits for the mouse cur-sor position. Each of the four values is measuredfrom a screen pixel immediately adjacent to thecursor’s screen location; the reported value is the3D distance between the surface locations of theneighboring and center screen pixel. These valuesvary due to differences in viewing angle and thedirection and angle of surface slope.

STEPSclick on the Mouse tab inthe TNTsim3D Readoutswindowmove the mouse cursorwithin the TNTsim3Dwindownote how the values onthe Mouse panelcontinuously update

Mouse position readoutfor a sample mousecursor location.

close the variousdirectional viewwindows when youhave completed thisexercise

Terrain and Projection InformationSTEPS

click on the Terrain tabon the TNTsim3DReadouts windowexamine the valueslisted on the panelclick on the Projectionbuttonfrom the System menubox on the CoordinateSystem / ProjectionParameters window,select Latitude /Longitude, then click[OK]note that positions andextents are nowreported in degrees ofLatitude / Longitudeset the coordinatesystem back toUniversal TransverseMercator

The Terrain panel provides general geographic in-formation about the landscape, including itsgeographic extents and minimum and maximum ter-rain elevations. The panel also reports the currentTerrain Quality and Frame Rate values.

The Projection button at the bottom of the TNTsim3DReadouts window opens the Coordinate System /Projection Parameters window. The controls on theupper part of this window allow you to select thecoordinate system and datum (and zone, projection,and ellipsoid where appropriate) for the position andextents values in all of the readout panels. In theBIGPINE3 Landscape File, the stored georeferenceinformation is in Universal Transverse MercatorZone 11 coordinates, but you can choose to reportpositions in Latitude / Longitude or any other avail-able coordinate system.

The controls on the lower partof the Coordinate System / Pro-jection Parameters window letyou select the units for all read-outs of distance, elevation,angle, and velocity. Any unitchanges you make here are alsoshown automatically on the In-put panel of the Optionswindow.

close theReadoutswindow whenyou havecompleted thisexercise

Point-Of-Interest ToolSTEPS

find an interestingfeature in the landscapeor move around untilone comes into viewclick on the Point-Of-Interest iconbutton on theTNTsim3D windowin the resulting Points-Of-Interest window,make sure the OpenView When Createdcheckbox is checkedpress the Create POIbuttona marker shouldappear in the centerof the main view anda window entitledPoint-Of-Interest 1should openuse the mouse to left-click on your selectedfeature in the mainview or drag themarker to the featureturn on theViewpoint tool toresume flyingand note how the Point-Of-Interest 1 windowremainscentered onyour POImarker

There may be special locations (points-of-interestor POIs) in your simulated landscape that you wantto keep track of as you move through the scene.The Point-Of-Interest tool allows you to mark a POIin the landscape and to open a view window thatremains centered on that POI as you fly, even if thePOI is no longer visible in the main TNTsim3D win-dow. When you turn on the Points-Of-Interest tool,an empty Points-Of-Interest table opens. Use theCreate POI button on this window to add a POI markerthat is initially placed in the center of the mainTNTsim3D view. You can then use the mouse tomove the POI marker to your intended position.

Press the Create POI button toadd a new Point-Of-Interest

After creating the POI,drag the marker in anyview window (except itsown POI window) withthe mouse or left-click atthe desired location(above) to reposition themarker (left). The Point-Of-Interest tool must beselected in order toreposition POI markers.

NOTE: Flight controls are inactive while thePoint-Of-Interest tool is turned on

(left-click)

More About Points-Of-InterestSTEPS

turn on the Point-Of-Interest toolagainadd several additionalPoints-Of-Interestedit the Name field in thePoints-Of-Interest tableto give each POI adescriptive nameleft-click on the markerfield for several of thePOIs and select adifferent marker stylefrom the resulting SelectMarker windowleft-click on the colorsample for several POIsto open a Color dialog topick alternative markercolors

Turn on the Point-Of-Interest tool whenever youwant to add a new POI or change a POI’s location ormarker style. You can add any number of POIs foryour current TNTsim3D session. The Points-Of-In-terest table lists the name, x and y coordinate values,marker style, and marker color for each POI. To movea particular POI using one of the View windows, firstclick on the circular button in the left-most columnof that POI’s record in the table to select it; a redbutton color indicates that POI is selected. TheDelete POI button at the bottom of the table alsoacts on the currently-selected POI. You can alsoreposition a POI by typing the desired values in its xand y coordinate fields in the table.

You can edit the Name field in the Points-Of-Interesttable to give each POI a descriptive name, whichthen appears as the title for that POI’s view. NewPOIs are automatically created in differing colors,but you can choosea particular colorand marker style foreach point. POIs areshown in all openviews; a cross sym-bol is used to markPOI locations in theMap View window.

Use the View checkbox to turna POIs view window on or off.

TNTsim3D can also displayseveral types of point overlays, created in theLandscape Builder, that provide permanent pointlocation symbols for your landscape simulations.

Using FogSTEPS

turn on theViewpoint toolselect Options from theView menu and click onthe Effects tabturn on the Fog checkbox and make sure thatLinear is selectedset the Start value to500 and the End valueto 25000, then click [OK]note the change inscene visibilityreopen the Optionswindow Effects paneland change the Fogmethod to ExponentialTwoset the Density value to10.0 and click [OK]

When you view a natural landscape, detail and colorbecome less distinct in more distant parts of thescene because of the effects of water vapor and par-ticulates in the atmosphere. Haze is almost alwayspresent to some extent, and fog is an extreme ex-ample.

To add realism to a landscape in TNTsim3D, you cansimulate the reduction of visibility with distance byusing the Fog controls. The fog effect is achievedby blending texture colors with varying amounts ofa designated fog color. The background color is thedefault fog color, which lets the hazy or foggy ter-rain blend naturally into the sky. For special effectsyou can turn off the Use Background Color checkbox and use the Fog Color control to select any colorfor the color blending.

Three methods are available to control thevariation in fog density with increasingdistance from the viewer. In the Linearmethod, the Start value defines the dis-tance at which the fog effect begins, theEnd value defines the distance at whichfog no longer increases, and the varia-tion is linear between these limits. Sincethe start and end distances are in meters,the same pair of values will produce dif-fering effects for landscapes of differentareal extents.

In the Exponential method fog increasesexponentially with distance. In the Expo-nential Two method, fog increasesexponentially with the square of the dis-tance. In both methods the Densityparameter is a multiplier applied to the dis-tance exponent. Increasing the Densityparameter makes the fog thicken morerapidly with increasing distance.

Fog:Linear

Fog:Exponential Two

Using Multiple TerrainsSTEPS

turn off the Fog effectchoose File / Open anduse the selection dialogto select SHEEPMTN.SIM

from the TNTSIM3D

directorychoose Layer /TERRAIN_W and selectTM_NW from the submenurepeat the last step butchoose TM_SW

choose Layer /TERRAIN_E and selectTM_NE from the submenurepeat the last step butchoose TM_SE

open a Map View andturn on any desiredtextures

TNTsim3D allows you to view Landscape Files thatinclude multiple terrain surfaces. The example forthis exercise has two terrains that cover adjoiningareas (tiled terrains). All terrains in the LandscapeFile are loaded automatically when the file is opened.Each texture in the file is assigned to any terrain thatincludes its geographic extents. The first textureadded to the file for each terrain is automaticallyselected for display when you open the file.

You can use the Layer menu to choose which asso-ciated textures to display for each terrain. Entries onthe main Layer menu show the names of the ter-rains; a submenu for each terrain lists the texturesavailable for it. The example for this exercise hasthree textures available for each terrain: a color shadedrelief texture that covers the full extentof the terrain, and two adjoining partialtextures created from an RGB combina-tion of Landsat satellite image bands.You can select and deselect textures in-dependently in each open view windowby using the window’s Layer menu (mainview) or Layer icon button menu (otherviews). If you want one of the terrainsto be “invisible” in a particular view, de-select all of its textures.

SHEEPMTN Landscape File with alltextures selected for viewing.

Map View with different texturesselected for the TERRAIN_E terrain.

Stacked Multiple TerrainsSTEPS

choose File / Open anduse the selection dialogto select FFBASIN2.SIM

from the TNTSIM3D

directoryin the main view chooseLayer / GROUNDELEV /LANDSAT321use the locater controlin the Map View tomove the viewerposition to the south-west corner as showndecrease the vieweraltitude to get a low-angle viewchoose Layer / Offsetsin the Layer Offsetswindow set the offsetfor the BasementColortexture to -2000

View of basin from southwest View of basin with offset forBasementColor texture set to -2000.

The terrains in a Landscape File can also represent astack of separate surfaces covering the same or over-lapping areas, such as the ground surface, the watertable, or subsurface geologic boundaries. Theycould even be hypothetical surfaces constructedfrom any spatially-varying property. The examplein this exercise covers a sediment-filled basin in adesert area. It has one terrain representing theground surface (with two textures) and a secondterrain for the bedrock surface below the basin fill.TNTsim3D allows you to move between the stackedterrains to get a full view of their 3D relationships.

In this example there is not much vertical separationbetween the two terrains around the edge of thebasin, so most of the basement surface terrain is notvisible when eitherground surface textureis turned on. In orderto get a better view ofboth terrains simulta-neously, you can usethe Layer Offsets win-dow to set a verticaloffset (positive ornegative) for one ormore textures.

Billboard OverlaysSTEPS

choose File / Open anduse the selection dialogto select STHELENS5.SIM

from the TNTSIM3D

directorychoose Layer / TERRAIN

and select VISITORPOINTS

from the submenuchoose Layer / TERRAIN

and select RADIOTOWERS

from the submenufly through thelandscape and notehow the billboard pointsymbols behave

Overlays are graphic layers that TNTsim3D drawsafter any selected textures are drawn. LandscapeFiles can include several types of graphic overlaythat convey information about specific locations inthe scene.

Billboard overlays are layers that show graphic sym-bols for point locations within the landscape.Billboard point symbols are drawn vertically withinthe landscape’s 3D coordinate space, but the sym-bols rotate about their vertical axis so that they alwaysface the viewer. Depending on how the overlay wasset up in TNTmips, individual symbols can appearto sit on the terrain or be raised above it on verticalstalks. A base symbol anchors each stalk to its as-sociated location on the terrain surface.

The anchor points for billboard over-lays can have either 2D or 3Dcoordinates, depending on whether theoverlay was created from points in a 2Dor 3D vector object. A 3D billboardoverlay can be rendered on its own inTNTsim3D without regard to a particu-lar terrain, so each 3D billboard overlayin the Landscape File (such as theTriLatPts overlay in this example) hasan entry in the main Layer menu belowthe Terrain entries. The billboards in a2D overlay (such as theVisitorPoints and RadioTowersoverlays in this example) canonly be drawn with heightsrelative to some terrain, so en-tries for 2D overlays are foundon the Layer menu in thesubmenu for any terrain thatencompasses the points. Billboard overlay symbols are drawn in a vertical

plane that rotates to remain facing the viewer.

STEPSmove the cursor overone of the billboardsymbols so see itsDataTipselect View / Optionsand click on the Extrastab

Billboard Overlay StylesIn a well-prepared Landscape File the design of thebillboard symbols conveys a good sense of whateach symbol represents. In the STHELENS5 LandscapeFile (which includes Mount St. Helens National Vol-canic Monument), two types of symbol are used inthe VISITORPOINTS overlay: one to indicate the twomain visitor centers in the monument and a smaller,differently-shaped symbol to mark information cen-

ters. Another overlay in the file, RADIOTOWERS,shows a single type of point: sites with radiotransmission towers serving the park, which aremarked by a symbol resembling a radio tower.Points in the third overlay, TRILATPTS, are moreabstract in nature, showing locations of surveystations used to help monitor the shape of MountSt. Helens volcano; a simple colored diamondsymbol is used for these points.

Overlay symbols provide even more direct informa-tion by means of a DataTip that appears when youhover the mouse over or close to a billboard symbol.The text in the DataTip is drawn from the databaseinformation stored with the point, as set up for theoriginal vector point data in TNTmips. The DataTipsfor the VISITORCENTER overlay in this example pro-vide the name of the facility, while the TRILATPTS

points show the elevation of the site.

The Extras panel on the Options window provides aStyle Quality control that lets you choose the de-sired level of detail for drawing billboard symbols:Good, Better, or Best. If the billboard points in alandscape have symbols with detailed graphics ortext (such as a highway number marker), you mayneed to increase the style quality in order to see thedetails in the symbol. Lower style quality will resultin faster drawing of the symbols.

DataTip text showsinformation about the pointdrawn from the overlaydatabase stored in theLandscape File.

In the event that an overlay point does not have an assignedsymbol or stalk line style, TNTsim3D provides a simple symbol usingthe Unassigned Point Style and Unassigned Line Style settings.

STEPSchoose File / Open anduse the selection dialogto select AIRPORT3D.SIM

fly through thesimulation and note thesolid polygons and theshading of their sideschoose View / Optionsand expose the Effectstabbed panelchange the SunElevation and Azimuthvalues in the lower partof the panelpress [OK] on theOptions window andnote the effect of yourchanges on theillumination of thepolygons

Solid Polygon OverlaysA solid polygon overlay is a second type of overlaythat can be viewed in TNTsim3D. A solid polygonoverlay is a polygon layer in which the polygons are“extruded” vertically upward (and/or downward)from the terrain surface to create stylized 3D solidshapes in the landscape. The solid polygons in theLandscape File in this exercise represent buildingsat an airport (hangers, terminal, garage, and controltower) that have different shapes and heights. Solidpolygons could also be used to to visualize differ-ences in any numerical attribute for different mapareas (such as population, crop yield, or soil proper-ties, for example).

TNTsim3D provides optional illumination to providerealistic shading of the tops, bottoms, and sides ofthe extruded shapes. You can use the Sun controlson the Effects panel of the View Options window tovary the elevation angle and azimuth angle of thesimulated light source. If an image texture used inLandscape File includes strong shadows, you canchange the solid polygon illumination to match thisshadow direction for the most realistic effect.

Solid polygon overlays are created in TNTmips asvector polygon objects with 3D vertex coordinates.The 3D extrusion parameters are set up in TNTmipsbefore the object is transferred to the simulation bythe Landscape Builder.

Views from different directions of solidpolygons representing buildings, showingshading effects set using the Sun controls.

STEPSchoose Layer / TERRAIN /DOMEPTS

fly through thesimulation, noting thedome shapesfly into one of the domesand note how texturecolors are renderedinside and outside thedomechoose View / Optionsand expose the Extrastabbed panelchange the Volume-Of-Interest (VOI)Transparency settingand note the change inthe TNTsim3D window

Volume-of-Interest OverlaysA Volume-of-Interest (VOI) overlay is the third typeof overlay that can be viewed in TNTsim3D. A VOIoverlay is a layer that shows partially-transparentspherical 3D volumes centered on point locationswithin the landscape. The TNTmips LandscapeBuilder creates a VOI layer from point elements in avector object. TNTsim3D renders VOIs using thethe style color(s) set up for those original vectorpoint elements. You can set the degree of transpar-ency for all of the volumes using theVolume-Of-Interest (VOI) Transparency control onthe Extras panel of the Options window. Partially-transparent VOI colors allow textures, other VOIs,and billboard symbols to be visible through the sur-face of the VOI. You can fly into and through any

VOI and see correct color rendering ofthe texture inside and outside of the VOI.

TNTsim3D can draw VOIs that are full spheres orsectors limited by minimum and maximum azimuthangle, elevation angle, or radius, and with or with-out grid lines on the volume surface. You might useVOIs in simulations for communications, military, oraviation applications.

The DomePts overlay includes six VOIsstyled using three different colors.

View from within one of the VOIs.

deselect the DOMEPTS

layer when you havecompleted this exercise

Editing Point OverlaysSTEPS

choose View / RestoreInitial Viewpointchoose Layer / TERRAIN /FLAGPTS

press the PointOverlay iconbuttonleft-click on the closestflag symbol to highlight itturn on the Edit Pointcheckbox in the PointOverlay windowwith the mouse, dragthe flag symbol to adifferent location in theTNTsim3D windowwith the symbol stillselected, press [SaveOverlay As...] on thePoint Overlay windowon the Save As window,accept the default nameand click [OK]left-click away from anysymbol in the view todeselect the flag symbolreselect theViewpoint tool

The Point Overlay tool lets you edit Billboard andVolume-of-Interest overlays while you view yourLandscape Files. With this tool you can select anyoverlay point with the mouse in any view, copy ordelete the selected point, or move it to a new posi-tion. You can move a point by dragging its symbolin a view (as in this exercise) or by entering newlocation coordinates in the Point Overlay window.You can also change the DataTip text shown for apoint by editing the Name field in the Point Overlaywindow.

The Point Overlay tool lets you save one or moreedited version of any point overlay. The first saveoperation for a particular overlay always creates acopy, so the original overlay is always preserved.You can, however, save over any edited copy. Ed-ited overlays are automatically added to the Layermenu on the TNTsim3D main view.

left-click to select

drag to new position

NOTE: When you move an overlay point thathas 2D coordinates, the symbol base remainsfixed to the terrain surface as you move it.But when you move an overlay point that has3D coordinates, the symbol base maintains itsabsolute vertical position, so the moved pointmay lie above or below the terrain surface.

Using Vertical ExaggerationSTEPS

choose File / Open anduse the selection dialogto select STHELENS5.SIM

use the Layer / terrainsubmenu to turn on theVISITORPOINTS overlaychoose View / Optionsand click on the Terraintab on the Optionswindowenter 2.00 in the VerticalExaggeration field

Simulations of low-relief areas can reveal more infor-mation about relationships between map data andthe terrain if the vertical terrain scale is changed toexaggerate the topographic relief. The Terrain panelon the Options window allows you to set a verticalexaggeration value (default is 1.00) to rescale all ofthe Z-values in the terrain model.

When you increase the Vertical Exaggeration value,the viewer’s height above the surface is automati-cally increased by the same factor to ensure that theviewer remains above the rescaled surface. How-ever, coordinate readouts for mouse position andview center points always report elevation valuesfrom the original unscaled surface, regardless of thevertical exaggeration that has been selected.

The Terrain panel on the Options window also pro-vides checkboxes that allow you to set whether youwant the Vertical Exaggeration value to also apply tobillboard point stalks, volumes-of-interest, and ex-truded polygons. Billboard point graphic symbolsthemselves are never rescaled.

NOTE: The last vertical exaggeration value you set isretained until reset. Therefore, remember to check thisfield when you open a new Landscape File to makesure the current value is appropriate for the data.

turn on the ExaggerateExtruded Point Stalkscheckboxpress [OK] on theOptions window

before going on to thenext exercise, reset theVertical Exaggerationvalue to 1.00

Vertical Exaggeration = 1.00 Vertical Exaggeration = 2.00

Launching an AtlasTNTsim3D can be used in conjunction with TNTatlasto freely distribute your geospatial data prepared inTNTmips. TNTsim3D provides a real-time, interac-tive 3D view of the data, while TNTatlasprovides the ability to view different combi-nations of the original data layers, access toassociated database information throughdatatips or directly viewing tables, and mea-surement tools. An atlas can be constructed solelyfrom objects already in a Landscape File or can alsoinclude layers stored in accompanying TNTmipsProject Files.

You use the TNTatlas tool in TNTsim3D to open oneor more atlases associated with the current land-scape. The tool behavior depends upon the numberand location of the atlas startup files (*.atl). If asingle startup file is in the same directory as theLandscape File, you can immediately left-click in any TNTsim3D view to openTNTatlas with the designated location cen-tered in the view at a scale determined bythe viewer’s height above the terrain. Ifthere is more than one startup file in the di-rectory, a dialog appears to allow you toselect which atlas toopen. If no atlasstartup file is in theLandscape File’s di-rectory, a selectiondialog appears (as inthis exercise) to allowyou to navigate to thedesired atlas.

You can also createhyperlinks in an atlasto automatically launchTNTsim3D and openthe appropriateLandscape File.

STEPSturn on theTNTatlas tool onthe TNTsim3D toolbar

press [OK] on themessage windowin the Select Atlas File toOpen window, navigateinto the STH_ATLAS

directory and selectSTHELENS.ATL

move the mouse overany TNTsim3D view andleft-click on the terrain atthe location you wouldlike the atlas to open

(left-click)

Customizing TNTsim3D with SMLSTEPS

move around in theSTHELENS5 simulation untilan interesting feature isin the center of the viewfrom the Script menuselect SIMORBIT

reselect Script / SIMORBIT

to stop script executionmove to anotherviewpoint and run theSIMORBIT script again

A Landscape File can also include SML scripts thatcan add a variety of custom effects and capabilitiesto your simulation. You can include a script with aparticular simulation simply by opening the script inthe SML Editor in TNTmips and saving the script asan RVC object in the Landscape File. In TNTsim3Dyou can then select and run the script from the Scriptmenu. Once a script is running, reselecting its menuentry stops the script.

The script you use in this exercise orbits the vieweraround the point on the terrain that is at the centerof the view when the script is started. This effect isachieved by modifying the viewer position automati-cally for each frame using computations in a scriptprocedure named OnFrame(). TNTsim3D looks in

the script for a user-defined function orprocedure with this name and whateverinstructions are included in the defini-tion for the function are executed eachtime a new frame is rendered.

An SML class named TNTSIM3D pro-vides methods and members for findingor setting the viewer position, the loca-tion on the terrain of the view center, or

any of the “environmental”parameters found on theOptions dialog, such asbackground color, fog, andvertical exaggeration.

You can find more information aboutTNTsim3D scripts as well as sample scriptsand additional Landscape Files that includescripts at www.microimages.com/freestuf/TNTsim3Dscripts.htm.

For scripts such as SIMORBIT

that modify the viewinggeometry, user flight controlis suspended while thescript is running.

Flight Paths via SMLSTEPS

from the Script menuselect SMLRECORDER; aRecorder dialog windowthen opens

press the Recordicon button on theRecorder windowmove the mouse backover the TNTsim3Dwindow and left-click tomake the window activeand reactivate the userflight controlsuse the flight controls tomove through thelandscape along a pathyou would like to recordpress the Stopicon button whenyou have recorded thedesired pathpress the Playicon button on therecorder to play backthe recorded flight

The script you run in this exercise adds the ability torecord and replay flight paths within TNTsim3D. Thescript creates and opens a Recorder window withcontrols that allow you to record, play back, save,and open a flight path. With the Record buttonturned on a flight path is continuously recorded asyou fly through the simulation. Position informa-tion is recorded in memory (in a set of numeric arrays)for playback; recording a new flight path replacesthe last one in memory. The playback controls allowyou to pause and stop the playback or run it in acontinuous loop. At any time you can save the cur-rent flight path to a text file, or reload into memory apreviously-saved flight path file for replay.

The flight recorder script’s OnFrame() procedure in-cludes code for different actions depending on thecurrent recorder mode. In record mode the proce-dure gets the current viewer position and orientationand stores them in memory. In playback mode itreads the corresponding data from memory and usesit to set the parameters for rendering the currentscene. Most of the rest of the script consists ofcallback procedures associated with the controls onthe script’s custom window, along with the dialogspecification (in XML) and code to open it.

Advanced Software for Geospatial Analysis

MicroImages, Inc.11th Floor - Sharp Tower206 South 13th StreetLincoln, Nebraska 68508-2010 USA

Voice: (402) 477-9554 email: [email protected]: (402) 477-9559 internet: www.microimages.com

MicroImages, Inc. publishes a complete line of professional software for advanced geospatialdata visualization, analysis, and publishing. Contact us or visit our web site for detailed prod-uct information.

TNTmips TNTmips is a professional system for fully integrated GIS, image analysis, CAD,TIN, desktop cartography, and geospatial database management.

TNTedit TNTedit provides interactive tools to create, georeference, and edit vector, image,CAD, TIN, and relational database project materials in a wide variety of formats.

TNTview TNTview has the same powerful display features as TNTmips and is perfect forthose who do not need the technical processing and preparation features of TNTmips.

TNTatlas TNTatlas lets you publish and distribute your spatial project materials on CD-ROM at low cost. TNTatlas CDs can be used on any popular computing platform.

TNTserver TNTserver lets you publish TNTatlases on the Internet or on your intranet.Navigate through geodata atlases with your web browser and the TNTclient Java applet.

TNTlite TNTlite is a free version of TNTmips for students and professionals with smallprojects. You can download TNTlite from MicroImages’ web site, or you can orderTNTlite on CD-ROM.

TNTsi

m3D

Indexatlas, launching....................................34background color................................11,24billboard overlays.........................27-28,31compass graphic.....................................15directional view windows..................18,19flight paths.........................................35fog.............................................................24frame rate............................................7,24input controls, configuring...................7,8keyboard controls.....................................6map view window...............................16,17mouse coordinates..................................20Options window

Display panel......................................5Effects panel.........................11,24,29Extras panel...........................15,28,30Input panel....................................7-9Terrain panel...............................10,32

Point-of-Interest...............................22,23projection, setting..................................21readouts window.........................14,19-21recenter........................................................14restore initial viewpoint..........................14scripts in TNTsim3D....................34-35solid polygon overlay.........................29speed settings..........................................9terrain quality.........................................10terrain, multiple.............................25,26texture, selecting................................12texture smoothing.................................11vertical exaggeration..........................32Volume-of-Interest overlay................30,31wireframe mode...................................5,10

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