How to Create Steel Beasts Map with Real World Terrain (OSM or QGIS)?

[UnderscoreGavin]

Hello, I am trying to Create a map of the South Armenian-Azerbaijani border for Steel beasts but cannot figure out how to import QGIS files in to the Map Editor. I've seen multiple posts about using raster data from QGIS & Structures from Open Street Map to create a map for Steel Beasts, but no guides anywhere. Would somebody be able to give me a quick walkthrough or point me to a guide on how to use QGIS to upload SRTM data to the steel beasts map editor?

bitte

[UnderscoreGavin]

also how would i set up forested areas using OSM to paste them over, or should I just hand-place forested areas?

[Gibsonm]

1 hour ago, UnderscoreGavin said:

Hello, I am trying to Create a map of the South Armenian-Azerbaijani border for Steel beasts but cannot figure out how to import QGIS files in to the Map Editor. I've seen multiple posts about using raster data from QGIS & Structures from Open Street Map to create a map for Steel Beasts, but no guides anywhere. Would somebody be able to give me a quick walkthrough or point me to a guide on how to use QGIS to upload SRTM data to the steel beasts map editor?

bitte

 

 

Welcome to the forum,

 

Basically you can't using the consumer version.

 

The Military / Classroom version allows you to import Digital Terrain Elevation Data (DTED) data:

 

 

Then you need to add the water courses, trees, buildings, etc.

 

Edited October 16 by Gibsonm

[UnderscoreGavin]

29 minutes ago, Gibsonm said:

 

Welcome to the forum,

 

Basically you can't using the consumer version.

 

The Military / Classroom version allows you to import Digital Terrain Elevation Data (DTED) data:

 

 

Then you need to add the water courses, trees, buildings, etc.

 

Okay thank you, is there no possible way of creating a HGT or TER file with the personal edition using QGIS?

[Gibsonm]

9 minutes ago, UnderscoreGavin said:

Okay thank you, is there no possible way of creating a HGT or TER file with the personal edition using QGIS?

 

No idea.

 

I've never tried.

 

However the options shown in the screenshot above are not available in the consumer version.

 

I suspect you have already looked, but it has no import options.

 

Edited October 16 by Gibsonm

[Ssnake]

Also, HGT and TER files have been discontinued since 2019...

[UnderscoreGavin]

6 hours ago, Ssnake said:

Also, HGT and TER files have been discontinued since 2019...

Do you know what software was used to create those HGT and TER files, i've tried multiple different ways of decoding the file through python and using other softwares like TerraGen 4 and i've decoded into 2 byte hexadecimal and its readable but the formatting is just a slightly different format than a TerraGen .ter file. 

[Gibsonm]

2 hours ago, UnderscoreGavin said:

Do you know what software was used to create those HGT and TER files, i've tried multiple different ways of decoding the file through python and using other softwares like TerraGen 4 and i've decoded into 2 byte hexadecimal and its readable but the formatting is just a slightly different format than a TerraGen .ter file. 

 

Well you can't use them directly in SB Pro PE 4.1 or later.

 

If you really want to go down that track you are adding an additional step.

 

1. Use SB Professional (Military version) to import the DTED data to create the HGT map.

 

2. Use a version of SB Pro PE prior to 4.1 to create the TER file (water courses, roads, buildings, vegetation, fences, signs, hedges, ...) using the HGT file as an underlay.

 

3. Convert the resulting files to a 4.1 and beyond map package (as per the various links below).

 

 

 

 

Or

 

1. Use SB Professional (Military version) to import the DTED data to create the terrain map.

 

2. Use a version of SB Pro PE after 4.1 to add the various terrain components (water courses, roads, buildings, vegetation, fences, signs, hedges, ...).

 

3. Save it as a map package.

 

Note: Both option require you to start with a copy of SB Professional (Military version).

 

Or you can post your request here:

 

 

 

Edited October 16 by Gibsonm

[UnderscoreGavin]

1 hour ago, Gibsonm said:

 

Well you can't use them directly in SB Pro PE 4.1 or later.

 

If you really want to go down that track you are adding an additional step.

 

1. Use SB Professional (Military version) to import the DTED data to create the HGT map.

 

2. Use a version of SB Pro PE prior to 4.1 to create the TER file (water courses, roads, buildings, vegetation, fences, signs, hedges, ...) using the HGT file as an underlay.

 

3. Convert the resulting files to a 4.1 and beyond map package (as per the various links below).

 

 

 

 

Or

 

1. Use SB Professional (Military version) to import the DTED data to create the terrain map.

 

2. Use a version of SB Pro PE after 4.1 to add the various terrain components (water courses, roads, buildings, vegetation, fences, signs, hedges, ...).

 

3. Save it as a map package.

 

Note: Both option require you to start with a copy of SB Professional (Military version).

 

Or you can post your request here:

 

 

 

Okay thank you so much, what are the requirements for getting the Military or Classroom edition for a Personal Computer, I am in the military but I am an E-3, not an Officer or NCO. do I qualify for getting the Military edition?

[Gibsonm]

4 minutes ago, UnderscoreGavin said:

Okay thank you so much, what are the requirements for getting the Military or Classroom edition for a Personal Computer, I am in the military but I am an E-3, not an Officer or NCO. do I qualify for getting the Military edition?

 

Your country needs to purchase a license.

 

Its not available to military members on an individual basis.

 

E.g. I'm an O5 in the Australian Army but I only have access because the Australian Army has a license, not myself as an individual.

 

Also as per the first post of the Map request thread please remember to:

 

"You should include the relevant information for the map. This includes the lat/long info for the southwest corner of the map. If you dont know this info then the next best course of action would be a accurate description the mapmaker can use to locate the area."

 

Edited October 16 by Gibsonm

[UnderscoreGavin]

1 minute ago, Gibsonm said:

 

Your country needs to purchase a license.

 

Its not available to military members.

 

E.g. I'm an O5 in the Australian Army but I only have access because the Australian Army has a license, not myself as an individual.

 

Also as per the first post of the Map request thread please remember to:

 

"You should include the relevant information for the map. This includes the lat/long info for the southwest corner of the map. If you dont know this info then the next best course of action would be a accurate description the mapmaker can use to locate the area."

 

I put a post in there that has City and place names and a red Border

[Gibsonm]

Just now, UnderscoreGavin said:

I put a post in there that has City and place names and a red Border

 

Ok, but the more information you provide:

 

1. You make the map maker's job easier (they are volunteers) and therefore you might get it sooner.

 

2. You increase the chance of getting what you asked for (as opposed to them "missing" some part that you really wanted).

 

[UnderscoreGavin]

5 minutes ago, Gibsonm said:

 

Ok, but the more information you provide:

 

1. You make the map maker's job easier (they are volunteers) and therefore you might get it sooner.

 

2. You increase the chance of getting what you asked for (as opposed to them "missing" some part that you really wanted).

 

Okay thank you for your help, I added the Latitude and Longitude for the Northwest and Southeast corners

[Gibsonm]

9 minutes ago, UnderscoreGavin said:

Okay thank you for your help, I added the Latitude and Longitude for the Northwest and Southeast corners

 

All good.

 

If you can source the DTED data from somewhere, I'll create the underlying map for you (whereas the people in that thread may have access to the data).

 

Just be warned though creating the underlying terrain is it easy part (just let the computer churn away).

 

The real time sink is placing all the water courses, vegetation, buildings, roads, etc. and then tweaking things (levelling the ground under a building so it doesn't look like its build into a hill side, or whatever). Depending on how complex the terrain is and how much time you have to devote to it, this may take a week or a month per grid square.

 

[Gibsonm]

@UnderscoreGavin I've sent you a PM with a link about how to use QGIS to export data to DTED (the start point for SB map creation).

 

It maybe useful, although I think you still need access to the underlying data.

 

 

[companyteam]

To really  make the job of building a map easier, try and access "shapefiles" ( *.shp) - generally raw map data will have files for all of the "things" like roads, streams etc.  Using these, a map-maker can simply import the relevant file and tell the program what it is, and it's done.  There are a variety of open source sites which can provide files (of various, sometime dubious quality).  But - a good product needs good quality data of at least a medium fidelity.  You really need (?) data of at least 1: 50 000 quality, or 1: 25 000/1: 10 000 if available.  

The alternate (hand drawing in "things" like roads and creeks on a blank map while referring to a map or airphoto) is unrealistically hard.

Similarly, DTED (Digital Terrain Elevation Data) (which gives you the shape of the ground) is of varying quality, most of which is effectively useless apart from in the most abstract sense.  To even roughly properly model terrain, you need DTED 2 or LIDAR.

While with the right data a rough and ready map can be knocked up fairly quickly, any body who's made maps will tell you that building any form of decent map is long, laborious and probably unforgiving.  Don't expect a "completed" map within months/years - especially if it has numerous buildings and similar.