USGS imagery in aerofly FS 2

Hi there,

the US Geological Survey offers a map service with aerial imagery: https://viewer.nationalmap.gov

I made a test by downloading images of 1m NAIP. Creating TFW coordinate files was easy with the given information about edge coordinates and resolution.

Geoconvert can work with these data, the positional fitting is excellent. The big advantage of these NAIP images is the consistent image coloring and quality.

Default scenery:

USGS scenery:

Default scenery:

USGS scenery:

Of course the scenery is flat, but how to add buildings is already solved and can be done subsequently.

If you are interested, check out the nationalmap viewer.

Rodeo

Good morning,

no, in this case FSET is not used. You can directly download from the viewer.

1. Start the viewer and select Download GIS Data:

https://viewer.nationalmap.gov

2. Use the map, draw a box of your desired area.

3. Select imagery 1meter NAIP and press Find Products

4. Show footprints, select the images and download them.

Rodeo

Phil,

most probably the start area is too large. I tried just a part of it and ended up with 20 results.
But since the images fit seamlessly to the adjacent images, you can download them in separate bulks.

The file format JP2 is all right, I will show how to convert this in a batch job to TIF or BMP, and how to create the TFW coordinate files for them. I even may ask my son again to program another tool for automatic TFW creation.

Great service of the USGS! Happy 4th of July!

Oh,

since you are already so far, I suggest to use irfanview.

It is freeware and it runs batch conversions.

http://www.irfanview.com/

Make sure, you download 64bit version (or 32 if necessary) plus the 64 bit plugins.

Rodeo

I don't exactly know which data you are using.

The 1m NAIP files have an extension of 3.75 x 3.75 minutes per image:

The related xml file specifies the coordinates in lonlat, which is perfect for geoconvert.

Just pick up the westbc northbc for the upper left corner, the eastbc southbc for the lower right corner:

Last step is calculation of resolution:

3.75 minutes / 60 = 0.0625 degrees extension per image.

0.0625 degrees / 6963 pixels = 0.0000089760160.... degrees/pixel horizontal resolution

0.0625 degrees / 10513 pixels = 0.0000059450204.... degrees/pixel vertical resolution

Full tutorial is already in work. But it will be good to have an automatic tool for the TFW.

It's not complicated but routine piece of work if we use many images.

Rodeo

Quote from Sycosys

I see what you are getting at with the source xmls. I'm using .3m imagery. I see the lat longs on the extents.

Another question, are you importing multiple files for an area or do you mosaic them into a single large image and import that? if you had all the required files could you import a ~10gb imagery chunk (like something dozens of miles or more on a side)?

Geoconvert works with a bunch of files, so there is no need to create a single large image.

I tried several sets with 10GB in total. It worked, but this is clearly a job during the night

Looking for automation processes:

Can we deduce the top left coordinate from the file name?
I did not yet find enough information about the USGS quadrangle naming convention.

Can we read the pixel counts from the files?

I did not yet find the information in the xml files.
The extent of an 1m NAIP image is fixed to 3.75 x 3.75 minutes, but the image height is depending on the latitude, so the number of pixels may vary.

Ideas are always welcome.

Rodeo