Scenery

of course it's possible

That's a particularly unhelpful response, Sycosys.

I've read elsewhere in this forum that, while it is definitely technically possible to share user-generated scenery, there may be legal issues with sharing the satellite imagery. Various people have commented against other posts about the disclaimers and "public" usage rights for data from USGS, etc. but I don't think anyone here could claim to be qualified enough to comment on the legalities of sharing content from anywhere on the globe with anyone else on the globe.

Over time, perhaps the Wiki can be extended to include guidance on text for read.me files and the like that could be shipped with user-generated scenery based on the source of the images. For now, I suspect the best advice is not to share on public forums as this may expose IPACS to legal complications that none of us would want.

Maybe someone post a video how to build a scenery with geoconvert ?

im going to email someone at USGS about this... I bet If we give away the scenery files I doubt there is issue, it's only when you make money off it they will get grumpy. This stuff is public domain.. Can anyone not in the USA try and connect to the usgs ftp site and download some imagery?

ftp://rockyftp.cr.usgs.gov/vde…taged/NAIP/wv_2016/37079/

edit: Submitted a question the the usgs.. should know shortly what they say.

Hello, I am working on a project to convert pretty much every NAIP 2015/2016 jp2 into a scenery file for the flight simulator Aerofly fs2. This will be freeware and would potentially be usable by people all over the world. Is this legal? can i use this public domain imagery as i have described? I dont want to get anyone into any trouble.

Quote from Sycosys

im going to email someone at USGS about this... I bet If we give away the scenery files I doubt there is issue, it's only when you make money off it they will get grumpy. This stuff is public domain.. Can anyone in Europe try and connect to the usgs ftp site and download some imagery?

ftp://rockyftp.cr.usgs.gov/vde…taged/NAIP/wv_2016/37079/

edit: Submitted a question the the usgs.. should know shortly what they say.

Hello, I am working on a project to convert pretty much every NAIP 2015/2016 jp2 into a scenery file for the flight simulator Aerofly fs2. This will be freeware and would potentially be usable by people all over the world. Is this legal? can i use this public domain imagery as i have described? I dont want to get anyone into any trouble.

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It´s working here in austria

working in the netherlands as well...

Quote from jozef

working in the netherlands as well...

Thanks.. I got a reply from the usgs.. i need to reach out to the agriculture deptartment but they have similar rules as the usgs.

My Email:

Topic: Maps/Remote Sensing/Geospatial Data

Subject: Legal to create a free to download scenery package using NAIP imagery?

Message: Hello, I am working on a project to convert pretty much every NAIP 2015/2016 jp2 into a scenery file for the flight simulator Aerofly fs2. This will be freeware and would potentially be usable by people all over the world. Is this legal? can i use this public domain imagery as i have described? I dont want to get anyone into any trouble. Thank you

USGS Response:

Hello,

The National Agriculture Imagery Program (NAIP) imagery is actually a Dept. of Agriculture product. We help distribute it through our USGS systems. I would think that the Dept. of Agriculture has a similar policy when it come to public domain material as we do (free to use, credit source) but you may want to contact them just to make sure. Contact information is on this website: https://www.fsa.usda.gov/progr…products/contact-us/index

Good day,

Ken Dixon

askusgs@usgs.gov

USGS Science Information Services - Anchorage

That is encouraging!

Here in the US, that sort of stuff is often considered taxpayer property and free to use. I would be a bit surprised if it differed in this case, though I could see why it would have to remain free for distribution. (with appropriate attributions)

I remember reading a few years ago about another country that had released a full country ortho dataset, but I can't remember what country it was.

Quote from HiFlyer

Here in the US, that sort of stuff is often considered taxpayer property and free to use. I would be a bit surprised if it differed in this case, though I could see why it would have to remain free for distribution. (with appropriate attributions)

as i work on the tool to handle all this im thinking it'll be easier to just get that out to people and let them start building their own Naip based imagery... It would take me months to even start making a dent in the US given my datacap from crapcast.

Developing this in my time away from work so hopefully i can get it all together pretty soon.

Quote from Sycosys

as i work on the tool to handle all this im thinking it'll be easier to just get that out to people and let them start building their own Naip based imagery... It would take me months to even start making a dent in the US given my datacap from crapcast.

Developing this in my time away from work so hopefully i can get it all together pretty soon.

I remember the X-plane10/11 HD mesh creator resorted to torrents eventually to disseminate the massive files of his project. In fact, that was initially why I learned to use torrents in the first place, which I hated the idea of up until then.

The problem that occurred was that instead of a few relatively large files, the project was divided up into about a zillion smaller files, and chasing them all down was utterly maddening, to the point I gave up.

Still, it might be a more viable idea, nowadays, who knows.

Hi,

even the metadata files of USGS images contain this information:

<accconst>There are no limitations for access.</accconst>

<useconst>None. The USDA-FSA Aerial Photography Field office asks to be credited in derived products.</useconst>

In Germany I would never ask an authority whether something is 'really' allowed.

They may get into mischief.

But the answer of the US authority was already encouraging.

Rodeo