Loading Dynamic Routes

A Dynamic Route can be created by loading an ASCII file containing a free-format text description of the route’s waypoints. ASCII files can be generated manually, using a common text editor, or imported from other data formats (e.g., exported files from Microsoft Excel or other route generators).

To Load a Dynamic Route

1.       Select the Load Dynamic Route icon from the Toolbox “Dynamic Objects” tab (icon #3), or use the Create menu.

2.       In the “From File” section in the Open Dialog Box, enter the name of the file to load, or browse to find it. The file can have a .txt or .asc file name extension.

3.       Click the “Open” button.

4.       In the “File Format” section in the Select Fields page, choose the Separator between columns. You can choose: Space, Tab, Comma, Semicolon, or create your own custom character in the box to the right of the drop-down list. The Sample rows window is given for reference – It shows a few rows from the file to help you identify the separator and the columns.

5.       In the “Coordinate Fields” section specify the columns in the ASCII file where the X-coordinate and Y-coordinate (West-East and South-North respectively) data is located.

6.       For a file that includes speed information for each waypoint, in the “Speed Field” section specify the column in the ASCII file where it is located.

7.       For a file that does not include speed information enter the default speed value, and select the speed units in the “Speed Field” section.

8.       Click the Next button.

9.       In the “Dynamic Object Settings” section in the Route Settings page, set the dynamic object parameters.

10.    In the "Waypoints Altitude” section choose how to handle the altitude values for the waypoints.

11.    If the ASCII file coordinates are in a different coordinate system than the coordinate system of the terrain set the reprojection parameters in the “Reprojection” section.

12.    Click the Import button to start the loading process.

Selecting ASCII File Fields

File Format:

§         Separator between columns – Specify the character separator used in the ASCII file to be imported. You can choose one of the following separators: Space, Tab, Comma, Semicolon, or create your own custom character in the box to the right of the drop-down list.

§         The sample rows window is given for reference. – It shows a few rows from the file, to help you identify the separator and the columns.

Coordinate Fields:

§         X Column – Specify the column in the ASCII file from where the X-coordinate (West - East) data is derived.  This is a mandatory field.

§         Y Column – Specify the column in the ASCII file from where the Y-coordinate (South - North) data is derived.  This is a mandatory field.

Speed Fields:

§         Specify the column in the ASCII file from where the speed value for each waypoint is derived. If the information is not available set a Default Value to be used in all the waypoints and select the speed units.

Setting Route Parameters

Dynamic Objects Settings:

§         Motion Style – Determines the style of motion of the Dynamic Object. You can choose from Ground Vehicle, Airplane, Helicopter or Hover.

·         Ground Vehicle – The object gets pitch and roll angles according to the terrain surface under the object while it moves.

·         Airplane – The object sets the pitch angles during the flight according to altitude differences between the waypoints. It also rolls while turning between the waypoints.

·         Helicopter – The object leans forward with a fixed pitch angle of –15 degrees. It also rolls while turning between the waypoints.

·         Hover – The object always keeps the pitch and roll angels set to zero.

§         Object Type – Determines the type of object. Choose “3D Model” to add an imported 3D model, “Image Label” to add an image label, “Text Label” to add a text label or “Virtual” to add a virtual object.

§         Scale – Determines the dimensions of the dynamic object.

·         For Text Label object type the scale determines the dimensions, in meters per pixel, of the label. The maximum character height is the Font Size times the Scale value.

·         For Image Label object type the scale determines the dimensions, in meters per pixel, of the label. The maximum label size is the image size in pixels times the Scale value.

·         For 3D Model type the scale determines the dimensions, in meters per pixel, of the 3D model. The actual size of the model in the 3D World is the size of the model in its internal coordinate system times the Scale value. (i.e. if the model has a width of 5 units and the scale is set to 10 meters per pixel, the width of the object in the 3D World is 50 meters.)

§         File Name – For 3D Model and Image types select the associated file. In the “File Name” field, type, or browse, a path to an .x, .xpc, .flt or .fpc for 3D models, or, .bmp, .jpg, jpeg or .gif for Image labels.

§         Text – Determines the text to be used if the Object type is a Text Label.

Way Points Altitude (Z-Value):

§         In the drop-down box, specify the column in the ASCII file from where the Z-value (West - East) data is derived or choose Ignore geometry z value if not available.

§         Offset in meters – Adds the given value to each Z-coordinate in the dataset.

§         If the Z values are relative to the terrain select the Altitude values are relative to terrain option, otherwise, select the Altitude values are absolute option.

Reprojection:

Select the Reproject check-box if the coordinate system of the layer is different from the coordinate system of the terrain. You may click the Set Coordinate System button to open the Coordinate System dialog page and specify the coordinate system of the layer. See Changing the coordinate system.

ASCII Files Basic Rules

§         Each line in the file represents a single way point.

§         Each line in the file should contain, at least: an X and Y coordinate.

§         Every line must have the same number of columns. Corresponding columns must have the same data types (although optional parameters are allowed).

§         Optional parameters may be represented by empty spaces when using a TAB, comma or semi-colon as separators.  For example, if the column format is "X, Y, H, P" where only "X" and "Y" are mandatory parameters, "X, Y" is sufficient to set the X and Y values only, but “X, Y, P” is required to set the P value.

§         When using SPACE as a separator, the number of spaces in between columns is irrelevant.  Therefore, empty parameters are not allowed in this type of file.

§         It is mandatory that the chosen separator from the Import ASCII window is exactly the same as the separator used in the file.

§         For custom separators, it is required that the characters used are not in conflict with the data.  For example, if the data contains a URL in the form “http://<URL>,” using a colon as a custom separator, TerraExplorer distinguishes “http” as one column, and “//<URL>” as another.