FS2002/2004 Modified SRTM relief 76 m for Slovakia
Author: Vladimir Stoje
e-mail: stoje@volny.cz

This Slovak terrain mesh 76 m (LOD9) is made from the 3arc-sec SRTM. The voids in the source data were filled by the interpolation. Both the primary processing of the 3arc-sec data and the rendering of the terrain in the FS cause flattening and simplifying of the real shape of the terrain. This phenomenon was partially compensated by the sharpening of the source data. Made by the programs Surfer (Golden Software) and MS Terrain SDK 2000 and 2002.

The relief covers the area N49.9219 E016.1719 to N47.4609 E022.9687 in the boundaries of the LOD9 quadrants. This scenery contains only the elevation data. The other elements of the basic terrain as the landclass, locally used airborne photos, vector roads, rivers and lakes are available in different sceneries by other authors and they are continuously developed.

The small appendix files z_srtm_lzsl_317.bgl and z_srtm_lztt_718.bgl allow the smooth join of the SRTM relief with the airports Sliac LZSL and Poprad LZTT. Without these appendixes there would be the high steps on the joins between the FS airports and the precise SRTM surrounding. Similar phenomenon is visible in different degree also on several other airfields in this country, but it isn't solved here.

Installation: 

Copy the folder sr_srtm into Addon Scenery and install it in FS.

The rules for installation and rendering priority of different mesh sceneries are exactly described on the site http://www.fs-traveler.com/priority.shtml by Steve Greenwood:
- The higher LOD has automatic priority regardless the position in the Scenery Library.
- In comparison with the other types of sceneries, the mesh terrains in the same LOD have upside down priority in the FS2004 Scenery Library. On the overlay of sceneries, the relief on the lower position in the Scenery Library will be visible. By the combined use of the reliefs LOD9 for Czech Republic (cr_srtm) and Slovakia, the relative position doesn't matter, because these reliefs are identical on the overlays. To achieve the priority relative to other surrounding ordinary prepared 76 m LOD9 reliefs, move the layers with the modified reliefs cr_srtm and sr_srtm in the Scenery Library down (the best position is just above the Default Terrain).

The SRTM relief 76 m LOD9 for Slovakia doesn't cooperate with the older Slovak relief in LOD8 from Gtopo30 (archive skter.zip). If this old relief is also installed, there is possible to switch it off or uninstall. In FS2002, I recommend you to use the excellent modified summer generic textures by Milan Lisner (the archive textures_2k2_2003_03_24.zip at the sites of CVA design Periskop) and for FS2004 the another modifications of these textures by Marcel Pison http://www.palander.szm.sk/ .

Known issues:

The precise terrain is almost incompatible with some inaccurate default scenery elements, particularly some roads, railroads and streams or narrow rivers. As one provisional solution, there is also possible to switch them off, in FS2004 by deactivating the files rd, rr and st 952140 and 953140 in the folders Scenery\Eurw\Scenery and Scenery\Eure\Scenery. We can look forward for the new precise vtp/lwm/lc sceneries of several Cells http://www.simworld.szm.sk/ .
Until they will be available, for now I recommend to fly in High Tatras only in winter and without autogens.

Technical details:

The relief "76 m" (LOD9, exactly in the grid from the south 69 x 76 m to the north 65 x 76 m) was made from the 3arc-sec data SRTM (Shuttle Radar Topography Mission) from NASA with the programs Surfer (Golden Software) and Microsoft Terrain SDK 2000/2002. The voids were filled by the kriging interpolation. The data were sharpened with the use of the deconvolution matrix filter 7 x 7 (from the center to the border 192, -12, 3, -1, division factor 120) and with the thickening by the bicubic splines.

The saved flight "Slovakia" for FS2004 copy into the folder Flights/kiosk, it can help you to place towards the peaks of Western Tatras - Rohace and fly from the historical region Orava to Liptov.

Have nice flight!

Vladimir Stoje
(CVA Design)
April 12, 2004
e-mail: stoje@volny.cz


My great thanks for Filip Dvorak "Marky Parky", Tomas Meinlschmidt, Jiri Masnik, Milan Lisner, Tibor Stilz, Jiri Stejskal, Karel Kriz, Vladimir Synek, Michal Ruda, Jiri Brozek, Michal Krechowski, Pavel "Online" Svoboda and Pavel "Mesh" Svoboda, Martin Sedlarik, Jiri Chvatal, Karel Dvorak, Petr Sulc, Milan Puta, Miloslav Wolf, Tomas Knaifl, David Cerny, Martin Klumpler, Bretislav Brazda, Milos Palansky, Rudolf Piovarci, Jozef Kaffka, Peter Dubravcik, Milan Gatci, Peter Priskin, Marcel Pison, Peter Pfeifer and other dedicated consultants and testpilots!


Also thanks to all scenery fans from the avsim.com scenery and mesh design forum for many precious advices and ideas. In the connection to the mesh, my greatest thanks namely to Christian Stock, Holger Sandmann and Steve Greenwood!


Links: 

JPL NASA SRTM Public Distribution: http://edcsgs9.cr.usgs.gov/pub/data/srtm/
Surfer (Golden Software): http://goldensoftware.com/
CVA design (Czech Virtual Aviation): http://flightsim.periskop.cz/
FSClub Slovakia: http://www.fsclub.sk
Slovak Virtual Scenery FS2002: http://www.flightsim.szm.com/2002/FS2002.HTM
Slovak vACC (unofficial): http://flightsim.host.sk/ 

 

Disclaimer:

This scenery is freeware and it may not be sold nor included on any CD/DVD without written consent of the author. This scenery is distributed "as is" without a warranty of any kind. The author takes no responsibility for problems that may arise from use of this scenery. 
