Difference between revisions of "Tarsier tutorial: Renderer"

From CCoWS Wiki
Jump to: navigation, search
Line 15: Line 15:
 
# Open a new Renderer
 
# Open a new Renderer
 
## Select File --> New --> Data Views --> Render View (if its not on the list, you need to [[Tarsier: Loading DLLs|load a DLL]])
 
## Select File --> New --> Data Views --> Render View (if its not on the list, you need to [[Tarsier: Loading DLLs|load a DLL]])
−
# Load some RasterData into the Renderer. The raster would normally represent elevations, as in topography or bathymetry. Note that this tutorial might not work if the raster's coordinate system is Lat/Lon (like the Kauai example) instead of UTM.
+
# Load some RasterData into the Renderer. The raster would normally represent elevations, as in topography or bathymetry.  
−
## '''Warning''': The Renderer currently only draws UTM rasters properly<ref name="utm">Tarsier used to draw UTM rasters just fine, but when the terrain tessellation system was implemented (to handle very large rasters), the ability to tesselate lat/lon rasters was left behind. At present, the tesselation and rendering code attempts to handle lat/lon rasters, but the results are flawed</ref> . So if your raster is in Geographic projection (lat/lon) as it may well be if you just took the [[Tarsier tutorial: Raster data|raster data tutorial]], you first need to re-sample it to UTM, and there is a [[Tarsier tutorial: Raster resampler|re-sampling tutorial]] for that.
+
## '''Warning''': The Renderer currently only draws UTM rasters properly<ref name="utm">Tarsier used to draw UTM rasters just fine, but when the terrain tessellation system was implemented (to handle very large rasters), the ability to tesselate lat/lon rasters was left behind. At present, the tesselation and rendering code attempts to handle lat/lon rasters, but the results are flawed</ref> . So if your raster is in Geographic projection (lat/lon) as it may well be if you just took the [[Tarsier tutorial: Raster data|raster data tutorial]] and imported some Kauai data, you first need to re-sample it to UTM, and there is a [[Tarsier tutorial: Raster resampler|re-sampling tutorial]] for that.
−
## Select the 'Raster' tab
+
## (Once you have a UTM raster,) Select the 'Raster' tab
 
## If your RasterData is not yet open within Tarsier:
 
## If your RasterData is not yet open within Tarsier:
 
### Select 'Open' on the [[UseeControl]] named 'Relief'
 
### Select 'Open' on the [[UseeControl]] named 'Relief'
Line 26: Line 26:
 
# Make some Terrain corresponding to the Raster (Unless this RasterData has been rendered before it probably doesn't already have Terrain associated with it).
 
# Make some Terrain corresponding to the Raster (Unless this RasterData has been rendered before it probably doesn't already have Terrain associated with it).
 
## Click the 'Make' button
 
## Click the 'Make' button
−
## Select your RasterData object again, and click OK
+
## Hit OK to confirm that you want to make some terrain tessellation files (a bit like pyramid files in ArcMap)
−
## When asked 'Please confirm the terrain name and location (or change it)', create a new folder called 'terrain' inside the folder where the raster is, and then save the terrain ([[TRNTI]]) with the default name inside that folder.
+
## Hit OK to confirm that you want to use the suggested [[TRNTI]] file name in a 'terrain' sub-folder within the folder where your raster resides.
−
## You might have to wait for it to make the terrain (up to about 30 minutes, but instantaneous if your raster is not huge)
+
## If your raster is very large (millions of pixels), you might have to wait several minutes it to make the terrain tessellation.
−
# Select the same raster in the 'Raster' [[UseeControl]] as you used for the Relief.
+
−
## You shouldn't need to do this, but since default cameras presently are based on Raster and not Relief, you need to.
+
 
# Enable the Raster
 
# Enable the Raster
 
## Click the Check Box at the top-left of the Raster tab
 
## Click the Check Box at the top-left of the Raster tab
Line 37: Line 35:
 
## Click one of the three buttons with a picture of a camera (middle-left)
 
## Click one of the three buttons with a picture of a camera (middle-left)
 
## You should see your raster
 
## You should see your raster
−
### It might be in wire-frame mode, which you can change by clicking 'Solid Surface' on the 'Econ' tab
+
# Change the color of your raster
 +
## Its probably pink right now, which denotes 'NoData' - referring to the fact that you probably haven't selected a raster for it to use in deciding what color to render the terrain (as opposed to the 'Relief' raster that you used to specify how high to draw the terrain)
 +
## Go back to the 'Raster' tab
 +
## In the 'Raster' [[UseeControl]], select the same raster that you are using for the Relief
 +
## The raster should now look colored according to elevation (and shading due to different sun angles on the terrain)
 +
## To change the color scheme, click the 'C' button, then select 'Custom' and 'Rainbow' (if its not already set to this)
 +
## You should see different colors on the raster now
 +
# Change the level of detail
 +
## Your raster might look a bit blurry, this is to make the rendering fast. You can add detail at the expense of speed as follows.
 +
## Select the 'Econ' tab (it stands for 'Economy' i.e. being efficient)
 +
## Type '20' in the 'Detail' box (the default is 5)
 +
## Type 'TAB', or click somewhere outside the box to get it to accept this value (the need for this is related to another [[Tarsier: Entering text in edit boxes|Tarsier bug]])
 +
## Go back to the 'Raster' tab and disable then re-enable the Raster (this is only needed because of a minor refresh bug)
 
# Fly around your terrain
 
# Fly around your terrain
 
## Click 'Keys' on the 'Cam1' tab
 
## Click 'Keys' on the 'Cam1' tab

Revision as of 12:06, 22 February 2009

What is the 'Renderer'?

Strictly speaking, a renderer is any process that produces a visual representation of some data. So a RasterView is a renderer. However, the Renderer in Tarsier conventionally refers to the main 3D renderer that is used to produce most 3D visualizations.

The Renderer draws 3D scenes described by a wide range of data, including multiple rasters, vectors, sites, etc.

Pre-requisites for this tutorial?

Using the Renderer to view some raster data and nothing else

  1. Open Tarsier
  2. Open a new Renderer
    1. Select File --> New --> Data Views --> Render View (if its not on the list, you need to load a DLL)
  3. Load some RasterData into the Renderer. The raster would normally represent elevations, as in topography or bathymetry.
    1. Warning: The Renderer currently only draws UTM rasters properly[1] . So if your raster is in Geographic projection (lat/lon) as it may well be if you just took the raster data tutorial and imported some Kauai data, you first need to re-sample it to UTM, and there is a re-sampling tutorial for that.
    2. (Once you have a UTM raster,) Select the 'Raster' tab
    3. If your RasterData is not yet open within Tarsier:
      1. Select 'Open' on the UseeControl named 'Relief'
      2. Navigate to the RasterData TRA file that you want to open[1]
    4. If your RasterData is already open within Tarsier:
      1. Select the drop-down arrow on the UseeControl named 'Relief'
      2. Select your raster from the list of currently open rasters
  4. Make some Terrain corresponding to the Raster (Unless this RasterData has been rendered before it probably doesn't already have Terrain associated with it).
    1. Click the 'Make' button
    2. Hit OK to confirm that you want to make some terrain tessellation files (a bit like pyramid files in ArcMap)
    3. Hit OK to confirm that you want to use the suggested TRNTI file name in a 'terrain' sub-folder within the folder where your raster resides.
    4. If your raster is very large (millions of pixels), you might have to wait several minutes it to make the terrain tessellation.
  5. Enable the Raster
    1. Click the Check Box at the top-left of the Raster tab
  6. Point the camera at the terrain
    1. Select the 'Cam1' tab
    2. Click one of the three buttons with a picture of a camera (middle-left)
    3. You should see your raster
  7. Change the color of your raster
    1. Its probably pink right now, which denotes 'NoData' - referring to the fact that you probably haven't selected a raster for it to use in deciding what color to render the terrain (as opposed to the 'Relief' raster that you used to specify how high to draw the terrain)
    2. Go back to the 'Raster' tab
    3. In the 'Raster' UseeControl, select the same raster that you are using for the Relief
    4. The raster should now look colored according to elevation (and shading due to different sun angles on the terrain)
    5. To change the color scheme, click the 'C' button, then select 'Custom' and 'Rainbow' (if its not already set to this)
    6. You should see different colors on the raster now
  8. Change the level of detail
    1. Your raster might look a bit blurry, this is to make the rendering fast. You can add detail at the expense of speed as follows.
    2. Select the 'Econ' tab (it stands for 'Economy' i.e. being efficient)
    3. Type '20' in the 'Detail' box (the default is 5)
    4. Type 'TAB', or click somewhere outside the box to get it to accept this value (the need for this is related to another Tarsier bug)
    5. Go back to the 'Raster' tab and disable then re-enable the Raster (this is only needed because of a minor refresh bug)
  9. Fly around your terrain
    1. Click 'Keys' on the 'Cam1' tab
    2. Type 'm' to select the view vector instead of the movement vector
    3. Use the arrow keys: left, right, up, down
    4. For more advanced flying see Tarsier: Renderer flight controls

Saving a Renderer

  1. Need detailed instructions here, but for now, see Saving files

Notes and references

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 Tarsier used to draw UTM rasters just fine, but when the terrain tessellation system was implemented (to handle very large rasters), the ability to tesselate lat/lon rasters was left behind. At present, the tesselation and rendering code attempts to handle lat/lon rasters, but the results are flawed

Who has taken this tutorial?

Please enter your user name here:

  • ....

Next

  • ...

Links

Retrieved from "http://ccows.csumb.edu/wiki/index.php?title=Tarsier_tutorial:_Renderer&oldid=1185"