Using landscape to represent data

[seppie]

I would like to build terrain with objects that represent data. For example, the height of a cylinder might correspond to some data value. The user could then fly through a field of data. Ideally, this terrain could be updated semi-frequently. I am new to all this. Is this possible? If so, could you briefly outline how I would go about it?

[N4733D]

Exactly what do you mean? It was a little confusing to read that. However, depending on who you talk to, you will probably be using Airport for Windows, FSSC, and with the types of things you were describing, EOD. All of which are available here, except maybe EOD. And I know Airport and EOD are free, that's what I use.

[Travis]

Just so you know, FSSC is Flight Simulator Scenery Creator and EOD is Easy Object Designer.

What you are describing sounds interesting, if I am reading it right.  Sort of like a virtual data storage system, right?

You might also want to learn how to use Gmax (also free) and create the little stuff for this project.

[N4733D]

Sorry for abreviating. I get in the practice and forget sometimes.

[seppie]

Thanks for the input. The idea I have is to do a type of virtual reality system. I have in mind possibly creating buildings where various attributes of the buildings might correspond to certain data values. For example, lenght, width, height, color, etc might have a correspondence to attributes of the data.

How hard is it to read in a datafile of say 500 items, each with multiple data fields and then create through a macro buildings to represent the data attributes?

Which tool would be best for this task?

[Travis]

Well, as far as I know, there isn't a program out there that can convert raw data into something usable by any other program.  If you are really wanting to do this you could just enter all the information in by hand using FSSC.  You might also want to create your own macros for this, to lend it a sort of VR experience feel.

[seppie]

Entering data by hand is not a viable option. I want something that could be semi-frequently updated.

Writing a macro is fine. Which would be better for this task -- FSSC or GMAX?

I need to be able to read the data in from say a text file and then create buildings or something else with dimensions based on the data.

[Travis]

Like I said, I haven't heard of a program that can be used to convert info directly from a file to a format FS can use, and I have been doing this for awhile.  The closest thing you could get that would do what you want would be FSSC.  Gmax doesn't handle scenery very well.