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    Scene Express 2 :: GIS

    Getting Started with Scene Express 2
    Getting Started with Scene Express 2

    Part 6. GIS Export

    The GIS export option is only available for VNS.
    Screen captures are from VNS 3.

    1. Open the Atlantis project from the WCSProjects\SX folder on your hard drive. Save the project as AtlantisGIS.

    A software interface displaying a 3D modeling environment with two render views (theater and overhead) and a data table showing object properties and rendering settings.

    2. Go to the Render Task Mode in the Scene-at-a-Glance and add a Scene Exporter Component.

    Screenshot of Visual Nature Studio 3.0 software interface showing a context menu with options including "Add Component of this type" and a directory list related to render settings on the left.

    3. Name it GIS and change the Output Format to GIS. Replace Exports\AtlantisGIS in the Output File target with GIS\AtlantisGIS. This will create a GIS folder in the SX project folder to hold the exported GIS files. Temporary files will be saved in an Exports folder.

    Screenshot of the Scene Exporter Editor - GIS dialog box, with GIS format selected and file paths specified for Output File and Temp Path.

    4. Go to the Terrain page. Choose Geographic – WGS 84 from the Coordinate System dropdown list.

    Screenshot of the Scene Exporter Editor GIS software interface displaying options for exporting terrain and setting coordinate system parameters, with Geographic WGS 84 selected from a dropdown menu.

    5. Open the Database Editor and select all the DEMs.

    A database editor window with a table showing properties for different items including Shadow, Atlantis.D, Atlantis.C, Atlantis.B, Atlantis.A, and Theater. Various settings such as Enabled, View, and Style are listed.

    6. Back in the Scene Exporter Editor, Snap to selected Database Objects.

    Screenshot of "Scene Exporter Editor - GIS" window showing various options for terrain resolution, coordinate system, bounds, size, grid settings, and fractal depth.

    7. The Bounds: Snap to Database Objects window will appear, explaining how the process works. The desired database objects are selected in the Database Editor, so click OK. The Scene Exporter Editor will update. The Columns and Rows settings will yield a Grid Cell Size of approximately 10 meters.

    Dialog box titled "Bounds: Snap to Database Objects" with the instructions and options to click "OK" or "Cancel." A mouse cursor is hovering over the "OK" button.
    A software screen titled "Scene Exporter Editor - GIS" showing options for terrain resolution, bounds, grid cell size, and coordinate system settings including WGS 84. Navigation tabs are at the top.

    8. There are no LOD options in the GIS format.

    Screenshot of a Scene Exporter Editor software window showing settings for Level of Detail (LOD), including options for detail levels, fill gaps between tiles, and various distance parameters.

    9. Turn to the Texture page. This controls the texture draped on the terrain. Change the Columns and Rows to 335. That will give us a terrain texture resolution of 3 meters per image pixel.

    A Scene Exporter Editor window shows various options for exporting texture maps in GIS, including power settings, image format selection, and shadowing options. Numeric fields for columns and rows are visible.

    10. The Foliage page defaults to exporting foliage in the PNG image format.

    A screenshot of the Foliage tab in the Scene Exporter Editor - GIS software. Options include Export Foliage, Image Format, Max Image Size, Flipboards, Alpha Transparency, and Export Labels.

    11. There are no Sky options in the GIS exporter.

    A Scene Exporter Editor window displaying Sky Features options with checkbox selections for exporting various sky-related elements and size settings. The Sky tab is selected.

    12. The Misc page only has vector options. By default, vectors are exported as a shapefile.

    A screenshot of the Scene Exporter Editor - GIS software in the 'Misc' tab. Various options for exporting 3D objects, walls, and vectors are shown with checkboxes and input fields for settings.

    13. Misc2 page Cameras, Lights, and Haze options are not available in the GIS exporter.

    Screenshot of the Scene Exporter Editor - GIS window showing the Misc2 tab with options for selecting Cameras (Theater, Planimetric, Overhead, Island), Lights (Afternoon), and Haze (Atmosphere).

    14. Return to the General page and Export Scene Now.

    A screenshot of the Scene Exporter Editor software window with settings for exporting GIS scenes, including output format, output file, and temp path options. The "Export Scene Now" button is highlighted.

    15. This will open VNS Export Control. Go to start exporting.

    Screenshot of the VNS Export Control interface showing settings for exporting GIS. Options include format, items, burn shading, and resolution. The selected export is GIS. The "Go" button is highlighted.

    16. VNS will ask you to confirm the creation of new directories in the SX project folder. You won’t get the WCSProjects:SX\Exports window if you’ve done other Scene Express tutorials.

    Dialog box with message "Path does not exist. Create a new directory?" and option buttons "OK" and "Cancel." Cursor is pointing at the "OK" button.

    17. VNS Export Control will let you know when export is complete.

    Screenshot of VNS Export Control software interface showing GIS export settings with options for format, items, and details. A preview image of a tree and export progress bar are visible.

    18. Your WCSProjects\SX\GIS folder contains all the exported data files.

     » FLT, HDR, and PRJ files define the terrain
    » Foliage shapefile contains points for each stem with ID, image name, and height attributes
    » TIF texture drape and associated TFW file
    Screenshot of a file directory listing various files including GIS images, PRJ, PNG, DBF, and AutoCAD Shape files, displayed with details such as name, size, and type.

    19. Exported files from this tutorial are in the WCSProjects\SX\Tutorial Output\GIS folder on the VNS 3 DVD. The completed project file is in the WCSProjects\SX\Tutorial Projects folder on your hard drive.

    Produced by Scott Cherba for 3DNature

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