Shape Files - Ocean With Lakes-Elevations

boleyd · Post by **boleyd** » Fri Feb 11, 2005 3:59 am

I want to use an ESRI shape file that covers an area that has both ocean and lake features. When I use the file everything (LWM polygons) are at sea level. Lakes therefore set in deep pits. Is there a way to have the lakes folow the mesh instead of defaulting to sea level. I did specify Ocean and Lake when appending the MP file from Mapedit (converts shp to mp).

Luis Sa · Post by **Luis Sa** » Fri Feb 11, 2005 1:33 pm

Hi Dick,

Unfortunately this is not possible. Unless you want to use the label field to carry the altitude.

Say that a lake has an altitude of 480 meters. Edit the label field in the ESRI database to look like "Some_Lake###480//". Basically add the altitude at the end of the name.

Then append in the normal way with the LWM attribute = 0 meters or sea level. Then export as a text file. You will get something like:

[Poly.1]
Name=Lake Some_Name###480//
Type=LWM//Water//0//
Color=16711680

With Winword and the Find and Replace function you can make global changes. There are many possibilities. One is this:

1) Find all "Type=LWM//Water//0//" and change to "". The file will become like this:

[Poly.1]
Name=Lake Some_Name###480//
Color=16711680

2) Find all "###" and replace with "^p###" . Note that ^p means newline. The file will become:

[Poly.1]
Name=Lake Some_Name
###480//
Color=16711680

3) Find all "###" and replace with "Type=LWM//Water//". Your file will become:

[Poly.1]
Name=Lake Some_Name
Type=LWM//Water//480//
Color=16711680

Then Import the SBX! Voilá!

Regards, Luis

Luis Sa · Post by **Luis Sa** » Fri Feb 11, 2005 1:38 pm

Hello,

After writing this I thought you were looking after the way of getting the altitude from the mesh. I think that StartiBlast has this feature. However Jim Keir knows how to read the BGL mesh files. I do not know. For the moment this is not possible.

Regards, Luis

boleyd · Post by **boleyd** » Fri Feb 11, 2005 6:22 pm

Thanks Luis. Too many lakes to manually change. The area is Alaska.
Thanks for your prompt response!!

RF · Post by RF » Sat Feb 12, 2005 11:44 pm

Hi Dick;
In similar circumstances I will export the LWMs from the .sbp file as a .bln file which removes elevation values. I delete the existing LWMs and then re-append the .bln file as water mask LWMs at -9999 for mesh clinging. You would then have to assign ocean polys as 0 elevation manually. I have thus far left my ocean areas at -9999 as my ocean polygons typically encompass many islands which would be flattened if I assigned the 0 value.
Ross

boleyd · Post by **boleyd** » Sun Feb 13, 2005 9:30 pm

Ross,
Thanks for the tip. It sems to work!!