SBuilderX Forum

Here's a problem I keep running into that I'd love to find a solution for: I use geotiff images for my phototerrain, and it would be really handy if I could use them as backgrounds for my SBX projects as well. However, every time I try to add a map from disk and click the "GeoTiff" button on the calibration screen, I get an error. I've attached an image of the error below.

Is it possible to add geotiffs as backgrounds? I'm using SB 3.13, by the way.

Thanks,
Bill Womack

I get the same dialog box. If I don't hit the GeoTiff button, but use the Calibrate button and fill in the coordinates I end up with a distorted image.

Since I can get the four boundary coordinates, I can easily make the TXT file that SBX looks for and then just convert the GeoTiff to a BMP file and import it that way. Much the same effort, but better results.

Hi Bill.

The geotiff must be in geographic projection with WGS84 datum. If it isn't SBuilderX might reject it.

You could check it quickly by making an INF file and seeing if resample will compile it. Resample will crash on anything but the right geotiff format.

On second thought, you said you already use it for resampling.

Then maybe the image is too large for SBuilderX to handle.

Dick

All good points, Dick. However, as you figured, my images are all in the correct projection for FSX already. I tried making a small one, just barely covering the grounds of a small airport, and it crashed as well. If that's too large, then the feature is fairly useless. I have a feeling it's something else, though.

From what I remember, Bill, there is no need to calibrate a GeoTIFF since it is already geo-referenced. Simply Add Map from Disk and choose your GeoTIFF, it will immediately display in the workspace in the correct location.

Let's see, I just tried it, displayed a Google background, created a GeoTIFF from it, started a new project and added the GeoTIFF, yes, it works perfectly.

The GeoTIFF button in the Calibration window is meant to be used to create a GeoTIFF from a normal Map. I thought that I put that in the Help file... yes, I did, here is the information:

Map calibration

As soon as you insert a map in SBuilder (File - Add Map from Disk) you are prompted to calibrate it. You can do it at once by introducing the latitudes and longitudes of the 4 borders of the map, as well as the dimensions of the degrees in the x and y directions.

GIS files with their associated world files, as well as GeoTIFF files will generally either be easier to calibrate or already contain calibration information. Any Map obtained through the SBuilderX image server function will be calibrated automatically.

The various buttons on this window are described below:

- GeoTiff - it makes a copy of the map in Geotiff format.


So, to conclude, please simply try adding your file and don't bother to calibrate.

Best regards.
Luis

Many thanks for the reply, Luis. I must have been thrown off by the dialog saying that my geotiff would need to be calibrated once I added it. I'll try just adding it and see what happens.