Re: [CAD_CAM_EDM_DRO] contour mapping

npalen@... wrote:

> Hello all--I've been wanting to CNC machine a scaled "relief map" of
> the wheat and cattle farm where I grew up in North Central Kansas
> U.S.A. This consists of several hundred acres of rolling terrain
> including the farmstead. All I have left are the memories and an
> aerial photo of the buildings.
> Would anyone have knowledge of what it would take to utilize data
> from the U.S. Geological Survey (URL below) to program the contours?
> I would like to construct scale models of the buildings from memory
> and place them on what I envision to be about a 24" square "map".
> The various "ponds" filled with something to simulate water would top
> it off! Can anyone please help me? Thanks. Nelson
> http://navigation.helper.realnames.com/framer/1/262/default.asp?
> realname=U%2ES%2E+Geological+Survey&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww%2Eusgs%
> 2Egov&frameid=1&providerid=262&uid=30116898

USGS data is available on CDROM for a moderate cost. Another group
I am interested in has an open-source flight simulator, and they have
used ASGS and other data sources to build a world database, with
elevation and land-use data to map textures onto the terrain. the
effect is quite fantastic! They have the database (in their format)
online. The project is called FGFS (Flight Gear Flight Simulator).
See the home page at http://www.flightgear.org/

The original USGS data is called DEM, for Digital Elevation Map.

Jon