Terragen 3 with animation not working with any DEM files [updated title]

[kris]

I had worked on a project based on a DEM file with the free version a few weeks back (3.2.03.0). Happy with the results, we bought the full version with animation to continue the project.

With the latest version of Terragen 3 on the Mac, I can no longer load in the DEM files used previously (tiff, asc, img). The old project file has a giant hole in the ground where the DEM file was. Creating a new project, I can't import a DEM file of any type successfully.

I can import the DEM and see it on the PC version 3.2.03.0. On the Mac version 3.2.04.0 I can't replicate the same results doing the same things.

Is there a download link to one version back for the Mac? I no longer have the disk image file and would like to see if it's a bug with the newest version.

[Oshyan]

Thanks for the report and sorry for the difficulty you've encountered. We will definitely look into the problem.

If you still have the free version installer for 3.2.03.0 you can just uninstall the newer licensed version and reinstall that. If not, we can send you the older version.

- Oshyan

[kris]

An update: this seems to be a problem with the Terragen 3 with Animation version, both 3.2.03.0 and 3.2.04.0.

With the free version, I clean start the program. I add terrain > heightfield (load DEM) > navigate to the DEM file (in my case an img file). When I import it, it goes through the load bar motions and then imports the terrain correctly. I can zoom back and see the terrain deformation as it should be.

With the animation version, I go through the exact same steps, the program loads the DEM data, and then nothing. The terrain does not update.

I've tried it about 20 times over to make sure I'm not going crazy. I've tried other methods like saving with the free version and opening it up in the paid version, yet no DEM data gets translated.

Please let me know when there is a fix for this. We put Terragen up against the other terrain programs and were pleased with the results, but if the paid version cannot work to the same capacity it will be a huge problem for our projects and deadlines.

[Oshyan]

That's very strange, we load DEM data all the time in the Pro + Animation versions and haven't seen this problem, but it's possible we haven't tested it as thoroughly on the Mac recently. Have you tried other sources of DEM data (just for testing purposes)?

- Oshyan

[kris]

I did try a tiff version of a DEM early on, but ultimately came back to what we needed to get working as I believe I was having the same issue. We are using data directly from the USGS.

To be clear, this is happening on the version with animation, regardless of whether or not it is PC or Mac. I've tried both. I've verified with co-workers, having them do the same thing and them getting the same results on both PC and Mac.

Following the steps above, I've been able to replicate the problem going from working in the free version to the animation version not working.

I will try a different DEM file in the meantime to see if I can't move forward with the project. If it helps, I can upload the DEM file in question that is giving us trouble.

[Oshyan]

Yes, that was going to be my next question is whether you can share the DEM data with us, and ideally the coordinates/download info from the USGS. If you're using Earth Explorer or similar, you ought to be able to get the data in several different formats (same data, different formats), and TG should support most - if not all - of those formats, so if you haven't done so already you could also try same data but different format.

You can send us data or links to the support email address support AT planetside.co.uk.

Thanks for your patience. We'll do our best to sort this out ASAP!

- Oshyan

[jo]

Hi,

I can't look into it deeply just at the moment, but it sounds like something to do with the georeferencing. The free version doesn't do it, whereas the deep version has probably loaded it and placed it in the "correct" place on the planet.

Something to try is going to the Geog heightfield load node and copying one of the coords i.e. "SW corner lat long". Go to the Planet 01 node and paste this into the "Lat long at apex" field.

That will kind of spin the planet around so the planet origin is at one corner of the terrain. Alternatively you can just turn off georeferencing and the DEM should turn up just as it does in the free version.

Regards,

Jo

[kris]

Thank you for the note about geo-referencing. We will explore that more tomorrow morning to see if we can fix the issue.

Update: looks like tweaking around geo-referencing fixed it for now. Thank you for the help.

[Oshyan]

Glad to hear it, well spotted Jo. You can always just disable georeferencing if you want to have the terrain show up at the coordinate origin (even just for testing purposes, to verify the data is loaded and working). You can also right-click in the 3D Preview and choose Center On Object or Shader and select the DEM loader to find it on the planet when it's georeferenced. This may put your camera inside the terrain, but a moment of navigation should get you out of it.

- Oshyan