Author Topic: Where am I? (Plan-G and MyTopo)  (Read 2887 times)

Doug

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Where am I? (Plan-G and MyTopo)
« on: July 07, 2011, 08:44:37 AM »
I've received several emails from folks wondering how we know the names of things in FSDiscover! and how we can easily "place" ourselves where we want, etc.  There are two tools that, when combined, can put you about anywhere you want to be and explain what you are seeing around you. These are Plan-G and MyTopo.  If you are familiar with RTTM, you are familiar with Plan-G (See Faq).  But combining the MyTopo site with it is a great link between "virtual" and "reality" map-wise.

Here is the best starting link for MyTopo: http://www.mytopo.com/maps/index.cfm?

Let's say you just read "Key West Connection" (a great book). And the hero moors his boat at Garrison Bight.  You'd like to know more about the area, so instead of buying a plane ticket, you turn to the Flight Simulator.  First you bring up MyTopo (url above).  In the Search Box, you type in "Garrison Bight" ... and the search immediately brings you up showing Key West ... use the + / - slider to zoom in and you are zooming in on Garrison Bight.  If you click on the "MyTopo" in the upper right of the window, you get an actual map of that area. Zoom in on that and you will find navigation markers, street names, and points of interest.  Look just under the map in fine print ... you will see lat/long ... but it is not in the "format" used by FSX. (You can see this in the MyTopo screen shot below, look under the map bottom left). So click on the Change Formats there and up come the lat/long in degrees and seconds that you are ALMOST used to seeing, one further tiny step.  You'll see something like:

22-33.713N   and 81-47.086W 
to translate that to what we use, change it like to this...
N22 33.71     and W81 47.08

You can move the cursor around on the map to where you would like to start off, note the lat/long, translate it to "FSX" and make a note of it.  Now go to FSX, bring up the MAP view and enter those coordinates.  When you click OK, you'll be "there"!  (Always put altitude at 0 and speed at 0).

Reversing this process, let's say you are already at Garrison Bight and you want to know what that is you are seeing off to the left side.  Go to slew mode, and grab the lat/long coordinates. Now go to the SEARCH by Coordinates feature in MyTopo. (Last image, below). You add those coordinates LEAVING OUT the N and W.  22 33 71   and 81 47 08  and when you enter these, MyTopo will come up centered on those coordinates. Zoom in our out to look for your "feature" ... your odds are HIGH that it will be right there for your, named!

We have over 700 way points and Points of Interest in the rtmm database that will name almost everything of interest in our area via FSDiscover! (This is found at the top of the Map Room and updated weekly).  MyTopo will not find "Misty's Place" ... it is fictional as are many of our locations.  But it is in the rtmm.dat file. You can  use that database to search for a cabin or a feature. It is in alphabetical order, once you've found it, the lat/long coordinates are there. Add those when you are in MAP view and you will be "at" that feature.  Note also that Dieter keeps the Plan-G database up to date so those locations can be found in Plan-G.  That also can be downloaded from the top of the Map Room.  And, of course, don't forget the Map Room ... there you will find a safe mooring point or flight starting point for all our locations.  You note the lat/lon and use the MAP view to enter the coordinates and you are transported to a safe place near that location to start your journey.

If you don't know the name, like Garrison Bight, then you search for an area ... "Key West" and zoom in. If you are in FSX and want to know what's around you, go to slew mode, note the coordinates, enter them into the search area for MyTopo and a map of where you are will appear .. with most things around you named.

MyTopo is a very strong program. Often you can put in the name of a lake, and it will zero right in on it. The MyTopo site usage is free, and we've given them a special Thank You on the Friends page at RTMM.  But if you would like to have a printed map centered on an area of interest, once you have it on your screen, you can click on a button and order that map, the prices are not prohibitive for the quality you get.

By combining the TopDown view of FSX, Plan-G and MyTopo ... you'll always know WHERE you are and WHAT is in your surrounding area.

D

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« Last Edit: July 07, 2011, 09:00:13 AM by Doug »