Has anyone figured out how to use the new USGS STDS dems?  I've tried a lot of the "old ways" with no luck.  I'm probably too lost in Bryce 4 nomenclature, but if anyone has successfully used the new USGS format, I'd love to know how.

Thanks,

NB

What is a USGS STDS Dems?? Its not something you can catch from a street girl is it??

I haven't tried the sdts format dems.
You could try converting them to normal DEMs:
http://www.cs.arizona.edu/projects/topovista/sdts2dem/

or hit the DEM archives and maybe find the original for what you need:
http://edcftp.cr.usgs.gov/pub/data/DEM/250/

Ooh, DEM archives!  Thanks, dvlenk6!  (get a easier nik...)

Attached Link: http://www.usna.edu/Users/oceano/pguth/website/microdem.htm

Sounds interesting thanks

Attached Link: 3DEM

Outputs .tifs, .bmp's and Terragen files among others.

Easy to use program.

DEM's (Digital Elevation Models) are three dimensional models of terrains. Basically a three dimensional topographic map.

They can be altered, textured and modified just like any other map/image in Bryce or any other 3D programs.

I get USA DEM's here: http://www.geocomm.com/ (registration required).

And the Mars Dems/SDTS's here: http://pds-geosciences.wustl.edu/missions/mgs/megdr.html (Some these are VERY large files.)

Thanks ranachronos for the info on microDEM. I'll download it give it a try.
 
Hope this info helps for those of you that are new to DEM's.

Best,

Jacques

Thanks, Jacques!  Ooh, Mars DEMs!!

Hrm, for a moment I thought ppl were talking in l33t. I was on a MUD for some years and started to communicate with everyone using shorthand.. like AFK ATM. BRB || BBL ASAP. etc etc.

WTF?

Quote - Hrm, for a moment I thought ppl were talking in l33t. I was on a MUD for some years and started to communicate with everyone using shorthand.. like AFK ATM. BRB || BBL ASAP. etc etc.

like  "DEMS the breaks"  :) I still dont know what DEMS are :)

DEM: (D)igital (E)levation (M)ap.
It is a format that encodes terrain height. Surveyors use it.
Bryce can import them and make terrains from real world measurements.
There are many other formats; but you can convert them to a usable format (.dem or .ddf) for Bryce to use.

For the OP,
I downloaded some SDTS files to try out:
SDTS is a series of .ddf files. Bryce can use those without conversion. Problem is when you use them there are many terrains created (one for each .ddf in the series).
If you convert the .ddf series to .dem format, then there is just one terrain.

What I'd really like (and maybe I'm just confused or want too much) is the individual map promised by SDTS.  Full scale DEMs are usually too big (in land coverage, usually 1:250,000). I'd like to narrow down the size, or at least, get a resolution that I can crop and still get a quality terrain.

Now, the USGS has 1:24,000 DEMs in SDTS format, but I can't get them to work??

Links?
I'll try to see if I can figure some way to get them working. I have couple format converters.

Quote - Hrm, for a moment I thought ppl were talking in l33t. I was on a MUD for some years and started to communicate with everyone using shorthand.. like AFK ATM. BRB || BBL ASAP. etc etc.

As far as i know those have descended from 1337 to normal msn and mobile phone language :-)

Okay, the "Heck" with you.  I have no idea (and really no desire) to know anything about "messaging".  Why can't you just talk to the bugger??  Er... that would be on the phone... in language...

messaging can be fasterrrr plus, did you ever try to discuss malfunctioning programming code over the phone? how are u gunna find out that u missed a ; or a } or a ) or such over the phone?