Templot Club Archive 2007-2020
|
|||
| author | remove search highlighting | ||
|---|---|---|---|
|
posted: 19 Sep 2011 16:26 from: Phil O
click the date to link to this post click member name to view archived images |
Hi Martin Wally has sent me a map 1 : 1250 in PDF format. What is required to get this into TDV as background shape? Cheers Phil |
||
|
posted: 19 Sep 2011 18:26 from: Martin Wynne
click the date to link to this post click member name to view archived images |
Phil O wrote:Wally has sent me a map 1 : 1250 in PDF format. What is required to get this into TDV as background shape?Hi Phil, For a low-resolution version you can do a screen capture from any PDF reader program, and save as an image file for use in a picture shape. If you want a better resolution image for zooming you need some form of PDF editor/extractor program. I assume you don't have such a program or you wouldn't be asking.  Very few of these are free.However, assuming the map is contained in the PDF file as an image (likely), there is one free PDF reader program which includes extraction tools. It's also an excellent reader program in its own right as an alternative to Adobe or Foxit readers. Free download from: http://www.nitroreader.com (Make sure you choose the 32-bit or 64-bit version as required.) 1. open your PDF file in Nitro Reader. 2. click on the map image to select it. 3. right-click and select either Copy Image or Extract Image... If you copy, you can paste it into your usual graphics editor program and then save the file for use in a picture shape. If you extract it, you can save the file directly from Nitro Reader, preferably in PNG format (please not the default JPG format). For TDV you can use an extracted PNG file directly as a picture shape. For Templot version 091c you need to open the file or paste the image into your graphics editor program, and then save in BMP format for the picture shape. You know the scale of the map, so with a bit of trial and error in the picture shape dialog you should be able to find the scanned dpi to create the picture shape at the correct scaled size. It is probably either 300dpi or 600dpi. regards, Martin. |
||
|
posted: 19 Sep 2011 19:24 from: Phil O
click the date to link to this post click member name to view archived images |
Many Thanks for your response Martin.  I will investigate tomorrow afternoon, I'm going back to singeing me fingers on an etched coach kit. Cheers Phil |
||
|
posted: 19 Sep 2011 22:43 from: Les G click the date to link to this post click member name to view archived images |
Martin Wynne wrote: ...You know the scale of the map, so with a bit of trial and error in the picture shape dialog you should be able to find the scanned dpi to create the picture shape at the correct scaled size. It is probably either 300dpi or 600dpi..This looks promising for my project for which I have obtained 1:2500 scale pdf . What dpi would you recommend please? Les G |
||
|
posted: 19 Sep 2011 22:49 from: Martin Wynne
click the date to link to this post click member name to view archived images |
Les G wrote: Martin Wynne wrote:Hi Les,...You know the scale of the map, so with a bit of trial and error in the picture shape dialog you should be able to find the scanned dpi to create the picture shape at the correct scaled size. It is probably either 300dpi or 600dpi..This looks promising for my project for which I have obtained 1:2500 scale pdf . What dpi would you recommend please? If it's in a PDF you have to guess the dpi it was scanned at. It's most likely to have been either 300dpi or 600dpi. If you try both you can easily see whether the scaling is right by comparison with a track template. regards, Martin. |
||
|
posted: 19 Sep 2011 23:33 from: Tony W
click the date to link to this post click member name to view archived images |
Hi all. I went through a similar exercise recently when I was sent a pair of scanned maps in PDF format. The trackwork ran diagonally across the pair and I used the method Martin suggested of using the PrtScn (print screen key) and pasting it into Paint (still using windows XP) and saving as BMP files. The real fun then began when I discovered that the two maps were scanned at different scales and the ratio was not even two to one, but somewhere in between. The first shape can be adjusted to fit by juggling the scaleing factor in the loading process.This was when I discovered how useful the "Scale" button in the "Mouse action" section of the Background shapes window was, as by experimentation I was able to find the correct percentage needed to change the second map to the correct size required and then resave it. I post this note in case someone else encounters similar problems. Tony W. |
||
| Last edited on 19 Sep 2011 23:34 by Tony W |
|||
|
posted: 20 Sep 2011 10:24 from: Alan Turner
click the date to link to this post click member name to view archived images |
I know this is probably heresy but the way I would do it would be to print the pdf. Mark a grid on the print of known dimension (my preference would be to mark a grid that represents 1ft in the model) and then re-scan as a PNG/BMP. The grid can then be used, when scaling the image in TEMPLOT, as the guide to getting the size correct. Alan |
||
|
posted: 20 Sep 2011 14:59 from: Tony W
click the date to link to this post click member name to view archived images |
Hi Alan. Just goes to prove the old addage there is more than one way to skin a cat. Drawing a grid on the printout is all well and good if you can work out the scale in the first place. Most maps, such as OS maps normally have a grid printed on them often at 100 metres these days for the larger scale ones and that is a great help, however this was indiscernable on my maps, so it was a bit of a guessing game. About the only know dimension was the track gauge as there were not even two quarter mile posts marked on one map to use as a starting point. If you are going to use the print screen method a high resolution monitor is also an advantage as you will get better definition. Tony W. |
||
|
posted: 20 Sep 2011 16:58 from: Alan Turner
click the date to link to this post click member name to view archived images |
OK one way to get over your problem (that I have used on a number of occasions) is to go to http://www.Streetmap.co.uk and get the 21/2" map of the area of your map. Identify some features on both maps and determin the distance between them on the 21/2" map. By identifying the same two points on your map you can calculate the distance, and hence the scale. You can then construct your scale grid. If your map is an old county series map then the map projection differs from modern OS maps but for our purposes you can ignore that. Obviously the greater the distance between points then the greater the acuracy of your result. Alan |
||
|
posted: 20 Sep 2011 17:28 from: Martin Wynne
click the date to link to this post click member name to view archived images |
Alan Turner wrote: OK one way to get over your problemHi Alan, Whose problem? Phil knows the scale of his map -- 1:1250 If you know the map scale and the scanned dpi, Templot does the rest for you*. Since the scanned dpi is very likely to be one of 150dpi, 200dpi, 300dpi, 600dpi, it doesn't take much trying to see which one creates an image which matches the templates when zoomed in -- i.e. matching the track gauge or the double track centres. At that scale a track plan should be quite accurate in such dimensions. *but make sure you have set your model scale and gauge first. regards, Martin. |
||
|
posted: 20 Sep 2011 19:34 from: Phil O
click the date to link to this post click member name to view archived images |
Martin Wynne wrote: Phil O wrote:Hi MartinWally has sent me a map 1 : 1250 in PDF format. What is required to get this into TDV as background shape?Hi Phil, Many thanks. It worked a treat, just needed two goes to see what the dpi was. All safely stowed in background shapes. Cheers Phil |
||
|
posted: 20 Sep 2011 23:00 from: Alan Turner
click the date to link to this post click member name to view archived images |
Martin Wynne wrote: Alan Turner wrote:OK one way to get over your problemHi Alan, I quote "however this was indiscernable on my maps, so it was a bit of a guessing game". regards Alan |
||
|
posted: 21 Sep 2011 09:31 from: Les G click the date to link to this post click member name to view archived images |
Martin Wynne wrote:.... Whose problem? Phil knows the scale of his map -- 1:1250 ...Allan replied: I quote "however this was indiscernable on my maps, so it was a bit of a guessing game".... Ah! ... Tony W's problem. Les G |
||
|
posted: 21 Sep 2011 14:27 from: Tony W
click the date to link to this post click member name to view archived images |
Les G wrote: Yes it was indeed my problem, sorry if I inadvertantly caused some confusion, I was trying to share my experiences of dealing with PDF files containing maps scanned at different sizes. It was some months back now and since then I have successfully used them to generate the background shapes and thus use Templot to create the plans to construct the track.Martin Wynne wrote:.... Whose problem? Phil knows the scale of his map -- 1:1250 ...Allan replied: I quote "however this was indiscernable on my maps, so it was a bit of a guessing game".... Tony W. |
||
| Please read this important note about copyright: Unless stated otherwise, all the files submitted to this web site are copyright and the property of the respective contributor. You are welcome to use them for your own personal non-commercial purposes, and in your messages on this web site. If you want to publish any of this material elsewhere or use it commercially, you must first obtain the owner's permission to do so. |