Introducing TGC Designer Tools and Real Course Recreation Lidar Import

[ChadGolf]

Hi everyone!

I've been hard at work for the last month developing tools that primarily will import Lidar data into TGC 2019 Courses.

There have been a lot of ups and downs, but I'm at the point where I'm ready to accept feedback from the community.

A completed course file is available here:
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1RYW...ew?usp=sharing

Please don't publish this course in game, it's not completed and I call 'dibs' on publishing this course after I finish decorating it.


I've completed the proof-of-concept phases and have created playable, realistic courses. I'm still working on the User Interface and instructions to make this the easiest that it can be, but I wanted to open the tools up for developers to contribute fixes.

The source code is available free on Github and releases will be available there under the "Releases" link. I'm targeting the initial release in a week or two as a Windows download:

https://github.com/chadrockey/TGC-Designer-Tools

https://i.imgur.com/4GnzENd.png

I also am supporting import from OpenStreetMap golf courses ( https://www.openstreetmap.org/#map=1...576/-115.28536 ) into TGC as splines if you don't want the lidar elevation or can't get lidar for your course.

https://i.imgur.com/Nza71FG.png

Quick tips if you want to get started on your OpenStreetMap course: use the highest quality sat image available, map greens along the inside of THE FRINGE, map bunkers on the outside lip, map water on the outside lip.

For more information on the process or if you want to support future features of this tool, please read here: https://www.patreon.com/chadgolf

I hope this brings enjoyment to everyone. We all have courses that are personally meaningful to us, and I hope this software inspires you to create something for the community.
- Chad

Special thanks to MTHunt, crazycanuck1985, friendBOMBER, and HTdumps for initial feedback and guidance.

Instructions and a tutorial linked from this page: https://chadrockey.github.io/TGC-Designer-Tools/

[Topcat]

Thanks to the great tools from Chad I will soon be publishing my first 18 hole track. Couple questions to make sure i don't mess up. If I change the current course name in TGC is that going to mess with the course file I imported from the tool? Since I don’t have the 2019 sim yet am I better off to publish it through HB servers? I read where some people publish it through both HB and Protee but that’s creating duplicate versions correct?

My last issue is I created this through TGC2019 which I purchased through my sons Steam account. I’d like to have my name associated with my courses not his. Only way I can see that works is If I open my own Steam account and purchase a new copy of the game. If I copy the course files to my desktop would I then be able to move them to the new game? I’ve spent a bit of time on this so want to make sure I don’t lose it! Thanks for helping out a relative newcomer to the publishing game.

[ChadGolf]

I'm not sure what the best way to publish right now is.

I'm not sure how HB does names anymore, but they did a lot to cover up/hide the Author name in 2019. It usually shows up as "TGC Player" because of the XBOX or PS4 user agreement.

If you don't mind your son's steam name maybe appearing somewhere, you could do what mthunt does, which I think is best, and just add your name at the end of the course name. Ex: Blue Orchard Golf Club Topcat

[Topcat]

Thanks Chad for the suggestions. Who knew when I picked Topcat as my user name that it is an acronym for Topographic Point Cloud Analysis Toolkit! Sounds like that’s the software to calculate data for grid defined areas. Ironic I suppose.

[Jordan Miller]

ChadGolf I've watched the twitch presentation and this looks like an amazing tool. Two quick questions, though: (1) for those of us who only play on sim and don't yet have TGC 2019 but want to get things in place to recreate our local course, what are the downsides to outlining and tagging everything on OSM upfront? (2) Someone on OSM has tagged several of the water hazards on the course I'm looking to recreate as "basins." To the extent that many of the water hazards are artificial and intended to collect water, the tag is accurate. Will the program recognize the "basin" tag or do I need to add a secondary golf: lateral_water_hazard tag? Thanks in advance.

[ChadGolf]

There's no harm in marking in OSM, at the worst you've made the world a better place.

Does basin have a 'waterway' tag? If it does, then it'll be imported. If you're concerned, just add the golf: lateral_water_hazard tag and it won't do any harm.

[Rockstar1974]

ChadGolf Is it possible to import areas of gorse from OSM? I have been mapping a couple of the course at Bandon Dunes and there is huge areas of Gorse.

[ChadGolf]

I'm not sure there's anything in a theme or in OpenStreetMap to mark that type of plant Rockstar1974 . If you find otherwise, let me know the theme and plant, as well as the OpenStreetMap tag and I can look into it. The best I can do for large areas right now is marking placeholder splines though, I can't populate the plants precisely.

[Wang]

I'm just posting this because I continue to be in amazement. I believe that the Streamsong lidar was taken before the course was built. However, I just traced out the first hole on the blue course in OSM and imported the heightmap. Pretty stunning how good the results look for having done zero to it. I just opened TGC and took a snapshot from a similar angle as the photo.

[ChadGolf]

From the no laying up interviews, I think at least one of them, MAYBE the blue the architect did very little to the land.

When the Florida lidar arrives later this year, going to be allllll over the Streamsong. And all the other courses the NLU guys cover, even Winter Park.

[frodaddy00]

I just posted a beta version of Smoke Rise aka "SRCC Beta". I'd love if sim folks give it a try. I think a few greens are going to need flattened a bit because the elevation is too much.

Now that I'm essentially done with that I can start working again on my domain knowledge of this fantastic new source code and see where I can help out the project. Thanks again Chad!

Here are some flyover vids of the course. Sorry for the double post I'm just excited to be almost done!

Front 9 - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Dyd31SUWVJ4
Back 9 - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KLhpqNeimao

[Deko212]

Has anyone had an issue with the mapquest (i think) color map not loading when drawing the rectangle around the course before applying mask? I get a black screen. See attached image.

The tool will allow you to proceed, and will generate a course, but i also am not getting any of the OSM inputs either. I dont know if the issues are linked.

Here is a copy of the text within the tool:
Processing: FL_CollierCo_2007_000239.laz
Found Projection parameters from lidar file
Unit in use is 0.3048006096012192
Proj4 : pyproj.Proj('+proj=tmerc +datum=NAD83 +ellps=GRS80 +a=6378137.0 +f=298.257222101 +k=24.33333333333333 +x_0=0.0 +y_0=656166.6666666665 +lon_0=0.9999411764705882 +lat_0=-81.0 +units=m +axis=enu ', preserve_units=True)
Processing: FL_CollierCo_2007_000303.laz
Found Projection parameters from lidar file
Unit in use is 0.3048006096012192
Proj4 : pyproj.Proj('+proj=tmerc +datum=NAD83 +ellps=GRS80 +a=6378137.0 +f=298.257222101 +k=24.33333333333333 +x_0=0.0 +y_0=656166.6666666665 +lon_0=0.9999411764705882 +lat_0=-81.0 +units=m +axis=enu ', preserve_units=True)
Processing: FL_CollierCo_2007_000345.laz
Found Projection parameters from lidar file
Unit in use is 0.3048006096012192
Proj4 : pyproj.Proj('+proj=tmerc +datum=NAD83 +ellps=GRS80 +a=6378137.0 +f=298.257222101 +k=24.33333333333333 +x_0=0.0 +y_0=656166.6666666665 +lon_0=0.9999411764705882 +lat_0=-81.0 +units=m +axis=enu ', preserve_units=True)
Processing: FL_CollierCo_2007_000384.laz
Found Projection parameters from lidar file
Unit in use is 0.3048006096012192
Proj4 : pyproj.Proj('+proj=tmerc +datum=NAD83 +ellps=GRS80 +a=6378137.0 +f=298.257222101 +k=24.33333333333333 +x_0=0.0 +y_0=656166.6666666665 +lon_0=0.9999411764705882 +lat_0=-81.0 +units=m +axis=enu ', preserve_units=True)
Generating lidar intensity image
29.85% visualizing lidar
60.09% visualizing lidar
89.73% visualizing lidar
Adding golf features to lidar data
OpenStreetMap Overpass query: (node(-81.17404606683941,1.310565401592648,-81.17293043654308,1.3179141335319233);way(-81.17404606683941,1.310565401592648,-81.17293043654308,1.3179141335319233);out;
Mapquest Image URL Request: https://open.mapquestapi.com/staticm...size=1500,1500

[delta1274]

The LiDAR tool I used to classify my data combines building and vegetation. They use an algorithm to distinguish between the two. I agree that it may not be needed. UPDATE: If you use a tool such as Global Mapping to classify your data, I found it works much better if you only classify the ground data. ChadGolf tool did a great job of pickup up the trees and elevations. When I did try to classify the buildings and vegetation, my output had small peaks of earth.

[ChadGolf]

Deko212 I've not tested what happens with negative elevation courses, I usually have to shift courses down by a few hundred feet.

If you want your course to appear above the surrounding land, you can use the Shift Elevations button on the Course Tools Tab. Just enter something like 20 or 40, then click Shift Elevations. Then you can see if your course is where you want it.

[Deko212]

delta1274 , thanks for the update. Quick question, i tried Global Mapped last night for the course I want to do in Fulton County and it is messing up my Metadata coordinates. Did you have any issues with that? I get the same thing as my original issue here. A point somewhere in the middle of the ocean. When i force EPSG chads tool wont take it.

Also, being that both our courses are from the same source of lidar (Fulton Co. 2006), did you use any unique settings in Global Mapper? For example, I had to set the minimum high above local average to 1 meter to get enough ground points. What did you use for Base Bin Size to Check for Curvature Deviations?

[Topcat]

I am about 85% complete with my first course. I thought I'd post a couple of pics which show just how powerful Chad's program is. This was done before the tree import was available. Being a new designer it made the process so much easier as I find sculpting to be a challenge. I have moved almost nothing since the import. This has also allowed me to resurrect a favorite course in southwest Michigan, Yarrow, an excellent Raymond Hearn design that went under in 2015. That's the same year as the LIDAR data so I am confident in it's accuracy. I'll post again when it's published. Thanks to all in these forums....I've learned a bunch...long way to go.

#1

[mthunt]

Looks great. Can’t wait.

[wbond]

Can't wait, I never got a chance to play Yarrow. I heard it was great track.

[Jwheels9876]

Definitely need to add lidar in the titles of these courses so they don't get lost in the shuffle with all the auto gen courses coming out by the boatloads. It's hard enough finding courses as it is.

[BGCurtis2nd]

Jwheels9876 If you have a good idea as to how to label it post it for us to see, I am now working on my second course this time an 18 hole links style course in Farmington Missouri.

https://crownpointegolfclub.com/

I have used LIDAR and OSM on the two I have done and now doing, first one being a little 9 hole, Viburnum Golf Club, Viburnum Missouri.

http://viburnumcc.com/

I tried the course designer, and worked on a course for well over two months before giving up and deciding I was not smart enough to get it right, then ChadGolf came out with his program and changed everything, so far no one with the simulator version of TGC 2019 has tried the viburnum course that I know of, but my nephew and his son who play there regularly tried it on his Xbox One and think I nailed it. I think all the courses made using LIDAR should be labeled in such a way to show it, and be easily found. I also thing it will improve the selection of courses greatly as far as play-ability for the simulator and matching ball reaction to the real course.

[BGCurtis2nd]

Jwheels9876 Thank you I will do just that.

[Fhacker]

BGCurtis2nd. I will also publish if MThunt doesn't. PM me for details if u want

[BGCurtis2nd]

Fhacker mthunt put it up for me, I just hope people enjoy playing it, it is a fun little 9 hole and I truly believe that anyone who has played it will say that is about as close as you can get to the real deal. Hole three we joke about being designed by NASCAR high bank and self cleaning, you can get a ball to stay on the fairway but you better aim at the high side to do it. I have to give all the credit to ChadGolf it was his program that did all the hard work, I know I would have given up trying to do courses without it. If he keeps improving it at the rate he is going it will get to where we are no longer needed, he can just pick a course click on it and his program will do all the rest. But that is fine with me, I had rather play them than build them, thank you Chad for all your hard work you are doing a tremendous job.

[wbond]

Totally agree. This should be part of the name so we can always search with a specific string and find these courses.

Definitely need to add lidar in the titles of these courses so they don't get lost in the shuffle with all the auto gen courses coming out by the boatloads. It's hard enough finding courses as it is.

[ChadGolf]

Until something happens in practice, what seems to work best is what mthunt does: "Name of Golf Course mthunt 2018"

This has the course name, preserves the creator name across platforms, and has a version scheme for the course that's super obvious to everyone which one they should play.

It would be nice if lidar were in the name, but just like auto-genned courses, there are probably going to be a ton of low-quality LIDAR courses as well. But if you have the extra characters, putting LIDAR in the name should be fine.

We could sticky a thread somewhere just like we do now as well. Group courses by Destination/Tour and then the rest by State.

[mthunt]

HB users keep asking me to publish without my name. I’m like F that. I did the work. The name stays. Lol

[mthunt]

Also, IMO there is no need for the ProTee add on due to multiple tees. We are going to see a lot more RCR’s now thanks to ChadGolf

[ChadGolf]

frodaddy00 Can you review the latest source code commits for me? I modified the tree detection and population. I think it's better now.

[frodaddy00]

Will do. I commented last time on something small in Github. Do you prefer comments with the source on GitHub or here?

[frodaddy00]

ChadGolf I ran the new tree source code against SRCC and compared it to your orig tree source. Very nice improvements. You can see it fills in better and hugs the fairways nicely with variety in tree type and size.

The first pic is the orig source code, then new source code, then google earth for reference. And to be fair the lidar data is older than google earth and you can see these pines were likely young when the lidar was done (2010ish?). Looking better and better.


I've got to run into the office today but will review the code this evening when I get a chance.

[Fhacker]

ChadGolf. Will u quit improving your tool! Ha. Ha. Now this makes me want to go back and redo the two courses I have basically completed.

[vrpunk]

Hehe I know....I have just been getting my course right in OSM and doing TGC tutorials. Not committing to any TGC saves yet.
In the new to be released variable TREEs do we give the TREE tag an id number in OSM, that matches TGC tree ID for theme, to distinguish the species.
I think once the next tree release is in i am going to commit to a build!......unless something else in the pipeline!

[Supraracer]

In OSM does it matter which overlay you use to trace? The digital overlay seems to be more accurate when I import into TGC. The courses I have traced match up perfectly but bing is off. I also donated for your hard work. Thank you for taking the time to do this.

[Laboroflove]

Yes. Definitely helps to find the most accurate one for your course. I agree with the digital premium overlay seems to be the best for the courses I’m doing.

[Fhacker]

Laboroflove. All I can find in OSM is Bing overlay. How do u get others? I have looked but can't find any other overlay or aerial besides Bing.

[Rockstar1974]

I have been mapping Pacific Dunes and Bandon Trails on the Bandon property.I have been using the Esri Image Imagery Clarity (Beta). That seems to line up best with the lidar and is easiest to mark the greens, and bunkers at Bandon. Although, it is quite hard to mark the greens because often times there really isn't a edge to mark.

[RussWest44]

It seems as though since the tree update the lidar processing tool hangs a long time if it finds trees, there's no way that I can tell to skip the tree check.

[ChadGolf]

I’ve added status prints that will come out with the next release. Will help with the long period of no updates.

I think I’m going to continue the idea of: lidar import: longer time/get a cup of coffee, run ‘one time’. import heightmap and OSM, faster but you run it often and can change all of the options there.

[BGCurtis2nd]

Fhacker right had side of page. See picture.

[Fhacker]

BGCurtis2nd. Thanks, I will double check that again tomorrow. But I have gone into that overlay tab and I don't see those options. I can't recall exactly what is shown but one I think is GPS traces which does nothing. I will check agian tomorrow and post screenshot of what I get. Maybe depends on location and what aerials are available for that area.

[Fhacker]

BGCurtis2nd Just checked, I guess I am an idiot, it does show all of the optional imagery available. I swore I had checked this before and nothing showed up. Thanks for your help.

[BGCurtis2nd]

Fhacker No problem, I am always glad to help when I can, I have had a lot of problems on the internet lately of stuff not showing up properly could have just been a glitch that got you.

[BadEddieKit]

How about everyone use something simple like LD in the title? It's gotta be short as title characters are at a premium. Doesnt matter what it is as long as its universal

[BGCurtis2nd]

I agree there needs to be a universal agreement as to how we name the LIDAR courses, I do like the idea of just putting LD as it is short, should it be at the start or the end? Does someone need to start a post to get a naming pattern agreed on? Guess they could do it like is being done on the "New Course", take suggestions on what people like then have a page so everyone can vote on it. I have a new 18 hole course I am trying to finish now and also have two more I am working on for after that.

[BadEddieKit]

I think I'm just gonna plan on using LD unless I hear different. It really doesnt matter where u put it in the title either, as long as it's in there somewhere it will show up in the search.

[m3w]

Maybe use LDR? I imagine that LD would be a fairly common two letter run in lots of course names. Does the search function even work with only two letters?