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/

[Pervez]

Nope... didn't work. Course isn't coming up with the layout.

Can anyone tell me what I'm doing wrong? Pic attached. Thanks.

[ChadGolf]

EPSG is close but not there yet.

You have the right size but the wrong location.

[s0707]

The vendor of the Lidar data should be able to tell you the epsg code to use.

[adstotz]

adstotz, Not sure what you are trying to do but the water will not show up without being splined, along with the rest of the course. Right now I only see a few traps, tee boxes, greens and fairways splined. The water should be splined and labeled as a water hazard, not a pond. I attached a screen shot of what I see in OSM right now.

Should look like the second pic which is an OSM screen shot of another Lidar course.

Would you spline something like this very narrow stream as a path or as an area?

[jpotas]

Would you spline something like this very narrow stream as a path or as an area?

Personally I would zoom in and spline it as a long skinny trough area. This makes it easier to lay water in it. When dealing with streams, if they are flowing due to elevation changes it gets really difficult to lay water in them because you have to account for the elevation change with your water surface. I would just spline it well into the rough on either side of the fairway and label it in OSM as a water hazard. 99% of the time when playing the course it will not be noticeable. You may have to raise the land at either end of the trough to hide the edge of the water. But again, you can do this well into the rough and it will never be noticed. Sample pic is attached. In this case there was a drastic elevation change and I would have had to add a waterfall or two in order to account for the elevation difference between the far south side of the bottom fairway and the far North side of the upper fairway. So I broke it into two pieces, the water in one section is higher than the water in the other. It is not even noticeable when playing.

When you lay water down. Think of it as just like laying a flat pane of glass. You can adjust the size and height of the "pane".

[brauny04]

Does anyone know why the holes and OSM features (circled) will not show up through Chad’s tool (on the minimap and in TGC). It’s only the ones on the outside perimeter of the course, so I feel like it’s not a coincidence.

[s0707]

The attached image show the holes within the golf course outline+tag. I would say redo the lidar processing and don't cut too close the first cropping rectangle nor the red mask.

[adstotz]

Any tips for creating smooth cart paths? The edges look wobbly whether I create them directly in the designer or import them through OSM. I also can't seem to change the texture on a single path without it changing globally. Is that possible?

[Gonz]

Can someone help me get thru this hurdle? Working on a great course and hung up processing the lidar. I have it mapped out so its ready to rock and roll .. It's a great northern california course at Cache Creek Casino called Yocha Dehe Golf Club

Alternatively, look for something called EPSG Value in Metadata and provide EPSG and Conversion to Meters (1.0 for Meters, Approximately 0.3048 for Feet

[jpotas]

Can someone help me get thru this hurdle? Working on a great course and hung up processing the lidar. I have it mapped out so its ready to rock and roll .. It's a great northern california course at Cache Creek Casino called Yocha Dehe Golf Club

Alternatively, look for something called EPSG Value in Metadata and provide EPSG and Conversion to Meters (1.0 for Meters, Approximately 0.3048 for Feet

try plugging these in, one of them will most likely work.

[Gonz]

thanks for the help man! If I'm getting blacked out area after you process lidar when you are suppose to put the little red box around area you want .... is that a lidar issue or I just have to keep plugging numbers in and hope it pops up correctly.

[OK Shooter]

I'm attempting to use your tool for the first time to recreate some local Tulsa, OK courses where I live. I started on TCC and I already created all the golf features in OSM. OpenStreetMap - 701 N. Union Ave., Tulsa, OK 74103

I was able to download four .laz files and .xml files from The National Map that cover the course. When I don't force the lidar EPSG Projection I get the following message: "Could not determine lidar projection, please report an issue and send this lidar and metadata Alternatively, look for something called EPSG Value in Metadata and provide EPSG.

I've looked through the metadata and code and didn't find any helpful information. I then went to spatrialreference.org and located all of the EPSG projections for Oklahoma. I tried all of them (20+) using the force lidar EPSG projection box. When going this route I don't receive the error message above but the two black and white photographs on the next screen never match.

Any recommendations? Am I doing something wrong or did I just start out with a difficult situation? Any help is appreciated.

[OK Shooter]

I sent an email to the Contact USGS email form on The National Map Viewer website asking if the EPSG can be provided but haven't received a response.

[jpotas]

Did you try 6552

[OK Shooter]

Thank you jpotas for the suggested 6552. Unfortunately, it did not work. I've tried 2267, 3640, 2268, 2836, 2837, 2911, 2912, 3639, 3641, 3642, 32024, 32025, 32124, 32125, 6343, 32124, 3640, 6703, 102324, 102325, 102724, 102725, 9890, and now 6552. If it will allow me, I'll post a screen shot of when I tried 6552. Basically I need four different .laz & .xml files. Each one covers a 1/4 of the block/course which I have outlined in red in the screen shot. When I tried 6552, 1/4 of the course was black on the left image and all black on the right image.

[leibin]

I’m in the same boat - the lidar I downloaded and the associated metadata xml’s don’t have the EPSG data and none of the EPSG data from special reference match up. All of those have 0 for the north number but have a number for the east. My metadata has 0 for both and none of the longitudinal etc numbers match either...

[OK Shooter]

Here is the screen shot when I tried 6552.

[jpotas]

It looks like very recent Lidar data, ESPG 8771 is the most recent I see. I would give that a try. Hope all this helps!

[OK Shooter]

Thank you!!!! The lidar data is from March 2019. I'll give those a try.

[OK Shooter]

Weird, none of those work. Besides the two you provided, I had already tried all of them identified in the link . . . I'm at a loss for what to try next. Thanks again for your help!

[OK Shooter]

Will you see identical images on the left and on the right side of the screen when it is correct? Or if there are 4 .laz files that make up the course area will you see the full course area on the left and only a 1/4 of the course area on the right?

[jpotas]

You will see the entire area covered by the Lidar files, the course holes will be green. You then select the area that you want to use.

Some time ago I had an issue finding the correct ESPG for Lidar data the same age as what you are trying to use. Just for the heck of it, try 6350, it's a long shot but you never know. That ESPG has been successful on Florida and New York courses for me!

[OK Shooter]

I tried 6350 but no love . . . no need for me to buy a Powerball ticket on the way home! It's not my lucky day. Thanks again for the help.

[jpotas]

Well, if you enter Oklahoma and search rather than Tulsa in the link I posted you will get 79 ESPG's. It may take a while but I assume you will find it. But picking a Powerball winner sounds better! Good luck.

[s0707]

Maybe another one to try: 4326 -- but I'm guessing that is quite generic for the WGS 84 system

Here's a map search from the official keepers of the EPSG data set: https://epsg.org/search/map A quick search around Tulsa showed a large number of results, though!!

Here you can also search: http://epsg.io/map#srs=4326&x=0.0000...&layer=streets but that one showed the generic 4326 tulsa when clicking on Tulsa. But it has an option to specify a different coordinate system, which it's possible your XML files may have some clue what is the coordinate system they used

[OK Shooter]

Thanks for the additional websites. 4326 didn't work either; although with the assistance of you and jpotas I've got a list of about 45 more EPSG numbers to try . . . .

I see that in March 2019 a lot of lidar data is available for Tulsa. It appears that someone has already splined Southern Hills Country Club and Cedar Ridge Country Club in OSM. The two courses have the same March 2019 lidar data set as well. If I can locate one of the courses in TGC 2019 is there a way I can determine the EPSG from the course in the game? Wouldn't the EPSG be the same for all of the lidar data from the same data set?

[OK Shooter]

Thank you everyone for your help. It was 6344 . . . .!!!!!!!!!

[jpotas]

Crazy, I just ran 3745 and got it. I will post a screen shot below.

[s0707]

Any tips for creating smooth cart paths? The edges look wobbly whether I create them directly in the designer or import them through OSM. I also can't seem to change the texture on a single path without it changing globally. Is that possible?

I've run into cart paths looking strangulated, like the ends of sausage links :-). What I've found is that by manipulating the lengths of spline handles I can correct it. Usually it's 3 or 4 spline points involved in the sausage link section; I'll shorten the handles of the middle point(s), and make sure the handles on the external points aim in the general direction of the spline point, but they're not too long either; It's kind of experimental -- I haven't found a specific recipe/procedure that will work all the time, but by manipulating the length and direction of the handles I can get the cart path to look normal.

The game designer is sometimes hard to predict the results it will give after it's done its internal smoothing/sculpting, but overall it produces great results (as a computer programmer, I wouldn't know where to even begin to achieve similar results).

[jpotas]

One thought on the cart paths if they are wavy and something that I have never tried. I am wondering if you could delete sections that you are not happy with and then recreate them with a brush??

[s0707]

Yeah, it sounds like a good idea to try it. Even if one can't delete a section of the cart path spline, one can probably just paint with brush over it. I'll try it when I get home

[jpotas]

ESPG 3745 for the Tulsa course.