Tracing GolfLogix Green Contours...

[wojo]

The final product (Green Contours 1) seems to play very much like the real greens, but the process is pretty tedious. The GolfLogix contours are 3" vertical, so you probably get a dozen or so contour lines per green to sort out. As you can see (Green Contours 2) that there are lots and lots of spider webs to clear out before you get a clean mesh. If anyone has tried this and discovered any shortcuts, I'd appreciate hearing about it.

Thanks.
Wojo

[braden1308]

Nothing personal but that's a mess, when you put down your verts all the dots should be connected. Looks like you have edges crossing edges which will make your greens a nightmare. on your second pic it looks as if you have edges from the second contour line going straight to your fifth contour line and the way some of them are crossed you won't even be able to turn them. Your first pic looks okay but the second one not so much. I would say do a non destructive delete on the verts you have on the second pic and start over and make sure you take your time and connect the (dots) verts.

[pmgolf]

If I understand what you're saying, Braden, using the Terrain Painter, place verts along the contour lines. But would you do more than one contour line before going back to the green to "clean up" first? I've got 4 books but I haven't used one yet - I'd like to establish a plan. Thanks!

Pete

[braden1308]

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If you look as his mesh it's all over the place, the contour lines need to be followed so when you finish the contours you can then select all the verts on the green and fringe as well as some others that you may choose to go along with the contours outside the green you may want to add into your green complex.

Then you flatten your selections and start raising or lowering your contour lines accordingly. I leave all verts selected and deselect them as I get them to the proper level then raise or lower again and again until you have adjusted all the contour lines

[wojo]

Yeah, Braden... Like I said, Green 1 is finished and it works fine. Green 2 is an example of the mess you have to work through to get to Green 1 results. I posted the question asking whether anyone has a better strategy than placing points on the contours and then painstakingly cleaning up the mess of spider webs that result... apparently not. I get the impression not many users are trying to accurately duplicate existing courses?

[Ian Wells]

Having just completed revising 18 holes to GolfLogix details I can sympathise.
Unfortunately I didn't find a magic solution it's just add vert and turn. I made a save as at frequent times with a restart to avoid APCD locking up when turning too many verts.
Good luck.
Ian

[sagevanni]

Looks to me like you need to do a edge clean up.

Do a region select and highlite all the edges in the green......then set to -1, then back to zero.

Then do a edge perimeter select and set the edge to -1.

You should be good to go.....

I learned this from Danny D.

Sage.....

[Adelade]

Adding verts with the "Terrain Painter" tool instead of "Add vert" or "split edge" will result in much cleaner mesh. Set the Painter to 1 feet radius, 0.0 feet height and tick add density (needs to be done each time opening APCD), if it adds more than one per click undo and redo until it doesnt.

[Danny D]

Yeah, Braden... Like I said, Green 1 is finished and it works fine. Green 2 is an example of the mess you have to work through to get to Green 1 results. I posted the question asking whether anyone has a better strategy than placing points on the contours and then painstakingly cleaning up the mess of spider webs that result... apparently not. I get the impression not many users are trying to accurately duplicate existing courses?

I'll give you my tips on the green contours. I've done enough of them to understand the process. Please forgive me if I repeat other designers comments. This is the method I have developed, and so far it has worked perfectly for me. I'm not saying others are doing anything wrong. We develop our own methods of doing things, and it's simply our own methods. It doesn't mean its wrong. Just different in some ways. In the end we all get the job done.

After the contour map (picture) is applied to the green, be sure and size the green to match the map. I use StrackaLine, and the grid squares are 5yds by 5yds. Don't resize the map to match your green, but rather make sure your map is measured accurately and then re-shape the green to match the map.

Start with one single vert in the center of your green, and have verts running straight out from the center vert to the outer edges, like lots of wagon wheel spokes.

I don't use the terrain painter (spray can) to add the verts, because it yanks in verts from all around it, and I personally find that to be annoying. I prefer to go slow and deliberate, and make adjustments as I work.

Use the "ADD" vert function and pop in a vert along one contour line. Follow that same line and keep popping in verts until you complete the line.

Next go to the closest line next to the one you just completed and add verts along that line the same way you did the first one. As you work, switch over to the edge turning tool. (hot key "4" followed by "T") 4 selects the EDGE tab, and T selects the TURN tool. Turn the edges between the 2 contour lines that you have completed, so that the edges connect only those 2 contour lines together.

Select (hot key "5" and "A") 5 selects the VERT tab while "A" selects the "ADD VERT tool, to switch back and add more verts to the 3rd contour line. Add verts to that line until you get to the end of it, and then switch back to the TURN tool and turn the edges to connect lines 2 and 3 together.

As you continue to advance across the map, you will need to turn some verts that are in the way of your next contour lines. Turn them in directions to where they won't be in the way at sideways angles. Try to keep them turned at angles in such a manner that your new verts CROSS the other edges, like crossing a T.

Keep repeating this process one contour line at a time, and your entire green will eventually take shape correctly without any overlapping or chaotic looking edges crossing over one another. I would add that it is NOT a good idea to have any overlapping edges anywhere on your course. If they are in the wrong place, it can cause bad data readings in path mappings.

When finally complete, select ALL VERTS on the green and fringe, and press "F" to flatten the entire green and fringe so its perfectly level.

Go to Google Earth and search out the highest point on the green. Adjust all of the flattened verts to that altitude.

Starting at the highest point, DE-SELECT that row of verts, and then lower all of the others (they should still all be selected) until they match the next row in altitude. (A one inch drop is 8 APCD units) If you are using 3 inch contour maps, that would be 24 APCD units.

Next DE-SELECT the next row down the hill, and then drop all other selected verts another 3 inches. Keep de-selecting one row and dropping another 3 inches for each row that you encounter. Pay close attention to the arrows and make sure the green didn't start going back up a hill as you work.

By the time you get all the way across the green, you should have a perfect mesh with neat edges that won't cross one another. It's tedious and time consuming, but if you do it this way you will like the end result.

Hope this makes sense. I mentioned using the hot key shortcuts to switch back and forth between adding verts to turning edges because I find that much easier than fumbling around clicking on the correct menu items with the mouse. Once you get used to those hot hey commands, you may like them much better... or not...

Here is one of my Coeur d'Alene greens with a StrackaLine map. StrackaLine uses 1 inch contours, so every contour line you see in my pictures, drops one inch downhill. Note that all of my edges cross as straight as reasonably possible from one contour line to the contour lines on either side.

Good luck,

Dan

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[braden1308]

It's not really that difficult to do, you just need to be careful when applying verts. I use both the terrain painter and add vert tools and unlike Danny I work from the front to back of the green applying each contour line one by one and if the terrain painter turns an edge I turn it back right away. I watch closely while I add verts to make sure edges are correct, that is the most important thing, you want everything to flow in the direction your green is supposed to flow. When I come to an area on the green where the contour lines are close for a severe slope or tier I will do those early on with the add vert tool and turn the edges as I go.

Wojo just take your time and be careful with your edges, your second green looks as if you didn't pay attention or understand the way your verts should be applied. If you don't turn your edges as you work you will end up with your second greens mesh.