How to import a detailed contour map into APCD

Share your designing tips with other Designer's. Find answers to your problems using the APCD.
Colin Jones
Posts: 71
Joined: January 29th, 2021, 5:59 pm
Location: Gold Coast, Australia

How to import a detailed contour map into APCD

Post by Colin Jones »

A few years ago, I abandoned my re-creation of Mauna Kea because half-way through I realized the elevations were all wrong and couldn't be fixed without alot of re-work. I could have bluffed it because most players probably wouldn't have even noticed it. But the result would not have been the totally authentic course I wanted to create, so I gave up and then swore off the APCD for good. My wife was delighted by the news.

In the past few months my APCD interest finally returned (working in secret downstairs......wife is clueless so far..... it's just a matter of time tho).

USGS DEMS are useless these days imho, so how could I avoid all that elevation work and also get it accurate? I started my research and the following is the result. I am very excited about 2 well-known (Australia) European PGA tournament courses I am now working on. Royal Pines on the Gold Coast (near home) and the stunning and famous Royal Sydney Golf Course (located near the Harbour). Yet more abandoned courses and broken promises?.....maybe

The following will give you an overview of how to import incredibly detailed contour lines of any real course into the APCD, using online mapping tools that are all freely available (and free). The only purchased software you will need is Excel (or some other spreadsheet program that can convert .txt files to .csv files).

I’m too lazy to write a detailed step-by-step guide (or create a Lez style You-Tube). But the following should give you enough guidance to fill in the gaps yourself – or ask questions.

In my view, this process will give you a result which will be far better than using any USGS DEM.


1. We start by assuming that you have created a new course in the APCD and you have added and perfectly scaled your overhead (see Lez’s video). It assumes that you have not as yet done anything to the APCD default verts.

2. Open Google Earth Pro and zoom to your course.
From the Add menu, click Path
When the Dialog box appears, enter a name of your Path.
Click away on your map. Add as many points as you can in any order you want to. In the example below, there is about 8,000 points selected, done in just a couple of minutes. You will be using all the data in your Path to create a contour (not verts) so go as crazy as you want. These is no limit and the more the better! Hold down your mouse and move slowly to add hundreds of points along any line.

Important #1 – you will eventually have to line up your contour map with your overhead. So the extremities of your Google Earth path is important. You will see below that I have roads to the north, east and south. My path points stay within those boundaries – they are my borders. Put a lot of points around these boundaries, but stay inside them as best you can.

Never make your boundary a square or squarish – you want an irregular shape if you can do that.

Important #2 – you must add these points in one go. You can’t save and then come back later and add more. The slower you run your curser over your map the more points you will add.

Important #3 - when working on any APCD project using Google Earth - make sure you re-set any tilt or direction because you start.

When you are satisfied, click Ok and return to the Places box. Your named path will be there. Right-click on it and save it as a .KML file (not the default .kmz)
GE.jpg
GE.jpg (603.59 KiB) Viewed 4428 times

3. Go the GPSVisualizer.com/elevation page
Upload your .klm file.
In the Output dropdown box, select .txt
Click the “Convert and add elevation” button.
You now have your path in .txt form in a box, with the elevation of each point (there is no need to download the GPX file created).
Select all the entries, right-click and “Copy”
GPSVisualjpg.jpg
GPSVisualjpg.jpg (379.7 KiB) Viewed 4428 times

4. Open Notepad (or any text editor) and paste your values.
Save it as a .txt file


5. Open Excel
Data > Import Text
Select the text file you just created.
Then follow the prompts to load it on your Excel spreadsheet
Your text file is now in spreadsheet form.
Excel1.jpg
Excel1.jpg (239.04 KiB) Viewed 4428 times
At this stage you can convert the elevation meters to feet if you want to (I’d strongly suggest that you do for better contour accuracy). If you're familiar with Excel you’ll simply be able to multiple all your metric values by 3.28 in a new column. Then replace your existing column with your new US values.

What you need to do now is get to a point where you only have the columns of longitude, latitude and elevation. So delete any other columns. Delete the header row, so your file only contains the values.
Save your file as a CSV (comma deliminated) file.


6. Download and install QuikGrid (an open license free software program)
Then:

File > Import scattered data points > Import metric data points
Select the .csv you created and open it. You now have a contour map of your golf course. Cool huh??

Use the View > Edit All View Options & Edit > Contour Intervals and Labels to set how you want your map to look.

For undulating course topographies, I’d suggest heavy contour lines (labelled) every 10 feet and then minor contour lines every 2 feet (unlabeled). But if you already know your course will have more subtle contours, go for more detail and labels.

You only need to label the heavy contour lines (as from these, its pretty easy to work out the level of the minor lines without needing a label)
When you are satisfied, select Window > Copy to clipboard as a bitmap.
QuikGrid.jpg
QuikGrid.jpg (127.97 KiB) Viewed 4428 times

6. Open your original 4096 course overhead in GIMP, Photoshop, etc.

Paste your new contour as a new layer. You might have to transform your contour map by flipping it horizontally, clockwise, etc. This is why I didn’t want to create a square path initially. With an irregular shape, it will be quite obvious what you need to do.

Assuming you are familiar with graphics programs, I think you now know what to do. Decrease your opacity setting on your original overhead and line up and scale your contour as required. It takes some work to get your 2 layers to align exactly so take your time.

Super-ultra-important. Aside from changing the opacity setting, make sure you do not then change your original overhead layer at all! Do not rescale or crop or do anything to change it or move it. That requires that you just take your time and be diligent about knowing which layer you are working on at any time.

When you’re happy that you have a contour map you can work with in the APCD, flatten both layers and export it as a new 4096 TGA file.


7. Go back to the ACPD
Change the texture of your original overhead to the new TGA you just created.
It’s obvious what to do from here isn’t?
If not then…start clearing the existing defaults verts in smallish sections with a soft-delete. Add new verts with the Surface Painter along the MAJOR contour lines. As you complete an entire contour line, select all its verts, flatten them and then re-set them to the contour level.
ContourAPCD1.jpg
ContourAPCD1.jpg (232.85 KiB) Viewed 4428 times
Tips:
• Do all the major grid lines first
• Do the minor grid lines only where you feel you need to (e.g. large areas missing any new verts at all). What you are trying to do here is give your course a very accurate topography before you start building your course. There are some limitations with any GPS technology (see comments below), so less can be more in this case.
• Make sure you get all those pesky default verts eliminated from inside the course layout
• For Christ’s sake, clean up after yourself when adding new verts! Some of the vert-work examples posted in these forums are shocking (and just plain sad) to OCD-affected folks like myself. :laugh:
• Move from your original overhead to your new overhead as you need to. When you are done with your contour, you won’t need that overhead anymore.
ContourAPCD2.jpg
ContourAPCD2.jpg (204.58 KiB) Viewed 4428 times

Are the GPSVisualizer elevations accurate?

Firstly, all GPS services have limits of accuracy. The elevations values will not match up with Google Earth clicks, that's for sure, but they do not have to. Only the elevation variations from one latitude/longitude point to the next matter at all. There is no doubt that the elevation variations between each data point are realistic and very reliable when working on larger areas like a golf course.

There is an option to convert the GPX file (also created using the same GPSVisualizer method above) into the CSV file using another free program called TCX Convertor. That will recalculate the elevations and give you more Google Earth like data. But, for some reason, this 2014 program just won't connect to my internet to update the elevations.

GPSVisualizer seems to struggle with the surface levels of water - particularly where it meets land. So that just suggests some caution needs to be used if relying on it for close-up work. For example, I wouldn’t ever use this technique for the incredibly detailed work you will need to do for greens and green-complexes tho. It's also the reason why I suggest you not work in any higher resolution than the 10ft example used in this example, unless you feel you have to.

Done this method on a number of new courses I am either working on or tested– and its proving to be a winner when cross checking results against other evidence I can collect about the courses.

Be nice for others to try and report any findings/learnings.

Thanks, Colin
Last edited by Colin Jones on January 30th, 2021, 4:19 am, edited 3 times in total.
Completed: Golf Club of Houston (Redstone); Banff Springs; Mauna Kea 2024
Working on: Royal Sydney (2024); NSW Golf Club (2024)
pmgolf
Posts: 1097
Joined: August 27th, 2019, 2:41 am
Location: near Richmond, VA

Re: How to import a detailed contour map into APCD

Post by pmgolf »

I wish I understood that. I don't even know what an (APCD) overhead is!

Pete
User avatar
Adelade
Posts: 1346
Joined: August 27th, 2019, 10:24 am

Re: How to import a detailed contour map into APCD

Post by Adelade »

First of all - Welcome back!

For a minute I thought this would be a method of turning GE data into a DEM file for automatic import into APCD, I got really excited :laugh: But I can tell this method is still going to be very useful! It essentially removes the need of manually checking individual GE elevation points and drawing/writing them onto the overhead (APCD overhead is essentially a large picture of GE (Google Earth) of a course, imported into APCD so one can see and build the terrain into what GE shows). Im kind of excited to try it out, but I dont know if I'll be making any new real course... at least not for a very long time, but if I do I will 100% return to this thread! Thanks so much for this guide!

2 notes:

-I think it would be better to set GE to show elevation in feet to begin with, for better accuracy, rather than convert it afterwards. Or can GPSVisualizer only handle meters?

-Google Earth elevation accuracy varies a lot depending on which course one is making, if its a course within US, chances are pretty good they're high detail, but some courses within USA and many courses outside of USA have dramatically lower accuracy on GE, so thats worth checking first.

Good job figuring it out and thanks for sharing!
Finished Courses - Main: Amedal (fictional), Nine Bridges (real)
Other: Austin, Sheshan, Kauri Cliffs, Le Golf Nat. Updates: Whirlpool, Royal Lytham, Royal St George's, Chicago, Chambers Bay, Munchen Nord E
Working on: 2 fictional courses + a couple things...
hopeless@golf
Posts: 29
Joined: August 29th, 2019, 10:51 pm
Location: Stoney Creek, Ontario, Canada

Re: How to import a detailed contour map into APCD

Post by hopeless@golf »

WOW! Once you figure out the steps you can create quite detailed contour maps, first one took me an hour, second one about half an hour. What takes the most time is drawing you path in google earth pro. :cheers1:
User avatar
sagevanni
Posts: 1133
Joined: August 27th, 2019, 6:21 am
Location: Somewhere on flat earth

Re: How to import a detailed contour map into APCD

Post by sagevanni »

Thank you Colin,

I have made a PDF file of this for those interested......Hope you don't mind Colin..???

Sage..... :smile:
If there is one thing ................ummmmmmmm.......I can't remember.
hopeless@golf
Posts: 29
Joined: August 29th, 2019, 10:51 pm
Location: Stoney Creek, Ontario, Canada

Re: How to import a detailed contour map into APCD

Post by hopeless@golf »

Sage could you send me that PDF
Ian Wells
Posts: 561
Joined: August 27th, 2019, 3:02 am

Re: How to import a detailed contour map into APCD

Post by Ian Wells »

Colin,
Thank you for the information. I have copied it for future use as it was posted too late for Pasatiempo.
Ian
User avatar
Jimbo
Posts: 1504
Joined: August 29th, 2019, 3:55 am
Location: Victoria-but a Raven at heart!

Re: How to import a detailed contour map into APCD

Post by Jimbo »

I'm still working through Lez's videos but I'm guessing that this is going to make "real" courses a heckofalot faster and more accurate.
But what do I know?
hopeless@golf
Posts: 29
Joined: August 29th, 2019, 10:51 pm
Location: Stoney Creek, Ontario, Canada

Re: How to import a detailed contour map into APCD

Post by hopeless@golf »

Truly hard to say Jimbo, you still have to set the elevations by hand so its probably 50/50 as to which way is faster. \Using this method and adding the verts then setting the elevations or set the elevations by using Google Earth Pro. Of course using the second choice still means adding the verts and the setting the elevations
User avatar
Jimbo
Posts: 1504
Joined: August 29th, 2019, 3:55 am
Location: Victoria-but a Raven at heart!

Re: How to import a detailed contour map into APCD

Post by Jimbo »

I've gotten through half a dozen "Beginners" videos...I had to make a second trip to the liquor store-I seriously don't know how you guys can have more than one course on the go at any time.

BTW, what's the best way to contour the green on a real course? Is there some magic website (other than Google Earth)? I haven't found one yet. Take a look at the Deere Run scorecard on their website-it includes a diagram of each green...that's what I'm talking about.
Post Reply