Use contour lines from AutoCAD to create a height map that can be used in City Engine

[PhilippeMorgan_de_Rivery]

Hello everyone,

I have seen in a tutorial that you can import a greyscale height map into City Engine and use it to drive development height in a city.

However, I usually have some AutoCAD data (or data under ArcGIS, which I guess would be much easier to deal with, but I hope to get a solution for AutoCAD too) with some contour lines (which I can know the height of). I don't know how to use these lines to create a greyscale height map in City Engine (or to create some other type of data which could be used as a height map in City Engine). Would someone have a step-by-step workflow for this question for AutoCAD and ArcGIS? That would be very helpful!

Thank you very much in advance for your help! (I guess that for ArcGIS I would first need to create a TIN from the contour lines, but I haven't done that for a long time so I'm not sure if this is correct...)

Philippe

[MatthiasBuehler1]

Hi !

For the use in CityEngine, you must (somehow) convert to a heightmap image file, best in 32 bit. Other terrain types such as TIN, contour lines and such are not yet supported, but are on the wishlist.

Use e.g. 'Leveller' by Daylong Graphics to avoid the ArcGIS path.

[PhilippeMorgan_de_Rivery]

Hi Matthias,

Thank you for the link, that's helpful! It could maybe be integrated to City Engine in the future (just a suggestion)!

Philippe

[MatthiasBuehler1]

Yes, it's the idea that something like this will be implemented. But only time will tell ..

Cheers !

Matt