The DXF exporter exports the terrain as an Autodesk DXF R10 file. The file is fully formed, and any program with good DXF support should be able to open it. I've tested the generated DXF files with AutoCAD 2000 and Microstation SE. Some lighter weight programs may not be able to cope with the amount of data in the file, but in the future I hope to offer additional options to break the terrain up into smaller separate files that such programs will be better able to cope with.
The Interface
Mac version Windows version The DXF exporter is easy to use. Here's a guide to it's settings :
- Units radio buttons
These two radio buttons let you choose between using Metres or TG Units for dimensions. As an example, say you are exporting a 257 x 257 terrain with a point spacing of 30m. If you choose TG Units the exported terrain will be 256 x 256 DXF units square, and each quad in the terrain will be 1 DXF unit square. If you choose metres, the terrain will be 7680 metres ( or DXF units ) square and each quad will be 30 metres ( DXF units ) square.
- Entity Type settings
These radio buttons allow you to choose what type of entity you'd like to export the terrain as.
- Polygon mesh
This setting exports the mesh as a polymesh. This option is the most efficient of the two, as it produces much smaller files which are quicker to write out. However, it may not be as compatible as the next option. I'd recommend giving it a try first though.
- 3DFACEs
This option exports each polygon of the terrain as a 3DFACE entity. This produces a much larger file than the previous option, and takes much longer, but it may be more compatible with some programs.
- Layer Settings
These settings let you specify settings for the layer the terrain mesh/polygons will be on.
- Use Layer Name
If this is checked you can enter a name for the layer in the edit field below. If you don't enter a name the default layer name ( "0" ) will be used.
- Colour
This popup menu allows you to choose to use a colour for the mesh/polygons. You can choose the BYLAYER colour or one of the seven standard colours.
- Cancel button
This button closes the plugin window without recording the changes you've made to the settings.
- OK button
This button closes the plugin window, records the changes you've made to the settings and brings up an Save File dialog box.
Requirements
For Export Only needs the TGPGuiLib to run. This file provides cross platform interface functionality. To find out more about the TGPGuiLib and download the latest version, visit it's website.
© Jo Meder 2001, all rights reserved