4 replies to this topic

[scrutch2001]

I've been playing round with the "World Wind" software package, and it's really cool stuff! World Wind is a 3-D imaging progam which lets you view aerial images in 3-D. Not only can you view the images, you can pan around to get different views, higher or lower viewing angles, zoom in and zoom out, and even "Fly" over, across, and around images. It's like having your own virutual helicoprter. It requires some pretty high-end hardware and a fast internet connection to really work well... it was barely usable on my 700 mhz laptop, but it ROCKED on my 3.2 megahertz desktop.

You can find the software here:

http://worldwind.arc.nasa.gov/

Be forewarned... it's a huge download (180 megabytes).

Here's my first image: a 3-D overview of Stevens Pass.

 Stevens_Pass_3D.jpg (202.08K)
Number of downloads: 59

Mill Valley, the backside of Stevens Pass

 Stevens_Milll_Valley_3D.jpg (243.59K)
Number of downloads: 22

An overview of Yodelin, the defunct area to the east of Stevens:

 Yodelin_3d.jpg (153.07K)
Number of downloads: 26

Crystal Mountain

 Crystal_Mountain_3d.jpg (258.39K)
Number of downloads: 29

The Summit at Snoqualmie

 Summit_at_Snoqualmie_3d.jpg (270.83K)
Number of downloads: 32

Enjoy!

Steve Crutchfield

[scrutch2001]

To follow up, I've been playing around with my World Wind images to add some ski lifts. I created these using Microsoft Powerpoint. One could also use Photoshop or something like it to "Colorize" the pictures, but I haven't tried that yet.

Anyway, here's Stevens Pass as it currently exists:

 Stevens_Pass_3D_With_Lifts.jpg (92.74K)
Number of downloads: 43

Now, my "Fanstay" version of Stevens Pass. The new or replaced lifts are in white. I'd replace Big Chief double with a high speed quad, replace the Daisy triple with a HSQ running to the base of Mill Valley (I've called it "Shasta", following on the "Daisy" theme). I've added a lift to the east of Big Chief called "Northern Exposure," which is on Stevens' long term development plan. I'd add an HSQ to Mill Valley to run over the ridge and down into the valley below Cowboy Mountain. A quad ("Cowboy Canyon") would run back up to the top of the ridge, where it would meet another quad running up from mill Valley ("Pinnacle.")

 Fantasy_Stevens_3D.jpg (94.5K)
Number of downloads: 45

Not that any of this will happen anytime soon, but it's fun to think about.

Steve

[scrutch2001]

One more "World Wind" image....

Here's a shot of Crystal Mountain showing Gold Hills to the right and the abandoned Bullion Basin area to the left.

I've discovered one more twist to the story of the relocation of Bullion Basin to Gold Hills. According to some footnotes in the lengthy "Decision of Record" on Crystal's master development plan, the relocation of Bullion Basin was intended to be a temporary measure. Crystal's then-owners needed to replace the T-bar on the Gold Hill's slope, but didn't have the funds for a new chairlift. So, according to this story, they relocated the lift from Bullion Basin to Gold Hills on a "temporary" basis, until funds could be found to put a chair back into Bullion Basin. Of course that never happened, and according to the schedule for new development at Crystal it will be another three years or so before the new lift goes in.

Steve

 Crystal_Mt_Bouillon_Basin_and_Gold_Hills_3D.jpg (167.71K)
Number of downloads: 36

[nathanvg]

is this software free?

[scrutch2001]

nathanvg, on May 2 2005, 09:26 AM, said:

is this software free?
<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Yes, 100 percent free.

It also requires DirectX version 9c and Microsoft's "Dot Net" frameworks. If you don't have those installed, the software will install it for you. Again, these are large downloads, which may take quite some time on a dialup connection.

Steve