I received Vasco da Gama 5 (VdG) with one of the earlier versions of MEP and have since upgraded to version 8. This is an alternative to using the Travel Route Animation in MEP and contains many more features. However, Travel Route uses OpenStreetmap, whereas detailed street maps are an add-on to VdG. I have a few questions at the end of this post.
Here are a couple of quick and dirty short test videos I did of walking routes using VdG 8; part of my learning process.
https://www.dropbox.com/s/cgozpjk3ldf71rd/Test%20VdG%20routes.MP4
For the first part, I imported a jpeg map into VdG from OpenStreetmap (obtained while using the Travel Route Animation in MEP and exporting the map). For the second part, I did a print screen of a Google satellite image, imported into Xara, cropped it and saved it as a jpg, and then imported it into VdG. I have since installed Google earth and can save images from it. Both videos were separate projects. I reduced the maps quite a bit in VdG so as to not be distorted too much as VdG wraps the map on the globe, and moved them to the approximate locations. I cannot reduce them to the size to actually fit over the area in VdG as the resolution of VdG is limited and zooming in is at a maximum well before the area I want to work with. I just wanted to use the tools in VdG to create a route .
For each case, I create my route and added the walker, a couple of objects, like the house, lighthouse, flag and a tree, along with some text. I set up the route with walking time, delay at a waypoint, fade in and out, etc., set up the camera positions and finally exported as wmv files. I finished up both in MEP2014 and added in a photo that appears at a waypoint.
A few problems/solutions with VdG:
- I lost some resolution and slight colour change with the satellite image.
- To resize the map whilst keeping the proportions, hold the Ctrl down while dragging. I did not do this in the current video and found out afterwards.
- The idea in VdG is to be able to stretch the imported map over the globe to fit. But in my case I could not do it because of the low detail of VdG globe when zoomed in. Otherwise, I would have a better solution to point 5 below.
- Because of how small I made the imported map and the level of zoom to be able to work with it, I had a problem with the size of the text. I could not make it any smaller as I had reduced it to 1%. The zoom levels are different in the 2 projects as a result the minimum text size in the lighthouse video is smaller than in the other video. An option would be to do the text part in MEP. I did another test and did not reduce the imported image so much, and I was able to get the text proportionately smaller.
- By adding a pitch to the image, I was able to better have a 3D effect with the walker, but I the areas beyond the edges of the imported map are visible. A solution may be one or two more adjoining maps or to stitch some together so I don't lose anymore resolution.
- I did not try to get a Google 3D image (not stereo) by tilting the map before copying it, so the tilt or pitch is done in VdG and does not show any relief on the terrain. A pitched view from Google Earth would probably have to be just right for the viewpoint for the entire route. The objects would have to be tilted back to be seen.
More testing required.
Has anyone done anything similar and has some hints and experiences to share?
Has anyone purchased and used the streetmaps available from Motions Studios for VdG? Do they extend into the countryside everywhere? Are they worth the price in your opinion or would one be better off trying to use Google or imported maps like I did?
Thanks,