HDMapper™ and 3DDisplay™
Q: How can I draw my coverage study from HDMapper in 3DDisplay?
A: With HDMapper in TAP 6 systems with TAP version 6.0.2059 or higher with a Maintenance Subscription date of February 28, 2006, or later, you can create the necessary files using a button in the HDMapper toolbar.
For example, suppose you have a Tile coverage study plotted in HDMapper as shown:
Be sure the map shows the area you want to export to 3DD. The coverage area is exported as described below. The topographic elevation data is exported for the entire area displayed on the map. You can use the pan and zoom functions, as well as resizing the map to get the presentation you want to export.
When you have the map you want to export, click the Export
3DDisplay Files 
button:
The Export 3DDisplay Files form is displayed.
Set the data increment for the topographic elevation grid file to be created.
The label to the right of the grid step setting displays the size of the grid and the number of points to be created. Smaller grid steps will provide more detail, but will take longer to create and longer to process in 3DDisplay.
If the coverage map includes any Tile studies, you can select the study you want to use.
If you do not want to include a tile study, you can select the blank line.
Selecting a Tile study at this point in the program saves the study as a coverage grid file to be loaded into 3DDisplay, along with the current field strength levels shown in the HDMapper legend.
If you do not select a Tile study, and the study is visible on the HDMapper display, the information for the coverage area will be saved only as part of the bitmap of the HDMapper display and you will not have control over the legend settings for different levels in 3DDisplay. If you export the layer as a coverage study, you will be able to change the level settings in 3DDisplay.
Select the target path where you want to write the exported files for 3DDisplay:
The default path will be the path under the TAP MAPPING\MAP FILES folder created for the HDMapper files. You can use the Browse button (“…”) to the right of the folder name to find or create a new folder. It is recommended you use the default file locations.
The files created for 3DDisplay are two grid files (for topography and tile coverage), and a bitmap file of the HDMapper image:
□ 3DDTopo000.GRD
□ 3DDTile000.GRD
□ 3DDImage000.BMP
The “000” suffix on the file names will be incremented (001, 002, etc.) if you export additional 3DDisplay files for the same map. These file names are preserved in the 3DD Template file (see below) and you do not usually need to worry about the actual file names.
Enter the name for the 3DDisplay Template file that will save the information for the exported files.
This is the file name you will load into 3DDisplay. The default name is the same as the HDMapper file name, but with the SW3DT template file extent. You should not change the file extent, since the file must have that extent to be loaded into 3DDisplay.
When you have the settings you want, click the Continue button to start exporting the files:
The export process will start. A progress form will be displayed for the creation of the grid of topographic elevation data:
Another progress form will be displayed for the grid of the field strength values from the Tile study:
When the export process is complete, the program will load 3DDisplay:
To load the template file exported from HDMapper, open the File menu in 3DDisplay and click the Load Template button:
Find the template file you created and open that file:
When the template is loaded, you will be prompted to clear previous settings. Click Yes to be sure the settings from the HDMapper export file will be used:
Then click the 3DDisplay Redraw button to display the template information exported from HDMapper:
When the template is loaded into 3DDisplay you can use the view and lighting controls to configure the display as you want it:
If the Tile study was exported as a coverage grid file as described above, you can use the 3DDisplay Coloring Scheme menu to change the colors or levels to be plotted, or even add or delete levels to plot:
If you change the level settings, you may also need to edit the appropriate Legend captions in the Display and Print section of 3DDisplay:
As a comparison, if you export the HDMapper image and do not choose the coverage layer, that layer is exported as part of the image file and the coloring and levels cannot be changed, since they are part of the bitmap image file.
As another comparison, since only rectangular Tile studies can be written as coverage grids, TAP Contour studies are exported from HDMapper as part of the image bitmap:
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Copyright 2006 by SoftWright LLC