Do you know if there is a USGS IMG/HGT Elevation files in Europe or it's just for the US ?

There are from USGS:

http://gdex.cr.usgs.gov/gdex/

or from NASA: 

http://www2.jpl.nasa.gov/srtm/

Note, some of the data can be spotty (see http://www.viewfinderpanoramas.org/dem3.html#hgt).

Some of the data from those website comes in GeoTiff format, which is also an acceptable format for the Import Topo component.

Thanks for responding so quickly ! 

Where i can get a catalog of basemaps and shapefiles?

For a place to start, check out the comments here:

http://www.grasshopper3d.com/video/demonstrating-the-heron-shapefil...

Many shapefiles I find myself using come from local municipalities like counties or cities that maintain their own GIS websites (i.e. data.sfgov.org), so I would also try searching Google for the area of interest and "GIS" or "shapefile".

I am a bit of a noob with this, and have a question about the ImportTopo component. 

I have a georeferenced IMG file of my area, which covers about 3 square miles in NYC. I am able to connect it to the ImportToPo component, but I am unsure what the 'boundary' component is supposed to link to. 

I received an DEM file from another party which i am able to open in GIS and export directly to the IMG file. This part works well, and it seems that Heron is able to read it, but I just do not know what else i am supposed to have to plug into the Boundary input. 

I tried watching the instruction videos, but they have no sound and the resolution is not high enough to really see what is going on on-screen. 

any guidance or documentation would be much appreciated. 

EG

When you connect a file path to the "imgLocation" input, a bounding box of the data will show in your viewport.  The "boundary" input is asking for a curve(s) that describes your area of interest which must fall entirely within the bounding box of the data.

Thanks for the quick response! 

Yes, i just figured that out. I was assuming that it would be an attribute of the actual DEM/IMG file, but its just something I have to draw on my own. 

So the good news is that I can get the mesh into my model, but now the scale seems to be WAAAAYYYY off, but i cant seem to figure out how its being transformed since. Any guidance on what units Heron is assuming or why it might be scaling the data way up ? 

EG 

Heron uses the projected coordinate system for WGS84 (EPSG 3857), but automatically translates data using other coordinate systems.  One reason I've seen for the scale being off is that an incorrect coordinate system is associated with the incoming data.  This can happen when manipulating and exporting data if the appropriate coordinate system is not set.  Try linking the DEM file directly to the ImportTopo component.  It can accept a few raster types other than IMG.

Ahh. We are using 

"NAD_1983_StatePlane_New_York_Long_Island_FIPS_3104_Feet"

as our coordinate system. I am wary of translating out of the existing coordinate system since I need all the other data to line up to this 

I've added the IMG file, if you want to try and replicate my problem.. 

EG 

rh_terrain1.imgrh_terrain1.rrdrh_terrain1.img

When I reprojected (or warped) your IMG file from the CRS you specified to WGS84 in QGIS, I get an output that seems usable (see attached).  I've attached the results as well.

Heron Output.JPG

QGIS Reprojection.JPG

Heron Canvas.png

Heron ImportTopo.gh

Oh and here is the modified IMG file:

rh_terrain1_crs2.img

Brian, thank you for the plugin

I have a question related to CRS. Heron uses WGS84 Pseudo Mercator, right? From my point of view this CRS is bad for CAD export because it distorts distances and Rhino can't recalculate distances as it possible in Google maps os QGIS. What is your take on it?

Also I didn't manage to import reprojected shp file (for example in as WGS84 / UTM zone XX). 

You make a great point Evgeny!  Heron is based on WGS84 Pseudo Mercator (or EPSG 3857) as both an attempt to use a conformal projection within the framework of Rhino's cartesian coordinate system and for ease of communication with online mapping resources.  Using a conformal projection allows square building footprints to appear square in Rhino.  There are, however, issues with distortion at larger scales as has been documented.  Heron is no replacement for proper GIS software.  It was meant for integrating GIS data into a Rhino model at building/city scale.  At some point it it may make sense to allow the user to specific which CRS they want to use, but that will be pretty far down the road.

Also, can you post more information on the problem you're experiencing with reprojecting?  The GDAL libraries Heron uses, should be able to automatically handle reprojecting from any CRSs to EPSG 3857.

Hi Brian!

Thank you for your answer. I will go deeper in details and settings in Heron. 

1) I'd like to use Heron to integrate GIS-data with Rhino and get the geometry for a draft microscale urban analysis, so geometry hasn't to be very precise. However I'd like to have a clear understanding what distortion will be if I use 3857 - because it is very different from CAD-geometry that is exported from QGIS (or other conventional GIS) with 3857 CRS. For example UTM Zone 37N 32637 (suitable for Moscow) and 3857 have ratio almost 2:1 if both are exported to CAD. With Heron the difference with 32637 is very slight

As it seems to me it is due to relocation of Earth Point in Heron. Could you clarify it?

2) I agree on geometry relocation - very large distances can cause bugs in calculations. 

3) "The GDAL libraries Heron uses, should be able to automatically handle reprojecting from any CRSs to EPSG 3857." - I don't need to reproject my data, I was trying to use it already reprojected to appropriate UTM zone. 

Hello, While importing a SHP file, the pointfeatures branch path doesn't match the atributes branch path.  After doing polylines with the points and extruding it using a height attribute from the values output, a buildings height is being applied to other building. What can be done to fix this?  

Hi!

I am beginner,  I have a problem when i use heron compare this:

Vittorio, Try replacing the REST Geocode component currently on the canvas with a new one from the Heron tab.

Thank!!!!

Anybody knows how to generate a shape file from Grasshopper?

THX

Hi Brian!

I am back with my tiny wish list!

Here are two screenshots comparing InfraWorks export of reprojected data and QGIS one with the Heron result. A slight turn and a slight scale difference (~0.004) It would be great if Heron could switch off its 3857 reprojection and I will be able to send analysis results from Rhino to GIS!

I have checked ArcGIS Pro, InfraWorks and FME - all these tools produce meshes that are not suitable for analysis within Rhino.