Hi All,
I need your help again. I purchased a NYC site model online and the terrain is super pixelated. I thought the pixelation would go away with VRay, but it actually looks worse in the render. How can I fix this? I definitely need this particular model to work because my entire project has been modeled onto this site model. How can I fix it so it will look sharp in my render?
An image doesn’t help much. What format was the file? Where did it come from?
A long time ago, we had a model to do for NYC, and it seemed to me at the time that all the data was free. IIRC, there was only contour line data available at the time, and it was in 2D, so you had to rais the contour lines ot the correct height. Not too hard, NYC is pretty flat… 
There’s this one: NYC 3D Model Download
-wim
I just double-checked. This is where the model came from. I think the format was dwg. I’m wondering if cadmapper would have a better model, but is there no way I could repair this model?
Hi Matthew -
As Mitch wrote, it’s hard to tell from that image - I have no idea what I’m looking at… If you post a 3dm file, your chances of getting a useful response will greatly increase.
-wim
Yep, that looks like the same data set that I remember. I found it fun at the time to see the Big Apple had decided to use Rhino .3dm format for their data.
Here’s what lower Manhattan looks like on my screen:
Here’s what the contour lines look like Top view):
But as I said, they’re not in 3D, so you need to find the correct elevations and raise them. I can’t remember what we decided the contour line intervals were (maybe 1 foot?) and they’re not labeled in the file… Too long ago.
-wim
Amazing that I can’t remember stuff I posted a little over a year ago… Seems like far longer. 
Anyway, seems like the conclusion at the end of that thread was two foot contour intervals.
RHINO HELP_TERRAIN.3dm (14.6 MB)
I just tried making a giant patch. It took hours and nothing happened.
Well, again, your file is incomprehensible. Where did this polysurface come from? What data is it based on? Patch is not the best way to make a terrain, but what objects are you using to make it?
As I stated earlier, the contour lines in the NYC download are flat, so if you are hoping to use those, you will need to bring them up to their correct heights. If you are using other data to make your terrain, what are those?
You haven’t given us much information to help you with and what you have given is not informative. You might start out by telling us EXACTLY what you want to do, what data you are starting with and the exact procedure you are using. Right now I have really no idea what to tell you to do.
For any one interested:
There are several ways to create your own topographic model.
Check out this link:
Or you can extract the topographics from openstreetmaps.org:
Open Street Map to Rhino - Downloading and Importing Map Data - YouTube
No need to buy. But the cleaning of the downloaded data can be very time consuming with the first method as lots and lots of double faces are created where the one sector end in the chart and the next starts. Also there are several sub layers in the created meshes as it seems the satellites have become more and more precisely.
Didn’t try the second one. Just noticed I took the older video of this user from YT, this has no topography.
This one does: Open Street Map 3D to Rhino - Importing 3D Mapping Data - OSM2 World - YouTube
Third option
is to use the Grasshopper plugin ELK which allows to put each layer of the chart (Buildings, Streets,Walkways, Highways, …) on a seperate component and therefore to treat it differently. It even knows the height of some buildings. For all the others polylines are created.
I needed to have the textures on the meshes, so ELK wasn’t my solution. But for architects needing precise background this seems to be great.
Cheers
Thanks for your reply. I will try to answer all your questions precisely so you can better help me resolve this.
Q: Where did this polysurface come from? What data is it based on?
A: I purchased the model from cadmapper.com. The format is 3dm. so I didn’t have to convert anything to use it in Rhino. I’m not sure what their data is based on.
Q: If you are using other data (other than the contour lines in the NYC download) to make your terrain, what are those?
A. I did not make this terrain. I purchased it. I am not trying to re-make the model. I just need to make this one SMOOTHER. Earlier I stated the model came from the NYC 3D Model Download. This was a mistake. This particular terrain model came from cadmapper. I also have a file with the contours at the appropriate heights that correspond with this terrain polysurface.
Q: You might start out by telling us EXACTLY what you want to do, what data you are starting with and the exact procedure you are using.
A: I want to make a plan render that is sharp and not pixelated. (See Image). The polysurface is comprised of 4140 surfaces. The high quality render is very pixelated and blurry. The site is large but I think the individual surfaces are too big.
The data I am working is simiply the terrain model I shared above. The entire project design is built on this model so I am trying to stay consistent and revive it by making it smoother.
So far, I have tried PATCH and DRAPE. Drape works pretty well since it softens some of the polysurface facetting. It is not good enough for this render. I also tried to make a mesh from the countours mentioned above. There was little improvement.
Here is a work flow to get a high polygon terrain model from a low one.
GREAT IDEAS here. This reply was my solution. Thank you to everyone.
