The DXF to QGF Conversion Control converts an Autocad DXF file to a SIMMOD 2.2 QGF file.
The QGF file format is an ASCII text based graphics format which represents graphics primatives in a manner friendly to aviation planning and to the analyst using it. The vector based elements in the QGF format have decimal latitudes, longitudes, and altitudes as their basic unit.
Not all elements from an Autocad DXF file are converted to the QGF file format since the QGF file format supports only a limited set of the elements and attributes available in a DXF file. But, sufficient numbers of elements are supported to make the conversion quite acceptable.
For extended details on how to read a DXF file in Java you may want to consult the National Center for Supercomputing Applications at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. They have a free DXF file loader which can be used with Java3d. The WWW address is http://www.ncsa.uiuc.edu/~srp/Java3D/portfolio.
Please note that all organizations noted in this document retain all rights to their copyrights referenced herein.
Import Tab:
The Import Tab contains items which directly control how the conversion from a DXF file to a QGF file is handled. The fields determine the units conversion from Autocad DXF units to QGF latitude/longitude units.
The DXF to QGF Conversion tool assumes that the DXF's units are in feet. If they are not, then a Scale X, Scale Y, and Scale Z values should be appropriately supplied.
Convert DXF to QGF
- When pressed, the Convert button reads the currently selected DXF file, applies the conversion units as designated
in the supplied fields, and then writes the corresponding QGF file. The QGF file is written as well as a DXA (DXF
Attributes) file which contains the conversion units that were supplied.
The converted QGF file may then be manipulated further using the APECS QGF Display Control.
Refresh List - When
pressed, the Refresh List button refreshes the list of available DXF files displayed. Use this button after adding
a DXF file to the graphics directory which holds the DXF files. Assuming an installation location of c:\simmod
this directory would be c:\simmod\graphics.
Please note that the extension on the DXF file must be in lowercase letters, not capitalized or all uppercase. Thus, "my_file.DXF" is wrong, "my_file.Dxf" is wrong, and "my_file.dxf" is correct.
Open
Folder - Press this button to change the working directory for the DXF to QGF Conversion tool.
Zoom
- Zoom to the location on the map graphics where the last converted DXF file is displayed.
Help
- Open the built-in help for this tool.
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DXFs List - The DXFs List contains a listing of the DXFs found in the default graphics directory. Assuming
an installation location of c:\simmod this directory would be c:\simmod\graphics. Please note that the extension on the DXF file must be in lowercase letters, not capitalized or all uppercase. Thus, "my_file.DXF" is wrong, "my_file.Dxf" is wrong, and "my_file.dxf" is correct. A list entry which has "(qgf & dxa)" to the right of the DXF filename is an DXF file which has already been converted to a QGF file. The DXA file is an attributes file which retains the data from the fields at the bottom of the DXF to QGF Conversion tool. You should not edit the DXA file. |
Latitude/Longitude Fields - The Latitude/Longitude fields allow the user to enter where the 0,0 point in the DXF file should be located in terms of latitude and longitude. These two fields are required fields.
Decimal entries should have southern latitudes as negative and western longitudes as negative.
Latitude and lontitude values may also be entered in DD:MM:SS.dd[NSEW] (degree:minutes:decimal seconds direction) format such as 34:00:0.0N and 118:00:00W.
Rotation Fields - The Rotation fields allow the user to specify an off-center rotation to be applied to the conversion process. The Rotation field specifies how many degrees the Autocad drawing should be rotated.
The Rotation Latitude and Longitude fields specify the XY location where this rotation should take place. The units are variable and should be the same units as your DXF file's units. You must know the units in your DXF file for these fields to work. Of the optional fields, rotation is the last to be applied.
Translation Fields - The Translation fields allow the user to specify how much the drawing should be translated. The units are variable and should correspond to the units contained within your DXF file. You must know the units in your DXF file for these fields to work.
Of the optional fields, translation is the first to be applied.
Scale Fields - The Scale fields allow the user to specify how much the drawing should be scaled. These fields allow a DXF file of any unit value to be converted to meters. The scale values are multiplied by the X,Y, and Z values as read from the DXF file.
Of the optional fields, scale is applied second, after translation.
To convert a DXF whose units are in meters use 3.28083897 (there are 3.28083897 feet in a meter) in both the Scale X and Scale Y fields. The Scale Z field should remain 1.0.
Crosshair Alignment Tab:
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Crosshair Example: |
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As shown above, the Crosshair Alignment tab allows the user to insert a temporary Crosshair into the map graphics for reference purposes.
Add Row
- Press this button to add a row to the spreadsheet below.
Remove Row
- Press this button to remove a row from the spreadsheet below. You must have selected a row before pressing this
button for the button to work correctly.
Set Crosshair
Color - Press this button to set the color of the crosshair.
Set Crosshair
Text On/Off - Click this checkbox to turn the display of the Crosshair's text on or off.
Set Crosshair
Size - Choose the size of the Crosshair using this widget.
Crosshair Locations List - After adding a row to the spreadsheet as show you may type the coordinates of your Crosshairs in the spreadsheet. Zoom or pan the display to have the Crosshair actually display.
