Street map files for GrLvl3

[Stephen Locke]

Do you all recommend downloading additional shapefiles for GrLvl3? Files for more detailed road networks and street level zooming. Should I expect to pay for these or is a quality map available for free? Do maps improve or distract from
the GrLvl3 experience?

Thanks, steve

 

[L.B. LaForce]

http://weather.niu.edu/grlevelx/

Thats a link to I think all states, and their roads. You can set the visibility on the zoom level in the tigerfile in the gr3 folder, and I edited mine to make roads black, so they are easier to see.

 

[Dean Baron]

The shapefiles I use was Tiger Roads. They are nice if you are watching the storms from home but if you are actually chasing I think it is much easier to just use a GPS unit. The roads get hard to see when things get going on radar and it doesnt display the road names, you have to mouse over them and then they pop up in the lower left hand corner. I dont know about now, but when I was loading the files you could only do county by county, and it will take forever to get all the roads you want uploaded (but maybe there is a different file that uploads a larger area now). I'd still say a seperate GPS program is best while actually chasing.

 

[Mark Blue]

You can actually get the state shape files here:

http://www.grlevelxstuff.com/index.php?categoryid=14&p13_sectionid=61

This is necessary for the best road detail for any state you are chasing in.

There are just so many cool downloads available at this location http://www.grlevelxstuff.com/index.php?categoryid=14 that you'd be amazed at how much time you can spend customizing GRL3. Have fun and don't stay up too late!!

 

[Ben Holcomb]

I always found that it can take awhile to load all the shape files, and ditched them for all but the tri county area around my house. Maybe it isn't so bad with each state shape file?

 

[Stephen Locke]

OK I've installed some shape files for streets. I think it looks pretty cool. I had difficulty with installation until I found this flash tutorial to walk me through it.
Seems like it will be worth the trouble if these state maps are divided up into quarters. I definetly would not bother with the county by county process OMG.

Now it looks like maps have to be loaded into each site individually. Thats a lot more work if it's true.

Just curious what other types of tool downloads you all find valuable for customising GR3?

steve

I ned too finger out hwe to tun on spillchick on this fanci vindows computr.

 

[Ben Holcomb]

You should be able to go into C:\Documents and Settings\username\Application Data\GRLevel3 and copy the 'site' files to other site names. It's C:\users\username\Application Data on Vista, I believe.

Not the 'greatest' but at least easier than loading them all into each site!

 

[L.B. LaForce]

Yes, the link I provided has the streets packed by states in regions, like southwest, so there is about a max of 5 or so to load to get the full state. its much easier than having to load county by county. Also, they only load in for the radar site you selected, so if u choose a different site, you'll have to re-load the ones you want. Of course, when you go back to a site you had loaded the streets into, they will still be there. You only have to load streets for radar sites once.

 

[Jesse Risley]

Besides having to load for each radar site, it really slows the start-up time of the program when you have various states loaded into multiple radar sites.

I just decided to obtain a copy of Microsoft Streets and Trips (there are other software programs available too), which I have been more than happy with. It gives a little better indication of paved vs. non-paved roads, in addition to street and road names.

 

[Dean Baron]

Just curious what other types of tool downloads you all find valuable for customising GR3?

steve

There are a lot of different shape files and place files that you can add. Weather Watches, MD's, convective, tornado, wind, hail outlooks, METARs just to name a few. Just do a little searching around the GR owners forum and you will find plenty of cool stuff.

 

[James Wilson]

GrLvl3 & Microsoft Streets and Trips with a GPS is how i'm rolling.