Terrain Shaping

Under input: Select a surface you want to collect existing elevations from. Point elevation calculated from selected input will show with an underline

There are two possibilities under settings that are on the toolbar:

• Equidistance - Select what kind of equidistance you want the contour lines to show. Contour lines will show and change dynamically in the model when you create the terrain. The default is 10 cm.

• Slope - Select whether you want to create a slope With percent or ratio. The default is percent. By clicking on the icon you chose between percent or ratio.

Guiding Widgets on/ ff: the Hot Keys Widget displays available short commands and their function. By default, the widget is on. Press to turn on/off. The Help Widget presents the guiding text in the current mode of the tool.

To begin designing the terrain you must have a plan window open.

Tip: Create a separate plan window where you do not have many surfaces so you easily can see the terrain. By having a 3D window open in addition, you will be able to see the terrain in 3D when you are creating the terrain.

Methodology:

1. Set the first point either by specifying the  X,Y position in the plan window and entering the height, or by being in the X,Y position in Plan and pressing O to use an existing calculated height. Widgets changes according to where you are in the process. 

2. Continue to insert new elevation heights and use various short commands to set guidelines for elevation heights.

These are the different commands you can use:

• O - Use height (Z) from the object/surface (the height from the input is used)

• V - Select the nearest point elevation as Reference (by holding the mouse near a point it will snap to that elevation point)

• P - Select the next point elevation to insert the slope arrow ( insert a New slope arrow from an elevation point by holding Your mouse close to the elevation point you want to put a new slope arrow towards)

• L - Enter new slope (gives the possibility to change the slope value)

• H - Enter a height

• R - Fixed reference/running reference (calculates elevation points from one point/ calculates elevation points consecutively)

• F - Descend/ascend ( the next point will be below the last point/ next point will be above the last point)

When you press enter you quit create - mode, and you come to a pause mode in which you can click on another location to add a new elevation point or use V to select one reference point or O to an existing height. You can also click on point or slope to edit this.

Edit height or slope

1. Click point height or slope and change the height (Z), or roll the mouse wheel, O provides the existing height. With M selects all and you can roll the mouse wheel to change all heights. To change the slope must also specify (with V ) which point height you chose to be a reference.

2. To move a point elevation: Click the plus sign and drag it to the new position (X,Y).

3. Esc erases everything you have done up to the last pause mode, which is the last time you pressed enter. If you want to delete points you created before the pause mode select the elevation points and press delete.

4. Select OK to exit, if you select Cancel, a dialog comes up asking if you want to exit the tool. By leaving the tool you will lose the work you have done until the last time you pressed enter.

Next topic: Alignment