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Creating a Terrace using Strings



This Tech Tip explains how to create a terrace from a cad drawing using strings.

 

Converting the drawing

 

The drawing must be included in the project.

 

File Menu › Edit Project

 

 



 



 

DTM with CAD lines showing proposed terrace

 

Terrain Mode

 

Strings Menu › String Creation › Polyline to String

 

The program will prompt:




 

Click on the polyline that must be converted.

 




 

String name Enter the name of the resultant string
Zero height Select this option if you want the vertices of the resultant string to have zero elevation.
Fixed height Select this option if you want the vertices of the resultant string to have a fixed elevation value.
Interpolate on surface Select this option if you want the vertices of the resultant string to have an elevation interpolated from a DTM surface. Choose which surface is to be used from the dropdown list.
Search distance Greyed out unless the 'Interpolate on surface' option is selected. Choose a value at least double the average distance between points on the selected surface.
Constant to add Type in a value if you want the interpolated elevation to have a further constant added or subtracted.
Chainage interval for arcs Greyed out for all functions other than 'Convert Entities to String'. With this function you can select an arc cad entity and have the string coincide with the arc. For this reason a chainage distance along the arc is needed.

 

Press OK to accept any changes or Cancel to close the dialog losing the changes.

 

In this example we will create a string called terrace with a height of 82m.

 

 

 

Once the string has been created the drawing can be removed from the drawing and the string can be switched on in the Display Settings.

 

Settings Menu › Display Settings

 


 

 

 

 

 

 

Various options can be changed in the Display Settings for Strings.

 

 


Once the string has been created, the next step is to create a child string which will grade to the ground dtm at a slope of 1:5

 

Strings Menu › String Creation › Create Child

 

 

 

 

 

Click OK to continue.

 

The program will prompt:

 

 

 

 

 

 

The child string is created.

 

The next step is to convert the strings to dtm points.

 

Strings Menu › String Editing › String to DTM


 

 

 

The dialog indicates which string will be converted, if this is not the correct string, click OK, you will then be able to select the correct string.

 

 

 

 

Select Recurse children if you want the children of the chosen string to also be converted.

 

Once the string has been converted, the strings can be switched off in the Display Settings, we will also switch on the new dtm surface to show the converted points.

 

Settings Menu › Display Settings

 

 

 

 


 

 

 

Showing the new terrace, after the strings have been converted.

 

You can now view the terrace in 3D if required.

 

Terrain Menu › 3D View › View

 

 

 

 

Select the ground dtm surface and the new terrace surface, click OK to continue.

 

 

 

 

The new terrace shown in 3D.

 

 

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 Last Updated: October 25, 2007
Knowledge Base: Professional Civil Engineering & CAD Design Software

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