Chapter 4

Surfaces

One of the most primitive elements in a 3D model of any design is the surface. As you learned in the previous chapter, once survey information is gathered and points are set with elevations, then you can proceed to turn some of that information into an intelligent surface. This chapter looks at various methods of surface creation and editing. Then it moves into discussing ways to view, analyze, and label surfaces, and explores how they interact with other parts of your project.

In this chapter, you will learn to:

• Create a preliminary surface using freely available data
• Modify and update a TIN surface
• Prepare a slope analysis
• Label surface contours and spot elevations
• Import a point cloud into a drawing and create a surface model