3D Surface area

Last updated: 2023-05-01

Total video time: 33:13

This workflow demonstrates how to calculate 3D areas from surfaces and report the station range for each area. Examples of 3D areas include but is not limited to topsoil, erosion mat, work associated with seeding, pavements, etc. This training will demonstrate an example of topsoil area calculations.

qnty-3d-srfc-area-01.mp4 2:39

  1. Start a new drawing from design-start.dwt template
  2. Save file as ProjectID\dsgn\qty\Topsoil-Master.dwg
  3. Set the active layer to P_MISC
  4. Set the Working folder
  5. Data reference:
    1. Toolspace palette > Prospector tab > Data Shortcuts > Surfaces > Exist surface > left-click hold and drag into drawing
      1. Surface style: _No Display
      2. OK
    2. Toolspace palette > Prospector tab > Data Shortcuts > Surfaces > Crdr-25-Datum surface > left-click hold and drag into drawing
      1. Surface style: _No Display
      2. OK
    3. Toolspace palette > Prospector tab > Data Shortcuts > Surfaces > Rfnt-All-Top surface > left-click hold and drag into drawing
      1. Surface style: Slope Intercept
      2. OK
    4. Toolspace palette > Prospector tab > Data Shortcuts > Alignments > Centerline Alignments > Lcl-4thAve > left-click hold and drag into drawing

      1. Alignment style: ALI_Porposed

      2. OK

The example workflow removes the subgrade surface area from the Rfnt-Top surface and leaves the remaining side slopes for topsoil calculations.

qnty-3d-srfc-area-02.mp4 6:07

The rounding area is the space beyond the proposed slope intercepts that may be disturbed during construction. The 3D surface area calculation workflow is capable of measuring these areas, however other calculation methods may be used if the area beyond the slope intercepts will be accounted for in the quantities.

  1. Extract boundary from Rfnt-Top surface
    1. Left-click to select the border of the Rfnt-Top surface
      1. Surface Data Reference Rfnt-Top contextual ribbon > Surface Tools panel > Extract from Surface dropdown > Extract Objects
        1. Property - Border: selected
        2. OK
  2. Break the 3D polyline boarder at all project construction limits locations
    1. Commandline: typeBreak
    2. Select object: left-click select the 3D polyline border of the Rfnt-Top surface anywhere along the project limits pavement tie in
    3. Specify second break point or [First point]: pick First point
    4. Snap to the Rfnt-Top polyline border at the left slope intercept of the project limits
    5. Specify second break point
    6. Snap to the Rfnt-Top polyline border at the right slope intercept of the project limits
  3. Repeat step 4 for each project limits location
  4. Modify tab > Edit Geometry panel > Stepped Offset icon
    1. Specify offset distance or [Through Layer]:5 Enter
    2. Left-click select one of the resulting polylines
    3. Specify side to offset or [Multiple]: Left-click pick side to the outside of the polyline
    4. Specify elevation or [Grade Slope Difference Variable] side to offset or [Multiple]: Pick Difference
    5. Specify elevation difference or [Grade Slope Elevation Variable]: 0 Enter
  5. Repeat the process to offset the polylines in the remaining polylines
    1. Esc when finished
  6. Left-click select the original Rfnt-Top surface border polylines
  7. Delete
  8. Connect the offset 3D Polylines at the project construction limits locations
    1. Commandline: type3dpoly
    2. Specify start point of polyline: Snap to the end of the polyline
    3. Specify end point of polyline or [Undo]: Snap to the end of the triangulated surface at the construction project limits
    4. Pick the nearest location where the line continues forward and does not go backwards
    5. Specify end point of polyline or [Undo]: Snap to the end of the triangulated surface at the opposite side of the roadway at the construction project limits
    6. Pick the nearest location where the line continues forward and does not go backwards
    7. Specify end point of polyline or [Undo]: Snap to the end of the slope intercept polyline at the opposite side of the roadway at the construction project limits
    8. Enter
  9. Enter to restart the 3DPOLY command
  10. Repeat the process to close each end of the project limits with 3D polylines
  11. Commandline: type join
    1. JOIN Select source object or multiple objects to join at once: **window select all the polylines **
    2. JOIN Select objects to join:Enter
  12. Left-click select the 3D polyline to confirm that everything was joined correctly and the boundary closes
  13. Modify tab > Edit Elevations panel > Elevations from Surface icon
    1. Select Exist surface
    2. Options - Insert intermediate grade break points: unchecked
    3. OK
    4. Specify object or [Multiple Partial]: Left-click select the 3D polyline border
    5. Enter
    6. Save the file

qnty-3d-srfc-area-03.mp4 5:07

  1. Home tab > Create Ground Data panel > Surface dropdown > Create Surface
    1. Name: Topsoil-Master
    2. Style: Top Triangles
    3. OK
  2. Toolspace palette > Prospector tab > Surfaces > expand Topsoil-Master > Definition > right-click Edits > Paste Surface
    1. Rfnt-Top surface
    2. OK
  3. Toolspace palette > Prospector tab > Surfaces > expand Topsoil-Master > Definition > right-click Breaklines > Add...
    1. Description: Rounding
    2. Type: Standard
    3. OK
    4. Select object:left-click select 3D polyline border
    5. Enter
  4. Toolspace palette > Prospector tab > Surfaces > expand Topsoil-Master > Definition > right-click Boundaries > Add...
    1. Name: Rounding
    2. Type: Outer
    3. Non-destructive breakline: checked
    4. OK
    5. Select object:left-click select 3D polyline border
    6. Tip: Names these breaklines and boundaries will be useful in a later step.

    Tip: Tip: Names these breaklines and boundaries will be useful in a later step.

  5. Tin Surface: Topsoil-Master contextual ribbon > Modify panel > Add Data dropdown > Boundaries
    1.  Name: Subgrade
    2. Type: Hide
    3. Non-destructive breakline: checked
    4. OK
    5. Select object(s) or [Surface]: pick Surface
    6. Select a surface [or press enter key to select from list]:Enter
    7. Select a surface: Crdr-25-Datum
    8. OK
  6.  Save the file

Topsoil surface without rounding

  1. Left-click select Topsoil-Master surface
  2. Tin Surface: Topsoil-Master contextual ribbon > Modify panel > Surface Properties
    1. Definition tab
      1. Operation Type
        1. Add breakline - Rounding: unchecked
        2. Add boundary - Rounding Boundary: unchecked
      2. OK
    2. Rebuild the surface

qnty-3d-srfc-area-04.mp4 6:01

Use this workflow when there are small areas that need to be added in (example: the two feet behind the curb and gutter in the curb returns) .

  1. Toolspace palette > Prospector tab > Data Shortcuts > Corridors > 25 > right-click > Create Reference...
  2. OK
  3. Left-click select the corridor
  4. Corridor: 25 contextual ribbon > Launch Pad panel > Feature Lines from Corridor
    1. FEATURELINESFROMCORRIDOR Select corridor feature lines or [All by Regions within Polygon]: pick All
    2. Extract Corridor Feature Lines dialog box
      1. Unselect all feature lines
      2. BackCurb: selected
      3. ETW_Datum_CG: selected
      4. Settings...
        1. Dynamic link to corridor: checked
        2. Apply Smoothing: unchecked
        3. Layout name: unchecked
        4. OK
    3. Extract
  5. Toolspace palette > Prospector tab > Feature Lines
    1. Review feature lines in Prospector table
  6. If not all feature lines can be added to the surface, Toolspace palette > Prospector tab > expand Surfaces > expand Topsoil Master > expand Definition > right-click Breaklines > Add...
    1. Add breaklines dialog box
      1. Description: Back of Curb
      2. Type: Standard
      3. Supplementing factors
        1. Distance: checked
        2. Distance value: 0.100
      4. OK
    2. Select objects: select all Auto Corridor Feature Lines for BackCurb and ETW_Datum_CG
    3. Enter
  7. If all feature lines can be added to the surface, Toolspace palette > Prospector tab > right-click Feature Lines > Add to Surface as Breakline...
    1. Select Surface: Topsoil-Master
    2. OK
    3. Add Breaklines dialog box
      1. Description: Back of Curb
      2. Type: Standard
      3. Supplementing factors
        1. Distance: checked
        2. Distance value: 0.100
      4. OK

    Info: When curb breaklines are added, the surface will triangulate beyond the back of curb breakline to the top of curb breakline. As a result a very small area will be added to the quantity, however this is acceptable for calculating topsoil.

  8. Select Corridor 25
  9. Properties palette > Design tab > Layer > P_CRDR
  10. Home tab > Layers panel > Freeze icon > left-click select Corridor 25
  11. Enter
  12. Toolspace palette > Prospector tab > expand Surfaces > right-click Topsoil Master > Rebuild
  13. Save the file.

qnty-3d-srfc-area-05.mp4 3:18

Create closed polygons to define the limits of individual quantity areas. The closed polygons may extent beyond the surface limits and do not have to trace the surface of interest. Example breakout areas: left and right mainline areas and left and right side road areas.

  1. Set current layer to P_MISC
  2. Commandline: type PL, to create a polyline.
    1. Specify start point: click point in a location southeast of the project
    2. Specify next point or [Arc Close Halfwidth Length Undo Width]: Osnap to end of curb return slope intercept
    3. Continue in command to enclose area of interest. Point locations include but not limited to:
      1. Osnap to triangle edges along slope at the end of curb return (repeat multiple times)
      2. end of ETW_Datum_CG feature line
      3. end of BackCurb feature line
      4. middle of side road lane
      5. points along middle of main road lane (continue beyond south end of project)
    4. Specify next point or [Arc Close Halfwidth Length Undo Width]: C
  3. Repeat this for the north leg of the intersection leaving a gap in the intersection interior for the secondary road breakout.
  4. Repeat this for the secondary road. Snap to the adjacent main road polylines where area boundaries are the same. The secondary road CAN be one breakout or could be broken into two breakout areas.

qnty-3d-srfc-area-06.mp4 3:31

Breaking out quantity locations is accomplished by using cropped surfaces. Cropped surfaces act as a copy of the source surface that reads back to the original surface. Cropped surfaces update if the original surface is changed.

Cropped surfaces may be created manually in Civil 3D or very quickly by using a WisDOT tool Create Cropped Surfaces. See Surfaces - Create Cropped Surfaces for more information.

  1. Ribbon> WisDOT Design tab > Design panel Surfaces drop-down > Surfaces - Create Cropped Surfaces
    1. Select Surface: Topsoil-Master 
    2. Polyline selection options [Individual/ByLayer] <Individual>: I
    3. Select Polylines: select boundrary polyline Enter
    4. Associate Alignment?(Yes No): Yes
    5. Select an alignment: select Alignment 25 Enter

  2. Topsoil MasterCropped surface is created. A number is added to each cropped surface name when multiple cropped surfaces are created. Example: Topsoil MasterCropped 1, Topsoil MasterCropped2, etc.

  3. Toolspace palette > Prospector tab > expand Surfaces > right-click Topsoil MasterCropped > Surface Properties…

    1. Information tab > Name: Topsoil MasterCropped-25-SE

      1. Name cropped surfaces so the location is easily understood.

  4. Repeat the process for each boundary.

qnty-3d-srfc-area-07.mp4 2:53

See QTO - 3D Surface Area Report for more information.

  1. WisDOT Design tab > Analyze panel > QTO dropdown > QTO - 3D Surface Area Report
  2. 3D Surface Areas Report dialog box
    1. Select Surfaces: Shift-select all Topsoil MasterCropped surfaces
    2. Default Alignment: 25 (report will read alignment associated with cropped surface)
    3. Settings
      1. Station Precision: 2
      2. Area Precision: 2
      3. Units: SY
      4. See FDM and Standard Specifications for appropriate precision and units
    4. Report location: proj\dsgn\qty\Topsoil.xlsx
      1. Save
    5. Create Report
    6. Close
  3. The Topsoil.xlsx report opens in Excel
  4. Review and Close the report
  5. Save Topsoil-Master.dwg

    Info: The WisDOT Create Cropped Surfaces tool stores cropped surfaces in the same dwg as the source surface. The cropped surface definition points to a dwg, not directly to a surface object. So, if the dwg changes in any way, the cropped surfaces will show up as out of date. If the source and cropped surfaces were up to date before the save, they are up to date after the save unless the original surface was changed.

  6. Toolspace palette > Prospector tab > right-click Surfaces > Rebuild Out of Date Items
  7. Save Topsoil-Master.dwg

qnty-3d-srfc-area-08.mp4 3:37

  1. Make sure report Excel spreadsheet file is closed.
  2. Open Topsoil-Master.dwg
  3. Toolspace palette > Prospector tab > expand Surfaces > right-click Topsoil MasterCropped > Surface Properties…
  4. Surface Properties - Topsoil Master dialog box
    1. Definition tab
      1. Operation Type
        1. Add breakline - Rounding: unchecked
        2. Add boundary - Rounding boundary: unchecked
    2. OK
    3. Rebuild the surface
  5. Save the file Topsoil-Master.dwg
  6. Toolspace > Prospector tab > right-click Surfaces > Rebuild Out of Date Items
  7. Save the file Topsoil-Master.dwg

    Info: The WisDOT Create Cropped Surfaces tool stores cropped surfaces in the same dwg as the source surface. The cropped surface definition points to a dwg, not directly to a surface object. So, if the dwg changes in any way, the cropped surfaces will show up as out of date. If the source and cropped surfaces were up to date before the save, they are up to date after the save unless the original surface was changed.

  8. WisDOT Design tab > Analyze panel > QTO dropdown > QTO - 3D Surface Area Report
  9. Rerun the report as shown in the previous subtopic "Report 3D surface areas and locations".
  10. The existing Topsoil.xlsx report can be overwritten and updated to show topsoil areas to the slope intercept and does not include the rounding areas. A new report can also be created to compare values.

    Tip: If you need to keep records of the changes you can save this file as a different name to avoid overwriting earlier reports.