Creating an existing ground surface: Edit a surface

You will modify the surface properties so • Add proximity breaklines to

that elevations less than 0 are removed automatically re-triangulate the
from the surface. You will edit the surface surface.
and delete points that are incorrect. You will • Use the operations list to remove a
use swap edge to realign triangles in the surface operation and re-order
surface and use breaklines to re-triangulate
surface operations.
the surface. You will use the operation list to
remove and re-order surface operations.

Learning Objectives:

• Edit a surface by setting the surface

build options.
• Use a surface style to display points
and triangles, and to delete points.
• Swap triangle edges to manually re- The completed exercise
triangulate the surface.

1. In the Start tab, click Open. In the Select File

dialog, in the Iowa City 02_08/04 Design Models
folder, select 02_08 Building Existing Ground
Start.dwg. Click Open

2. Zoom in on the area where there are some

problems with the surface.

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 3. In the View tab, Named Views panel, expand
the Restore View drop-down list and select
Area 1.

4. Zoom in and select the Tree 14 label. Right-click

and choose Properties. Scroll down and you can
see that the Position Z is set to 0. Close the
Properties palette.

5. Select the surface by clicking on the contours. In

the Tin Surface: Existing Ground tab, Modify
panel, click Surface Properties. In the Surface
Properties dialog, in the Definition tab, expand
the Build option. Set Exclude elevations less
than to Yes. Set the Elevation < to 0.10ʹ. Click
OK.

6. In the Surface Properties – Rebuild Surface

dialog, click Rebuild the surface.

7. The surface has been corrected

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 8. In the View tab, Named Views panel, expand
the Restore View drop-down list and select
Area 2. Two of the elevation values are wrong.

9. Select the surface. In the Tin Surface: Existing

Ground tab, Modify panel, expand Edit Surface
and click Delete Point.

10. A warning displays. Click OK.

11. With the surface still selected, right-click and

choose Edit Surface Style. In the Style Editor,
in the Display tab, turn on Points and Triangles.
Click OK.

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 12. Zoom in on the elevation value on the left.
Select the surface and, in the Modify panel,
expand Edit Surface and click Delete Point.
Select the blue cross.

13. Pan across and select the second surface

point. Press Enter.

14. The points are deleted and the surface

updates.

15. Restore the view Area 3.

16. Select the surface, in the Modify panel, expand

Edit Surface and click Swap Edge. Pick the
triangle side to be swapped.

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 17. The triangle updates. Press Esc to end the
command.

18. Restore the view Area 4.

19. Draw a polyline as shown without snapping to

anything.

20. In Prospector, expand Surfaces > Existing

Ground > Definition. Right-click on Breaklines
and choose Add. In the Add Breaklines dialog,
set the Type to Proximity and click OK.

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 21. Press Enter. Review the changes to the
surface.

22. Select the surface. In the Modify panel, click

Surface Properties. In the Surface Properties
dialog, in the Operation Type area, deselect
Add Contour Data. Click OK and click Rebuild
the surface.

23. Close the Event Viewer. Zoom out to see the

full surface.

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