Graphics Programs Reference
In-Depth Information
Performing other types of Analysis
In addition to analyzing elevations, slopes, and slope arrows, you can perform
the following types of analyses:
Contours
Contours can be used to analyze a surface. They can be color
coded, and you can create a legend table that shows the area and/or volume
the contours represent.
Directions
With this type of analysis, you can see a visual representation of
your surface slopes. For example, you can use the analysis to see which parts
of your surface slope to the south and which slope to the north.
user-Defined Contours
Contours are usually placed at even intervals, such
as the 1' (0.5 meter) contours with which you have been working so far. What
if you want to show a contour that represents elevation 92.75? That's done as a
user-defined contour. A user-defined contour is an individual instance of a con-
tour, usually at an irregular interval.
Watersheds
A watershed analysis outlines areas within the surface where rain-
fall runoff flows to a certain point or in a certain direction. This type of analysis
is yet another way of studying the drainage characteristics of the terrain.
Exploring Even More Analysis tools
There are even more ways of analyzing your surface that aren't found in Surface
Properties. For example, the following tools are especially useful on many projects:
Water Drop tool
With the Water Drop tool, you can click any point on your
surface and Civil 3D will trace the path from that point downhill until it reaches
a low point or encounters the edge of the surface. This is a very detailed way to
study how water will flow across the ground.
Catchment Area tool
With this tool, you can click a point on the surface and
Civil 3D will draw a closed shape that represents the area that flows to that point.
This is very useful when you're analyzing the effects of rainfall on your project.
Quick Profile
With the Quick Profile tool, you can display a slice of your
surface to get an edge-on view of it. This can help you understand the slope
of the land and the location of high and low points.
You'll learn more about these tools and get hands-on experience with them in
Chapter 18, “Analyzing, Displaying, and Annotating Surfaces.”
