Create a Toposurface with a Points File

Export a points file from a civil engineering application, and import it to create a toposurface in the Revit model.

The points file provides contour data using a regularized grid of elevation points.

The imported points file must adhere to these requirements:

• The points file must be in a comma-delimited file format (a CSV or TXT file).
• The file must contain x, y, and z coordinate numbers as the first numeric values in the file.
• Any additional numeric information for a point must occur after the x, y, and z coordinate values.

Additional information in the file (such as a point name) is ignored. If the file contains 2 points with the same x and y coordinates, Revit uses the point with the largest z value.

Click to download sample points file.

To create a toposurface with a points file

1. Open a 3D view or a site plan view.
2. Click Massing & Site tabModel Site panel (Toposurface).
3. Click Modify | Edit Surface tabTools panelCreate From Import drop-down (Specify Points File).
4. In the Open dialog, navigate to the location of the points file.
5. In the Format dialog, specify the units used to measure the points in the points file (for example, decimal feet or meters), and click OK.

Revit generates points and a toposurface from the coordinate information in the file.

Note: To improve system performance related to surfaces with a large number of points, simplify the surface.