Edit Feature Settings - Surface Dialog Box

Use this dialog box to view and change surface-related settings.

This topic documents settings in all surface-related Edit Settings dialog boxes (drawing-level, feature-level, and command-level).

• Drawing-level ambient settings are identified by the drawing icon.
• Surface feature settings are listed near the top of this dialog box, after the General property group, and are identified by the surface icon.
• Surface command settings are identified by the command icon.

For general information about drawing, feature, and command settings and their interaction, see About Autodesk Civil 3D Settings.

For information about drawing-level ambient settings, see Ambient Settings Tab (Drawing Settings Dialog Box).

Note: When creating a corridor surface, the CreateSurface command settings are used.

Default Styles

Use these settings to specify the default styles assigned to surfaces and surface-related labels.

Surface Default Style

Specifies the default surface style. Click in the Value column, and click to select a style in the Surface Default Style dialog box.

Marker Style

Specifies the default marker style. Click in the Value column, and click to select a style in the Marker Style dialog box.

Surface Spot Elevation Label Style

Specifies the default spot elevation label style. Click in the Value column, and click to select a style in the Surface Spot Elevation Label Style dialog box.

Surface Slope Label Style

Specifies the default slope label style. Click in the Value column, and click to select a style in the Surface Slope Label Style dialog box.

Render Material

Specifies the default render material. Click in the Value column, and click to select a render material in the Render Material dialog box.

Default Name Format

Use this setting to specify the default name format for new surfaces. Click in the Value column, and click to make changes in the Name Template dialog box.

Contour Labeling Defaults

Use these settings to specify the defaults assigned to surface labels.

Display Contour Label Line

Specifies whether or not the contour label lines are displayed.

Surface Contour Label Style Major

Specifies the default major contour label style. Click in the Value column, and click to select a style in the Surface Contour Label Style Major dialog box.

Surface Contour Label Style Minor

Specifies the default minor contour label style. Click in the Value column, and click to select a style in the Surface Contour Label Style Minor dialog box.

Surface Contour Label Style User-defined

Specifies the default user-defined contour label style. Click in the Value column, and click to select a style in the Surface Contour Label Style User-defined dialog box.

Surface Defaults

Default Rebuild -Automatic

Specifies Automatic as the default setting for the Rebuild Surface command.

Default Reduced Level of Detail

Specifies the default Surface Level of Detail for new surfaces created in a drawing. If set to Yes, the default is Reduced.

Automatic Component Visibility during Surface Editing

When Yes is selected, the appropriate style display component is activated when using surface editing commands. For example, swapping surface triangle edges will automatically display triangles in the surface style.

Add Contour Labeling

Note: This property group is displayed when accessing the AddContourLabelingGroup command settings.

Use this setting to specify the defaults assigned to surface labels.

Interval Along Contour

Specifies the default distance between labels along the contour. Enter a value or click to graphically select a distance in the drawing area.

Import Options

Note: This property group is displayed when accessing the AddSurfaceFromDemFile and CreateSurfaceGridFromDemFile command settings.

Use these settings to specify the defaults assigned when creating surfaces.

Use Custom Null Elevation

Specifies whether a custom null elevation is used when importing a surface from a DEM file.

Null Elevation

Specifies the default custom null elevation used when importing a surface from a DEM file.

Surface Creation

Note: This property group is displayed (in different forms) when accessing the CreateSurface, CreateCropSurface, and CreateSurfaceReference command settings.

Surface Default Type

Specifies the default surface type that is used when creating a surface. For more information, see About Creating Surfaces.

Surface Name Template

Specifies the name template to use when creating new surfaces. For more information, see Name Template dialog box.

Cut Factor

Specifies the cut factor to apply to the volume calculations. As the volume of material generally expands after it is removed, the cut factor is usually set to greater than 1.0, indicating swell or expansion. For example, a 1.2 cut factor would mean that for every 1.0 cubic meter of material removed, 1.2 cubic meters of volume would need to be accounted for transport.

Fill Factor

Specifies the fill factor to apply to the volume calculations. As the material generally compacts when used as fill, the fill factor is usually set to greater than 1.0, to indicate compaction or shrinkage of the material when it is used as fill. For example, a 1.2 fill factor would mean that for every 1.0 cubic meter of material required for the fill site, 1.2 cubic meters of that material would need to be transported. For example, for a material that compacts to 93% of its original value when used as fill, enter 1.075 (which is derived by dividing 1.0 by .93) as the fill factor to compensate for the extra material that must be added.

Grid Surface X-Spacing

Specifies the default value for a grid surface's X spacing.

Grid Surface Y-Spacing

Specifies the default value for a grid surface's Y spacing.

Grid Surface Orientation

Specifies the default orientation for a grid. Enter a value or click to graphically select an orientation in the drawing area.

Store Referenced Surface In Drawing

Specifies whether to store the geometry of reference surfaces in the drawing. If you choose to save the reference surface geometry in the drawing, the drawing that contains the reference will become larger, but will open more quickly unless the source surface has changed. For more information, see To Work With Surface References.

Drawing for New Surface

Specifies the default setting for the target drawing when creating cropped surfaces.

Volume Surface Creation

Note: This property group is displayed when accessing the VolumesDashboard command settings.

Use these settings to specify the defaults assigned when creating volume surfaces from the Volumes Dashboard.

Volume Surface Default Type

Specifies the default volume surface type that is used when creating a volume surface. For more information, About Creating Surfaces.

Volume Surface Name Template

Specifies the name template to use when creating new volume surfaces. For more information, see Name Template dialog box.

Cut Factor

Specifies the cut factor to apply to the volume calculations. As the volume of material generally expands after it is removed, the cut factor is usually set to greater than 1.0, indicating swell or expansion. For example, a 1.2 cut factor would mean that for every 1.0 cubic meter of material removed, 1.2 cubic meters of volume would need to be accounted for transport.

Fill Factor

Specifies the fill factor to apply to the volume calculations. As the material generally compacts when used as fill, the fill factor is usually set to greater than 1.0, to indicate compaction or shrinkage of the material when it is used as fill. For example, a 1.2 fill factor would mean that for every 1.0 cubic meter of material required for the fill site, 1.2 cubic meters of that material would need to be transported. For example, for a material that compacts to 93% of its original value when used as fill, enter 1.075 (which is derived by dividing 1.0 by .93) as the fill factor to compensate for the extra material that must be added.

Grid Surface X-Spacing

Specifies the default value for a grid surface's X spacing.

Grid Surface Y-Spacing

Specifies the default value for a grid surface's Y spacing.

Grid Surface Orientation

Specifies the default orientation for a grid. Enter a value or click to graphically select an orientation in the drawing area.

Build Options

Note: This property group is displayed (in different forms) when accessing the CreateSurface, CreateSurfaceGridFromDemFile, and VolumesDashboard command settings.

Use these settings to specify the build options assigned when creating surfaces.

Note: Use these settings when creating a surface, but not when importing a surface from LandXML, DEM, or TIN.

Copy Deleted Dependent Objects

Specifies whether a drawing object is copied to the surface definition item if the object is deleted.

Exclude Elevations Less Than

Specifies whether an elevation less than a certain value should be excluded when the surface is built.

Elevation <

Specifies the elevations to exclude when the Exclude Elevations Less Than property is set to Yes. Enter a value or click to select an elevation in the drawing area.

Exclude Elevations Greater Than

Specifies whether an elevation greater than a certain value should be excluded when the surface is built.

Elevation >

Specifies the elevations to exclude when the Exclude Elevations Greater Than property is set to Yes. Enter a value or click to select an elevation in the drawing area.

Use Maximum Angle

Specifies whether the triangles on the exterior border of the TIN will be assessed to see if they exceed the Maximum Angle Between Adjacent TIN Lines (CreateSurface and VolumesDashboard command settings only). If Use Maximum Angle is set to Yes, triangles on the exterior border of the TIN are assessed. A triangle is removed from the TIN if the angle which faces to the border edge exceeds the maximum angle specified.

The following illustrations show examples of the effect of the Use Maximum Angle setting.

• If the Maximum Angle Between Adjacent TIN Lines setting is set to 130 degrees, the highlighted triangles in the following illustration would be removed.

  

• If the Maximum Angle Between Adjacent TIN Lines setting is set to 140 degrees, the highlighted triangles in the following illustration would be removed.

  

This process is iterative so that when a triangle is removed, exposing one or two new border edges, the new border triangles are tested and removed according to the same criterion. This operation assesses triangles that border exterior boundaries. Triangles on interior boundaries are not affected by this operation.

Maximum Angle Between Adjacent TIN Lines

Specifies the maximum angle to use for the Use Maximum Angle option (CreateSurface and VolumesDashboard command settings only). A triangle is removed from the TIN if the angle which faces to the border edge exceeds the maximum angle specified.

Note: If both Use Maximum Triangle Side Length and Use Maximum Angle are set to Yes, then the Use Maximum Angle operations are completed before the Use Maximum Triangle Side Length operations.

Use Maximum Triangle Side Length

Specifies whether the surface triangles that exceed the length specified by the Maximum Triangle Length property are removed from the boundary of the surface (CreateSurface and VolumesDashboard command settings only).

Maximum Triangle Length

Specifies the triangle length to use when the Use Maximum Triangle Length property is set to Yes. Enter a value or click to select a length in the drawing area (CreateSurface and VolumesDashboard command settings only).

Convert Proximity Breaklines to Standard

Specifies whether proximity breaklines are converted to standard breaklines when the surface is built (CreateSurface and VolumesDashboard command settings only).

Allow Crossing Breaklines

Specifies whether breaklines can cross each other (CreateSurface and VolumesDashboard command settings only).

Elevation To Use

Specifies the elevation to use for the crossing breaklines (CreateSurface and VolumesDashboard command settings only):

• Use First Breakline Elevation At Intersection: Uses the first breakline elevation to determine the elevation at the intersection.
• Use Last Breakline Elevation At Intersection: Uses the last breakline elevation to determine the elevation at the intersection.
• Use Average Elevation At Intersection: Uses the average of the first and last breakline to determine the elevation at the intersection.

For more information on these settings, see the Build properties in Definition Tab (Surface Properties Dialog Box).

Bounded Volume Creation

Note: This property group is displayed when accessing the VolumesDashboard command settings.

Default Mid-Ordinate Distance

Specifies the mid-ordinate distance for the boundary's breaklines, which is used to tessellate the polyline arcs from which the boundary is being created.

Dynamic Highlight Options

Note: This property group is displayed when accessing the VolumesDashboard command settings.

Surface Border Color

Specifies the color to use to outline volume surfaces in the drawing when they are selected in the Volumes Dashboard.

Surface Border Lineweight

Specifies the lineweight to use to outline volume surfaces in the drawing when they are selected in the Volumes Dashboard.

Boundary Polygon Color

Specifies the color to use to outline bounded areas in the drawing when they are selected in the Volumes Dashboard.

Boundary Polygon Lineweight

Specifies the lineweight to use to outline bounded areas in the drawing when they are selected in the Volumes Dashboard.

Water Drop Path

Note: This property group is displayed when accessing the CreateSurfaceWaterdrop command settings.

Use these settings to specify default water drop path options for surfaces.

Path Layer

Specifies the default layer on which to draw the water drop path. Click in the Value column, and click to select a type of path in the Path Layer dialog box.

Path Object Type

Specifies the default type of AutoCAD object to use for the water drop path. Either 2D Polyline or 3D Polyline.

Water Drop Marker

Note: This property group is displayed when accessing the CreateSurfaceWaterdrop command settings.

Use these settings to specify default water drop marker options for surfaces.

Place Marker At Start Point

Specifies whether to draw a marker at the start point of the water drop path.

Start Point Marker Style

Specifies the default start point marker style. Click in the Value column, and click to select a style in the Start Point Marker Style dialog box.

SimplifySurface

Note: This property group is displayed when accessing the SimplifySurface command settings.

Use these settings to specify default options for simplifying surfaces.

Simplify Method

Specifies the default method by which surfaces will be simplified:

• Edge Contraction: Contracts triangle edges to single points.
• Point Removal: Selects and removes surface points.

Region Options

Specifies the default method by which surfaces will be simplified:

• Use Existing Surface Border: You specify the existing surface border as the boundary of the surface simplification region.
• Specify Window/Polygon: You specify the surface simplification region within a drawn rectangle.
• Select Objects: You specify one of either 2D or 3D polylines, parcels, circles, feature lines, or survey figures.

Use Percentage Of Points To Remove

Specifies whether simplify the image by removing a percent of surface points.

Percentage Of Points To Remove

Specifies the percent of surface points to remove.

Use Maximum Change In Elevation

Specifies whether you will set a default maximum change in elevation.

Maximum Change In Elevation

Specifies the maximum allowed difference between the elevation of the original surface and the elevation of the simplified surface.

For more information about simplifying surfaces, see Simplify Surface Wizard.

Export Options

Note: This property group is displayed when accessing the SurfaceExportToDem command settings.

Use these settings to specify the defaults assigned when exporting surfaces to a DEM file.

Use Custom Null Elevation

Specifies whether a custom null elevation is used when exporting to a DEM file.

Null Elevation

Specifies the default custom null elevation used when exporting to a DEM file.

Grid Spacing

Specifies the spacing between grids when exporting to a DEM file.

Add Data Options

Note: This property group is displayed when accessing the AddSurfaceContours, AddSurfaceBoundaries, and AddSurfaceBreaklines command settings.

Use these settings to specify the defaults assigned when adding contours, boundaries, and breaklines to a surface.

Default Weeding Distance

Specifies the default weeding distance.

Default Weeding Angle

Specifies the default weeding angle.

Default Supplementing Distance

Specifies the default supplementing distance.

Default Mid-ordinate Distance

Specifies the default mid-ordinate distance.

Default Boundary Type

Specifies the default boundary type.

Default Non-destructive Setting

Specifies the default selection of a type of breakline (destructive of non-destructive).