You can perform many types of surface-related analysis, including contour, directions, elevations, slopes, slope-arrows, watersheds, and water drop path.
Surface analysis types include:
- Directions. Used for aspect analysis. Renders surface triangles differently according to the direction they face.
- Elevations. Used for elevation banding analysis. Renders surface triangles differently according to their elevation range.
- Slopes. Renders surface triangles differently according to the slope range they fall within.
- Slope Arrows. Used for slope direction analysis. Places a slope directional arrow at each triangle centroid. The arrow color is based on the color assigned to a slope range, similar to slope analysis.
- Contours. Renders contour lines differently in according to their elevation range.
- User-Defined Contours. Renders user-defined contour lines differently according to their elevation range.
- Watersheds. Renders watersheds differently according to their type.
- Contour Problems. Used to locate problems with contours that are drawn according to the surface style contour settings.
- Water Drop. Used to trace the path that water would take across a surface.
Use the Analysis tab in the Surface Style dialog box to control the display and styles for direction, elevation, slope, and slope arrow analysis. Contours and watersheds have corresponding tabs (Contours tab and Watersheds tab), where their style and display are controlled. Use the Analysis tab in the Surface Properties dialog box to create the actual analysis.
To check for contour problems using a separate utility, click Analyze 
Ground Data panel Contour Check
.To check for contour problems using a separate utility, at the Command prompt, enter CheckForContourProblems.
To perform water drop analysis in a separate utility, click Analyze Ground Data Water Drop
.To perform water drop analysis in a separate utility, at the Command prompt, enter CreateSurfaceWaterDrop.
Tutorial Exercise:Creating a Watershed and Water Drop Analysis
Topics in this section
- Creating Surface Analysis
Use the Analysis tab in the Surface Style dialog box to set up the analysis display and the Analysis tab in the Surface Properties dialog box to create the analysis.
- Checking for Contour Problems
Use the Check for Contour Problems utility to identify problems with contours that are drawn according to the surface style contour settings.
- Drawing Water Drop Paths
Use the water drop utility to trace the path that water takes across a surface.
- Displaying and Calculating Catchment Areas
Use the Catchment Area command to analyze water runoff and display the surface drainage area. The data obtained from running this command helps you perform H&H (hydrology and hydraulics) tasks, such as designing detention ponds, storm sewers, and other tasks aimed at the prevention of soil erosion.
- Identifying the Shortest Distance Between Two Surfaces
Use the Calculate Minimum Distance Between Surfaces command to list the shortest vertical distance between two surfaces.
- Breakline Tools
Use the AutoCAD Civil 3D breakline tools to find, report, and correct intersecting breaklines in a survey database or in a surface to which the breakline geometry has been added.