Topography Tips?

[Joe_Carrick]

I have a DWG which I've imported.  The contours are Standard Polylines which have way too many vertices.

Is there a way to easily smooth them so they can be converted to "Elevation Lines" to build the terrain without confusing Chief?

 

Is the only reasonable option just drawing new PLines without too much irregularity?

 

I also want to label the topography at true sea level values and place the building at the correct location on the topography.

 

What are the steps required to get the above?

 

Thanks, Joe

[glennw]

Joe,

I usually trace over the supplied contours using Elevation Splines.

 

Place your Elevation Splines at their true height above sea level.

Then use the Subfloor Height Above Terrain to relate your structure to the Elevation Spline heights.

This will give you the Chief contours in heights relative to sea level, but will leave the heights in the Chief model related to zero.

 

You can set things up so that the Chief model heights are also relative to sea level, but I am assuming that is not what you want and I really wouldn't recommend doing it that way.

 

[Joe_Carrick]

Thanks Glenn.  That's exactly what I had done on a previous project.  I was just hoping to not have to redraw the contours.

[Mark3D]

Often you only need the major contours from the cad plan 

[KevinWaldron]

Think some other programs have the ability to adjust Vector's or Nurb's.  Most of these programs have the ability to use DWG files....... examples would be Corel Draw, Rhinoceros, these programs also have the ability to re-export in DWG format or many more.  Rhino has the ability to smooth, reduce knots etc.   Thought you might have some of these laying around you hadn't thought about.

 

kw