Read contours, elevations and slopes

The surface is shown with contours as soon as it exists. Everything in this topic is set under Display in the left panel. Display settings change only what you see (and what you export); they are not undo steps.

Set the contour interval

1. Under Display, choose a value in Contours every.
   • In feet: 0.25, 0.5, 1, 2, 5, 10 or 20 ft.
   • In metres: 0.1, 0.25, 0.5, 1, 2, 5 or 10 m.
2. Choose Major every: the 2nd, 4th, 5th or 10th contour. Major contours are drawn heavier and labeled with their elevation. They fall on whole multiples of the major spacing (with 1 ft contours and every 5th major: 245, 250, 255 …).
3. Turn Contour labels off if the labels crowd a small plot.

A new project starts at 1 unit with every 5th contour major. Contours bend at breaklines; if they cut straight across a flowline or ridge, that line is not a breakline yet (see Build and refine the surface).

Read an elevation anywhere

Move the pointer over the plan. The status bar shows:

• E and N under the pointer
• Ground and the existing ground elevation there, interpolated on the triangle under the pointer
• Graded and the proposed elevation, where a pad or corridor has changed the ground
• "Off the surface" outside the surface

To read a survey point exactly, choose Select and click the point: the right panel shows its number, easting, northing, elevation, description and group.

Show elevation bands

1. Tick Elevation bands. The surface is filled with color from low (blue-green) to high (ochre-brown). A legend under the checkboxes lists each band's elevation range.
2. Choose how many bands in Bands: 5, 8, 10 or 12. The bands split the range from the lowest to the highest elevation into equal steps.

Bands are for looking only. They are not exported to DXF or plotted to PDF.

Show slope arrows

Tick Slope arrows. A short arrow on each triangle large enough to hold one points downhill. Flat triangles get no arrow. Arrows are a quick check for drainage direction; the slope value itself is not labeled yet.

Show triangles, points and edges

• Triangles draws the TIN's edges. Turn it on to check how the surface connects the points, especially along breaklines and at the outside.
• Points draws each survey point; Point labels adds its number, elevation and description (or less: see Point labels in CivilCraft settings).
• Breaklines draws breaklines (and the boundary) in orange.
• Surface edge draws the outline of the surface.

Existing or proposed

Once a pad or corridor grades without problems, Surface under Display offers Proposed (graded). The contours, bands and arrows then show the graded surface, so you can see the new ground and the daylight around it. Switch back to Existing ground to see the survey.

What gets exported

DXF and PDF output follow these settings: what you have turned off is not written, and the contours are those of the surface shown. Elevation bands are never exported.