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TerrainCAD for AutoCAD - Terrain modeling plug-in for AutoCAD


In this tutorial we will learn how to create a terrain mesh from a set of unordered points.


Step 1: Start AutoCAD.

Step 2: Select Import Points from the TerrainCAD menu or type TCImportPoints at the AutoCAD command prompt and press Enter.

Step 3: The Point File dialog box is displayed. Browse for the file C:\Program Files\SYCODE\TerrainCAD for AutoCAD\Samples\Sample1.txt and click Open from the Open dialog box.

Step 4: Select the format and delimiters in the Point File dialog box and click OK.

Step 5: Zoom to the extents of the drawing (View->Zoom->Extents). You will find the points from Sample1.txt imported into the current drawing.

Step 6: Select Create Terrain from the TerrainCAD menu or type TCCreateTerrain at the AutoCAD command prompt and press Enter. At the AutoCAD command prompt select points, contours and breaklines, select all the points and press Enter. When prompted for the search radius type 0 press Enter. A mesh is created as shown below.

Shaded view of the terrain mesh

A terrain mesh is created using the current object creation parameters (color, layer, etc.) and the result of the operation is reported in the command window.

In this tutorial we specified a search radius of zero, which means that the search radius should be ignored when creating the terrain mesh. In the next tutorial we shall specify a valid search radius and study its effect on the shape of the terrain mesh.



Tutorial 2 - Effect of Search Radius

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