Analyzing TIN Surfaces

Commands

TINVOLUME, TINWATERDROP

Overview

In BricsCAD, topographical surfaces created as a TIN Surface, can be analyzed using different tools.

About TIN Volume

A TIN volume surface provides an exact difference between the base and comparison surfaces. Therefore, the Z-value of any point in the volume surface is precisely the difference between the Z of the comparison surface at that point and the base surface at that point. A TIN Volume Surface is drawn as a custom entity with additional fill/cut volume properties.

You can use TIN Volume to calculate or analyze earthworks:

  • Calculate fill/cut volumes inside bounding area.
  • Draw zero contours which divide fill and cut areas.
  • Visualize the mass distribution.

Procedure: Creating a TIN Volume

In the following procedures, a TIN Volume is created. Choose whether the volume is associative or not. If associativity is turned on: TIN Volume Surface is automatically updated if base or comparison surfaces are changed. To disable or enable the associativity, follow these steps:

  1. Type Settings in the Command line and press Enter.
  2. Go to Civil > Civil General > Associativity.
  3. Check or uncheck TIN Volume Surface Associativity.

Creating a TIN Volume using a comparison TIN Surface

  1. Launch the TINVOLUME command.
  2. Choose a base surface. In this example, we choose the green TIN surface as the base surface.
  3. Choose a comparison surface. In this example, we choose the red grading as the comparison surface.
  4. Select a bounding area as the area to apply the operation orpress ENTER. The outer boundary of the surface will be used as a boundary.
  5. The TIN Volume appears under the TIN Surface.

Creating a TIN Volume using Elevation

  1. Launch the TINVOLUME command.
  2. Choose a base surface.
  3. Select Elevation in the Command line.
  4. Choose the elevation height.
  5. Select a bounding area as the area to apply the operation or press ENTER. The outer boundary of the surface will be used as a boundary.

About TIN Water Drop

The TINWATERDROP command creates water drop paths in real-time by moving the cursor over a TIN Surface. Water path is created as a 3D polyline in the current position if you click the mouse button.

Procedure: Creating a water drop path

  1. Launch the TINWATERDROP command.
  2. Select the TIN surface.

  3. Move the cursor over the surface, a line representing the drop path is shown in real-time.

    Note: It would be better if the water drop path is colored so it could be seen clearer. To do so, you should change the current layer to another color, e.g. red.
  4. Left click with the mouse to create a 3D polyline of the water drop path.