Surface Creation....

[Anonymous]

Is there another  way to create a surface from GIS Shape file? I have tried to use the Create Surface from GIS Data but I get a whole bunch of error (breakline). I have also tried using USGS DEM's but when the surface is created it comes into the wrong place. I am working in TN State Plane (US Foot).

[Anonymous]

yes,

there is another method.  you can use map import to bring in the data from the shape file.   then query the elevations if there are contours.   once the contours are converted to elevation they can be added as breaklines or contours.

if there are breaklines in the shp files then they will need to be either used as proximity breaklines or queried to get their elevations.

it can be done, it is just alot more steps.

Dan

[tcorey]

There are a couple of things you can try.

If you want, you can use MapImport to import the shp file as 3D polylines and create a surface using those objects as breaklines. If the file is 2d polylines with the elevation stored as database info, you will have to write a lisp routine (I've probably got one around here somewhere) to move the polylines to the elevation listed in the object data.

Regarding those errors, are they Crossing Breakline errors? If so, you can set your surface build options to allow crossing breaklines. Only do this if you know that the elevations at the intersections are the same on each crossing line.

Regarding the DEM inserting at the wrong location, did you assign a coordinate system to your drawing using Drawing Settings, Units and Zone tab?

Tim Corey

Redding, CA

[Anonymous]

jreed:

the trick to creating a surface from the DEM files is to create a blank surface and then add in the DEM file.  when you create from the DEM file, note that you'll have to manually enter the coordinate system for the DEM to get it to reproject into your drawing (from UTM... to State Plane). 

Also, use a .DEM file versus a .ADF for the surface.  you can find surfaces for free as .SDTS files that you can then run an old dos routine "SDTS2DEM.exe" to convert it over.

Alternate - ask the folks at mapmart dot com to extract out the contour lines as a .DWG - their cost is a reasonable $5/quad with a $15 minimum order. 

I've got a nice model of the grand canyon going using DEM files - fun stuff -

Good Luck

[Anonymous]

I checked my shape file and it is elevations. When I did a 3d orbit it was a 3d object. You can see the higher elevations and the lower elevations. I'm not exactly sure what to do now. My final outcome is to create a profile showing key elevation points that I've GPS'd. I do appreciate your help.