create cut fill surface from excisting surface in Civil 3d

[smileyours]

Im currently using an addon for Civil 3D called Novapoint. It allows me to create 3D models of surfaces made out of 3d faces and easily models cut and fill 3d-models for me.

The only thing i need to create a cut and fill model is one or several ground surfaces (existing ground, earth layers, rock etc. whatever i need) and a closed polyline/3Dpolyline that represents the level I want my cut and/or fill model.

I enter the spcifications I want such as; earth cut angle, rock cut angle, fill angle, select which surfaces i want to include in the model calculation and select the polyline.

Novapoint then calculates the cut/fill model from the surfaces to the polyline and models the different cut/fill angles and gives me the results in a 3d-face model and a specification of the volyme of rock cut, earth cut an fill.

This is great in many ways but has the following problems; 

1. Novapoint is quite unstable and crashes alot

2. You cant create profiles out of 3d faces

3. Novapoint does not automaticly combine the start surfaces with the modeled cut/fill surface

4. A large surface made out of 3d-faces demands alot of computer power 

So I want to how I do the same that Novapoint does for me in Civil 3D? (I have access to Civil 3D 2007-2013 depending on which one you're using)

I know I can take the 3Dfaces i created in Novapoint and make a surface in Civil 3D with them but I want to exclude Novapoint completely.

I attaced a cut/fill model that I made with novapoint

[w_davis]

If you have made a surface from points with elevations you should be able to view it at any time in 3-D but right clicking and choosing free orbit.  But you would define you cut and fill between the existing surface and your designed proposed surface.

You could also looking into render materials.  As far as I know you are asking how to view something in 3D (you can do cuf fill surfaces in 2-D).  If I am wrong please let me know.

[smileyours]

No. Im asking how I can make the cut/fill-surface in Civil, not view it.

[w_davis]

What are you designing?

[troma]

You can make a TIN surface of the existing topo, and a TIN surface of your design.  Then make a TIN Volume Surface that compares the two together.  Or just do a volume analysis, and don't bother with the surface.  ( The TIN Volume Surface is good for displaying Cut/Fill contours though.)

I'm not sure what you mean by rock cut angle and the other angles you mention though.

[smileyours]

Im designing a earth fill dam

[smileyours]

The angles refers to the cut and fill slopes

[troma · Accepted solution]

OK, so I suggest you look into feature lines and grading groups.  These will help you to build your proposed TIN surface.

[smileyours]

Thx! I will try it and see what I come up with.

[neilyj666]

grading groups will do what you need but be aware that they can be a bit buggy so ensure you save often...

[smileyours]

Thx! This works great!

[smileyours]

Ok, so now i have created my cut and fill surfaces and it worked great. Now I want to combine theese into one new surface and I want the cut and fill surface to be dominant (I want the new elevations to override the old ones) How do i go about this?

[troma]

Not sure exactly what you mean by override.  I suggest you don't want to delete your surface of the existing ground from a topo, since you want to use it for volume calculations and likely much else.

Here's what I would do:

1. Create a new surface
2. Paste your original ground surface into it.
3. Paste your proposed ground surface into it.

This way you end up with a surface combining the existing and proposed conditions.  You can turn off the styles for the other surfaces so you don't see them.

[smileyours]

thx! that was easy enough 

[D-Mousseau]

I have an ex surface tin and have created a finsih surface tin, have done volume rport etc. Would like to be able to shown areas of cut and fill shaded, how do I do that ? or is it possible ?

[neilyj666]

Create a volume surface between your existing and proposed and then use surface analysis/display styles to show cut and fill.

This type of thing is covered in the Help and try googling as well to see videos of how to do it e.g. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mBWMgN4YPJU