VectorExpertContour Plan
Import total station or DGPS points and get the TIN and contours at once, with breaklines, a boundary, labelled major contours and an A3 to A1 plan.
Contour plan →CH 0+000
Home · Contour
From survey points to contours, levels and capacities.
The Contour screen takes the points of a total station or DGPS survey, makes the surface and draws the contours, then works out what the job needs from it: the cut and fill to level a site, a tank's capacity up to the full tank level, or sections and a profile along any line. It is part of CivilSurvey Expert, in the same project file as your cross sections.
InputTotal station or DGPS points
ResultsVolume · Pond capacity · Sections · Profile
OutputPDF on A3 to A1 · DXF or DWG · Excel
CH 0+050
What it does
Four jobs from one surface
Every result is worked out on the surface made from your points, inside the job's boundary, and stays live: change a level and the result says it is out of date, with Recalculate.
Site Cut and Fill
Cut and fill to level a plot inside its boundary: a flat or sloping formation, the balancing level, a zero line, a grid cell sheet and a printed cut-fill plan.
Site cut and fill →Tank and Pond Capacity
Capacity and water spread of a tank or pond at each level from the bed to the FTL, with a spill check, a capacity table and the area–capacity curve.
Tank capacity →Sections and Profile
Cross sections every 5 to 25 m along a coded, drawn or imported line, and a profile with contour crossings, read from the TIN, out as a CSV or a route.
Sections and profile →CH 0+100
A contour job
The panel, fold by fold
Open it from Home › View › Contour. The side panel takes you down the job in order; the Contour tab on the ribbon has the same commands.
- 01
Points
Import Points reads CSV, TXT, XYZ, PTS and ASC files; Merge File adds another. Points under 5 cm apart are merged, and every point is listed in the Points sheet, where a changed level updates the surface at once.
1 Points - 02
Surface and contours
The TIN and contours are made as the points come in. Points of a code can be joined as breaklines, and Contour Settings sets the interval, major contours, smoothing and labels.
2 Surface and contours F8 - 03
Boundary
Join the points of one code, run the boundary round the outside of the points, or draw it on the plan. Its area, perimeter and the points inside are shown.
3 Boundary - 04
Results
Add a Volume, a Pond Capacity, Sections or a Profile. Each opens a dialog, then becomes a tile: click it to show it on the plan and in the sheets.
Results › Add - 05
Output
Print / PDF with the project's title block, Export to AutoCAD as DXF or DWG, and Export to Excel. Save to Project keeps the job and its results in the project.
Contour › Output
CH 0+200
On the plan
Contours drawn from the points
Minor contours at the interval and labelled major contours, from the surveyed points inside the job's boundary. Points, contours, spot levels, labels and the TIN each switch on and off from Contour › View.
Schematic plan, made-up levels.
CH 0+300
Projects
In the sample, and on your jobs
The Site Levelling and Contour Survey sample project has one job of each kind, to learn from before you import your own survey.
| Project | What you get | In the sample |
|---|---|---|
| Site levelling | Level a plot from a total station or DGPS survey: contours, the boundary, cut and fill to a flat or sloping formation, the balancing level and a cut-fill plan. | Plot 14, site levelling |
| Tanks and ponds | Survey a village tank or pond: contours of the bed and bund, capacity and water spread up to the FTL, the desilting quantity, and a printed capacity plan. | Village tank, desilting |
| Layout contour plans | Contour plans for layouts and land surveys from DGPS or total station points: breaklines along nalas and tracks, labelled contours, and your title block. | Sector 7 layout, contour plan |
CH 0+400
Common questions about Contour
Is Contour a separate program?
No. It is a screen of CivilSurvey Expert, opened from Home › View › Contour, and its jobs are saved in the same project file as your field books and sections.
How are the volumes worked out?
On the TIN: each triangle inside the boundary gives an exact prism between the ground and the formation or water level. Site cut and fill and tank capacity both work this way, and a grid cell sheet is worked out beside a volume as a check.
Can sections from a contour job be designed on?
Yes. Sections along a line can be added as a route of the project. Its cross sections open in the Cross Section screen, where you can lay a template and take them into the volume abstract.
Is there a sample to learn from?
Yes. The Site Levelling and Contour Survey sample has three jobs: a plot surveyed by total station and levelled, a layout contour plan from DGPS, and a village tank being desilted. The Contour Tour, under Contour › View, walks through the screen.
Do I need AutoCAD for contour plans?
No. Plans print to paper or PDF on A3, A2 or A1 with the project's title block. Export to AutoCAD writes DXF or DWG when someone else needs the drawing.
CH 0+500