Technical data

Creating a Grading Object

Grading objects are three-dimensional objects that represent

finished ground grading schemes. You can create a grading object

by drawing a footprint, defining slopes, and defining the grading

targets (which are the elevations, distances, or a surface that you

want to grade to) to generate the 3D information. After you’ve

generated a grading object, you can create contours, breaklines, and

surfaces from the 3D information.

The first step in creating a grading object is drawing a footprint. The

footprint represents the outline of the object you want to grade from.

It can be a 2D or 3D polyline, line, or arc (you can also grade from the

daylight of an existing grading object).

The footprint stores elevational information at the vertices and

interpolates elevations along the segments between the vertices.

During the design process you can edit the vertex elevations. When

you use a 2D polyline with embedded arc segments as a grading

footprint, the geometry of the arcs is stored within the grading object.

The elevations of the arc endpoints can be changed (to represent curbs

or fillets in 3D), while still maintaining the true 2D geometry of the

original arc.

After drawing the footprint, you can run the Grading Wizard. Using

the wizard, you can define footprint elevations and then you can

select the target you want to grade to. Using target regions you have

the option to grade to multiple targets, such as a surface, an elevation,

and a distance. Using slope tags, you can create slopes that smoothly

transition from one grade to another.

Key Concepts

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Grading objects can be created from open or closed footprints.

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You can create a grading object using one of two methods.

The Grading Wizard steps you through every setting you need

to establish, and then creates the grading object. Or you can

use the two step process of changing the settings and then

applying grading.

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After you create a grading object you can make changes in the

grading properties or use grips to graphically make edits.

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From a grading object, you can create surfaces and breaklines.

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You can calculate general volume statistics for a grading object if its

grading target is a terrain surface or an absolute elevation.