DTM Surface with non-contiguous triangulated areas

I have an InRoads DTM from survey data with a couple triangulated areas that don't touch each other.  I have to get it to a client for use in Power Geopak.

Initially, the surface was triangulated with a 100 foot max triangle length to eliminate 'bad' triangles.  The result was two areas of triangulation (streets) that are not touching or connected.  This is the way it ought to be, i.e. true to life.  I cleaned it up (deleted) other 'bad' triangle slivers and saved.  I am satisfied with the results, it's a keeper.

I translated to XML then checked in InRoads before sending.  I used the translator to import.  Although the triangle vertices and faces are included, InRoads likes to ignore them and requires re-triangulation.  The result is they are re-connected again and all clean-up is lost.

What's up with that?

I found that importing to a Terrain Model from File does not seem to honor the boundary, because triangles show up outside my boundary.

What's up with that?

Parents Reply
  • We work in both on a regular basis. With Land Desktop, you had to use the Include Triangles setting as that was all it read. Including features was a waste of time and file space.
    With Civil 3D, you must include Features, but do not include the Do Not Triangulate Features. When imported, it will draw 3D breaklines and link those to the DTM. This means that users must not edit these breaklines or they are editing the DTM. I do not believe Civil 3D reads the triangles. I also believe you must recreate an exterior boundary once the file is imported.

    Charles (Chuck) Rheault
    CADD Manager

    MDOT State Highway Administration

    • MicroStation user since IGDS, InRoads user since TDP.
    • AutoCAD, Land Desktop and Civil 3D, off and on since 1996
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