ORD 10.9.0.91
How can I add to an existing surface without having to redo all my clean-up? I have a boundary on my surface that helps me clip all the outside edges when editing a surface, but every time I need to add more data to areas outside this boundary I have either add vertices to my boundary or clean up the whole surface and create a new boundary both processes which are painful and long Thank you!
Sort of figured that after I posted. Naming the tool "Add Boundary" when it "Extracts" or "Creates" a boundary is pretty misleading.
One approach you can take is to use a feature called "split surface" or "split tool" in your surface editing software. This allows you to add new data to your surface without affecting the existing boundary or clean-up work you have done.
Here's how you can use the split tool to add new data to your surface:
Identify the area where you want to add new data. This area should be outside of the existing boundary.
Use the split tool to draw a new boundary around this area. This new boundary will be used to separate the existing surface from the new data you will be adding.
Use the surface editing tools to add the new data to the area inside the new boundary.
Once you have added the new data, you can merge the two surfaces back together using the merge tool. This will ensure that the new data is seamlessly integrated with the existing surface.
By using the split tool to add new data, you can avoid having to redo all of your clean-up work and create a new boundary. Instead, you can simply draw a new boundary around the area where you want to add data, and then merge the two surfaces back together once you're done.
I know this might not be the ideal solution, but once you can upgrade to 10.12.01,59, the surface editing tools have some sort of history, so not only does it retain earlier edits, but you can selectively remove undo them if you realize that they were not correct. Check out the feature videos on YouTube.
Charles (Chuck) Rheault CADD Manager
MDOT State Highway Administration