Creating Terrain Surfaces in Revit

BIM Software Tip: Creating Terrain Surfaces in Revit

How to Create a Terrain Surface

1. Open a 3D view or a site plan view in Revit.

2. Navigate to the Volume and Site tab, then select the Model Site panel to access the terrain surface tools.

Creating a Terrain Surface by Placing Points

By default, the Place Point tool on the ribbon is active.

Set the desired Elevation value on the options bar.

Points and their elevations will be used to generate the terrain surface.

Next to the Elevation text box, choose one of the following options:

• Absolute elevation: The point will be placed at the specified elevation anywhere within the active drawing area.
• Relative to surface: This option lets you place points at a specified elevation relative to an existing terrain surface, allowing you to modify the current terrain. For better visibility, work in a shaded 3D view when using this option.

Click in the drawing area to place points. You can adjust the elevation value on the options bar as you place additional points.

Generating Terrain Surfaces Using Imported 3D Contour Data

You can automatically create terrain surfaces using 3D contour data imported in DWG, DXF, or DGN formats. Revit analyzes the data and generates elevation points along the contour lines.

This process must be done within a 3D view.

Steps:

1. On the Modify | Edit Surface tab, click the Tools panel, then open the Create by Importing dropdown and select Import Instance.
2. Select the imported 3D contour data in the drawing area.

At this point, the Add Points from the Selected Layer dialog box will appear.

Select the layer where you want to apply elevation points and click Confirm.

Using Point Files to Create Terrain Surfaces

Point files are commonly generated by civil engineering software and contain a regular grid of elevation points that define contour data.

To import point files:

1. Go to the Modify | Edit Surface tab, click on the Tools panel, then open the Create by Importing dropdown and choose Specify Point Files.
2. In the Open dialog box, navigate to the location of your point file.
3. Specify the measurement unit used in the point file (such as decimal feet or meters) in the Format dialog box, then click Confirm.

Revit will then generate points and create terrain surfaces based on the coordinate data in the file.

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