2.3 Custom Terrain - Google

Available with the following Subscriptions: All Subscriptions
Available for the following Project Roles: Editor, Admin

The Initial Topography is the map's starting terrain before any earthwork operations. A user defined custom terrain can be applied to the Initial Topography of a 3D Google map tile, by way of a Terrain Reference Surface created from a model or point data. 

Customize Terrain

Customizing the terrain of a Google 3D map tile requires a Terrain Reference Surface and a Site Condition. The Terrain Reference Surface must be user created, as described in the user guide section: 2.7 Terrain Reference Surface. A Site Condition will be created automatically during the process, unless the user chooses to create one first (recommended), for better control of the boundaries of the looming terrain changes.

1. Click Terrain (1) and select Earthwork (2), then click Earthwork Timeline (3).

2. Under Initial Topography, click the Edit (4) icon.

3. In the Initial Topography Sidesheet, click the Terrain reference surface dropdown (5) to display a list of Terrain Reference Surfaces. Choose one.

4. Adjust the Surface behavior and Smoothing distance as needed.

   • Choosing Use full reference surface will result in the automatic creation of a Site Condition and topographic changes, both affecting the full footprint area of the Terrain Reference Surface.

   • Choosing Clip reference surface to site will limit the area of topographic changes to only the area that is overlapping by a Site Condition and the selected Terrain Reference Surface. 

   • Smoothing distance controls how far the terrain blends between the selected Terrain Reference Surface and the surrounding map terrain. It does not blend terrain outside the Site Condition area.

5. Click Generate Preview (6) to preview the changes.

6. Click Confirm (7) to apply the selected terrain reference surface as the Initial Topography.