Landscape Modeling

[Evan H Shu <eshu (Evan H Shu)>]

FROM DAN CODY:
> 
> I am a newcomer to DataCAD & would like to take a shot at landscape
> modeling. I have topological maps of the 30 acres I'm trying to model,
> so I can produce DataCAD contours quite easily. Where I'm having
> problems is putting a surface over (through) the contours. Does anyone
> have any experience doing this sort of thing in DataCAD? Messing around
> with multiple 16-point mesh's seems really painful!
> 

November 23, 1994

We ALMOST had available a neat macro called TOPO from Frank Wenzl of Surf 
Systems in Hawaii (808)941-3270 that would believe it or not turn a contour 
map into a mesh surface -- he even had a demo that took a contour map of 
Mt. Kililea, I think it was, in Hawaii and turned it into a 3D surface.  
Unfortunately, I guess he felt the market wasn't big enough for him, 
because despite encouragement on our end, he never took it beyond an early 
buggy beta version.  You might want to call him and see if you can convince 
him to take it up again.

In the meantime, the technique we like to use is very much like building a 
chipboard or foamcore landscape model by building it up like a layer cake. 
We described it in the November '92 issue of Cheap Tricks (3D Site Plans) 
but it is pretty self-explanatory.  You simply use the Horizontal Slabs 
command with the thickness matching your contour interval and trace your 
contour until you get to the "edge" of your model area and then you cut it 
off in a neat rectangle.  You can build it quite quickly and it models 
pretty nicely.  I'll leave to others to give your their methods of doing 
landscape models.

Evan Shu

P.S. I'm sorry I forgot to add the signature to the last message that 
suggested you copy the signature!  Dumb.  Here it is (hopefully) this time.

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