Creating a Grading Plan

[Willie5]

Our company is looking at switching from AutoCad to Vectorworks. Most of the literature and demonstrations i've seen deal with layout, planting plans, and graphic presentations. I am very impressed with all that I've seen. However, my primary concern is whether Vectorworks Landmark has the ability to create a grading & drainage plan with proposed spot elevations and contours to be included as part of a construction document package for a project?

[Petri]

I don't think you can have any "rule-based" grading, so you need to define 3D loci, polygons or "landscape objects" as proposed elevations in order to create the "proposed terrain", but otherwise: yes, you get new contours (and cut & fill).

(Provided that the DTM engine happens to work & like your data.)

[Thom]

Spot points can be created using stake object tool as well as the road centerline tools. Contours can be created from allowing the dtm to create from proposed site modifiers, however unless your site model is "simple" getting accurate contours is difficult. (Sorry Nemetschek) I wish it were not true - However I have found this also true with Autocad files I have received.

Anyway, after creating a series of spot elevations, I often will manually create 3D polylines to represent contours and create a site model from the polys and spots.