Shaping the terrain
Raise, lower and level the ground around the house, dig out for a new basement, and see the cut and fill in m³.
In the video0:35
How to do it
Open the Site view and fetch the terrain heights. Where there are none, make the terrain by hand: flat, or through three spot heights.
Press “Shape the terrain” and choose “Correct the terrain as it is” (the fetched heights are wrong) or “Plan a change” (a level garden, a ramp, a new basement).
Pick Raise, Lower, Level, Smooth or Revert, a brush of 1 × 1, 3 × 3 or 5 × 5 squares and a step of 10, 25 or 50 cm. Click or drag on the map.
For a basement, press “Dig out for a basement”, set how deep, the working space and the slope, and press “Dig out”.
Switch between Fetched, As it is, Planned and Compare. Compare colours cut and fill and gives both volumes in m³.
Good to know
- The fetched terrain is never changed: corrections and plans are layers of their own on a 1 m grid, and each stroke is one undo step.
- The 3D view, the suggested floor level and the heights above average terrain follow the terrain shown. Sections and elevations draw the existing terrain dashed and the planned terrain solid.
- Terrain heights can be fetched in Norway (Kartverket), the Netherlands (AHN) and Spain (IGN). Anywhere else, make the terrain by hand and shape it the same way.
Questions and answers
How much soil do I dig out for a basement?
“Dig out for a basement” gives the volume before you dig: the house’s footprint plus a working space, down to the depth you choose, with slopes back up to the terrain. Compare then shows the cut and fill in m³.
Does the planned terrain show on the permit drawings?
Yes. Sections and elevations draw the existing terrain dashed and the planned terrain solid, as permit drawings require, and the site plan follows the terrain shown.