Guide
Contour lines and bare-earth terrain as DWG
CAD ATLAS delivers 1 m contour lines and a 3D terrain mesh for any site, as DWG. Both come from a digital terrain model of the bare ground, with trees and buildings removed.
Why the bare ground matters
Most free elevation data measures the first surface it hits. Over a forest, that is the top of the trees, up to thirty metres above the ground. Buildings end up floating, and wooded slopes get cliffs that aren't there. You can see the difference in the section above: the treetops sit well above the ground.
Where the terrain comes from
CAD ATLAS builds its terrain from bare-earth elevation. Spaceborne laser measurements and machine learning make that possible across the planet. For each site our system automatically selects the best open dataset available, so you never have to choose.
What you get
- Contour lines every 1 m, everywhere
- Terrain data with a resolution between 5 × 5 m and 30 × 30 m, depending on the location
- A 3D terrain mesh that buildings, streets, water and trees stand on
Place your building, cut a section and show your client how the land falls.
Good forDesigning on a slope · Terrain sections · Landscape design · 3D context models · Presentations