Program to draw level contours?

  • Thread starter Thread starter SunnyDay
  • Start date Start date
S

SunnyDay

I need to contour a driveway to direct water downwards to pipes at two
low-level locations. The boundary of the area is irregular - some straight
lines and some curves. I can specify the height of the surface around the
outer boundary and at the two drain locations. Then I would like the program
to draw lines that represent level contours, progressing uniformly downwards
from the outer boundary to the drains.

Suggestions appreciated.

TIA

JJ
 
I need to contour a driveway to direct water downwards to pipes at two
low-level locations. The boundary of the area is irregular - some straight
lines and some curves. I can specify the height of the surface around the
outer boundary and at the two drain locations. Then I would like the program
to draw lines that represent level contours, progressing uniformly downwards
from the outer boundary to the drains.
Click to expand...
You are only asking for a $2000 program.
If you would like to draw the lines yourself have a copy of the boundry map. It must be a copy you can write on.
Using the scale of the map measure from the parts of the boundary in concern until your done.
I assume you already know the difference in elevation.
Divide the length of the measured line by the difference in height (eg. 100L / 3h = 33.33L)
Using that example, every 33.33L gives you an even 1h.
Measure down the line (or up, your choice) and make a mark with the elevation next to it until you have run out of even units (1h)
Do this for each line
Connect the dots of equal elevation (again, units of 1h) and you will have a 3d model.
Simple. Not if you have a big area.
or
Use the above and draw it up on a CAD program
or go through the learning curve and try the method above in a CAD.
for 2D Drawing:
CadStd 3.5.8
http://www.cadstd.com/lite.php
CadStd (pronounced "CAD Standard") is a simple and easy to use 2D computer aided design (CAD) program.
Computer aided design replaced what used to be called drafting. Since it is a general purpose CAD
program it can be used for mechanical design, architecture, map making, wood working and many other
vector oriented design projects. This is the FREE lite version, ideal for beginners or casual users
who need a little power but not all the enhancements of the full version. or

or MINOS
http://perso.wanadoo.fr/rleboite/index.htm
Minos is a full 3D Solid CAD System including: - Lines creation. - 3D geometric constructions.
Solids: - Extrude - Revolution - Cylinder - Cone - Pipe - Evolutive volume - Box - Ruled surface. 3D Topology:
- Cut - Fuse - Common. - Fast hidden line removal - Flat shading - Tree editing - Cell libraries - IGES interface.
both can be found and others at:
http://www.freewarehome.com/ > Graphics

Sorry if you felt like I was talking down at you. I am assuming you didn't know how to go
about the manner in which it is done
HTH
 
On Thu, 22 Jan 2004 06:42:54 GMT, SunnyDay wrote: [..]
You are only asking for a $2000 program.
If you would like to draw the lines yourself have a copy of the boundry map. It must be a copy you can write on.
Using the scale of the map measure from the parts of the boundary in concern until your done.
I assume you already know the difference in elevation.
Divide the length of the measured line by the difference in height (eg. 100L / 3h = 33.33L)
Using that example, every 33.33L gives you an even 1h.
Measure down the line (or up, your choice) and make a mark with the elevation next to it until you have run out of even units (1h)
Do this for each line
Connect the dots of equal elevation (again, units of 1h) and you will have a 3d model.
Simple. Not if you have a big area.
or
Use the above and draw it up on a CAD program
or go through the learning curve and try the method above in a CAD.
for 2D Drawing:
CadStd 3.5.8
http://www.cadstd.com/lite.php
CadStd (pronounced "CAD Standard") is a simple and easy to use 2D computer aided design (CAD) program.
Computer aided design replaced what used to be called drafting. Since it is a general purpose CAD
program it can be used for mechanical design, architecture, map making, wood working and many other
vector oriented design projects. This is the FREE lite version, ideal for beginners or casual users
who need a little power but not all the enhancements of the full version. or

or MINOS
http://perso.wanadoo.fr/rleboite/index.htm
Minos is a full 3D Solid CAD System including: - Lines creation. - 3D geometric constructions.
Solids: - Extrude - Revolution - Cylinder - Cone - Pipe - Evolutive volume - Box - Ruled surface. 3D Topology:
- Cut - Fuse - Common. - Fast hidden line removal - Flat shading - Tree editing - Cell libraries - IGES interface.
both can be found and others at:
http://www.freewarehome.com/ > Graphics

Sorry if you felt like I was talking down at you. I am assuming you didn't know how to go
about the manner in which it is done
HTH
Click to expand...

If you need more help in this you can email me at
(e-mail address removed)
(take away my "Freedom" to reply)
 
dszady said:
You are only asking for a $2000 program.
If you would like to draw the lines yourself have a copy of the boundry
Click to expand...
map. It must be a copy you can write on.
Using the scale of the map measure from the parts of the boundary in concern until your done.
I assume you already know the difference in elevation.
Divide the length of the measured line by the difference in height (eg. 100L / 3h = 33.33L)
Using that example, every 33.33L gives you an even 1h.
Measure down the line (or up, your choice) and make a mark with the
Click to expand...
elevation next to it until you have run out of even units (1h)
Do this for each line
Connect the dots of equal elevation (again, units of 1h) and you will have a 3d model.
Simple. Not if you have a big area.
or
Use the above and draw it up on a CAD program
or go through the learning curve and try the method above in a CAD.
for 2D Drawing:
CadStd 3.5.8
http://www.cadstd.com/lite.php
CadStd (pronounced "CAD Standard") is a simple and easy to use 2D computer aided design (CAD) program.
Computer aided design replaced what used to be called drafting. Since it is a general purpose CAD
program it can be used for mechanical design, architecture, map making, wood working and many other
vector oriented design projects. This is the FREE lite version, ideal for beginners or casual users
who need a little power but not all the enhancements of the full version. or

or MINOS
http://perso.wanadoo.fr/rleboite/index.htm
Minos is a full 3D Solid CAD System including: - Lines creation. - 3D geometric constructions.
Solids: - Extrude - Revolution - Cylinder - Cone - Pipe - Evolutive
Click to expand...
volume - Box - Ruled surface. 3D Topology:
- Cut - Fuse - Common. - Fast hidden line removal - Flat shading - Tree
Click to expand...
editing - Cell libraries - IGES interface.
both can be found and others at:
http://www.freewarehome.com/ > Graphics

Sorry if you felt like I was talking down at you. I am assuming you didn't know how to go
about the manner in which it is done
HTH
Click to expand...

Thank you DSZADY for the quick and helpful reply.

The manual way you describe is roughly what I was doing by eyeballing. For
one low point it is easy. For two there is a ridge between the valleys which
makes it a bit more complicated. I guess I can specify the elevation of the
ridge and do the two separately. Its the drafting part that I wanted to
avoid so I thought of a program..

CADStd sounds interesting. I spent some time on Intellicad and found it very
unintuitive. I think the first guy to develope cad threw all the bits up in
the air and when they came down he had the prog. Then it seems that every
new cad developer aped the frst one. Any such thing as intuitive cad?

Would it be easy to spec the x y z coords for points around the outer
boundary, and the dividing ridge, and for the two low points and have it
draw it up? Then print to a given size?

Thanks again.

Sunny
 
Thank you DSZADY for the quick and helpful reply.

The manual way you describe is roughly what I was doing by eyeballing. For
one low point it is easy. For two there is a ridge between the valleys which
makes it a bit more complicated. I guess I can specify the elevation of the
ridge and do the two separately. Its the drafting part that I wanted to
avoid so I thought of a program..

CADStd sounds interesting. I spent some time on Intellicad and found it very
unintuitive. I think the first guy to develope cad threw all the bits up in
the air and when they came down he had the prog. Then it seems that every
new cad developer aped the frst one. Any such thing as intuitive cad?

Would it be easy to spec the x y z coords for points around the outer
boundary, and the dividing ridge, and for the two low points and have it
draw it up? Then print to a given size?
Click to expand...

Wow. There's AutoCADD. You don't want to know the price of that.
As far as freeware goes I don't know of anything like that and I have
searched hard. I had a freeware program written by a Professor at the
University up here. It only took a few months to learn it :) That was just
for coordinates.
If you can eyeball it and the distances are small using just a long string
could suffice. If you use a so-called spirit level figuring the elevation
differences would be easy. Easy for me to say :)
After thinking about it some more - look at what you've have me started on-
just to get the first even (eg.100) the formula is thus:
(h/d) x (h2-(int(h2))) (h2 being the starting or higher elevation
120.38)
eg. 100.38/101.34 = 0.99 * (120.38-120) = 0.376
measure down the line 0.376 to get an even 120 and then .99 for each even
contour interval from that point after that. 5 meters(or any unit) would be
4.95m from your first 120 to get 115 and so on.

You can use the same in 2d just by drawing the lines and then using that
formula. The catch. You have to know the elevation difference on each line.
If you do, start from the common point.
In re-reading your post I can see that having the end lines to your
specifications makes it a hell of a lot easier.

Can you make coordinates using your boundary map?(bearings and distances to
X,Y) Do you have the corner coordinates on your map?
If the drawing program you have does X,Y assign an arbitrary
starting elevation(Z) to the drains. But you still need the distances from
the drains. If so.
Plot it on your map and do the contours that way.

I assume you're doing this to save money and maybe for town specifications?
You know, it was a lot easier for me to just go look at a job and do it,
then draw it up than explaining it. :)
If you have any other questions I'll do my best to make the answers to them
as drawn out and long-winded as this one. :)
 
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