Working with Point Clouds to create Terrains - CR2402

From DelDOT CADD Wiki

Introduction

This wiki will cover setup and usage of Point Clouds to create a Terrain inside of OpenRoads Designer. If after you go through this wiki in it's entirety you have any questions or issues, please reach out to DOT_CADDSupport@delaware.gov.

Utilizing a Point Cloud to create a Terrain

1.1 Create a new file using the DelDOT_Seed3D_th.dgn seed.

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1.2 Load the file in OpenRoads Designer, open the Point Clouds manager and click File > Attach....

1.3 In this example, I will use 03_Basemaps > Point Clouds > delaware.pod.

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1.4 In the Point Clouds manager, it is recommended that you set the Density to 1. This only effects the viewed density of the point cloud and will make working with the point cloud easier.

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Note: It is highly recommended that you zoom in and out to navigate around a large point cloud, as panning causes significant lag.

1.5 Using the Place Fence command, place a fence around the area of the point cloud you want to use to create a Terrain.

Important Note: For large point clouds, this step is essential. If you do not create a fence before moving on, ORD will try to load the entire point cloud.

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Important Note: When using the Place Fence command, there is currently a bug in ORD where if you use Fence Type: > Element, ORD will not utilize the fence, and try to load the entire point cloud. Until this is addressed, it is recommended that you use a different type, such as Block or Shape.

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1.6 Navigate to OpenRoads Modeling > Terrain > Additional Methods > Create From Point Cloud.

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1.7 Set the Feature Definition, Filter and Edge Method to the appripriate values.

Note: When setting the Filter options, in general, you should aim for a Percentage Reduction of 75% or more, but this will depend heavily on the point cloud used. Utilizing too many points to create the Terrain can severly impact performance, and generally will not be useful.

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1.8 Click Import. Once the Terrain is finished creating, you will need to close this dialog.

1.9 Before doing anything else, it is recommended to turn off or detach the Point Cloud and turn off all Terrain levels except the container and the Triangles.

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1.10 You can now utilize the newly created Terrain as normal.