& Construction

Integrated BIM tools, including Revit, AutoCAD, and Civil 3D
& Manufacturing

Professional CAD/CAM tools built on Inventor and AutoCAD
Integrated BIM tools, including Revit, AutoCAD, and Civil 3D
Professional CAD/CAM tools built on Inventor and AutoCAD
Create site and grading groups to aid in pond creation.
Type:
Tutorial
Length:
8 min.
Transcript
00:04
Zoom to the pond, outline to the west of our site.
00:08
The outline is just currently a two D polyline.
00:13
We'll need to create a grading group to design the pond.
00:18
First of all,
00:19
we need to create a site for our pond as we need our feature lines and grading group
00:25
to all be part of the same site
00:27
in prospector, right? Click on the sites collection and select new
00:33
in the site properties, name the new site balancing pond
00:37
and click. OK.
00:41
Now we'll convert the pond poly line to a feature line
00:46
from the home ribbon tab, create design panel, select future line,
00:50
then create future lines from objects.
00:53
Pick the pond poly line and press
00:56
in the crate feature lines. Dialogue. Make sure the site is set to balancing pond
01:01
name the feature line, pond top
01:04
for the style. Select first priority,
01:09
select assign elevations as we want to set the elevation for the pond.
01:14
We don't need to weed points on this line.
01:17
Click. Ok.
01:19
In assign elevations,
01:20
we could set a single elevation for the line
01:22
or we can assign elevations from a surface.
01:26
We're going to choose from surface and select the existing ground surface,
01:31
we only want our existing vertices.
01:33
So insert, intermediate grade break points is not selected,
01:37
click OK to create the feature line,
01:42
select the new feature line and on the feature line ribbon tab,
01:45
edit elevations panel, select the elevation editor
01:51
in the editor.
01:51
We can see each vertex of the line has
01:53
been assigned an elevation from the existing ground surface.
01:58
Since this line will represent the top of our pond,
02:01
we want it to be above the ground.
02:04
Select all of the rows in the editor by holding down the shift key
02:07
and then enter 670 for the elevation and then close the editor.
02:14
Now we've set our elevation for the starting feature line.
02:17
We can create our grading group from the home tab, create design panel,
02:21
select grading then choose grading creation tools
02:26
use the first button on the toolbar to set the sight and the grading group,
02:32
the site will be balancing pond,
02:35
set the name for the grading group to pond.
02:40
We want to create a surface from the grading.
02:42
So automatic surface creation is selected
02:45
and will be created using the group name.
02:48
The style is set to contours 1 ft and 5 ft design.
02:52
We will want to perform a volume calculation in the future
02:55
and we will need to grade back to the existing ground.
02:58
So select volume based surface
03:01
and ensure it is set to existing ground.
03:04
Click. OK. To crate the group,
03:08
the create surface dialog is shown click, OK. To create the surface
03:14
note at the bottom of the tool bar, the group is set to pond
03:18
and the surface is set to existing ground.
03:22
From the grading criteria. Pull down select grade to distance.
03:27
We're going to set a width for the top of the pond embankment,
03:31
select crate grading and pick the pond top feature line
03:37
on the command line. It is asking for the grading side,
03:41
pick a point in the drawing anywhere outside the pond
03:45
for apply to entire length. Select yes
03:50
for the distance type four.
03:53
And then for the grading format, select grade
03:57
for the grade type two for 2%.
04:00
A new feature line has now been created at 2% above the pond top.
04:06
From here, we'll want to grade down to the ground at one in three slope
04:11
set the grading criteria to grade to surface
04:15
and then select great grading.
04:19
Pick the outer feature line.
04:21
Apply to entire length is yes
04:24
and the cut format is slope
04:27
enter three for a one in three slope.
04:31
Repeat the same options for the fill slope.
04:37
The embankment grading has now been added to the outside of the
04:39
pond and the related surface has been updated to show the contours.
04:46
Now, we need to create the inside of the pond.
04:49
We want the pond to be 15 ft deep.
04:52
Select the grading criteria grade to relative elevation
04:56
and then choose great grading.
04:60
Pick the pond top feature line.
05:02
And for the side, pick a point in the center of the pond,
05:05
apply to entire length is yes.
05:08
And for the relative elevation enter minus 15,
05:13
the format will be slope and the slope will be two for a one in two slope.
05:18
Finally, we need to create a bottom to the pond.
05:21
If we view the pond's surface in the object viewer,
05:24
you can see there is a hole in the base of the pond.
05:29
Using the crate grading, pull down, select crate infill,
05:35
pick a point in the middle of the bottom of the pond and press enter
05:40
a diamond marker is placed in the bottom of the pond
05:43
to show that the grading has been created.
05:45
There are no contours because the pond bottom is flat.
05:49
Review your pond and the object viewer.
05:53
Now close to grading creation tools tool bar.
05:56
Now we'll create a grading object for one of our house
05:59
pads zoom to the green feature line of house four.
06:02
As shown,
06:03
we're going to create a grading group for the house pad,
06:06
but we don't want to grade back to the ground.
06:09
Will use the grading later in the series
06:11
to set the optimum level for the house.
06:14
Open the grading creation tools,
06:18
set the grading group
06:20
and change the site to house plots.
06:23
Select the crate grading group button
06:27
and then for the group name
06:29
type in house four,
06:31
select the volume based surface and ensure it is set to existing ground
06:36
click. OK.
06:38
Click. OK. In the crate surface dialogue,
06:44
select the grading criteria grade to distance
06:47
and then select great grading.
06:51
Pick the house feature line and then pick a
06:53
point outside the house for the grading side.
06:57
Apply to entire length is yes,
07:01
the distance will be three
07:03
and the format will be grade
07:06
enter zero for a horizontal gradient.
07:10
The edge grading around house four has now been created with a zero gradient.
07:15
We could have just used an offset feature line for this but creating a
07:18
grading group will enable us to automatically set the elevation of the house pad.
07:24
We'll see how we can use our grading groups to balance volumes automatically.
07:28
In another video,
07:30
we would need of course to create the other house
07:32
pads of separate grading groups using the same methods.
07:37
Here,
07:37
we've used sites feature lines and grading groups
07:40
to design a storm retention or balancing pond.
07:43
And we've also created a house pad
07:46
in the next video. We'll see how we can edit our grading groups.
Video transcript
00:04
Zoom to the pond, outline to the west of our site.
00:08
The outline is just currently a two D polyline.
00:13
We'll need to create a grading group to design the pond.
00:18
First of all,
00:19
we need to create a site for our pond as we need our feature lines and grading group
00:25
to all be part of the same site
00:27
in prospector, right? Click on the sites collection and select new
00:33
in the site properties, name the new site balancing pond
00:37
and click. OK.
00:41
Now we'll convert the pond poly line to a feature line
00:46
from the home ribbon tab, create design panel, select future line,
00:50
then create future lines from objects.
00:53
Pick the pond poly line and press
00:56
in the crate feature lines. Dialogue. Make sure the site is set to balancing pond
01:01
name the feature line, pond top
01:04
for the style. Select first priority,
01:09
select assign elevations as we want to set the elevation for the pond.
01:14
We don't need to weed points on this line.
01:17
Click. Ok.
01:19
In assign elevations,
01:20
we could set a single elevation for the line
01:22
or we can assign elevations from a surface.
01:26
We're going to choose from surface and select the existing ground surface,
01:31
we only want our existing vertices.
01:33
So insert, intermediate grade break points is not selected,
01:37
click OK to create the feature line,
01:42
select the new feature line and on the feature line ribbon tab,
01:45
edit elevations panel, select the elevation editor
01:51
in the editor.
01:51
We can see each vertex of the line has
01:53
been assigned an elevation from the existing ground surface.
01:58
Since this line will represent the top of our pond,
02:01
we want it to be above the ground.
02:04
Select all of the rows in the editor by holding down the shift key
02:07
and then enter 670 for the elevation and then close the editor.
02:14
Now we've set our elevation for the starting feature line.
02:17
We can create our grading group from the home tab, create design panel,
02:21
select grading then choose grading creation tools
02:26
use the first button on the toolbar to set the sight and the grading group,
02:32
the site will be balancing pond,
02:35
set the name for the grading group to pond.
02:40
We want to create a surface from the grading.
02:42
So automatic surface creation is selected
02:45
and will be created using the group name.
02:48
The style is set to contours 1 ft and 5 ft design.
02:52
We will want to perform a volume calculation in the future
02:55
and we will need to grade back to the existing ground.
02:58
So select volume based surface
03:01
and ensure it is set to existing ground.
03:04
Click. OK. To crate the group,
03:08
the create surface dialog is shown click, OK. To create the surface
03:14
note at the bottom of the tool bar, the group is set to pond
03:18
and the surface is set to existing ground.
03:22
From the grading criteria. Pull down select grade to distance.
03:27
We're going to set a width for the top of the pond embankment,
03:31
select crate grading and pick the pond top feature line
03:37
on the command line. It is asking for the grading side,
03:41
pick a point in the drawing anywhere outside the pond
03:45
for apply to entire length. Select yes
03:50
for the distance type four.
03:53
And then for the grading format, select grade
03:57
for the grade type two for 2%.
04:00
A new feature line has now been created at 2% above the pond top.
04:06
From here, we'll want to grade down to the ground at one in three slope
04:11
set the grading criteria to grade to surface
04:15
and then select great grading.
04:19
Pick the outer feature line.
04:21
Apply to entire length is yes
04:24
and the cut format is slope
04:27
enter three for a one in three slope.
04:31
Repeat the same options for the fill slope.
04:37
The embankment grading has now been added to the outside of the
04:39
pond and the related surface has been updated to show the contours.
04:46
Now, we need to create the inside of the pond.
04:49
We want the pond to be 15 ft deep.
04:52
Select the grading criteria grade to relative elevation
04:56
and then choose great grading.
04:60
Pick the pond top feature line.
05:02
And for the side, pick a point in the center of the pond,
05:05
apply to entire length is yes.
05:08
And for the relative elevation enter minus 15,
05:13
the format will be slope and the slope will be two for a one in two slope.
05:18
Finally, we need to create a bottom to the pond.
05:21
If we view the pond's surface in the object viewer,
05:24
you can see there is a hole in the base of the pond.
05:29
Using the crate grading, pull down, select crate infill,
05:35
pick a point in the middle of the bottom of the pond and press enter
05:40
a diamond marker is placed in the bottom of the pond
05:43
to show that the grading has been created.
05:45
There are no contours because the pond bottom is flat.
05:49
Review your pond and the object viewer.
05:53
Now close to grading creation tools tool bar.
05:56
Now we'll create a grading object for one of our house
05:59
pads zoom to the green feature line of house four.
06:02
As shown,
06:03
we're going to create a grading group for the house pad,
06:06
but we don't want to grade back to the ground.
06:09
Will use the grading later in the series
06:11
to set the optimum level for the house.
06:14
Open the grading creation tools,
06:18
set the grading group
06:20
and change the site to house plots.
06:23
Select the crate grading group button
06:27
and then for the group name
06:29
type in house four,
06:31
select the volume based surface and ensure it is set to existing ground
06:36
click. OK.
06:38
Click. OK. In the crate surface dialogue,
06:44
select the grading criteria grade to distance
06:47
and then select great grading.
06:51
Pick the house feature line and then pick a
06:53
point outside the house for the grading side.
06:57
Apply to entire length is yes,
07:01
the distance will be three
07:03
and the format will be grade
07:06
enter zero for a horizontal gradient.
07:10
The edge grading around house four has now been created with a zero gradient.
07:15
We could have just used an offset feature line for this but creating a
07:18
grading group will enable us to automatically set the elevation of the house pad.
07:24
We'll see how we can use our grading groups to balance volumes automatically.
07:28
In another video,
07:30
we would need of course to create the other house
07:32
pads of separate grading groups using the same methods.
07:37
Here,
07:37
we've used sites feature lines and grading groups
07:40
to design a storm retention or balancing pond.
07:43
And we've also created a house pad
07:46
in the next video. We'll see how we can edit our grading groups.
How to buy
Privacy | Do not sell or share my personal information | Cookie preferences | Report noncompliance | Terms of use | Legal | © 2025 Autodesk Inc. All rights reserved
Sign in for the best experience
Save your progress
Get access to courses
Receive personalized recommendations
May we collect and use your data?
Learn more about the Third Party Services we use and our Privacy Statement.May we collect and use your data to tailor your experience?
Explore the benefits of a customized experience by managing your privacy settings for this site or visit our Privacy Statement to learn more about your options.