cadvilla Support Team

How to raise terrain (using building excavation to create a terrace)

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In this Video-Tutorial we show you, how you raise terrain, using building excavation to create a terrace, in the 3D CAD house planning software cadvilla.

The basic workflow:

  • In the first step we create an extrude solid, to define the terrain-area we want to raise. Therefore we select “Construction” – “Extrude solid” – “Insert with polygon”.
  • Now we select a surface in the 3D-view for plane definition (we select a horizontal surface in 3D, to create a straight terrace).
  • We make a right mouse click – “Properties” to define the properties of the extrude solid. We select “Extrude solid” and here we can define the height at the point “Parameter”.
  • Now we can enter the extrude solid, after the entry we press the right mouse button – “Complete”.
  • If the solid’s position is not correct, we can move it into the correct height position afterwards. Therefore we select the section view. Now we select the extrude solid and we click on the function “Move with reference point” or we press the shortcut “r”.
  • After moving we select the extrude solid – right mouse button – “Convert to substraction solid”.
  • Now we calculate the excavation volume we need to raise the terrain for the terrace. Therefore we select “Terrain” – “Excavation”. In the excavation dialogue we select the checkbox “Building”. Here we can see the excavation volume for the building.
  • In the next step we click on the checkbox “Substraction solid”. Here we can also see the excavation volume. To calculate the excavation volume, we need to raise the terrain for the terrace, we subtract the excavation of the substraction solid from the substraction volume of the substraction solid. No we can compare the volume we need to raise the terrain with the excavation volume of the building.
  • Of course we can change the substraction solid (optically) into a terrace. To add for example a wooden surface on top of the solid, we select “Construction” – “Single 3D surface” – “Insert in plane”. We select a surface for plane definition, in this case the substraction solid. The Surface element settings open automatically, here we can change the dimensions and the texture of the surface.

Of course we can texturize the “terrace” also afterwards. Therefore we use the catalogue (“Catalogue” – “Textures”). In the catalogue we can simply choose a texture and drag it to the desired surface.

This post is also available in: German