Overview
Contour (isoline) data is commonly used in solar plant design to represent terrain elevation profiles. PVX.AI can import your existing contour lines and generate a 3D surface model from them.
Prerequisites
An AutoCAD drawing file containing contour lines and a defined parcel boundary are required.
Step-by-Step Guide
1. Open the contour import tool
Click Read Contour Lines on the PVX.AI ribbon.
2. Select the parcel boundary
The program will ask you to select a parcel boundary. Click on the relevant boundary.
3. Set the mesh spacing
Enter the mesh spacing value between 0.5 m and 30 m, depending on your site size and desired accuracy.
4. Select the contour layers
Choose the AutoCAD layers that contain your contour lines. Make sure the index contours carry correct elevation attributes.
5. Set the coordinate system
If working with offline maps, you will need to select your coordinate type. Choose your coordinate format if known, or proceed with default settings.
6. Generate the surface model
Start the process. PVX.AI will create a 3D surface model from the contour lines within the parcel boundary. You can merge it with an existing surface if needed.
Tips & Recommendations
- Ensure your contour lines carry correct elevation data; otherwise the surface model will be inaccurate.
- You can merge contour-derived surfaces with existing surface models for a more comprehensive terrain representation.
- Designs created in PVX.AI can be exported as KML outputs for verification.