A level area is flat at its altitude. A sloped one rises across itself — a driveway, a bank, a lawn that falls to a drain. There are two ways to set it.
By angle and direction
- Select the area on the terrain band. Under Slope in the sidebar are two numbers.
- Slope is the incline in degrees. A gentle lawn is 2–3°; a bank you can mow is under 15°.
- Direction is the way the slope rises toward, in degrees around the plan. Type it, or click Aim and click a point on the plan the high side should face.
- The 3D view tilts the area. Its altitude is now the level at its centre; the edges rise and fall around it.
Level clears the tilt and lays the area flat again.
From two points
When you know two altitudes rather than an angle — a survey gives +0.30 by the house and −0.20 at the fence — let the editor do the trigonometry.
- With the area selected, click From 2 points.
- Click the first point on the plan and type its altitude. Click the second and type its altitude.
- The slope and direction are set so the surface passes through both.
Press Esc at any time to abandon the pick.
New shapes
While an area tool is armed on the terrain band, New shapes at the top of the sidebar sets a slope the next area is drawn with — for a run of sloped beds at once.
Reading a slope back
In the 3D view, the Slope profile button graphs the ground between any two points you tap, and Altitude reads the altitude, slope and direction under one tap. Both are covered in Measure distances and altitudes.
Next
Smooth banks and terrain detail — how the ground between areas is shaped.