How to reduce large number of terrain contours?

[surfacehv]

I am new user of Home Designer Architectural 2014. I got a list of 5 points (see below) from my surveyor on a lot I will be building on. When I imported the points I get the following question: "You are about to generate 106089 terrain contours. Would you like to increase the contour intervals to 1200?" Is the number of terrain contours excessive? When I respond "No" it eventually builds the terrain but has lots of numbers showing up on the terrain. If I try to do the 3D full view it does not build it. If I respond "Yes" I still can't get it to build a 3D view. I'm open to suggestions from the experts out there. Thanks! Scott

101,472.6742,995.7707,442.0010,FD-5/8IR-YPC
102,472.8320,989.9483,440.7786,FD-5/8IR-ALC
106,474.8513,886.5276,431.2351,FD-5/8IR-ALC
500,387.7628,995.6799,-99999,.
501,390.1372,884.9243,-99999,.

[David J. Potter]

A terrain object is made of 3D faces in the shape of triangles. The number of terrain contours (106,089) then multiplied into triangle-shaped 3D faces will most likely overwhelm most PC's on the market. (Each pixel or particle of the virtual terrain is parsed as a location in virtual space stated in terms of a spacial location defined as having a specific "X", "y" and "Z" axis location for each virtual particle. That there are hundreds of thousands of individual particles that have to be parsed per second is what overwhelms most PC's ability to compute per unit of time.

So I do not recommend that the method you are contemplating be used based upon the data above and twenty years of using this software, doing this kind of work professionally. Surveyors have and use VERY expensive, specialized software applications to do their work with and do not 3D model such data, they merely collect it. A super computer is required for modeling such constructs in terms of 3D like those used by Lucas Film and other movie companies.

What I do is import topographical data as graphic information and then trace over its lines with elevation objects until I get a useful shape and construct that my PC can handle as an adjunct to my Architectural model (the fewer the number of elevation lines and objects, the better in my opinion).

Chief Architect Inc advertises that you can import such data and you certainly can, all I am pointing out is that most PC's on the market are incapable of handling such things well due to the complexity involved.
I commonly create terrain planes all the time but I do not use the import method as I have already stated above. You can do what seems right to you and then live with the consequences.

DJP

[surfacehv]

Thanks so much David. I figured as much on the 3D modeling. I have a tiff off the lot I will import to attempt to trace as you recommend. I've see you have several training videos on Youtube. Do you have a recommended one for me to view that demonstrates what you are suggesting? Thanks again for your prompt response and help! -Scott

[David J. Potter]

See if this one helps:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hncV8yl-ND0

DJP

[surfacehv]

Thanks David!