Offset a Contour Line, Break-line or Outline

by | Jan 13, 2022 | Feature Surface, How to, News

Have you traced lines or extracted then from a PDF/CAD file? You may need to add more lines or perhaps you weren’t able to extract all the lines. The Offset tool is useful when creating a footpath by offseting the road outline, for pond contours or an area around a building pad.  

The Line editing tools (Join, Split, Offset and Set Multiple Elevations) assist with the definition of lines. They are accessible from within the element editor (left-hand menu) in from the tools 🛠 button.

The video below shows a few scenarios of how you can use the Offset tool:

 

🛠  THE OFFSET TOOL

The Offset Tool (new to Kubla Cubed 2021) gives you the functionality to create a new line placed at a user specified offset (relative distance and relative elevation) from the original line.

  1. Click Edit on a Feature Surface (or be in the editor view)
  2. Select the Offset tool from the Editing Tools 🛠 menu
  3. Select the line you wish to offset
  4. Position your crosshair cursor and click to confirm which side of the original line you want the new line to be added to.
  5. In the bottom menu bar, specify the Distance relative to the original line (how far the new line will be placed from the original)
  6. Specify the relative Z adjustment (the new line’s elevation relative to the original).
  7. The preview will display after valid data has been entered and the user has deselected the input boxes
  8. Check the preview is what you want, and update Distance and Z Adjustment as required.
  9. Press the ‘Finish‘ button

    By default the Distance is 1 and the Z Adjustment is 0.00

🛠  THE OFFSET TOOL – ROUND CORNERS

When the new outline is outside the original line, there is the option to adjust the roundness of the corners. Move the Round Corners slider to adjust to your requirements. 

Tip:- zoom into the new outline to see the changes to the line as you move the slider. 

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