Kubla Cubed User Manual
Platform, Slope, Path, Feature Surface & Triangle Surface, are all absolute element types.
Absolute elements are those that are specified to a fixed datum. For instance, elevations that are specified from Mean Sea Level (MSL) are considered absolute elevations in Kubla Cubed. On a typical site plan, most hard landscape elevations are marked with absolute elevations. Operations like topsoil strip and re-spread will often be described with relative elevations, but they are frequently noted in project documentation rather than on the plan itself.
Absolute elevation elements offer various methods of specifying elevations. The 'Platform' element is specified with a single value as it represents a horizontal plane. The 'Slope' element, also a plane but inclined, can be defined with three points or an incline arrow. The 'Feature Surface' elevations are defined with a number of elevation features (contours, break lines and points), and the Triangle Surface elevations are taken from the imported triangles.
In contrast to relative elements, absolute elements do not have a ‘Depth From’ or ‘Heights From’ field, but they do include an 'Offset' option. Offsets allow you to move all the points in an element by a set amount, utilised to adjust to subgrade variations in certain workflows. Elements defined with absolute elevations cannot adjust elevations from preceding elements in the calculation order, unlike relative elements. Absolute elements explicitly define the proposed level, completely overriding all previous elements in the calculation order when they intersect. This capability can be highly advantageous, allowing projects to be built up in different layers. For example, one element may be used to specify general elevations, and additional elements can be added with more detail in specific critical areas without having to snap the boundaries together.