Kubla Cubed Videos
Subscribe to our YouTube channelWHAT’S NEW?
The sections below take you through the steps you are likely to take to set up your project. However, there are some things that it is useful to know before you start. In these videos we explain where you can find example projects, how to navigate around a project, and options for units and display settings.
What’s New in Kubla Cubed 2024
GETTING STARTED
The sections below take you through the steps you are likely to take to set up your project. However, there are some things that it is useful to know before you start. In these videos we explain where you can find example projects, how to navigate around a project, and options for units and display settings.
Example Projects
Units and Display Settings
Adjusting Shading of Surfaces
SITE PLANS
Site plans can be imported from PDFs, images, or CAD files (DWG, DXF), then stitched, overlaid, and viewed in both 2D and 3D for accurate measurements and alignment.
Scale, Rotate, Move
Cropping, Colours and Transparency
Overlaying and Stitching
Layering in 2D and 3D
IMPORTING DATA
Data can be manually traced or imported from PDF, CAD, LandXML, and Point Files. Watch these videos to learn how to import data into Kubla Cubed.
Importing Point Files (.xyz, .csv, .xls)
Working with CAD Data (.dxf, .dwg, .dgn)
Working with LandXML Files (.xml)
EXISTING GROUND LEVELS
After loading any site plans, the next stage is to define the existing ground levels. This is usually achieved using a feature surface, but if you have a file which contains defined surfaces you can load a triangle surface instead. These videos describe the options in Kubla Cubed to define the existing ground levels.
Overview
Triangle Surface
Feature Surface
SITE STRIPPING
On most projects there is a requirement to remove topsoil and/or other material from the site, before building the site back up to the formation levels. In this video we describe the tools available in Kubla Cubed to define topsoil stripping and/or other demolition areas. It is helpful before you start with topsoil stripping if you understand how construction phases work in Kubla Cubed, since a construction phase will be used to define site stripping.
Construction Phases & Calculation Order
Topsoil Stripping
ELEVATION ELEMENTS
Kubla Cubed offers flexible elevation elements for defining topography. Use Slope and Platform for flat areas, Feature Surface for complex terrain, Raise and Reduce for extrusions, and Triangle Surface to import data from other software.
Overview
Feature Surface
The Platform Element
The Path Element
Triangle Surface
Understanding Feature Surface Outlines
The Slope Element
PROPOSED EARTHWORKS – STOCKPILES & PONDS
Stockpiles and ponds are excellent starting points for learning how to model proposed surfaces in Kubla Cubed. They allow you to explore key tools like side batters and get familiar with combining multiple elements to create accurate earthworks estimates.
Detention Ponds / Basins
Calculate Stockpile Volumes
PROPOSED EARTHWORKS – RETAINING WALLS, ROADS & PATHS
Learn how to use Feature Surfaces with varying level outlines and break-lines to model roads, paths, and retaining walls that require hard-edged terrain models.
Defining Retaining Walls
Defining Roads & Paths
PROPOSED EARTHWORKS – FOUNDATIONS
Learn efficient techniques for modelling building foundation elements such as piling caps, ground beams, and walkways. Utilise phasing to manage backfill operations around structural components.
Building Foundations
ADJUSTING FINISHED LEVELS
Most drawings will define finished levels, whereas the earthworks volumes are only up to the formation level. The defined levels therefore need to be reduced to account for different surfacing materials. In this video we cover the different methods to achieve this in Kubla Cubed.
Adjusting to Subgrade Formation Level
MEASUREMENTS
Measurements can be used to measure non-earthworks content in your project, such as the length of a fence line, or an area of the site. They can also be used to query the earthworks quantities in more detail. For example, the volume region can be used to query the earthworks in a specific area of the site. In these videos we overview the options that are available in the measurements panel of Kubla Cubed.
Count, Length and Area
Cross Sections
Volume Region
EXPORTS
Once you have finished defining your project, you may wish to share your work with others, or to import into a machine control system. You can export your project to Reports & Spreadsheets (.pdf, .docx, .xlsl), images (.jpg, .png), CAD files (.dxf, .dwg) and LandXml files (.xml). These videos overview all the options to export data from Kubla Cubed into other file formats.
Report & Spreadsheets
CAD Files
Images
LandXml
PROJECT WALK-THROUGHS
EMBASSY BUILDING (COMMERCIAL) WALK-THROUGH
This two-part series walks through a simple example with existing and proposed contours, demonstrating how to calculate cut and fill volumes using the ‘reduce method’ to adjust for subgrade. One video covers importing and extracting data from CAD files for a streamlined take-off process, while the other focuses on working with PDFs, including both vector extraction and manual tracing of site features.
Part 1: EMBASSY BUILDING (PDF Files)
Part 2: EMBASSY BUILDING (CAD Files)
ATOMIC RESEARCH LAB (COMMERCIAL) WALKTHROUGH
Learn how to perform earthwork take-off using both existing and proposed contours to estimate cut & fill for an research laboratory in the desert. This project demonstrates the use of break-lines to define hard edges for accurate terrain modelling. Site plans enhance visualization by integrating aerial photography for contextual reference. The Reduce Method is applied to refine subgrade preparation, ensuring an optimized final grading plan.
Part 1: ATOMIC RESEARCH LAB (PDF Files)
Part 2: ATOMIC RESEARCH LAB ( CAD Files)
HOUSING PROJECT (RESIDENTIAL)
A step-by-step walkthrough of a large house building project. The demonstration begins with defining the Existing TIN surface. This video takes the entire journey from the start where the site plan is added, defining the existing ground and then inputting data for the proposed surface. The video ends with the production of cut/fill reports which have separate break-downs for the different areas on site (plots, gardens, roads etc.).