How can a surface be created from contour lines?

To create a surface from contour lines in MDT, you must use the Surfaces > CREATE SURFACE command. This procedure consists of discretizing each contour line and subsequently triangulating the generated points, treating the contour polylines as breaklines.

The main steps and options are:

• Representation selection: In the surface creation dialog box, you must check the Contour Lines box within the "Point Number" section.

• Selection methods: By clicking the SELECT button, you can choose between Complete (Lines): to designate them graphically in the Other, or Select Layers to automatically include all polylines from specific layers.

• Vertex filter: Since some polylines may have an excess of vertices, you can configure the Distance parameter. This allows ignoring vertices that are closer to each other than the indicated distance, reducing processing time and the number of resulting triangles.

• Model optimization: It is recommended to check the Delete Contour Lines box. This function applies a post-process that prevents the formation of artificial flat areas in places where the contour lines are very Closed., such as on crests or depressions.

• Customization Manual options: If there is already a Horizontal alignment drawn on the plan and you want it to disappear after generating the new surface, you can enable the Slope I.L. option.