Our civil engineering software’s user interface has several features that will be examined in detail in the following sections.

The user interface is one of the most important elements of any software because it determines how easily the user can make the software do what is needed. A powerful software application with a poorly defined user interface has little value. The design of the user interface in our software uses current state-of-the-art constructs.

Ribbon Menu

The ribbon menu is designed to help you quickly find the commands you need to complete a task. Commands are organized in logical groups, which are collected under tabs. Each tab relates to a type of activity, such as entering input data or viewing analysis output. Each tab is organized into a series of panels, which are labeled by task.

Quick Access Toolbar

The Quick Access Toolbar provides a way to put the commands and buttons you use most often within easy reach. By default, the Quick Access Toolbar appears above the ribbon on the application title bar. However, users can choose to move it to a location below the ribbon.

File Menu

The File menu (sometimes called the Application menu) provides access to file-related commands. For example, it identifies commands to create, open, save, archive, and recover a project. In addition, other application-based commands are listed within the File menu. Selecting these commands will display backstage pages where settings and other options can be configured. For example, the Options backstage page allows the user to define settings that the software should use (e.g., Project data units, etc.).

Backstage Pages

The backstage pages (sometimes called backstage views) are accessed by clicking on the File menu. The backstage pages are used to provide access to application settings and options, as well as current project options and settings.

The following backstage pages are provided:

• Info – contains information about the current project
• Recent – listing of all recently worked on projects
• Options – application options and settings as well as project options and settings
• Map Coordinates – map coordinate system for the current project
• About – contains information about the product

Context Menus

While the ribbon menu is the primary access point for program commands, many commands are also accessible from context menus that are displayed when the user right-clicks on the Map Data Layers panel or on the Map View.

The contents of the displayed context menu changes based on what the user is pointing at or whether a command is already active.

Map Data Layers Panel

The Map Data Layers panel lists all the layers in the Map View and shows the features in each layer. The Map Data Layers panel helps the user manage the display order of map layers and symbol assignment, as well as set the display and other properties of each layer.

The layers at the top of the Map Data Layers panel are designed to display on top of those below. Therefore, layers that form the project site's background, like an aerial image, should be placed near the bottom of the Map Data Layers panel, and layers that are intended to overlay the aerial image should be placed near the top. A typical project might have an image or a terrain base (such as shaded relief or elevation contours) near the bottom. Next comes base map polygon data, followed by polyline and point data near the top. And finally, on top of everything, is the data layer and the default drawing layer.

Some of the functionality associated with the Map Data Layers panel include:

• A layer can be moved up and down within the layers by clicking and dragging the layer.
• The checkbox to the left of each layer can be used to turn it on or off.
• To change the display properties for a layer, click on the […] Properties button. The corresponding properties dialog box will be displayed.
• To lock a layer to prevent it from being edited or moved, click on the padlock. Click again on the padlock to unlock the layer.
• Click on a layer to select it (or activate it).

The Map Data Layers panel is docked to the left side of the Map View by default but can be set to auto-hide. Click on the dropdown arrow on the right side of the title bar and select the desired docking behavior.

Map View

The Map View is the project’s main display area.

Compass Rose & 3D Navigator

The Compass Rose shows the orientation of the Map View relative to North. Placing the cursor over the Compass Rose causes it to change into a 3D Navigator, allowing the user better control over the 2D and 3D orientation of the Map View.

The user can move the 3D Navigator/Compass Rose to any location on the Map View. To reposition the 3D Navigator/Compass Rose, simply select it, hold down the [Ctrl] key, and then drag it to the desired location on the Map View.

Double clicking on the Compass Rose while in 3D view mode will cause the Map View to reorient itself into a top view. The 3D Navigator provides the following view of navigation capabilities.

3D Navigation Keypresses

While in 3D view mode, the up and down arrow keyboard buttons pan the Map View forward and backward. Similarly, the left and right arrow keyboard buttons pan the view to the left and right.

The user can override these arrow keyboard buttons’ functionalities by pressing the Shift + or Ctrl + and arrow keys, as described below.

• Ctrl + Up Arrow keypress - Rotate the 3D view upward.
• Ctrl + Down Arrow keypress - Rotate the 3D view downward.
• Ctrl + Left Arrow keypress - Rotate the 3D view to the left.
• Ctrl + Right Arrow keypress - Rotate the 3D view to the right.
• Shift + Up Arrow keypress - Raise viewpoint elevation.
• Shift + Down Arrow keypress - Lower viewpoint elevation.
• Shift + Left Arrow keypress - Rotate the 3D viewpoint to the left.
• Shift + Right Arrow keypress - Rotate the 3D viewpoint to the right.

Burger Menu Icon

The three horizontal lines (sometimes called a burger icon) stacked on the left side of the drawing project tabs represent a menu that contains additional options. When the user clicks on this icon, a dropdown menu is displayed, providing access to various options. The current active project is shown highlighted in the displayed context menu. The user can also switch between opened projects from the displayed dropdown menu.

The options within the burger menu are explained below:

• New Project: This option allows the user to create a new project or drawing file to start working on a fresh design.
• Open Project: This option allows the user to browse the computer's files to select and open a specific CivilGEO project file.
• Recent Projects: This option opens the Recent Projects backstage page, which displays a list of recently opened projects for quick access.
• Save All Projects: This option allows the user to save all open projects at once.
• Close All Projects: This option allows the user to close all open projects simultaneously.

Multiple Project Tabs

The software has a multiple document interface (MDI) that allows more than one project to be opened simultaneously. The user can easily switch between different projects using the tabs on top of the Map View.

Unsaved Changes Indicator

A small asterisk (*) symbol on the project tab indicates that the current project has been modified but not yet saved, providing a visual reminder for users to save their work before switching tasks or closing the project. This helps prevent accidental data loss and improves workflow awareness.

Toolbar

The toolbar provides Map View commands, including:

• 2D/3D – Switches the Map View from 2D to 3D view mode.
• Select – Select elements and other related commands like Edit Vertices, Select Window, Select Window Crossing, Select Polygon Window, and Select Polygon Crossing.
• Zoom – Dynamically zoom on the Map View. Hold down the [Shift] key to zoom back. The mouse roller wheel can be used to zoom in and out; by holding down the roller wheel, it can be used to pan around.
• Navigate Forward – Similar to zoom (above), this command allows the user to step forward.
• Navigate Backward – Similar to zoom (above), this command allows the user to step backward.
• Zoom Extents – Zooms to the extents of the current layer.
• Pan – Dynamically pan around the Map View. Holding down the mouse roller wheel does the same.
• Rotate View – Used to rotate the view within the Map View while in 3D view mode.
• Free Look Camera – Used to rotate the view both horizontally and vertically from the current location to see to the left and right as well as above and below.
• Measure Distance/Area – Used to measure distances and areas on the Map View.

Map Coordinates

The lower left corner of the application shows the cursor’s current map coordinates.

Digitizing Modes

The following digitizing modes commands are located at the bottom of the application:

• Enable / disable ortho mode (or press Function Key F8)
• Enable / disable snap mode (or press Function Key F3)

Status Line

The status line is located at the bottom of the application and displays status messages while in the process of using commands. For example, while measuring distances in the Map View, the measurement results are displayed on the status line.

Map View CRS

The Map View CRS (coordinate reference system) is shown at the bottom right of the application. Clicking on the Map View CRS will cause the Map Coordinates backstage page to be displayed.

Scale Bar

While in 2D view mode, the Scale Bar provides a reference for estimating distances on the Map View.

Vertical Exaggeration Scale

While in 3D view mode, the Vertical Exaggeration Scale allows the user to adjust the amount of vertical exaggeration of the terrain surface to show 3D surface relief on the Map View. Placing the cursor over the scale causes the scale to become more visible.

Many times you may find yourself having to execute the same processing command repeatedly. For example, using the raindrop flow path command repeatedly can become quite tedious. Deleting multiple rows in a data grid, one row at a time (although the software allows you to delete multiple rows at one time), is also monotonous.

To save time, pressing Ctrl+R will repeat your last command.

Selecting multiple elements can get frustrating, especially if the project has a lot of complex data loaded. To simplify this, CivilGEO software provides additional selection modes to assist the user.

From the toolbar, click on the Select tool and a tool space will slide out showing the available selection modes. Each selection mode is represented by its own icon.

The following sections describe the various selection modes in detail.

Select

The Select Mode is the default selection mode. This mode allows you to select one element at a time.

Holding down the [Shift] or [Ctrl] key allows you to select multiple elements. Clicking on an already selected element will cause the element to become deselected.

Edit Vertices

The Edit Vertices mode allows you to edit the individual vertices that make up an element. Choose this mode and then click on the element to be edited. You will see all of the individual vertices that make the object become visible. These vertices can then be moved, deleted, or added to.

Vertices can also be edited by selecting the element and then pressing Function Key F4.

Select Window

You can perform a window selection by clicking and then dragging. Click the first point on the left side and drag to the right and then release the mouse. This will select all elements that are located inside of the dragged window area.

You can also choose the Select Window tool from the toolbar to perform the same selection operation.

Select Window Crossing

You can perform a window crossing selection by reversing the direction of a window selection. Click the first point on the right side and drag to the left and then release the mouse. This will select all elements that are contained inside and are touching the dragged window.

You can also choose the Select Window Crossing tool from the toolbar to perform the same selection operation.

Select Polygon Window

Choose the Select Polygon Window tool from the toolbar. This tool operates similarly to the Select Window tool, but you can define an unlimited number of points for the selection window. This tool will select all elements that are contained within of the digitized polygon area.

Select Polygon Crossing

Choose the Select Polygon Crossing tool from the toolbar. This tool operates similarly to the Select Window Crossing tool, but you can define an unlimited number of points for the selection window. This tool permits selection of all elements that are contained inside and are touching the digitized polygon.

If you have multiple projects opened, you can quickly save all of your projects by selecting the File ribbon menu and then clicking on the Save All unknown node icon. Alternatively, you can click on the Save All unknown node icon from the top of the application.

If you have a project that has not yet been assigned a file name, the software will prompt you with a Save As dialog box to name the file and save the project.

The toolbar provides Map View commands, including:

unknown node 2D/3D – Switches the Map View from 2D to 3D view mode.

unknown node Select - Select elements, as well as other related commands like Edit Vertices, Select Window, Select Window Crossing, Select Polygon Window, Select Polygon Crossing.

unknown node Zoom - Dynamically zoom on the Map View. Hold down the [Shift] key to zoom back. The mouse roller wheel can be used to zoom in and out, as well as holding down the roller wheel can be used to pan around.

unknown node Navigate Forward - Similar to Navigate Backward, but steps forward.

unknown node Navigate Backward - Similar to Zoom described above, this tool allows the user to step backward, showing previous map views that have been navigated to after zoom or pan operations.

unknown node Zoom Extents - Zooms to the extents of the current layer.

unknown node Pan - Dynamically pan around the Map View. Holding down the mouse roller wheel allows you to pan as well.

unknown node Rotate View - Used to rotate the view within the Map View while in 3D view mode.

unknown node Free Look Camera - Used to rotate the view both horizontally and vertically from the current location to see to the left and right as well as above and below.

unknown node Measure Distance - Used to measure a distance on the Map View by drawing a temporary polyline.

unknown node Measure Area - Used to measure an area on the Map View by drawing a temporary polygon.

The software allows you to work with multiple projects at the same time.

The tabbed window interface allows you to quickly change between projects. Just click on the project tab that you want to work with.

You can also dock (or park) multiple windows in the user interface so that you can see multiple windows at the same time. Select the title bar of one of the project windows and drag it downward. The project tab window will come undocked from the other tabs. Move this dragged title bar and cursor over one of the visual cues that are shown on the user interface to dock the window.

The resultant user interface will show two windows, side by side.

To restore the tabbed window interface, select the title bar of the window to redock. Drag downward and place the dragged title bar and cursor over the center visual cue shown on the user interface to restore the window.

The project window will be restored to the tabbed user interface.

Scale bars provide a visual indication of distance and feature size on the map. A scale bar is a line or bar divided into parts. It is labeled with its ground length, usually in multiples of map units, such as tens of kilometers or hundreds of miles. Scale bars are associated with a map frame in a layout. If the map scale for that map frame changes, the scale bar updates to maintain consistency.

The Show Scale Bar command of CivilGEO’s software allows the user to show/hide a scale bar on the Map View (2D View Mode only).

To enable a scale bar on the Map View, select the Show Scale Bar command from the View ribbon menu.

The Scale Bar dialog box will be displayed. Select the desired scale bar type and click the [OK] button to apply it to the Map View.

The selected scale bar will appear on the Map View.

Note that if the scale bar has already been applied to the Map View, selecting the Show Scale Bar command hides the scale bar from the Map View.

While working on an engineering project, you frequently zoom, pan, and rotate the Map View. Therefore, it is important to be as efficient as possible. This article describes the various ways to zoom, pan, and rotate the Map View quickly and efficiently.

unknown node Dynamic Zoom Tool

Use the Dynamic Zoom tool to zoom in or out of the Map View while viewing or working on a specific area. Zooming in or out enables a user to manually set the desired Map View magnification level.

Click on the Dynamic Zoom tool from the Map View toolbar to select it, then use this tool in the following ways:

• To zoom in, click a spot on the Map View to zoom into.
  This will cause the Map View to zoom into the area around the clicked point.
• To zoom out, click on the Map View while holding down the Shift key.
  This will cause the Map View to zoom outward from the clicked point.
• To zoom into a selected area, click and drag a rectangle around the area on the Map View.
  This will cause the Map View to zoom into the area bounded by the drawn rectangle.
• To zoom to the extents of project data, double click the mouse wheel.
  This will cause the Map View to zoom to the extents of the project data.

Other ways to zoom in or out of the Map View

To zoom in or out while the Dynamic Zoom tool is not selected, roll the mouse wheel up or down.

This is helpful when another tool or command is selected and you do not want to switch tools or stop the current command.

Control the Zoom Rate

You can also change the rate at which to zoom in or out of an area using the mouse wheel:

• Hold down the Ctrl key while rolling the mouse wheel for a slower, more controlled zoom operation.
• Hold down the Shift key while rolling the mouse wheel for a faster zoom operation.

Adaptive Display

When the user zooms into the Map View, the visual information of the corresponding element(s) (for example, cross-section IDs, overbank roughness, reach IDs, etc) will be displayed in detail.

In contrast, when the user zooms out on the Map View, only limited/less information such as a schematic diagram of the element(s) will be displayed.

unknown node Navigate Backward Command

Use the Navigate Backward command to go back through previous views of the Map View. Clicking this button steps back the current view to a previous view.

unknown node Navigate Forward Command

After backing up through previous views using the Navigate Backward command, the Navigate Forward command can be used to move forward through successive views of the Map View. Clicking this button advances the view to the next view.

Note: The Navigate Backward and Navigate Forward commands allow you to quickly switch between recent views.

Bookmarked Views Panel

Use the Bookmarked Views panel to view, add, save, and remove bookmarked views, as well as create and view Video Tours.

This panel enables you to save views as bookmarks—allowing you to quickly switch between different views. Clicking a bookmarked view changes the location, zoom level, and 2-D/3-D orientation of the Map View to that of the previously saved bookmarked view.

The panel offers the following commands:

• Navigate Backward
  Use this command to navigate backward through the list of bookmarked views.
• Navigate Forward
  Use this command to navigate forward through the list of bookmarked views.
• Add Bookmark
  Use this command to add the current view to the Bookmarked Views panel.
• Remove Bookmark
  Use this command to remove the selected view from the Bookmarked Views panel. Alternatively, right-click on a bookmarked view and choose Remove Bookmark from the displayed context menu.
• Rename Bookmark
  Right-click on a bookmarked view and then choose the Rename Bookmark command from the displayed context menu. Alternatively, select a bookmarked view and then press Function Key F2.
• Move Bookmark Up / Move Bookmark Down
  The order of the saved bookmarked views can be changed by right-clicking on a bookmarked view and then selecting the Move Bookmark Up or Move Bookmark Down command from the displayed context menu.
• Record Tour
  Use this command to record a video of navigation tour in the Map View. Click this button to start recording the video tour and click Done when the tour is complete. Once the recording is complete, the tour can be replayed by selecting the saved video tour and clicking the Play button.

unknown node Zoom Extents Command

Use the Zoom Extents command to zoom the Map View to the extents of the project data.

Note: If no model elements are defined, then this command causes the Map View to zoom out to the extent of the current map layer.

unknown node Pan Tool

Use the Pan tool to pan the Map View. Click on the Pan tool from the Map View toolbar to select it, and then click and hold down the left mouse button. Then, drag the mouse pointer to pan about.

Another way to pan the Map View

If the computer mouse has a clickable scroll wheel (or a middle button), click and hold it down. Then, drag the mouse pointer to pan about on the Map View. This is helpful when another tool or command is active, and you do not want to switch tools or stop the current command.

unknown node Rotate View Tool

You can use the Rotate View tool to rotate the Map View. Click on the Rotate View tool from the Map View toolbar to select it, and then click and hold down the left mouse button. Then, drag the mouse pointer to rotate the view.

Note: This tool only works while in the 3D view mode.

unknown node Free Look Tool

You can use the Free Look tool to view the Map View at different angles from the current viewpoint. Click on the Free Look tool from the Map View toolbar to select it, and then click and hold down the left mouse button. Then, drag the mouse pointer to change the viewpoint viewing angle.

To change the location of the viewpoint, use the Pan, Dynamic Zoom, and Rotate View tools as previously described.

Note: This tool only works while in the 3D view mode.

CivilGEO software fully supports both Metric (SI) and US units.

Default Project Units

The CivilGEO software auto detects the country that the computer is located in. If the computer is located within the United States, it will default to US units. If the computer is located outside of the United States, it will default to metric (SI) units.

The units are defined in the Options backstage page. Select Options from the File ribbon menu to view the Options backstage page. The default units can be overwritten by the user from the General Preferences subsection of the Project Options section.

Importing Model

An imported model defines the project’s units. For example, even if the default project units are US, importing a metric model will set the project units as metric.

If other data (e.g., shapefiles) have already been loaded that are in a different unit system than the imported model, then the software will display a confirmation dialog box when importing the model. This confirmational dialog box will inform the user that the loaded data and the imported model are in different unit systems and will ask if it should continue with the software import process.

For example, if the user is working on CivilGEO’s GeoHECRAS software, the following confirmational dialog box will be displayed:

Model Unit Conversion

The software will not perform unit conversions (i.e., US to Metric, Metric to US) of the imported models. However, the software will perform unit conversions and reprojections of GIS and elevation data.

Coordinate Reference Systems

Note that the selected Coordinate Reference System (CRS) should match the units to be used in defining the model data. Refer to this article for more information on assigning a coordinate reference system.

Decimal Separator

Most countries use either a period (.) or a comma (,) symbol as the decimal separator in numbers; each country has adopted a standard for which decimal separator symbol is to be used. The analysis engines in CivilGEO software require that the period be used as a decimal separator.

If something other than the period is being used as the decimal separator, the correct decimal separator can be selected within Microsoft Windows.

Follow the steps below to change the decimal separator format:

1. Display the Windows Run dialog box by pressing the Win + R keys (using the Windows key and the “R” key simultaneously) on the keyboard. This will display the Windows Run dialog box.
2. Type control in the Open entry and then press the Enter key or click the [OK] button.
   
3. From the displayed Windows Control Panel, select the Region option.
   
4. Windows will display the Region dialog box. From the Format dropdown combo box, select English (United States) option and then click the [OK] button. This will change the computer format into US settings.
   

Our software can export data to a variety of different software programs using various data formats such as:

• AutoCAD Drawing Files (*.dwg, *.dxf)
• MicroStation CAD drawing files (*.dgn)
• GIS Data (*.shp, *.gdb, *.mdb)
• Google Earth Files (*.kml, *.kmz)
• Microsoft Excel (*.xlsx)
• Microsoft Word (*.docx)
• PDF Files (*.pdf)

CivilGEO’s GeoHECHMS software exports model data as:

• HEC-HMS Projects (*.hms)
• HEC-HMS Archive File containing HEC-HMS Project Files (*.zip)

CivilGEO’s GeoHECRAS software exports model data as:

• HEC‑RAS Projects (*.prj)
• HEC‑RAS Archive File containing HEC‑RAS Project Files (*.zip)

This article describes system requirements and additional settings that can be utilized with CivilGEO’s engineering software.

It is important to verify that the target computer meets or exceeds minimum system requirements prior to installing the software. If the operating system does not meet minimum system requirements, problems may occur while running the software.

Operating System Requirements

• Microsoft Windows 11 (64-bit only)
• Microsoft Windows 10 (64-bit only)

Processor Requirements

• Minimum: 2.5–2.9 GHz or faster processor
• Recommended: 3.4+ GHz or faster processor
• 3.4+ GHz processor with multiple cores (additional requirements for large datasets)

Impact of Processor Cores on Project Modeling

For example, 1D HEC-RAS modeling does not require multiple processing cores. Instead, high-speed processors (e.g., 3.4 GHz or higher) are preferable for overall speed across a variety of 1D and 2D models.

In the case of 2D HEC-RAS modeling, it has been observed that for smaller 2D areas (e.g., less than 10,000 cells), using 8 cores may result in slower performance compared to 4 or 6 cores. This is due to the computing overhead involved in transferring data between cores. For smaller datasets, not all available processor cores may offer the fastest performance. However, a greater number of cores becomes necessary for larger numbers of project cells. Note that GeoHECRAS provides an option to modify the number of utilized cores in relation to computation options and tolerances. Refer to this article in our knowledge base for more information.

Utilizing Hyper-Threading

In addition to processor cores, the HEC-RAS computational engine utilizes Intel’s Hyper-Threading technology that allows more than one thread to run on each CPU core, which facilitates more parallel work. For example, the RAS 2D computational engine, which relies heavily on mathematical operations for computations, utilizes hyper-threading technology. This allows the RAS 2D computational engine to effectively utilize 100% of the math unit for each core it employs.

Memory Requirements

• Minimum: 16 GB RAM
• Recommended: 32 GB RAM or more (additional requirements for large datasets)

The user should ensure that sufficient RAM exists to accommodate both the operating system and the entire engineering model. More than adequate RAM prevents the operating system from needing to constantly swap data in and out of memory, optimizing performance.

Display Resolution Requirements

• Minimum: 1920 x 1080
• Recommended: Resolutions up to 3840 x 2160 (with capable display card)

Display Card Requirements

• Minimum: 1 GB GPU with 29 GB/s Bandwidth and OpenGL version 3.2 compliant
• Recommended: 4 GB GPU with 106 GB/s Bandwidth and OpenGL version 4.3 compliant
• 1920 x 1080 or greater video display adapter (additional requirements for large datasets)

CivilGEO’s software utilizes the Open Graphics Library (OpenGL) Application Programming Interface (API) for rendering 2D and 3D vector graphics. The API is typically used to interact with a Graphics Processing Unit (GPU) to achieve hardware-accelerated rendering. Refer to this article in our knowledge base to identify the compatibility of your display card with CivilGEO software.

Hard Disk Space Requirements

• 250 GB (suggested SSD)
• 80 GB free hard disk available, not including installation and program files (additional requirements for large datasets)

For example, in 1D and 2D HEC-RAS modeling, numerous output files, including detailed output intervals, small mapping output intervals, computation level output, etc., are frequently read from and written to the computer hard disk. The frequency and volume of this output data being written during runtime significantly impacts performance. In such cases, Solid State Drives (SSDs) are generally preferred over traditional spinning Hard Disk Drives (HDDs).

Pointing Device Requirements

MS-Mouse compliant device

Browser Requirements

• Microsoft Edge
• Google Chrome
• Mozilla Firefox

.NET Platform Requirements

CivilGEO software requires the minimum versions of the Microsoft .NET runtimes, as below:

• ASP.NET Core Runtime: 8.0.11
• .NET Desktop Runtime: 8.0.11

Note: If these runtimes are not already installed on the system, the CivilGEO software installer will prompt the user to install them automatically during the software setup.

Additional Settings to Optimize Computer for Engineering Projects

CivilGEO’s engineering software are resource-intensive programs. Even computers with the most modern hardware capabilities can become slower with regular updates to these software programs. A computer system running civil engineering software can be sluggish for a variety of reasons, including compatibility issues and bugs, slow operating system performance, viruses, or other kinds of malware, increased graphical workload, and more. Refer to this article in our knowledge base to learn how to optimize your computer system for CivilGEO’s engineering software.

There are multiple ways of adding a MicroStation (or AutoCAD) drawing file for an engineering project, as described below.

Starting a New Project

If just starting out a project, the MicroStation drawing file can be directly loaded through the File menu. Go to File > Open and then select the MicroStation drawing file to open.

Note that this method cannot be used for a project that already contains other data. For these situations, follow the steps detailed in the following section.

Ongoing Project

For new or existing projects, follow the steps below to load a MicroStation drawing file:

1. Right-click on the Map Data Layer panel and then select Add Layers from the displayed context menu.
   
2. The Add Layers dialog box will be displayed. Select the MicroStation drawing file to load (Note that MicroStation files can be identified by *.dgn format).
   
3. The selected MicroStation drawing file will be loaded into the Map View and Map Data Layers panel.
   
4. If the imported MicroStation drawing file does not have an assigned coordinate reference system (CRS), refer to this article in our Knowledge Base on how to georeference a MicroStation drawing file.

Drag and Drop

MicroStation drawing files can also be dragged and dropped from Windows Explorer onto the Map View or Map Data Layers panel. Dropping MicroStation drawing files onto the Map Data Layers panel provides more control on the display order of the drawing files.

This video details how to add and georeference an AutoCAD (or MicroStation) drawing file for an engineering project.

There are multiple ways of adding an AutoCAD drawing file, as described below.

Starting a New Project

If just starting out a project, the AutoCAD drawing file can be directly loaded through the File menu. Go to File > Open and then select the AutoCAD drawing file to open.

Note that this method cannot be used for a project that already contains other data. For these situations, follow the steps detailed in the following section.

Ongoing Project

For new or existing projects, follow these steps to load an AutoCAD drawing file:

1. Right-click on the Map Data Layer panel and then select Add Layers from the displayed context menu.
   
2. The Add Layers dialog box will be displayed.
   
3. Select the AutoCAD drawing file to load.
4. The selected AutoCAD drawing file will be loaded into the Map View and Map Data Layers panel.
   
5. If the imported AutoCAD drawing file does not have an assigned coordinate reference system (CRS), refer to this article in our Knowledge Base on how to georeference an AutoCAD drawing file.

Drag and Drop

AutoCAD drawing files can also be dragged and dropped from Windows Explorer onto the Map View or Map Data Layers panel. Dropping AutoCAD drawing files onto the Map Data Layers panel provides more control on the display order of the drawing files.

Within CivilGEO software, every data layer has its own coordinate reference system, which is used to integrate it with other data layers within the Map View. Data layers that are constructed with different coordinate reference systems are automatically reprojected to the Map View so that they align with the assigned project coordinate reference system.

To define a coordinate reference system (CRS) for the project, follow the steps below:

1. From the File ribbon menu, select the Map Coordinates option.
   
2. The Map Coordinates backstage page will be displayed.
   
3. From the Projected CRS Regions tab, the user can browse to the supported CRS for the location of interest by expanding the continent, country, and then local region. The software will then list all the coordinate reference systems that correspond to the selected location.

   Notes:

   • Countries included within European, Asian, and African boundaries are grouped into Asia and the Middle East subregions.
   • Countries located in the southwest Pacific Ocean region are grouped into the Australasia continent.
4. From the Projected CRS Listings tab, the user can browse through all the supported CRS contained within the software. Once the desired CRS category is found, the user can then expand the category to see all the listed CRS that correspond to a selected category.
   
5. From the Import CRS Projection tab, the user can import custom projected coordinate reference system files supported by the software. To learn how to use this tab, refer to this article in our knowledge base.
   
6. From the Favorites tab, the user can quickly access the CRSs that are frequently used without having to browse through the entire CRS directory. To add a CRS to the Favorites tab, select the required CRS. Then, right-click and select the Add to Favorites option from the displayed context menu.
   
7. Alternatively, the user can manually enter the region (i.e., state) of interest in the search field and then click on the [Search] button. The software will then filter out only those CRS that correspond to the defined region. For example, entering “Penn” (for Pennsylvania) will only return CRS that corresponds to that state.
   
8. Single-clicking on a listed CRS will show the bounds of the CRS in the Preview window.
9. Once the CRS is selected, the user can click the [Apply to Map View] button to assign the selected CRS to the project. Alternatively, double-clicking on a listed CRS will assign the selected CRS to the project.
10. Additionally, the user can assign a CRS to the current project by simply loading a CRS projection file. The user can click the [Load CRS Projection] button and select a CRS projection file from the Load CRS Projection dialog box. Click the [Open] button to load the CRS projection file.
    
11. The user can then click the [Apply to Map View] button to assign the CRS to the project.
    

Note that the Hide depreciated coordinate reference systems checkbox is used to hide the old, depreciated coordinate reference system. By default, this checkbox is checked.

Automatic Assigning CRS to Non-CRS Data Layers

While assigning the coordinate reference system (CRS) to the project, the Map Coordinates backstage page provides a “Apply CRS to all non-CRS referenced layers” checkbox option, which assigns the selected CRS to layers that are not yet assigned a specific CRS system.

By default, this checkbox is checked (i.e., selected). However, some non-CRS referenced data layers may not lie within the selected project CRS. If this occurs, the software will display an informational dialog box describing this issue for each of the data layers whose coordinates lie outside the assigned CRS.

The user has the option to continue with the CRS assignment for the data layer or skip over it. This commonly happens with HEC‑RAS models that were not created in a coordinate reference system. In these situations, it is better to skip over the assignment of the CRS. The data layer may need to be manually georeferenced.

Manually Assigning CRS to a Non-CRS Data Layer

If a data layer has been added to a project and does not have a CRS defined for it, the layer will display in its own local coordinate reference system. This might happen, for example, when importing an elevation grid data file to the project.

After loading the data layer, only that data layer will be shown in the Map View. The other data layers lie in a different projection of the Map View. The user can then manually assign the project’s CRS to the data layer if the data layer coordinates lie within the project’s CRS. Refer to this article in our knowledge base to learn how to manually assign a CRS to a data layer.

This video details how to add a GIS shapefile to an engineering project model.

Follow these steps to add a GIS shapefile to a project:

1. Right-click on the Map Data Layer panel and then select Add Layers from the displayed context menu.
   
2. The Add Layers dialog box will be displayed.
   
3. Select the GIS shapefile(s) to load. Hold down the [Ctrl] key to load more than one shapefile at a time.
4. The selected shapefile(s) will be loaded into the Map View and Map Data Layers panel. If more than one shapefile was selected, the selected shapefiles will be placed within their own layer group.
   
5. To rename the layer group, highlight the layer group and either right-click and select Rename from the displayed context menu or press the [F2] function key.
   
6. If the imported shapefiles do not have an assigned coordinate reference system (CRS), refer to this article in our Knowledge Base on how to georeference the shapefiles to the Map View.

Drag and Drop

Shapefiles can also be dragged and dropped from Windows Explorer onto the Map View or Map Data Layers panel. Dropping the shapefiles on to the Map Data Layers panel provides more control on the display order of the selected shapefiles.

The Clip Raster command allows the user to clip an elevation DEM or image to any shape. All areas of the raster outside of the clipped region are set to a NODATA transparent value. This functionality helps by being able to trim an elevation DEM to the limits of a LIDAR field survey, allowing the user to merge in additional elevation data for the areas outside of the survey limits.

Follow the steps below to use the Clip Raster command:

1. From the Terrain ribbon menu, select the Clip Raster command.
   
2. The Clip Raster dialog box will be displayed.
   

The following sections describe the Clip Raster command and how to interact with the above dialog box.

Select Raster to Clip

This section controls the selection of a raster layer such as a DEM or image raster for clipping based on either the model extents, rectangular envelope, or the polygons.

From the Select raster layer dropdown combo box, select the elevation DEM, or image raster that needs to be trimmed into a smaller elevation grid.

Clipped Raster Limits

This section allows the user to define the extents of the clipped raster.

The following options are available to define the grid limits on the selected elevation grid:

• User-defined limits: The user can draw the rectangular extent of the elevation grid to correspond to a specifically defined area. This makes the elevation grid smaller and easier to work with.

  Click the [Pick] button to define the limits of the terrain surface. The Clip Raster dialog box will temporarily disappear, and a prompt will be displayed on the status bar directing the user to create a raster limits rectangle. Click and drag a rectangular region to define the limits. After releasing the mouse button, the user will be returned to the dialog box. A layer will be created with a rectangular box to represent the user-defined selected region.

• Clipping polygons: The user can select one or more polygons on the Map View and the software will clip the selected raster to the boundary of the polygons. The raster will set the limits of the grid to the extents of the selected polygons. For regions that are within these limits but outside the selected polygon boundary, the cells will be set to a null value.

  Click the [Pick] button to select the polygon shape region(s). The Clip Raster dialog box will temporarily disappear, and a prompt will be displayed on the status bar directing the user to select the clipping polygons. Select the clipping polygons on the Map View and press the [Enter] key or right-click and select Done from the displayed context menu. The dialog box will be redisplayed. The area underneath the selected clipping polygons will be considered by the software as it processes the terrain. Additionally, the user can check the Crop terrain to polygon boundary checkbox to crop the merged terrain to the selected polygon boundary.

• Model extents: If a project model has been defined, this option will create a bounding rectangular region to correspond to the extents of the defined model, plus an additional buffer boundary.
• Elevation range: If the selected raster layer is an elevation DEM, then this option is enabled, and the software shows the maximum and minimum elevations contained within the selected elevation DEM.

  The user can define the maximum and minimum elevation limits of a clipped raster by checking the Maximum elevation and Minimum elevation checkboxes. Alternatively, by using the corresponding [Pick] buttons, the user can select locations on the DEM layer from the Map View to represent the maximum and minimum elevations to use.

Raster Processing Specifications

This section is used to define the specifications for the clipped raster.

Click the […] button beside the Clipped raster file entry to specify the file name and directory location to which to save the clipped raster file.

Different file formats are available to save the clipped raster file based on the type of raster layer selected. For example, if the selected raster layer is an elevation DEM, then only elevation grid file types are provided for saving the clipped raster. Similarly, if the selected raster layer is an image, then only image raster file types are provided for saving the clipped raster.

By default, the Load raster as map layer checkbox option is checked to load the clipped raster as a layer in the Map Data Layers panel. Click the pencil icon to rename the layer.

The user can select the CRS to be used for the clipped raster file. If there is only one CRS in the project, the software automatically selects it.

Note that if the clipped raster is an elevation DEM, then grid resolution details will show columns, rows and total cells. If the clipped raster is an image raster, however, then grid resolution details will display width, height, and color depth as shown below.

Clipping the Raster File

After the options have been defined, click the [Clip] button. The software will clip the raster file and create a new raster layer at the specified location. If the Load raster as Map layer checkbox was checked, the newly created raster layer will be loaded in the Map Data Layers panel.

A soil map is a geographic representation of the variety of soil types and/or soil properties (soil pH, textures, organic matter, horizon depths, and so on) in a given area. Soil maps are often used in projects involving land assessment, spatial planning, agricultural extension, environmental protection, and others.

When rain falls over land, a portion of it runs off into stream channels and stormwater systems, while the remaining water infiltrates into the soil or returns to the atmosphere directly through evaporation.

Physical properties of soil affect the rate at which water is absorbed and the amount of runoff produced by a storm. The hydrologic soil group provides an index of the rate at which water infiltrates a soil and functions as an input to rainfall-runoff models used to predict potential stream flow.

Displaying Soil Groups for Different Regions

The Soil Maps command of CivilGEO’s software allows the user to display global or regional (United States, Canada, Africa, and Europe only) soil maps on the Map View.

To display the soil map on the Map View, select the Soil Maps dropdown menu from the Map Data ribbon menu.

Note: The user needs to assign a coordinate reference system (CRS) to the project before assigning soil survey data. To learn more about the coordinate reference system (CRS), refer to this article in our knowledge base.

The following countries are listed under the Soil Maps dropdown menu:

• USA – This option displays the Soil Survey Geographic (SSURGO) maps by the United States Department of Agriculture's Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS).
• Canada – This option displays the national scale thematic dataset displaying the classification of soils in terms of provincial Detailed Soil Surveys (DDS) polygons, Soil Landscape Polygons (SLCs), Soil Order, and Great Group.
• Africa – This option displays the harmonized soil map showing the soil classes at the continent scale produced for the Soil Atlas of Africa. The map has been derived from the Harmonized World Soil Database (HWSD).
• Europe – This option displays the European Soil Database (ESDB), the harmonized soil database for Europe, also extending to Eurasia.
• Global – This option displays the Hydrologic Soil Groups (HYSOGs250m) with worldwide coverage for curve number-based runoff modeling. This dataset from the Oak Ridge National Laboratory Distributed Active Archive Center (ORNLDAAC) provides a globally consistent, gridded dataset of hydrologic soil groups (HSGs) with a geographic resolution of 1/480 decimal degrees, corresponding to a projected resolution of approximately 250 x 250 meters. These data were developed to support USDA-based curve-number runoff modeling at regional and continental scales.

Clicking on any of the countries listed above will cause the software to display the Soil Maps dialog box.

The user can click on the [OK] button to add the soil survey data layer of the selected region on the Map View. An example of NRCS soil survey data is shown below.

In the Map Data Layers panel, the software provides a data legend for each hydrologic soil group layer that lists the soil survey data included within that layer. The user can expand the layer to view the data legend.

Downloading Soil Survey Data as Shapefile Data

The Soil Maps dropdown menu contains one additional command: Soil Survey Data Download. This command allows the user to download hydrologic soil groups as shapefile data. Refer to this article in our knowledge base to learn more about the Soil Survey Data Download command.

Terrain data is usually expressed as a series or collection of elevation points with x-, y-, and associated z-values. It generally includes a series of points representing the high and low extremes in the terrain that define topographic features such as streams, levees, ridges, and other phenomena. Terrain data are critical in areas such as infrastructural management, hydrology and flow-direction studies, and land-use planning.

Some of the major uses of terrain data are as follows:

• Modeling water flow or mass movements (e.g., landslides)
• Creating physical models (such as raised-relief maps)
• Rectifying aerial photography or satellite imagery
• Rendering 3D visualizations, etc

Digital Elevation Models (DEMs)

Elevation grids, sometimes called DEMs (Digital Elevation Models), are commonly used to represent ground terrain surfaces. Elevation grids use a fixed grid cell size to create a raster heightmap (a grid of squares) in which each cell stores the corresponding ground elevation. The smaller these grid cells, the greater the level of detail captured by the DEM data files.

Supported Terrain Data Sources

CivilGEO’s software supports most of the terrain elevation sources used for generating terrain surfaces. In the Terrain source entry of the Generate Terrain dialog box, different supported terrain source types are shown below.

Adding Supported Elevation Data Formats

CivilGEO’s software allows the user to access elevation data using three primary methods, as appear below.

1. Local File Elevation Data
2. Online Elevation Data
3. Download Elevation DEM Data

Refer to this article in our knowledge base to learn more about adding different elevation data methods.

Terrain Commands

Our software provides the user with numerous commands that work with elevation data, as mentioned below.

• Generate Terrain Command
• Stamp Geometry Command
• Merge DEMs Command
• Convert Elevations Command
• Adjust Elevations Command
• Generate Contours Command
• Process LIDAR Command and more.

Government and Commercial DEM Sources

The two broad categories of DEM sources are as follows:

1. Government sources
   The major government sources to download DEMs are mentioned below.
   • USGS: USGS accesses the elevation data from the USGS National Elevation Dataset (NED) data server. The Digital elevation data for the United States and its territories are available through The National Map Downloader.
   • NASA: NASA’s Space Shuttle Radar Topography Mission (SRTM) uses synthetic aperture radar and interferometry to collect one of the most accurate digital elevation models of Earth. It covers most of the world with an absolute vertical height accuracy of less than 16m. The SRTM data is freely available on USGS Earth Explorer.
   • NRCS: Types and sources of elevation data commonly used for NRCS applications are Digital Elevation Models (DEM) and the National Elevation Dataset (NED). These data have 10-, 30-, and 3-meter resolution and are available via the USGS and USDA websites. The USGS offers a central website for downloading digital elevation data in Geographic and NAD83 formats via the National Map.
   • Ontario Lidar Digital Terrain Model (DTM) Land Information Ontario (LIO): This dataset is a raster product representing the bare-earth terrain derived from a classified LIDAR point cloud. This DTM data is available in the form of 1-km by 1-km non-overlapping tiles grouped into packages for download.
2. Commercial sources
   The major commercial sources to download DEMs are mentioned below.
   • L3HARRIS: L3HARRIS geospatial offers a wide variety of in-house digital elevation datasets and has partnered with other leading topography providers for the multi-resolution Digital Elevation Models (DEM) coverage of Earth.
   • Cloudeo: Cloudeo’s Intermap DEM provider facilitates a 3D terrain dataset that provides seamless data for the entire USA at the one-meter resolution.
   • UP42: The UP42 service partnered with Intermap provides high-quality digital surface models (DSM) and digital terrain models (DTM) that enable 3D solutions with or without surface objects, such as buildings or vegetation.
   • MAXAR: MAXAR is also one of the sources for high-quality 3D surface models, digital surface and terrain models, etc.

Terrain Measurement Techniques

The different terrain measurement techniques employ elevation data, usually in conjunction with other geospatial information, to describe the landscape for basic visualization, modeling, or to support decision making. The major terrain measurement techniques are as follow:

• Direct survey: In this surveying method, the X, Y, and Z coordinates are measured using onsite manual efforts. This method requires expertise to measure the terrain points to generate a continuous raster.
• Drone survey: Drones can make accurate maps by combining images, which can be interpolated into three-dimensional imagery with software that utilizes photogrammetric techniques to form orthomosaics and digital surface models.
• LIDAR scanners: Light detection and ranging (LIDAR) also known as Laser altimetry. This terrain measurement technique measures the reflected light that has bounced off the ground to determine the elevation of the Earth’s surface.
• Bathymetric survey: This survey measures the depth of a water body and maps the underwater features of a water body. Multiple methods can be used for bathymetric surveys, including multi-beam and single-beam surveys, Acoustic Doppler Current Profiler (ADCPs), sub-bottom profilers, and the EcoMapper Autonomous Underwater Vehicle (AUV).

The Reshape Polygons command allows the user to reshape an already drawn polygon or any adjoining polygons that share the same edge. This article describes how to use the Reshape Polygons command.

Reshaping a Single Polygon

Follow the steps below to reshape a single polygon:

1. From the Map Edit ribbon menu, select the Reshape Polygons command.
   
2. The Reshape Polygons dialog box will be displayed.
   
3. Click the [Pick] button. The Reshape Polygons dialog box will temporarily disappear, and a prompt will be displayed on the status bar directing the user to select the polygon to be reshaped.
4. Select the polygon on the Map View to be reshaped.
5. The Reshape Polygons dialog box will be redisplayed. The status of the Pick polygon read-only field will change to Selected.
   

Draw Intersecting Reshape Polyline

This option allows the user to draw a polyline on the Map View that the reshaped polygon should follow. The drawn polyline must intersect the polygon two or more times. If both polyline endpoints are inside the polygon, the intersecting area is added to the polygon. If both polyline endpoints are outside the polygon, the intersecting area is removed from the polygon.

1. Choose the Draw Intersecting Reshape Polyline radio button option and click the [Draw] button. Note that the Draw Intersecting Reshape Polyline radio button option is selected by default.
2. The Reshape Polygons dialog box will temporarily disappear, and a prompt will be displayed on the status bar directing the user to draw a trace polyline.
3. Draw the reshape polyline on the Map View representing the change in shape for the selected polygon. Then, press the [Enter] key or right-click and select Done from the displayed context menu.
4. The Reshape Polygons dialog box will be redisplayed. The status of the Draw reshape polyline read-only field will change to Drawn.
   
5. Click the [OK] button.
6. The software will reshape the selected polygon.

Use Intersecting Trace Polyline

This option allows the user to select an already existing polyline on the Map View that the reshaped polygon should follow. The selected polyline must intersect the polygon two or more times. If both polyline endpoints are inside the polygon, the intersecting area is added to the polygon. If both polyline endpoints are outside the polygon, the intersecting area is removed from the polygon.

1. Choose the Use Intersecting Trace Polyline radio button option and click the [Pick] button.
2. The Reshape Polygons dialog box will temporarily disappear, and a prompt will be displayed on the status bar directing the user to select the trace polyline that intersects with the polygon to be reshaped.
3. Select the trace polyline on the Map View.
4. The Reshape Polygons dialog box will be redisplayed. The status of the Pick trace polyline read-only field will change to Selected.
   
5. Click the [OK] button.
6. The software will reshape the selected polygon.

Reshaping Adjacent Polygons

Follow the steps below to reshape the polygon boundary between two adjacent polygons.

1. Open the Reshape Polygons dialog box and select the Adjacent Polygons panel.
2. Click the [Pick] button. The Reshape Polygons dialog box will temporarily disappear, and a prompt will be displayed on the status bar directing the user to select two adjacent polygons with a common boundary to be reshaped.
3. Select two adjacent polygons on the Map View to be reshaped.
4. The Reshape Polygons dialog box will be redisplayed. The status of the Pick two adjacent polygons read-only field will change to Selected.
   

Note that the Draw Intersecting Reshape Polyline and Use Intersecting Trace Polyline options work similarly to what is provided in the Single Polygon panel. These options allow you to either draw or select an already existing intersection trace polyline from the Map View.

After clicking the [OK] button, the software will reshape the common boundary of two adjacent polygons along the intersecting trace polyline.

CivilGEO’s software uses OpenStreetMap (OSM) data to create realistic-looking 3D buildings on the Map View. The user can view the 3D buildings as well as download the 3D buildings as polygon shapefile data.

Note that OSM 3D building data may not be available for all locations.

Viewing 3D Buildings

To view the 3D buildings on the Map View, follow these steps:

1. From the Map Data ribbon menu, click on the Show 3D Buildings dropdown menu and then select the Show 3D Buildings command.
   
2. From the Map View toolbar, switch to 3D view mode by clicking on the 3D command.
   
3. From the Map View toolbar, select the Rotate View command.
   
4. Click and drag to rotate the Map View into a 3D view. As you zoom into a region, the 3D buildings will be displayed on the Map View.
   

Downloading 3D Buildings

The software provides an option to download the 3D building data as a GIS shapefile. In that way, the building data can be utilized for other purposes—such as determining flow blockages, etc.

To download 3D buildings as a shapefile, follow these steps:

1. From the Map Data ribbon menu, click on Show 3D Buildings dropdown menu and then select 3D Buildings Download command.
   
2. The 3D Buildings Download dialog box will be displayed.
   
3. In the 3D Buildings Download dialog box, specify the following:
   
   • General Specifications
     Specify the layer name and the file directory path for the downloaded polygon shapefile containing the 3D building data.
   • 3D Buildings Data Boundary Limit
     Specify the boundary limits (map area) into which the 3D buildings should be downloaded. Choose an option:
     
     1. Current screen limits: The software will download the 3D building data for the area that is currently being displayed on the screen.
     2. User-defined limits: Click the [Pick] button. The software will prompt you to manually select a rectangular region on the Map View to download the 3D building data. The Map View will switch to 2D View Mode while selecting this region.
     3. Model extents: The software automatically selects the area enclosed by the model.
4. Click the [OK] button.

The software will download the 3D building data as a shapefile. Depending upon the region extents selected, the downloading of data may take some time.

Base Map Imagery for Rooftops

Our software also allows use of base map layer imagery for roofs of 3D buildings.

To enable the base map layer imagery for rooftops, follow these steps:

1. Switch to 3D view mode on the Map View.
2. Add an elevation layer in your project. To learn how to add an elevation layer in your project, refer to this article in our knowledge base.
3. Click […] button next to the 3D buildings layer name.
   
4. The GIS Polygon Properties dialog box will be displayed. Notice that the Drape onto terrain radio button under the Assign Elevations section is selected by default.
   
5. Assign elevations to 3D buildings using one of the options listed below:
   
   • Offset above terrain.
   • Assign fixed elevation.
   • Assign height attribute.
   • Assign elevation attribute.
   Once the preferred option is selected, Extrude walls and Use map layer imagery for roofs checkboxes will appear under the Assign Elevations section.
   
6. The Extrude walls option is used to include sidewalls in 3D buildings whereas Use map layer imagery for roofs option is used to replace roofs of 3D buildings with base map imagery. Select both checkboxes.
   
7. Click the [OK] button.
   
8. The roofs for 3D buildings in the project will be replaced by base map imagery.
   

Note that on adding an elevation layer, the roofs of the 3D buildings are automatically replaced by base map imagery when 3D buildings are added using the 3D Buildings Download command.

The Crop Base Map command crops the base map (i.e., Google Map, Bing Map, etc.) to the elevation terrain data extents when the model is viewed in 3D. The base map will not extend outside of the elevation terrain data limits.

To use the Crop Base Map command, the user must have elevation terrain data loaded in the project. This command only operates in the 3D view mode with terrain data loaded.

After loading the elevation data in the project, the user needs to zoom to the elevation terrain data extents on the Map View. Next, switch to 3D view mode on the Map view.

From the View ribbon menu, click the Crop Base Map command.

The software will then clip the base map to the extents of the elevation terrain data and the project will appear to float in space in the Map View.