Skip to main content

Importing a Surface from Raw Data Points

By working in the Surface Tab in the Layers Panel, select: Layer > Import > From raw data points (Deere RCD, CSV, etc.):

  • T3RRA Software Survey Points (*.tci)
  • John Deere Gen4 (ADAPT) logs
  • John Deere RCD logs
  • John Deere RCD SWM survey logs
  • Raw CSV Data Points (*.csv) - can thin points to be more manageable
  • Raw shapefile data points (*.shp)
  • Multiplane data points (*.txt)
  • FieldLevel XML survey points (*.xml)
  • APRS LASer file format (*.las/z) - can thin points to be more manageable

Examples of Importing a Surface from Raw Data Points

File Type: Multiplane data points (*.txt)

To Import:

    > From the Surface Tab in the Layers Panel, select: Layer > Import > From raw data points (John     Deere RCD, CSV, etc) > Select relevant Multiplane (*.txt) file.

Once you have selected the relevant file to import, the following pop ups will appear:


Select ‘YES’ if the Multiplane file is in meters or ‘NO’ if it is in feet.






The next pop-up will be: 


Sometimes the master benchmark has a separate offset, but it is actually the elevation there. 

This is a somewhat unusual variation, so you’re advised to press ‘No’ if you’re not sure. If you will be exporting your design to a Multiplane file, a .gps file or a FieldLevel.xml file, the height mentioned here can be used for your Master Benchmark (MB) in those exports. In that case, import the MB from the same Multiplane file by going to the Guides Tab in the Layers Panel and selecting: Layer > Import > Import benchmarks from Multiplane file. The same pop ups will appear.



Raw point data surface and Import

Continuing on, a new import screen will appear, Raw point data surface and Import. Here there will be many of the same tools which can be found on the standard T3RRA Design Plus screen. These tools include:

  • Navigation Tools
    • The Pointer Tool
    • The grab tool
    • The magnifying glass
    • The ruler
    • Zoom to full extent
    • Rotate
    • The crosshairs
    • The camera
    • Google Earth 

To find out more about the above tools go to Navigation Tools

  • Selection Tools are always available in a drop-down list. To find out more about these tools, go to Selection Tools.


Area surfacing

The search radius (m) is pre populated based on the data set that has been imported. This figure can be changed to to achieve a different surface outcome. 


To surface all points, click this icon


NOTE: Depending on the size of the surface, this can sometimes take some time to process.

NOTE: If your surface is not complete (i.e. there are areas of white), you will need to ‘remove surface’ by clicking the icon on the right and increasing the search radius.




Linear Surfacing 



Linear path surfacing is for when you have a single string of survey points. Since it is a single line, this method does not triangulate between nearby points - it sets the elevation of each pixel to the closest survey point. Linear path surfacing is the same as surfacing drains in T3RRA Cutta.


Surface Resolution

This setting allows you to select the pixel size for the surface that you are creating. Smaller pixels are good for precision drainage work, larger pixels are good for wide scale leveling.




Once you’ve surfaced and are happy with the results, click the “Import current elevation surface” (1) button at the bottom of the window (see below). Click OK on the prompt that comes up (2), and then click “Close” (3) to get back to T3RRA Design Plus and work with your new surface.


File Type: Raw CSV data points (*.csv)

To Import:

    > From the Surface Tab in the Layers Panel, select: Layer > Import > From raw data points (John Deere RCD, CSV, etc) > Select Raw CSV data points (*.csv) > Select the relevant file


Once the relevant file has been selected, this pop up will appear. If you choose yes, points that are very close together are filtered out. This can improve the performance of the next steps when there are many points in the file. If you choose no, all points are imported without any filtering. If you are unsure, press No. 

After selecting either Yes or No, you will be taken to the following screen ‘Import delimited text data’ (partial screen grab shown here). 


This screen is broken into four sections. These are explained in more detail below:

  1. Import options
  2. Coordinate system
  3. Elevation column
  4. Data set



Import Delimited Text Data Screen Explained

  1. Import options: 
    Field delimiter: This should be pre-populated by scanning the selected file. It is the character that separates data fields. CSV means Comma Separated Values, so usually Comma will be selected.
    Decimal separator: This should be pre-populated by scanning the selected file. It is the character that separates the whole number from the fractional part. It is usually Period, however, in other cultures, it is sometimes Comma. When Comma is selected, choose something else for the Field delimiter.
    # Lines to ignore: Some CSV files have extra lines/rows at the top that are not header or data. Increase this number to ignore them.
    Data file has header row: This should be pre-populated by scanning the selected file. If selected, the names from the header row will be used to refer to the columns.

  2. Coordinate system:The coordinate system controls the X and Y placement of your data. Update the fields here to match the data in the import file.

  3. Elevation column:
    Which column contains the elevation data? Click on the column and select the appropriate units. If there is a value that indicates that there is no elevation at a point, enter it into the last text box.

  4. Data set: 
    Extract as an example only. This is a preview of the information in your file. Having this in view can help you choose the right options above.


Once you are satisfied with your selections, select ‘OK’. You will then be taken to the Raw point data surface and Import, which is explained in detail here. 


File Type: Raw shapefile data points  (*.shp)

To Import:

    > From the Surface Tab in the Layers Panel, select: Layer > Import > From raw data points (John Deere RCD, CSV, etc) > Select Raw shapefile data points (*.shp).


NOTE: Shapefiles have three required sub-files to import successfully. There needs to be, as a minimum, the following raw elevation points to import:

  • .shp - shape format; the feature geometry itself {content-type: x-gis/x-shapefile}
  • .shx - shape index format; a positional index of the feature geometry to allow seeking forwards and backwards quickly {context-type: x-gis/x-shapefile}
  • .dbf - attribute format; columnar attributes for each shape, in dBase IV format {content-type: application/octet-stream OR text/plan}


Once you have selected the relevant file to import, the process will continue as for importing raw CSV data, found here.


Back to top