After completing your survey and creating a Triangulated Irregular Network (TIN) in Virtual Surveyor, you can show the contours and use the Export Survey feature to export the contour lines as a lightweight CAD or GIS file. 


Export Survey is available in the EXPORT tab.


Overview


Quick Usage Guide

  1. Select the surface and go to the TOOLS for Surface tab.
  2. In the Styling group, click on Show Contours.
  3. Ensure all survey items except your surface is turned off in the Project View.
  4. Go to the EXPORT tab.
  5. In the Survey group, select the export format (.dxf, .xml or .shp).
  6. Click on Export Survey.
  7. Specify a filename and a disk location and click Save.

You can now open your exported .dxf, .xml., or .shp file in a CAD or GIS software. 


Note! Only your current active items will export (what you see is what you get). I.e. you can only export your contour lines when you set your surface to display as contours.


Notes for Shapefile

  • Multiple files are created when you export your contours to a shapefile.
  • The file with the contours is appended with "contourlines". Example: 
    • When the filename was set to "survey" or "survey.shp", then your contour lines can be found as "survey_contourlines.shp"
  • The attribute table contains a column with the elevation attribute for each contour line.


Tips and Tricks

  • Only the contours created from a surface item can be exported. It is not possible to export contours displayed from the Contours Terrain Lens.
  • All visible project items in the Viewport will be exported. If you want to only export the contours, you need to turn off all other survey items (points, lines, boundaries, etc. ). 
  • The DSM and orthomosaic may remain active because they are not exported when using Export Survey.
  • Click Turn All Off and re-enable the check box for your surface TIN to only display the surface.
  • The exported files (.dxf, .xml or .shp) contain 3D polyline geometries.