The Edit Vertex functionality allows you to change the geometry of your created survey data by allowing you to move existing, create new, and delete vertices. There are two options to enable the Edit Vertex feature. Select a Point/Polyline/Boundary and either go to the Tools tab or right click in the Viewport to select Edit Vertex. Once the tool is enabled, the Edit Vertex Mode box will appear.
Edit Vertex in the TOOLS Tab
Edit Vertex in the Mini Toolbar
Right click in the Viewport with a point, polyline, or boundary selected.
Available Edit Vertex Modes with Different Plans
| Valley Interface | Ridge/Mountain Interface | Peak Interface |
|---|---|---|
 |  |  |
Edit Vertex works on:
- Points (the Interpolate Z function does not work on points)
- Polylines (arc included)
- Boundaries (circle and rectangle included)
Info! Any edit done to the vertices can be undone using Ctrl+Z or by clicking the Undo button in the Quick Access Toolbar.
Overview
- Edit Vertex Modes
- Selecting Vertices
- Examples of Edit Vertex Modes
- Geometry Snapping with Edit Vertex
- Differences Between Edit Vertex, Move/Copy, and Offset Z
Edit Vertex Modes
Editing existing vertices can be done in 5 different ways.
| Mode | Description |
|---|---|
| On Terrain | Allows you to change the position of one or multiple vertices using your mouse while placing the vertex Z level on the underlying drone data. |
| XY | Allows you to change the position of one or multiple vertices using your mouse while maintaining its current elevation. |
| Z | Allows you to change the elevation of one or multiple vertices using your mouse or the Z input field. |
| Interpolate Z (Linear) | Creates a change to the elevation of a range of vertices by interpolating the Z values between two vertices on a linear line. |
| Interpolate Z (Curve) | Creates a gradual elevation change of a range of vertices by interpolating the Z values between two vertices on a curved line. |
Selecting Vertices
Once you have enabled any of the available edit modes, you can select a vertex or multiple vertices to edit.
- Select a single vertex. The vertices appear as white circles in edit mode; you can select them with a left-click and the vertex will appear purple once it is selected.
- Select multiple vertices. Hold Ctrl with each left-click, or you can select a range of vertices holding the Shift key down.
- Select all vertices. Press Ctrl+A to select all vertices at the same time.
- Cycle through vertices. You can move the selection to the next or previous vertex, using the arrow keys.
Examples of Edit Vertex Modes
On Terrain
Selecting the On Terrain option will allow you to drag the vertex to a new location with the Z being determined by the underlying drone data. This is helpful in situations where you need to edit the vertices of a breakline to better fit the terrain, or when you've created a grid of points and some points are placed on top of objects instead of at ground level. You can simply move the point off of the object by using left-click and dragging the point over the terrain. You can also move multiple vertices at the same time.
Edit XY
When the XY mode is enabled, you click and drag a single vertex (or multiple vertices at the same time) anywhere along the XY plane and their Z elevation will stay locked at the height it started from. In the example below, we've placed a point next to the rock pile at ground level and we want to move the vertex to the wall and keep the original elevation.
Edit Z
When you are in the Z Edit mode, you can manually enter a specific elevation for the vertex in the input field or use the arrows to change the elevation to the value you want.
You can also drag a vertex into place. This will hold the XY position of the selected vertex while allowing the movement of the vertex in the Z direction. When dragging a vertex (hold left-click and drag), an orange line appears to provide spatial context while changing its elevation; drag the vertex along a golden dotted line to change its Z height.
Interpolate Z (Linear)
When you are in the Interpolate Z (Linear) mode, selecting a range of vertices changes the elevation of those vertices to become a constant slope between two vertices. This is often useful for overlapping stockpiles and you need to draw a boundary under the stockpile. To linearly interpolate the Z elevation between points, left-click on the first desired vertex, then left-click again on the last desired vertex—from the same polyline—to apply the interpolation
Interpolate Z (Curve)
When you are in the Interpolate Z (Curve) mode, selecting a range of vertices changes the elevation of those vertices to become a gradual slope between two vertices. The Interpolate Z Curve is used for designing access or haul roads on a slope that gradually changes from the incoming and outgoing portion of the slope, which is necessary to allow trucks safe passage up and down the mine.
To apply a curve for a gradual slope on a design line, left-click on the first desired vertex, then left-click again on the last desired vertex—from the same polyline—to apply the interpolation to the design line. With grey starting and ending vertices, you will not be able to interpolate from those vertices. You'll need enough segments of vertices before and after the slope to create the gradual incoming and outgoing grade of the slope.
Add a Vertex
With the Edit Vertex tool enabled, you can add a vertex to a polyline or a boundary by clicking on the segment between 2 existing vertices. Depending on the enabled edit mode, the new vertex is either draped onto the terrain (On Terrain) or it is created at the elevation between the 2 existing vertices.
| Edit Mode for Adding a Vertex | Use Case |
|---|---|
| On Terrain | Most commonly used for a Survey |
| XY / Z | Used for Design |
| Interpolate Z (Linear and Curve) | Cannot add a vertex |
Delete a Vertex
Again, with the Edit Vertex tool enabled on a selected polyline/boundary, select a vertex or a group of vertices to delete them. Pressing the Delete key deletes any selected vertex, and the selection automatically moves to the next vertex. This allows for quick deletion of a sequence of vertices by pressing the Delete key multiple times. You can also select multiple vertices using Shift or Ctrl keys and delete them in groups. This operation for deleting vertices is shown in the illustration below, where a bulge (generated with Extract Level) is deleted to extract a correct water boundary.
Geometry Snapping with Edit Vertex
The Geometry Snapping feature helps you accurately connect existing geometry together. When moving a vertex using any of the Edit Vertex Modes, geometry snapping is enabled by default.
How Snapping Works
Geometry Snapping, when enabled, always takes preference over the Edit Vertex Mode's input setting (On Terrain, XY, and Z). E.g., if you've set the Edit Vertex Mode to On Terrain and there is a geometry near the vertex you are editing, a purple circle will appear, indicating that your vertex will first snap to the nearby polyline, rather than get placed on the ground.
Disable Snapping While Editing
Snapping is designed to streamline your workflow and create clean surfaces, but you can switch to free placement whenever necessary by disabling geometry snapping:
- Deselect the Geometry snapping box with a left click.
- Use the hot key "G" on the keyboard to toggle snapping on and off.
- Press and hold Ctrl to temporarily disable snapping while moving a vertex over a geometry.
Snapping Suggestions
Snapping suggestions are purple circles that appear on geometries in the pathway of an edited vertex to help you precisely align and connect your vertex to another geometry. You can have a number of options when using snapping suggestions depending on the edit mode you are currently using (e.g. On Terrain, XY, or Z). Once you start moving your vertex, you can see a guideline that gives you multiple snapping suggestions along a pathway in front of the vertex that give you the option to snap to other geometries or align with the geometries while staying on a different plane (On Terrain or XY).
Using Tab for overlapping suggestions. In situations where there are overlapping snapping suggestions, you can use Tab on your keyboard to select which suggestion you want to snap to:
- Left click and hold the vertex to drag it over the area you want to snap to.
- Press Tab to see a small box of options appear, then repeatedly press Tab to cycle through each suggestion.
- Once the location you want to place your vertex is highlighted, release left click to place your vertex.
Create a snapping point. You can create your own snapping points on a geometry by hovering your cursor over any point on a drawn geometry until a purple circle appears. Simply left click when the purple circle appears to snap to that existing vertex or geometry.
Use Case Examples for Snapping Suggestions
- Extend/Trim lines on the geometry. An easy way to extend/trim your line is by snapping it to another piece of geometry. You can follow the white guideline and the use snapping suggestion to extend and/or trim your lines to an adjacent geometry. The example below is for a planimetric survey, where the parking lines need to be extended and trimmed to attach to the geometry that aligns with curb's edge.
- Extend/Trim lines on the constraint (2D mode). You can extend or trim your polyline to align with other geometry in 2D mode and still keep your vertex on a separate plane by overriding the snapping suggestion that is on the geometry. For example, you can hover the vertex over the dripline of a house in 2D (using XY Edit mode) and press Tab to select your XY plane suggestion . This will keep your polyline at the same level as the driveway while also maintaining alignment with the dripline of the house.
- Extend/Trim lines on the constraint (3D mode). In 3D mode you can select a snapping suggestion that is aligned with other geometries, while still having the option to stay at the terrain or an XY level. For example, you can use the snapping suggestion to select a position that is directly aligned with the dripline but maintains the vertex on the XY plane it started from.
Differences Between Edit Vertex, Move/Copy, and Offset Z
These three tools do have some overlap between functionality, however they each have a specific purpose. Knowing how to use each one in context can help you be much more efficient with your time:
- Edit Vertex
- Only edits the selected (individual or multiple) vertices based on the functions of the Edit Vertex Modes.
- This tool is best used when you need to manipulate a portion of the polyline/boundary with any project.
- Move/Copy
- Moves or copies the entire drawing as a complete geometry and keeps the vertices in the same relative position compared to each other.
- This tool is best used for planimetric or design projects when you need to create a copy or move the entire geometry of your polyline/boundary.
- Offset Z
- Allows you to make a specific elevation offset that moves the entire drawing as a complete geometry on the Z axis and keeps all vertices in the same XY positions as the original polyline/boundary.
- This tool is best used for design projects when you need to raise or lower the elevation of the entire geometry of your polyline/boundary.