Terrain cleanups let you remove equipment, vehicles, stockpiles, and structures from your terrain model so your volume calculations reflect the actual ground surface. Create multiple cleanups in a single session and refresh the map once when you're done.
Who can access this feature?
Users with Process permission can enable/disable cleanups, make edits, or delete them.
Create a terrain cleanup
There are two ways to create a cleanup: drawing a polygon boundary manually, or converting an existing polygon measurement. In both cases, you can create as many cleanups as you need before saving.
Option 1: Draw a polygon boundary
- Navigate to the Survey tab
- Click the Cleanup icon (brush icon)
- Define your boundary:
- Magic polygon: Hover over a distinct object. The tool will suggest a boundary
- Manual draw: Click points around the object to draw the shape yourself
💡 Tip: Need to edit the boundary? Click EDIT CLEANUP and move points, add vertices, or adjust the shape by selecting it. |
- Click SAVE
Option 2: Copy as cleanup
If you have already drawn a polygon to measure a stockpile or building pad, you do not need to redraw it.
- Navigate to the Measure tab
- Select the polygon measurement surrounding the object
- Click the three-dot menu next to the measurement name
- Select Copy as cleanup
- The shape moves to the Cleanups folder in the Survey tab, and the terrain is flattened instantly
ℹ️ Note: Terrain cleanups flatten the data, not the photo. You'll still see the object in the imagery, but its volume is removed from the surface — so your measurements reflect the true ground. |
Editing a terrain cleanup
You can refine the boundary of a cleanup, add breaklines to handle slopes, or set specific elevations for design levels. There are two ways to enter ‘edit’ mode:
- Editing a cleanup while creating: select a cleanup inside the right hand side panel
- Editing a cleanup after it has been created: click the three-dot menu next to the cleanup name or double click the shape while on the map
ℹ️ Note: Editing a cleanup does not restore the original terrain. Reset returns the cleanup to its last saved state, not the raw surface. |
Adjust the boundary
- Move points: Click and drag the large white nodes to adjust the boundary.
- Add points: Click the smaller white nodes between lines to create new vertices.
- Delete points: Click a point to select it, then press Backspace or Delete. To delete multiple points, press Shift + Tab to select them clockwise, then press Delete.
Add breaklines for slopes
A simple cleanup can make the ground under a bridge or on a slope look unnaturally flat. Breaklines force the surface to ‘fold’ along specific lines, matching the surrounding topography.
- Click + ADD BREAKLINES
- Draw lines across the cleanup area where the slope changes (e.g., the top and bottom of a bank)
💡 Tip: Breaklines must start and end outside the cleanup boundary. Add extra vertices along the line inside the area to give the model more data to work with. |
Edit specific coordinates and elevations
If you need to set a point(s) to a specific elevation:
- Click any vertex on the boundary
- Uncheck Snap shape to ground in the right-hand panel
- Provide a positive or negative offset from the current elevation (Z).
- To apply the same elevation to multiple points, press Shift + Tab to select them, then type the value
Manage your cleanups
All cleanups are listed in the Cleanups panel in the Survey tab. You can apply the following actions individually or in bulk:
- Enable/Disable: Toggle visibility to compare cleaned terrain against the raw surface
- Copy to another dataset: Reuse a cleanup (like a permanent structure) in a new survey without redrawing it
- Delete: Permanently remove the cleanup
To apply an action individually: Click the three-dot menu next to a cleanup name and select the action.
To apply an action in bulk: Hold Shift and click to select multiple cleanups. The panel updates to show the number selected, and the available bulk actions appear at the top of the panel.
Export a surface with terrain cleanups
Once you’ve made your adjustments, you might want to use that "cleaned" surface model in CAD or other specialized software.
- Navigate to the Measure tab
- If you haven't already, use the Polygon tool to create a measurement around the area you want to export
- Click the three-dot menu next to that polygon measurement and choose Export
- Select Surface and choose the desired file format (e.g., DXF, TTM)
- Click EXPORT
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