10.1. Tutorials

Step-by-step guides for common civil engineering workflows in IQcad. Each tutorial starts from scratch and walks through the complete process.

10.1.1. Tutorial 1: Working with Survey Points 

This tutorial covers importing survey data, organising points into groups, applying styles, and performing coordinate transformations.

10.1.1.1. Step 1 — Open a New Drawing 

	Choose File > New or press Ctrl+N to create a blank drawing.
	The drawing opens with a default empty canvas. The coordinate system defaults to metres (metric).

10.1.1.2. Step 2 — Import Points from CSV 

Survey points are typically collected in the field and exported as CSV files. IQcad can import these directly.

	Open the Point Manager (Civil › Points › Point Manager…) and click the Import button on its toolbar.
	In the Import dialog, click […] to browse to your CSV file.
	Select the Format from the dropdown. The most common format is P, N, E, Z, Desc (Point Number, Northing, Easting, Elevation, Description). If unsure, choose Auto-detect (by column count).
	Check Skip first line if your file has a header row.
	Optionally enter a Point group name (e.g., `Topo`) to assign all imported points to a group automatically.
	Review the preview at the bottom of the dialog to verify the data looks correct.
	Click Import. The status bar shows how many points were imported.

CSV file format example:

1,538345.123,4872341.456,412.500,BM-001
2,538350.200,4872345.100,413.200,EP
3,538360.500,4872350.800,414.100,CL
4,538370.000,4872355.300,413.800,EP

Each line contains: PointNumber, Northing, Easting, Elevation, Description. Lines starting with # or ; are treated as comments. Accepted file types: .csv, .txt, .pts.

10.1.1.3. Step 3 — View Points in the Point Manager 

	Open the Point Manager from Civil > Points > Manager or the ribbon button.
	The grid displays all imported points with columns: #, Easting, Northing, Elevation, Raw Desc, Full Desc, and Lock.
	Click any cell to edit its value directly. Changes apply immediately to the database and the canvas.
	Use Zoom Extents (`Z` then `E` in the command line, or double-click the mouse wheel) to see all points on the canvas.

10.1.1.4. Step 4 — Create Point Groups 

Groups let you organise points by category (e.g., boundary, topo, control).

	In the Point Manager, right-click a sheet tab at the bottom and choose New Group….
	Enter a group name (e.g., `Boundary`) and click OK. A new tab appears.
	Switch to the All Points tab. Select the rows you want to add to the group (click the first row, hold Shift and click the last row for a range, or hold Ctrl and click individual rows).
	Click the To Group button on the toolbar. Select the target group from the dialog and click OK.
	Switch to the group tab to verify the points appear there.

10.1.1.5. Step 5 — Change Point Styles 

Point styles control the marker shape and label appearance for survey points on the canvas.

	Open the style editor via Civil > Styles (Civil Style Manager) and select the Point Styles category, or use Format > Point Style… (Ctrl+Shift+D).
	Select a point in the drawing, then in the Object Inspector change the PointStyleName property to one of the built-in styles: Standard, Benchmark, Control Point, GPS Rover, or Iron Rod.
	The marker on the canvas updates immediately to reflect the new style.

10.1.1.6. Step 6 — Export Points to Excel 

	In the Point Manager, switch to the tab you want to export (a specific group tab, or All Points).
	Click the Export button on the toolbar.
	Choose the format: CSV, XLSX (Excel), or ODS (LibreOffice).
	Choose a save location and click Save.

10.1.1.7. Step 7 — Lock Points 

Locking prevents accidental modification of control points or benchmarks.

	In the Point Manager, select the rows you want to lock.
	Click the Lock button on the toolbar. The Lock column changes to `Yes` for the selected points.
	Locked points cannot be moved on the canvas. To unlock, select them again and click Lock to toggle.

10.1.1.8. Step 8 — Transform Points 

IQcad provides several coordinate transformation tools accessible from the Point Manager toolbar.

Select the points you want to transform in the Point Manager grid.

Click one of the transform buttons on the toolbar:

Translate — shift by dE, dN, dZ offsets.
Rotate — rotate around a base point by a specified angle.
Scale — scale from a base point by a factor.
Swap E/N — swap Easting and Northing values.
Helmert — 2D conformal transformation (translate + rotate + scale) using control point pairs.

Enter the required parameters in the dialog and click OK. The points are transformed and the canvas updates.

For more advanced transformations (Affine, Polynomial, Rubber-sheet), use the CSTRANSFORM or RUBBERSHEET commands from the command line.

10.1.2. Tutorial 2: Working with TIN Surfaces 

This tutorial covers creating a terrain surface from survey points, customising its display, adding boundaries, and performing analysis.

10.1.2.1. Step 1 — Import Survey Points 

If you do not already have survey points in the drawing, import them following the steps in Tutorial 1 (Steps 1-2). You need at least 3 non-collinear points to create a TIN surface.

10.1.2.2. Step 2 — Create a Surface 

	Choose Civil > Surfaces > Create Surface from the menu, click the Create Srf ribbon button on the Civil tab, or type `CREATESURFACE` (alias `CS`) in the command line.
	A surface is created with an auto-generated name (`Surface_1`). If survey points exist in the drawing, they are triangulated automatically using the Bowyer-Watson Delaunay algorithm.
	The surface appears on the canvas showing triangulation edges and contour lines (depending on the active style).
	Use Zoom Extents to see the full surface.

10.1.2.3. Step 3 — View Contour Lines and Triangulation 

	Select the surface on the canvas by clicking on it.
	In the Object Inspector, look at the surface properties. The ShowContours and ShowTriangles flags control what is visible.
	Toggle ShowContours to `True` to display contour lines.
	Adjust the MajorContourInterval and MinorContourInterval values to control contour spacing (e.g., 5.0 m major, 1.0 m minor).

10.1.2.4. Step 4 — Change the Surface Style 

With the surface selected, change the StyleName property in the Object Inspector.

Three built-in presets are available:

Standard — triangles, contours, boundaries, and labels.
Triangles & Contours — triangles and contours visible.
Contours Only — only contour lines and labels.

To create or edit styles, open the Surface Style Editor via Format > Surface Styles… or right-click the surface in the Civil Toolspace and choose Surface Style….

10.1.2.5. Step 5 — Add a Boundary to Clip the Surface 

	Draw a closed polyline around the area you want to keep (use the `PLINE` command, alias `PL`). Close it by typing `C` at the last vertex prompt.
	Type `ADDSURFACEBOUNDARY` (alias `ASB`) in the command line.
	Enter the surface name (or press Enter if only one surface exists).
	Click the boundary polyline.
	Choose Outer to clip everything outside the boundary, or Hole to clip everything inside.
	The TIN is rebuilt with triangles outside (or inside) the boundary removed.

10.1.2.6. Step 6 — Add Spot Elevations 

	Type `SPOTELEV` (alias `SE`) in the command line, or choose Civil > Surfaces > Spot Elevation.
	Click points on the surface. At each click, the tool queries the TIN to interpolate the elevation and places a label annotation.
	Right-click or press Escape to exit the command.

10.1.2.7. Step 7 — Decimate a Large Surface 

If your surface has a very large number of points (e.g., from LiDAR or photogrammetry), decimation reduces the triangle count while preserving the surface shape.

	Type `DECIMATESURFACE` (alias `DS`) in the command line.
	Enter the surface name (auto-selected if only one exists).
	Enter the max elevation tolerance in drawing units (e.g., `0.05` for 5 cm accuracy).
	The system automatically selects the best algorithm: grid-based for surfaces > 100K points, greedy insertion for smaller surfaces.
	Contours and boundaries are regenerated automatically after decimation.

10.1.2.8. Step 8 — Edit Surface Points 

Use the surface editing commands to modify the TIN interactively:

SURFADDPOINT (SAP) — add a point to the TIN.
SURFDELETEPOINT (SDP) — remove a point.
SURFMOVEPOINT (SMP) — move a point.
SURFMODIFYELEV (SME) — change a point’s elevation.
SURFSWAPEDGE (SSE) — swap a TIN edge between triangles.

Use SURFUNDO to undo the last edit, or SURFLISTEDITS (SLE) to review the edit history.

10.1.2.9. Step 9 — Export to LandXML 

	Choose File > Export LandXML… or use the Output ribbon tab.
	In the export dialog, check the surfaces you want to include.
	Choose a file location and click Export.
	The surface is written as a `<Surface>` element with `<Pnts>` and `<Faces>` sub-elements in LandXML format.

10.1.3. Tutorial 3: Working with Alignments 

This tutorial covers creating a horizontal alignment, adding curves and spirals, and generating profile views and cross-sections.

10.1.3.1. Step 1 — Create an Alignment from PIs 

	Type `ALIGNMENT` (alias `ALG`) in the command line, or choose Civil > Alignments > Create Alignment.
	Click points on the canvas to place each PI (Point of Intersection). A rubber-band preview line follows the cursor as you click.
	Right-click or press Enter to finish. The alignment is created with straight tangent segments only (no curves yet).

Alternatively, convert an existing polyline: type ALIGNFROMPOLYLINE (alias AFP) and click on a polyline. Its vertices become the alignment PIs.

10.1.3.2. Step 2 — Add Curves at PIs 

	Open the PI Table Editor from the Civil ribbon > Edit PIs button, or double-click an alignment in the Civil Toolspace.
	In the PI data grid, find the interior PI where you want a curve.
	Enter a Radius value (e.g., `200` for a 200 m curve). The radius of `0` means no curve (tangent intersection).
	Click Apply to rebuild the alignment geometry. The canvas updates to show the curved alignment.

10.1.3.3. Step 3 — Add Spiral Transitions 

	In the PI Table Editor grid, locate the PI with a curve.
	Enter a value in the Spiral In column (e.g., `50` for a 50 m entry spiral length).
	Select the Type (In) from the dropdown: Clothoid L, Clothoid A, Cubic L, or Cubic A.
	Similarly, enter a Spiral Out value and select its type.
	Click Apply to rebuild. The alignment now shows smooth spiral transitions between the tangent and the circular curve.

10.1.3.4. Step 4 — View Station Labels and PI Details 

	Select the alignment on the canvas.
	In the Object Inspector, change the Style Name to Design Phase to see full labels and PI detail tables.
	Station labels appear at major and minor tick positions along the centreline. PI detail tables display computed curve parameters (radius, arc length, spiral parameter, tangent distance).
	Tables are placed on alternating sides of the alignment with leader lines and auto-hide when zoomed out.

10.1.3.5. Step 5 — Create a Profile View 

	Type `CREATEPROFILEVIEW` (alias `CPV`) in the command line, or choose Civil > Profile > Create Profile View.
	If multiple alignments exist, enter the alignment name. If only one exists, it is selected automatically.
	Enter the surface name to sample (or press Enter to skip).
	Click a point on the canvas to place the profile view.
	The profile view appears as a graph with station on the horizontal axis and elevation on the vertical axis. If a surface was selected, the existing ground profile is drawn as a line in the view.

10.1.3.6. Step 6 — Add a Design Profile 

	Type `DESIGNPROFILE` (alias `DP`) in the command line.
	Click on a profile view in the drawing to select it.
	Click points inside the profile view to place PVI (Point of Vertical Intersection) points. Each click defines a station and elevation.
	Right-click or press Enter to finish placing PVIs.
	For each interior PVI, you are prompted for a vertical curve length. Enter `0` for a sharp grade break, or a positive value (e.g., `100`) for a smooth parabolic vertical curve.
	The design profile is drawn in the profile view as a line overlaying the ground profile.

10.1.3.7. Step 7 — Create Cross-Sections 

	Type `CREATESECTIONSHEET` (alias `CSS`) in the command line, or choose Civil > Cross-Sections > Create Section Sheet.
	Select the alignment to use.
	Enter surface names to sample (comma-separated for multiple surfaces, e.g., `Surface_1,Design_Surface`).
	Set the station interval (default 20 m) — how often cross- sections are cut along the alignment.
	Set the left and right widths (default 20 m each) — how far each section extends from the centreline.
	Set the number of columns and rows per sheet for the grid layout.
	Optionally select two surfaces for cut/fill comparison (e.g., existing ground vs. design surface).
	Click an insertion point on the canvas. The section sheet is generated with all cross-sections arranged in a grid layout.

10.1.3.8. Step 8 — View Earthwork Volumes 

	Type `EARTHWORKVOLUMES` (alias `EWV`) in the command line.
	Select the section sheet to analyse.
	The command computes volumes using the average end area method and displays a table showing, for each station: cut area, fill area, cut volume, fill volume, cumulative cut, cumulative fill, and net volume.
	Totals are printed at the bottom of the table.

10.1.3.9. Step 9 — Import an Alignment from LandXML 

	Choose File > Import LandXML… or use the LandXML import button on the Civil ribbon tab.
	Browse to the `.xml` file and click Open.
	The import dialog shows the contents of the file. Check the alignments you want to import.
	Click Import. The alignment(s) appear on the canvas with their horizontal geometry (tangents, curves, spirals) and vertical profile (if present in the LandXML data).

10.1.4. Tutorial 4: Working with Parcels 

This tutorial covers creating parcel boundaries, attaching metadata, and customising parcel display.

10.1.4.1. Step 1 — Draw a Closed Polyline 

	Type `PLINE` (alias `PL`) in the command line to start a polyline.
	Click points on the canvas to define the parcel boundary corners.
	After placing the last corner, type `C` and press Enter to close the polyline (connect the last point back to the first).

10.1.4.2. Step 2 — Create a Parcel 

	Type `CREATEPARCEL` (alias `PARCEL`) in the command line, or choose Civil > Parcels > Create Parcel.
	When prompted, enter a parcel name (e.g., `Lot-1`).
	Click on the closed polyline you drew in Step 1.
	The parcel entity is created and appears on the canvas with the default Standard style. The source polyline remains in the drawing.

10.1.4.3. Step 3 — Set Parcel Name and Number 

	Select the parcel on the canvas by clicking on it.
	In the Object Inspector, set the ParcelName property (e.g., `Lot-1` or `Parcel A`).
	Set the ParcelNumber property to a numeric identifier (e.g., `1`).

10.1.4.4. Step 4 — View Area and Perimeter 

	With the parcel selected, look at the Object Inspector.
	The Area property shows the computed area of the boundary polygon in square drawing units (e.g., square metres).
	The Perimeter property shows the total boundary length.
	These values are read-only and update automatically if the boundary geometry is edited.

10.1.4.5. Step 5 — Add User Data 

With the parcel selected, expand the UserData category in the Object Inspector.

Add key-value pairs for the parcel metadata. Common fields include:

Owner — name of the property owner.
Description — free-text description of the parcel.
Zoning — zoning classification (e.g., Residential, Commercial).
LandUse — current land use description.
TaxID — tax parcel identifier.

User data is saved with the drawing and included in LandXML exports.

10.1.4.6. Step 6 — Change the Parcel Style 

With the parcel selected, change the StyleName property in the Object Inspector.

Four built-in styles are available:

Standard — boundary line only, no fill.
Property — boundary with semi-transparent fill and bearing/distance labels on each segment.
Easement — dashed boundary with light fill for restricted zones.
ROW — heavy boundary with cross-hatch fill for rights-of-way.

To create or edit parcel styles, open the Civil Style Manager via Civil > Styles and select the Parcel Styles category, or use Format > Parcel Styles….

10.1.4.7. Step 7 — Import Parcels from LandXML 

	Choose File > Import LandXML… from the menu.
	Browse to the `.xml` file containing parcel data and click Open.
	In the import dialog, check the parcels you want to import.
	Click Import. The parcels appear on the canvas with their boundary geometry, names, and any associated metadata from the LandXML file.