Create a 2D plane that displays in your graphic views, allowing you to perform a variety of tasks. For example, you can use the plane to create a cutting plane that displays a profile view of all of the points in your project that intersect the cutting plane (based on the cutting plane thickness you specify), allowing you to perform checks on point clouds and surfaces, and create CAD linework directly on the plane. You can also use a plane to create an orthophoto from a point cloud, create a rectified image from station imagery, or create a projected surface.

Following are the basic steps for this workflow. For more detailed instructions, see Create and Edit Planes.

Steps:

Commands:

1.

Run the Plane Manager command.

Plane Manager

2.

In the Plane Manager dialog, click the New button and enter a name for the new plane.

3.

In the Plane list, select the orientation option you want to use to create the plane. Then, using the 3D View if necessary, provide position information for the new plane..

3D View

4.

If you selected a plane option other than From linear path, optionally click the Invert button to invert the plane.

5.

Do one of the following:

• If you are done creating planes, click the Close button to close the dialog.
• If you want to create additional single planes, click the New button and repeat these instructions.
• If you want to create a plane set from a plane—that is, replicate the plane along a linear path (From linear path option) or axis path (other Plane options) at predefined intervals, resulting in a collection of related subplanes—continue with the next step.

6.

To create a plane set from a plane:

Note: When creating a plane, you have the option of replicating it along a linear or axis path at predefined intervals, creating a set of related suplanes called a plane set. This allows you, for example, to easily and quickly define a separate plane for each floor in a building, or provide profile views at predefined station intervals along a road corridor.

1. With the desired plane selected in the list on the left side of the Plane Manager dialog, select the Subplanes tab.
2. In the Path limits group box, optionally do either or both of the following:
   • Enter or change the Start station and End station that define that section of the linear object path (From linear path option selected) or axis path of the plane (option other than From linear path selected) on which you want to replicate the selected plane.
   • Select any of the Add check boxes to create subplanes at the specified locations.
3. Optionally, check the Generate automatically check box and do either of the following:
   • Select the Station interval option and enter the station interval at which to create new subplanes.
   • Select the Number of subplanes option and enter the number of subplanes to create.
4. Optionally, to create an additional subplane at a specified station, click in the Add a station field and enter, or select in the 3D View, the station at which you want to add it and click the Add button. Repeat as necessary to create additional planes.