home / skills / a5c-ai / babysitter / civil3d-surface-analyzer

This skill analyzes Civil 3D terrain surfaces to compute slopes, cuts, fills, drainage, and earthwork quantities, enabling informed design decisions.

npx playbooks add skill a5c-ai/babysitter --skill civil3d-surface-analyzer

Review the files below or copy the command above to add this skill to your agents.

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SKILL.md
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---
name: civil3d-surface-analyzer
description: Civil 3D surface analysis skill for terrain modeling, earthwork, and drainage analysis
allowed-tools:
  - Read
  - Write
  - Glob
  - Grep
  - Edit
  - Bash
metadata:
  specialization: civil-engineering
  domain: science
  category: Site Design
  skill-id: CIV-SK-017
---

# Civil 3D Surface Analyzer Skill

## Purpose

The Civil 3D Surface Analyzer Skill performs terrain surface analysis including slope analysis, cut/fill calculations, drainage analysis, and earthwork quantity computation.

## Capabilities

- Surface analysis (slope, elevation, contours)
- Cut/fill volume calculation
- Drainage analysis
- Corridor modeling
- Cross-section generation
- Earthwork quantities
- Surface comparison
- Watershed delineation

## Usage Guidelines

### When to Use
- Analyzing site topography
- Calculating earthwork volumes
- Evaluating drainage patterns
- Designing corridors

### Prerequisites
- Survey data available
- Surface model created
- Design criteria defined
- Section intervals established

### Best Practices
- Verify surface accuracy
- Use appropriate comparison methods
- Consider shrink/swell factors
- Document calculation methods

## Process Integration

This skill integrates with:
- Highway Geometric Design
- Stormwater Management Design
- Slope Stability Analysis

## Configuration

```yaml
civil3d-surface-analyzer:
  analysis-types:
    - slope
    - elevation
    - drainage
    - volumes
  surface-types:
    - existing
    - proposed
    - corridor
  output-formats:
    - report
    - xml
    - csv
```

## Output Artifacts

- Surface analysis maps
- Volume reports
- Drainage diagrams
- Cross-sections

Overview

This skill performs detailed Civil 3D surface analysis for terrain modeling, earthwork computation, and drainage evaluation. It produces slopes, contours, cut/fill volumes, cross-sections, and watershed delineations to support design decisions and reporting. The outputs include maps, tabular volume reports, and exportable CSV/XML artifacts for downstream workflows.

How this skill works

The skill ingests survey or existing surface data and a proposed surface or corridor model, then runs configurable analyses: slope classification, contour extraction, surface comparison, and cut/fill volume computation. It performs drainage and watershed delineation using surface hydrology routines and generates cross-sections and corridor extracts at specified station intervals. Results are summarized in reports and exported in common formats for CAD, GIS, and earthwork estimation tools.

When to use it

  • Assess site topography before schematic or detailed design
  • Estimate cut and fill volumes for bidding and cost control
  • Evaluate drainage paths and delineate watersheds for stormwater design
  • Generate cross-sections and corridor-derived surfaces for road or rail design
  • Validate proposed grading against existing surfaces during design iterations

Best practices

  • Confirm survey and surface accuracy before running analyses
  • Define clear design criteria: datum, units, and section intervals
  • Use appropriate shrink/swell and density factors in earthwork calculations
  • Document comparison methods and assumptions in each report
  • Export intermediate surfaces and CSV outputs for independent QA

Example use cases

  • Produce cut/fill volume reports for site grading and contractor estimates
  • Delineate drainage basins and high-runoff corridors for stormwater plans
  • Compare proposed corridor surfaces to existing terrain for environmental impact
  • Generate plan-view slope maps and contour layers for permitting submittals
  • Create cross-sections at regular stations for longitudinal design checks

FAQ

What input data do I need to run analyses?

Provide an accurate existing surface (TIN/DEM), proposed surface or corridor model, and any survey control points. Define units and vertical datum.

Which output formats are available?

Reports, CSV and XML exports, surface maps, cross-section drawings, and drainage diagrams are available for downstream tools.

Can I include material factors like shrink/swell?

Yes. Configure shrink/swell and density factors to adjust earthwork quantities and reflect real-world material behavior.