Tutorials/Site & Context

Hydrology

Trace water across terrain and study storm runoff.

Upload a terrain grid (DEM) or model and the tool computes flow accumulation, ridges, valleys, and watershed basins. Switch to Rainfall mode to simulate a storm and see where water pools.

Terrain Analysis Lab

Runs in the browser — nothing to install.

Open Terrain Analysis Lab
Input.asc / .obj / .3dm
ModesFlow · Rainfall
OutputFlow lines, basins

Using it

Upload terrain

Drop a .asc, .obj, or .3dm of your site terrain.

Pick a mode

Flow Mode (drainage analysis) or Rainfall Mode (storm simulation).

Read the legend

Amber = ridges, cyan = valleys, contours and basins toggle on top.

Export to Rhino

Download the flow lines or rainfall surface as a .3dm.

Tips

  • Do — Smooth your DEM lightly before uploading — noise creates spurious micro-basins.
  • Avoid — Treating the simulation as a hydraulic model — it's a topographic flow tracer, not full hydraulics.

Terrain Analysis Lab

Runs in the browser — nothing to install.

Open Terrain Analysis Lab