Features / Terrain & Site Intelligence
Terrain analysis and site intelligence
PVX.AI imports terrain from any source into AutoCAD and analyzes it before design begins: Google Earth KML/KMZ with automatic georeferencing, drone LAS/LAZ point clouds, TXT/CSV elevation points, and contour lines from existing CAD linework. Hydrology, soil compaction, and directional slope analysis show what the ground will do to your design before it costs money.
Request a Demo + Free TrialLast updated:
Import terrain from any source
PVX.AI imports terrain from whatever source your site data exists in, so you never redraw a surface before design starts. The Import KML/KMZ wizard on the Terrain Import panel runs in three steps: choose a Google Earth KML or KMZ file, select the area boundary in the drawing, and set the grid resolution. PVX.AI fetches real elevation data, builds a 3D surface, and georeferences the drawing automatically, switching on AutoCAD's live satellite base map. Skip Terrain brings in 2D polygons instead, if you only need the boundary shapes.
Drone survey data comes in through the Import LAS/LAZ wizard, which reads LAS versions 1.2, 1.3, and 1.4, plus LAZ. PVX.AI detects the coordinate system from the file header, with a manual picker as fallback. A boundary is optional: apply one to sample only the points inside it, or leave it empty and PVX.AI meshes every point automatically. Elevation points supplied as TXT or CSV import through a separate wizard where you set the delimiter (auto-detect, comma, semicolon, tab, or whitespace) and map the X, Y, and Z columns yourself. PVX.AI also detects whether the coordinates are geographic or projected.
Existing CAD linework becomes a working surface too. Import Contours reads elevation from polylines, splines, points, lines and arcs, 3D faces, text labels, and block inserts, so contour data already drawn in AutoCAD does not need to be redrawn. Every import wizard shares the same grid resolution control, which sets mesh spacing and determines how finely the surface follows the ground. Coverage is not fixed at the first import either: run the same wizard again over an additional boundary and PVX.AI merges the new surface data into the existing terrain using the drawing's coordinate system.
- Google Earth KML/KMZ: real elevation fetch, automatic georeferencing, live satellite base map.
- Drone LAS/LAZ (1.2, 1.3, 1.4, and LAZ): coordinate system read from the file header, with a manual picker as fallback.
- TXT/CSV elevation points: delimiter and column mapping, with geographic vs. projected detection.
- Existing CAD contours: polylines, splines, points, lines and arcs, 3D faces, text labels, and block inserts.
What does hydrology analysis show?
Hydrology analysis shows where water moves across your site before you place a single rack. Choose Civil Analysis, then Hydrology Analysis, review the overview, and select a PV Area, KML boundary, or closed polyline. PVX.AI analyzes the terrain to identify natural drainage channels and predict water flow across the selected area, so drainage risk is visible at the design stage rather than after construction.
The output is a full drainage picture, not just a warning. PVX.AI draws dark blue drainage channels for natural and concentrated flow paths, cyan flow-direction lines with magenta arrows showing predicted water movement, and subcatchment polygons marking watershed boundaries with pour-point markers at the water outlets. An asset risk exposure table flags which transformers, racks, and roads sit in flood risk zones, so you know which equipment needs to move before it is built.
Hydrology analysis also tells you where equipment belongs. PVX.AI color-codes the ground into transformer placement suitability zones: green for suitable ground, yellow for caution, and red for avoid, based on drainage and flow paths across the site. Each zone is drawn on its own suitability layer, and a percentage breakdown is reported on the command line, so you can land transformers and inverters on ground that drains and supports them.
- Dark blue drainage channels and cyan flow-direction lines with directional arrows.
- Subcatchment polygons and pour-point markers marking watershed boundaries and outlets.
- An asset risk exposure table flagging transformers, racks, and roads at flood risk.
- Transformer placement suitability zones: green suitable, yellow caution, red avoid, with a percentage breakdown.
Soil compaction analysis
Soil compaction analysis shows how hard the ground is across your site before you plan foundations. Choose Civil Analysis, then Soil Compaction, and pick the area to analyze. The dialog requires a configured coordinate system: pick the EPSG code if one is not already set, though when the terrain came from a KML import the EPSG is locked and shown read-only. PVX.AI then generates a color-coded hardness map on a softer-to-harder scale, so ground condition is visible across the whole site at once instead of buried in a soil report.
What the color tells you is practical, not academic. Softer ground may need concrete foundations, while harder ground may need pre-drilling before piles go in. A breakdown table backs up the map with color, score, driving value, pull-out value, percentage, and area for each hardness class, so you can see exactly what portion of the site falls into each class alongside the total area and percentage distribution. That combination, a visual map plus a quantified table, supports proposals and excavation or pile-driving planning at the design stage, before contractors are on site. As with every civil analysis tool on the panel, terrain has to be loaded before you run it.
- Breakdown table columns: color, score, driving, pull-out, percentage, and area.
- Total area and percentage distribution reported across the whole site.
Directional slope maps and contours
Every terrain import wizard shares a second tab called Terrain Settings, and that is where directional slope analysis lives. Toggle on Show Directional Slope Map (EW/NS) and PVX.AI generates east-west and north-south directional slope maps alongside the standard slope magnitude map, plus a summary table of inclination values for each direction. Because the setting sits on the shared tab, it applies the same way whether your terrain came from KML, LAS/LAZ, TXT/CSV, or contour import.
Slope Analysis Ranges let you customize the breakpoints and colors used across every terrain analysis table and map, with a Reset to Defaults option if you want to go back to the standard ranges. These settings save to the project automatically, so once you set a scheme it applies to every terrain operation you run afterward, not just the one you are looking at.
Contour generation runs from the same terrain: Civil Analysis, then Create Contour, opens the Generate Contours dialog. Set the Minor Interval spacing and the Major Every Nth value, which controls how often a contour becomes bold and labeled. A live preview updates as you change either number. Generated contours land on dedicated major, minor, and label layers, replacing anything already there, so you can regenerate clean contours anytime the terrain changes.
- Minor Interval: spacing between contour lines (default 1.0 m).
- Major Every Nth: every Nth contour becomes bold and labeled (default 10).
3D context for shading
PVX.AI places 3D scene objects on the site so shading analysis reflects what is actually there, not just the panels. On the Site Layout panel, click 3D Scene Objects to open the window, choose an object type (tree, station, fence, wind turbine, or HV line) and set its dimensions. The fields adapt to the type you pick, so a wind turbine asks for different inputs than a tree.
A tree takes a type (deciduous, coniferous, or palm) plus diameter, top height, and trunk height. A wind turbine takes tower height, blade length, and exclusion radius. An HV line takes span and arm count. Whatever you set, a live object preview updates as you type, so you see the shape before you place it in the drawing.
Placement itself is simple: click Add object, then click a point in the drawing. For linear objects (fences and HV lines), Along polyline distributes instances automatically along an existing polyline instead of placing each one by hand. The result is a 3D scene with the trees, structures, and lines that actually surround the site, giving shading analysis accurate obstructions and giving every other view of the design richer 3D context.
- Tree: type (deciduous, coniferous, or palm), diameter, top height, trunk height.
- Wind turbine: tower height, blade length, exclusion radius.
- HV line: span, arm count.
- Fence and HV line support Along polyline distribution for linear placement.
Frequently asked questions
What terrain data formats does PVX.AI import?
Google Earth KML and KMZ, drone point clouds in LAS 1.2, 1.3, 1.4 and LAZ, elevation point files in TXT or CSV, and contour lines from existing CAD entities including polylines, splines, text labels, and blocks.
Does PVX.AI georeference the drawing automatically?
Yes. KML/KMZ import georeferences the drawing and enables AutoCAD's live satellite base map automatically. LAS/LAZ import detects the coordinate system from the file header, with a manual picker as fallback.
Can PVX.AI tell me where to place transformers?
Hydrology analysis outputs transformer placement suitability zones: green for suitable ground, yellow for caution, red for avoid, based on drainage and flow paths, with a percentage breakdown per zone.
How does soil analysis help before construction?
The soil compaction map classifies ground hardness across the site. Softer zones may need concrete foundations, harder zones may need pre-drilling. The breakdown table with driving and pull-out scores feeds excavation and pile-driving planning.
Do terrain imports work in imperial units?
Yes. PVX.AI works in metric and imperial drawings. Every dialog, export, and report reads the drawing's unit system: meters, square meters and cubic meters, or feet, acres and cubic yards.
See it on your site data
Book a 30-minute demo with your terrain file. Every demo includes a 2-week free trial.