Once spot elevations and contours are digitized, the plugin uses a triangulation algorithm. With a single click, it triangulates the spaces between the points to calculate the topography. This generates an accurate 3D model that immediately highlights areas requiring cut (dirt removal) and fill (dirt addition). 3. Comprehensive Trenching Templates
The v3 release introduces several performance upgrades, UI enhancements, and algorithm tweaks designed for larger, more complex civil datasets.
A dedicated toolset for calculating the excavation and backfill requirements for underground utilities, saving you from manual math for pipes and foundations.
Trenching is a critical and complex part of many projects. The Earthwork Pro v3 plugin includes a dedicated that goes far beyond simple linear measurements. It can display takeoff values by either linear footage or by volume.
Map out your structural zones—such as building footprints, sidewalks, and heavy-duty paving. Apply the predefined subgrade depths to these zones so the software automatically calculates the sub-excavation volumes. Step 6: Calculate and Export
PlanSwift's icon blinked on his screen like a promise. He tapped it. The interface opened with clean lines, the satellite imagery of the parcel drifting into focus. He imported the topo and the client’s design, and the software began to breathe — contour lines resolving into elevations, cross-sections assembling themselves with a kind of mechanical patience. It suggested swaps, showed how pushing a berm a few feet west could save trucking costs by the dozen. It gave him options he hadn't known the land could offer.
Reach out to discuss tailored strategies to streamline your next construction bid! PlanSwift Earthwork Pro
Most construction drawings arrive as PDFs. They are static, flat representations of a 3D world. An estimator looking at a grading plan sees contour lines, spot elevations, and slope arrows.
What used to take hours of manual plan-scaling and mathematical calculations can be completed in minutes.
It calculates the "net" difference between existing topography and proposed site plans. This includes digitizing spot elevations and contour lines to create a digital elevation model.
is an excellent investment for contractors, civil engineers, and construction estimators who are already using—or are planning to use—PlanSwift as their primary takeoff and estimating platform. Its focused feature set, responsive triangulation algorithm, and comprehensive template library deliver substantial time savings and accuracy improvements over manual methods.
If you are using older earthwork plugins or relying on standard PlanSwift formulas, version 3 offers distinct competitive advantages: