Reading Your Terrain Layers

We derive four terrain layers from your property's elevation model, each a different reading of the land's shape. All four line up on your 2D map.

Where these come from

Each layer is computed from your bare-earth elevation model: the ground, with buildings and vegetation removed. LiDAR is what makes that surface trustworthy under tree cover (see Seeing Under the Cedar).

Hillshade (shaded relief)

What it is: a grayscale rendering that lights the bare ground from a low "sun". Ridges, gullies, terraces and drainage cuts stand out in relief, with buildings and brush stripped away.

When to use it: getting oriented. You see the lay of the land at a glance, plus features a color map hides: an old channel, a filled tank, a two-track road.

Slope (steepness)

What it is: a color map of how steep each spot is, from green on gentle ground to red where the grade gets aggressive.

When to use it: siting and grading. It shows where a pad, road or building sits easily and where you'd fight the land, before you stake anything. It also flags erosion-prone faces.

Aspect (which way a slope faces)

What it is: a map of the compass direction each slope faces.

When to use it: anything driven by sun or wind. South- and west-facing slopes bake in the Texas sun; north-facing slopes hold moisture and shade. Aspect helps place solar and orient buildings and plantings.

Contours (lines of equal elevation)

What it is: topographic contour lines, each tracing one elevation. Tight lines mean steep ground; wide spacing means flat. We set the interval (say 1 ft or 2 ft) and draw a bold index line every few contours.

When to use it: design and CAD hand-off. Contours export as DXF for AutoCAD or Civil 3D, in the project's coordinate system (see Your Coordinate System, Explained Simply).

How they work together

A typical read: hillshade for the terrain, slope for buildable ground, aspect for sun exposure, then contours for the design set. Add the drainage layers (next guide) to see where the water goes.

For the full drainage story, see Land & Hydrology Analysis.

The honest limit

Drainage, flow, terrain, and floodplain layers are derived analysis computed from our elevation data to support planning and design. They are not a certified survey, a stamped engineering study, or a FEMA flood-zone determination. Boundary and title work needs a licensed Texas surveyor; we don't do that work.