Civil 3D Tip: Partial Surface Data References
Civil 3D 2026 introduces a significant new feature called Partial Surface Data References. This allows the user to reference only a specific portion of a surface, rather than the entire surface.
Key Features and Benefits
Selective Referencing: Instead of creating data shortcuts for an entire large surface, a boundary can be defined to specify a specific area of the surface.
Improved Surface Management: This feature allows more granular control over surface data.
Dynamic Boundaries: The boundaries defined for partial surface references are dynamic and can be easily added to, modified, or deleted.
Reduced File Size and Improved Performance: By referencing only partial data, the size of drawings can be reduced.
Export and Publish Options: Partial surface data references can be exported to LandXML or published to Autodesk Docs.
API Support: Workflows for partial surface data references are supported by the Civil 3D API.
Using Partial Surface Data References
In the “Create Surface Reference” dialog box, there is a new checkbox option: “Reference part of the surface.” Select this option.
After setting the name, description, style, and render material for the partial surface reference and clicking OK, the following prompt will appear at the command line:
Select a polygon <or press Enter to create a new polygon as the boundary>:
After defining the boundary, the surface will be referenced. The boundary can be modified using standard polyline editing tools or grip edits. If the original source surface or the boundary changes, the surface can be updated to reflect the latest data.
