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Input

• Group containing edges.
• Raw edges or faces.

Only edges are embedded.

Operation

Direct

1. Pre-select valid inputs, per above.
2. Run Embed.
3. To adjust result, type values.

Embed is a Pick command.

What Is Embed?

Embed is a core command in Landshape. Embed lets you add edges to the terrain mesh just where you need them.

While the basic terrain mesh works as a coarse representation of general terrain elevations, Embed lets you express sharp terrain features with full crispness and accuracy.

You can conceive of the regular terrain mesh as pixel image. Embedding replaces some pixels with vectors, enabling you to express features with infinite crispness.

Why Embed?

1. Define a border between different terrain materials

For instance to separate a gravel path from surrounding grass, or to separate the golf green from its fairway, also when they share the same elevation.

2. Define a sharp feature in the terrain

For instance along a retaining wall, a flight of steps, or the intersection of the terrain with some other built feature.

Embed with Caution

Embed tries to give all edges in your selection a representation in the terrain. Even edges that are very short.

However, like Sketchup itself, Landshape terrain does not like tiny edges. Tiny edges may break the integrity of the terrain mesh.

Therefore, always avoid embedding tiny edges.

If you run Embed on input containing tiny edges, Embed will try to warn you.

Troubleshooting Embed

Sometimes, Embed can fail. If this happens, try one of the following:

Use Simple input

It is best practise to use edges that are not much shorter than the resolution of the terrain where you embed.

Try to edit your input, so that it does not contain short edges.

If you create a mesh and try to Embed some rectangles or circles made with native Sketchup tools, it almost always works.

Make your input yourself, and be sure to not to use exessively short edges.

Always Clean Input Edges from External Sources

Edgework from external sources, such as .dwg imports from e.g. Autocad, often contains lots of tiny edges and other bad geometry. This will often make Embed fail.

To try to automatically remove tiny edges from your input, select your input and run Clean. Currently, Clean only works on edges that are connected to a face.

Find Tiny Edges

If you have linework that you did not create yourself, or if you suspect it may contain tiny edges, check it.

To check, use Landshape's built-in command Inspect Edges.

Erase Embeds

To remove embeds, you can use Mesh or Mesh Brush on the area.

Examples - Try Embed Yourself

Basic Example – A Simple Golf Green

First, create a new Landshape terrain, using Plot or Form.

Then, create a circle using Sketchup's circle tool. Group the circle. Place it above the terrain plot. Paint it with a green color. This is your control group.

Select the circle. Run Embed.

If you have hidden edges turned on, you should be able to see that Embed has indeed created new edges in your terrain, coresponding to your input. Try undoing, and Embed again, this time with hidden geometry turned on.

To also paint the terrain, select the green circle again. Run Zone. Now, the the terrain should be painted green, exactly below your control group.

To understand hands-on the difference that embedding makes, undo again. This time, without embedding, run Zone on the green control group circle. In your terrain, you should now see a jagged mosaic effect. This is because you had not pre-embedded any edges to correspond to your control group.

This example should make clear some of the advantages of embedding.

All these commands can be found in the Holygon Landshape Main toolbar.

Advanced Example – Retaining Wall

Let's say you have a slope, and wish to create a terrace by adding a retaining wall, made of corteen steel, ¼ inch thick. In Landshape, remember that terrain may have any slope, as long as it's not vertical. This includes a 89.9° precipice.

Draw a circle in the model void, group it, and rotate it in green or red, using standard Sketchup tools.

Select the group, and run Form. This should create a new Landshape terrain plot.

Now, model your corteen steel sheet using standard Sketchup tools. It can be rectangular or sinuous. If you do a series of planar curves, select them and offset them 1/4 inch, and connect the ends to close the loop and make a face. Pushpull the face to make it an extruded solid, group the geometry. Position the object in the model at desired position.

Then, enter the group, and Select only its upper face. It should be a single face 1/4 inch wide. A face by necessity is bound by edges. These edges we are going to embed. With the face selected, run Embed Fence.

Landshape will now project the any edge in the selection into the terrain, and enmesh it there, and make the appropriate new faces. This gives the terrain the required local definition.

The final step is to shape the terrain. In this case, we wish to move into place two existing terrain areas, that of the upper and that of the lower terrace. There are several ways. Here, we'll show two.

A. If you prefer the expressivity of brushes, you can may use Level Brush. Here, you can click Alt to sample e.g. the upper part of the corteen wall, and while in Level Brush also right-click and pick Stop on Fence, and keep brushing. Use e.g. 100% strength and 50% falloff.

B. If you prefer the accuracy of pickers, first make some target geometry. In this case, it could be two groups with a rectangle, one for each terrace. Make sure to leave a gap where the retaining wall is. Now, select both groups, and run Fit. Make sure to use 100% strength and no falloff.

Embed Fence

Embedding with Fences is similar to Embed, but adds a Fence property. This makes some brushes able to stop at the embed. Also, it makes the embeds more persistent.

To learn more, see Embed Fence.