Cut & Fill Grading Options
"Cut and fill" describes grading an area and calculating the difference in volume between the existing surface and the proposed surface, either as soil to be filled in/added, or soil to be cut/removed.
Although Autodesk Civil 3D is likely the best-known tool for cut-and-fill grading, the 3D platforms Revit, SketchUp, and Rhino also work for these purposes. All these tools have strengths and weaknesses when it comes to 3D modeling for landscape grading and cut/fill analysis.
Software Platforms for Cut-and-Fill Grading
The platforms outlined below all good options, but the best platform for your needs will depend on what you're trying to do and whether you want to spend more on convenience or spend less for a slightly more manual workflow. Many designers choose to start by pairing AutoCAD or F/X CAD with SketchUp and then maybe move to Autodesk Civil 3D if they determine they can use its tools to grade larger projects accurately to offset the software cost.
AutoCAD®
- 2D
- Easy to learn
- Plugin friendly
- Needs SketchUp or Rhino for 3D grading
- Medium cost
AutoCAD is primarily a 2D platform. Its best strength in landscape design is with actually documenting the design on sheets of paper. It includes some 3D tools, but not in a format usable for landscape design. With our Irrigation F/X plugin, you get irrigation, light, planting, hardscape tools, and a 3D Connection tool to export your landscape design information to SketchUp, Rhino, or Revit. This capability is helpful because it's easier to design in 2D. You can install any plugin, including Irrigation F/X and Leica DISTO, but you would still need to pair it with a 3D software such as SketchUp or Rhino to get 3D cut/fill grading.
F/X CAD
- 2D
- Easy to learn
- No plugins other than Land F/X
- Needs SketchUp or Rhino for 3D grading
- Low cost
F/X CAD is very similar to full AutoCAD, with the 3D taken out because it's not helpful for landscape design in AutoCAD. You can only install our Planting F/X or Irrigation F/X plugin, but no others. You cannot install Leica DISTO and would also still need you to use SketchUp or Rhino for 3D cut/fill. F/X CAD is the most cost-effective option, however.
Autodesk Civil 3D®
- 2D/3D
- Steep learning curve but more potential
- Grading cut/fill tools
- Plugin friendly
- Still needs SketchUp, Rhino or Revit to visualize a 3D design
- High cost
Civil 3D is essentially an enhanced, higher-cost, version of AutoCAD. It includes cut/fill 3D tools, which are the most accurate in the industry, and is out-of-the-box compatible with most other survey tools and plugins. You can install any plugin for AutoCAD, including Planting F/X or Irrigation F/X and Leica DISTO. However, Civil 3D is not great at visualizing 3D designs, so it would still be best to pair it with SketchUp, Rhino, or Revit in a workflow to create renderings of your 3D design, if that's needed for your outputs.
SketchUp
- 3D, some 2D but tricky
- Easy to learn
- Plugin friendly, but no irrigation – needs AutoCAD, F/X CAD, or Civil 3D for 2D documentation and irrigation
- Medium cost
SketchUp is simple, easy-to-learn 3D modeling software with extensive 3D content library and lots of plugins to accomplish almost anything, including some grading plugins such as Artisan 2 and other cut/fill calculation plugins. Land F/X has a plugin to place trees, site amenities (such as benches), and lighting equipment in SketchUp. SketchUp includes Layout (documentation software), but Layout does not allow any plugins. It's also an advanced process to figure out how to manipulate your 3D model to display well as a plan view in 2D. The Pro or Studio versions are required if you plan to install plugins such as Land F/X. Also, none of the irrigation tools from Irrigation F/X are operable in SketchUp, so bit's best paired with AutoCAD, F/X CAD, or Civil 3D for irrigation design.
Rhino
- 3D
- Medium learning curve but high potential
- Plugin friendly but no irrigation
- Needs AutoCAD, F/X CAD, or Civil 3D for 2D documentation and irrigation
- Medium cost
Rhino is similar to SketchUp but slightly more difficult to learn initially. It's much more powerful than SketchUp when it comes to grading landscapes, but it will require the plugin Grasshopper for that purpose, which will require quite a learning curve. Rhino technically makes it possible to create documentation sheets, but it's an extremely complex workflow compared with all the other software options. We have a Planting F/X plugin for Rhino, but no Irrigation F/X plugin. For irrigation, it's best to use AutoCAD, F/X CAD, or Civil 3D. Rhino is more expensive than SketchUp.
Revit®
- 2D/3D
- Steep learning curve but max potential
- Plugin friendly but no irrigation and likely no Leica DISTO
- High cost
Revit is a great 2D/3D modeling software. You draw something once, and it's built in to display effectively as either 2D or 3D. However, while Revit is being hailed as the shining future of software for site design, it was initially created with only architecture tools and is only just starting to include site design tools. Revit is extremely difficult for beginners to use without plugins, and has a steep learning curve even with plugins. We offer a Planting F/X plugin for Revit. Irrigation F/X is currently not possible for Revit, as we're facing a platform limitation – Revit doesn't have include an object that can serve as irrigation equipment.
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- Land F/X
Our software tailors AutoCAD® to the needs of landscape architects, irrigation designers, and other professionals. We automate your most tedious tasks and ensure accuracy, giving you more time to design.