Issue Description
You need to calculate the volume of a mesh element to determine earthwork quantities or material volumes. The mesh appears as a 3D surface with contour lines but the volume information is not immediately visible in the workspace.
Solution
There are three primary methods to determine mesh volume in your project. Each method provides different ways to access and display volume data depending on your workflow needs.
Element Information is the quickest method to determine mesh volume. This palette displays all physical properties of selected elements including volume calculations. Schedules provide a comprehensive solution for managing volume data across multiple mesh elements with calculation totals. Label tools offer an associative method to display volume information directly on drawings that updates automatically with design changes.
Method 1: Using element information
The Element Information palette provides immediate access to mesh volume data for selected elements.
- Go to Window > Palettes > Element Information to open the palette
- Select your mesh element on the floor plan or in 3D view
- Click the Volume values button (rightmost button) in the palette toolbar
- Review the volume information displayed for the selected mesh
The palette shows both All Selected elements or Last Selection depending on your preference setting. The volume calculation automatically accounts for any holes and solid element operations applied to the mesh.
Method 2: Creating a schedule for mesh volume
Schedules provide the most comprehensive method for tracking mesh volumes across your entire project with calculation capabilities.
- Navigate to Document Schedules and Lists New Schedule
- Enter a descriptive name such as "Mesh Volume Calculation"
- In the Criteria panel set Element Type to Mesh
- Add additional criteria if needed to filter specific meshes by ID or layer
- In the Fields panel click Add Fields
- Select Net Volume from the available parameters and add it to Schedule Fields
- Add Element ID to identify individual mesh elements
- Click the sum icon next to Net Volume to display total volume calculations
- Click OK to generate the schedule
The schedule will automatically update when mesh geometry changes. Net volume accounts for holes and solid element operations while providing accurate earthwork calculations.
Method 3: Using label tool for volume display
Labels provide associative volume information that displays directly on your drawings and updates automatically with design changes.
- Select the Label tool from the toolbox
- In Label Settings choose Dimension Label from the Type dropdown
- Configure the Pointer settings to show an arrow pointing to the mesh
- In the label content options ensure Volume is selected for display
- Click on the mesh element to place the label
- The label will display volume information including net volume calculations
For custom label content using autotext:
- Select Text/Autotext Label type instead
- Click Insert Autotext in the text editor
- Search for "Volume" in the properties list
- Add Net Volume autotext to display mesh volume
- Format the label text with appropriate units and prefixes
Additional considerations
Net volume calculations subtract the volume of any holes and account for solid element operations applied to the mesh. This provides accurate volume calculations for cut and fill earthwork analysis.
Mesh type affects volume calculations - only Solid Body meshes provide complete volume data while Surface only meshes do not calculate volume.
For earthwork calculations you can create multiple schedules comparing original site mesh volumes with proposed mesh volumes to determine cut and fill quantities.