Start from the ground the garden actually sits on
Every landscape plan rests on a boundary, an orientation and the shape of the ground. OpenLandscape3D keeps them in the same model as the plants and hardscape, so checks and outputs see the whole site.
Boundary, north and region first
A project starts with the property boundary (drawn, or around a house imported from OpenPlan3D), a north direction, and the site’s region, USDA hardiness zone and frost dates. Region defaults fill the zone and frost dates; you override them when you know better.
Because a drawn or scanned boundary is an estimate, the boundary carries a verified flag. Until you confirm it against a survey or measurements, the planner raises an OL-UNVERIFIED note, and plants or objects outside it raise OL-OUTSIDE.
Terrain as spot elevations
Terrain is either flat or a set of spot elevations (x, y, z points in metres) — the same data a site visit with a level or a survey sketch gives you. Areas such as patios and decks carry their own elevation, and objects sit at the elevation you set.
- Flat site: the default for most small yards.
- Spot elevations: add measured points where the ground changes.
- Retaining walls: drawn as lines with a height, thickness and style (stone, block).
- Edging: steel or other edging lines between beds and lawn.
What grading is — and isn’t — today
OpenLandscape3D does not yet compute cut-and-fill volumes, contours or drainage paths. Those are planned on the roadmap. Until then, treat spot elevations as context for planting and hardscape decisions, and have grading that affects drainage near a foundation designed by a qualified professional.
Plan view of the sample garden with north arrow and scale bar. Dashed rings show mature spread.
Available now
- Property boundary with verification flag
- North direction and region, zone and frost dates
- Flat terrain or spot-elevation points
- Retaining walls and edging as lines with height and style
- Area and object elevations
Planned
- Contours generated from survey points
- Cut-and-fill volumes
- Drainage and slope analysis
- LandXML and GIS import
Questions
Can I import a survey?
Not yet. Today you enter spot elevations by hand or start from a house drawn in OpenPlan3D. LandXML and GIS import are planned.
Does OpenLandscape3D calculate cut and fill?
No. Earthwork volumes are planned but not available. The terrain model today supports spot elevations for context and visualization.
Related
Start designing in your browser
OpenLandscape3D is free and open source. Draw the site, place regional plants, and scrub through seasons and years before anything goes in the ground.