Files

Essential documents for accurate site analysis and project success.

Written by Intercom Admin
March 31, 2026

📦 This article has been updated

It’s now part of our improved Understanding project files for Site Intelligence.

The required files ensure quality and accuracy in grading and site analysis for optimal project outcomes. Design grade is used as the primary reference surface to enable Cut/Fill calculations, ensuring accurate measurement. Original Grade and Overlays are also used to support comparisons and provide insights.

1. Design Grade (Gold and Platinum Scans Only)

A key reference surface for precise Cut/Fill calculations.

To enable precise Cut/Fill calculations, we need a 3D CAD file representing the top-of-dirt surface after grading activities. This design grade surface will serve as the reference against which each scan surface is measured, helping to determine the remaining Cut/Fill necessary to meet project specifications. It is required for onboarding. If you do not have a current Design Grade, please talk to your Customer Success manager.

Since only one Design Grade can be published to access the full set of tools, additional surfaces may be published as a pseudoscan, which allows a limited set of tools. (Refer to the pseudoscan description for more details.)

Technical Requirements for Design Grade Files

TIN models are the best option. If any subcontractors use GPS machine control systems, they may have already created a TIN surface.

Supported File Types of TIN models:

• *.xml - XML file format for data transmission.
• *.dxf - Drawing Exchange Format, should contain 3D faces and boundaries.
• *.ttm - Trimble Business Center files.
• *.pc3 - Topcon 3D Office files.

Ensure that the files provided contain surface data. If another application is used for surface creation, please export it as an XML file or a DXF file with 3D faces and boundaries.

Other options:

• Civil 3D Surfaces (*.DWG): These can be created at the design stage or by subcontractors for different stages or phases. Civil 3D files may contain multiple surfaces, so please specify which surface should be used for publishing. Designers often create Civil 3D surfaces with low detail for internal purposes, which can still be useful for TraceAir.

• Grading Plans (*.DWG): If none of the preferred options above are available, grading plans can be used. Processing time and quality depend on how accurately 3D objects and grading details are positioned at the correct elevations.

Additionally, please specify how pads should be created:

• Should they be sloped according to the general grading?
• Should they be flat? If flat, specify the elevation to use (e.g., Ground floor elevation, Final floor elevation, Final pad elevation).

Any further requirements or specific design details can be provided and discussed with TraceAir via email.

2. Original Grade (Gold and Platinum Scans Only)

Optional file for enhanced historical comparison and analysis.

For historical comparison and enhanced analysis, uploading the original topographical surface created by surveyors before the project's start is beneficial but optional and can be uploaded later. This file offers a clear picture of the site’s initial condition, enabling comparisons between current scans and the original grade. By visualizing the total dirt movement to date, we gain valuable insight into project progress.

Note: If your site has not been cleared and you do not have an Original Grade, Request a Lidar quote from your Account Executive.

3. Overlays

Visual tools for aligning project plans with site conditions.

Overlays are project plans, drawings, or exhibits uploaded to a platform to compare current site conditions with blueprints, supporting alignment, planning, and early conflict detection. They help ensure project elements meet design and regulatory standards, preventing costly adjustments. Overlays are useful for verifying utility routes, lot boundaries, and landscaping to avoid infrastructure interference and aid in strategic planning, compliance, and project phase visualization. Like the Original Grade, overlays are optional and can be uploaded when needed.

Supported File Types:

• *.dwg - contains coordinates, preferred
• *.dxf - contains coordinates, preferred
• *.pdf - accepted but often presents scaling and alignment challenges.