Canada: 1-2 meters HRDEM - Geospatial Data from Canada Government

You can use the Plex-Earth features to create terrain models from free, quality data you can find online.

About the Data

Data Provider: Geospatial Data from the Canadian Government

Link: https://maps.canada.ca/czs/index-en.html 

Data Type:  High Resolution Digital Elevation Model Mosaic (HRDEM)

Resolution: 1-2 meters

Terms of Use: Elevation data from the Government of Canada, used under the Open Government Licence – Canada (OGL-CA)

Data Download

1. Visit the following URL: https://maps.canada.ca/czs/index-en.html
   

2. Check Data availability: HRDEM data are not available all over Canada, so check if your area of interest is covered. Expand Overlay reference layers and check High Resolution Elevation Model Mosaic - Terrain (or Surface) so the coverage appears on the map. If your area is covered, you can proceed.
   
   For areas not covered with the high-resolution models, you can select the CDEM or CSEM (Canadian Digital Elevation/Surface Model) option, which might have lower resolutions, and select Elevation for the next step. Here you can find a very detailed data extraction guide.

3. Select Area and Download Options
   a. Select HRDEM Mosaic
   
   b. Select Clipping Area. Maximum allowed area (km²): 500
   
   c. Adjust options and order data: Put the final options to proceed with the data order. Make sure that the Elevation Product Type is the preferred one (here HRDEM - Terrain), and the output format is GeoTIFF. Put a correct email address at the end and receive your data.
   
   The link sent is valid for 5 days.

Use Data for Terrain Model creation

After downloading the data, you can now proceed with creating a terrain model in CAD.

1. In AutoCAD or BricsCAD, go to the Plex-Earth ribbon → click on the Create Terrain dropdown box → Terrain from GeoTIFF → load the GeoTIFF downloaded.

2. In the Import GeoTIFF palette, specify the area by clicking on the Select Area button, then use your mouse cursor to draw a rectangle, and select the desired resolution using the slider.

3. Click on the Import Terrain button

4. Select the Surface Type from the options available:

   • Contour Polylines

   • Points

   • TIN Mesh

   • Civil 3D Surface

   • Create Terrain Model

For the first four options, CAD objects are directly imported, ready to be used in CAD or other software.

The last option creates a Plex-Earth terrain model, which can be saved in your DWG, and with the help of Plex-you can Earth, you can customize the terrain further and can also insert the data as CAD objects later on.

Check out the full guide here: Create Terrain from GeoTIFF

Here is the result!