Creating landscape areas

Landscape areas are defined regions of plant combinations. These can be useful for conceptual landscape planning and for specifying large planting or reforestation areas, when individual plant symbols do not need to be drawn. Plant information from a landscape area is based on plant symbol data, and is included in plant list worksheets. If a site model is present, the landscape area is calculated based on the site model and displays in the Landscape Area Settings dialog box.

A landscape area can also be created without plant information specified, for use as a general ground cover or mulch area with a label showing the total area required.

Landscape areas are created with the Landscape Area tool, which offers several modes for defining the areas. Landscape area objects can also be created by drawing a polyline and then selecting the Create Objects from Shapes command (see Creating objects from shapes).

● To use an existing landscape area from the resource libraries, click Landscape Area on the Tool bar. From the Resource Selector, double-click a resource to activate it.

● To create a custom landscape area, click Preferences. From the Landscape Area Settings dialog box, set the default properties. The properties can be edited from the Object Info palette.

To apply the settings from an existing landscape area in the drawing, click Pickup mode from the tool bar and then click on the landscape area from which to pick up settings. Create the new landscape area either by drawing it using the Insertion mode and appropriate polyline creation options or by clicking Bucket mode from the Tool bar and then selecting an existing polyline, polygon, rectangle, circle, or arc to convert into a landscape area. The picked up settings are automatically applied to the new landscape area.

Parameter	Description
Tag Information	Specifies the landscape area tag format
Name	Provides a landscape area name, which can be displayed in the tag
Tag Display	Select On to display a landscape area tag to the right or left of the leader line; set the left or right position with the Tag Text Angle
Tag Class	Specifies the class for the landscape area tag, or allows a new class to be created for the tag
Tag Line Angle	Specifies the angle of the leader line. Range: 0–360°.
Tag Text Angle	When a landscape area tag is set to display, sets the tag text display angle. Range: 0–360°. To display the area tag to the left, specify an angle greater than 90° and less than 270°. To display the area tag to the right, specify an angle less than 90° and greater than 270°.
Tag Header	Select the information to display in the first line of the landscape tag; select Set Custom Tag to define a custom landscape area tag (see Creating a custom landscape area tag)
Tag Body	Select the information to display in the main portion of the landscape tag; select Set Custom Tag to define a custom landscape area tag (see Creating a custom landscape area tag)
Area Units	Select the units for calculating the landscape area; this is set to the file units by default (see Units), but can be changed
Display Tag Line Marker	Displays a marker at the end of the leader line; specify the marker to use by editing the tag class properties (see Setting class properties)
Graphics
3D Display	Select a 3D display option for the landscape area; in 3D views, plants conform to the surface of the site model if one exists
2D Only	Does not create a 3D representation of the landscape area; the landscape area displays in top/plan view only
3D Plants	When the landscape area contains plant symbols with an image prop 3D component, switching to a 3D view displays the image props in a rectangular array, for a realistic 3D view. Plant density is determined by the distribution or percentage specified for the landscape area. 3D loci are placed when the plant styles do not have a 3D component.
3D Poly	Creates a 3D polygon at a default elevation of 0, and can display a fill color when rendered. Alternatively, assign the landscape area a texture from the Render tab of the Object Info palette
Texture Bed	Creates a texture bed for the 3D representation of the landscape area. If there is more than one site model in the file, the texture bed conforms to the site model that is in the same layer as the landscape area, if there is one. Apply a texture to the landscape area. Select the site model and click Update from the Object Info palette; the landscape area displays as a texture bed on the site model.
Randomize Plant Rotation	If the 3D Display is set to 3D Plants, select to rotate individual plants to random degrees for a more natural appearance
Plant Diameter/Height Variation	If the 3D Display is set to 3D Plants, specify whether to vary the plant diameters and/or heights randomly, and by what percentage
Border Style	Specifies the type of border for the edge of the landscape area
Standard	Sets the landscape area border to a single line
Plant Cloud	Draws the landscape area border with a convex or concave cloud shape; specify the cloud billow type and the billow parameters. In addition to selecting the billow size and height, the billow variability sets the variation between the smallest and largest billows.
Plant Line	Creates a freehand plant line border for the landscape area; for a rougher plant line border, specify a short segment length with high segment thickness
Plant Information	Specifies how to calculate the plant quantities of the combined plants in the landscape area, for tag display as well as planting plan worksheets; select Distribution Rate or Percentage
Distribution Rate (automatic coverage area %)	Calculates plant quantity based on plant distribution rate. As each plant is added to the list of plants in the landscape area, its rate per area or from the center is specified; the percentage of each plant in the landscape area is calculated automatically.
Distribution Rate (custom coverage area %)	Calculates plant quantity based on plant distribution rate. As each plant is added to the list of plants in the landscape area, its rate per area or from the center is specified, as well as the percentage of each plant in the landscape area. This option allows plants to be merged within the landscape area.
Percentage	Calculates plant quantity based on plant percentage of the total. As each plant is added to the list of plants in the landscape area, its percentage is specified. The plant distribution rate must be the same for all plants in the landscape area; specify the rate and units to use.
Landscape Area	Displays the landscape area value based on the surface area of the site model under the landscape area, if one exists, or based on the area of the landscape area polyline multiplied by the Area Increase Factor, if no site model is present. The units for the display are specified by Area Units.
Area Increase Factor	If there is no site model under the landscape area, specify the area increase factor to determine the Landscape Area. The Original Area (the flat area of the landscape area polyline) is also displayed for comparison.
Plant list	Displays the plants included in the landscape area, including each plant’s distribution rate or percentage of the plant total. The plant order can be changed by click-dragging an item in the # column to a new position; this affects the plant list order in the plant tag body.
Add	Click to open the Edit Plant Information dialog box, to add a plant to the list of plants in the landscape area, and specify its distribution rate or percentage
Edit	Click to open the Edit Plant Information dialog box, to edit the selected plant; a different plant symbol can be selected, or the plant distribution rate or percentage changed
Delete	Click to delete the selected plant from the list of plants in the landscape area

3. Click Add or select a plant from the Plant list and click Edit to open the Edit Plant Information dialog box and specify the plants included in the landscape area, as well as their frequency.

Parameter	Description
Plant selector	Opens the Resource Selector to select a plant style for placement; double-click a resource to activate it
Latin Name/Common Name/Plant/Tag ID	Displays the selected plant’s style information
Rate	If Distribution Rate is selected in the Landscape Area Preferences dialog box, indicate the plant distribution value and units. This distribution value is used to calculate the plant quantity for each plant type in the landscape area.
Percentage	If Percentage is selected in the Landscape Area Preferences dialog box, indicate the percentage of this plant in the landscape area. Using a fixed distribution rate for all plants, the percentage is used to calculate the plant quantity for each plant type in the landscape area. The total value of all plants must add up to 100%.

4. Click OK, and then click OK again to close the Landscape Area Settings dialog box.

5. Click the appropriate mode in the Tool bar to select the boundary creation method of the landscape area.

7. Click to set the end of the segment and the beginning of the next. Continue drawing segments in this manner until the landscape area object is complete.

To save the landscape area settings as a resource for future landscape areas, click Save Landscape Area on the Object Info palette and enter a name for the landscape area resource.

Controlling the appearance of landscape areas

● Change the landscape area parameters from the Object Info palette, including specifying a general unit price (for indicating the price per square unit in worksheets), price code (such as a SKU number) and vertex parameters; click Landscape Area Settings from the Object Info palette to change landscape area information and other preference parameters.

● Change the landscape area tag appearance by editing its parameters from the Object Info palette, editing the tag class properties, and/or moving tag control points (similar to a plant tag; see Plant tag appearance).

● Reshape the landscape area by double-clicking on it; the Reshape tool is automatically activated, to reshape the object directly in the drawing.

● Right-click on the landscape area object and select Edit from the context menu. The Edit Landscape Area dialog box opens. Either edit the settings of the selected landscape area, or edit the shape of the object path with the Reshape tool.

Mode	Description
Insertion	Draws a landscape area using the selected polyline creation options and the current preference settings
Pickup	Picks up the settings and attributes of an existing landscape area and makes those the default preference settings for subsequently created objects. The landscape area’s Name parameter is given a suffix with sequential numbers for new landscape areas.
Bucket	Converts an existing polyline, polygon, rectangle, circle, or arc to a landscape area and applies the current preference settings
Landscape Area	Opens the Resource Selector to select a resource for placement; double-click a resource to activate it
Polyline creation options	Selects the method for drawing the polyline upon which the object is based; see Creating polylines
Preferences	Opens the Landscape Area Settings dialog box to set the default preferences for landscape areas