Texas Topographic Map

The most detailed topographic map of the State of Texas.

Find, build and share high-resolution topographic maps using Equator .

Who is the map for?

Texas topography , accessible in Equator, is used by infrastructure design professionals such as:

• Planners
• Architects
• Civil Engineers
• Flood Analysts
• Construction Professionals
• Landscape Designers

What can I do with the map?

The Texas topographic map can be used for a variety of tasks, including:

• Viewing 3D surfaces from built-in LiDAR
• Generating contours
• Sourcing and view LiDAR point clouds
• Cutting cross sections on the fly
• Extracting elevation data
• Creating markups, labels and figures
• Link sharing data

Where does the topographic data come from?

The Texas topographic data is sourced from the United States Geological Survey (USGS), specifically their 3D Elevation Program (3DEP). You can read more about the 3DEP here . In general, built-in Texas elevation data is sourced from a library of airborne LiDAR surveys that are managed by the USGS, and connected to Equator for ease of access.

How accurate is the map?

Most of the elevation data in Texas that you will find in Equator is derived from Quality Level 2 (QL2) LiDAR. This means that you should expect that the non-vegetated vertical accuracy (NVA) and vegetated vertical accuracy (VVA) to be 19.6 cm and 30.0 cm (or better) at a 95% confidence level.

Can I extract contours?

Yes! Contours can be extracted from the Texas topographic map at the resolution of your choosing. Contours can be exported to a variety of formats including shapefile (.shp) and drawing (.dxf). In addition, digital elevation models (DEMs) are also available.

How do I bring contours into Civil 3D?

Contours can be opened in AutoDesk Civil3D (or similar) simply by opening an dxf file or shapefile exported from Equator. This tutorial explains how to create a 3D surface in Civil 3D directly from a shapefile.

Why should I use Equator to access Texas Topograph?

Equator allows users to access local LiDAR surveys to the best available resolution.  Experience 3D topography in high-resolution, unlike never before.