Article Number 447


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How to create a pond and stream

The information in this article applies to:
Landscaping and Deck Designer
Home Designer Suite
Home Designer Deluxe
Architectural Home Designer
Home Designer Pro


QUESTION

I would like to design a stream and pond in my plan.  How can I do this?



ANSWER

Using terrain features and regions, you can add water features such as ponds and streams to your landscaping plan.

To create a pond

  1. Open the plan file in which you would like to create a pond or small lake, or select File> New Plan  to create a new, blank plan file.

    • For the purposes of this example, the Default template is used, which produces a flat terrain.


  2. Select Terrain> Pond  from the menu, then click and drag to create a pond, which is a type of terrain feature.

    • If the Pond tool is not available, a Terrain Perimeter may not be present in the plan file.  Select Terrain> Create Terrain Perimeter  from the menu to create a terrain perimeter and edit its size and shape as needed using the edit handles.


  3. Click the Select Objects  button, then click on the pond to select it.  Once created, the location and shape of the pond can be edited by clicking and dragging its edit handles.





    • Ponds are spline-based, which means that their sides are curved and join smoothly, regardless of how they are edited.


  4. To add additional edit handles to the pond's edges:

    • Click on the pond to select it.

    • Click the Break Line  edit button.

    • Click on an edge to place an additional edit handle at this location.


  5. Select 3D> Full Overview  from the menu to see the results.






To create a stream

  1. Select File> Close  from the menu to close the overview and return to floor plan view.


  2. Select Terrain> Feature Region from the menu, then click and drag to draw a rectangular region in your drawing area.

    • Don't worry about the region's exact size, shape or location as you draw - once it is created, the region can be edited as needed.


  3. If you would like to add additional edges to the region:

    • Click on an edge that you would like to break into two separate segments to select it.

    • Click the Break Line  edit button.

    • Click along the selected edge to place a break, or new corner at that location.

    • You can now click and drag the new corner edit handle. 






  4. To create an L-shape, click on the edge of the region that you would like to bump out to select it, then double-click on the Break Line  tool.

    • Click on the right edge to place a 90 degree break at the point where the short part of the "L-shape" will begin. 

    • Select the top part of the newly broken line and drag it out to create the L-shape. 


  5. If you would like an edge to be curved, click on that edge and then click the Change Line/Arc  edit button.

    • The radius of a curved edge can be adjusted by clicking and dragging the triangular edit handle that displays near it when it is clicked on.

    • To change a curved edge back to a straight edge, select it and then click the Change Line/Arc  edit button once more.


  6. Depending on what you would like your stream to look like, you may wish to draw a series of separate feature regions that overlap slightly. 






To create a stream or pond bed

Often, streams, ponds and other water features are located within beds that slope downward to the waterline.  We can create stream beds and pond beds using additional terrain features with slightly lowered heights.

  1. To create a bed for a pond, select Terrain> Round Garden Bed  from the menu, then click and drag to draw a garden bed feature in the same area as the pond.

    • Use the edit handles and edit toolbar buttons to edit this feature as you did when you edited the pond so that it is approximately the same shape as the pond, only larger.






  2. Click the Select Objects  button, then click on the pond to select it and click the Open Object  edit button.  On the General tab of the Terrain Feature Specification dialog, specify the desired Height.





    • In this example, a Height of -1/2" is used.

    • Depending on how much larger your bed is relative to your pond, you may wish to use a larger Height value to create a greater slope to the water.


  3. To create a stream bed, select Terrain> Feature Region from the menu and draw one or more feature regions in the same area as your stream.

    • As with the pond bed, edit the stream bed features as needed so that they are approximately the same shape as the stream, but larger.





  4. Select 3D> Full Camera  from the menu, then click and drag a camera arrow towards your pond and stream to view the results.







  5. To apply a different material to the pond and stream bed features, select 3D> Material Painter  from the menu.

    • In the Select Library Object dialog, browse to Materials> Landscaping, select a material that suits your needs, and click OK.

    • Your cursor will now display the Material Painter  icon.

    • Click on the surface of the pond and stream beds to apply the selected material to that surface.

    • If you want, you can continue clicking on surfaces to apply the material to them.

    • When you are finished, click the Select Objects  button to deactivate the Material Painter.

    • In this example, Materials> Landscaping> Decorative Rock> PeaGravel (sandstone) is used.





Finish off your design by adding plant images from the Plants library, accessories from the Fixtures (Exterior) and Furnishings (Exterior) libraries, or items from the Images library. 



MORE INFORMATION
For more information about working with terrain, see Article 806 in this database: How to use terrain features and regions.

Last updated on: 02-17-2010