LiDAR Elevation & Drainage Mapping for Agriculture—Instant, Accurate, and Easy.

Geo-Surface Video Tutorials

Designing Drainage Isn’t Rocket Science—But It’s Not Instinctive Either

Most people aren’t familiar with designing field drainage—but like anything, it’s a skill that builds with practice. The key is to start small. Don’t begin with your largest or most complicated field. Instead, choose one area you’ve always wanted to improve—maybe a persistent wet spot or low-lying zone—and figure out how you’d drain it.

As you get more comfortable with the software and interpreting LiDAR-based elevation and flow data, you’ll begin to “read the land” more intuitively. The more you practice, the easier it becomes to see the bigger picture and confidently design full-field drainage systems.

This tutorial series is designed to get you there. Each video covers common questions, use cases, and core features—delivered in short, focused clips that respect your time and keep you engaged.

Start watching. Try it out on land you know. And if there’s a video you need that’s not included, just reach out via the Contact page—I’m always listening.

Simon Knutson
Creator & Developer of Geo-Surface

Part 1: Getting Started with Geo-Surface Explorer and Designer

Start your journey into precision agricultural drainage design with this overview of the Geo-Surface Explorer and Designer tools. Learn how to access your subscription, navigate the Member Area, and understand the interface differences between versions. Whether you’re working with Canadian, US, or UK elevation data, this tutorial helps you get set up quickly.

Keywords: Geo-Surface, agricultural drainage design, LiDAR data, elevation mapping, Explorer vs Designer, Canadian LiDAR, UK elevation tools, US elevation mapping.

Part 2: How to Verify LiDAR Coverage for Your Project Area

Before starting any precision drainage design project, it’s essential to check if high-resolution LiDAR data is available. This video walks you through verifying LiDAR coverage in Canada, the UK, and the US using built-in tools within Geo-Surface. Ensure you have the data you need to generate HD elevation maps and flow routes for effective field drainage design.

Keywords: verify LiDAR coverage, agricultural LiDAR maps, HD elevation data, drainage mapping, Geo-Surface Explorer, Designer tools, Canada LiDAR, US LiDAR, UK terrain data.

Part 3: Generate HD Elevation Maps from LiDAR Data

Learn how to automatically generate high-resolution elevation maps using publicly available LiDAR data. This step-by-step guide shows you how to define an area of interest and create an HD elevation layer—essential for agricultural land grading and drainage planning. Works seamlessly across US, UK, and Canadian data sets.

Keywords: HD elevation map, LiDAR elevation mapping, precision ag drainage, digital elevation model, field drainage design, Geo-Surface Designer, LiDAR terrain visualization, farm mapping tools.

Part 4: Save Your HD Map for Viewing in GIS or Ditch Assist

Easily save your HD elevation map and design layout views for offline use or integration with GIS platforms like QGIS or drainage systems like Ditch Assist. This video shows you how to export georeferenced elevation data as JPEG and world files, ensuring proper placement in any mapping software using WGS84 EPSG 4326.

Keywords: save elevation map, georeferenced elevation, QGIS LiDAR map, Ditch Assist overlay, export HD elevation, Geo-Surface Designer, EPSG 4326, LiDAR JPEG export.

Part 5: Generate HD Flow Mapping from LiDAR Elevation Data

Unlock the power of automated HD flow mapping from LiDAR terrain data. See exactly how water flows across your fields—crucial for designing efficient surface or tile drainage systems. This video explains how to generate flow paths and download them as KML files for use in GIS software, Google Earth, or drainage tools.

Keywords: HD flow mapping, LiDAR water flow modeling, tile drainage design, surface water flow paths, Geo-Surface Explorer, KML flow maps, farm drainage planning, precision ag water management.

Part 6: Create a Drainage Plan Using Geo-Surface Designer

Design optimal field drainage systems using high-resolution elevation and flow data. This tutorial walks you through drawing drain lines, analyzing elevation profiles, and using best-fit tools to simulate tile plow or scraper runs. Includes depth guides, cubic yard calculations, and slope analysis to help with real-world drainage planning.

Keywords: create drainage plan, farm tile drainage, surface drainage design, Geo-Surface Designer, LiDAR flow data, precision land leveling, tile plow design, ag drainage software.

Part 7: Validate Drainage Connections for Surface and Tile Systems

Ensure your field drainage designs are viable with Geo-Surface’s automated connection validation feature. This video shows how to connect lateral drains to mains and verify that your tile or surface drainage system will function as intended. Green connections mean go—red means you need a redesign!

Keywords: validate drainage connections, tile drainage design check, surface drain validation, Geo-Surface tools, drainage connection profile, precision ag water management, field drainage layout.

Part 8: How to Identify the Optimum Route to Drain a Problem Area

Not all drainage challenges can be solved by following natural flow paths. In this tutorial, you’ll learn how to use high-resolution LiDAR data, elevation mapping, and HD flow routes within Geo-Surface Designer to identify the most efficient drainage route for a low-lying problem area. By virtually testing multiple drain paths and comparing cut depths and soil movement volumes, you’ll find the optimum route with minimal earthworks.

Keywords: optimal drainage route, LiDAR-based drainage planning, precision ag drainage, elevation mapping, virtual drain design, shallow cut drainage, farm depression area drainage, HD flow path analysis, field drainage optimization.

Part 9: Creating a Tile Drainage Design Using Geo-Surface Designer

Master the art of tile drainage system design using Geo-Surface Designer and LiDAR-based elevation data. This video walks through placing mains and laterals, setting depth offsets, validating connections, and ensuring proper drainage grades. You’ll also learn how to calculate the required main pipe diameter using slope and acreage data. Perfect for precision agriculture professionals aiming to design reliable subsurface drainage systems backed by flow modeling and elevation accuracy.

Keywords: tile drainage system design, agricultural tile layout, subsurface drainage mapping, LiDAR tile planning, farm drainage design, Geo-Surface tile layout, lateral and main validation, tile size calculator, drainage coefficient, precision ag drainage.

Part 10: Importing a GeoTIFF to Display as the HD Elevation Map Layer

Learn how to use your own high-accuracy elevation data in Geo-Surface Explorer and Designer by importing a GeoTIFF file. Whether you’re working in an area without public LiDAR coverage or you’ve collected your own RTK or drone data, this tutorial guides you through preparing and importing custom elevation data. Includes tips for using QGIS to interpolate point data, ensuring compatibility with EPSG:4326, and troubleshooting coordinate system issues.

Keywords: import GeoTIFF elevation map, custom elevation data, agricultural drainage design, precision ag mapping, RTK elevation GeoTIFF, EPSG 4326 GeoTIFF, interpolate elevation from shapefile, QGIS elevation interpolation, Geo-Surface custom data.

Part 11: Using Your GeoTIFF Data to Generate HD Flow Maps

Take your custom GeoTIFF elevation data a step further by generating high-resolution flow maps for your field drainage design. This tutorial shows how to use the Flow Map Generator Tool in Geo-Surface to upload projected GeoTIFFs (EPSG:3857 or UTM), run processing, and export KML flow lines. Learn the specific formatting requirements, how to reduce file size, and how to resolve processing errors. Perfect for ag professionals working outside public LiDAR zones who still want full access to Geo-Surface drainage tools.

Keywords: generate flow maps from GeoTIFF, HD flow mapping, GeoTIFF drainage flow lines, Geo-Surface KML export, EPSG 3857 flow processing, custom elevation data, agricultural field drainage design, flow mapping without LiDAR, precision water management.