GPS Grade Control Modeling
We produce the machine control files your dozers, graders and scrapers run directly. Trimble, Topcon and Leica format. No translation layer, no guesswork.
Learn More3D Modeling and BIM Services for Texas Earthwork Contractors
We take your CAD files and survey data, build the 3D model, and deliver it formatted for your machine control platform. You get a file your operator can load and run, not a software problem to solve on the jobsite.
Backed by Stone River Excavation, 11 years Texas earthwork experience
10+ years hands-on BIM, modeling, and layout experience
Trimble, Topcon, Leica and Civil 3D certified
The problem
A DTM in Your Inbox Is Not a Machine Control File
A lot of earthwork contractors are running GPS-capable equipment but still staking manually, because the jump from design file to machine control model isn't a simple format conversion. It takes someone who knows Civil 3D, understands your equipment platform and can build a model that matches the survey datum your site is working from.
If that file isn't built right, your machine runs the wrong grade. Your GC calls. Your schedule slips.
Most contractors solve this one of two ways. They hire an in-house BIM technician, which is expensive and hard to justify before the pipeline is proven. Or they go back to the GC empty-handed, which costs them the relationship.
Lone Star exists for the contractors in between.
Our solution
Start My Project
A 3D Model Built for the Field, Not Just the Screen
We produce machine control-ready 3D terrain models from your design files. Civil 3D is our native environment. We model your site surfaces, alignments and grade breaks with the accuracy your GPS equipment needs to run without operator correction.
Every model we deliver is formatted for your platform: Trimble, Topcon or Leica. If you're running a different system, tell us before you order and we'll confirm compatibility.
Remote delivery means you get the file wherever you are. Houston, Dallas, Rio Grande Valley, Corpus Christi or anywhere in the country.
What's Included
What You Get with Every 3D Modeling Engagement
Surface Modeling from Your Design Files
We build earthwork surfaces from your CAD, PDF or survey data. Existing ground, proposed grade, finished pad, subgrade, whatever your project requires. Each surface is modeled to match your design intent, not just converted from a flat drawing.
Machine Control File Delivery
Your finished model is exported in the format your equipment reads natively. Trimble .gc3 and .svl, Topcon .tp3, Leica .l3d. No third-party conversion, no format guesswork. Your operator gets a file that loads clean.
Corridor and Alignment Modeling
If your project includes road grading, drainage channels or utility corridors, we model those as separate surfaces and deliver them as part of your control package. Your machine follows the alignment, not a stake in the ground.
Layer Naming and File Organization
Every model we deliver follows consistent naming conventions so your operators, PMs and GC all read the same file the same way. Layer naming, surface descriptions and file structure are clean, documented and ready for handoff.
Revision Support
If your design changes after delivery, we revise the model. Revision scope and turnaround depend on the extent of the change. Most minor revisions are turned around same day or next day. Contact us when the change comes through and we'll give you a timeline.
Process
How a 3D Modeling Project Works
Step 1
Send Us Your Files
Share your design files through whatever method works for you: email, Google Drive, Dropbox or WeTransfer. We accept CAD, PDF, LandXML and most standard civil design formats. If you're not sure what you have, send it and we'll sort it out.
Step 2
We Review and Quote
We review your files, identify any gaps or conflicts in the design data and send you a quote. Most quotes come back within one business day. If we spot a design issue that would affect the model, we flag it before we build, not after.
Step 3
We Build the Model
Once you approve the quote, we get to work. Standard turnaround is one to two business days for most projects. Complex sites with multiple surfaces or corridor modeling may take longer. We'll give you an accurate timeline when we quote.
Step 4
You Receive the File
We deliver your machine control file by email or shared drive link. The file is labeled, organized and ready to load. If your operator runs into anything on the first use, call us. We're available to walk through it.
Service areas
We Work Across Texas. And Anywhere a File Can Travel.
Our remote services go where the project is. Our field crews cover the major earthwork corridors across Texas.
Related Services
Often Paired with 3D Modeling
Earthwork Takeoffs
Cut and fill quantities calculated from your plans before you bid. Know your dirt before you commit to a number.
Learn More
QA/QC Services
As-built documentation, compliance surveying and construction quality control records that give your GC what they need to close out the project.
Learn More
FAQ
Have more questions? Call now
Frequently Asked Questions About 3D Modeling
What file formats do you accept as input?
We accept most standard civil design formats: AutoCAD (.dwg), PDF plan sheets, LandXML (.xml), and survey point files (.csv, .txt). If your files are in a format not listed here, send them anyway and we'll confirm whether we can work with them before you commit to a quote.
What machine control platforms do you deliver for?
We deliver in Trimble (.gc3, .svl), Topcon (.tp3) and Leica (.l3d) formats — the file loads natively in your equipment with no third-party conversion. If you run a different platform, tell us before you order and we'll confirm compatibility.
How long does a 3D modeling project take?
Standard turnaround is one to two business days for most projects from the time we receive your complete design files. Complex sites with multiple surfaces or corridor modeling can take longer — we give you an accurate timeline when we quote.
What happens if the design changes after I receive the model?
We revise the model. Revision scope and turnaround depend on how much changed; most minor revisions are same-day or next-day. Send us the change and we'll give you a timeline.
Can you model a site if I only have PDF plans, not CAD files?
Yes. We can build a model from PDF plan sheets, though CAD or LandXML data produces the most accurate result fastest. Send what you have and we'll confirm what's workable before you commit.
Do I need to be in Texas to use this service?
No. 3D modeling is a remote service — we deliver the file wherever you are, anywhere in the country. Our field services are Texas-based, but modeling travels with the file.
Ready to Get a Machine Control-Ready 3D Model?
Send us your design files and tell us your timeline. We'll review them, quote the project and get your model built. Most projects are delivered within two business days.
Remote services available nationwide. Field services across Texas.