{
  "id": 17200759,
  "title": "Modeling a Seawall From a Map Selection: Geometry, Elevation, and the Water You Can't See",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/30/modeling-a-seawall-from-a-map-selection-geometry-elevation-and-the",
  "topic": "tech",
  "section": "Tech",
  "published": "2026-10-30T08:45:15.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Dev.to",
    "slug": "dev-to",
    "url": "https://dev.to/generatebuild/modeling-a-seawall-from-a-map-selection-geometry-elevation-and-the-water-you-cant-see-4hko"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "I created a 3D model of the Galveston seawall to better understand its structure and characteristics. I selected a one-mile segment near the east end, including the beach and two blocks of streets behind it. While the initial model was useful for orientation, it had limitations such as being a flat ribbon and missing important details like curves, construction joints, and bathymetry. To create a more accurate representation, I had to model the wall's actual profile, attributes, and water levels separately. By attaching metadata to the mesh, I made the model usable and enabled queries based on specific criteria like beach width and crest elevation. Adding water as a scenario helped visualize the relationship between wall height, surge height, and ground elevation behind the wall. For future models, I would start from LiDAR and surveyed cross-sections, use separate layers for terrain and assets, and version assumptions to better understand the limitations and complexities of seawall modeling.",
  "summary": "I wanted a 3D model of the Galveston seawall for a small experiment: not a survey-grade deliverable, just something I could rotate and measure while reading about the structure. I picked a one-mile segment near the east end and used GenAnywhere to select the wall, the beach in front of it, and two blocks of streets behind it. A minute later I had a rough model. It was useful, and it was wrong in…",
  "key_points": [
    "Created 3D model of Galveston seawall",
    "Modeled actual profile, attributes, and water levels separately",
    "Added water scenario to visualize wall height and ground elevation"
  ],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}