---
title: "Basic Tutorial | Compute cubature between two meshes (Cut & Fill)"
slug: "cyclone-3dr-exercise-compute-cubature-between-two-open-meshes"
updated: 2026-09-07T11:51:23Z
published: 2026-09-07T11:51:23Z
canonical: "rcdocs.leica-geosystems.com/cyclone-3dr-exercise-compute-cubature-between-two-open-meshes"
---

> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://rcdocs.leica-geosystems.com/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Basic Tutorial | Compute cubature between two meshes (Cut & Fill)

With the command [Cut and Fill](/v1/docs/cyclone-3dr-cutandfillc), it is possible to compute embankment and excavation between two open meshes according to a given axis.

The two meshes must have only one hole corresponding to the external border. Small holes on their surface will lead to inaccurate or wrong results.

> [!TIP]
> Open the file **Cubature.3dr** ([download](https://www.cyclone3dr.com/download_helper.php?File=Cyclone3DRSampleData/Cubature.3dr)). It contains the mesh of a stockpile and the mesh of a reference ground.

Select both and go to [Cut and Fill](/v1/docs/cyclone-3dr-cutandfillc).

Choose the direction for the cubature computation. Here, choose **Z** direction. You can also try the automatic direction. In this case, the command tries to find an appropriate direction to see both entire surfaces.

When you click **Preview**, a results window opens, showing the volume of excavation, the volume of embankment, and the difference between them.

![image-20250701-095425.png](https://cdn.document360.io/820e11db-8ed5-45ae-ac86-f6b77dcb2aa7/Images/Documentation/image-20250701-095425.png)

**Compute cubature between two open meshes**

##### **Volume output**

```plaintext
Volume above Reference Ground and below Stockpile:
13 268,244 m³

Volume above Stockpile and below Reference Ground:
6,188 m³

Difference of the two volumes: 13 262,057 m³

If the reference surface is Stockpile,
excavation volume of 13 268,244 m³ and embankment volume of 6,188 m³

If the reference surface is Reference Ground,
excavation volume of 6,188 m³ and embankment volume of 13 268,244 m³
```

> [!WARNING]
> Note that you can choose the unit for the results.

When you close the window, two measures are created to indicate the volumes between the two meshes:

- One showing the volume above Reference Ground and below Stockpile.
- One showing the volume above Stockpile and below Reference Ground.