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Table Of Contents
Table Of Contents
What's new in this release of MICROMINE?........................................................................ 1
Security ................................................................................................................. 1
Generating a remote dongle update request ................................................................. 1
General.................................................................................................................. 1
Vizex..................................................................................................................... 2
3D display limits .................................................................................................... 2
Loading multiple outline files..................................................................................... 2
View tools............................................................................................................... 2
Elevation/Section Control......................................................................................... 2
Measure .............................................................................................................. 2
Query ................................................................................................................. 2
String edit tools ....................................................................................................... 3
Select ................................................................................................................. 3
Snapping ............................................................................................................. 3
Between .............................................................................................................. 3
Follow ................................................................................................................. 3
Insert Intersection Point .......................................................................................... 3
Extend String........................................................................................................ 3
Close String.......................................................................................................... 4
Curve Properties .................................................................................................... 4
String Gradient...................................................................................................... 4
Bearing and Distance .............................................................................................. 4
Edit string functions .................................................................................................. 4
Insert Points ......................................................................................................... 4
Condition String Segments ....................................................................................... 4
Condition String Angles ........................................................................................... 4
File Import.............................................................................................................. 4
Extract Unique ......................................................................................................... 5
ODBC Import and ODBC Link....................................................................................... 5
Transform Grid ........................................................................................................ 5
Drillhole Databases ................................................................................................... 5
Subblocking ............................................................................................................ 5
Create blank block model......................................................................................... 5
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Subblocking with Assign .......................................................................................... 5
Block Model Display .................................................................................................. 6
Mining | Underground - menu options............................................................................ 6
Centreline, Stope and Panel Design ............................................................................ 6
Generate Solids..................................................................................................... 6
Generate Solid Volumes........................................................................................... 6
Ring Design.......................................................................................................... 6
Sections and Openings ............................................................................................ 6
Mining | Opencut - menu options ................................................................................. 6
Pit Design ............................................................................................................ 6
Stockpile Design .................................................................................................... 6
Blast Pattern Design ............................................................................................... 7
Blast Volumes ....................................................................................................... 7
Interactive Grade Control Setup ................................................................................ 7
Mine Design tools ..................................................................................................... 7
Project to Elevation ................................................................................................ 7
Gradient Control .................................................................................................... 7
Insert Intersection Point .......................................................................................... 7
Polygon Boolean .................................................................................................... 7
Generate Sidewalls................................................................................................. 8
Extrude String....................................................................................................... 8
Blast Displacement................................................................................................. 8
3D Viewer............................................................................................................... 8
User defined lighting............................................................................................... 8
Wireframing ............................................................................................................ 8
Edit Strings .......................................................................................................... 8
Edit Triangles........................................................................................................ 8
Build Wireframes ................................................................................................... 8
Triangulation Methods ............................................................................................. 8
Split Strings.......................................................................................................... 9
File types ................................................................................................................ 10
Field types............................................................................................................ 11
Editor files.......................................................................................................... 14
Fields Validate.......................................................................................................... 15
Replace .................................................................................................................. 16
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Incrementing and replicating data ................................................................................. 17
Skip records ............................................................................................................ 17
Skip records during Copy from ..................................................................................... 18
Calculate................................................................................................................. 19
Update ................................................................................................................... 20
Generate ................................................................................................................ 21
Average.................................................................................................................. 22
Split ...................................................................................................................... 23
Join ....................................................................................................................... 24
Extracting unique values from a field ............................................................................. 25
Case sensitive ..................................................................................................... 25
Sort output......................................................................................................... 25
Numeric............................................................................................................. 25
Sorting fields in the File Editor...................................................................................... 26
Functions on the File menu.......................................................................................... 27
Modify file structure................................................................................................... 28
File Sort.................................................................................................................. 29
File Utilities ............................................................................................................. 30
File Conversions ....................................................................................................... 31
Importing data ......................................................................................................... 32
Importing data in the File Editor ................................................................................... 33
Importing text files.................................................................................................... 34
ODBC Import ........................................................................................................... 35
Importing data from Microsoft Access using ODBC ............................................................ 37
Overview.............................................................................................................. 37
The Process .......................................................................................................... 37
Importing dBase files ................................................................................................. 39
Importing DXF files.................................................................................................... 39
Import old DTM ........................................................................................................ 40
Import wireframes .................................................................................................... 41
Input types......................................................................................................... 41
Combining wireframes........................................................................................... 41
Import Block Model ................................................................................................... 42
To import a block model file: .................................................................................. 42
Importing GIS files.................................................................................................... 43
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Import attributes ................................................................................................. 43
Importing MAPGIS files............................................................................................... 44
MapGIS file ........................................................................................................ 44
Output .............................................................................................................. 44
Importing DEM (China Standard) files ............................................................................ 45
File path ............................................................................................................ 45
Sampling factor ................................................................................................... 45
Output .............................................................................................................. 45
Exporting data ......................................................................................................... 46
Exporting data in the File Editor.................................................................................... 47
Numeric Fields .................................................................................................... 47
Options ............................................................................................................. 47
Exporting text files .................................................................................................... 48
ODBC Export............................................................................................................ 49
Exporting dBase files ................................................................................................. 50
Exporting DXF files.................................................................................................... 51
Exporting coordinate files............................................................................................ 52
Exporting wireframes ................................................................................................. 53
Merging files ............................................................................................................ 54
Merging files from the File menu ................................................................................ 54
Merging files in the File Editor.................................................................................... 54
Merging MICROMINE files............................................................................................ 55
Merge text files from the File menu ............................................................................... 56
Merging laboratory data.............................................................................................. 58
Comma and column delimited files ................................................................................ 59
Column delimited ................................................................................................... 59
The parts of a column delimited lab file: .................................................................... 59
Comma delimited ................................................................................................... 59
Merging methods ...................................................................................................... 60
Matching sample IDs.................................................................................................. 60
Defining the location of assayed element names and data................................................... 61
Posting Row, Start Column and Column Width values......................................................... 62
Processing laboratory codes in the source file .................................................................. 63
Replacing codes in the lab file.................................................................................... 63
Managing samples below the detection limit.................................................................. 63
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To replace the identifier with another, in the Replace Lab Codes dialog box:....................... 63
To replace a below detection code with a detection limit value: ....................................... 63
Writing merge values to fields in the target file................................................................. 64
Using an unmerged file............................................................................................... 64
ODBC..................................................................................................................... 65
ODBC linking versus importing ..................................................................................... 66
Using linked tables ............................................................................................... 66
ODBC Link............................................................................................................... 67
Overview ........................................................................................................... 67
ODBC Import ........................................................................................................... 69
ODBC Export............................................................................................................ 71
Linking to a Microsoft Access Database........................................................................... 72
Overview ........................................................................................................... 72
Using filters ............................................................................................................. 74
Filters on the File Menu .............................................................................................. 75
Creating a Filter ..................................................................................................... 75
Subset filtered records............................................................................................. 75
Deleting filtered records ........................................................................................... 75
Filters in dialog boxes ................................................................................................ 76
Editing and saving filters .......................................................................................... 76
Selecting a filter..................................................................................................... 76
Attaching a filter in the File Editor............................................................................... 77
Attaching the Default Filter in the File Editor ................................................................. 77
Detaching a filter in the File Editor.............................................................................. 77
Creating and editing filters .......................................................................................... 78
The Use Filtered Records switch.................................................................................... 79
Using logical operators with filters................................................................................. 80
Using the AND function ............................................................................................ 80
Using the OR function.............................................................................................. 80
Using Equations ........................................................................................................ 82
File Editor ............................................................................................................... 83
Opening the File Editor ............................................................................................ 83
Creating a new file ............................................................................................... 83
Opening an existing file ......................................................................................... 83
Closing the File Editor ........................................................................................... 84
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The Edit File toolbar................................................................................................... 85
Validating fields in the File Editor .................................................................................. 88
Creating a check file for validation............................................................................ 88
To validate a field in the File Editor, do the following: ................................................... 88
Hiding fields in the File Editor....................................................................................... 89
Unhiding fields in the File Editor.................................................................................... 89
Ordering fields ......................................................................................................... 89
Freezing fields in the File Editor .................................................................................... 90
To unfreeze fields: ............................................................................................... 90
Colour-coding fields in the File Editor ............................................................................. 91
Attach Colour Set................................................................................................. 91
Detach Colour Set ................................................................................................ 91
Edit Colour Set.................................................................................................... 91
Sorting fields in the File Editor...................................................................................... 92
Merging MICROMINE files in the File Editor ...................................................................... 93
Merging text files in the File Editor ................................................................................ 94
Creating a new file .................................................................................................... 95
Creating a new file using a template .............................................................................. 96
Modifying a file's structure .......................................................................................... 97
Formatting numeric fields............................................................................................ 98
Entering repetitive data .............................................................................................. 98
Save ...................................................................................................................... 99
Save As .................................................................................................................. 99
Opening a file.......................................................................................................... 100
Cut....................................................................................................................... 101
To cut one or more records, or a block of cells: .......................................................... 101
Copy..................................................................................................................... 102
Paste .................................................................................................................... 102
Inserting records ..................................................................................................... 102
Undoing changes in a field or record............................................................................. 103
Deleting records ...................................................................................................... 103
Going to records ...................................................................................................... 103
Importing data in the File Editor .................................................................................. 104
Exporting data in the File Editor................................................................................... 105
Numeric Fields ................................................................................................... 105
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Options ............................................................................................................ 105
Incrementing field contents ........................................................................................ 106
Sorting fields in the File Editor..................................................................................... 107
Replicating field contents ........................................................................................... 108
Calculating field values in the File Editor ........................................................................ 109
Available Functions:............................................................................................. 109
Overwrite Data option ............................................................................................... 111
Setting the increment values ...................................................................................... 111
Processing multiple fields using Execute ........................................................................ 112
Execute commands ............................................................................................. 112
Running multiple file processes using Execute | One/Many ................................................. 113
Creating and attaching lookup tables ............................................................................ 114
Overview............................................................................................................. 114
Creating lookup tables ............................................................................................ 115
Creating and attaching............................................................................................ 115
Compiling a lookup table............................................................................................ 116
Enable validation ................................................................................................ 116
Case sensitive .................................................................................................... 116
Accept empty cells .............................................................................................. 116
Sort menu items................................................................................................. 116
Attaching and detaching lookup tables .......................................................................... 117
Defining the contents of a lookup table.......................................................................... 118
The structure of a lookup table ............................................................................... 118
This example uses common definitions ..................................................................... 118
This example uses individual definitions.................................................................... 118
Lookup table options................................................................................................. 120
Validate lookup fields ........................................................................................... 120
Smart sub-menus ............................................................................................... 120
Beep when validation fails ..................................................................................... 120
Validate each keystroke........................................................................................ 120
Only first level compulsory .................................................................................... 120
Default field widths.............................................................................................. 120
Validation actions .................................................................................................. 120
Valid input compulsory ......................................................................................... 120
Flag (prefix) with ................................................................................................ 120
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Flag (replace) with .............................................................................................. 120
Finding values in fields .............................................................................................. 121
Using Find Next to repeat the Find............................................................................. 121
Replacing values in fields ........................................................................................... 122
Deleting field contents............................................................................................... 123
Preview before printing.............................................................................................. 124
Printing a file .......................................................................................................... 124
Page setup ............................................................................................................. 124
Page setup options ................................................................................................ 124
Margins ............................................................................................................ 124
Page header ...................................................................................................... 124
Field header\Field names ...................................................................................... 124
Record numbers ................................................................................................. 124
Left justify characters .......................................................................................... 124
Right justify numerics .......................................................................................... 125
Bold field names ................................................................................................. 125
Record numbers ................................................................................................. 125
From/To record # ............................................................................................... 125
Field overflow..................................................................................................... 125
Setting up the printer................................................................................................ 126
Projects ................................................................................................................. 127
Using project templates............................................................................................. 127
Opening a project .................................................................................................... 128
Creating a new project .............................................................................................. 128
Deleting a project .................................................................................................... 129
Detaching a project................................................................................................ 129
Moving a project ...................................................................................................... 130
Renaming a project .................................................................................................. 130
Attaching a project................................................................................................... 131
Project names, paths and titles ................................................................................... 131
Project name ..................................................................................................... 131
Project path....................................................................................................... 131
Project title........................................................................................................ 131
Sharing projects over a network .................................................................................. 131
Vizex and the 3D Viewer ............................................................................................ 132
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Using the form sets pane......................................................................................... 132
Opening the Form Sets pane.................................................................................. 132
Displaying the Form sets pane and the Object Manager together .................................... 132
Auto-hide .......................................................................................................... 133
Loading form sets.................................................................................................. 133
Loading data into the 3D Viewer ............................................................................. 134
Loading saved views in the 3D Viewer ...................................................................... 134
Loading data into Vizex ........................................................................................ 134
Loading saved views in Vizex ................................................................................. 134
Managing display objects ........................................................................................... 135
Displaying the Object Manager and the Form Sets pane together .................................... 135
Auto-hide .......................................................................................................... 136
Opening and closing the Display pane ...................................................................... 136
Changing the drawing order................................................................................... 136
Hiding a display object ......................................................................................... 136
Displaying a hidden object .................................................................................... 137
Removing a display object..................................................................................... 137
Object Properties ................................................................................................ 137
Selecting Objects ................................................................................................ 137
Unselecting objects ............................................................................................. 137
The View toolbar...................................................................................................... 138
The Visual Explorer (Vizex)......................................................................................... 141
To open Vizex .................................................................................................... 141
Editing strings and outlines ........................................................................................ 142
The Edit Strings toolbar ............................................................................................. 143
Radius.............................................................................................................. 144
Angle ............................................................................................................... 145
Direction........................................................................................................... 145
Gradient and Gradient Units .................................................................................. 145
Edit ...................................................................................................................... 146
Select .............................................................................................................. 146
Extend String..................................................................................................... 146
Insert Point ....................................................................................................... 146
Move Point ........................................................................................................ 147
Move String....................................................................................................... 147
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Copy String ....................................................................................................... 147
Snapping mode .................................................................................................. 147
Follow String...................................................................................................... 147
Delete Point....................................................................................................... 147
Delete String or Segment...................................................................................... 148
Reverse String ................................................................................................... 148
Join String......................................................................................................... 148
Close String....................................................................................................... 148
Edit Properties.................................................................................................... 148
Creating a display in Vizex ......................................................................................... 149
Load a Saved View .............................................................................................. 149
Load a Saved Form Set ........................................................................................ 149
Create a New Form Set ........................................................................................ 149
Setting display limits................................................................................................. 151
Orthogonal .......................................................................................................... 151
View Type ......................................................................................................... 151
Limits............................................................................................................... 151
Clip to Window ................................................................................................... 151
Transform............................................................................................................ 152
Calculations ....................................................................................................... 152
Section............................................................................................................. 152
Window Towards and Away ................................................................................... 153
3D ..................................................................................................................... 153
Calculations ....................................................................................................... 153
Projection ......................................................................................................... 153
Orientation........................................................................................................ 154
Window Towards and Away ................................................................................... 154
Forms .............................................................................................................. 155
Apply ............................................................................................................... 155
Loading and displaying drillholes.................................................................................. 156
Defining drillhole trace coordinates............................................................................... 157
Coordinates ......................................................................................................... 157
Trace Display ..................................................................................................... 157
Hole Name........................................................................................................... 157
Hole Depth .......................................................................................................... 157
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Collar ................................................................................................................. 158
Depth/Offsection ................................................................................................... 158
Using drillhole databases ........................................................................................... 160
Downhole Data................................................................................................... 160
Trench Data....................................................................................................... 160
Advantages of drillhole databases ........................................................................... 160
To select a drillhole database ................................................................................. 161
To create a new drillhole database .......................................................................... 161
Including hatching in the drillhole display....................................................................... 162
Hatch Coordinates ................................................................................................. 162
Hatch Display ....................................................................................................... 162
Displaying events down the drillhole ............................................................................. 163
To display events along a drillhole trace: .................................................................. 163
Controlling the event label display........................................................................... 163
Colour coding drillhole events ................................................................................ 164
Controlling the symbol display for each event ............................................................ 164
Including graphs in the drillhole display ......................................................................... 165
Graph Coordinates................................................................................................. 165
Graph Display....................................................................................................... 165
Positioning the graph ........................................................................................... 165
Setting up the scalebar......................................................................................... 165
Displaying a header............................................................................................. 166
Including values in the drillhole display ......................................................................... 167
Value Coordinates ................................................................................................. 167
Value Display ....................................................................................................... 167
Defining how the labels will be displayed .................................................................. 167
Extended label features ........................................................................................ 167
Displaying a header............................................................................................. 167
Defining how the ticks will be displayed .................................................................... 168
Extended tick features.......................................................................................... 168
Loading and displaying GIS features ............................................................................. 169
GIS File............................................................................................................... 169
3D Orientation ................................................................................................... 169
Feature Display Settings ....................................................................................... 169
Line ................................................................................................................... 169
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Point .................................................................................................................. 170
Polygon............................................................................................................... 171
Loading and displaying points ..................................................................................... 172
Load Points........................................................................................................ 172
Symbols ........................................................................................................... 172
Scaling ............................................................................................................. 172
Pie Chart........................................................................................................... 172
Loading strings........................................................................................................ 174
String File ......................................................................................................... 174
Line Options ...................................................................................................... 174
Loading and displaying outlines ................................................................................... 175
Loading a grid file in Vizex ......................................................................................... 176
Colour coding the grid display ................................................................................ 176
Loading a block model............................................................................................... 177
OBM File ........................................................................................................... 177
Type ................................................................................................................ 177
Filter................................................................................................................ 177
Easting, Northing and RL fields............................................................................... 177
Thickness and Block Size Factor fields ...................................................................... 177
Use Hatch field................................................................................................... 177
Hatch field......................................................................................................... 177
Hatch Set.......................................................................................................... 177
Draw Style ........................................................................................................ 178
Hatch Colour Coding ............................................................................................ 178
Display block centres ........................................................................................... 178
Display labels..................................................................................................... 178
Loading a wireframe ................................................................................................. 179
Wireframes........................................................................................................ 179
DTMs ............................................................................................................... 179
Wireframe Type.................................................................................................. 179
Wireframe Name................................................................................................. 179
Draw Style ........................................................................................................ 179
Colour Coding .................................................................................................... 179
Loading a profile display in Vizex ................................................................................. 180
Loading and displaying images in Vizex ......................................................................... 180
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Grid Settings........................................................................................................... 181
Spacing ............................................................................................................ 181
Grid type .......................................................................................................... 181
Line type .......................................................................................................... 181
Colour.............................................................................................................. 182
Top/Right labels ................................................................................................. 182
Bottom/Left labels............................................................................................... 182
Vertical text....................................................................................................... 182
Label annotation ................................................................................................. 182
Digitiser support ...................................................................................................... 183
Vizex options .......................................................................................................... 184
General............................................................................................................... 184
Auto Load Last View ............................................................................................ 184
Background Colour .............................................................................................. 184
Clipping .............................................................................................................. 184
Plan view and Section view.................................................................................... 184
String Editing ....................................................................................................... 184
Prompt to edit properties on adding a new string........................................................ 184
Expansion Distance ............................................................................................. 184
Weeding Tolerance .............................................................................................. 184
Digitiser .............................................................................................................. 184
End Feature....................................................................................................... 184
Undo................................................................................................................ 185
Toggle Snapping ................................................................................................. 185
The 3D Viewer......................................................................................................... 186
The Decoration ..................................................................................................... 186
The Status bar ...................................................................................................... 186
The Menus and Toolbar ........................................................................................... 187
The World............................................................................................................ 187
Using lighting .......................................................................................................... 187
Viewer modes ......................................................................................................... 188
The Decoration........................................................................................................ 189
Using the Colour Editor.............................................................................................. 190
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In the scene whose colour you want to use ............................................................... 190
In the scene where you want to apply the background colour ........................................ 191
Changing the colour of a display object ......................................................................... 192
Changing the drawing style of objects ........................................................................... 193
To set the drawing and move style for objects............................................................ 193
Available drawing and move styles .......................................................................... 193
Loading, saving, and restoring 3D data ......................................................................... 195
File menu options .................................................................................................. 195
New................................................................................................................. 195
Open ............................................................................................................... 195
Close ............................................................................................................... 195
Close All ........................................................................................................... 195
Save ................................................................................................................ 195
Save As ............................................................................................................ 196
Loading a search ellipsoid .......................................................................................... 197
Input form set.................................................................................................... 197
Block Definitions ................................................................................................. 197
Colour Coding .................................................................................................... 197
Transparency ..................................................................................................... 197
Ellipsoid Location ................................................................................................ 197
Manipulating objects in the 3D display........................................................................... 198
To visually select an object:................................................................................... 198
To de-select a specific object: ................................................................................ 198
To de-select all selected objects: ............................................................................ 198
To hide an object ................................................................................................ 198
To show a hidden object ....................................................................................... 199
To remove an object............................................................................................ 199
To refresh an object ............................................................................................ 199
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Move style......................................................................................................... 201
Automatically refresh source files............................................................................ 201
Show decoration ................................................................................................. 201
Selection colour .................................................................................................. 201
Construction colour ............................................................................................. 201
Tie-line colour .................................................................................................... 201
First point ......................................................................................................... 201
Mid points ......................................................................................................... 201
Last point.......................................................................................................... 201
Highlighted segment points ................................................................................... 202
Normal arrow colour ............................................................................................ 202
3D lighting ............................................................................................................. 203
Adding a light source to the scene ........................................................................... 203
Adjusting the position and intensity of a light source.................................................... 203
Location XY plane................................................................................................ 203
Location Z axis................................................................................................... 204
Intensity ........................................................................................................... 204
Direction........................................................................................................... 205
Remove All Lights ............................................................................................... 205
Show Light Icons ................................................................................................ 205
Hide Light Icons.................................................................................................. 205
Lights ON/ Lights OFF .......................................................................................... 205
Stereo Preferences ................................................................................................... 207
Stereo Modes ....................................................................................................... 207
Stereo Adjustment................................................................................................. 207
Generating printed output in the 3D Viewer .................................................................... 208
Troubleshooting the 3D display.................................................................................... 210
Loading a wireframe ................................................................................................. 212
To load a wireframe:............................................................................................ 212
To drape an image onto a wireframe: ...................................................................... 212
Georeferencing the image ..................................................................................... 213
To modify the display properties of a wireframe that's already been loaded....................... 214
Using clipping to view wireframe slices .......................................................................... 215
Overview............................................................................................................. 215
The Process ......................................................................................................... 215
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Using cameras ........................................................................................................ 217
To start spinning the camera ................................................................................. 217
To stop spinning the camera.................................................................................. 217
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The following values for cell density will usually give acceptable results. ........................... 229
Cell height and width ........................................................................................... 230
Search radius..................................................................................................... 230
Troubleshooting Quick Contours .................................................................................. 231
Drillhole fundamentals............................................................................................... 232
The drillhole database............................................................................................. 232
How trace coordinates are obtained......................................................................... 232
Collar file ............................................................................................................... 233
Interval file............................................................................................................. 234
Sample intervals in interval files .................................................................................. 236
Compositing in interval files........................................................................................ 237
Survey file.............................................................................................................. 237
Specifying dip in drillholes.......................................................................................... 238
Specifying drillhole azimuths....................................................................................... 238
Applying an azimuth correction.................................................................................... 239
Apply to first azimuth ............................................................................................. 239
Using drillhole databases ........................................................................................... 240
Downhole Data................................................................................................... 240
Trench Data....................................................................................................... 240
Advantages of drillhole databases ........................................................................... 240
To select a drillhole database ................................................................................. 240
To create a new drillhole database .......................................................................... 241
Drillhole database properties....................................................................................... 242
To define the properties of a drillhole database containing downhole data:........................ 242
To define the properties of a drillhole database containing trench data:............................ 243
Filtering drillhole databases ........................................................................................ 244
To select an existing filter:....................................................................................... 244
To setup a new filter: ............................................................................................. 244
Filter Conditions.................................................................................................. 244
Wildcards.......................................................................................................... 244
Combine Lines.................................................................................................... 244
Equation ........................................................................................................... 244
Reverse Filter..................................................................................................... 244
Forms .............................................................................................................. 244
Deleting drillhole databases........................................................................................ 245
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Refreshing drillhole databases..................................................................................... 245
Update all drillhole database files ............................................................................ 245
Drillhole validation ................................................................................................... 246
What Validate checks for............................................................................................ 246
Validate checks for .............................................................................................. 246
Validating drillhole data ............................................................................................. 247
Validation options .................................................................................................... 247
Generating downhole coordinates................................................................................. 248
Overview............................................................................................................. 248
The Process ......................................................................................................... 248
Generating line coordinates ........................................................................................ 249
Overview .......................................................................................................... 249
Prerequisites...................................................................................................... 249
File type 1: Sample Points..................................................................................... 249
File type 2: Trench End Points ................................................................................ 250
The Process ......................................................................................................... 250
Generating Trench Coordinates.................................................................................... 251
Overview .......................................................................................................... 251
Validation.......................................................................................................... 251
Offsets ............................................................................................................. 251
Adjustments ...................................................................................................... 251
The Process ......................................................................................................... 251
Generating a drillhole trace ........................................................................................ 253
Overview............................................................................................................. 253
The Process ......................................................................................................... 253
Creating a Minesight file ............................................................................................ 254
Overview............................................................................................................. 254
The Process ......................................................................................................... 254
Other features ...................................................................................................... 254
Importing Minesight data ........................................................................................... 255
Overview............................................................................................................. 255
The Process ......................................................................................................... 255
Creating a drillhole display in Quick Section.................................................................... 257
Overview............................................................................................................. 257
The Process ......................................................................................................... 257
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Creating a drillhole display in Quick Log......................................................................... 258
Overview............................................................................................................. 258
The Process ......................................................................................................... 258
Setting up the intersection calculation...................................................................... 258
Using a drillhole list file ........................................................................................ 258
Strings .................................................................................................................. 260
The String file....................................................................................................... 260
Editing strings ......................................................................................................... 262
Overview .......................................................................................................... 262
The Process ....................................................................................................... 262
Running the function............................................................................................ 262
Setting up the display limits ....................................................................................... 263
Displaying values at points along strings........................................................................ 263
Displaying symbols at points along strings ..................................................................... 264
Adding strings ......................................................................................................... 264
Breaking a String ..................................................................................................... 265
Closing a string ....................................................................................................... 265
Deleting a string or part or point.................................................................................. 266
Delete point....................................................................................................... 266
Delete partial ..................................................................................................... 266
Delete string...................................................................................................... 266
Editing a point or string ............................................................................................. 267
Edit point .......................................................................................................... 267
Edit string ......................................................................................................... 267
Insert points in a string ............................................................................................. 268
Insert automatically............................................................................................. 268
Insert with mouse ............................................................................................... 268
Joining strings ......................................................................................................... 268
String calculations.................................................................................................... 269
Area ................................................................................................................ 269
Bearing ............................................................................................................ 269
Length ............................................................................................................. 269
Perimeter.......................................................................................................... 269
Moving a point or string............................................................................................. 270
Move a point with the mouse ................................................................................. 270
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Move a string with the mouse ................................................................................ 270
Querying a point...................................................................................................... 270
Other string editing functions ...................................................................................... 271
Highlight a string ................................................................................................ 271
Unhighlight strings .............................................................................................. 271
Show the start of a string...................................................................................... 271
Show the end of a string....................................................................................... 271
Reversing a string .................................................................................................... 272
Extending a string .................................................................................................... 272
Copying a string ...................................................................................................... 273
By bearing and distance ....................................................................................... 273
By differential height............................................................................................ 273
With the mouse .................................................................................................. 273
By level ............................................................................................................ 273
Saving the string file after edits................................................................................... 274
Saving new or edited strings.................................................................................. 274
Using Save As to create a new string file .................................................................. 274
Saving the highlighted strings only .......................................................................... 274
String weeding ........................................................................................................ 275
Overview .......................................................................................................... 275
The Process ....................................................................................................... 275
String clipping ......................................................................................................... 276
Overview .......................................................................................................... 276
Simple method................................................................................................... 276
Doughnut method ............................................................................................... 276
The Process ....................................................................................................... 276
String smoothing ..................................................................................................... 277
Data thinning by matching points................................................................................. 278
Undoing the function............................................................................................ 278
Digitising points and strings........................................................................................ 279
The Process ....................................................................................................... 279
Graphics Options................................................................................................... 280
Numeric (N)....................................................................................................... 280
Mode (M) .......................................................................................................... 280
Increment (I)..................................................................................................... 280
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Text (T)............................................................................................................ 280
Undo (U)........................................................................................................... 280
Setup Digitiser (F8) ............................................................................................. 281
Colour (C) ......................................................................................................... 281
Flag (F) ............................................................................................................ 281
Begin (B) .......................................................................................................... 281
End (E)............................................................................................................. 281
Prompt (P) ........................................................................................................ 281
Digitising profiles ..................................................................................................... 282
Overview .......................................................................................................... 282
The Process ....................................................................................................... 282
Graphics Options ................................................................................................ 283
New line (N) ...................................................................................................... 283
Undo (U)........................................................................................................... 283
Colour (C) ......................................................................................................... 283
Setup Digitiser (F8) ............................................................................................. 283
Assigning digitiser buttons ......................................................................................... 285
Digitising profiles................................................................................................... 285
New Line........................................................................................................... 285
Undo................................................................................................................ 285
Digitising points and strings ..................................................................................... 285
Numeric mode.................................................................................................... 285
Change flag value ............................................................................................... 285
Close string ....................................................................................................... 285
Undo................................................................................................................ 285
Streaming mode ................................................................................................. 285
Outlines................................................................................................................. 286
Typical applications................................................................................................ 286
Outlines files........................................................................................................... 287
Outline file naming .............................................................................................. 287
File structure ..................................................................................................... 287
Grid transformations................................................................................................. 290
Overview............................................................................................................. 290
What about GPS? ................................................................................................ 290
Grid transformation functions................................................................................. 291
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Table Of Contents
Choosing a transformation method............................................................................... 292
Keyboard conversions .......................................................................................... 292
File conversions.................................................................................................. 292
Geographic grid transformations.................................................................................. 293
Transforming coordinates between geographic and plane grids............................................ 293
Plane grid transformations ......................................................................................... 294
Transforming coordinates between plane grids ................................................................ 294
Datum transformation............................................................................................... 295
Overview............................................................................................................. 295
Using the Datum transformations............................................................................ 295
The Process ......................................................................................................... 295
Additional information .......................................................................................... 296
The different angle units ............................................................................................ 296
Latitude and Longitude conventions.............................................................................. 296
Understanding UTM options ........................................................................................ 297
UTM zones ............................................................................................................. 298
Understanding the Transverse Mercator options............................................................... 299
Central scale factor ............................................................................................. 299
Central meridian ................................................................................................. 299
Latitude origin.................................................................................................... 299
Grid units.......................................................................................................... 299
False Easting ..................................................................................................... 299
False Northing.................................................................................................... 299
South African Lo coordinates .................................................................................... 300
Flip X-coordinates and Flip Y-coordinates .................................................................. 300
Choosing the right spheroid........................................................................................ 301
Defining a spheroid .................................................................................................. 302
Spheroid units.................................................................................................... 302
Major semi axis .................................................................................................. 302
Flattening(1/?) ................................................................................................... 302
Delta X, Y and Z ................................................................................................. 302
Geoid-Spheroid separation (N) ............................................................................... 302
Country/Datum/Spheroid ........................................................................................... 303
Compass traverse .................................................................................................... 305
Overview .......................................................................................................... 305
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Table Of Contents
The Process ....................................................................................................... 305
Traverse fields......................................................................................................... 307
Calculations with a station file ..................................................................................... 308
Calculations without a station file ................................................................................. 309
Using a station file ................................................................................................... 310
Assign Outlines........................................................................................................ 311
The Process ....................................................................................................... 312
Statistics................................................................................................................ 313
Displaying the range of your data ................................................................................ 313
Distribution statistics ................................................................................................ 314
Overview .......................................................................................................... 314
When to apply distribution statistics ........................................................................... 314
The Process ....................................................................................................... 314
Graph Options.................................................................................................... 315
Analysis Options ................................................................................................. 315
Choosing the type of graph ........................................................................................ 315
Setting the display mode ........................................................................................... 315
Setting up the graph limits ......................................................................................... 316
Further display options .............................................................................................. 316
Setting up the analysis parameters .............................................................................. 317
Model colour ...................................................................................................... 317
Show populations................................................................................................ 317
Population N colour ............................................................................................. 317
3 P Ln output field ............................................................................................... 317
Write values < minimum....................................................................................... 317
Write values > maximum...................................................................................... 317
Querying the graph .................................................................................................. 318
Displaying information about the graph ......................................................................... 318
Using the tools on the Model menu............................................................................... 318
Using the 3 Parameter calculation ................................................................................ 319
Additive Constant................................................................................................ 319
Decomposing data sets.............................................................................................. 320
Overview .......................................................................................................... 320
The Process ....................................................................................................... 320
Creating colour sets using decomposition....................................................................... 322
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Calculating descriptive statistics for your data ................................................................. 323
Calculating Normal/Log Normal statistics ....................................................................... 323
Calculating Median/Mode statistics ............................................................................... 323
Tools .................................................................................................................... 324
GPS input............................................................................................................... 324
Overview .......................................................................................................... 324
The Process ....................................................................................................... 324
Creating a GPS output file .......................................................................................... 325
Receiving GPS data .................................................................................................. 325
Setting up the trigger................................................................................................ 325
Obtaining observations: GPS or user-triggered ............................................................... 326
When Trigger = MICROMINE.................................................................................. 326
When Trigger = GPS RECEIVER .............................................................................. 326
Entering GPS fields................................................................................................... 327
Record field ....................................................................................................... 327
Longitude field ................................................................................................... 327
Latitude field...................................................................................................... 327
Elevation field .................................................................................................... 327
Date field.......................................................................................................... 327
Time field.......................................................................................................... 327
Setting up the prompt fields ....................................................................................... 327
GPS data formats..................................................................................................... 328
RS-232/RS-422 connection ........................................................................................ 329
Instrument download................................................................................................ 330
Overview .......................................................................................................... 330
The Process ....................................................................................................... 330
Header fields .......................................................................................................... 331
Header Fields Processing....................................................................................... 331
Data fields.............................................................................................................. 332
Overview .......................................................................................................... 332
Data fields processing .......................................................................................... 332
Setup the key definitions ...................................................................................... 332
Setup up the field definitions ................................................................................. 332
Instrument Download: example 1 ................................................................................ 334
Header Field Setup .............................................................................................. 334
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Table Of Contents
Data Fields Setup................................................................................................ 335
Instrument Download: Example 2 ................................................................................ 337
How to use ASCII Download ....................................................................................... 339
Coding with colours, hatches and symbols...................................................................... 340
The application of colour, hatch and symbol sets ........................................................ 340
Installing a True Type font .................................................................................... 341
Numeric sets........................................................................................................... 342
Text sets................................................................................................................ 342
Overview .......................................................................................................... 342
Creating text sets ............................................................................................... 342
Selecting the field that will control colour, hatch or symbol application.................................. 343
Navigating to the colour, hatch and symbol set dialogs...................................................... 344
Colour sets and the default colour setting ...................................................................... 344
Saving colour combinations in palettes .......................................................................... 344
Selecting colour palettes....................................................................................... 344
Saving colour palettes.......................................................................................... 344
Hatching using hatch sets .......................................................................................... 345
Plotting and printing issues to do with hatches ........................................................... 345
Hatch sets and the default hatch setting ........................................................................ 346
Symbols and symbol sets........................................................................................... 346
Saving combinations of symbols in palettes .................................................................... 347
Creating a palette of symbols................................................................................. 347
Inserting a symbol .............................................................................................. 347
Deleting a symbol ............................................................................................... 347
Moving a symbol................................................................................................. 347
Mapping existing symbols to True Type symbols .............................................................. 348
Mapping custom symbols sets to True Type symbols.................................................... 348
Numeric colour/hatch/symbol sets ............................................................................... 349
Allocating a Colour/Hatch/Symbol to a Range ................................................................. 350
Allocating a colour to a range ................................................................................... 350
Allocating a hatch to a range .................................................................................... 350
Allocating a symbol to a range.................................................................................. 350
Using Assign to identify and select text codes ................................................................. 351
Using Calculate to calculate ranges............................................................................... 351
Border values.......................................................................................................... 352
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Table Of Contents
Changing labels ....................................................................................................... 352
Changing the label order from ascending to descending..................................................... 352
Inserting and deleting ranges...................................................................................... 353
Setting the number of decimal points used to specify a range ............................................. 353
How to use the colour ramping.................................................................................... 354
Colour allocation: Range versus spectrum ...................................................................... 354
Text sets................................................................................................................ 355
Overview .......................................................................................................... 355
Creating text sets ............................................................................................... 355
Using Assign to identify and select text codes ................................................................. 356
Auto grouping text codes ........................................................................................... 356
How auto labelling works with text codes....................................................................... 357
Using Wildcards with Text Sets.................................................................................... 357
Using Macros .......................................................................................................... 358
Toolbox ............................................................................................................ 358
Using Macro functions ............................................................................................... 359
Macro functions..................................................................................................... 359
Run Batch - RUN................................................................................................. 359
Copy file - FCOPY................................................................................................ 359
Delete file - FDELETE ........................................................................................... 359
Rename File - FRENAME ....................................................................................... 359
Delete Data - DELDATA ........................................................................................ 359
Modify Structure - MODIFY .................................................................................... 359
File Report - REPORT ........................................................................................... 359
Select Printer - PRINTER....................................................................................... 359
Substitution Table - MACSUB ................................................................................. 359
Call Macro - CALLMAC .......................................................................................... 359
Steps in running a macro ........................................................................................... 360
Setting up dialogs .................................................................................................... 360
Run Macro.............................................................................................................. 361
Toolbox ............................................................................................................ 361
Creating a Macro File ................................................................................................ 362
Start by creating a new file.................................................................................... 362
To create a new macro file with the default file structure do the following:........................ 362
To create a new macro based on an existing file follow these steps: ................................ 362
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You can also use an existing macro file to enter your instructions: .................................. 362
To open an existing macro file from the File menu follow these steps:.............................. 362
How to interrupt processing........................................................................................ 363
Editing a macro ....................................................................................................... 363
Saved dialogs..................................................................................................... 363
Special commands .............................................................................................. 363
Entering instructions ................................................................................................. 364
The macro file structure............................................................................................. 365
The fields in a macro file ............................................................................................ 366
Following is a list of the commands that use fields in a non standard way: .......................... 366
FUNCTION: Abort processing of the macro. .................................................................... 366
FUNCTION: Sound the computer audio tone. .................................................................. 366
FUNCTION: Draw contours. ........................................................................................ 366
FUNCTION: Plot a file. ............................................................................................... 367
FUNCTION: Traverse adjustment. ................................................................................ 367
FUNCTION: Polygonal Section models. .......................................................................... 367
Entering parameters during execution........................................................................... 367
How to handle incomplete dialogs ................................................................................ 368
For example: ..................................................................................................... 368
To continue processing ......................................................................................... 368
To stop processing altogether ................................................................................ 368
To stop processing: ............................................................................................. 368
Using replaceable parameters ..................................................................................... 369
Pass parameters ................................................................................................. 369
Substitution parameters ....................................................................................... 369
Options ................................................................................................................. 370
System environment settings...................................................................................... 371
Saving parameters in forms........................................................................................ 372
The hierarchy of saved parameters.......................................................................... 372
Defining global, local, and personal form sets ................................................................. 373
Defining personal form sets................................................................................... 373
Selecting a global form set .................................................................................... 373
Creating a global form set ..................................................................................... 373
Personal form sets ................................................................................................... 374
Forms environment settings ....................................................................................... 375
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Accessing forms....................................................................................................... 375
Using the forms tools ........................................................................................... 375
Saving a form set..................................................................................................... 376
If you have already opened a form set, edited it, and then want to save the changes: ......... 376
Form set properties .................................................................................................. 377
Set characteristics............................................................................................... 377
Author.............................................................................................................. 377
Files ................................................................................................................ 377
Embedded sets................................................................................................... 377
Specifying the name of the form set author ............................................................... 378
Opening a form ....................................................................................................... 378
Renaming a form set ................................................................................................ 379
Deleting form sets.................................................................................................... 379
Save a form set with a new number ............................................................................. 379
Exporting form sets .................................................................................................. 380
Exporting form sets ............................................................................................. 380
Exporting layout sets from the Plot Editor ................................................................. 380
Importing form sets.................................................................................................. 380
System parameters .................................................................................................. 381
Forms and macros.................................................................................................... 381
Setting up the digitiser .............................................................................................. 382
Using the digitiser .................................................................................................... 383
Determining the digitiser output format......................................................................... 384
Setting up the digitiser environment............................................................................. 385
Setting up display limits ............................................................................................ 385
Correlating the digitiser and display grids....................................................................... 385
Digitiser environment settings..................................................................................... 386
Colours and Fonts environment settings ........................................................................ 387
3D Viewer environment settings .................................................................................. 388
Background colour .............................................................................................. 388
Draw style......................................................................................................... 388
Move style......................................................................................................... 388
Automatically refresh source files............................................................................ 388
Selection colour .................................................................................................. 388
Construction colour ............................................................................................. 388
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Tie-line colour .................................................................................................... 388
First point ......................................................................................................... 388
Mid points ......................................................................................................... 388
Last point.......................................................................................................... 388
Highlighted segment points ................................................................................... 388
Normal arrow colour ............................................................................................ 388
Symbol Options ....................................................................................................... 389
Form Field colours.................................................................................................... 390
Compulsory prompt............................................................................................. 390
Table prompt ..................................................................................................... 390
Group title......................................................................................................... 390
File type ........................................................................................................... 390
List box ............................................................................................................ 390
Zoom Box colour...................................................................................................... 390
Grid line and grid annotation colour .............................................................................. 391
Line colour ........................................................................................................ 391
Font colour ........................................................................................................ 391
Text background................................................................................................. 391
Font information ................................................................................................... 391
Font................................................................................................................. 391
Font style.......................................................................................................... 391
Font size ........................................................................................................... 391
Changing the font .................................................................................................... 391
To change the font .............................................................................................. 391
To set the style .................................................................................................. 391
To select a size (in points)..................................................................................... 391
Display text font ...................................................................................................... 392
Text background................................................................................................. 392
Index .................................................................................................................... 393
xxix
Security
The use of Crypkey software licensing has been discontinued. The MICROMINE application is now
protected by a hardware device called a dongle. Two types of dongle are used by the application:
Hardlock. The Hardlock or NetHasp dongle will be gradually phased out and replaced by
the Marx dongle.
Marx. The Marx dongle has been introduced with version 10. Unlike Hardlock dongles,
which must be returned to a Micromine office for reprogramming, Marx dongles can be
updated remotely using an activation file.
In addition to a dongle, a licence file is also needed to run the application. Since this file is
unique for each MICROMINE licence, it must be generated by Micromine and is not included
on the MICROMINE installation CD.
If you have not been provided with a licence file, please contact Micromine Sales/Support at
regkey@micromine.com.au. You will need to provide your MICROMINE licence ID.
General
The Visual Explorer (Vizex) is now opened by default whenever you start MICROMINE. The
MICROMINE user interface has been enhanced and provides the following new design features:
The menus and toolbars have been reorganised to allow easier interaction with other
functions while working with both Vizex and the 3D Viewer.
New toolbars are available when editing display objects such as strings, outlines,
wireframes, and opencut or underground mine designs.
Depending on your working environment, you can turn the display of toolbars on and off by
selecting an option from the View | Toolbars menu. Alternatively, right-click in an empty
portion of the application menu bar to display the toolbar selection list.
Functions such as the File Editor and the Plot Editor have their own new-look toolbars.
For backward compatibility, existing display functions incorporate the old-style toolbar.
Application toolbars can be customised using the Add Remove Buttons now provided on
each toolbar and new toolbars can be created.
Toolbars can be repositioned so that they are docked along the left, right, bottom, or top of
a display window, or 'floating' (positioned over the display in its own window).
The Form Sets pane (View | Form Sets) can now be used to load data in both Vizex and the
3D Viewer.
The Object Manager (View | Object Manager) can now be used to manage the display of
objects in both Vizex and the 3D Viewer.
In Vizex and the 3D Viewer, the Object Manager and the Form Sets pane can be docked in
the same way as toolbars. In addition, an Auto-Hide icon is provided when these windows
Vizex
Clipping functionality has been enhanced and the drawing speed has been optimised for
viewing sections in 3D.
The functionality provided on the Vizex toolbars has been extended to include new string
editing tools for use in open cut and underground mine design. Enhanced string editing
tools are listed in the following section. Tools which are more specific to open pit or
underground mine design, are described as part of the Mining module.
Points can now be displayed as pie segments. The size, colour, and fill of each segment are
controlled by field values. Up to eight segments can be displayed for each point. Point pie
chart symbols are typically used to display geochemical plots or block model values.
Depth and offsection values can now be displayed at a specified interval along (and at
either side of) the drillhole trace.
When displaying drillhole values along the trace, up to six values (from multiple fields) can
now be displayed.
Vizex font and line thickness settings are now honoured by the Plot Editor.
3D display limits
In Vizex, display limits can be defined (using the View | Viewpoint | Edit menu option) so
that 3D objects can be viewed from different positions and angles by rotating and moving the
camera, not by rotating and moving the objects, although that is what appears to happen.
When adjusting the limits of the 3D display, you can now specify whether to hold the camera
position (where you are looking from) and adjust the viewpoint (the focal point of the
camera as determined by its orientation), or whether to hold the viewpoint and adjust the
position of the camera.
A new Projection setting allows you to choose between a perspective or an orthogonal
camera in the 3D display. Camera position and orientation can also be set.
Loading multiple outline files
Multiple outline files can now be selected when loading outlines using the Display | Vizex |
Outlines menu option.
View tools
The following new or enhanced tools are available on the View toolbar when the Vizex display is
active:
Elevation/Section Control
The current Elevation/Section value is displayed in an editable input box, which provides an
easy way to set the start elevation of new strings, as well as providing visual feedback on the
current setting.
Measure
Click the Measure tool to measure the distance between two or more points digitised on
screen. Optionally, select the Snapping option from the drop-down menu, or press the Shift
key while measuring to enable snapping mode.
Query
File Import
New import options have been added to the File menu. These are:
Import | GIS files, including point, line, and polygon data stored in a variety of third party
GIS formats. Formats that can be imported include ArcView shapefiles, Microstation
DGN files, and MapInfo files in both TAB and MIF formats.
Import | MapGIS spatial data files containing line or point data. MapGIS is a GIS package
developed by the China University of Geosciences and is widely used in China.
Import DEM grid files. China Standard Transfer Format grid data (DEM) files are digital
cartographic/geographic grid data files produced by the China Geological Survey. The grid
data is stored from north to south and from west to east, as a text file.
Extract Unique
When using the File | Fields | Extract Unique function, additional key fields can now be
written to the output file, along with a count (of the number of occurrences) for each unique
value.
Transform Grid
Support for the South African Lo coordinate system, also known as the Gauss Conform
Projection (an adaptation of the Transverse Mercator projection), has been added to the
Transverse Mercator options provided with the Survey | Transform Grids | Geographic
option.
Drillhole Databases
In MICROMINE 10, the use of drillhole databases is now the preferred option when processing and
displaying drillhole data.
New Dhole | Database menu options can be used to create, edit, delete, and refresh
drillhole databases.
One or more, or all, of the drillhole databases in the current project can also be refreshed
using the Tools | Macro Functions | Drillhole Database Refresh menu option.
Subblocking
In previous versions of MICROMINE, subblocking could only be performed by subdividing model cells
into virtual sub-blocks in order to calculate factors for each parent cell. Using the options provided
under the Modelling | Subblocking menu, existing block models can now be:
validated, using the Validate Block Model option, to ensure that there are no overlapping
blocks and that no discrepancies exist between the block model (OBM) file and the block
definitions assigned to it. A check can also be made for missing compulsory field values or
invalid non-numeric values.
sliced by different block definitions into a sub-blocked model so that the output model can
fit into new block definitions, using the Reblock Block Model option.
added together irrespective of their sub-cell division, using the Add Two Block Models
option.
optimised, using the Optimise Block Model option, in a way that sub-blocks are combined
into bigger blocks within parent cells.
converted into a factored model, using the Regularise Block Model option. The process
creates a block model with regular block sizes.
A blank block model can also be created using the Modelling | 3D Block Estimate | Blank
Block Model menu option.
As well as specifying block definitions and constants, the user can also specify block
constraints and sub-block those blocks that are wholly or partially inside one or more
wireframes, or above or below a DTM.
Subblocking with Assign
3D Viewer
Use the View | 3D | Transparency Style menu options to specify the quality of rendering
for transparent objects in the 3D display.
New viewing modes, provided on the View | 3D | Viewing Modes menu, allow you to
change the camera position and alter the way that the scene is viewed.
Wireframing
An extensive range of new wireframe editing tools are provided on the Wireframe Editor toolbar.
These include:
Edit Strings
Use the Edit Strings button to put the display into Edit Strings mode. Sometimes you will
also need to edit strings in the Wireframe Editor. A good example is when you need to close
off ore bodies by extending the shape of the wireframe mid-way between drillhole sections.
Edit Triangles
Use the Edit Triangles tool to edit the triangles in a wireframe individually. This gives you
the opportunity to delete individual triangles and reconstruct the surface.
Build Wireframes
Use the Build Wireframes tool to put the display into Build Wireframes mode. A number of
triangulation options are then enabled.
Triangulation Methods
File types
Many different file formats are used by the application, each with a different file extension. File
names follow Windows 95/NT/98/2000/XP rules and long file names can be used. However, if you
change the file extensions from those listed below, the program will not be able to locate them in
the project directory.
The different file types used by the MICROMINE application, are summarised below:
Extension File type
.BAK Backup files.
Whenever a Data File is opened, a copy of that file can be saved with an extension .BAK. This
backup file is not directly accessible via the application, but it can be renamed to have an extension
.DAT or .STR or .SVY etc.
As part of the environment settings for the File Editor, you can choose whether to create a backup
file whenever a data file is opened. This allows you to revert to the earlier version of a file.
.BDB Forms files.
Form sets that contain the saved parameters used in dialogs and forms are saved in .BDB (MS
Access database) Forms files. These files are located in each project folder.
System parameters for such things as paper sizes and environment settings, are stored in a Forms
file with a .SYS extension in the application folder.
.BD$ Forms undo files.
.BMP Bitmap files.
BMP (and DIB) files are known as "Device Independent Bitmap" files. An enhanced "DIB" file format
was released with Microsoft Windows. Windows BMP and DIB files may be saved using no
compression (RGB encoded) or using run length encoded compression (RLE encoded). Compression
may only be used on 4 and 8 bits-per-pixel images.
.DAT Data files (also with extensions, STR, SVY, SEC or STP).
A Micromine Data File is an equal record length ASCII file with a header describing the format of the
data records. Data files can contain any type of information since the file structure is defined by the
header section.
The above is an example of a simple data file. Each record is terminated with a CR/LF. The first
record is a title line of 40 characters.
10
DESCRIPTION
LENGTH
JUST IFICATION
COMMENTS
Name
10
Left
Type
Left
C or N (Character or Numeric)
D(Date) is recognised but treated as N
W idth
Precision
Right
Right
1 to 256
Enter the number of decimal
places. (The width includes the
decimal point and the number of
decimals).
0 to 9 (always 0 if Type=C)
The line after the header is where the actual data starts. Each record is terminated with a carriage
return and linefeed. The records are fixed length and match the format defined by the header.
Values are left justified and spaces are used to pad to the correct width
Field types
There are only two field types in a data file: Numeric (N) and Character (C). You can enter any
character into either, but only numeric fields can be used in calculations.
When a numeric field contains characters and it is used in a calculation, the following rules apply:
If the values in the field contain a number with following characters, the characters will be
ignored. For example, 200B evaluates to 200.
If the first part of the entry in a field is not part of a number or is blank, it evaluates to
zero. For example, DH001 will evaluate to zero.
Extra control over blank values and those with leading characters is provided by the options in the
numeric exceptions dialog box. These are especially useful when dealing with files returned from
assay labs since they often contain a mixture of character and numeric data in the fields they
contain.
Field values starting with a < (less than) sign are a special case. They are used to indicate values
less than the detection limit. You can control the way such values are handled in Numeric
Exceptions.
Files with the extension SEC and STP usually contain profile (cross section) information. There are
three fields. The first has a constant value for each profile. In STP files the profile numbering starts
at 1 and increments, in SEC files the values are related to specific sections (suffixed by N or E, for
North and East) and increment by a constant value. The last two fields are XY values defining the
profile. Each profile is sorted by increasing X values.
String information is stored in data files (any of the above extensions). Two fields are used to define
the "stringing". We usually refer to these as the String and Join fields. It is not necessary to use
both a String and a Join field - often just one of these is sufficient. Two points are part of the same
string if they satisfy the following criteria:
11
If a String field is defined, the values in the String field are identical.
If a Join field is defined, the values in the Join field are identical. However, if the Join value
contains a tilde (~) then the previous point is not part of the same string, but the next
point is. (has the effect of "breaking" a string).
EAST
_EAST
NORTH
_NORTH
RL
_RL
Additionally there will be a number of attribute fields, as defined by the user. Typically these might
include grades, SG, codes, index, factor, standard deviation, points etc.
.DXF Data Interchange files.
The DXF file format allows for the interchange of drawings between CAD applications (AutoCAD,
Microstation etc.) and other applications.
.ECW Compressed Image files.
To improve performance when displaying large image files, the application converts the image to a
compressed file format known as ECW. The ECW file format is widely used and supported by other
packages. Georeference information is stored internally as part of the compressed file. The file can
be previewed and plotted like any other image file. More information...
.FLY Flight Path files.
A flight path or fly-through sequence, created in the 3D Viewer, can be saved to a data file with a
.FLY extension. Flight Path files can be loaded and invoked in the 3D Viewer. They can also be saved
and invoked as video (.AVI) files. More information...
.GRD Grid files.
GRID files define a set of equally spaced grid nodes (in an XY plane) and each node has an
associated Z value. It is a binary file with a format defined below.
An initial header:
typedefstructgridFileHeader
{
double xNOfNodes;
//numberofgridnodesinX&Ydirection
double yNOfNodes;
double xNodeDist;
double yNodeDist;
12
//distancebetweenthesenodes
double xMin;
//Xinputdatawindow
double xMax;
double yMin;
//Yinputdatawindow
double yMax;
double zMin;
//gridnodesMin,Max
double zMax;
char
dummy[512];
//currentlynotused
}GRD_FILE_HDR;
After the header there are xNOfNodes * yNOfNodes values, each sizeof(double).
A node value of -100000000.0 indicates an empty node.
The first values in the file are for xMin, yMin to xMax, yMin.
The next "row" is xMin, yMin + yNodeDist to xMax, yMin + yNodeDist... etc
.LBN Compiled look-up tables.
.LDT Look-up table source files.
MDB Link files. A data file created by establishing a link to a Microsoft Access database table.
ODBC Link files. A data file created by establishing a link to an ODBC data source.
.OUT Outline files.
.PGL (HPGL) files.
A .PGL plot output file consists of a series of drawing commands in the Plotter Graphics Language
created by the Plot Editor. PGL was originally defined by Hewlett Packard (Hewlett-Packard Graphics
language). Most modern plotters recognize HPGL commands.
.PED Plot data sets.
Plot Data Sets define the lines of text that will be written in plot frames. For example, the text files
TITLE.PED, CLIENT.PED and NOTES.PED might contain text that define the plot title, the name and
address of a client, and notes about the mine area shown in the plot.
.PEL Plot file.
.PEP Most recently used plot parameters.
.PLS Plot layout forms.
.PRN Printer/plotter file.
.PRO Project file.
.RPT Report file.
.REP ASCII Report.
.SEC A .SEC file which defines the ground level, generated using Survey | Cross Sections |
Generate.
.STP A .STP file is a profile setup file created in Stacked Profiles | Setup.
.STR String file (See .DAT Data files).
.SVY Survey file (See .DAT Data files).
.SYS Form files (See .BDB Forms files).
13
Although the above example shows the Point and Triangle IDs starting at 0, this is not a
requirement. It is necessary for each ID to be unique and for all Point IDs, referenced in the
Triangles table, to exist.
.XPM A Form set saved from Execute.
Editor files
Extension File type
@LAYOUT files. Store field translations, hidden fields, last used Execute saved set, column widths.
.LK
A Lookup link file (stores absolute paths to lookup tables attached to a particular data file).
14
Fields Validate
With validate you can compare the data in selected fields of a file against permitted values that you
have set up in a check file.
When you run this function, data in the chosen fields is validated against the data in your check file.
A report is then generated with detailed information on the results of the validation. Your data in
both the input and check files remains unchanged.
You can also check numeric values against a minimum and maximum range.
Another example where you can use validation is to check the lithological names you have in a file.
You would then set up a check file with all allowable names, and use it to compare your entries
against that check.
Note: When validating drill hole data, the Hole, From and To fields you specify are used to reference
errors in the report file. To check for logical sequence errors in your From and To values, use the Dhole |
Validate option instead.
To validate the data in a file, do the following:
1.
2.
In the Input section, enter the name of the file to be validated. Define a filter to selectively
control which records will be processed.
3.
To validate files with FROM and TO fields (e.g. Drill Holes), select DRILL HOLE from the
Data type list and enter the name of the hole field and the fields containing the From and
To measurements of the sample. If you want to validate any other type of data select
GENERAL.
4.
Enter the name of the Check file that contains the permitted values against which you want
to compare your data.
5.
Enter the name of the Report file where you want to store the results of the validation. The
report file will only contain details of the fields that do not pass the validation. If this file
does not yet exist it will be created.
6.
In the table, type the name of the fields (from the input file) that need to be validated, the
minimum and maximum values they can contain and the name of the check fields (in the
check file) that contain the acceptable values. (The minimum and maximum fields may only
be entered for numeric values. You can also apply a check file to numeric fields but still
need to enter values in the minimum and maximum fields).
7.
You can further restrict the validation by optionally selecting the Ignore Blanks or Case
Sensitive boxes.
8.
Click OK.
15
Replace
Use this function to search for and replace specific data in one or more fields of a file.
When you execute the function, it will search the selected field for the strings you defined, and
replace them in the original files with the new strings.
You can search for numeric values or character strings and may optionally use wildcards and
relative operators.
Remember, when using wildcards with fields of type CHARACTER, all data (including numbers) will
be evaluated as character strings (and numbers come before characters in the program ordering).
For example, you can search a field for all values that start with a or b, by entering <=b*.
16
1.
From the File menu select Fields | Replace or, if you are in Fields | Update, select
Replace and click the More button opposite.
2.
Enter the name of the file you want to work with. Optionally define a filter to selectively
control which records will be processed.
3.
In the column called Field name, type the name of the field that contains the data you want
to change.
4.
In the column called Replace, type the string to search for, using wildcards if required.
5.
In the column called With, type the new value to replace the existing string.
6.
Click OK.
Description
Increment
Writes an optional starting value to the first record and then applies a
fixed increment to subsequent records.
Replicate
Blank
Copy from
Copies the value of the From Field to the next record of Field Name.
Skip records
By using Skip Records you can choose to bypass a specified number of records after each iteration
of the function. For example, when you set skip records to 2, the function will only affect the first,
fourth, seventh, etc records. The records that are skipped remain unchanged.
Skip records during increment
Assuming that before the operation the From field contains all zeroes, which you could easily have
entered with the Increment | blank function. You then perform the Increment function on the
Increment menu, using the parameters as shown. This will update every third record. Figure three
shows the file after the operation.
17
18
Calculate
This function allows you to perform a number of mathematical and trigonometric operations on all
records in a field.
You can perform up to ten calculations in one operation, and the results of each step can be used in
the next step, by storing the results in temporary fields. (If you want to use Forms with the
Calculate function, use the one under Tools | Calculate.)
Using Calculate is the only way to make a straight copy of numerical data from one field to
another. To do so, just add zero to the field you want to copy, then write the result to the
destination field.
You can use the Calculate functions for example to convert between Strike and Dip direction
values, cut assays to a defined value and total the values down a hole while consecutive
values of any variable remain unchanged.
Select the File | Fields | Calculate menu option, or, if you are in Fields | Update, select
Calculate and click the More button opposite.
2.
Enter the name of the file you want to work with. Define a filter to selectively control which
records will be processed.
3.
In the Input columns, type the values to be used in the operation (either a constant value,
the name of a field or a temporary field that was previously generated in the Result).
4.
5.
In the Result column type in the name of a field where the result of the operation is to be
stored. A temporary field is indicated by #0 to #9. The final result must be an existing field
in the file.
6.
Select the Overwrite box if you want existing data in the Result field to be overwritten with
the new values.
7.
Click the numeric exceptions button. This brings up a new dialog box where you can specify
how non-numeric values are handled.
8.
Choose the format used for Latitude and Longitude values. Available options are:
9.
19
Update
With this option you can combine the Replace, Increment and Calculate functions which are also
available separately under the File | Fields menu. When you run this function, the operations you
select are executed in the order they are specified in the dialog box.
For more information, refer to the descriptions for each individual function.
To use the update function, do the following:
20
1.
2.
Enter the name of the file you want to work with. Define a filter to selectively control which
records will be processed.
3.
Select the Overwrite data box if you want existing data in the Result field to be overwritten
with the new values.
4.
Select the check box next to the functions you want to perform. The More button will be
enabled.
5.
Click the More button and enter the required details in the new dialog box. Then click Close
to return to the update dialog box.
6.
Click OK.
Generate
With the generate function you can assign a specific text string or a numeric value to ranges of
data. It can be used to group similar data into blocks for easier manipulation.
When you run this function, the values in a reference field are checked to see if they fall within the
certain range (for numeric fields), or if they are equal to a specific text string (for character fields).
For those that do, the value from the associated result attribute is copied to the Result field; others
get the value from the Default result field.
You can use Generate with symbols, to automatically assign symbol numbers based on the data in
your file.
For example, you can assign symbol number 10, in a separate field, to all records with a gold grade
of 0 - 2 grams. All those between 2 and 5 grams are given the value 25, etc. When you ensure that
the numbers you assign correspond to actual symbol numbers, you can then plot the grades using
symbols instead of the actual grades.
You can also use the Generate function if you want to generate some meaningful text from the
numbers in your file. You can enter text strings of up to 60 characters.
To use the generate function, do the following:
1.
2.
From the Method list select the type of file to work with; either Parameters, colour set or
hatch set. Parameters works with any value while Colour set and Hatch set only work with
colour and hatch sets respectively.
3.
Enter the name of the file you want to work with. Optionally define a filter to selectively
control which records will be processed.
4.
Enter the name of the field that is to be checked (the Reference field). For Colour and Hatch
sets the reference field is called Colour field or Hatch field respectively.
5.
Enter the name of the field where the result is to be stored (the Result field).
6.
Enter the value to be placed in the result for fields that do not pass the check (Default
result).
7.
For Colour or Hatch set enter the number of a set in the Colour Set or Hatch Set field. For
the parameters method type in attributes for one or more fields to be checked:
Type a value in the Result column of the table. This will be placed in the Result field of the
file for fields that contain the defined values.
8.
Select the Overwrite data box if you want this function to overwrite existing data.
9.
Click OK.
21
Average
With the Average function you can calculate a simple or weighted average of up to eight fields. You
can do the weighing using values in other fields or by using constants you specify.
You can use Averaging for instance when you have drill samples that were assayed to a different
accuracy.
For example, the initial assays of your gold samples could have been done roughly, to find the
approximate gold value. The samples of a promising area may then be submitted to a different
analytical technique. When you subsequently average all the assay results, you may want to attach
more weight to the ones that were analyzed more accurately.
To use the Average function, follow these steps:
22
1.
2.
Enter the name of the file you want to work with. Optionally define a filter to selectively
control which records will be processed.
3.
Type in the name of an existing field where you want to store the result.
4.
If you want existing data in the result field to be overwritten, select the Overwrite Data
box.
5.
Type in all the fields you want to average with optional weights. Leaving the weight field
blank applies a weight of one
6.
Click the Numeric Exceptions button. This brings up a new dialog box where you can specify
how non-numeric values should be handled.
7.
Click OK.
Split
With this function you can split the data from a field into multiple parts, and place each component
in a new field of the same record.
When you run the split function, the selected components are copied to other fields, while the
source field remains unchanged.
You can use this on both numeric and text data. The point at which data is separated is determined
by a number of characters or by a delimiter in the source field. Virtually any combination of
characters can be used as a delimiter.
This function is useful for splitting a drill hole sample identifier into its components. A drill
hole sample identifier such as 96DDH1170-4 could have been used to identify the year of
drilling, the drill hole identifier, from and to distances. This could be separated into four
fields containing 96, DDH117, 0 and 4 so that drill hole logs can be constructed.
You can also use Split to copy alphanumeric data from one field to another. In that case,
enter only one field name for the destination field. Note that this is the only way to do a
straight copy of character type data. Numeric data can also be copied via the Calculate
function.
2.
Enter the name of the file you want to work with. Optionally apply a filter to selectively
control which records will be processed.
3.
In the Field to split prompt, type in the name of the field that you want to split.
4.
In the group called Split fields, type in the names of the fields where you want the split
data to be stored.
5.
Specify the position of the split by typing in a value in either the Length or Delimiter field.
6.
Select the Overwrite box if required. When selected, the results will overwrite any existing
values in the destination fields.
7.
Click OK.
23
Join
With the Join function you can combine the values of up to six fields into a single field. It is the
reverse of the Split operation. Numeric and character variables can be combined, spaces can be
removed and delimiters can be inserted between the component fields.
This can be useful for display purposes, where the resultant field is then treated as a single entity.
If you want to join several fields, follow these steps:
24
1.
2.
Enter the name of the file you want to work with. Optionally select a filter to selectively
control which records will be processed.
3.
Enter up to six fields that are to be joined together. You must enter at least two fields.
4.
Enter the name of the field that is to contain the result. If it does not exist it will be
created, in which case you need to define its size (WIDTH), number of decimal places and
the type (character or numeric).
5.
If you want to remove spaces from the source fields select Strip Spaces.
6.
To include a delimiter between the fields select the delimiter box and enter the value of the
delimiter in the box that becomes highlighted.
7.
If you want to overwrite any data that is already in the result field, select the Overwrite
data box.
8.
Click OK.
2.
Enter the name of the file containing the values in Input File.
3.
In Extraction field, enter the name of the field you need to extract unique values from.
4.
Optionally, select up to 2 key fields which will be written to the output file.
5.
Enter a name for the output file. This file will be created when you run the function.
6.
Click OK to run the function. Unique values will be written to the output file together with a
count (the number of occurrences) for each unique value.
Case sensitive
When you select Case sensitive, character case will be considered when uniqueness is tested. For
example, when you select this option Cnz and CNZ will be considered unique.
Sort output
Select Sort output when you need to sort the output in alphabetical order (numbers will precede
letters).
Num eric
Select Numeric (ignore leading characters) when you want to find the unique numeric component of
values with a character prefix.
25
Select Edit | Tools | Sort from the menu. The Simple Sort dialog will open.
2.
3.
4.
Continue entering field names and setting the sort order for each.
5.
Click the OK button and the data file will be sorted. The new sort order will be permanently
displayed.
26
Description
Modify
Utilities
Conversions
Select this option when you want to open the project folder in
Windows Explorer.
Import
Export
Merge
Append
Sort
Filter
27
2.
Select the name of the file whose structure you want to modify, and click OK. This opens
the Edit screen.
3.
You can use all the functions in the editor in the normal way to insert or edit fields. The
existing file structure is summarised on the right side of the screen.
4.
When you exit from editing the structure, you are asked to format numeric fields. Selecting
Yes will rewrite numeric fields with the number of decimal places you defined in the editor.
You will also have the option to left justify the values in all fields.
5.
Note: You can also modify the file structure (of most file types) by pressing F6 with the cursor over the
File name prompt.
If you want to modify the file structure via a macro, use the Modify Structure function on the Tools |
Macro Functions menu.
28
File Sort
Use the File | Sort function to sort records using one or more fields as the keys, and store the
result in the same or a different file. You can sort records in any combination of ascending or
descending order.
To sort the records in a file, follow these steps:
1.
2.
In the File Sort dialog, enter (or double-click to select) the names of the source and output
files. If the output file does not exist it will be created.
3.
Type in the fields to be used as sort keys and select the sort sequence (ascending or
descending).
4.
Click OK.
Note: Given the sequential nature of string data, be careful when sorting strings. Make sure that there is
a field in the file that you can use to Unsort.
29
File Utilities
Use the File | Utilities function to manage your files and their contents. The utilities provided (via
the Mode drop-down list) fall into two broad categories: those used to perform File Maintenance,
and those used to obtain File Information.
Note that with some functions (like Delete) you can use the standard Windows method (using the Shift
or Ctrl keys with the mouse) to tag several files and then apply Delete on all of the files at once.
The following utilities are provided:
30
Copying files
Deleting files
Renaming files
Fixing files
Append File
File View
Descriptive Statistics
File Conversions
The File Conversions function enables you to change your file from one type to another, for example
from a STRING file to an OUTLINE file. Some conversions merely involve copying files, such as
DATA to STRING, while others can have extra information assigned.
The fields that are copied depend on the types of files you are working with. For example, when
converting to SECTION type files, only three fields will be copied. Therefore data may not be
converted to and from some types.
Conversions from SECTION to OUTLINE type files are very useful in displaying topographic profiles
or pit outlines on drill cross sections and longitudinal sections.
SECTION to PROFILES conversions can be used to create three dimensional representations of
topographic profiles.
To convert a file from one type to another, follow these steps:
1.
2.
Enter the name and type of the file to be converted and apply an optional a filter. The
source file will always remain unaltered.
3.
Enter the name and type for the destination file. You can choose an existing file which will
then be overwritten, or create a new one.
4.
Enter additional information as required. Appropriate fields and buttons will be enabled
depending on the type of conversion.
In Model type in a polygonal model name, and for Geology/Design # type the file to be
converted.
In Stacked profile type in a single character suffix for the profile name.
Section to outline uses the section coordinate as the name for each outline to be created.
Make sure you include the numeric suffix as part of the name of the first outline file. This
suffix will be automatically incremented for other files.
The two Field Names buttons bring up dialog boxes where you enter field names containing
coordinates, outline names and attributes.
5.
For more information about the different file types used by the application, refer to the File types
topic. Any file type that can be selected in the File Conversions dialog can be converted to any other
file type with the following exceptions:
1. You can convert FROM but cannot convert TO the following file types:
MACRO
MDB LINK
ODBC LINK
REPORT
2.
3.
Profile files can not be converted to file types GEOLOGY, DESIGN and OUTLINE.
31
Importing data
With the import function you can copy the contents of external files into a file in the program. You
would generally use it to import complete files. This function is similar to the simple import on the
File | Tools menu. However, it has several more options; it works with files that are not opened in
the file editor, and it can be used with macros.
You can import (or append) these types of files:
32
Text
DXF
ODBC
MDB
Dbase
Old DTMs
Wireframes
Block models
MapGIS
GIS
DEM
2.
3.
Enter the name and location of the file of interest in Import file path. If you double click
(F3), the Windows Select File dialog box will open. Use this to select an external file. Once
you have selected a file, you can right double click (F4) to view its contents. This is limited
to the specified file types.
4.
5.
6.
(Optional) If you intend to overwrite data in the current file (into which the data will be
imported) select Overwrite.
7.
Click the OK button. A message box appears listing the name of the file being imported and
the name of the target file. Click the OK button if these are correct. If not, press ESC to
interrupt the processing.
If the importation proceeds successfully you will be informed when the process is completed. If an
error occurs the process will be interrupted and an appropriate error message displayed.
Note: When data is stored in exponential notation e.g. 0.12340000E3, import the number then convert
it back to normal notation i.e. 123.4 by multiplying it by 1 using Edit | Tools | Calculate.
If you import data from the same source often, use a Form to save the entries in the Import dialog for
later use.
33
34
1.
2.
Type the full pathname of the source file or double-click and browse the system.
3.
The first and last lines in a text file often contain labels and header information. If you want
to exclude this, type in the number of lines you want to ignore in Start of file and End of
file.
4.
Determine how fields in the import file are delimited by pressing F4 with the cursor on the
Text file path. Then select a corresponding Text file format.
5.
6.
For a file that is not column delimited, the source and target fields can be put in a different
sequence by clicking the Delimited Fields button. The Delimited Fields dialog that appears
has two columns; the number refers to the field order in the source file, the Output column
refers to target file fields.
7.
8.
Click OK. If the destination file already exists, you will have the option to overwrite it or to
append the imported data at the end.
ODBC Import
To use the ODBC Import function, do the following:
1.
Make sure you have defined the data source using the Administrative Tools | Data Sources
(ODBC) option under the Windows Control Panel.
Note: The procedure to install a new driver and link one or more data sources may be different
depending on the version of Windows you are running. For detailed instructions see your Microsoft user
guide.
2.
3.
4.
5.
Double-click on the name of the data source that contains the information you want to
import. You must install suitable ODBC drivers before the ODBC Import will work. Do this in
the Windows Control Panel.
6.
Navigate to and select the database, file or spreadsheet you want to import and click OK.
7.
In the Select Table dialog, select the table you want to link to, and then click OK. Use the
radio buttons to control which tables will appear. Choose: All tables, Compound, User or
Single.
8.
Enter the name of the target file in the Import ODBC dialog box. The imported data will be
saved in this file. If the file exists, you will be asked if you want to overwrite it.
9.
Specify how the target file will be structured. There are three options:
Determine structure. If this option is selected, the function will read the
contents of the source table to determine the most appropriate width and format
for each field in the target file.
Use database structure. If this option is selected, the function will base the
structure of the target file on the structure of the source table.
Use current structure. If this option is selected, the function will use the current
structure of the target file. Note: This option will be disabled if the target file does
not exist (i.e. you are creating a new file).
In the case of the Determine structure and Use database structure options, if
the target file exists (i.e. you are not creating a new file) a check is made to
ensure that all of the fields selected for import can be mapped to fields in the
target file which have the same Name, Width and Precision.
In the case of the Use current structure option, a check is made to ensure
that all of the fields selected for import can be mapped to fields in the target
file with the same Name.
If all of the fields selected for import can be mapped to fields in the target
file, you will be prompted whether to append or overwrite data to the file.
If one or more fields cannot be mapped (the target file and the source table
are incompatible) you will be prompted to overwrite the target file. Click YES
to continue the import. Click NO to abort the import process.
Note: Some data types, such as LongVarChar, Memo, Image and Binary data types, cannot be
converted to a format that is compatible with Micromine file formats. Click on the following link for a list
of compatible data types and default widths and precisions used during the import process.
35
36
The Process
1.
2.
3.
Navigate to and select the Access database you want to import (for example,
prospect1.mdb ) and click OK.
4.
In the Select Table dialog, select the table you want to link to, and then click OK. Use the
radio buttons to control which tables will appear. Choose: All tables, Compound, User or
Single.
5.
Enter the name of the target file. This is the file where the data will be imported into.
6.
To import all the fields in the table select the Select all check box. Otherwise select one or
more fields from the list. Use the Ctrl and Shift keys and the mouse pointer to select
multiple fields. Remember that field names can be up to a maximum 10 characters in
length: longer names will be truncated during the import process.
7.
Specify how the target file will be structured. There are three options:
Determine structure. If this option is selected, the function will read the
contents of the source table to determine the most appropriate width and format
for each field in the target file.
Use database structure. If this option is selected, the function will base the
structure of the target file on the structure of the source table.
Use current structure. If this option is selected, the function will use the current
structure of the target file. Note: This option will be disabled if the target file does
not exist (i.e. you are creating a new file).
In the case of the Determine structure and Use database structure options, if the
target file exists (i.e. you are not creating a new file) a check is made to ensure that
all of the fields selected for import can be mapped to fields in the target file which
have the same Name, Width and Precision.
In the case of the Use current structure option, a check is made to ensure that all of
the fields selected for import can be mapped to fields in the target file with the same
Name.
If all of the fields selected for import can be mapped to fields in the target file, you
will be prompted whether to append or overwrite data to the file.
If one or more fields cannot be mapped (the target file and the source table are
incompatible) you will be prompted to overwrite the target file. Click YES to continue
the import. Click NO to abort the import process.
Note: Some data types, such as Memo, Image and Binary data types, cannot be converted to a format
that is compatible with Micromine file formats. Click on the following link for a list of compatible data
types and default widths and precisions used during the import process.
37
To preview the results of the import, select Preview and enter the number or records you
want to see. Click Import and the Preview dialog will open. In this dialog you can see a
sample of the records in the table from which you are importing. You can also change the
structure of the table that will be created by the application.
9.
10. Click Import in the Import MDB dialog to complete the process.
When the import is complete a message will report the number of records that have been
successfully imported.
38
2.
3.
Type the layers to be imported (the default, identified by *, is all). Layer numbers are
separated by commas, for example 1,2,5.
4.
Type in new X, Y and Z factors or use the defaults of 1.0. You can use these to compensate
for any exaggerated scales in the DXF file.
5.
To import linework or text data select the appropriate check box. The More button opposite
will be enabled.
6.
Click the More button and specify the output file and the destination fields. For Linework
select the objects you want to import.
7.
Click OK.
Note: The application supports the AutoCad DXF standard. Other applications may create DXF files that
do not comply with this standard. You may not be able to import those files.
39
40
1.
2.
3.
Enter the name and type of the DTM (wireframe) that will be created.
4.
5.
Import wireframes
Use the Import Wireframes function to import one of four types of file, from which a wireframe (and
its associated triangulation database file), can be constructed.
In addition to importing wireframe data, this function has other uses. For example, you might want
to reposition a wireframe by moving it 500m to the East, or apply a grid transformation to the
points in a wireframe. In such cases you can export the wireframe, process the exported file, and
then convert it back to a wireframe using File | Import Wireframes.
To import a wireframe:
1.
2.
3.
If you selected MICROMINE as the input file type, specify the names of the Triangles and
Points files. See "Input types" below.
4.
If you selected DXF as the input file type, the Import to a single wireframe option is
enabled. This gives you the opportunity to merge two or more wireframes into a single
entity. See "Combining wireframes" below.
5.
Enter a wireframe type (F3) and enter a name for the wireframe that will be created.
6.
Input types
DXF
VULCAN
ASCII
Micromine
Combining wireframes
When you set the input type to DXF, the prompt, Import to a single wireframe, is enabled. This
gives you the opportunity to merge two or more wireframes into a single entity. A example of where
this feature can be used is when you have DTMs (wireframes) defining the upper and lower surface
of a seam saved as a wireframe set. If you export the wireframe set to a DXF file and then import
that DXF file with Import to a single wireframe selected, the two surfaces of the seam will be
contained in a single wireframe.
Later, in the Wireframing function, you can close the upper and lower surfaces of the seam. Using
the Validate function in Wireframing is a convenient way of doing this because it recognises and
selects open faces in a wireframe. Once the open surfaces of the wireframe are selected, you can
join them to form a closed surface.
41
DATAMINE
GEMCOM
SURPAC
When you set the input type to DATAMINE or GEMCOM, the function is
expecting a text-based block model file which was exported from
DATAMINE or GEMCOM. In both cases, the text file will usually have a
.TXT file extension.
When you set the input type to SURPAC, the function is expecting a
text file with a .STR or a .OBS extension.
42
1.
2.
Enter the Text file path or click the ellipse button to Browse to the location of the input file.
3.
4.
Enter the output file name or double-click to select a file from the current project.
5.
Import attributes
Select this option to import attributes (i.e. descriptions and other metadata) as well as spatial (line,
point, or polygon) features. ArcGIS (.SHP) shapefiles, for example, store attributes in a separate
dBASE (.DBF) file. Other file formats, such as Microstation Design (.DGN) files, have an attribute
layer in the same file.
43
MapGIS file
Navigate to the location of the .WAT and .WAL file(s) you want to import.
Output
Specify an output file. The type of file you select should be compatible with the type of features
(points or lines) being imported.
44
File path
Navigate to the location of the .DEM file(s) you want to import.
Sam pling factor
DEM files are often large in size. To ease the import process, it may be necessary to specify a
sampling factor in order to extract a subsample of features while maintaining a regular grid pattern
of points.
A sampling factor of 5, for example, would mean that every fifth point in the input file is imported.
In the case of a 500 by 500 point grid, the resulting input file would be a 100 by 100 grid of points.
Output
Specify an output file. The type of file you select should be compatible with the type of features
being imported.
45
Exporting data
The functions under File | Export allow you to export data to external files in several formats,
including exports to Text, AutoCAD DXF, and ODBC files, or as coordinates for a survey instrument.
See also Exporting data in the File Editor.
You can export these types of files:
46
Text
DXF
ODBC
dBase
Wireframes
Enter the character that will be used to replace non-numeric field values.
3.
Enter the character that will be used to replace blank field values.
4.
If the COLUMN FORMAT text file format is selected, select the Left-justify option if you want
numeric fields to be left-justified in the output file.
Options
5.
Choose the format of the output text file from the drop down list. The following formats are
supported:
Note: Delimiters are ASCII characters used to separate one data field from the next. A comma is often
used as a delimiter.
6.
If the DELIMITED text file format is selected, enter the ASCII character to be used as a
separator between adjacent field values.
7.
If you have chosen a delimited (TAB, SPACE, COMMA , or ASCII character) text file format,
enter the character to appear before and after each character field value. The double quote
(") is most commonly used.
8.
If you have chosen a delimited (TAB, SPACE, COMMA , or ASCII character) text file format,
enter the character to appear before and after each numeric field value.
9.
Select the Write field names to first record option to write field names to the first line of the
output file. Field names will be enclosed in quotes and separated using the same delimiter
used to write data records to the output file.
10. Select the Export View option to export the fields in the order they are displayed in the
editor. Hidden fields will not be exported. Select the Export File option to export the fields
in the order they are defined by the file structure. Hidden fields will be included in the
export process.
47
48
1.
2.
Enter the name for the source file and apply an optional filter.
3.
Type the replacement for non-numeric or blank characters found in numeric fields. If left
blank the file is exported as it is in the source file.
4.
If you want to left-justify numeric fields select the appropriate box (this only applies to a
file format of Other; the default is right-justified).
5.
6.
Select one of the formats described above as the export file format for the destination file.
7.
Where required, type the character to be used as the delimiter, and type in how character
and numeric values will be enclosed.
8.
If you also want to copy the names of the fields to the text file, select the Write Field
Names box.
9.
Click OK.
ODBC Export
To use the Export ODBC function, do the following:
1.
Make sure you have defined the data source using ODBC32 in the Windows Control Panel.
2.
3.
4.
Select the Select all check box to export all fields or select one or more fields from the list.
Use the Ctrl and Shift keys with the mouse to select which fields to export.
5.
Select where the data will be exported to by selecting a data source. To do this, click the
Select Data Source button and double-click on the name of a data source in the list.
6.
Navigate to and select the database, file or spreadsheet you want to export to and click OK.
7.
In the Select Table dialog, select the table you want to link to, and then click OK. Use the
radio buttons to control which tables will appear. Choose: All tables, Compound, User or
Single.
8.
49
50
1.
2.
You must enter the names of the input and output files. The output file can be sent to any
accessible folder. Click the select file button to navigate to a suitable location, and then
select and existing file or enter the name of a new file.
3.
You are not obliged to export all the fields in the file when you export it. You can control
which fields are exported by either inclusion or exclusion.
4.
To exclude fields, set Output fields to EXCLUDE and then enter (F3) the names of the fields
that will not be exported in the table.
5.
To include fields, set Output fields to INCLUDE and enter the names of the fields that will be
exported.
6.
2.
Click the arrow next to Data Type and select whether to export line work (strings) or points.
3.
The Input group defines the file that will be exported. Enter the name of the file. If
required, define a filter to selectively control which records will be processed.
4.
If you want to export 3D information, enter the names for the fields that contain the
Northings, Eastings and RL. When you want to export 2D information, the RL field is not
required. Instead you must type in a constant Z-value for the Z-plane parameter. The
Default value is 0.0.
5.
Type the names of the fields containing Join and String information.
6.
Type the value for the Wildcode. This must be a value occurring in the String field.
7.
From the Symbol list select a symbol that is to be displayed at each point.
8.
Enter the name of the field which will control colour coding and the colour set number. If
you do not apply colour coding to the data, it will be written in the default colour, which you
can select by double-clicking the box next to Default Colour.
9.
If you want to define different layers in the DXF file according to the values in a specific
field, select the Layers check box and then type the name of a field, or double-click and
select from the list. If you want to put everything on a single layer, leave the Layers check
box blank and just enter the name for the layer.
10. To export text or attributes select the appropriate check box. Click the More button and
type the required information describing how the text will be exported or which attributes to
export.
11. Type the full path name for the output DXF file. You can double-click to browse.
12. Click OK.
51
52
1.
2.
Enter the name of the source file and apply an optional filter.
3.
4.
5.
Click OK.
Exporting wireframes
Export Wireframes takes a wireframe or a wireframe set as input, and outputs a wireframe in DXF,
ASCII, Vulcan, MDB or Micromine format.
Do the following:
1.
2.
If you want to export a number of wireframes at one time, select Set and then enter the
name of the set. To export an individual wireframe, enter the name of the wireframe type,
and then enter the name of the wireframe you want to work with.
Selecting wireframes by set and by type.
3.
4.
If you selected MICROMINE as the output file type, specify the names of the (Triangles and
Points) files which will contain the wireframe triangle definitions. Each record represents a
triangle by listing the Point IDs (as defined in the Points file) for the three vertices.
5.
Enter the number of decimal places that will be used for the point coordinates in the
wireframe in Precision.
6.
If you selected DXF as the output file type and are exporting a wireframe set, select the
Export to single layer option to write all the wireframes in the set to the same layer in the
DXF file, effectively combining them into a single wireframe. By default, each wireframe is
written to a separate layer in the DXF output file.
7.
53
Merging files
Merging files from the File menu
Using the Merge function you can transfer selected data from a MICROMINE data file, or an
ASCII text file into another file. When you run this function, the data from selected fields
will be copied from the source to the target file.
You can select records based on up to three matching keys (and you can further refine the
selection by applying a filter). Instead of transferring data between records with matching
keys, you can also specify a value that you want written into one or two fields, for those
records. This can be used to indicate the records that have been successfully merged or can
contain a date, a prospect number or some other piece of information. Alternatively, you
can append all source file data to the end of the target file.
This is typically used to merge data from an assay laboratory file into an existing file in the
program. In that case the sample numbers could be used as the key to match records
between the two files.
Input can come from either a text file (Merge text), from a comma-delimited or columndelimited laboratory file (Merge Lab Data), or from another file in the program (Merge MM).
The Merge Text and Merge MM functions work like the options on the File | Tools menu in
the File Editor. However, if you want to use macros with it, you must use the one here.
Another difference is that in this merge, your choice to match key fields as numeric or
characters applies to all keys, while in the File Editor it applies to individual keys.
54
2.
In the Merge files dialog, enter the name and type of the source and target files, and define
a filter to selectively control which records will be processed.
3.
You can either append source records to the target file or merge them into it. If you want to
append the records, select Append. If you want to merge them select Use Key Fields, and
then define the Key Fields and Merge Fields (note that your selection is reflected in the
change of the box on the right of the Target filename).
4.
If you want to use keys, you must also select an option from the Match list to define how to
handle multiple occurrences of the same key.
5.
Select the Flag merged records option to write a user defined value, to a field in the Target
file, for all records modified by the merge process. Click the More button, then fill out the
dialog box that opens.
6.
If you want to copy all unmerged or duplicate records in a separate file, enter the file
names in the Output section.
7.
Click OK.
55
56
1.
2.
In the Merge Text Files dialog, enter the path of the source file. You can optionally ignore
records, which contain header information, not data. To open the source text file press F4
or right double-click with the cursor over the file name or the Start and Length field
prompts.
3.
Enter the name of the target file, and define a filter to selectively control which records will
be processed.
4.
If you only want to append the source data to the end of the target file, select Append
Data. If you want to merge source data into the target file select Use Key Fields (note that
your selection is reflected in the change of the box on the right of the Target filename). In
that case you also need to define the keys and merge fields by clicking the Key Fields and
Merge Fields buttons. You can then define the keys on which to base the merge, and the
fields to be merged. You must then also select if you want keys to be matched based on the
entire field (Character), or just the numeric part of the field (Numeric).
5.
If you are merging data based on key fields, select an option from the Match list. If the
same key appears several times, specify whether to merge only the first occurrence, all of
them, or only if the identical keys are contiguous in the target file.
6.
Select the Flag merged records option to write a user defined value, to a field in the Target
file, for all records modified by the merge process. Click the More button, then fill out the
dialog box that opens.
If you want to keep a separate log of all unmerged or duplicate records, optionally enter the
names of files (in the section called Output), where you want to store those records.
8.
Click OK.
57
Merge or append data from lab files into files in the program.
Automatically create a target file in the program with the contents of the lab file.
Accommodate lab files with up to 130 fields. Assays marked as falling below the detection
limits can be replaced with a standard code or, if the detection limit is in the lab file, with
the detection limit.
Replace laboratory codes with ones that are standard in your company.
Note: Only the sample field is used as the matching key. This is the difference between this
and other merge functions.
2.
Enter the path/name of the laboratory file. Left double-click to open the dialog box from
where you can navigate to the file containing the sample data.
3.
Select Comma delimited or Column delimited according to the lab file type. If you need to
check its contents, right-click (F4) with the cursor in the Lab file path response.
4.
Select the method you will use to merge the data. If you select Append, the program will
add the records from the lab file to the end of the target file. If you select Use Sample field,
the program will use matching sample numbers in the source and target files to control the
merge. If you select Create new target file, the function creates a file in the program with
the same fields.
5.
If you have selected Use sample field as the merge method, define how the sample
numbers will be matched between the lab and target files.
6.
Define where the function will find the Assayed element names and the Data values in the
lab file.
7.
Enter the name of the target file. Specify the file type and the name of the sample field in
that file. Adjust the field mapping between the lab and target files.
Normally a target file will be created in the office or field before (or soon after) the samples are
taken. The sample numbers and the coordinates where the samples were taken are recorded in this
file. Alternatively, you can select the Create new target file option to automatically generate a data
file with all the fields in the lab file. This is useful when you need to get the data into the program
for further processing.
8.
58
Define how the function will deal with laboratory codes and when samples results are below
the detection limit.
Define values and the field to which they will be written in the target file when the merge
for that record is successful.
Use Autofill to match the fields in the lab and target files.
Comma delimited
In comma delimited data files the comma (,) character is used to separate the fields of data.
Whenever the program finds a comma as it processes the lab file, it treats data to the left of the
comma as one field and that to the right as another.
59
Merging methods
Three merging processes can be applied using Merge Lab Data. You can merge by:
Appending - the contents of the lab file are appended to the end of an existing target file.
Matching sample identifiers - this method is applied when you select Use sample field.
Numeric match.
Character match.
When you select Numeric match, the first numeric component of the sample numbers must match
before a record will be imported. That is, if a sample identifier in the lab file was AA100 and the
sample identifier in the data file was AB100, the assays would be merged into this record in the
data file.
When you select Character match, the entire identifier in the source file must match that in the
target file, before the records will be merged. That is, AA100 will not be matched to AB100.
In either case you must specify the point where the column containing the sample number is
located (in number of characters). The program automatically calculates the column width.
Generally it will be the first column in the lab file.
60
For Assayed Element Names it requires Row and Start column numbers.
61
Highlight the text and spaces that make up a column on the correct row.
2.
Click the Post data button in the toolbar of the text viewer.
The start column and column width values of the highlighted text will be posted in the correct
prompts.
62
Select Replace lab codes and click the More button opposite.
2.
Enter the lab identifiers in the Lab Code column of the table.
3.
4.
Replace the identifier indicating this condition with one preferred by your organization.
You can write the detection limit, specified in the lab file for that assay, to the field.
To replace the identifier with another, in the Replace Lab Codes dialog box:
1.
2.
3.
Enter the code used by the lab to identify the sample result was below the detection limit.
4.
2.
3.
Enter the row number on which the detection limits are recorded.
63
Select the field in the target file where the merge value will be written.
2.
64
ODBC
ODBC is an interface that allows applications to access data in Database Management Systems
(DBMS) using Structured Query Language (SQL).
ODBC relies on you adding database drivers (ODBC drivers) to link the application to your choice of
DBMS. An ODBC driver is a dynamic link library (*.dll) that applications can use to interface with a
data source. Different database management systems (DBMS), like Oracle, can require different
drivers.
Once the correct drivers are installed, the process of connecting to an external DBMS is generally
straightforward. Most of the problems that people experience with ODBC are due to incorrect
installation of the ODBC drivers.
The following ODBC functions are provided:
ODBC Import Import data from an external data source into the application.
ODBC Export Export data from the application to an external data source.
ODBC Link Link to an external data source using ODBC. The data is accessible to the
application. You can not edit the data or modify the table structure, however, you can
control which fields are imported and their names, types, length and precision. This is the
ideal approach when you want to ensure you will always be dealing with a current data set.
MDB Import Import data directly from a Microsoft Access database using ODBC.
MDB Link Link to a Microsoft Access table using ODBC. This function is the same as ODBC
Link with the exception that it is faster.
65
66
When you want to open a linked table, the File Type must be set to ODBCLINK.
The data is read-only. You cannot update the data within the application.
F4 - Edit and F6 - Modify are not accessible in the menu that opens when you right click
with the cursor in a File response.
You cannot use the FIX and APPEND options in the File Utilities.
ODBC Link
Overview
Using ODBC link you can establish a link to a table in an external database. Once you have
established the link, the data in the corresponding data file will only be refreshed when you rightclick and select the Reload ODBC link option when you load the file into a form.
Alternatively, you can select the ODBC Link Update option under the Tools | Macro Functions
menu to run a macro to refresh some or all of the ODBC links you have established.
The files containing data from the linked source will work in the same way as any other project file,
with the exception that you cannot change their contents.
When you establish the link to a table in the external DBMS, you can:
Preview the table that will be linked and change the characteristics of the fields in the
target file.
2.
3.
Select the data source by clicking on the File Data Source or Machine Data Source tabs and
then double-clicking on one of the specific data sources in the list.
4.
For example, if the data is stored in a Paradox database, and you are using a machine data
source, double-click on the Paradox Files entry in the list of data source names.
5.
Navigate to and select the database containing the table to which you will link. For
example, prospect1.db .
6.
In the Select Table dialog, select the table you want to link to, and then click OK. Use the
radio buttons to control which tables will appear. Choose: All tables, Compound, User or
Single.
7.
Enter the name of the linked file. This is the data file used to store and access the data.
8.
Either select the Select all check box or hold the Ctrl key down and click on the fields you
want to include in the process.
9.
Specify how the linked file will be structured. There are two options:
Determine structure. If this option is selected, the function will read the
contents of the source table to determine the most appropriate width and format
for each field in the linked file.
Use database structure. If this option is selected, the function will base the
structure of the linked file on the structure of the source table.
If the linked file exists (i.e. you are not creating a new file) a check is made to ensure
that all of the fields selected from the source table can be mapped to fields in the
linked file which have the same Name, Width and Precision.
67
68
ODBC Import
To use the ODBC Import function, do the following:
1.
Make sure you have defined the data source using the Administrative Tools | Data Sources
(ODBC) option under the Windows Control Panel.
Note: The procedure to install a new driver and link one or more data sources may be different
depending on the version of Windows you are running. For detailed instructions see your Microsoft user
guide.
2.
3.
4.
5.
Double-click on the name of the data source that contains the information you want to
import. You must install suitable ODBC drivers before the ODBC Import will work. Do this in
the Windows Control Panel.
6.
Navigate to and select the database, file or spreadsheet you want to import and click OK.
7.
In the Select Table dialog, select the table you want to link to, and then click OK. Use the
radio buttons to control which tables will appear. Choose: All tables, Compound, User or
Single.
8.
Enter the name of the target file in the Import ODBC dialog box. The imported data will be
saved in this file. If the file exists, you will be asked if you want to overwrite it.
9.
Specify how the target file will be structured. There are three options:
Determine structure. If this option is selected, the function will read the
contents of the source table to determine the most appropriate width and format
for each field in the target file.
Use database structure. If this option is selected, the function will base the
structure of the target file on the structure of the source table.
Use current structure. If this option is selected, the function will use the current
structure of the target file. Note: This option will be disabled if the target file does
not exist (i.e. you are creating a new file).
In the case of the Determine structure and Use database structure options, if
the target file exists (i.e. you are not creating a new file) a check is made to
ensure that all of the fields selected for import can be mapped to fields in the
target file which have the same Name, Width and Precision.
In the case of the Use current structure option, a check is made to ensure
that all of the fields selected for import can be mapped to fields in the target
file with the same Name.
If all of the fields selected for import can be mapped to fields in the target
file, you will be prompted whether to append or overwrite data to the file.
If one or more fields cannot be mapped (the target file and the source table
are incompatible) you will be prompted to overwrite the target file. Click YES
to continue the import. Click NO to abort the import process.
Note: Some data types, such as LongVarChar, Memo, Image and Binary data types, cannot be
converted to a format that is compatible with Micromine file formats. Click on the following link for a list
of compatible data types and default widths and precisions used during the import process.
10. To preview the results of the import, select Preview and enter the number or records you
want to see. Click Import and the Preview dialog will open. In this dialog you can see a
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70
ODBC Export
To use the Export ODBC function, do the following:
1.
Make sure you have defined the data source using ODBC32 in the Windows Control Panel.
2.
3.
4.
Select the Select all check box to export all fields or select one or more fields from the list.
Use the Ctrl and Shift keys with the mouse to select which fields to export.
5.
Select where the data will be exported to by selecting a data source. To do this, click the
Select Data Source button and double-click on the name of a data source in the list.
6.
Navigate to and select the database, file or spreadsheet you want to export to and click OK.
7.
In the Select Table dialog, select the table you want to link to, and then click OK. Use the
radio buttons to control which tables will appear. Choose: All tables, Compound, User or
Single.
8.
71
Preview the table that will be linked and change the characteristics of the fields in the
target file.
The link is stored in the current project as a special type of file. The most common application of
MDB Link is where data is contained in a central repository such as a company DBMS.
To link to a Microsoft Access database:
1.
2.
3.
Navigate to and select the database containing the table to which you will link. For
example, prospect1.db .
4.
In the Select Table dialog, select the table you want to link to, and then click OK. Use the
radio buttons to control which tables will appear. Choose: All tables, Compound, User or
Single.
5.
Enter the name of the linked file. This is the file that will be used to store and access the
linked data.
6.
Either select the Select all check box or hold the Ctrl key down and click on the fields you
want to include in the process.
7.
Specify how the linked file will be structured. There are two options:
Determine structure. If this option is selected, the function will read the
contents of the source table to determine the most appropriate width and format
for each field in the linked file.
Use database structure. If this option is selected, the function will base the
structure of the linked file on the structure of the source table.
If the linked file exists (i.e. you are not creating a new file) a check is made to ensure
that all of the fields selected from the source table can be mapped to fields in the
linked file which have the same Name, Width and Precision.
If one or more fields cannot be mapped (the linked file and the source table are
incompatible) you will be prompted to overwrite the linked file using the structure of
the source table. Click YES to continue the link process. Click NO to abort the process.
72
Note: Some data types, such as Memo, Image and Binary data types, cannot be converted to a format
that is compatible with Micromine file formats. Click on the following link for a list of compatible data
types and default widths and precisions used during the link process.
10. To preview the results of the link, select Preview and enter the number of records you want
to see. Click Create and the Preview dialog will open. In this dialog you can see a sample of
the records in the table to which you are linking. You can also change the structure of the
table that will be created in the application.
11. Click OK in the Preview dialog and a message confirming the link has been established will
appear.
12. Click Create in the MDB Link dialog to complete the process.
73
Using filters
Filters enable you to quickly isolate data sets of interest. These can then be displayed, or used in
calculations, by other functions.
For example, you may wish to look at all the gold values greater than half a gram. In this case you
would set up a filter to look at the field containing gold grades (in the file) and only show those
records in which the value is greater than or equal to half a gram.
There are several ways of applying filters in the program.
From any of the data processing and display function dialogs that contain a Filter check box
e.g. Drillhole Validation, Grid Transformation etc.
In the first case, you can either recall an existing filter or design a new one. When you design a
filter, you assign it a number between 1 and 999. To recall an existing filter you must select the
Filter check box and enter the filter number in the prompt adjacent to the Filter check box. If you
want to design a new filter or modify one that exists, right double-click (F4) with the cursor in the
Filter field and the Set Filter dialog will open.
In the second case, you design and attach filters while working in the File Editor. When a filter is
attached, the letter F will appear in the filter box on the status bar. All records, that do not pass the
filter conditions, will be shown in a different colour. By selecting Use Filtered Records in the Filter
menu, most tools and functions in the Editor will operate only on the filtered records.
In the last case, you can create a new filter using all of the facilities described for the first two
cases. However, you can also subset filtered records and save the records that pass the filter, in a
separate file. Another option allows you to delete records from a file that match a filter.
Note: You can also design more complex filters involving multiple fields. For example, you may wish to
show those gold grades greater than half a gramme in a particular rock type. In this case, set the filter
to show the gold grades greater than or equal to half a gramme and the rock type equal to whatever the
text string is that defines a particular rock type (e.g. Qtz).
74
Creating a Filter
Use the Filter Create function when you want to create or delete file filters. It works in the same
way and has the same options as the Edit Filter function in the File Editor. However, this function
can be used with a macro.
To define a filter using the create function, do the following:
1.
Select the File | Filter | Create menu option. The filter dialog is displayed.
2.
Enter the name of the file you want to work with. The last used file is automatically
displayed.
3.
Select the File | Filter | Subset menu option. The Filter Subset dialog box is displayed.
2.
In the Input group enter the name of the file you want to subset. Enter the Filter Number
you want to apply. To see a list of available filters double-click, or to set up a new filter
right-click. Note that there is no filter check box; when you use the Subset function the use
of a filter is compulsory.
3.
In the Output group type the name of the file that is to contain the records that pass the
filter. If the file exists it will be overwritten.
4.
If you want a separate file containing the records that do not pass the filter, enter the file
name in the section called Exceptions. If this file exists it will be overwritten.
5.
Click OK.
Note: Be sure to use a naming convention that indicates that a subset file has been created. Subset files
are work files and can be recreated. No data should be entered in them.
2.
3.
4.
Click OK. The records that match the filter are deleted from the original file.
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Selecting a filter
If you wish to use an existing filter you can move to the filter response box and double click the
mouse or press F3. A selection box will appear and you can select the filter from the list.
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The following options allow you to attach and detach filters in the File Editor:
2.
3.
77
By selecting the Filter check box which is shown on many dialogs, and then right-clicking
(F4) with the cursor in the prompt field.
By selecting Filter | Edit Filter from the File Editor menu. You can access the File Editor by
selecting Open from the File menu. You can also access the File Editor from many dialogs
by right-clicking with the cursor over the filename prompt and then selecting Edit.
2.
Note that the name of the current (or the last used) file is automatically written in the Filter
form. Enter another file name if required.
3.
(Optional) To apply more than one condition, use Boolean operators. These define how the
Lines of Filter conditions are to be combined. If you use AND or OR, then the same Boolean
operator applies to all lines. To mix AND and OR operations select Equation, build the filter
conditions and then combine the lines in the Equations field (the conditions are referenced
by their line number). When using the Equation field, you enter the OR and AND commands
using the characters | (pipe) and & (ampersand).
4.
(Optional) To limit the range of records on which the filter will operate, make entries in
From record/To record. When left blank, the filter is applied to all records.
5.
For each of the required conditions, enter a Field on which the condition will operate, select
an operator from the drop down list and enter a value to be used in the operation.
6.
If you want to treat fields as numeric values, select the Numeric box. In that case only the
numeric prefix of mixed alpha numeric strings is used. If you leave the prompt blank, then
any values are considered to be of type Character. When a numeric field is used, characters
that follow a number are ignored e.g. 200B evaluates to 200. And if the first part of an
entry in the field is not a number, e.g. DH001, or is blank, it evaluates to 0.
7.
Sometimes it is easier to define a set of conditions for the records you do NOT want to use.
Selecting Reverse filter? Will include records NOT defined by the filter conditions.
8.
Once you have defined the filter, save it using the Forms button. If you do not save the
filter in a Form, it will only remain available until it is overwritten by a new set of filter
conditions.
9.
Click OK.
If the filter definition was accessed from the File Editor, the filter will automatically be applied to the
current file.
In a form, select the filter by left double-clicking (F3). Alternatively, clear the response field to apply
the default (currently defined) filter to the file.
Note: Wildcards can be used when defining values in filters.
Filter 0 is a special case. It uses the current conditions set in the Filter form. To apply filter 0, close
the Filter form and run whatever function (e.g. Grid Transformation) you are currently working in.
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Tip: If you have entered the number of a suitable or partially suitable filter in the Filter prompt of a
form, you can edit its characteristics and save it with a new name.
Add, Replicate and Execute | Many only work on the filtered records.
Merge, Calculate, Validate and Descriptive Stats only work on the filtered records.
When the Use Filtered Records option is selected, a tick is placed next to the letter F in the status
bar at the bottom of the screen. You can turn off the Use Filtered Records option at any time by
selecting Filter | Use Filtered Records (or by pressing Ctrl+F4) again.
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Another example is if you want to use all the data in a range of 10,000 to 10,020 North, Condition 1
would be set to >10,000 North and Condition 2 would be set to <10,020 North. This will be read as
- data greater than 10,000 and data less than 10,020.
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81
Using Equations
If you want to use both AND and OR operators in the same test, you must use an equation. If you
enter an equation the Combine switch is disabled.
For example, suppose you have a field called AU containing gold values, a field CU containing
copper values and a field called TO containing depths. To select those records that have values
above 10 (for either gold OR copper) AND that fall in the top 5 meters of the drillhole, fill in the
following conditions on the first three lines of the Filter Conditions section:
AU >= 10
CU >= 10
TO <= 5
Enter the following in the Equation field: (1|2)&3
Then check the Equation box.
The conditions entered in lines 1 to 3 are now combined according to the Equation.
Note that the numbers refer to the lines where you specified the conditions and the operator are:
| OR
& AND
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File Editor
The File Editor is used to create and maintain data files. It includes many powerful features. In
addition to the editing facilities found in many databases, the File Editor includes a tool kit optimised
for geological and field data entry.
In the File Editor you can:
Edit, verify and view files in display windows. Multiple files can be open simultaneously.
Merge data from other files in the program or from ASCII files.
The File Selection dialog will default to those files in the current project. If you wish, you can
navigate to the files in another project folder.
When you create a new file or open an existing file, a File Editor window is displayed. When the File
Editor is open, additional Edit, Filter, Format and Records submenus are provided on the main
menu.
When you open more than one file, each file occupies its own editor window with its own toolbar.
For more information about the options that can be applied to the File Editor window, refer to the
File Editor options topic. For more information about the options provided on the toolbar, refer to
the File Editor toolbar topic.
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84
Note: The width of the application window and the selections you have made when customising the
toolbar, will determine what buttons are displayed.
Click the Save button (or select File | Save) to save any changes you have
made in the editor window. This button will be disabled unless changes have
been made to the file.
Click the Print Preview button to view (and optionally print) the contents of
the file displayed in the editor window.
Click the Cut button to cut the selected data to the Windows clipboard.
Click the Copy button to copy the selected data to the Windows clipboard.
Click the Paste button to paste data (which was placed in the windows
clipboard using Cut or Copy) into the selected field.
Click the Undo button (or Ctrl-Z) to undo the last edit. The Undo function
records the edits made in the editor window and will undo those edits in
reverse order.
Following an Undo, click the Redo button (or Ctrl-Y) to re-apply the last edit
performed in the editor window.
Click the Insert Records tool (Ctrl-I, or select the Records | Insert Records
menu option) to insert one or more blank records into the file. Records are
inserted above the currently selected record.
Click the Delete Records tool (Ctrl-D, or select the Records | Delete
Records menu option) to remove one or more records from a file.
Click the Find button to search the open file for the occurrence of a value in
the selected (highlighted) field. In the Find dialog, you can set the direction
of the search, limit the search to a block of selected records, and specify
whether or not a case-sensitive search is required.
Click the Find Next button to search for the next occurrence of a search
value previously defined using the Find tool.
Click the Filter button to attach a filter that will be applied to the selected
(highlighted) field.
85
Click the Hide Fields tool (or select the Format | Hide Fields menu option)
to hide the currently selected (highlighted) column or field. Use the Hide
function to limit the display to those fields which are of interest. You can unhide hidden fields by selecting the Format | Unhide Fields menu option.
Use the Increment One and Increment Many tools (or select an option
from the Records | Increment menu) to increment field values in successive
records of a file. Add can operate on both numeric and alphanumeric
(character) fields.
Click the Define Increment button to define the increment value used by
the Increment One and Increment Many functions.
Use the Replicate One and Replicate Many tools (Or select an option from
the Records | Replicate menu) to copy the contents of a field to the same
field in successive records.
Click the Toggle Overwrite button (or select the Records | Overwrite
Data menu option) to choose whether or not to overwrite field contents
when using the Increment Many and Replicate Many tools.
If Overwrite mode is enabled, a tick will appear alongside the Records |
Overwrite Data menu option, and the Add and Replicate Many commands will
overwrite the existing contents of fields.
If Overwrite mode is not enabled, the Add Many and Replicate Many
commands will not change the values in subsequent fields.
Use the Im port tool (or select the Edit | Tools | Import menu option) to
import data from external files. File Import is best used when the source
data has fields with widely varying widths, or if you want to import more
than ten fields of data at once.
Use the Export tool (or select the Edit | Tools | Export menu option) to
export the open file as a delimited text file.
Click the Merge Menu button (or select an option on the Edit | Tools |
Merge menu) to merge data from a MICROMINE data file or a text file.
Use the Sort tool (or select the Edit | Tools | Sort menu option) to sort the
contents of one or more fields into ascending or descending order. Enter the
field in the file on which the sort will be based. All the records in the file will
be sorted using this field when the function is run.
More than one field can be used in a sort. In this case, the contents of the
file will be sorted on the first field, then on the subsequent fields in the order
they have been defined.
Click the Validate button (or select the Edit | Tools | Validate menu option)
to compare the values in a selected field against a list of permitted values
entered in a check file.
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Click the Calculate button (or select the Edit | Tools | Calculate menu
option) to apply a calculation to the selected field. The result of the
calculation for each record will be stored in a new field in the file. The
application will automatically create the result field if it does not already
exist.
Click the Close button to close the File Editor window.
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88
1.
Position the highlight in the field you want to validate at the top of the file in the active
widow.
2.
Select Edit | Tools | Validate and the Validate Values form will appear.
3.
Enter the name of the check file and the name of the check field in that file.
4.
If you have selected Mark error, enter the name of the Error field in the file.
5.
Select whether you want the validation to ignore blanks and be case sensitive.
6.
Click OK to run the function. Continue the same process, changing (if necessary) the Check
field each time you move the highlight to another field in the open file.
2.
Select the Format | Hide Fields menu option or press Ctrl+Shift+H. The field will
disappear from view.
Select Format | Unhide Fields and click Unhide All. Alternatively, you can select the fields
you want to unhide.
Note: The number of hidden fields will appear in the status bar at the bottom of the screen. For
example, Fld:15/17(20) means the highlight is in field 15 of the 17 visible fields and there are 20 fields
in the file. That is, three fields are hidden.
2.
Select which fields you want to display in the list that appears.
3.
Click Close.
2.
3.
Click Close.
Ordering fields
Use Order fields to control the order in which fields (columns) will be displayed. Order fields does
not alter the order in which data is stored in the file, only how it is displayed.
To change the order in which fields are displayed:
1.
2.
Position the cursor over the field you want to appear first in the display and double-click.
3.
Continue doing this to all the fields that you want to display in the order in which you want
to display them.
4.
Click OK to return to the file window. Only the fields added to the New list will be displayed.
To return the fields to their original order, click the Reset button and then OK.
89
2.
Note: If the fields you want to freeze are non-contiguous, you must first make them contiguous by
changing the display order in the editor window using the Format | Order Fields option..
When you freeze a field, a copy of the field is displayed. As you scroll horizontally in the editor
window, the frozen field remains anchored at the left-hand side of the editor window.
To unfreeze fields:
Select the Format |Freeze Fields option again and change the Number of Fields value. To
unfreeze all fields set the value as zero.
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2.
3.
Select an existing colour set from the displayed selection list. The colour set is applied to
the column you selected.
2.
2.
Select Colour Sets | Edit from the popup menu. The Edit Colour Sets dialog will be
displayed.
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Select Edit | Tools | Sort from the menu. The Simple Sort dialog will open.
2.
3.
4.
Continue entering field names and setting the sort order for each.
5.
Click the OK button and the data file will be sorted. The new sort order will be permanently
displayed.
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2.
3.
Enter the source file name and type. If you double click (F3), the Windows Select File
dialog box will open. Use this to select an external file. Once you have selected a file, you
can right double click (F4) to view its contents.
4.
Select Append data if all the information from the source file is to be written to new records
at the end of the target file. Now go to step 6.
5.
Select Use key fields to enable data to be written to existing records in the target file when
the contents of keys, defined for both the source and target files, match. Enter the first key
field (in the source file) in Source and the name of the first Target key field (in the
destination file) and set whether they are NUMERIC or CHARACTER fields in Match.
6.
Repeat the previous step for the second key field if necessary.
7.
(Optional) Select Clear target field to delete existing data in the target field or select
Overwrite target field to overwrite existing data in the target field.
8.
Select the Merge Fields button and define the column number (Start) and the length of the
source file fields to be merged. For each of the fields in the source file, select a
corresponding target field in the destination file.
9.
Click the Merge button and the merge will proceed. Message boxes can appear requesting
confirmation to proceed depending on conditions set in the dialog box and the nature of the
source file. Answer Yes or No according to your requirements.
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2.
3.
Enter the full path of the text file name, that is, the data source. If you double-click (F3),
the Windows Select File dialog box will open. Use this to select an external file. Once you
have selected a file, you can press F4 or right double-click (with the cursor over the file
name, Start field or Length prompts) to view its contents.
4.
(Optional) If the data of interest is preceded by header information, enter the number of
lines to ignore.
5.
Select Append data if all the information from the source file is to be written to new records
at the end of the target file. Now go to step 7.
6.
Select Use key fields to enable data to be written to existing records in the target file when
the contents of keys, defined in both the source and target files, match. For the source file,
enter the column number of the first key field in Start and its Length in characters. Enter
the name of the first Target key field and choose either NUMERIC or CHARACTER in Match
(according to the data type).
7.
Repeat the previous step for the second key field if it exists.
8.
(Optional) Select Clear target field to delete existing data in the target field or select
Overwrite target field to overwrite data in the target field.
9.
Click the Merge Fields button. Define the column number (Start) and length of other source
file fields to be merged. For each of the fields in the source file, select a corresponding
target field in the destination file.
10. Click the Merge button and the merge will proceed. Message boxes may appear requesting
confirmation to proceed depending on conditions set in the dialog box and the nature of the
source file. Answer Yes or No according to your requirements.
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2.
In the New File dialog box, type in the name for the new file, choose a Type, and enter its
Title. If you choose LOOKUP Type (to create a lookup table) the Levels prompt will be
enabled. Define the number of nesting levels you require in the lookup table.
3.
4.
Click the OK button and a window called Create (a structure) opens. The program checks if
a file with the same name already exists. If this is the case, it asks whether you wish to
overwrite it or not.
5.
Type in the names and field parameters for each field (up to 250) in the new file.
6.
7.
Click the Yes button in the dialog box asking the question, Create file FILENAME.EXT ?.
The new file will be opened in the File Editor and you can begin entering data.
95
2.
In the New file dialog box, enter the name of the new file, select a Type, and then enter a
Title.
3.
Select Use template. Click the Templates button and the Templates dialog box will appear.
4.
Select the Current project option if you want to select a file from the current project as a
template. If Current project is not selected, you can select another project by doubleclicking in the Project response box below.
When you select a file (Step 5), the File Selection dialog will default to the current (or
selected) project folder.
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5.
Double-click in the File response box to select the file you want to use as a template.
6.
Select Copy data if you want an identical copy of the template file, structure and data.
7.
8.
Click OK. The new file will be opened in the File Editor and you can begin entering data. The
program creates the new file using the template specified.
Select File | Modify from the main menu or from the Editor menu, and then select the file
to modify. If the file you want to modify is already open, you only need to select File |
Modify from the menu. If you are in a dialog and have selected a file, position the cursor in
the File response and right-click. Then select Modify (F6) from the menu.
2.
Edit the name of the fields (FIELD_NAME), the field types (TYPE (C/N)), the field widths
(WIDTH), and the number of decimal places (DECIMALS).
Insert and delete fields from the file. Select Edit | Insert or Edit | Delete from the menu.
The columns headed OLD_NAME, T, W and D are displayed for information and can control what, if
any, data will be written to the new field.
3.
Select Close on the menu bar. The Modify File dialog box appears. Select Format numeric
fields and Left justify fields if required. Click the Yes button to accept your changes, No to
abort the entire operation, or Cancel if you want to make further modifications.
4.
A progress indicator appears in the status bar of the window as the program performs the
modifications to the file.
Note: When you add new fields using Modify, no data will be lost from the file. If you delete a field that
contains data, that data will be lost. If you do so inadvertently, use Undo to return the file to its earlier
state. You can set the number of undo levels in Options | Editor.
Alternatively you can revert to the back-up version of the file kept in the project or current working
folder. A backup will only be created if you have selected Create backup on file open? in Options |
Editor.
The columns headed OLD_NAME, T, W and D are for information but can also control what, if any,
data will be written to the field. Indeed an alternative way to copy a column of data is to copy and
paste the field in the structure and then rename the "pasted" field. Because the OLD_NAME is that
of the original field, the data is written to the new field.
97
These tasks are often performed at the same time other field modifications are made.
To enter a constant value (character or numeric) to a selected field in every record of a file, enter
the value in the START column opposite the selected field (and 0 for the increment). After
processing the modifications, the value appears in the selected field in all the records of the file.
To increment the value entered in the START column in successive records, enter the increment or
decrement (a negative value) in the INCREMENT column. Beginning with the value in the START
column, the increment is added to the first numeric characters found successively record by record.
For example if for a field called HOLE, DDH0001 is the value in the START column and 1 the value in
the INCREMENT, the HOLE field will contain DDH0001, DDH0002, DDH0003, etc after modification.
Note: Only integer values can be incremented in character fields. If decimals are required the field type
must be changed to numeric.
98
Save
Use this command to save the file currently open in the File Editor. If you have multiple files open,
only the current (uppermost) file will be saved.
The Save command is only enabled when you make changes to a file.
Save As
Use the Save As command to create a copy of a file with a different name.
Do the following:
1.
2.
Enter the name of the new file without extension and select a Type in the Save File As
dialog box.
3.
Click the Save file button. The new file is created in the current project and replaces the
current file in the file display window.
99
Opening a file
To open a file:
1.
Select File | Open from the menu or click the Open File button.
2.
The current project (folder) will be displayed by default at the top of the Open File dialog.
Files belonging to the current project or folder will be displayed in the file list.
3.
4.
If necessary, use the Files of type list to control which files are displayed in the file list. The
various file types are differentiated by file extension. For example, DATA files have the
extension DAT.
Once you choose a file type, searches are limited to files with that extension. For example,
if you select DATA as the file type and you double click (or press F3) with the cursor in the
associated file prompt, only data files (*.DAT) appear.
If the focus is on the file list, you can start typing the file name and the lists will scroll to
the name with the closest match.
5.
Select the file of interest and click the Open (OK) button. The file will be displayed.
100
The wildcard * is automatically entered in the File name response. This wildcard means any
file - so all files in the folder (project) will be displayed. You can also use the ? wildcard in
file names. For example, entering ASSAY??.DAT will display ASSAY01.DAT, ASSAY02.DAT,
ASSAY03.DAT, and so on.
To open a file when you are in a dialog box, position the cursor in a File prompt and rightclick. Select View (F8) or Edit (F4) from the menu that appears.
When you open a file in Field Marshal the working folder is displayed (the working folder is
set to be the last folder that you opened).
Cut
Use the Cut command to remove the following to the Windows clipboard:
From there it can be pasted to another location in the file or into another file.
To cut one or m ore records, or a block of cells:
1.
2.
Select Edit | Cut or press Ctrl+X. If you select one or more records the records will be
deleted from the data file. You will be given the opportunity to cancel the operation.
Tip: If you find you have cut records in error click the Undo button on the toolbar immediately. The
records or fields will be returned to their original positions - as long as you have not moved the
highlight in the meantime.
Note: Information in hidden fields will not be copied.
101
Copy
Use the Copy command to copy a record or block of records and place it in the Windows
Clipboard. From the clipboard the record or block of records can be pasted to another location in the
file or into another file.
To copy one or more records or fields in a record:
1.
To select one record, click on the record number or on the first or last field, and then drag
the mouse to the left or the right. You can also press Shift+Up arrow or Shift+Down arrow
to select a block of fields in more than one record.
2.
Select Edit | Copy or press Ctrl+C. A message will appear confirming the record(s) have
been copied to the clipboard.
Paste
Once records or blocks of fields (cells) are copied or cut to the clipboard, you can use the Paste
command to insert them elsewhere in the same file or in another file.
To paste records:
1.
Always select the cell at the top left corner of the block of data to be replaced. Complete
records are inserted but blocks of data will overwrite existing information.
2.
Note: You can copy records or blocks of cells from other applications such as Excel and paste them into
the application.
Inserting records
Use the Insert command to insert one or more blank records into a file.
To insert records:
102
1.
Position the highlight in the record that will follow the blank record. The highlight can be on
any field in that record.
2.
Select Records | Insert Records or press Ctrl+I to open the Insert Record dialog box.
3.
4.
Deleting records
Use the Delete command to remove one or more records from a file.
To delete records:
1.
Move the highlight onto the first (and possibly only) record you want to delete. The
highlight can be on any field in that record.
Drag the mouse or hold down the Shift key and click to select multiple (contiguous) records
for deletion.
2.
Select Records | Delete Records or press Ctrl+D to open the Delete Record dialog box.
3.
4.
Click the OK button. A warning will be displayed before records are deleted.
Going to records
Use the Goto command to move the highlight on a record in the file. This enables you to move
quickly through a file given that you know the record number of the destination.
To go to a record:
1.
2.
3.
103
2.
3.
Enter the name and location of the file of interest in Import file path. If you double click
(F3), the Windows Select File dialog box will open. Use this to select an external file. Once
you have selected a file, you can right double click (F4) to view its contents. This is limited
to the specified file types.
4.
5.
6.
(Optional) If you intend to overwrite data in the current file (into which the data will be
imported) select Overwrite.
7.
Click the OK button. A message box appears listing the name of the file being imported and
the name of the target file. Click the OK button if these are correct. If not, press ESC to
interrupt the processing.
If the importation proceeds successfully you will be informed when the process is completed. If an
error occurs the process will be interrupted and an appropriate error message displayed.
Note: When data is stored in exponential notation e.g. 0.12340000E3, import the number then convert
it back to normal notation i.e. 123.4 by multiplying it by 1 using Edit | Tools | Calculate.
If you import data from the same source often, use a Form to save the entries in the Import dialog for
later use.
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Enter the character that will be used to replace non-numeric field values.
3.
Enter the character that will be used to replace blank field values.
4.
If the COLUMN FORMAT text file format is selected, select the Left-justify option if you want
numeric fields to be left-justified in the output file.
Options
5.
Choose the format of the output text file from the drop down list. The following formats are
supported:
Note: Delimiters are ASCII characters used to separate one data field from the next. A comma is often
used as a delimiter.
6.
If the DELIMITED text file format is selected, enter the ASCII character to be used as a
separator between adjacent field values.
7.
If you have chosen a delimited (TAB, SPACE, COMMA , or ASCII character) text file format,
enter the character to appear before and after each character field value. The double quote
(") is most commonly used.
8.
If you have chosen a delimited (TAB, SPACE, COMMA , or ASCII character) text file format,
enter the character to appear before and after each numeric field value.
9.
Select the Write field names to first record option to write field names to the first line of the
output file. Field names will be enclosed in quotes and separated using the same delimiter
used to write data records to the output file.
10. Select the Export View option to export the fields in the order they are displayed in the
editor. Hidden fields will not be exported. Select the Export File option to export the fields
in the order they are defined by the file structure. Hidden fields will be included in the
export process.
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Enter a value in a field of an open file. You can also increment existing values.
2.
Select Records | Increm ent to enter the increment value (default is 1).
3.
4.
Select the Records | Increm ent | One or Records | Increm ent | Many. If you select
Increment | One, the increment will be added to the value in the same field in the next
record.
5.
If you select Increment | Many, enter the number of increments you require in Number of
times to increment, then click OK.
The function will place values, each incremented by the specified amount, in the number of fields
specified. The operation will begin from the current field.
Note:
You can limit the fields to which the replication will apply by selecting them.
When Increment is applied to a field that has no numbers, the value in the first field will be
replicated.
Only the first set of numbers will be incremented where the contents of the field comprise two
or more sets of numbers separated by characters.
The All records from current position check box in the Increment Many dialog is useful when
you need to change many records.
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Select Edit | Tools | Sort from the menu. The Simple Sort dialog will open.
2.
3.
4.
Continue entering field names and setting the sort order for each.
5.
Click the OK button and the data file will be sorted. The new sort order will be permanently
displayed.
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2.
3.
4.
5.
The program will place the same value in the number of fields specified.
Notes:
If there are records existing in the file, select the All records from current position check box in
the Replicate fields dialog box to copy a value to all records in the file.
You can limit the fields to which the replication will apply by selecting them.
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Make sure you have a file open and have set up a field where the results of the calculations
will be entered. If you have more than one file open, the calculation will be performed on
the file in the active window.
2.
3.
Move the cursor to the first Input and either enter a constant, a numeric value or a field
name.
4.
Move the cursor to the second Input on the same row and enter a constant, a numeric
value or a field name in the same way.
5.
Move to Function and choose a function from the drop-down list (SEE BELOW).
6.
(Optional) Continue on to the second, third, fourth and fifth rows of the calculation table,
repeating the above.
7.
(Optional) Select numeric exceptions if required. Select the More button and make the
necessary entries.
8.
(Optional) Choose the way in which Angular units will be returned from the drop down list.
Options are Degrees, Minutes and Seconds or Decimal Degrees.
9.
Finally, click OK and the calculations will be performed. This may take some time depending
on the complexity of the calculation. A progress indicator will appear in the status bar at the
bottom of the page.
Available Functions:
In addition to the common math functions, special functions useful for the management of earth
science field data have been included. Special attention has been given to making global changes on
data in a file.
If you make incorrect entries in the calculator fields the program will prompt for an entry of the
right type.
The available functions are listed in alphabetical order below. Click on the underlined text for
details.
Absolute value
Accumulate
Add angle
Antilog base 10
Antilog base e
Arccosine
Arcsine
Arctangent
At change
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At change increment
Average
Carry
Cosine
Cut highs to
Date -> Numeric
D.DDD -> DMS
Delta east
Delta north
Divide by
DMS -> D.DDD
Greater of
Lesser of
Log base 10
Log base e
Minus
Missing line
Multiply by
Numeric -> Date
Plus
Raise to power
Random
Round (decimals)
Round (significant)
Sine
Square
Square root
Subtract angle
Tangent
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Select the Increment command and the Increment Value dialog box will appear.
2.
3.
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2.
Highlight each of the entries in the entry in the Field status list and define an action by
clicking on the appropriate button (e.g. Copy). For further information on each of the
actions in the dialog box click on Related Topics.
3.
4.
5.
If you have selected Execute | Many, enter the number of times the actions entered in the
Execute Parameters dialog will be performed.
Execute commands
Replicate
When you run Execute, any fields set to replicate in the Execute
Parameters form will be will be set to be the same as the value in the
first record.
Blank
When you run Execute, the fields set to BLANK in the Execute
Parameters form will be cleared.
Increm ent
When you run Execute the fields set to INCREMENT in the Execute
Parameters form will be incremented by the value set in the Increment
Field Value dialog box. The increment will affect the numeric part of a
field.
Copy
When you run Execute, the fields set to COPY in the Execute
Parameters form will be given the same value as that in the same field
in the preceding record. An increment can be specified at the same
time.
Ignore
When you run Execute, no changes will be made to the fields set to
IGNORE in the Execute Parameters form.
Hide
Any fields set to HIDE in the Execute Parameters form will not appear in
the file display window. Other Execute operations can be performed on
the hidden field.
Show
For more information, refer to the 'Running multiple file processes using Execute | One/Many' topic.
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When Overwrite data is not active, Execute only updates blank fields.
If you select Execute | Many you will be prompted to enter the number of executions. In
the same dialog box you can also select All records from current position.
The entry in Skip Records will apply when you run Execute. You are not allowed to set a
negative skip value.
If the current record is the last record in the file, new records will be appended.
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Lookup tables are a good way of ensuring consistent data is entered in a file. The same lookup table
can be used in many files and can be distributed to other computers. Potentially, you can create
lookup tables for an entire site. Doing so will ensure all codes entered in the field will be from the
same sets.
There are two main types of lookup table, those with codes that are common to all levels and those
that have individual codes for each level.
The files to which lookup tables are attached can be locked. This means that the lookup tables
cannot be detached and the structure of the file cannot be changed. By distributing locked files with
lookup tables attached, you can ensure that field data entry staff can only use the correct sets of
codes and cannot change file structures. Locked files can be password protected.
To create a lookup table you must create a lookup file. Lookup files have the type LOOKUP and are
given the file extension LDT (e.g. LITHOLOGY.LDT). Once you have entered codes and
corresponding descriptions in the lookup file, you must compile it into a lookup table. The lookup
table can then be attached to a field in a file and will be displayed as a menu with sub-menus.
To enter a code into a field you traverse the lookup table menu and sub-menus selecting a portion
of the final code at each level. As you move to each menu level the portion of the code it contains is
concatenated with that of the previous level. When you reach a sub-menu from which you cannot
open another, press Enter and the code will be entered in the field.
You can use many lookup tables in a single file and there is no restriction on the number of lookup
tables you can create.
Once you have attached a lookup table to a file, you can begin entering data immediately.
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2.
Select Define nesting levels and then enter the number of levels. This defines the levels in the
lookup hierarchy. If you select Use template, it is not necessary to enter the number of levels in the
hierarchy. The file structure is defined by the template file.
3.
4.
Click OK to continue.
Note: When you use Define nesting levels, the field names are hard coded to Code n and Desc n (where
n is the nesting level). The width of the fields is defined in Options | Lookup Tables.
2.
3.
4.
Note: Do not delete the lookup table source files (*.LDT). You will often need to edit or extend them.
Also, you can only use a lookup table compiled with the same version of software. This is important
when you are creating a set of lookup tables and then distributing them to other computers on site.
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With the focus on the file containing the lookup table (and LDT file), select File | Compile
from the menu. A dialog containing validation options will appear.
2.
If you want to create a validating lookup table, select Enable validation and the other
options you require. These are described below.
3.
Enable validation
When you select this option, a lookup table capable of validating codes is created. The Validate
lookup fields in Options | Lookup Tables must be selected before the validation will be applied.
Non-validating lookup tables are much smaller than validating lookup tables particularly when the
lookup file has many options and uses common definitions.
Case sensitive
When you select this option the case of the letters you enter as codes will be checked. That is,
entering BAS is not the same as entering Bas or bas.
Accept empty cells
When you select this option the fields in the file into which you are entering codes can be left blank.
If you dont select it, you must enter a code in each cell in a field.
Sort menu item s
When you select this option, the items in the menus that display the lookup table are sorted
alphabetically. Otherwise they will appear in the same order as they occur in the lookup table.
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Position the cursor in the field to which the lookup table is attached.
2.
Position the cursor in the field to which the lookup table is attached.
2.
117
In this type of lookup table the codes in a subsequent level are accessible from all the codes in the
preceding level.
This example uses individual definitions
118
In this type of lookup table the codes in a subsequent level are only accessible from an individual
code on the preceding level. That is, they are arranged in a tree structure.
The null code - !
When you enter an exclamation mark in place of a code, only the description will be displayed.
Nothing from the menu level will be written to the cell. This means that you can use the first menu
level to show group headings for the data in the lookup table.
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Validation actions
These options control the program's response when you try to enter an invalid code in a field to
which a validation table is attached.
Valid input compulsory
When you select this option and make an invalid entry, a warning message will be displayed. You
will not be able to leave the cell until you have corrected the entry.
Flag (prefix) with
When you select this option invalid entries will be prefixed with the value you enter in the adjacent
response.
Flag (replace) with
When you select this option invalid entries will be replaced with the value you enter in the adjacent
response.
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2.
Set the direction of the search to UP, DOWN, ALL or SELECTION. SELECTION is enabled if
you have selected a block of cells.
3.
If a case-sensitive search is required, select Match case. Case refers to whether the letters
that make up the search string are in UPPER CASE or lower case. For example, Rc001 is
considered to be different from RC001 if Match case is selected.
4.
Enter the value of the search string in Find what. Use wildcards to generalize the search if
necessary.
5.
Notes:
To return to a search you performed in the current session, choose it from the history list
attached to Find what.
Select Close dialog on find if you want to close the dialog when the function locates a
match. You can select Edit | Find Next from the menu to repeat the search.
The program performs the search up or down from the record containing the highlight.
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2.
Set the direction of the search to UP, DOWN, ALL or SELECTION. SELECTION is enabled if
you have selected a block of cells.
If a case-sensitive search is required, select Match case. Case refers to whether the letters that
make up the search string are in UPPER CASE or lower case. For example, Rc001 is considered to
be different from RC001 if Match case is selected.
3.
Enter the value of the search string in Find what. (Optional) Use wildcards to generalize the
search if necessary.
4.
5.
Click the Run button. Confirm it is your intention to replace the record by clicking on the
Yes button. If you click on the No button, the search will continue to the next instance of
the search string. Clicking on Cancel will abort the operation and clicking on All will replace
all instances of the search string.
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Move the highlight onto the field containing the value or search string to find.
2.
Select Edit | Find and the Search and Replace dialog box will appear.
3.
4.
To make the search case sensitive, select the Case sensitive check box. Case refers to whether the
letters that make up the search string are in UPPER CASE or lower case. For example, Rc001 is
considered different from RC001 if Case sensitive is selected.
5.
Enter the value or the search string in Search for. (Optional) Use wildcards to generalize the
search if necessary.
6.
Click the Run button. Confirm it is your intention to delete the record by clicking on the Yes
button. If you click on the No button, the search will continue to the next instance of the
search string. Clicking on Cancel will abort the operation and clicking on All will delete all
instances of the search string.
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Printing a file
To print the contents of a file:
1.
2.
Select the window in which the file you want to print is displayed.
3.
From the File Editor, select the File | Print menu option. The Windows Print dialog box will
appear.
4.
For more information about Print dialog box options, refer to the Windows documentation.
Page setup
Use the entries in this dialog box to control how a printout will appear. Do the following:
1.
2.
Enter the Margin sizes in millimetres and define the range of records you want to print.
3.
4.
5.
Select File | Print, or press CTRL+P, to print the current file. Use the Properties button in
the Print dialog to confirm or change the current printer and paper settings.
Notes:
Hidden fields are not printed and the displayed order of the fields is maintained.
If you apply a filter and select Use filtered records, only records passing the filter conditions
will be printed.
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125
126
Projects
Projects are used to contain data from a particular area such as a mine or an exploration prospect.
They provide a convenient way of organising the data associated with a job.
Data files can be transferred from project to project as required. Where a mine has multiple pits,
each pits data will normally be held in a separate project.
In computer terms, a project is simply a folder on the hard disk. When you create a new project a
new folder is automatically created. The program places no limits to the number of projects that can
be created.
The program provides a number of tools to enable projects to be selected, created, deleted, moved,
renamed, and attached. These are found under the File | Projects menu.
Open List the current projects on the system. You can then select the project you intend to work
with. The name of the current project will appear in the title bar.
New Create a new project. This option brings up a form which prompts for project name, project
path, project title.
Delete Delete or Detach an existing project. This can delete all the files in the selected project or
delete the project name only, not the data files.
Move Move a project to another location on your disk drive or network.
Rename Change the name of the project. The new name will appear in the title bar and in the
Project Select dialog box. This actually changes the name of the folder where the project files are
stored.
Attach Attach an existing folder, that already contains data files, to be a new project. A project
that has been Detached (using the Delete option) can be accessed at a later date, by using the
Attach option.
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Opening a project
Use this function to open an existing project. Do the following:
1.
Select File | Project | Open. The Open Project dialog box appears.
2.
Select the project name that you want to set as the current project.
3.
Click OK, or double-click on the project name. The project will be loaded and operations can
commence. The Project Name and Title appear on the Title bar.
Note: If only a single project is available it will be automatically selected and this utility will be disabled.
Tip: If you have more than one project, you can set up the system to automatically load the project
you last worked on. You do this on the System dialog on the Options menu. If you do not set this
option, and you have multiple projects, you must select one (using the steps mentioned above)
each time you start the program.
2.
3.
Click OK. The project will be created and operations can commence.
The message Project name: PROJNAME already exists indicates a sub-folder named PROJNAME
exists on the Project path. Enter a new project name.
Note: A project folder may be duplicated but it may not be on the same path. A project name must
follow Windows file naming conventions. MICROMINE supports the use of long file names. File names
cannot contain the following characters: \ / : * ? " < > |.
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Deleting a project
Use the Delete function to remove all files from the selected project sub-folder and the sub-folder
itself.
To delete a project and all its associated files and sub-folder:
1.
Select File | Project | Delete. The Delete Project dialog appears, listing all existing
projects.
2.
3.
4.
Click OK. A dialog appears with the question: Delete project?: PROJNAME
5.
Detaching a project
Detaching a project means the project name is removed from the list of available projects in the
program, but the project folder, and the files it contains, are left intact.
To detach a project and all its associated files and sub-folder:
1.
Select File | Project | Detach . The Detach Project dialog appears, listing all existing
projects.
2.
3.
4.
Click OK. A dialog appears with the question: Detach project?: PROJNAME
5.
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Moving a project
The Move option, on the Project menu, allows you to move a project sub-folder and its files to a
new location on your hard disk or network. Use this function if projects increase in size beyond the
capacity of local storage, or to archive projects no longer in frequent use.
The old sub-folder is deleted and a new sub-folder is created. The project retains its original project
name.
To move a project:
1.
Select File | Project | Move. The Move Project dialog box appears.
2.
3.
4.
The Move function checks that there is sufficient disk space for the project to fit on the new drive. If
insufficient space is available an error message is displayed. The file PROJECT.PRO in the program
folder is automatically updated by this program. A project may be relocated using DOS commands
outside the program. If this is done, you need to edit the PROJECT.PRO file manually to identify the
new drive and path.
Renaming a project
This menu option changes the name and title of a project. It will not change the location of a
project, and the project path will remain the same. A new name must follow the DOS conventions
for naming files.
To rename a project:
1.
Select File | Project | Rename. The Rename Project dialog box appears.
2.
Select the project you wish to rename from the Project name list box.
3.
4.
Click OK and the project will be renamed. Selecting Cancel will abort the entire operation.
If it is the current project you are renaming, the Open Project dialog box appears, so that you can
tell the program which project to load next, now that you have renamed the loaded one.
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Attaching a project
Attaching a project is similar to creating a new project, except that you will be using an existing
sub-folder instead of creating a new one. For example, a previous project may have been detached,
but the files and the associated sub-folder still remain on your hard disk. Before you can use these
data files in the program they have to be attached as a project.
To Attach a project:
1.
Select File | Project | Attach. The Attach Project dialog box appears.
2.
Enter the Project name, the Project path and Project title. The Project path is the path of
the files that have been detached.
3.
Click OK and the project will be attached. Click Cancel to abort the entire operation.
Attaching a project will save data duplication and facilitate database management.
You can also use this facility to access files created in other software packages. By attaching the
folder containing such files, you are getting the program to recognize that the data is part of a
project.
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When you click and highlight the Form Sets button, the Form Sets pane is displayed.
The Form Sets pane is a dockable window which is docked (by default) to the left of the application
window. When you click and highlight the Form Sets button, the Form Sets pane is displayed.You
can dock the Form Sets pane window to the right, top, or bottom of the application window, or
move it to an undocked position over the display.
To dock a window, you position the cursor over the title bar of the window and drag and drop it with
the mouse. Before you release the mouse button, an outline is displayed which previews the new
position and extent of the window.
Displaying the Form sets pane and the Object Manager together
To display the Form Sets pane in the same window as the Object Manager, drag the Form Sets pane
onto the Object Manager pane (or vice-versa). Before you release the mouse button, an outline
showing the position and extents of a tabbed window is displayed. To toggle between the Form
Sets pane and the Object Manager pane, select the tabs at the bottom of the window.
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Auto-hide
When the Form Sets pane has been docked to the left, right, top, or bottom of the display, click the
Auto-Hide icon to maximize the work area and automatically hide the Form Sets pane when it is not
in use. The Form Sets pane is hidden and a tab is displayed instead. The tab is positioned to the
left, right, top, or bottom of the display, depending on where the Form sets pane was docked:
Click the Form Sets tab whenever you want to display the Form Sets pane. To disable the Auto-hide
feature, click the Auto-hide icon again:
Note how the icon is displayed
horizontally when the Auto-hide
feature is enabled.
133
Open. Open the form to review or modify parameters before loading the form set into the
display.
134
Load. Close the existing Open View and Load the Saved View.
When the Object Manager (Display pane) is open, the Object Manager button is highlighted on the
main toolbar. You can easily turn the Object Manager on and off using this button.
The Object Manager is a dockable window which is docked (by default) at the left of the application
window.
You can dock this window to the left, right, top, or bottom of the application window, or move it to
an undocked position over the display:
To dock a window, you position the cursor over the title bar of the window and drag and drop it with
the mouse. Before you release the mouse button, an outline is displayed which previews the new
position (and the extent) of the window.
Displaying the Object Manager and the Form Sets pane together
To display the Object Manager Display pane in the same window as the Form sets pane, drag the
Display pane onto the Form sets pane (or vice-versa). Before you release the mouse button, an
outline showing the position (and extent) of a tabbed window is displayed.
135
To toggle between the Display pane and the Form sets pane, select the tabs at the bottom of the
window.
Auto-hide
When the Display pane has been docked to the left, right, top, or bottom of the display, click the
Auto-Hide icon to maximize the work area and automatically hide the Display pane when it is not in
use:
The tab is positioned to the left, right, top, or bottom of the display, depending on where the
Display pane was docked. Click the Display tab whenever you want to display the Display pane. To
disable the Auto-hide feature, click the Auto-hide icon again:
Note how the icon is displayed horizontally when the Auto-hide feature is enabled.
Opening and closing the Display pane
The Display pane can be toggled on and off using the Object Manager button on the View toolbar.
Alternatively, you can open the Display pane by selecting View | Object Manager from the menu.
To close the Display pane, click the Close button in the top right-hand corner of the Display pane.
Changing the drawing order
To change the drawing order, click on a display object in the Display pane and drag and drop it to a
new position in the tree.
Hiding a display object
When displaying multiple data layers it is sometimes useful to temporarily turn off or hide a layer
(without removing it permanently from the display). This gives you a better view of the objects you
are interested in. To hide a display object (or layer) simply uncheck the checkbox alongside the
object name in the Display pane.
136
Select the object you want to remove by clicking on it in the Display pane.
2.
Press the Delete key. Alternatively, you can select the Edit | Remove menu option or rightclick on the object and select Remove from the right-click menu.
The object is removed from the graphic display and the Display pane.
Object Properties
To display object properties:
1.
2.
Select the Edit | Properties menu option or right-click on the object and select Properties
from the right-click menu. Alternatively, you can double-click on an object in the Display
pane or in the graphic display.
Selecting Objects
Select an object by clicking on it in the Display pane. Use the SHIFT or CTRL keys to select multiple
objects.
Note: You need to select an editable display object before you can use the Edit Strings toolbar. If a noneditable object is selected, then the edit string functions are disabled.
You can also select an object by clicking on it in the display. The selected object is framed within a
dashed border.
Unselecting objects
To unselect an object, click in an empty part of the Display pane, or in an empty part of the graphic
display.
137
Unless it has been closed during a previous session, the View toolbar will be displayed by default
whenever you open the Vizex or the 3D Viewer display.
If the View toolbar is not displayed, select the View | Toolbars | View menu option. Alternatively,
right-click in an empty portion of the application menu bar and select View from the list of toolbar
options.
Which tools are enabled (and the behaviour of some tools) will change, depending on the current
display mode. The 3D Viewer has its own selector, navigation, and zoom tools. For more
information, refer to the Manipulating objects in the 3D display topic.
The width of the application window and the selections you have made when customising the
toolbar, will also determine what buttons are displayed.
In Vizex, the Select tool can be used to select an object in the display. To
select multiple objects, hold down the SHIFT or CTRL keys as you select
them with the mouse.
Note: In Vizex or the 3D Viewer, you can select an object by clicking on it in the
Object Manager.
You need to select an editable display object before you can use the Edit Strings
toolbar. If a non-editable object is selected, then the Edit button will be
disabled.
In Vizex, the Zoom tool can be used to define a zoom box or a single click
will zoom with the new centre at the cursor location.
Holding down the CTRL key allows the user to zoom out. If a zoom box is
used, the display zooms to fit the current display into the zoom box. There
are also Undo zoom and redo zoom buttons.
In Vizex, the Pan tool can be used to drag the display in the direction you
move the cursor.
When the CTRL key is held down, you can use the Pan tool to zoom in and
out. Drag the cursor down to zoom in. Drag the cursor up to zoom out. When
the Shift key is held down, you can use the Pan tool to rotate display objects
in 3D. Note however, that not all display objects will display correctly in 3D.
In Vizex, click the Section tool to interactively define a section line in Plan.
To ensure the section is orthogonal, hold down the CTRL key as you digitise
the section start and end points.
Note: This tool will behave the same as the Pan tool if the display is already in
Section View.
In Vizex, click the Query tool to use the cursor to identify a point, string,
outline, or any object selected in the display window.
138
In Vizex, click the Measure tool to measure the distance between two or
more points digitised on screen.
Optionally, select the Snapping option from the drop-down menu, or press
the Shift key while measuring to enable snapping mode.
In Vizex, click the Edit button to put the display into edit mode. When the
display is in edit mode, you can edit the vertices of a selected string or
outline object.
Edit tools applicable to open pit and underground mine design (including ring
design and blasthole design) are provided on separate toolbars. Use the View
| Toolbars menu to select from a list of available toolbars. You can customise
existing toolbars and create your own toolbars.
In Vizex or the 3D Viewer, click the Display Lim its button to set the limits
of the graphic display. Use the Display Limits dialog to define Orthogonal,
Transform, or 3D display settings.
In Vizex or the 3D Viewer, click the View All tool to zoom to the full extents
of the displayed objects. Alternatively, select the View | Viewpoint | View All
menu option.
In Vizex, click the Undo Zoom button to undo the previous zoom or section.
139
In Vizex, following an Undo Zoom, click the Redo Zoom button to re-apply
the last zoom operation.
In Vizex or the 3D Viewer, select from the PLAN, LOOKING UP, LOOKING
EAST, LOOKING WEST, LOOKING NORTH, LOOKING SOUTH buttons to
define an orthogonal view of your data. To define a non-orthogonal view of
your data, you can use the Section tool.
Note: These and other viewpoint options are available when you right-click
in the display and select Display Limits from the right-click menu.
Alternatively, you can select View | Viewpoint | Edit from the main menu.
Click the Plot button to invoke the dialog to generate a plot file. Note: Plot and
Plot Editor options are also available via the Plot menu.
Click the Close button to close the Vizex display environment and return to
the main application menu.
Click the Help button to display context-level help. Use the help cursor to
click on the active dialog to invoke a popup help hint.
140
Use the Form Sets pane to display your data by loading multiple form sets.
Use the Object Manager to create a multi-layered display by selecting and arranging your
display objects.
Use the Edit Strings toolbar to edit strings and outlines in the display. To speed up the editing
process, display layers can be easily turned on and off. Toolbars applicable to opencut and
underground mine design, including ring design and blasthole pattern design, are also
available.
Datasets can be viewed simultaneously in plan and section by selecting the Window | New
Window menu option.
You can also open an Editor by selecting the File | Open menu option. Fields in the editor (for
example, grade values) can be colour-coded to match the colour-coding applied to objects in the
display.
141
The View toolbar is used to set display characteristics and navigate the Vizex display. You can also
access other MICROMINE functions such as the Plot Editor and the 3D Viewer.
When you click the Edit button, you are putting the Vizex display into edit mode. Use the tools
provided on the Edit Strings toolbar to edit and create strings and outlines in the display.
If the Edit Strings toolbar is not displayed, select the View | Toolbars | Edit Strings menu option.
Alternatively, right-click in an empty portion of the application menu bar and select Edit Strings
from the list of available toolbars.
142
Alternatively, right click on an editable object in the Object Manager and select Edit from the rightclick menu. The following buttons and tools are provided on the Edit Strings toolbar:
Which tools are enabled will depend on the current display mode and the type of object(s) selected.
The width of the application window and the selections you have made when customising the
toolbar, will also determine what buttons are displayed.
If the Edit Strings toolbar is not displayed, right-click in an empty portion of the application menu
bar and select Edit Strings from the list of toolbar options.
Click the New String tool to begin digitising a new string in the display
window.
Click the Toggle Insert button to toggle Insert Point mode on and off. To
temporarily turn off insert mode, hold the SHIFT key down as you digitise a
point.
Click the Snapping button to toggle snapping mode on and off.
Alternatively, you can toggle snapping on and off using the S key. To
temporarily turn off snapping mode, hold the SHIFT key down as you digitise
a point.
Point, Line, and Grid snapping options can be selected.
Use the Between tool to insert a point exactly half way between two specified
points. Between mode can be invoked during editing to create new strings
or extend existing strings, and when moving or inserting points. During
interpretation, for example, the Between tool can be used to digitise a point
which is halfway between drillholes.
The Follow tool works differently to the snapping-related behaviour of the
Follow String function and provides a simple way of copying part of a string,
or an entire string, for example a wireframe profile.
When you select the Follow tool and then move the mouse over an open
string, the mouse snaps to the nearest vertex on that string (when Point
snapping mode is current), or (if Line snapping mode is current) a point on
the string which is the shortest perpendicular distance from the position of
the mouse to the string. When you click the mouse, the string is followed
(automatically copied) from the highlighted vertex to the end of the string. If
the string is closed, then the entire string is copied.
To follow a portion of a string or segment, hold down the mouse button. As
you drag the mouse, the string is followed until you release the mouse
button.
Once the string has been copied, Follow mode is no longer active. Click the
Follow tool again to repeat the process.
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Note: The Follow tool uses the default (last-used) snapping mode. When using
the Follow tool, Point or Line snapping is applied irrespective of whether
Snapping mode is turned on or not. The Follow tool does not work if the default
snapping mode is Grid.
When you are digitising a new string and want to insert a point at the
intersection of two other strings, click the Insert Intersection Point tool to
extend the current string by snapping to the nearest string intersection.
Use the Extend String button to append points to one end of a string. If
you select the Extend String tool, points are appended to the last point on
the string. Alternatively, right-click on the end point you want to append to
and select Extend from the right-click menu.
As you drag and move the appended point, a new string segment is
displayed (rubber-banded).
Use the Close String button to close a selected (open) string. The start and
end point of the string will be connected by a new segment.
Click the Expand String tool to expand the current string in an inwards or
outwards direction based upon the Expansion Distance you have defined in
the String Editor tab of the Vizex options dialog.
Click the Create DTM from strings tool to generate a surface DTM based
upon the current outline.
Click the Drape on W irefram e tool to drape the currently selected string
vertically on a wireframe in the graphic display.
Click the Smooth String tool to control the degree of smoothing of the
contours in the graphic display, inserting a regular spread of points and
removing any unnecessary sharp corners.
Click the Weed String tool to make contour strings more manageable by
reducing the number of points. Set the amount of point reduction by
applying a weed tolerance value. The weed tolerance value can also be
applied in the String Editor tab of the Options | Vizex dialog.
The default weed tolerance is 0.1.
To resolve crossover strings, you can use the Fix Crossover tool to
automatically detect and resolve them. Where there is an acute angle
between consecutive segments on a selected string, the points on those
segments are highlighted in pink. A cross-over will generally occur as a
result of this defect when the next string is generated.
Click the Curve Properties button to extend the selected string by
appending a curve to the end point. In the Curve Properties dialog enter the
following information:
Radius
The radius of the curve.
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Angle
The angle of the curve, as measured from the string end point and in
the direction specified (below).
Direction
By default the curve will be drawn in a clockwise direction. Turn off
the default selection if you want the curve to be drawn in an anticlockwise direction.
Gradient and Gradient Units
The gradient of the curve and how the gradient is measured.
Click the String Gradient button to set the gradient (and gradient units)
when digitising strings in the display.
Use the Bearing and Distance tool to specify a bearing (azimuth) and a
distance for the next segment when digitising a string. The distance is
measured using either the horizontal (projected onto the plan) distance, or
the actual 3D distance (taking into account the elevation). Specify a gradient
value and the units to be applied to the gradient value.
Click the Blast Displacement button to create a visual representation of an
ore body prior to and after blasting.
The information provided by the Blast Displacement function can be used with
drill pattern and shot orientation data to help minimise ore displacement and
dilution during future blasting.
Click the Use Digitiser tool to put the display into Digitiser mode and
optionally setup for digitising.
When in Digitiser mode, click this button to display the Digitiser Setup
dialog.
To edit mine design strings and outlines, including ring and blasthole pattern designs, refer to the
Mining section of this guide.
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Edit
Click the Edit button to put the Vizex display into edit mode.
Note: This button will be disabled if nothing is selected, or a non-editable object is selected. To enable
the Edit button, you must select an editable display object (either in the Object Manager or in the display
window).
Select
Select an object by clicking on it in the Object Manager. Use the SHIFT or CTRL keys to select
multiple objects. You can also select an object by clicking on it in the display:
Hold down the SHIFT key to select more than one string or outline at a time.
The points on the last string you select are highlighted as solid black squares. The points on
the string(s) you selected previously are highlighted as clear or outline squares.
Note: You can only edit one string at a time. You can not edit a string when multiple strings are
selected. All you can do is move or copy them. If you hold down the CTRL key and click on another string
when only one string is selected, a Join String operation is performed.
Pressing DELETE will delete what is currently selected. Clicking on a blank space will cancel
the current selection.
Note: If new points are added to the start of the string, an automatic Reverse String operation is
performed before the new points are appended. If you select the Extend String tool (on the Edit Strings
toolbar) points are appended to the last point on the string.
Insert Point
To insert a point on a string, position the cursor on the string and hold down the SHIFT key. The
cursor will change to a crosshair cursor.
Click on the string to insert a new point, then drag the point to a new location.
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Alternatively you can use the Toggle Insert button on the Edit Strings toolbar to toggle insert
mode on and off.
Note: You can also insert multiple points by selecting Insert Points from the right-click menu.
Move Point
To move a point, simply click on the point and hold the mouse button down. The cursor will change
to an open square surrounded by four arrowheads.
Note: You can also move a string by selecting Move String from the right-click menu.
Copy String
To copy a string, press the CTRL key while the mouse is over a string segment. The cursor shape
changes to four arrows with a plus (+) sign.
When you click and release the mouse button in the graphic display, the cursor position will snap to
the nearest point of the selected object in the Display Pane. If no object is selected in the Object
Manager, then the cursor position will snap to the nearest point of the currently edited object.
To temporarily turn off snapping mode, press the Shift key down as you digitise a point.
Follow String
If Snapping mode is turned on, you can follow a string by holding down the mouse button and
dragging around the graphic display.
Click the right mouse button whenever you want to insert a point. When you complete the string,
points will be inserted and will snap to the nearest points of the selected or currently edited object
in the display.
Delete Point
To delete a point, press the CTRL key while you click on a point. The cursor shape changes to a
cross.
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Strings are used to show features such as roads, rivers, contours or tenement boundaries.
Profiles are used to display two-dimensional data ordered by position, such as grid
geochemical assays.
Drillhole Trace
Drillhole Hatch
Drillhole Events
Drillhole Graph
Drillhole Value
Outlines are used to highlight areas of interest, such as geological and tenement
boundaries. Outlines can be generated based on polygonal models and ore bodies created
using the modelling functions in MICROMINE.
Images. You can import various bit-mapped images, for example, an aerial photograph of
the area you are displaying.
Pit Design. Use string editing and pit design functions to digitise a pit outline and apply
constraints to the pit design process. To aid the design process, you can display ore strings,
block models, topographic contours, or Whittle output in the background.
Wireframes. You can display wireframes created using the wireframing functions in
MICROMINE.
Block Model. You can display block models created using the modelling functions in
MICROMINE.
GIS Features. You can display data stored in a variety of third party GIS formats.
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The Display Limits dialog is displayed. You can define Orthogonal, Transform or 3D display settings.
Which settings are applied, will depend on which tab is active when you click the OK button.
Orthogonal
Use the Orthogonal tab to define an orthogonal view of your data. Traditionally, the term orthogonal
is used to describe the orientation of a section view, looking North, South, East, or West.
View Type
You can view your data in plan and section using one or more windows. Select an option, for
example, LOOKING NORTH or EAST, to determine the section line. The View Type you select will be
applied to the current (active) window.
Most drillhole sections are viewed from the south (a North section, i.e. looking North) or the East (a
West section, i.e. looking West). Both of these views will have the X axis coordinates of the display
increasing from left to right across the screen and any plotted (scaled) output will reflect this.
In some locations, sections are viewed from the North or the West. In these cases the maximum X
coordinate is on the left of the screen or plotted output. When generating sections looking South or
East, the plot will have a -ve X scale. This forces the plotted output to have the maximum X
coordinates on the left hand side of the plot. Do not delete the -ve sign. If you do, the plot will be
rotated laterally (mirror imaged).
Note: You can also switch View Type using the display orientation buttons on the main toolbar.
Limits
You can view your data using different extents of display limits. The Limits you define will be applied
to the current (active) window.
When you choose LOOKING EAST or WEST, the North min/max and the East section prompts are
enabled. When you choose LOOKING NORTH or SOUTH, the East min/max prompts and the North
section prompts are enabled. In both cases the RL min/max will be enabled.
When you choose PLAN the North min/max, East min/max and Starting RL prompts are enabled.
Clip to W indow
Select the Clip to window option to restrict the display to a window which is defined using
measurements towards and away from the current RL value.
In plan view, Window towards is a measurement taken from the nominated level towards the
viewer. Window away is a measurement taken from the nominated level away from the viewer.
In the case of sections, Window towards is a measurement taken from the section line towards the
viewer. Window away is a measurement taken from the section line away from the viewer.
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Transform
Use the Transform tab to set the display limits of a Transform Section. You can define a transform
section to display data as vertical sections at an angle to the orthogonal grid.
Calculations
Select the Hold A Fixed option to recalculate end point B based upon the values you enter for end
point A and the bearing and length.
Select the Hold mid point fixed option to recalculate end points A and B based upon the values you
enter for the mid point, bearing and length.
Section
Enter the coordinates , bearing and length that define the section line.
If East(A), North(A), East(B) or North(B) is changed:
Bearing will be calculated as the bearing from A to B.
Length will be calculated as the distance between A and B.
If Bearing or Length is changed:
If Hold A fixed is selected,
B will be recalculated to be bearing and length from A
[ B = A + bearing * length ]
If Hold mid point fixed is selected,
A and B are both recalculated so that the point midway between A and B stays the same.
[ midPt = (A + B)/2
A = midPt - bearing * length/2
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To define the transform section you must specify a section line and define the window either side of
that line. Data that falls within this corridor will be displayed.
3D
Use the 3D tab to view the limits of the display in 3D.
Calculations
3D objects can be viewed from different positions and angles by rotating and moving the camera,
not by rotating and moving the objects, although that is what appears to happen.
When you select an object and rotate it, you are actually moving the camera through the space.
When adjusting the 3D display, specify whether to hold the camera position (where you are looking
from) and adjust the viewpoint (the focal point of the camera as determined by its orientation), or
whether to hold the viewpoint and adjust the position of the camera.
Projection
Two cameras are available for use with the 3D display: a perspective and an orthogonal camera.
Use the Projection setting to switch between them.
The perspective camera emulates the human eye, that is, objects that are further away appear
smaller. This is the most commonly used camera.
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155
To setup a section view, right-click in the display and select Display Limits from the right-click
menu. Alternatively, you can select View | Viewpoint | Edit from the main menu. You can define
an orthogonal view of your data, define a transform section, or define a 3D view. The values you
enter, in Window Towards and Window Away in the Transform tab, control what will be included in
each section.
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Coordinates
In the Coordinates tab:
1.
Enter the name of the Drillhole Database or double-click to select from a list of Drillhole
Databases stored for the current project.
Alternatively, you can right click and select the Select option from the right-click menu. You can
also Edit the properties of an existing Drillhole Database or create a New Drillhole Database.
Refer to the Drillhole Database topic for more details.
2.
Optionally select a filter to define a collar filter to selectively control which drillholes will be
displayed.
Trace Display
In the Trace Display panel:
Control how the trace will appear. Do the following:
1.
2.
Optionally colour code the trace using field values. Click on the Colour Coding button to
specify an interval file and the fields to be used to colour the trace.
Hole Name
In the Hole Name tab:
1.
Optionally select the Show Hole Name option to display the Hole Name.
2.
Specify a colour set or assign the default colour to be used to colour code the Hole Name
annotation.
3.
Specify a location and position for the Hole name annotation either at the TOP or BOTTOM
of the trace with a position based on an AUTO setting, CENTRED, or based on an entered
DIRECTION.
4.
If the position of the Hole Name annotation is based on a DIRECTION, enter a bearing.
5.
Hole Depth
In the Hole Depth tab:
1.
Optionally select the Show Hole Depth option to display the Hole Depth.
2.
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In the Annotation input box, enter any additional text to be displayed with the Hole Depth
value.
4.
Enter the number of decimal places to be applied to the Hole Depth value.
5.
6.
Collar
In the Collar tab:
1.
Select the Show Collar option if you want to display drillhole collars.
The name of the collar file is retrieved from the drillhole database specified in the
Coordinates tab and cannot be changed.
2.
Enter the name of the field that contains values which will control the display colour. The
colour set, that is associated with this field, maps colours to text strings or numeric ranges.
For each record in the file, the display colour is determined by the value in this field.
3.
Double click (F3) to select the set that will be used to control the display colour. The colour
set maps colours to text strings or numeric ranges. This determines the colour for each
value in the colour field. Right click (F4) to create or edit a colour set.
If you do not nominate a colour set, the default colour will be used.
4.
Enter the name of the field (in the file) containing the data that will control which symbol is
displayed. The symbol set, that is associated with this field, maps symbols to text strings or
numeric ranges. For each record in the file, the symbol is determined by the value in this
field.
5.
Double click (F3) to select the set that will be used to control the symbol that will be
displayed. The symbol set maps symbols to text strings or numeric ranges. This determines
a symbol for each value in the chosen (mapped) field. Right click (F4) to create or edit a
symbol set.
If you do not nominate a symbol set, the default symbol will be used.
6.
Enter the name of the field containing symbol angle values (0-360). A value of 0 will
display the symbol in its natural orientation. A value of 90 will display the symbol rotated
90 in the clockwise direction.
7.
Enter the default angle, in degrees, that will be applied to symbols at points where there is
no entry in the symbol angle field.
8.
Enter the name of the field containing the factor that will be used to control symbol size.
9.
Enter a size factor for labels and symbols. This will be used when there is no entry in the
Size field for that point. The default is 1.0.
Depth/Offsection
In the Depth/Offsection tab:
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1.
Select the Show Depth/Offsection option if you want to display depth and offsection values.
2.
Enter the downhole interval at which to display offsection and depth values. Use grid units.
3.
Choose which side of the trace the values or graphs will be displayed.
4.
For each interval, specify whether to display depth or offsection values, or both. Specify an
offset distance that will be used to display the annotation and optionally double-click the
font icon to set font characteristics.
5.
Enter a factor to control the length of all ticks. The default is 1.0. This factor changes the
size of the tick on the display.
Enter the offset, measured from the trace, at which the tick will be displayed. It must be
entered in grid units.
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Collar file
The Collar file contains the location, in Northing, Easting, and RL coordinates of each
drillhole collar. If there are no surveys, the drillholes are vertical. Collar files sometimes
contain additional information such as Prospect and Drill Date. The collar file also contains
the hole name, total depth an, optionally, the dip and azimuth of the hole at the collar. If
collar survey information is not provided in the collar or survey file, the holes are assumed
to be vertical.
Interval file
The Interval file contains information such as assays or lithology for successive intervals
down each hole. Usually assay and geology data are kept in separate files though they are
similar in form.
The data contained in these files can now be defined as part of a drillhole database. Data contained
in collar and (optionally) survey files can be added to the database and (external) interval and event
files can be associated with the drillhole database.
Trench Data
A drillhole database can be used to generate 'trench' trace coordinates as well as 'downhole' trace
coordinates.
If you select the Trench Database option when creating a drillhole database, data contained in a
survey file (containing the location values that define the positions of each trench) needs to be
defined as part of the database. Trench assay files are similar to drillhole assay files, and can also
be associated with the drillhole database.
Advantages of drillhole databases
The use of a drillhole database offers several advantages:
Once the relationship between collar, survey and interval files has been defined for a
drillhole database, the Drillhole functions in MICROMINE need only reference one database,
rather than several external (collar, survey, and interval) files.
The drillhole trace need only be generated once. When a drillhole database is opened, trace
coordinates are generated automatically and held in memory. This improves the speed of
any functions that access the drillhole database.
Since a database is being used to store and manage the association between collar, survey
and interval files, the same database can be used to store associated metadata and display
settings.
When using the Drillhole functions, you need to specify the database to be used to define trace
coordinates.
By right-clicking in the drillhole database input box, you can select an existing drillhole database,
edit the properties of an existing drillhole database, or create a new drillhole database, specifying
which collar, survey and interval files will be used to create it.
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You can create a Drillhole or a Trench database. Enter a name for the new database and click the
Create button. A dialog is displayed which allows you to define Drillhole Database Properties.
Drillhole database properties can also be modified using the Edit database, View database, Add
interval files, and Add event files options on the right-click menu. In the case of the View option,
properties are read-only and can not be changed.
From the right-click menu, you can also Delete or Refresh the currently selected drillhole
database.
Tip: You can also refresh a drillhole database using the Tools | Macro Functions | Drillhole Database
Refresh menu option
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Hatch Coordinates
In the Hatch Coordinates tab:
1.
Enter the name of the Drillhole Database or double-click to select from a list of Drillhole
Databases stored for the current project.
Alternatively, you can right click and select the Select option from the right-click menu. You can
also Edit the properties of an existing Drillhole Database or create a New Drillhole Database. Refer
to the Drillhole Database topic for more details.
2.
Enter the name of the interval file containing the values you want to classify.
3.
Optionally select a filter to define a collar filter to selectively control which drillholes will be
displayed.
4.
Hatch Display
In the Hatch Display tab of the Load Drillhole Hatch dialog you can define how the hatching will be
displayed
1.
Specify a Hatch field. The Hatch field contains the data that will be displayed as a hatch
pattern beside the trace.
2.
3.
The hatch can be displayed on the LEFT or RIGHT of the drillhole trace. Use Side to
determine its location. The Offset distance controls how far the hatch is from the drillhole
trace. Enter a value in grid units.
4.
You can setup borders around the hatching. If the hatching is butted up against the drillhole
trace, choose 3 SIDES. This will ensure that the drillhole trace is not overwritten. If the
hatching is entirely separate from the drillhole trace, choose 4 SIDES to enclose it
completely.
Note: you can also apply hatching to graphs displayed alongside the drillhole trace.
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You can use an assay file as an event file if you use either the From or To intervals to define the
depth of an event.
To display events along a drillhole trace:
1.
Select Display | Vizex | Drillhole | Events from the menu or double-click the Drillhole
Events form set type in the Form Sets pane to open the Drillhole Events dialog.
2.
Enter the name of the Drillhole Database or double-click to select from a list of Drillhole
Databases stored for the current project.
Alternatively, you can right click and select the Select option from the right-click menu. You can
also Edit the properties of an existing Drillhole Database or create a New Drillhole Database. Refer
to the Drillhole Database topic for more details.
3.
Optionally select a filter to define a collar filter to selectively control which drillholes will be
displayed.
4.
Enter the name of the event file containing the events you want to display.
5.
The Display field contains the values or text that will be displayed at the location of the
event e.g. LOX. The function uses the Depth field to position the event display along the
drillhole trace.
6.
Define how the labels and symbols will be displayed at each event.
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Graph Coordinates
The entries you make in the Graph Coordinates tab will determine what data is graphed:
1.
Enter the name of the Drillhole Database or double-click to select from a list of Drillhole
Databases stored for the current project.
Alternatively, you can use the Select Database option from the right-click menu. You can also Edit
the properties of an existing Drillhole Database or create a New Drillhole Database. Refer to the
Drillhole Database topic for more details.
2.
Optionally select a filter to define a collar filter to selectively control which drillholes will be
displayed.
3.
You can display graphs of interval data or events. Events occur at specific depths down the
drillhole. Choose the type of graph from the Graph list.
4.
Double-click (F3) to select an associated file containing the data you want to display beside
the drillholes and the names of the Graph field in that file. The Graph field must contain the
data that will be displayed on the graph beside the trace. If you are displaying graphs of
events, you need to enter the name of the field containing the depth at which the events
occur.
5.
6.
Select a graph MODE. You can use values directly from the graph field of the input file or
you can take natural logs of the data before it is displayed. To use the graph values as they
occur, choose NORMAL from the Mode list. Choose NATURAL LOG to convert the values
before they are displayed.
7.
Use the cutoff value and/or scale factor (if required) to control the graph limit. They are
applied to the data from the graph field. The cutoff value sets a limit to the extent of the
graphs. The scale factor is a multiplier that can be used to reduce (scale factor < 1.0) or
increase (scale factor > 1.0) the extent of the graphs.
Graph Display
The entries you make in the Graph Display tab will determine how the graph will appear.
1.
2.
When your choice of graph includes points, you can define a point size factor. The default is
1. Enter a value greater than 0.0 and less that 1.0 to decrease the size of the point and a
value greater than 1.0 to increase it. Changes to symbol size will be displayed.
The graph can appear on either side of the drillhole trace. Choose this from the Side list.
Enter an offset to move the graph away from the trace. This must be specified in grid units.
If you want to display scalebars with the graphs, select Scalebar. Define the minimum and
maximum values that will appear on the graph and number of ticks that will be between
them. Select a font to be used to display scalebar values.
The scalebar will extend from the bottom of the hole. If the bottom of the hole does not
occur on the section, the scalebar is displayed where the hole exits the section.
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Note that you can also select the colour of the baseline of the graph. If you do not enter an offset for
the graph, the baseline will overwrite the trace and trace information be lost.
Displaying a header
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5.
The name of the field from where the graph data is obtained can be displayed as a header
beside the scalebar. You can select the colour in which this will be displayed. To exclude it
from the display, select the NULL colour.
6.
Value Coordinates
The entries you make in the Value Coordinates tab will determine what values are displayed:
1.
Enter the name of the Drillhole Database or double-click to select from a list of Drillhole
Databases stored for the current project.
Alternatively, use the Select Database option from the right-click menu. You can also Edit the
properties of an existing Drillhole Database or create a New Drillhole Database. Refer to the
Drillhole Database topic for more details.
2.
Optionally select a filter to define a collar filter to selectively control which drillholes will be
displayed.
3.
Double-click (F3) to select an associated interval file containing the values you want to
display.
4.
Double-click (F3) in one or more of the Label fields to specify which values will be
displayed. Up to six values can be displayed.
5.
Optionally apply a colour coding based on the values in each Label field.
Value Display
The entries you make in the Value Display tab will determine how the values will be displayed along
the drillhole trace.
Defining how the labels will be displayed
1.
Values can be displayed on the LEFT or RIGHT of the drillhole trace. Use Side to determine
their location.
2.
The Offset distance controls how far the data is from the drillhole trace. Enter a value in
grid units. It is measured from the edge of the trace.
3.
Optionally, specify a delimiter (i.e. a comma or colon) to be used to delimit the display
values selected in the Value Coordinates tab.
4.
If you have specified a delimiter, optionally specify a display colour for the delimiter.
5.
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Select Use value colour when you want the bottom tick for any interval and the top tick of
the first interval to be drawn using the same colour as the label. If all ticks are to be the
same colour, clear this check box and select the Tick colour.
2.
Select Display all ticks if you want all sample intervals to be shown, even if they do not
contain data. Ticks will be drawn for all intervals defined in the nominated file. When
Display all ticks is cleared, ticks will only be drawn for intervals with a value in the Value
field (i.e. the field is not blank). Normally this option is not selected and only the ticks that
define intervals with data are shown.
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GIS File
Use the GIS File tab to select the GIS file to be loaded. The formats that can be loaded include
ArcView shapefiles, Microstation DGN files, and MapInfo files in both TAB and MIF formats.
When you select a file format, one or more feature types (Points, Lines, or Polygons) will be
automatically selected in the Display Features group box. The selected feature types will depend on
the format and content of the GIS file.
For example, ArcView shapefiles only contain data of a single feature type, whereas Microstation
DGN files will usually comprise several (text, point, line, and polygon) feature types.
Note: To display a text annotation layer, you must select the Points feature type.
Once a file has been selected, you can restrict what will be displayed by using the checkbox options
in the Display Features group box.
AutoCAD DXF files are not supported. To load AutoCAD DXF files, use the File | Import | DXF
menu option to import the file as a string file. You can then display it using the Display | Vizex |
Strings option.
3D Orientation
Specify the 3D orientation of the display object (i.e. PLAN, LOOKING WEST or LOOKING NORTH).
Specifying the orientation allows you to display otherwise two-dimensional data in cross section or
long section. This is especially useful if, for example, you have received geological sections that
were produced in a 2D GIS package.
If you wish to apply clipping to the data (by specifying values for Window Towards and Window
Away on the Display Limits dialog), or view the data in 3D, you must also define a Z-plane for the
GIS file. Specifying this value allows Vizex to position the data in its correct 3D location. If you are
using true 3D data, you can instead set the Use Z values from file option.
Feature Display Settings
When you have selected a file and the type of features to display, you can set their display
characteristics using the Line, Point, and Polygon tabs. The options in these tabs will only be
enabled if the appropriate feature type has been selected in the GIS File tab.
Line
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1.
2.
To colour code the lines, choose the name of the field that will control the colour coding and
the number of the colour set. If you do not colour code the lines, they will be displayed in
the default colour.
Point
In the Point tab:
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1.
In the Symbol group, select an option from the Point Shape selection box. Shape options
are SYMBOL, CROSS, TRIANGLE, SQUARE and CIRCLE. If you choose the SYMBOL point
shape, double-click the Point symbol prompt to choose a symbol. You can source symbols
from any TrueType or OpenType font.
2.
In the Symbol Scaling group, optionally enter a default symbol size factor. Values less than
1.0 will decrease the symbol size and values greater than 1.0 will increase it.
Optionally select the Scale Symbols option and choose the name of a Scaling Field that will
control the size of the shapes.
4.
5.
6.
In the Colour Coding group, choose the name of the field that will control the colour coding
and the number of the colour set. If you do not colour code the symbols, they will be
displayed in the default colour.
7.
In the Text group, choose the name of the Display field containing point annotation values.
If you leave Display field empty, only the chosen symbol will be displayed. Select a font to
be used to display the text annotation.
8.
Position the point annotation. Annotation can be located at one of twelve positions around
the point. Double-click (F3) to open the dialog box from where you can select a suitable
position.
Polygon
In the Polygon tab:
1.
In the Colour Coding group, double-click the Default Hatch prompt to choose a default
hatch pattern.
2.
Optionally specify a Hatch field. The Hatch field contains data values that can be used to
determine what hatch pattern is displayed for each polygon.
3.
Select or define the hatch set that will be used to control the hatching. The hatch set maps
hatch patterns to text strings or numeric ranges. This determines the hatch pattern for
each value in the hatch field. Right-click (or F4) to create or edit a hatch set.
4.
Select the appropriate options and click the Foreground and Background More buttons to
set the hatch foreground and background colours.
Enter the name of the field that contains values which will control the foreground/background
hatch colour. The colour set, that is associated with this field, maps colours to text strings or
numeric ranges. For each record in the file, the foreground/background hatch colour is
determined by the value in this field.
5.
If you wish to label your polygons, choose the name of the Display field and select a display
font.
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Enter the name of the file containing the point data. If required, define a filter to selectively
control the records to be processed.
2.
Enter the names of the Easting and Northing and Z fields in the file.
Symbols
3.
Select an option from the Shape selection box. If SYMBOLS is selected, enter the name of a
field containing values that will control which symbol is displayed. Optionally apply a symbol
set, define a default symbol and enter the name of a field containing symbol angle values.
Other shape options are CROSS, TRIANGLE, SQUARE and CIRCLE.
4.
To annotate each point, enter the name of the field containing the annotation values in
Display field. If you leave Display field empty, only the chosen symbol will be displayed.
Select a font to be used to display the text annotation.
Position the point annotation. Annotation can be located at one of twelve positions around
the point. Double-click (F3) to open the dialog box from where you can select a suitable
position.
5.
To colour code the symbols and annotation, enter the name of the field that will control the
colour coding and the number of the colour set. If you do not colour code the symbols, they
will be displayed in the default colour.
Scaling
6.
Enter a default symbol size factor. Values less than 1.0 will decrease the symbol size and
values greater than 1.0 will increase it.
7.
Enter the name of the field that will control the size of the shapes in Scaling field.
8.
9.
Note: In MICROMINE, you can create new sets of symbols. Before a symbol set is available for use, you
must enter its name in Options | Symbols. It then becomes the current set.
Pie Chart
10. In the Pie Chart tab, optionally select the Show pie chart option to specify settings that will
be used to display the points as pie segments, in which the size, colour and fill of each
segment can be controlled by field values. Up to eight segments may be displayed for each
point.
Typical uses are for the display of geochemical plots and block model values.
You can determine pie segment size by selecting one of three scaling methods: specifying a
scaling factor; specifying ranges; or by normalisation.
11. Enter (or double-click to select) the name of each field whose value you want to represent
as a pie segment.
12. Double click (F3) on the Hatch buttons to select patterns.
If you choose the FACTOR scaling method, you can optionally enter any or all of the following for
each field:
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Enter a Minimum radius value to set a limit on the size of the pies that can be displayed. If
the radius is less than the Minimum radius, then the Minimum radius is used.
A Scaling Factor used to multiply the values for the field. If there is a base value specified,
it will be subtracted before the multiplication. Negative values are treated as zero.
A Cutoff Value. Any value greater that the cutoff will be shown at this size.
Enter a percentage value to define the minimum display radius. This will be applied to the
minimum value.
Enter a percentage value to define the maximum display radius. This will be applied to the
maximum value.
Enter the radius for the pie segment. This will be applied to values falling in the
corresponding ranges (%). A value is not required in each response. The program treats a
blank as the last value until a new radius is defined. To suppress the display for any value,
enter 0.
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Loading strings
You can load and display strings to show the true ground profile along the course of a section,
roads, rivers, contours, tenement boundaries, or some other surface of interest.
Select Display | Vizex | Strings from the menu or double-click the Strings form set type in the
Form Sets pane.
In the Load Strings dialog, do the following:
String File
1.
Enter the name of the file (or double-click in the file input box to select a file) containing
string data. If required, define a filter to selectively control the records to be processed.
To create a new string file, right-click in the file input box and select New from the right-click menu.
2.
Enter the names of the Easting, Northing and RL fields in the file.
3.
Line Options
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4.
5.
To colour code the lines, enter the name of the field that will control the colour coding and
the number of the colour set. If you do not colour code the lines, they will be displayed in
the default colour.
Enter or select a file (or multiple files) containing outline data. One or more outline files can
be selected in the File Selection window after double-clicking in the file input box. If
required, define a filter to selectively control the records to be processed. If any point in a
string passes the filter, the entire string will be displayed.
To create a new outline file, enter the name of a new file in the file input box. Click OK and follow
the prompts to create a new file.
2.
Specify the orientation of the data in the outline file (i.e. PLAN, LOOKING WEST or
LOOKING NORTH). The orientation you select here will determine what View Type you
select when viewing the outline data with other display objects.
3.
Enter 'Restrictions' to restrict the outlines that will be displayed by selecting the NAME or
CODE field in the Select by list and entering a corresponding identifier (field value).
4.
If you want to apply settings in the Hatch field of the outline file so that a fill pattern is
applied to the displayed outlines, select the Fill option.
5.
Finally, select the attributes you want to display. Values from the fields you select will be
appended as one string. If an attribute is selected, then the Font pane will be enabled.
Double click on the Font pane to select a font for the text annotation.
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2.
Specify the orientation of the grid (i.e. PLAN, LOOKING WEST or LOOKING NORTH). The
orientation you select here will determine what View Type you select when viewing the grid
with other display objects.
3.
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Hatching
Use the Hatching tab to apply a hatching to the block model display.
Use Hatch field
Select this option to make the hatch pattern dependent on the values in one of the fields in
the file. If this option is clear, then a single hatch pattern will be used.
Hatch field
Enter the name of the field (in the file) containing the data that will control the hatching.
The hatch set, that is associated with this field, maps hatch patterns to text strings or
numeric ranges. For each record in the file, the hatch pattern that will be used is
determined by the value in this field.
Hatch Set
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Labels
Use the Labels tab to add labels to the block model display.
Display block centres
You can display crosses at the block centres. The crosses can be colour coded according to
the values in a field in the block model file.
Display labels
Up to three labels, values from the block model file, can be displayed in each block.
Separate colour sets can be applied to each field. You can also adjust the font
characteristics and orientation of the labels.
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Loading a wireframe
You can load and display a wireframe or a DTM created using the Wireframing and DTM functions, in
Vizex or the 3D Viewer. However, wireframes can not currently be edited in the Vizex display.
Wireframes
The term "Wireframe" is a generic term used to describe a three-dimensional mesh and is a term
frequently applied to both surfaces and solids.
In some computer packages, the term "wireframe " is limited to defining only a closed shape or a
solid.
In MICROMINE, the term "wireframe can be applied to a surface or a solid. But the term "DTM"
relates specifically to a surface.
DTMs
Digital Terrain Models (DTMs) are a specific type of wireframe that have become widely used in
mining. The Delauney Triangulation, is one method used by MICROMINE to construct better surface
representation by carefully selection how points are joined as triangles.
In MICROMINE, the term "wireframe can be applied to a surface or a solid. But the term "DTM"
relates specifically to a surface.
Select Display | Vizex | Wireframe from the menu or double-click the Wireframes form set type
in the Form Sets pane when the Vizex display is active. In the Load Wireframe dialog, do the
following:
Wireframe Type
Select one of the wireframe types in the current project by double-clicking in the Wireframe Type
input box.
A wireframe type is a name used to categorise a wireframe. All wireframes, no matter what the
type, are the same - collections of triangles, attributes and metadata. Because you will require
different wireframe attributes, according to the sort of feature they describe, wireframe types are a
means of organising data.
There are several pre-defined wireframe types. Together these will cover most of the natural
features you will meet. Wireframe types are contained in a project.
Wireframe Nam e
Having selected a wireframe type, double-click in the Wireframe name input box.
Select the name of the wireframe you want to display.
Draw Style
Select a Draw Style option. The wireframe can be shaded, drawn as lines, or displayed as a 2D slice.
When you select the 2D slice option, a cross-section through the wireframe is displayed in the plane
of the current view.
Note: The 3D Shaded draw style can't be plotted. When plotted it is drawn as 3D lines.
Colour Coding
Click the Colour coding checkbox if you want to apply a colour set.
Colour sets are one of the most important ways of making it easy to differentiate between values,
regions and other objects in the display. The tools you use to create colour sets in MICROMINE are
particularly powerful. Because colour sets are saved as form sets they can be used anywhere in a
project and can even be exported to other projects.
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Enter the name of the file that contains the profile data and the name of the profile field.
The profile field could be one of the coordinate fields (e.g. Northing) or a field specially
created for the purpose (in the given examples North or Profile).
2.
Enter the names of the fields containing the Easting and Northing coordinates.
3.
Select the Profile Direction. If the Easting value for each profile is (approximately) constant,
select Easting. Otherwise, select Northing.
4.
5.
Enter the name of the Display field for each profile. This is the field containing the data that
will be graphed.
6.
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Grid Settings
To display a grid in the current display window, select the View | Grid Settings menu option or
click the Display Grid button on the View toolbar.
Spacing
Select the Auto spacing option or enter values to define the spacing between gridlines on the East
(X), North (Y), and RL (Z) axis. The style of grid line is determined by your choice of grid type. If
Grid type is set to NONE then these prompts will not be enabled.
Depending on the range of your data, the Auto spacing option will apply an appropriate spacing (1,2
or 5 to some power of 10) to draw between 5 and 10 grid lines in the specified (East, North or RL)
direction.
Grid type
Choose the type of grid to display.
FULL draws lines from one side of the paper to the other.
CROSSES draws ticks around the plot border and crosses wherever grid lines intersect.
Line type
This option will only be enabled if you chose a FULL grid type. Line type options are:
SOLID
DASH
DOT
DASH DOT
DASH 2 DOTS
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Digitiser support
When you use any of the digitising functions in MICROMINE, you must establish the relationship
between the grid of the digitiser tablet and the grid on your display.
A digitiser tablet has its own internal grid, and the cursor of the digitiser can detect its location on
this grid. So that the system can convert the coordinates on the digitiser grid to display coordinates,
you must first assign coordinates to two or more reference points.
To setup the digitiser in Vizex:
1.
Select the Use Digitiser tool on the Edit Strings toolbar and click Yes when the message "Do
you want to set-up the digitiser" appears.
Alternatively, select the Setup Digitiser tool (enabled if the display is already in Digitising
mode).
2.
If the X and Y scales are equal, type in the coordinates of two points on the display. If not,
you will have to type in the coordinates of three points. The coordinates you enter (Easting
and Northing, Easting and RL, Northing and RL) will depend on the orientation of the
current view.
3.
4.
Click the Tools button to define colour and hatch sets and modify plot, colour and font
environment settings.
5.
Click Run to digitise the defined points. Once these points have been digitised, you will be
asked to digitise a check point to confirm the setup.
Note: If you change the viewpoint of the Vizex display, the digitiser settings will not change. You can
use this to view your digitising in an alternative orientation. For example, you might want to check a
cross-section by viewing it in 3D as you work. However, you must repeat the Digitiser Setup process
each time you want to change the orientation of the data you are digitising.
Once the digitiser is setup, to create a new string and start digitising, simply click the first point
with the appropriate digitiser button.
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Vizex options
Use the Options | Vizex menu option to apply editing and display default settings. The following
tabs are provided:
General
Auto Load Last View
Select the Auto Load Last View option to load the Default Saved View at the end of each Vizex
session.
The form sets you load in the Form Sets Pane can themselves be saved as a form set. This higher
level set defines a Saved View of your data.
Tip: To save your current display and form set settings as a Saved View, click the File | Save
menu option . For more information refer to the Form Sets Pane topic.
Background Colour
This setting will determine what background colour is applied to the display when Vizex starts up.
Clipping
Plan view and Section view
Specify Default Clipping Values which will be applied when the Last Saved View is loaded. For more
information about the Clip to window options that can be applied to plan and section views, refer to
the Display Limits topic.
Note: When you modify clipping values using the Display Limits dialog, your default settings are not
changed.
String Editing
Prompt to edit properties on adding a new string
Select this option to display an Edit Properties dialog whenever a new string is added to the display.
Expansion Distance
When editing strings and outlines, use this setting to determine the distance to be used when
expanding string contours using the String Expand String tool. Note: This setting does not apply
when the display is in Pit Design mode. Instead refer to the Pit Constraints topic.
Weeding Tolerance
When editing strings and outlines, use this setting to determine the tolerance to be used with the
String Weeding tool.
For more information about string editing functions and tools, refer to the Edit Strings topic.
Digitiser
In the Digitiser tab, define the behaviour of the digitiser buttons. Any button that is not assigned
here will add a point to the current string, or create a new string and add a first point.
End Feature
Enter the code of the digitiser button which will be used to finish the current feature.
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The 3D Viewer
The 3D Viewer enables you to analyze your data visually. It is an excellent tool to interpret large
amounts of data quickly. The 3D Viewer module is interactive - not only can you view data - you
can study it from different viewpoints and perspectives.
You can use any field to represent the Z axis (usually height), and thus display 2D data in a 3D
environment. For example, use assay values from sample data to represent as Z values which can
then be colour coded.
The module is implemented using the Open GL and Open Inventor software libraries.
The main features of the 3D Viewer user interface are summarised below:
The 3D workspace
To run the 3D Viewer functions, select 3D | Viewer from the main program menu. The
screen in 3D Viewer consists of the following components:
The Decoration
The toolbars positioned along the left, right and bottom sides of the screen are collectively
known as the Decoration: They provide access to some of the most frequently used
functions in the 3D Viewer program. Use the controls (buttons, sliders and wheels) on these
toolbars to manipulate objects in the work area.
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The World
The black area enclosed by the toolbars is known as the World: any objects you want to
view must first be loaded into this space.
Using lighting
Using light is an important part of working in 3D: without some sort of light source your
objects will show as black patches, or not at all.
Ambient lighting (the default lighting) is defined by the Headlight position and settings you
define using the View | 3D | Lights | Headlight menu option. The headlight is a
directional light that follows the camera.
Use the lighting options under the View | 3D | Lights menu to experiment by adding spot
and point light sources to, and removing light sources from, the scene. A scene may
contain multiple light sources, each with different characteristics.
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Viewer modes
Viewer modes, provided on the View | 3D | Viewing Mode menu, allow you to change the camera
position and alter the way that the scene is viewed. When the View tool is selected in the decoration,
the following cursors are displayed for each mode:
The Examiner viewer mode uses a virtual trackball to view the data. By default, the 3D
Viewer opens in Examiner viewer mode.
The Fly-through viewer mode moves the camera through space with the camera in a
constant up position. The horizontal line displayed near the bottom of the scene is a
relative speed indicator. The red bar indicates actual velocity, while the cyan bar indicates
target velocity.
The Plane viewer mode constrains the camera to move only parallel to the view plane.
Additional buttons are added to the decoration, so that the camera can be set in each of
the major (X, Y, Z) planes.
Note: When using the Fly-through, Walk-through and Plane viewer modes, select the
appropriate draw style and move style options in order to optimize the scene redraw speed.
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The Decoration
The zoom slider control, thumbwheels and tool buttons positioned along the left, right and bottom
of the 3D Viewer display window are collectively known as the Decoration.
Use the Decoration to manipulate objects in the world.
In MICROMINE version 10, the equivalent of many of these tools are now provided on the View
toolbar. You can choose to hide or show the decoration whenever the 3D Viewer is opened. To do
this, select Options | 3D Viewer Environment and select/unselect the Show decoration option.
Note that you can also turn the decoration on and off by selecting the View | 3D | Decoration
menu option.
The bar at the right-hand side of the Decoration contains View buttons. These buttons (also
available on the View toolbar) enable you to switch between different operating modes, set (or
return to) the home position, change the camera lens (width and projection type), and change the
centre of rotation.
Note that if your display window is too small, not all buttons may be visible.
The bars along the bottom and left-hand side of the Decoration show a number of thumbwheels and
a slide ruler. The RotX and RotY wheels, for example, allow you to rotate the camera around the
screens X axis or Y axis.
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Selecting a colour
There are two ways to select a colour:
The colour wheel has a small rectangular marker on it that you can drag to select the colour
you want. By default the marker is positioned in the centre, indicating pure white.
Use the colour sliders to directly manipulate the individual components that make up an
RGB or HSV colour system. Click Sliders on the colour menu and select the sliders you
want.
HSV represents a colour system based on hue, saturation and value (or
brightness).
The colour you select appears in the left-hand colour box: this is the new colour that will be
used. The previously selected colour is displayed in the right-hand box. Use the arrows
underneath to switch the colours between the boxes.
By default, the background is dynamically updated with the new colour. If you want to
experiment with colours before applying them to the world, select Edit and enable the
Manual option. In that case the colour you select is only applied to the colour box: you have
to click the Accept button to apply the colour to the item you are working with (to return to
dynamically updating colour changes, select Edit and enable the Continuous option).
When using the continuous mode, make sure that the colour intensity is sufficiently high
(slider moved to the right, value close to 1.0). If not, the changes you make to colours in
the editor may not appear to dynamically update the item in the world.
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1.
Select the Edit | Background Colour menu option. This activates the colour
editor.
2.
Select the Edit | Copy menu option. This copies the background colour of the
current scene to the windows clipboard.
Select the Edit | Background Colour menu option. This activates the colour
editor.
4.
Select the Edit | Paste menu option. This applies the colour and intensity from the
clipboard to the current scene.
Tips
To set the default colour for the background, exit the 3D Viewer and select the Options |
Colours & Fonts menu option. The default background colour takes effect the next time you
enter the 3D Viewer.
To help you select a colour, the colours on the wheel are normally shown at their brightest.
Therefore, when you change the intensity, the colour you select on the wheel is not a true
representation of what the colour will look like. The W YSIWYG option adjusts the brightness
on the colour wheel to the same the intensity as the colour background, that is, as set via the
intensity slider. When WYSIWYG is disabled, the colour wheel is always shown at maximum
intensity. This makes it easier to select a colour since the differences between colours are more
pronounced. With WYSIWYG enabled, the colours on the colour wheel have the same intensity
as that selected on the intensity slider: this gives you an exact idea of the colour that will be
used.
To keep the colour editor as the top-most window on your screen, enable the Always on top
option. This can be useful when you need to change colours often.
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Select the object you want to change by using the Selector tool or the Object Manager.
2.
3.
A dialog is shown with the original parameters that were used to load the object. Change
the colour set or default colour as required.
To change the colour and brightness of the background you can use the colour editor (by default the
background is black).
Note: To change the colours of items in the display, you can also makes changes in Options | 3D
Environment. These settings will be used whenever you run the 3D Viewer.
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2.
3.
Select the item you want from the list of Move options.
As is
As Is is the default for a still camera. Objects are drawn the way they are, for example
sections will be drawn as lines, while a DTM appears as a solid object.
Move As Is will move and redraw all object as they are. For complex displays, this option
may produce a slow redraw speed.
No texture
When No texture is selected, objects are displayed without applying any special surface
textures.
When Move No texture is selected, objects are moved and redrawn without applying any
special surface textures.
Hidden line
When Hidden Line is selected, objects are drawn as wireframes, but only the front faces are
shown.
When Move Hidden Line is selected, objects are moved and redrawn as wireframes, but only
the front faces are shown.
Low resolution
When Low resolution is selected, objects are displayed at the lowest available resolution.
When Low Resolution is selected, objects are moved and redrawn at the lowest available
resolution.
Wireframe
When Wireframe is selected, objects are drawn as as wireframes: that is, all lines created by
curves in the object are visible. This is different from hidden lines, where the lines appear to
make up planes that hide some of the lines.
When Move Wireframe is selected, objects are moved and redrawn as wireframes.
Points
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Bounding box
When Bounding Box is selected, objects are replaced with the bounding box that surrounds
them. Each object will have its own box.
The bounding boxes for objects are white, so make sure the background colour for the scene
is slightly darker or they will not be visible. The rotation axes have there own (red) bounding
box.
When Move Bounding Box is selected, the bounding box that surrounds each object is moved
and redrawn.
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Use the Display | 3D menu to load data into the 3D Viewer. The objects you can load are
generated in other MICROMINE functions. These include wireframes (DTMs), polygonal
models, block models, strings, outlines, stacked sections and drillholes.
Using the File menu. Using the File | Open menu option does two things:
It opens a copy of the world that you previously saved with the Save or Save As option. This
restores the world including the objects it contained, the preferences you have set , etc. It
also restores the viewpoint, that is, the camera position and orientation current at the time
the world was saved.
It saves the currently active world, including the objects in the world and any settings you
made (for example changes you made to the background colour). This information is saved
in your current project folder in a file with extension .iv.
It saves the current viewpoint. This information is saved in a Form with the same name and
extension as the file where the world is saved.
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Note that the current viewpoint may be different from the Home position, which is not saved when
selecting Save or Save As.
Save As
The Save As option works similar to Save: Use it to save the currently active world to a new
file. The 3D Viewer can save a scene in three different formats:
Note that a scene saved as a bitmap file cannot be re-opened in the 3D Viewer.
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Click the Object Manager button to toggle the display of the Object Manager pane on and off. Use
the Object Manager to change the drawing order of your display layers and turn display layers on
and off.
Selecting objects
Using the options on the Display | 3D menu, you can load multiple data files
(consecutively) into the world. When more than one object is present, you must select the
one you want to work with. When an object is selected, it appears inside a black rectangle
with green handles, called the bounding box. To select multiple objects hold the Ctrl key
while performing one of the actions mentioned below.
To visually select an object:
Use the selector tool and click on the object you want.
To select an object by name:
1.
Select View | Object Manager or click the Object Manager button. A dialog
appears listing the type and filename of all objects in the world (if there is only one
object in the world, it is automatically selected).
2.
3.
Click OK.
Use the selector tool and click anywhere in the scene away from objects: the
bounding box disappears.
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All display objects are listed in the Object Manager. Simply unselect the checkbox
for the object you want to hide. Alternatively, select the object in the display and
select Hide from the right-click menu.
The object is hidden from view, but is still available in the world. Any operation you perform
(like moving the camera) still affects the hidden object.
To show a hidden object
All hidden display objects are shown as unselected in the Object Manager. Simply
select the checkbox for the object you want to show.
Note that if you moved the camera while the object was hidden, it may have moved out of the
scene and not be visible when you select the Show option.
To remove an object
When you remove an object it is permanently deleted from the world. Note that the original
file you used to Load data in the world remains unchanged.
All display objects are listed in the Object Manager. Select the object you want to
remove (either in the display or in the object manager) and select the Edit |
Rem ove menu option, or right-click on the selected object and select Remove from
the right-click menu.
To delete all objects, select the Remove All option instead of Remove.
To refresh an object
There may be times when you have an object in the world whose data you want to edit
(using the File | Open DB option) and then reload while keeping the current settings of
viewpoint, lighting, etc.
The quickest way to do that is to use the refresh option: it reloads the latest version of a
file, replacing the one currently in the world, without affecting the viewpoint.
To refresh an object:
1.
2.
Right-click on the object (in the display or in the Object Manager) and select the
Refresh menu option.
2.
Select the Edit | Properties menu option or right-click on the object (in the
display or in the Object Manager) and select the Properties menu option. The
original dialog that was used to load the object is displayed.
3.
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Click the View All button (or select the View | Viewpoint | View All menu option)
to bring all objects that are in the world, into view on the screen. This moves the
camera closer or further away, but does not affect the angle at which objects are
shown.
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Saved a 3D display as an Open Inventor file (*.iv) and then loaded it.
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3D lighting
Use the lighting options under the View | 3D | Lights menu to experiment by adding spot and
point light sources to, and removing light sources from, the scene. A scene may contain multiple
light sources, each with different characteristics.
Ambient lighting (the default lighting) is defined by the Headlight position and settings you define
using the View | 3D | Lights | Headlight menu option.
Note: The number of light sources used will impact on scene rendering time.
Adding a light source to the scene
Select View | 3D | Lights | Add Spotlight or View | 3D | Lights | Add Pointlight to add a
spotlight or a pointlight to the scene.
Like a star, a Pointlight
radiates light equally in all
directions from a given
location in 3D space.
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Location Z axis
Click on the handles on the ball of a spotlight or pointlight icon and drag the mouse to change the
location of the light along the Z axis:
Intensity
Click on the shuttle of a spotlight icon (only) to adjust the cone of light that is thrown by the
spotlight. This defines the cut-off angle, i.e. the angle, in radians, outside of which the light
intensity is zero.
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Direction
Click on the pointer or the tail of a spotlight icon (only) to adjust the direction of the spotlight:
Note: You cannot adjust the intensity or direction of a pointlight. While the intensity of a spotlight is
defined by the rate at which the light intensity drops off from its primary direction, a pointlight
radiates light equally in all directions from its location.
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206
Stereo Preferences
Select the View | 3D | Stereo option to view your display objects in real-time stereo 3D. The
Stereo Preferences dialog is displayed.
Select a stereo viewing mode and if necessary, adjust the view with the sliders.
Stereo Modes
The following modes can be selected:
Horizontal Half
SSDI Stereo
Stereo Adjustment
If necessary, select the Reverse left and right views option to exchange the views.
If necessary. adjust the Zero parallax balance and the Cameras offset settings using the
sliders.
When you are happy with the settings, close the Stereo Preferences dialog box.
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Creating a 3D plot
Click the Plot button on the View toolbar (or select the Plot | Generate menu option to
generate MICROMINE plot files (*.PEL) in the 3D Viewer and Wireframing.
The output written to a MICROMINE plot file is in vector format. If a raster image is
displayed, and you want to include it in the plot, you must select the Print as JPEG option.
When this option is selected, the function creates a plot file and a JPEG image file. The plot
file contains a reference to the image file.
The paper size and layout options can be specified for the plot file.
When you create a JPEG image, you can set the background colour and choose a resolution
for the file. The image will be produced in 24bit colour. Note that a 300dpi image will be
around 7MB in size. For screen display 72dpi is generally fine. To produce bitmaps suitable
for advertising material and inclusion in reports, 300dpi is generally a good resolution.
To generate a 3D plot:
1.
Select Tools | 3D Plot from the menu in the 3D Viewer or the Wireframing
module.
2.
To create a JPEG image, select Print as JPEG, then select a background colour and
resolution.
3.
To create a MICROMINE plot file, clear Print as JPEG, and select a paper size and
layout.
4.
If you have chosen to create an image with a very high resolution, it may take a few
moments to create.
1.
2.
3.
Enter the name of the new file and choose BMP Files (*.bmp) from the Save as
Type list.
4.
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1.
2.
3.
Enter the name of the new file and choose VRML Files (*.wrl) from the Save as
Type list.
4.
2.
Press the PrintScreen key. This captures your current screen and places a copy on
the clipboard.
You can insert the screen image into a graphics program for further editing (usually with an
Edit | Paste menu option). The saved image can then be inserted into a document.
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One of the objects may be out of view. Use the View All button to bring all objects
into the viewing area.
The second object may be hidden by the first one: rotate or move the object in view.
If the second object you loaded contains the same data and the same coordinates as the
first (that is, it is the same data file, loaded with the same command from the Display |
3D menu), it will take up the same space in the world: it will appear to have overwritten
the first one (however, both objects are present, as you can see by selecting View |
Object Manager.
To make sure the files you load show as separate objects, change the coordinates
of one of them. The easiest way to do this is by adjusting the Z values when you
load the second object.
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211
Loading a wireframe
This option loads a wireframe or a DTM (digital terrain model) into the 3D world. A DTM file is a
binary file that defines a ground surface. You can create a DTM file from any file containing X, Y and
Z coordinates.
Digital Terrain Models (DTMs) are a specific type of wireframe that have become widely used in
mining. The Delauney Triangulation is one method used by MICROMINE to construct better surface
representation by carefully selecting how points are joined as triangles.
In MICROMINE, the term "wireframe can be applied to a surface or a solid. But the term "DTM"
relates specifically to a surface.
The term "Wireframe" is a generic term used to describe a three-dimensional mesh and is a term
frequently applied to both surfaces and solids.
In some computer packages, the term "wireframe " is limited to defining only a closed shape or a
solid.
In MICROMINE, the term "wireframe can be applied to a surface or a solid. But the term "DTM"
relates specifically to a surface.
To load a wireframe:
1.
Select the Display | 3D | Wireframe menu option. The Load Wireframe dialog will appear.
2.
3.
(Optional) Enter the number of a suitable colour set that will be used to control the colour
of the DTM.
4.
(Optional) Select the Default colour in which the object is to be displayed. This will be used
when you have not defined a colour set.
5.
(Optional) To adjust the Z values, select the Adjust Z values? check box, click the More
button and complete the dialog box.
6.
Click OK. The data from the DTM file is displayed, in plan view, in the 3D world.
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1.
2.
Double-click the Type edit box and choose "DTM" from the list that appears.
3.
Double-click the Name edit box and choose a name from the list of previously saved DTM's
that appears.
4.
Check (turn on) the Drape image? option and click the More button.
5.
Click the browse button [...] next to the image file prompt and navigate to your image.
Note: The Multi Band Images button will only be enabled if the image type you select falls into this
category. If this button is enabled, you can control the allocation of spectral bands to display colours. For
example, a common geological application of Landsat satellite imagery is to allocate the red, green, and
blue display colours to spectral bands 7, 4, and 1.
6.
Entering a number between -1000 and 1000 to control the intensity of the image. Use this
feature to exaggerate or subdue the image on your display. Zero is the default value.
Increase the value towards 1000 to whiten the image. Decrease the value towards -1000 to
darken the image.
7.
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ER Mapper Header (ERS) file (associated with ECW files and occasionally with BIL
files)
ESRI HDR file (associated with BIL, BSQ, and BIP files)
With the exception of the GeoTIFF and ECW headers, which are embedded within the image
files, the remaining georeferencing files must always be in the same folder and have the
same name as the associated image file, with the appropriate file extension. For example,
the filename.HDR header file will georeference the filename.BIL image file, and so on.
To override the default header assignment, select another option from the Load
Georeference drop-down list. Only the options available for the selected file will be displayed.
To apply the new parameters to the image, click the Load button. The X and Y reference
coordinates for the top left corner of the image, and the X and Y pixel sizes (in grid units),
will be displayed. If an overriding header is not available, you can easily create your own
World File to provide the necessary information.
Note: In MICROMINE, the X and Y reference coordinates always refer to the top-left corner of the
image. However, ArcView World Files and ESRI .HDR files reference the centre of the top-left
pixel, so the reference coordinates will appear to differ from the contents of the files. This is not
an error, but simply represents an on-the-fly conversion from one georeferencing system to
another.
If the image has no associated spatial data, you can either georeference the image
interactively by clicking the Georeference Image button, or alternatively by keying in the
image's georeferencing parameters if they are known.
8.
Click Close to close the Image dialog and then click OK to load the wireframe.
Select the wireframe object (either in the Object Manager or using the selector tool in the
display).
2.
Select the Edit | Properties menu option. Alternatively, right-click on the wireframe object
and select Properties from the right-click menu.
The dialog that was used initially to load the wireframe will be displayed. You can make any
required changes here.
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The Process
1.
Select View | Clipping | Define from the main menu or click the Clipping Planes button on
the View toolbar.
2.
215
The values you enter in the Section towards and Away prompts define how many sections
are displayed in the body of the wireframe.
4.
Click OK when you have defined the clipping characteristics. They will be applied to the
display immediately.
You can also right-click while clipping is enabled and, from the menu that appears:
Select sections.
You can also click on the Clipping information box on the status bar (right-hand end) to select a list
of available clipping planes.
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Using cameras
Two cameras are available for use with the program: a perspective and an orthogonal camera. Use
the Projection button on the decoration to switch between them.
The perspective camera emulates the human eye, that is, objects that are further away appear
smaller. This is the most commonly used camera.
The orthogonal camera on the other hand produces parallel projections and thus does not create a
distortion with distance. Use it when it is important to get an exact idea of measurements, which
would be distorted with the perspective camera.
Animation
Animation is always enabled.
To start spinning the camera
1.
2.
Click on the object and drag it in the direction you want to move.
3.
Release the mouse button while still briefly moving the mouse: as if throwing the
object away. The camera starts spinning. To control the velocity of movement,
adjust the speed with which you move and release the mouse.
To look at an object in plan view, select the View | Viewpoint | Plan View menu option.
This is the default view when loading a new object.
To look at an object from a cardinal direction select the direction you want from the View |
Viewpoint menu: the menu disappears and the camera is immediately positioned in the
selected orientation.
To view an object from any other angle or position, you re-position the camera, not the
object itself. When you move the camera, everything in the world moves together: all the
objects, the light source, etc.
along a plane,
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(Optional) If you have multiple objects in the work you may want to highlight the
one you are interested in: click the selector tool and click the object you want to
study.
2.
(Optional) To display the rotation axes select View | 3D | Rotation Axes. Note
that you can reposition the Rotation axes by using the Seek button on the
Decoration.
3.
4.
Click the object (or anywhere in the scene) and drag the camera to the position
you want. Notice how all objects (including the rotation axes) move together.
To move the camera manually, you must be in Viewer mode. To change to Viewer mode do
one of the following:
press Esc to toggle or hold the Alt key down to change temporarily.
The cursor changes to a hand icon. You can then rotate the camera around the Rotation
axes.
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1.
(Optional) If you have multiple objects in the work you may want to highlight the
one you are interested in: click the selector tool and click the object you want to
study.
2.
3.
Click the object, while holding down the Ctrl or Shift key, and drag it to the position
you want. Note that the rotation axes remain stationary.
When you select View | Viewpoint | Plan View, your movements are in the X-Y
plane, with the orientation showing a constant Z value (the blue rotation axis
shows towards you).
When you select View | Viewpoint | Looking North or South, your movements are
in the X-Z plane, showing a constant Y value (the green rotation axis shows
towards you).
When you select View | Viewpoint | Looking East or West, your movements are in
the Y-Z plane, showing a constant X value (the red rotation axis shows towards
you).
2.
In the dialog that appears enter a number and title for the form (the first available form
number is automatically displayed).
3.
Click OK.
To restore a viewpoint
1.
2.
3.
Highlight the form containing the camera settings you want and click OK.
The camera position and orientation are applied to the world and the scene adjusted accordingly.
Spinning
Click and drag the cursor over an object to move it around the rotation axes (you can see the
rotation axes by selecting Rotation Axes from the View menu).
Panning
Click and drag the cursor over an object, while holding down the Ctrl or Shift key (the hand icon
changes to a right pointing hand). This moves the camera in a plane: up, down, left and right. Note
that the rotation axes do not move when you do this.
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Control Buttons
Use the tools provided by the 3D Viewer Decoration to manipulate the display. Use the
buttons on the Flight Path Control Panel to create a fly-through sequence by recording a
series of viewpoints.
ADD / INSERT
Click the ADD or INSERT buttons to record the current scene as a viewpoint. After recording
a viewpoint, this is displayed as the current viewpoint to the right of the Viewpoint Slider
Bar on the control panel.
Click ADD to add a new viewpoint AFTER the current viewpoint. Click INSERT to insert a
new viewpoint BEFORE the current viewpoint.
FIRST / LAST
Click FIRST to move to the viewpoint which is sequentially first in the flight path. Click LAST
to move to the viewpoint which is sequentially last. Alternatively you can click at either end
of the Viewpoint Slider Bar to move to the first or last viewpoint.
BACK / FORWARD
Click BACK to move backwards from the current viewpoint. Click FORWARD to move
forward from the current viewpoint. You can use these buttons to step through the flight
path in both directions.
Note: Currently, you can only PLAY the flight path in a forward direction.
DELETE
Click DELETE to remove the current viewpoint from the flight path.
MODIFY
Click MODIFY to change the current viewpoint. The scene which is current in the 3D display
will become the current viewpoint.
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Timer Inputs
Use the Timer inputs to specify the velocity (slow - fast) to be used when running the flythrough. The speed or time factor you enter can be applied between EACH VIEWPOINT or
across the TOTAL FLIGHT PATH.
You can also create a flight path from a string file using the 3D | String to Flight Path menu option.
221
Displaying Images
By displaying images with other mining or exploration data, you can develop relationships between
the data and the terrain where it was gathered. Note that only raster images can be used.
To display an image:
1.
Specify the name and path of the image file. To navigate to the location of the file, press F3
or click the Browse (...) button to the right of the File input box.
2.
Use the image preview function if necessary (right-click or F4 with the cursor in the File
prompt).
Note: The Multiband Images button will only be enabled if the image type you select falls into this
category. If this button is enabled, you can control the allocation of spectral bands to display colours. For
example, a common geological application of Landsat satellite imagery is to allocate the red, green, and
blue display colours to spectral bands 7, 4, and 1.
A selection of the common raster image files is supported. If you have a raster image in an
unsupported format, use one of the many excellent third party graphics conversions programs such
as Hijaak from IMSI Software to convert the file into a compatible format.
3.
Enter a number between -1000 and +1000 to control the intensity of the image.
4.
To georeference the image, make sure the Define georeference option is selected.
Georeferencing an image within MICROMINE simply means providing that image with a
spatial reference so that it can be overlain with other data. MICROMINE will not rectify the
image. If the image is distorted, or otherwise rotated from north upwards, you must use a
third-party application to rectify it.
Whenever you specify an image file (in Step 1), MICROMINE will attempt to georeference
that image by searching for known georeferencing data. Depending on the image file format,
this spatial data may be present as a separate header file or may be embedded within the
image itself.
MICROMINE will search for georeferencing data in the following sequence, and will stop
searching at the first valid header that it finds:
ER Mapper Header (ERS) file (associated with ECW files and occasionally with BIL files)
ESRI HDR file (associated with BIL, BSQ, and BIP files)
With the exception of the GeoTIFF and ECW headers, which are embedded within the image
files, header files must always be in the same folder and have the same name as the
associated image file, with the appropriate file extension. For example, the myfilename.HDR
header file will georeference the myfilename.BIL image file.
5.
To override the default header assignment, select another option from the Load
Georeference drop-down list. Only the options available for the selected file will be
displayed. To apply the new parameters to the image, click the Load button. The X and Y
reference coordinates for the top left corner of the image, and the X and Y pixel sizes (in
grid units), will be displayed. If an overriding header is not available, you can easily create
your own World File to provide the necessary information.
Note: In MICROMINE, the X and Y reference coordinates always refer to the top-left corner of the
image. However, ArcView World Files and ESRI HDR files reference the centre of the top-left pixel, so the
222
If the image has no associated spatial data, you can either georeference the image
interactively by clicking the Georeference Image button, or alternatively by keying in the
image's georeferencing parameters if they are known.
7.
Finally, specify the orientation of the image (PLAN, LOOKING NORTH, or LOOKING WEST)
and nominate the Section value to correctly position the image in three-dimensional space.
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Georeferencing an image
You can georeference an image in three ways:
Click Georeference Image and interactively define the coordinates of two points that you can
recognize in the image and whose coordinates you know.
Select a georeferencing header file that contains the coordinates needed to spatially position
the image. If an appropriate header is not available, but the georeferencing parameters are
known, you can create a World file to permanently store the parameters.
Enter the X and Y reference coordinates for the top left corner of the image and the X and Y
size of each image pixel (in grid units). This enables you to relate the image to your project's
coordinate grid. In many cases the X and Y pixel size will be the same.
Georeferencing interactively
To use this method:
1.
2.
Position the pointer over the first point with known coordinates and click. Enter the Easting
and Northing of that point. You can use Zoom to help locate the known point.
3.
4.
224
Click Close. The coordinates and pixel size will automatically appear in the Georeference
group and a World File will be written to the folder containing the image.
225
Description
Windows bitmap
JPEG File Interchange Format (JFIF)
Tagged Image File Format
Binary grid formats supporting multi-band images. Used by many GIS and
Image Processing packages.
Uncompressed,
band interleaved
by line (.BIL),
band interleaved
by pixel (.BIP),
and band
sequential (.BSQ)
image data.
GIF
RAS
TGA
Truevision TARGA
CMP
ECW
While every effort has been made to support the most common raster image file formats, you
may come across a format which cannot be displayed. In this case, use an image conversion
tool (such as Hijaak Pro) to convert the image to a supported file format.
This help topic refers only to raster image files. Unlike raster image files, vector data files
define spatial or geographic features (shapes, lines and points) which are stored as an ordered
sequence of coordinates. Common CAD vector file extensions include DXF and DGN. ArcView
Shapefiles and MapInfo TAB files are common GIS vector file formats.
To display data stored in CAD and GIS vector file formats, refer to the Vizex | Load GIS features
function. You can also import AutoCad DXF files and display them as MICROMINE data files.
226
Simple Display
The Simple Display enables you to display any data that have X and Y coordinates. It is often used
for preliminary evaluation of exploration data.
When you run the function, each point in the data set will be displayed as a small cross. A numeric
or text value associated with that point can be displayed immediately beside it. In addition, these
can be colour coded according to the values in another field of the data set.
A typical data set will contain spatial coordinates, such as Eastings and Northings, that define a
series of points. For each of these points there will be one or more measured values. Though you
will often be displaying the data in plan, you are not restricted to that view. Nor are you restricted
to using spatial coordinates for the axes of the display.
The following are some examples of how you can use Simple Display.
Sample distribution
You can also use Simple Display to create a Collar Location Plan. Typically you would display the
hole name (e.g. DH0010) beside the cross. Those who want to display the drillhole collars using a
circle should use Display | Complex | Single. Only the cross is available in Simple Display.
Displaying data
Displaying data as coordinates
The Process
1.
2.
Enter the name of the file containing your data. If required, define a filter to selectively
control which records will be processed.
3.
4.
If you want to display text or a numeric value beside each cross, enter the name of the field
containing the data you want to display. Choose the angle at which the numeric value or
text will be displayed.
5.
6.
If you want to colour code the display points, enter the name of the field which will control
the colour coding and the colour set number. If you do not apply colour coding to the data,
it will be displayed in the default colour.
7.
If you want to display outlines with your data, select the form containing the predefined
Outline set.
8.
Click OK to run the function. The display window will open and the points and associated
values will be displayed.
227
Saved to an output file for use with other functions (e.g. the grid and string displays in
Vizex).
Note: The contouring algorithms work by generating a grid of values calculated from surrounding
values. This will result in a surface which does not precisely honour the original data points. This should
be remembered when using this function for contouring topographic or other surfaces with a well known
form.
When dealing with geophysical and geochemical data this does not pose problems, as the real form of
the surface being contoured is never precisely known. If you wish to create contours that precisely follow
a set of points, use the DTM contouring function.
The Process
1.
2.
Enter the name of the file that contains the data you wish to contour. If required, define a
filter to selectively control the records to be processed. You can select a contour grid file
(*.GRD) as the input if you wish to display a data set you gridded previously.
3.
Enter the name of the field containing the data to be contoured in Contour field.
4.
Enter the names of the fields that define the X and Y axes of the display. Enter suitable
minimum and maximum values for each. If you want to display grid lines, select one of the
grid types and define the X and Y grid spacing.
5.
Click Contour Setup and define the gridding method and parameters.
6.
Use the Display mode to define how the contours will appear. The choices are Grid, Lines,
or both.
7.
8.
228
Inverse distance
Minimum curvature
229
230
The colour file relates to the data and the default colour is not set to X, otherwise neither data
points nor contours will be displayed.
The contour minimum and maximum relate to the data ranges covered by the data. If this is
not the case the data points may well be displayed, assuming that either a default colour has
been chosen or the colour set is correct, but no contours will be shown.
Minimum and maximum values for both X and Y are not set outside the X and Y limits of the
data, resulting in no data being displayed.
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Drillhole fundamentals
The purpose of this section is to describe the data requirements for the drillhole functions in the
program. That is, what data you must supply and the format it must be in.
We recommend that you read the following section before making field observations. Adhering to
the guidelines that follow will ensure trouble-free operation of the programs drillhole tools.
When data obtained in the field and from assay laboratories is not in a suitable format, you can
import it into the File Editor or use the ODBC function. Once it is in the program File Editor, you can
use the tools specifically designed to manipulate field data in a database.
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Collar file
The Collar file is made up of records that describe the location of the drillhole collars and the depth
of each drillhole.
The Collar file is made up of records containing:
The data in the Collar file is obtained from the field geologist or surveyor's notebook. This could be
supplied as hand written notes, a text file, or if you are using Field Marshal, a file directly
compatible with the application.
Each drillhole should only be entered once in the Collar file (one record per hole). This means that
the hole field must contain unique values.
If your drillhole data includes holes with multiple surveys, you must have a Survey file. The
surveyed azimuth and dip at the collar can be in either the Collar file, the Survey file, or it can be in
both. In the latter case the survey in the Survey file takes precedence.
Where the drillhole direction is defined by a single survey, the azimuth and dip can be stored in the
Collar file and a Survey file omitted.
Where the Collar file does not include azimuth and dip information and a Survey file is not used, the
drillholes are assumed to be vertical.
If wedged diamond drillholes are being logged, each wedge should be handled as a separate hole.
The wedge collar position can be made the same as the parent hole or it can be located at the three
dimensional coordinate of the wedge.
The way you distribute azimuth, dip and other data between the Collar and Survey files will
ultimately depend on your requirements. However, one method you could follow is:
If there are multiple surveys for some or all of the holes, record these in a Survey file.
Refer to vertical holes in the Collar file with azimuth of 0 and dip of -90.
This method allows mixed vertical, single survey and multiple survey holes all to be retained in the
one Collar file.
233
Interval file
An Interval file contains information collected at intervals down a drillhole. Typically this is
lithological or assay data.
The minimum contents of each record in an Interval file are:
An interval defined by From and To fields. These represent the distance from the hole collar
to the start and end of the interval.
Information about each From/To interval, such as a sample number, assay value, lithology,
etc.
This is a basic interval file containing assay data. The sample interval is set to 1m.
Downhole data can have many forms depending on what is being sampled or measured. As a
general principle, data with different sample intervals should be kept in separate files. For example,
assay and lithological information are normally kept separately.
Assay data is usually supplied from the assay laboratory as a column delimited ASCII file. The
assays in this file have a sample number. By matching the sample number in the assay file with the
same field in the incomplete Interval file, you can merge the assay values into the Interval file. Do
this using the Merge tool in the File Editor (Select Tools | Merge | Text from the File Editor menu).
The interval file in the next illustration contains lithological data. In this case the user wants to
calculate the 3D coordinates of each sample interval so has created Northing, Easting and RL fields.
All holes in the Interval file must have a reference in the Collar file.
The total depth of a drillhole is defined in the Collar file. Any samples in the Interval file below this
depth will cause an error.
All information for a drillhole must be in consecutive records and sorted in order of increasing depth.
234
Note that a drillhole does not need to have intervals defined along the complete depth (i.e. from 0 to
total depth). You only need intervals where you have actual lithological observations or samples.
235
Missing intervals are acceptable but samples must not overlap. That is, for every hole, the From
value must be greater than (or equal to) the To value of the previous sample. The example shows
overlapping intervals. Sample intervals can be uneven. That is, the difference between the From
and To does not need to be the same for each sample interval in a hole.
If several types of sampled information are recorded over different intervals (ie. different From and
To values), separate interval files should be used, one for each type of information.
If the sampling is continuous, then the From interval should equal the previous To.
The following example, while valid, indicates there is a 0.01m unsampled length between each
interval.
It is not necessary to have continuous From/To information in interval files. Absence of intervals or
presence of long intervals has no effect on the accuracy of the interval coordinates or display of
downhole data.
236
Survey file
The Survey file is made up of records containing a collar survey and other downhole surveys for
each drillhole. A separate record is required for each survey.
It will contain:
The collar survey for any drillhole can be recorded in either the Collar file or the Survey file. If it is
in both, the values in the Survey file are used.
All surveys for a drillhole must be in consecutive records, sorted in order of increasing depth.
All survey depths must be less than or equal to the total depth of the hole and greater than or equal
to zero. The total depth of each hole is defined in the associated Collar file.
A hole that does not have azimuth or dip values in either the Collar or Survey files is assumed to be
vertical.
When constructing a file that contains mixed reverse circulation (RC) and diamond drilling
information, where some holes have single surveys and others have multiple surveys
237
238
Use one of the drillhole functions where the trace coordinates are calculated each time you
run the function.
The correction occurs to the values output to the Interval or (trace) Coordinate files.
This is useful when the survey azimuths are recorded in terms of magnetic North with a known
deviation from grid North.
For example, the survey azimuths may be recorded in terms of magnetic north with a known
deviation from grid north. A suitable correction can be applied here. This entry requires a number in
the range 0-360.
Positive values are added to existing values, negative values are subtracted. Adjustments that
result in either negative azimuths or values greater than 360 are recognised and used correctly by
the program.
239
Collar file
The Collar file contains the location, in Northing, Easting, and RL coordinates of each
drillhole collar. If there are no surveys, the drillholes are vertical. Collar files sometimes
contain additional information such as Prospect and Drill Date. The collar file also contains
the hole name, total depth an, optionally, the dip and azimuth of the hole at the collar. If
collar survey information is not provided in the collar or survey file, the holes are assumed
to be vertical.
Interval file
The Interval file contains information such as assays or lithology for successive intervals
down each hole. Usually assay and geology data are kept in separate files though they are
similar in form.
The data contained in these files can now be defined as part of a drillhole database. Data contained
in collar and (optionally) survey files can be added to the database and (external) interval and event
files can be associated with the drillhole database.
Trench Data
A drillhole database can be used to generate 'trench' trace coordinates as well as 'downhole' trace
coordinates.
If you select the Trench Database option when creating a drillhole database, data contained in a
survey file (containing the location values that define the positions of each trench) needs to be
defined as part of the database. Trench assay files are similar to drillhole assay files, and can also
be associated with the drillhole database.
Advantages of drillhole databases
The use of a drillhole database offers several advantages:
Once the relationship between collar, survey and interval files has been defined for a
drillhole database, the Drillhole functions in MICROMINE need only reference one database,
rather than several external (collar, survey, and interval) files.
The drillhole trace need only be generated once. When a drillhole database is opened, trace
coordinates are generated automatically and held in memory. This improves the speed of
any functions that access the drillhole database.
Since a database is being used to store and manage the association between collar, survey
and interval files, the same database can be used to store associated metadata and display
settings.
When using the Drillhole functions, you need to specify the database to be used to define trace
coordinates.
By right-clicking in the drillhole database input box, you can select an existing drillhole database,
edit the properties of an existing drillhole database, or create a new drillhole database, specifying
which collar, survey and interval files will be used to create it.
To select a drillhole database
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You can create a Drillhole or a Trench database. Enter a name for the new database and click the
Create button. A dialog is displayed which allows you to define Drillhole Database Properties.
Drillhole database properties can also be modified using the Edit database, View database, Add
interval files, and Add event files options on the right-click menu. In the case of the View option,
properties are read-only and can not be changed.
From the right-click menu, you can also Delete or Refresh the currently selected drillhole
database.
Tip: You can also refresh a drillhole database using the Tools | Macro Functions | Drillhole Database
Refresh menu option
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If 'Downhole data' is being used, then data in a collar file and (optionally) a survey file will be
imported and used to generate trace coordinates. External interval and event files can also be
associated with the database. The fields in these files can be used to classify and colour code the
trace display.
If 'Trench data' is being used, then data in a trench survey file will be imported and used to
generate trace coordinates. External assay files can also be associated with the database.
To define the properties of a drillhole database containing downhole data:
1.
Specify a Collar file and enter field settings and optionally apply a collar filter in the Define
Collar File pane. The Hole Field 1 field should be a field containing unique hole identifier
values.
The Hole Field 2 and Hole Field 3 fields can be used when you want to group or classify
drillholes using some other non-unique identifier. This can be useful when specifying a filter,
for example, to limit the drillhole display to those holes within a particular survey section.
2.
3.
The slider bar represents the maximum value the calculated trace is allowed to vary from the true
(mathematical) trace. The LOW setting allows the calculated trace to vary by up to 1 metre from the
true trace, while the HIGH setting allows the calculated trace to vary up to 5 centimetres from the
true trace. A higher trace accuracy will give a more accurate representation of the hole, but this
may impact on performance when running the Drillhole functions, particularly when displaying the
trace.
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If survey data is to be used to generate the drillhole trace and the Downhole surveys?
checkbox is selected, enter Survey file and field settings in the Define Surveys pane.
5.
Click on the Interval files button to display a list of the interval files currently associated with
the database. You can add or remove items from the list, or modify interval file and field
settings.
6.
Click on the Event files button to display a list of the event files currently associated with the
database. You can add or remove items from the list, or modify event file and field settings.
Specify a Trench Survey file and enter field settings and optionally apply a filter in the Define
Trenches pane.
2.
Click on the Interval files button to display a list of the interval files currently associated with
the database. You can add or remove items from the list, or modify interval file and field
settings.
3.
Click on the Event files button to display a list of the event files currently associated with the
database. You can add or remove items from the list, or modify event file and field settings.
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Select the Filter checkbox and double-click in the Filter input box.
2.
A list of saved form sets is displayed. Select a numbered form set which contains your filter
parameters and click the Select button.
3.
The number of the form set you selected is displayed in the Filter input box. The
parameters of the filter you selected will be applied when you run the current function.
Tip: If you have entered the number of a suitable or partially suitable filter in the Filter prompt of a
form, you can edit its characteristics and save it with a new name.
From the drop-down list, select a field on which the condition will operate.
2.
Choose a suitable comparison operator (>, >=, <, <=, =) from the list.
3.
Enter a field value that will be used with the comparison operator to filter records in the
database.
Wildcards
The use of wildcards is limited to the single character substitution (?) and multiple character
substitution (*) wildcards.
Combine Lines
(Optional) To apply more than one condition, use Boolean operators. These define how the Lines of
Filter conditions are to be combined. If you use AND or OR, then the same Boolean operator is
applied to all lines.
For more information refer to the Using Logical Operators with Filters topic.
Equation
To mix AND and OR operations select Equation, build the filter conditions and then combine the
lines in the Equations field (the conditions are referenced by their line number). When using the
Equation field, you enter the OR and AND commands using the characters | (pipe) and &
(ampersand).
For more information refer to the Using Equations topic.
Reverse Filter
Sometimes it is easier to define a set of conditions for the records you do NOT want to use.
Selecting Reverse filter? Will include records NOT defined by the filter conditions.
Form s
Once you have defined the filter, save it using the Forms button. If you do not save the filter in a
Form, it will be overwritten the next time a new set of filter conditions are applied.
Note: Wildcards can be used when defining values in filters.
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2.
3.
Select a database from the displayed list and click the Delete button.
You will be prompted to confirm (or cancel) the deletion of the database.
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Drillhole validation
Before using the other drillhole functions you should validate your drillhole data. Resolving data
when you enter new drillhole information, will help to ensure trouble-free operation. Note that if you
do not validate your drillhole data, other drillhole functions will produce error messages whenever
inconsistencies are found.
Validation uses the following files:
Collar file
Interval file
Intervals continuing below the total depth specified for the drillhole.
The total depth of a drillhole is defined in the collar file. Any samples in the interval file
below this depth indicate an inconsistency. The minimum depth of a survey is 0 and the
maximum is defined by the total depth in the collar file.
Surveys above the top of the hole and below the bottom of the hole.
The program requires that the downhole depths of consecutive sample intervals have
increasing values. Missing intervals are acceptable but samples must not overlap. That is,
for every hole, the From value must be greater than or equal to the previous To value.
If any errors and inconsistencies are found, they will be included in the Report file. You
must specify a name for this file.
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2.
Enter the names of the Collar, (Optional) Survey and Interval files, and the names of the
fields in these files.
3.
Click Options and set any of the validation options you require. Use these to extend the
scope of the validation checks.
4.
Enter a Report file name. Error messages generated during the validation process are
written in this file. Read this file for details on any errors.
5.
Click OK and a series of status messages will appear as Validate processes the drillhole
files. If an error is detected, an appropriate message will be displayed.
6.
After the run is complete, correct any errors and rerun Validate. Continue this process
until your drillhole data is error free. Note that correcting one error may lead to the
detection of another.
Validation options
In addition to the mandatory checks described in What Validate checks for, you can apply more
extensive checks on the drillhole data.
To apply these checks you must make selections in the Options dialog box. Click on the Options
button in Validate to open it.
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Calculates the coordinates of each sample centre in an interval file and writes those values
to Northing, Easting and RL fields in that file.
The Process
1.
2.
Enter the names of the Collar, Interval, and (optionally) the Survey file. If required, define
a filter to selectively control the records to be processed. Click the Collar Fields button
3.
Enter the names of the fields in each of these files by clicking on the corresponding buttons
(e.g. Collar Fields, Interval Fields and Survey Fields. If the required fields do not exist in the
Interval file you must modify it to include them (F6 or right-click and select Modify).
4.
Click OK and a series of status messages will appear as Downhole Coordinates processes
the drillhole files. If an error is detected a message describing the error will be shown.
Otherwise the coordinate file will be created.
If you select the Insert missing intervals checkbox, Downhole Coordinates will insert records for
those downhole intervals not already in the Interval file.
The Split lengths to option allows you to split long sample intervals into smaller intervals. More
details...
To help locate errors in the drillhole database, you can use a report file. To do this, enter a name in
the Report file prompt. Errors and inconsistencies located in the Collar, Survey or Interval files will
be recorded in this file. Right-click (F4) to open the file after running the process.
If you need to alter the drillhole azimuths enter the correction values in Azimuth correction. If the
correction is required for the first azimuth (usually the collar), select Apply to first azimuth.
By entering a trace interval you can set this parameter to a value other than the default (10).
Tip: If you add drillholes to your drillhole database, use a filter on the collar file so Downhole
Coordinates will only check and calculate coordinates for the new holes. This will result in
considerable time saving especially if the interval file is large.
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If the interval or bearing varies along each line, two records are required for each segment.
Sample numbers for each line or segment must be consecutive but need not be so throughout the
file. Sample numbers can start from either end of any line or segment and can contain alpha prefix
characters. (N.B. The automatic incrementing facility only operates on numeric characters.) An
example of the type of file required is shown:
Two types of trench sample files can be used for input: Sample Points and Trench End Points.
File type 1: Sam ple Points
Use this type of file when the input coordinates represent point samples. Examples are regularly
spaced geochemical samples or blast hole locations. You can also use these files for continuous
trench or channel samples where the input coordinates represent the start, centre or end points of
both the start and end samples.
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The Process
1.
2.
Enter the name of the file containing your data. If required, define a filter to selectively
control which records will be processed.
3.
Enter field names for the Northing, Easting, RL, Sample and Line ID fields. The numeric
portion of the Sample field will be incremented by the nominal spacing in the output file.
The Line ID field must contain a unique identifier for each line or line segment.
4.
Enter values for the Nominal spacing and Tolerance. These can be used to check the
accuracy of the input data. The Nominal spacing defines the interval at which 3D
coordinates are expected to be calculated. How to use Tolerance is best described by an
example. The tolerance is the amount by which the actual distance may vary from the
theoretical distance before an error will be flagged. That is, if there were 100 samples one
metre long and the Tolerance was set to 0.02 metres, the actual start and end point
separation must be within 100 X 0.02 = 2 metres of the theoretical distance. If not, an
error message will be issued and the calculation for that line aborted.
5.
Choose SAMPLE POINTS or TRENCH END POINTS for the Data type depending on the
survey method used to obtain the data in the input file.
6.
Enter the name of your Output file and optionally, a Report file. Any errors generated by
the function will be written to the report file.
7.
Note: When calculating trench data, setup a simple input file using (say) ten samples on each of two
different lines and run the function. This will determine the effect of different surveyed locations and
parameter selections on the output. Use Display | Simple Display to observe results.
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Validation
When you run Trench Coordinates, it validates the input data. You should only generate 3D
coordinates once the input data is correct (Write 3D coordinates? must be selected before 3D
coordinates will be generated). When you are validating the input data, you should use a report file
for any errors. For a report file to be generated, you must enter a name in the Report file response.
In general, the validation rules for trenches are the same as those for drillholes.
Note that the validation options can be selected for more rigorous checks.
Offsets
Any number of points, including the reference point, may be offset. Offsets are required when a
point in the trench can not be defined for the Distance, Azimuth and Dip fields. For example, when
the trenches are full of water or have collapsing walls.
In such cases the Distance, Azimuth and Dip fields define the position of the offset point from the
last point in the trench. The Vertical offset, Horizontal offset and the Azimuth offset prompts define
the bearing FROM the offset point TO the actual trench point.
Adjustm ents
In some cases the total length of the trench calculated using the sum of the slope distances will
vary from the total length of the trench defined by the maximum To value. If this difference exceeds
the tolerance you enter, an adjusted From-To value will be written into the nominated fields in the
Assay file. You must create these fields.
If you select Adjust From and To values, the program automatically creates the fields: FROM_ADJ
and TO_ADJ and writes the adjusted values to them. The adjustments are prorated over the entire
length.
Typically, you will use this function to create surface trench files that can be used with Display |
Trench Display. However, it works equally well for underground channel samples that follow drive
walls, and for face sampling.
Tip: It is recommended that you select both the Print report and Write 3D coordinates fields, this
will create a report file listing any errors.
The Process
1.
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252
2.
Enter the name of the Trench survey file containing your data. If required, define a filter to
selectively control which records will be processed.
3.
Enter the names of the required fields in the Trench survey file.
4.
(Optional) If the Trench survey file contains points offset from the actual survey points,
enter values in Vertical offset, Horizontal offset and Azimuth offset to define the bearing
FROM the offset point TO the last (real) trench point.
5.
Enter the name of the Assay file and enter the names of the required fields.
6.
(Optional) If you need to adjust the last From-To value when the length of the trenches as
defined in the Trench Survey file is different from that defined by the last To values in the
Assay file: select Adjust From and To values and enter a Tolerance. The fields, FROM_ADJ
and TO_ADJ will be created in the Assay file and the adjusted values written to them. If you
do not select Adjust From and To values, enter a Tolerance and the names of the fields
where the adjusted values will be written.
7.
8.
9.
A trace coordinate file is required for Quick Sections, Quick Log and the drillhole functions in
Multiview and Vizex. Other drillhole functions calculate the drillhole trace coordinates on the fly
and do not require a trace coordinate file.
The coordinate file can also be manually updated to include information on trench samples. (Trench
samples are not normally included with drillholes as they may exhibit abrupt changes in direction
which the normal drillhole functions are not designed to handle).
To include information on trench samples, first calculate the coordinates of points of inflection of the
trench using the Compass traverse function in the Survey menu. Then enter the coordinates of the
points of inflection and the along trench distance in the coordinate file.
The Process
1.
2.
Enter the names of the Collar, Survey and Coordinate files. If you are adding new drillholes
to the (trace) Coordinate file, create a filter so that calculations are only carried out on the
new entries.
3.
Enter the names of the required fields in the Collar, Survey and Coordinate Fields dialog
boxes. Note that if the Coordinate file does not exist it will be created automatically.
However, you still must enter the names of the fields for the file.
4.
If an azimuth correction is required, enter the correction value and select Apply to first
azimuth if necessary.
5.
6.
7.
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The Process
1.
Select Dhole | Generate | Create MineSight File from the main menu.
2.
Enter the names of the collar, (optional) survey and interval files. If required, use a filter to
selectively process records in the collar file.
3.
Enter the names of the fields in each input file. The function requires you to specify the
Hole, From and To fields in the interval file. You can also select which other numeric fields
will be included in the MineSight file. Do this by selecting them all or clicking over single
field names.
4.
Enter the name of the MineSight file that will be created and a report file.
5.
Other features
Applying azimuth corrections
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The Process
1.
2.
Enter the name of the MineSight file containing the interval information you require. This
file does not need to be in the current project. If you double-click in the response, you can
navigate to the file.
3.
Enter the name of the Interval file into which values from the MineSight file will be written.
4.
Enter names for the Hole, From and To, and Code fields in the interval file.
5.
If a code field does not exist in the interval file, it will be created automatically. If there is
already a code field and it contains values you want to overwrite, select Overwrite data.
Existing values that are not overwritten in this process will remain in the interval file.
6.
Enter the name for the report file that will be generated by this function.
7.
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To select single, non-contiguous fields, hold the Ctrl key down and click over the field names. To
select multiple, contiguous fields, hold the Shift key down, click on the first and last of the fields. All
will be selected.
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Display drillhole traces as single coloured lines, as colour coded lines or as hatch patterns.
Display horizons, such as the ground profile or water table, using the String option.
The drillhole display is defined by selecting the viewing direction (North, South, East, West or Plan)
and entering the grid value representing the section or level.
To display drillhole sections in Quick Section, Multiview and Vizex, you need a trace coordinate file.
See Drillhole Trace.
If you want to display complex traces, and data and graphs beside the trace, you will need
additional interval files that contain lithology and assay information.
Tip: If the drillholes are drilled at an angle to the grid, you can use Display | Vizex or Dhole |
Transform Section to view them. You can also use Survey | Transform Grid (Plane) to
generate a grid with the holes orthogonal to the grid.
The Process
1.
2.
Enter the name of the trace coordinate file and the names of fields in that file. If required,
define a filter to selectively control the records to be processed.
3.
Choose a View, then enter the section or level value. Note that the prompt name will
change between Section and Level according to the View setting. Sections require a grid
value e.g. 20150, and levels an elevation.
4.
Set the display limits. These, in conjunction with the section or level value, control which
drillholes will be displayed. The exception here is if a Drillhole list file or a Collar filter is
defined. In these cases the: a) the contents of the drillhole list file, b) the filter, and c) the
section/level specification, determine what will be displayed.
5.
Use Hole Annotation to define the colours of the drillhole labels and related information.
6.
If you want the drillhole trace to be displayed, choose a type and colour. If you select
LINE/Hatch, define the appearance of the trace in the Line Hatch Setup dialog box.
7.
Depending on your requirements, use one or more of the Drillhole Display Options to add
additional information to the display.
8.
You can use a drillhole list file to control which drillholes will appear in the display. To do this, you
must firstly create the file. Once you have a drillhole list file, select the check box, click the More
button, and then enter the required field names in the Drillhole List File dialog box.
A collar filter is another way of controlling which drillholes will appear in the display. The collar filter
operates on the collar file. You must create the filter or, if you have already created it, enter the
filter number.
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Collar file.
To calculate and display intersections, you need an interval file with one or more fields containing
assay values.
You can display values, graphs and a downhole reference scale, positioning these elements on the
screen according to your requirements.
Calculating grade intersections is an interactive process done in the display.
The Process
1.
2.
Enter the name of the Collar file that contains the drillhole(s) of interest. Click the Collar
Fields button and enter the required collar file field names in the dialog box that appears.
3.
Enter the X range of the display. This is an arbitrary value used to describe the horizontal
dimension of the display e.g. 100. Use it to position the drillhole trace, reference scale and
other display elements. Enter the Trace X location trace with respect to the X range of the
display. For example, if you set the X range to 100 and want the drillhole trace to appear in
the middle of the display, enter 50 for the Trace X location.
4.
Enter the hole identifier of the drillhole you want to display in Hole ID. This must be one of
the holes in the collar file. The nominated hole will be the first displayed when you run
Quick Log.
5.
Use Hole Annotation to define the colours of the drillhole labels and related information
6.
(Optional) To display a downhole reference scale, select the check box. Click the More
button, then define the location of the downhole reference scale, its colour, and labels.
7.
(Optional) To display the drillhole trace, choose its type and colour. If you select
LINE/HATCH, click the Line/Hatch Setup button and define the appearance of the trace in
the Trace Display Setup dialog box.
8.
(Optional) Use one or more of the Drillhole Display Options to add further information to the
display.
9.
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259
Strings
The String file
In a String file, one or two 'stringing' variable fields (Join and String) are used to determine which
points form a string. A String file without a stringing variable field is treated as one long string with
all points joined. The actual field names can be anything at all (they will be entered as the relevant
field names in the string function dialog boxes).
The following is a simplified example of part of a string file containing Easting, Northing and Join
fields. Points with the same Join value make up a string.
The first five points form one string and the next three points form another.
If the String field is used as well, both the String and Join values must be the same to cause
adjacent points to be joined. This gives added flexibility. In the following very simple example,
Feature can be assigned as the String field and FNO (feature number) as the Join field. FNO can
then be used to define separate strings that have the same Feature name.
260
Without the Join field, the strings would look like this:
Two special features of the String and Join fields can be used:
In the String field, a definable 'wildcode' value forces a connection from the previous point
to the next point regardless of the String value in those points.
In the Join field, inclusion of a tilde (~) anywhere in the value forces a break in the string
so that the point will never be joined to the previous string.
A string file may contain any data that defines points, such as Eastings, Northings and RLs.
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Editing strings
Overview
With this function you can display or plot strings, with the option of on-screen editing. When editing
is enabled you can interactively change values, create new points and strings, separate or join
strings and calculate areas, lengths, bearings and distances.
A background reference file may be displayed at the same time, controlled by its own set of
parameters. The background file cannot be edited.
The Process
1.
2.
3.
4.
Click on Display Limits , then enter the parameters that control the display.
5.
Check the Display 1? , Display 2? and Symbols? boxes if you want to show point data and
symbols, and click the relevant More button(s) so you can enter the parameters.
6.
Enter the names of the Join field, and optionally the name of the String field and a wildcode
value. If you enter only a String field name, a message is displayed saying that it has been
changed to the Join field, to improve editing options.
7.
Click on Linework to enter the parameters controlling the lines displayed (default is solid
black lines).
8.
(Optional) To display a background file, select the check box then click on More to bring up
the Background File dialog box.
9.
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To apply a scaling factor, select the X=Y check box and enter an approximate value. If your
graphics card gives non-equal scales for X and Y, you can correct it by typing in X and Y
factors. If you do this, use the same factors for all subsequent displays regardless of the
approximate scale factor. If you do not select this check box, the scales are set by the X
and Y ranges.
For the background file (if used), the Display Setup dialog box requires only the Easting and
Northing field names and optionally an RL field name. Ranges and scales are as set for the
input file.
Select the Display 1? or Display 2? check box and click More to bring up the Display dialog
box.
2.
Enter the name of the field whose values you want to display.
3.
Choose the position for the displayed value, relative to the point.
4.
Choose the orientation of the value (it may be horizontal, vertical or 45).
5.
6.
Enter the name of the colour field and type in the colour set.
7.
Double click on the default colour, then select a new colour and click Select.
8.
Click on Close.
Repeat the above for Display 2? to display the values in another field.
263
Select the Symbols? check box and click on More to bring up the Symbols dialog box.
2.
Enter the Symbol field name. This must contain symbol numbers. You can generate values
for this field using Files | Variables | Generate.
3.
Select the Default symbol box to select the default symbol. This will be used for all points
where a symbol has not been assigned.
4.
Enter the Symbol size file name and type in the Default angle value.
5.
Enter a symbol angle field name to have the symbol angle controlled by data in the field.
Type in a default angle.
6.
Colour Code the symbols if required. The Default colour will be applied to all values not
covered by the colour set.
7.
Click on Close.
Adding strings
You can interactively add a new string to a file by entering a Join field name and clicking at each
point on the new string. Do the following:
264
1.
2.
3.
Move the cursor to the starting point of the new string and click.
4.
Repeat for each successive point on the string. A new segment will be drawn from the
previous point.
5.
After clicking on the end point, click the right mouse button.
Breaking a String
You can interactively break a string at a selected point:
1.
2.
Put the cursor over the link you want to break and click. The link to be removed will be
highlighted.
3.
The string will now have a break inserted (the program puts a tilde [~] in the Join field of the point
on the ending side of the break).
Closing a string
This option closes a selected string:
1.
2.
Put the cursor over the string you want to close and click.
The program will now draw a straight line between the ends of the string.
265
2.
Put the cursor over the point you want to delete and click.
3.
The program deletes the point but maintains the string by drawing a segment between the adjacent
points if the removed point was not at an end.
Delete partial
To delete part of a string:
1.
2.
Put the cursor over the starting point of the segment to delete and click.
3.
4.
2.
Put the cursor over the string you want to delete and click.
3.
266
2.
3.
4.
(Optional) Enter a new Join field value and/or String field value.
5.
Click OK.
The program redraws the string to incorporate the new point. It may be outside the current display
boundaries.
Edit string
To edit a string:
1.
2.
Put the cursor over any point of the string to be edited and click.
3.
Enter a new Join and/or String field value and click OK.
267
2.
Place the cursor over the segment on a string at which you want to insert points and click.
The segment will be highlighted.
3.
4.
2.
Place the cursor over the segment of a string at which you want to insert points and click.
The segment will be highlighted.
3.
4.
Click at the position of each point you want to insert (they may be outside the segment),
then right click.
Joining strings
When you join strings, the end of the first is joined to the beginning of the second. This means that
the String and Join values in the second string are made the same as those in the first string. You
have the opportunity to reverse a string.
To join strings:
1.
2.
3.
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String calculations
This function performs calculations on specified strings, related to area, bearing, distance, length
and perimeter.
Area
This option automatically closes strings for area calculations but does not change the string in the
file.
To calculate an area:
1.
2.
Move the cursor over a point on the string whose area you want to calculate and click.
2.
3.
2.
3.
2.
Move the cursor to each of the points you want on the perimeter and click.
3.
269
2.
Move the cursor to the point you want to move and click.
3.
Move the cursor to the new position of the point and click.
The program now moves the point and redraws the string as needed.
Move a string with the mouse
1.
2.
Move the cursor over the string you want to move and click on a point.
3.
Move the cursor to the new position of the point and click.
The program now moves the string so that the point is at the new location.
Querying a point
This function displays information about the selected point.
1.
2.
Move the cursor to the point you want to query and click.
A screen message shows the record number, coordinates and the String and Join field values.
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2.
Move the cursor to the string you want to highlight and click.
2.
The selected string will be highlighted and its start enclosed in a blue box.
Show the end of a string
To show the end of a string:
1.
2.
The selected string will be highlighted and its end enclosed in a blue box.
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Reversing a string
Use this function to reverse the direction of a string:
1.
2.
3.
Extending a string
You can extend an existing string, but only from its end (although you can use the Reverse function
if you want to extend in the other direction). Proceed as follows:
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1.
2.
Click on the string to be extended. If the end is not visible, a dialog box asks if you want to
extend from the start.
3.
Click on the first point to extend to. Repeat for as many points as you require, then right
click.
Copying a string
You can copy a whole string to a new position, specified in one of four ways as detailed below.
By bearing and distance
1.
2.
Move the cursor over a point on the string to be moved and click.
3.
2.
Move the cursor over a point on the string to be moved and click.
3.
Type in the bearing, distance and differential height and click OK.
2.
Move the cursor over the string to be moved and click on a point.
3.
2.
Move the cursor over the string to be moved and click on a point.
3.
273
2.
3.
4.
274
1.
2.
3.
4.
String weeding
Overview
String weeding is a process that reduces the number of data points in a String file by eliminating
those that fall within a specified tolerance when a line is drawn through them from the points on
either side.
An XY tolerance factor is defined, forming a gate. The function starts by drawing a line between
point 1 and point 3 and applying the gate to point 2. If point 2 lies within the gate, the line is then
drawn between point 1 and point 4, and the gate applied to points 2 and 3. If both the intermediate
points are within the gate, the process is repeated between points 1 and 5 (making points 2, 3 and
4 intermediate). This continues until an intermediate point falls outside the gate. At that stage, the
point previously extended to becomes point 2 and the intermediate points (all of which fell within
the gate) are deleted. The process then starts again from the new point 2.
Eventually the whole string will have been processed and written to an output file.
The Process
1.
2.
Choose the type of input file and select or type in its name.
3.
Enter the X and Y field names and type in the required XY tolerance. This is the allowable
distance from the new line to any given point, measured at 90 degrees to the line.
4.
(Optional) If the strings do not represent constant Z values, type in the Z field name and
the required Z tolerance. This applies a three-dimensional gate.
5.
Enter whichever apply out of String field, Wildcode and Join field.
6.
Choose the type of output file and select or type in its name.
7.
(Optional) If you applied a filter, type in the Join field for the output file. This guards
against two input file strings becoming part of one output string due to the action of the
filter.
You can assess the effect of weeding by displaying the weeded and unweeded files together (using
Strings | Edit), with one as a background file in a different colour.
The function is also useful for removing duplicated values in a digitised string file when the button
has been accidentally clicked twice.
275
String clipping
Overview
String clipping lets you isolate strings that are inside or outside a given outline. You can also isolate
strings that lie outside one outline and inside another (i.e. inside the annulus of a doughnut). These
two methods are termed simple and doughnut respectively. The outlines are displayed, but there is
no graphical display of the clipping process.
Simple method
The inputs are a file containing the strings, and an Outline file. The outputs consist of two files, one
containing the strings that fall within the outline and one containing the strings that fall outside it.
New strings are generated at the points that strings cross the boundary. You can choose to
generate only one output file if you are interested only in either those inside or those outside.
Doughnut method
The inputs are a file containing the strings, and one or two Outline files that provide the inner and
outer outlines of the doughnut. The output comprises one file containing the strings that fall within
the annulus. New strings are generated at the points that strings cross the boundaries.
The Process
1.
2.
Choose the type of the input file and enter its name.
3.
Enter the names of the X and Y fields, plus the name of the Z field if it does not have a
constant value.
4.
Enter the String field and/or Join field names, and the Wildcode if used.
5.
6.
7.
276
String smoothing
This function fits a B-spline curve to the original data in a file containing string information and
generates a set of points that define the curve, writing these to an output file. A typical operation
results in about six new points for every original point.
You can control how closely the curve fits the original data via a 'tension' parameter. The first and
last points of the string will be unchanged, but it is unlikely that the exact values of any of the
original intermediate points will appear in the output file even when the maximum tension is used.
It may be useful to weed the resultant file to reduce the number of points, and perhaps smooth it
again if required.
Proceed as follows to use String Smoothing:
1.
2.
3.
4.
(Optional) Enter the Z field name. If you include a Z field, the output file contains an
approximate linear interpolation for this variable.
5.
Enter the String and/or Join field names. Type in a wildcode value if used.
6.
Type in a tension value. The tension may be from 1 to 9, with 7, 8 or 9 usually giving the
best results.
7.
Choose the output file type and select or type in its name.
If you typed in a new output file name, its fields will have the same names as the
corresponding fields in the input file, so no more information is required.
If you selected an existing output file, you need to enter its field names.
8.
277
2.
If you are processing an outline file, select Outline and enter the file name,
or
If you are processing a file, choose its type and select or enter the file name. Enter
the X and Y field names.
3.
4.
(Optional) Enter a report file name. Note that a report file can be used to 'undo' the
function later if necessary.
5.
When the processing is complete, a message reports how many points were adjusted.
Undoing the function
If you chose to generate a report file and you want to undo the process:
278
1.
Add a record number field that has values incrementing by 1 (starting at 1) to the file.
2.
3.
Merge the X and Y fields from the DAT file into the file, using the record number as the key
field.
Select a display mode. When display mode is set as POINT, the String field and Join field
inputs are disabled. The points you digitise will be displayed separately and will not be
joined.
Note: If the String field and the Join field are selected to receive constant values and the Display mode
is set to STRING, the points will be joined according to the values in those fields.
2.
When display mode is set as STRING, points with consecutive values in the String field and
the Join field will be connected with a line.
3.
Enter the name of the input file. Any MICROMINE file can be used, but all necessary fields
must exist.
4.
If Display mode is set to STRING, enter the name of the String field in the file. This field
contains values that define whether data points will be joined by a line. Values in each field
in successive records must be the same before the points will be strung.
5.
If Display mode is set to STRING, optionally enter the name of the Join field in the file. This
field contains values that define whether data points will be joined by a line i.e. strung. If
successive records have the same value in this field and no String field is defined a line will
join the points. If a String field is defined then values in each field in successive records
must be the same before the points will be strung.
6.
Click the Display limits button to open the dialog where you can define the limits of what
will be displayed in the X, Y and Z directions. The labelling used for each dimension will
vary depending on context. You can also define the type of grid and spacings between the
grid lines.
7.
In Tolerance, enter the minimum separation distance between successively entered points.
This is the tolerance (in distance units) used by the digitiser. This setting is commonly used
when the digitiser is in streaming or continuous mode.
Note: If not set here, the value entered in the Tolerance response field in the Options | Digitiser options
dialog will be used. That value is in digitiser units rather than in distance units.
8.
Double click (F3) to select a colour used to draw digitised points and strings.
9.
Select the Background file? option and click the More button opposite when you want to
display strings in the display background. Define the source and appearance of the
background strings in the dialog box that opens. Note this can be any file, including the file
currently being digitised.
10. Select the Assign buttons? option, click the More button opposite, then fill out the dialog
box that opens when you want to assign non-default actions to the cursor buttons.
Enter the Code and Description adjacent to the appropriate action. Not all actions require a
code and description. A description can be a button colour or text written on the button.
279
Graphics Options
When run, the program displays the background file if one has been selected. If the MICROMINE file
already contains data, the values from the last record are displayed.
Coordinates of the last point entered (Last X, Y) and Button Assignments are displayed to the right
of the display window.
Information relating to options and selections made via the Edit menu are also displayed. Options
on the Edit menu are also available as keyboard shortcuts (shown in brackets):
Num eric (N)
Change the value of Next Number.
Mode (M)
Toggles through the mode of the Numeric variable.
Increment (I)
Changes the increment values of the numeric variable.
Text (T)
Change the value of next text.
Undo (U)
280
281
Digitising profiles
Overview
This function enables you to digitise a series of readings taken along one or more paths (strings). It
is typically used to transfer profiles plotted onto large sheets (often A0 size) into digital form. One
typical application is to transfer airborne magnetometer readings from plots into digital form.
The function requires a file containing one or more strings as input. Each string must have a name
by which it can be identified. In the example shown, the strings are called Line1, Line2 and so on.
The strings in the input file represent the path along which readings were taken, for example, flight
lines.
The function produces an output file with a field for the profile names and X, Y and Z fields. The Z
field contains the readings taken at points along the paths. You must enter a file name and suitable
field names for the output file. Generally this information can be digitised from the plan.
There are two parameters you can use to control how the digitised points will be processed before
they are entered in the output file:
Base value
Z factor
Together these parameters are used to convert the digitised points from the scale of the plot to real
world units such as teslas.
The y measurement is the difference between the base value and the profile at the point of
measurement and in plot units (generally metres but can be anything).
Z factor is a conversion factor to translate the y measurement into real world units.
Base value is the value, in real units such as teslas, on the profile baseline.
You can choose to display the paths (strings) along which the readings were taken. If you decide to
display them you can control the appearance of the lines and whether or not the line names will be
displayed.
The Process
To digitise profiles, do the following:
282
1.
Select a Line file. The Line file contains strings that define data line locations. Select the
field containing line identification values.
2.
Click the Display Limits button to open the dialog where you can define the limits of what
will be displayed in the X, Y and Z directions. The labelling used for each dimension will
vary depending on context. You can also define the type of grid and spacings between the
grid lines.
Select the Background file? option and click the More button opposite when you want to
display strings in the display background. Define the source and appearance of the
background strings in the dialog box that opens. Note this can be any file, including the file
currently being digitised.
4.
Select the Display lines? option when you want to display flight lines.
5.
In the Line Display group, specify the linetype, symbol and colour settings to be applied to
the displayed lines.
6.
In the Profiles group, specify a base value and a Z value. SEE descriptions above. Enter a
Tolerance value. This is the minimum separation distance between successively entered
points. These are the tolerance units used by the digitiser.
7.
Select the Assign buttons? option when you want to assign non-default actions to the
cursor buttons. You can define the button codes for two functions, New line and Undo. It is
convenient to do so since you would otherwise be obliged to return to the computer each
time you started a new line or need to undo an entry. Click the More button and enter the
button code for the New line and Undo functions.
8.
Specify an Output file. This file will contain the digitised data. The Profile Name field
contains the line identifiers. These must match the line identifiers in the Line Name field of
the Line file.
9.
The Z field receives the value being digitised. It requires an associated Z factor specified in
the Profiles input group. The value written to the Z field is the calculated distance multiplied
by the Z factor.
Graphics Options
When run, the program displays lines in the line file and any background file, if either has been set.
Coordinates of the last point entered (Last N, E, Z), the name of the current profile, the current
colour and Button Assignments are displayed to the right of the display window.
Options on the Edit menu are also available as keyboard shortcuts (shown in brackets):
New line (N)
Start a new line. Enter the line ID to digitise. The program will automatically increment the last
numeric value as a default.
Undo (U)
Delete the last point digitised.
Colour (C)
Toggle through the available colours.
Setup Digitiser (F8)
Switch to the digitiser setup screen.
Notes:
Background files and button assignments are available. The program calculates a Z value
perpendicular to a segment of a location line. In certain circumstances where lines are extremely
crooked, pressing a button will not enter a data point. This happens when the cursor is not
perpendicular to any part of the line trace, which is always when the line trace forms an obtuse
angle. In cases of an acute angle, where the cursor is perpendicular to two or more segments, the Z
value will be calculated perpendicular to the first segment.
Positive and negative values will be calculated. Consider a line segment from P1 to P2. When
looking from P1 to P2, if the X coordinate of P1 is less than or equal to the X coordinate of P2,
values to the left of the line will be positive, values to the right will be negative. When looking from
283
284
Digitising profiles
You can define the button codes for two functions, New line and Undo. It is convenient to do so
since you would otherwise be obliged to return to the computer each time you started a new line or
need to undo an entry.
New Line
Enter the code that will be used to generate a new line.
Undo
Enter the code that will be used to delete the last point digitised.
285
Outlines
An outline is an irregular shape that encloses something of interest.
Outlines are created by digitising with the mouse. You can create them in the Drillhole Displays,
Vizex, Multiview and Contours. The commands used to create outlines become available when you
select Outlines from the Display menus in each of these functions. In outlines, a digitiser puck
functions in exactly the same way as a mouse.
When you create an outline, the points that define it have X and Y coordinates with the same
orientation as the current display. Each point also has a Z value. In most case this is 0, but when
you create an outline in a drillhole section display, it will have Z values equal to the section
coordinate (e.g. 10,000 for a section at 10,000N).
Outlines are projected on to the viewing plane defined by the underlying display. That is, if you are
using a plan view display in Multiview or Contour the outline you use will also be in plan view. If in
section view, the outlines will be in the same sectional view.
If a display has a defined Z value, the outlines you digitise will generally have that same Z value.
Section displays have a Z value defined by the Section specification e.g. 10,000N.
Outlines are stored in outline files. These have the extension .OUT. Each outline has a series of
attributes that can be used to:
Typical applications
You can use outlines to:
Highlight areas of interest, such as geological boundaries, and show them on a display or
plot.
Flag data within a user defined region. The outline defines the region. Assigning it to a data
file, will mark points located inside the outline. Segregating populations is one example of
how this can be used.
Calculate areas and grades. Doing this on a sequence of sections will provide an initial
grade estimate calculation.
Note: You can use Polygonal Section Estimate | Generate Outlines and Polygonal Wireframe Estimate |
Outlines from Wireframes in the Modelling menu, to generate outlines based on polygonal models and
ore bodies.
286
Outlines files
Note: Outline files can use any valid Windows file name. However, if you want to use outlines with
functions such as Modelling | Polygonal Section, outline file naming conventions apply.
Outline file nam ing
Outline files may have any name up to eight alphanumeric characters long. It must follow DOS
naming conventions and cannot contain spaces, full stops, commas, colons or the following
characters, , /, \, [, ], |, <, >, +, =, *, ?, !.
All outline files are automatically given the extension *.OUT.
Historically, outlines were divided into three classes, Geology Model, Geology and Design, and were
differentiated by name:
Geology model outline file names
These have the form GEOLXnnn.OUT; where X is a letter (A-Z) and nnn is a number (1-999). For
example: GEOLA7.OUT is the seventh outline file for Geology Model A.
Geology outline file names
These have the form GEOLnnn.OUT; where nnn is a number (1-999). For example: GEOL7.OUT.
Design outline file nam es
These have the form DESGNnnn.OUT; where nnn is a number (1-999). For example:
DESGN380.OUT.
File structure
Outline files define a set of polygonal shapes (outlines). Each shape has a number of properties,
which are defined below.
The above is an example of a simple outline file. Each record is terminated with a CR/LF.
The first record is a title line of 40 characters.
The second record indicates how many outlines are stored in the file. This has a maximum value of
1000.
For every outline there is now a descriptor record.
Originally these records had a length of 51 (finishing after the "12" and "7" in the above example).
This older style format is still read by the application, and is automatically converted to the format
defined above, which now includes RGB colour and hatch information.
The 2 delimiters that appear in each record ( ) are ASCII character 20.
The definition for the first 61 characters is as follows:
287
NOTE
DESCRIPT ION
(1)
LENGT H
JUSTIFICAT ION
NAME
20
Left
CODE
Left
(2)
COLOUR
Right
(3)
POINTS
Right
(3)
GRADE
Left
(4)
SG
Left
(5)
HATCH
Right
(6)
COLOUR
10
Right
1.
2.
3.
POINTS = Number of points in the outline. The first point is NOT repeated. POINTS has a
maximum value of 2000. The total number of points in this header section should equal the
number of records that follow the header.
4.
5.
HATCH is a number between 1 and 15 indicating the fill pattern to be used when the
outline is displayed.
6.
COLOUR is the representation of the true RGB colour and may be missing in older files.
(Place cursor over Old and New colours in Colour Selection box to see help bubble with this
value)
The following values are defined after column 61 and are space separated. The record is padded out
with spaces to a length of 163.
VALUE
DESCRIPT ION
Delimiter
Foreground colour
Background colour
Border colour
Boolean
Line Type
Line Thickness
Thickness in pixels
288
Hatch pattern
TTF file
Note: Line Thickness is used when outlines are drawn in a general display function. Line Type is used to
control the line thickness in the Plot Editor (0=THIN, 1=MEDIUM, 2=THICK). The actual thickness
associated with these 3 types is defined in the Paper Size properties.
Following the descriptor header come the point records. The format is:
DESCRIPTION
LENGTH
PRECISION
16
Left
16
Left
16
Left
It is not possible to tell, from the outline file, what cardinal directions X, Y and Z represent. In
general outline files will contain information in either Plan, East section or North section. For Plan
X=East, Y=North and Z=RL. For East section X=North, Y=RL and Z=East. For North section X=East,
Y=RL and Z=North. Z is given a value of 0.000 if it is not known.
289
Grid transformations
Overview
We usually use an X and Y value to describe the position of a point on the earth's surface (we will
ignore the Z component for the moment). By themselves, these two numbers are meaningless
unless we mathematically define the location of our reference grid. There are two fundamental
types of coordinates:
Geographic Coordinates
In a geographic coordinate system the X and Y values are known as longitudes and
latitudes. The units of measurement are degrees and the reference surface is known as a
spheroid. Longitude is the angle East or West of the meridian passing through Greenwich,
and Latitude is the angle North or South of the equator.
A spheroid is a mathematical surface that best represents the shape of the earth. It is a
sphere flattened at the poles, and is sometimes referred to as an ellipsoid.
Unfortunately the earth is not a perfect spheroid. It can be defined as any one of a number
of undulating "equipotential" surfaces. By equipotential we mean the force of gravity is the
same at every point. This is the surface representing mean sea level; it is known as the
geoid.
Many different spheroids have been used to approximate the earth's surface. Each country
or continent has used a spheroid that provides a "best fit" in their region. Clarke, Bessel
and Australian National are some examples. The same point on the earth will have different
Latitude and Longitude values depending on the reference spheroid being used. Even the
same spheroid can be shifted, relative to the earth's centre. The reference systems for
geographic coordinates are known as Geodetic Datums.
The reference systems for geographic coordinates are known as Geodetic Datums. There
are quite a number of recognised datums. Some examples are: AGD66 and AGD84.
Plane Coordinates
In a plane coordinate system the X and Y values are known as East and North. These
coordinates are the projection of a spheroid onto a flat surface.
In a plane coordinate system where a spheroid has been projected onto a flat surface
the X and Y values are known as East and North. To represent a curved surface on a flat
piece of paper involves some compromises in scaling, direction and area. There are many
map projections available, but the most common is Transverse Mercator (TM). One of the
properties of a TM projection is that the scale is constant along any north-south grid line. A
variety of the Transverse Mercator projection called Universal Transverse Mercator (UTM),
is a uniform world-wide projection that has gained great acceptance as a standard for
national mapping systems.
One thing common to all plane coordinate systems is the definition of an origin point. This
is the location where both the East and North value are zero. Sometimes the projection
defines a false easting and northing. These are values added to all coordinates to ensure
that they are always positive values.
There are also times when an arbitrary local grid is used. For example, it is common in
mineral exploration to align a grid parallel to the strike of the ore body.
290
Plane - Using the Plane grid transformation you can convert coordinates from one grid to
another. Usually you will want to convert from a local grid to a national grid such as AMG,
or vice-versa.
Geographic - The Geographic function enables you to convert from plane coordinates to
latitudes and longitudes in a given spheroid and vice-versa.
Datum - With the Datum transformation you can convert from latitudes and longitudes
expressed in terms of the WGS84 spheroid to either a local datum or to Eastings and
Northings in UTM form.
The table that follows contains a series of tasks earth scientists will often perform. Use it to navigate
to the transformation function you require.
Function to use/
Transformation Setting*
Have
W ant
Geographic to Grid
291
Keyboard conversions
To transform coordinates by entering them from the keyboard:
1.
2.
3.
4.
Enter the coordinates of the point in the system for which you have values.
5.
File conversions
When you set the output type to FILE, you must tell the function which fields contain the source
data and which will take coordinates resulting from the calculation - the target fields. If there aren't
already target fields in the coordinate file, you will have to create them.
To transform coordinates in a file:
292
1.
Make sure you have created fields for the calculated values.
2.
3.
4.
5.
Enter the name of the fields containing the values that will be converted.
6.
2.
3.
Choose the Angle units in which the Latitude and Longitude are defined. Note that the
program requires latitude in the Southern hemisphere to be negative values.
4.
Select either the UTM Auto Setup, UTM, or Transverse Mercator option.
In the case of UTM Auto Setup, the UTM zone and hemisphere is determined based upon the
latitude and longitude of the data.
Note: Unlike lat/longs, UTM coordinates cannot be automatically linked to a particular UTM zone.
Therefore, when performing a Grid to Geographic transformation, the UTM Auto Setup option is
disabled.
In the case of UTM and Transverse Mercator, click the corresponding More button to enter
the characteristics of the UTM or Transverse Mercator projection.
5.
Choose the Spheroid (to be used for the transformation) from the drop down list. Note: It is
essential that the Latitudes and Longitudes you will convert are expressed in terms of this
spheroid. See Country/Datum/Spheroid.
6.
7.
If you have set the input to FILE, click OK to start the transformation.
293
Two common points - you must know the coordinates of two points in both grid systems.
Bearing correction/scale - you must know the coordinates of one point in both grid systems,
the angle between the North directions of the grids, and any difference in scale.
Input to the function can be from either the keyboard or a file. Use Keyboard to transform the
coordinates of a few points. Use File to transform all the points in a file.
2.
Choose the Transformation method according to the information you have at hand. If you
know the coordinates of two points in both grid systems, choose 2 COMMON POINTS. If you
know the coordinates of one point in both grid systems, the angle between the North
directions of each grid, and the difference in scale between the grid systems (defined as a
ratio), choose BRG CORRN/SCALE.
3.
4.
Set the input to FILE or KEYBOARD. When you select KEYBOARD, you will calculate a single
set of coordinates in the Keyboard Calculation dialog box.
5.
If you have selected 2 COMMON POINTS, enter the name of each grid and the coordinates,
(Easting and Northing) of two known points in each grid system. If you have selected BRG
CORRN/SCALE, enter the name of each grid, the Easting and Northing coordinates of a
known point in both grid systems and the angle between the North directions of the grids.
6.
If you have set Input to FILE, click OK to start the transformation. The program will write
the transformed coordinates to the nominated fields in the output file.
Tip: It is good practice to set-up each grid transformation as a saved form. Transformations can
then be performed quickly without having to re-enter the transformation parameters.
294
Datum transformation
Overview
You can do three things with this function:
In all cases you can convert a single set of coordinates or an entire file.
The function uses the Molodensky formulae. By checking if there is an entry in the Height field or
prompt, it can recognize whether it needs to use Abridged Molodensky or Standard Molodensky.
Note
Some GPS receivers display in many formats but output from the communications port in
WGS84 format only.
Always check your GPS settings after the device has been serviced and when you change
the batteries.
The Process
1.
2.
Choose the type and direction of the transformation from the Transformation list.
3.
295
Set the correct formats for the input and output angles. Generally the angle format for
WGS84 is DDDMM.MMMM, for example, 04522.0500 is read as 45 22.05'.
5.
Select a region, for example Australia, for the local spheroid. Your selection will control
which options will appear in the Local geodetic system list.
6.
7.
To adjust the spheroid parameters for local conditions, alter the values in Delta* X, Y and
Z.
8.
To correct for the elevation difference between the geoid and the local spheroid, you can
enter an elevation in Geoid-Spheroid separation (N)*. This can be a positive or a negative
value.
9.
* National mapping authorities usually publish maps with contours showing the correct values for
these parameters in your region.
Additional information
DDD.MMSS is degrees minutes and seconds. This is the most commonly used format. A
longitude value of 123 7' 54.648'' is written as 123.0754648.
DDD.DDDD is degrees and decimals of a degree. A longitude value of 123 7' 54.648'' is
written as 123.1318467.
DDDMM.MMM is degrees, minutes and decimals of a minute. Many GPS recorders output
data in this format. A longitude value of 123 7' 54.648'' is written as 12317.9108.
296
297
UTM zones
Enter the UTM zone number in which you are performing the transformation.
For the UTM projection, the earth is divided in to 60 zones each of extending 6 in longitude and 3
either side of the central meridian. The zone numbering starts at 180 (the dateline) and continues
round the earth in the easterly direction. The program requires Longitudes West of the Greenwich
meridian, to be negative values.
Zone
298
Central
Meridian
Zone
Central
Meridian
Zone
Central
Meridian
-177
21
-57
41
63
-171
22
-51
42
69
-165
23
-45
43
75
-159
24
-39
44
81
-153
25
-33
45
87
-147
26
-27
46
93
-141
27
-21
47
99
-135
28
-15
48
105
-129
29
-9
49
111
10
-123
30
-3
50
117
11
-117
31
51
123
12
-111
32
52
129
13
-105
33
15
53
135
14
-99
34
21
54
141
15
-93
35
27
55
147
16
-87
36
33
56
153
17
-81
37
39
57
159
18
-75
38
45
58
165
19
-69
39
51
59
171
20
-63
40
57
60
177
299
300
301
Defining a spheroid
Once you select a spheroid, values for the Major semi axis, Flattening (1/?) and Spheroid units are
automatically entered in the Spheroid Definition dialog box. If you select User Defined, you must
enter values for these parameters so that the program can perform the transformation calculations.
It is very rare to have to define a spheroid.
Spheroid units
This is automatically set to the appropriate units for the selected spheroid unless you are defining a
new spheroid. In the latter case you can set the spheroid units to metres, yards or feet.
Major semi axis
This describes the long axis of the spheroid. It is automatically entered if the spheroid is set to any
of those listed. If you are defining a new spheroid you must enter a value.
Flattening(1/?)
The value required here is actually the inverse flattening. However it is common practice to refer to
the flattening for example 1/298.25, by simply 298.25. Typical values range between 297 and 301.
298.25 is the flattening for the Australian spheroid.
Flattening (f) is related to the eccentricity of the spheroid and defines the oblateness of the
spheroid, or the ratio between the semi-major axis (a) and semi-minor axis (b). The mathematical
relationship is defined by the formula:
This value is automatically entered (and cant be modified) if the spheroid is set to any of those
listed. If you are defining a new spheroid you must enter a value. Some references to spheroid
values do not quote the flattening, rather they quote the eccentricity of the spheroid. The
eccentricity is related to the flattening by the following formula.
The following parameters are not present in all the grid transformation functions
Delta X, Y and Z
In addition to the major semi axis and the flattening, you may also be able to specify Delta X, Y and
Z values. These values will correct the spheroid for local conditions. Normally the national mapping
authority publishes contour maps showing suitable Delta values for the region in which you are
working.
Geoid-Spheroid separation (N)
This defines the separation (elevation) between the Geoid and Spheroid. This can be a positive or
negative number that you should enter in the spheroid units. Normally the national mapping
authority publishes contour maps showing suitable Geoid-Spheroid separation values for the region
in which you are working.
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Country/Datum/Spheroid
Use the table below to choose the appropriate spheroid for use in the Geographic grid
transformation. Note that this list is not exhaustive, and confirmation should be obtained from the
local authorities that the spheroid listed is still current. SD = Special Datums - MGRS related.
Country
Datum
Spheroid
Afghanistan
North
International
Alaska
Clarke 1866
Antarctica
Astro
International
Argentina
International
Australia
Australian Geodetic
GRS 67
Borneo (SE)
Gunung Segara
Bessel
Brazil
International
British Columbia
Clarke 1866
California
Clarke 1866
Chile
International
Columbia
International
Eire 1965
Ireland 1965
Mod. Airy
England
Airy
Ethiopia
Adindan
Clarke 1880
FDR
European 1950
International
Ghana
Ghana
War Office
Greenland
Qornoq
International
Guam
Guam 1963
Clarke 1866
Guyana
International
Iceland
Hjorsey 1955
International
India
Indian
Everest
Indonesia
Bukit Rimpah
Bessel
Indonesia
Djkarta
Bessel
Ireland
Ireland 1965
Mod. Airy
Japan
SD - Tokyo Special
Bessel
Kansas
Clarke 1866
Laos
Everest
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Lesotho
Arc 1950
Clarke 1880
Liberia
Liberia 1964
Clarke 1880
Madagascar
International
Malaysia
Keratu 1948
Mod. Everest
Malaysia
Timbalai 1948
Everest
Maui
International
Michigan
Clarke 1866
Morocco
Merchich
Clarke 1880
New Zealand
International
Nigeria
Nigeria
Clarke 1880
Norway
European 1950
International
Oahu
International
Oahu
International
Ontario
Clarke 1866
Paraguay
International
Peru
International
Philippines
Luzon
Clarke 1866
Philippines
SD - Luzon Special
Clarke 1866
Quebec
Clarke 1866
Scotland
Airy
Spain
European 1950
International
Sudan
Adindan
Clarke 1880
Taiwan
Hu-Tzu-Shan
International
Texas
Clarke 1866
Thailand
Everest
Tokyo
Tokyo
Bessel
Uruguay
International
Virginia
Clarke 1866
Wales
Airy
Zaire
Arc 1950
Clarke 1880
Zambia
Arc 1950
Clarke 1880
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Compass traverse
Overview
Field exploration surveys are normally carried out by traversing from a known point across country,
with a tape and compass or similar instrumentation. The angles and distances between turning
points on the traverse are recorded and then used to calculate the coordinates of the turning points.
Such traverses may also include shots (bearings and distances) to points to the side of the main
traverse line, these are called radial points.
Compass Traverse works with any sets of measurements that have:
The compass traverse function takes input from a file containing compass traverse data and
calculates the coordinates (and optionally RLs) of each point. It also calculates the accumulated
distance, with the option of flagging points as being off the main traverse. Multiple traverses can be
processed in one file. There are two modes:
If you do not use a station file, the traverse file must contain coordinates (and RL if used)
for the starting point of each traverse.
If you use a station file, the starting point of a traverse may be referenced to a station (or
the coordinates may be specified). Also, a point in one traverse may be used to calculate a
new station for use in a subsequent traverse, and will be added to the station file. If a
station is specified for a closing point, you can choose to calculate the misclose and
optionally adjust the traverse.
The Process
1.
2.
Enter the name of the Traverse (input) file. This may contain multiple traverses identified
by values in a field.
3.
4.
(Optional) Check the Use a Station file? box if you want to reference stations from the
traverse file.
5.
(Optional) Check the Calculate Z values? box if your traverse file contains inclinations and
you want to calculate RLs. If so, the tape distances will be read as slope distances and
converted to horizontal distances for the calculation of coordinates.
6.
(Optional) If you checked the Calculate Z values? box, choose the Zero vertical. ZENITH
means that 90 or 270 is horizontal; <90 or >270 is an elevation and >90 or <270 is
a depression. HORIZONTAL means that 0 is horizontal, positive values are elevations and
negative values are depressions.
7.
8.
(Optional) Enter a magnetic correction value. This should be the angle between true and
magnetic North.
9.
Run the function. If you chose to adjust traverses, a dialog box will appear for each fixed
point (other than the first point of a traverse) showing the misclose, as in the following
example:
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306
Traverse fields
Traverse Fields are the fields in the file that contain the surveyed observations. Click the Traverse
Fields button and enter the field information as follows:
The Traverse field should contain values that identify individual traverses. For a trench
traverse, it could be the trench name. The Traverse field is only needed if records of more
than one traverse are stored in the file or if there are radial points on a single traverse.
The Station field is enabled only if you checked the Use a Station file? box.
The Off traverse flag is an optional value that can appear in the Traverse field. It indicates
that the point is off the main traverse, and its distance will not be counted in the
accumulated distance.
The Direction field should contain bearings, measured clockwise from North.
The Inclination field is enabled if you chose to calculate Z values. It should contain
inclination values which are interpreted according to your choice of Zero vertical. Inclination
measurements are also required to reduce slope distances to horizontal distances.
The Tape distance field contains the measured distances to points. If you are calculating Z
values, the distances will be treated as slope distances and used to calculate horizontal
distances for the coordinates.
The Accumulated distance field will be added if not present in the Traverse file. It will
contain the accumulated tape distances for each traverse.
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An optional report file may be generated, showing the calculated coordinates. A traverse containing
a station name that is in the station file may be adjusted. In that case, the coordinates are adjusted
by spreading the misclose according to distance weighting and the new adjusted values written to
the traverse file. If a report file is specified, the adjustment details will be written to it as shown in
the next illustration. Two fixed points are shown and were present in the station file when the
function was run. Both miscloses have been adjusted.
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309
310
1.
(Optional) Check the Add new points to Station file? box if your traverse file contains
station names that identify points to be used for subsequent traverses, but which are not in
the station file. The calculated values for these points will be written to the station file.
2.
(Optional) Check the Adjust traverses? box if you want to adjust traverses. Only those
traverses that have a fixed (station) point, other than the first point, will be offered for
adjustment. When you run the function, a dialog box will show the misclose for each of
these points in turn, and you can decide whether to adjust. Adjusted points are written to
the traverse file.
3.
Enter the name of the Station file and click Station Fields to enter the field names. The RL
field will be enabled only if you choose to calculate Z values.
4.
(Optional) Enter a Report file name. Calculated coordinates (and RLs if applicable) will be
written to this file. If you adjust coordinates, the adjustments will also be written.
Assign Outlines
Using Modelling | Assign | Outlines, you can write selected attributes from an outline to the
points that are within that outline in an associated data file. The function works by determining if
points occur within the outline you select. If so, it writes one or more of the outline attributes, such
as name, code or SG, to fields in the records for those points.
You can apply this function widely in MICROMINE - anywhere you need to identify points inside an
irregular boundary. It differs from the Polygonal Section Estimate | Assign function in two ways: a)
you don't need a polygonal model and b) outline and data files with any names can be used as
inputs. Most MICROMINE users prefer to use Assign | Outlines or Modelling | Model Report | Mining
Block Grades for assigning tasks.
If you need to restrict an outline file you are using in the assigning process to a particular range of
Z values in the data file, apply a filter. While this function is not used for modelling as such, it can
be used to define points that are passed to the Block Modelling function.
Once you have assigned outline attributes to separate fields in the underlying data file, other
functions can use the data file as input with filters on the selected attributes controlling which data
are passed.
In Assign Outlines you can :
Write any of the outline attributes, Name, Code, Colour, Hatch, Grade, SG, or a Value, to a
field in the associated data file.
There must be one or more fields in the data files to receive the assigned attributes.
See Outlines for details on how they are used. Subsequent topics (after Outlines) include useful
information on the coding techniques used with outlines.
When you run Assign Outlines it creates a report file. This report is useful when you want to
understand what has happened in the target file and to check that the process has been successful.
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2.
Enter the name of the data file and the names of the fields containing the coordinate
values.
3.
4.
5.
Select Clear target field and Overwrite data depending on the result you want to obtain.
How to apply them is described in more detail in Using Overwrite data and Clear target fields.
6.
Enter the assignment criteria in the Outline Details dialog box. See Defining the Assignment
Criteria.
7.
If the target file in this process is a block model file, you can decompose the blocks into
sub-blocks to improve the accuracy of the assignment process. Select the Sub block option
to specify the parameters for subblocking.
8.
9.
Click OK to run the process. As the process runs the screen will show coloured
representations of the outlines.
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Statistics
Displaying the range of your data
This function enables you to check the minimum and maximum values for all numeric fields in a file.
1.
2.
3.
Select whether you want to see the normal or natural logs of the data. Remember that
natural logs will be calculated and displayed for all numeric fields including those containing
coordinates.
4.
Define how you want to handle non-numeric values in the source file. Do this in the Numeric
Exceptions dialog box.
5.
Run the function by clicking OK. The program will calculate values and these will be
displayed in a window.
Show Data ranges produces exactly the same results as MinMax, with the exception that you cannot
calculate the natural log of values using MinMax.
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Distribution statistics
Overview
Distribution Statistics calculates and displays distribution statistics for any numeric field in a file.
You can display histograms, cumulative frequency curves or probability plots using actual values or
Ln (Natural Log) transformed values.
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1.
Enter the name of the file containing the data you want to graph.
2.
Enter the name of the field containing the data of interest in Graph field.
3.
4.
Setup the way the function will deal with characters, blanks and data prefixed with a < sign
in the Numeric Exceptions dialog box.
5.
Choose the type of graph: HISTO, CUM FREQ or PROB (histogram, cumulative frequency
curve or probability plot) from the Graph mode list. This can be changed from the menu in
the Stats display.
6.
Choose NORMAL or NATURAL-LOG from the Display mode list. This controls whether raw
data or the natural logs of the raw data are displayed. If you select NATURAL LOG, your
options in the Display Limits dialog box are limited to those for NORMAL data.
7.
Enter the Graph Limits to control the extent of what will be displayed. The prompts in this
dialog enable you to control: the minimum and maximum values that will be graphed; the
bin sizes; the size of the first bin; etc.
Run the function and the selected graph will appear in the display window. There may be a
short delay before the display appears, depending on the amount of data to process. A
progress bar will be shown at the bottom of the screen.
Graph Options
Using the Graph Options you can display a lot more information. This includes displaying the
standard deviation, a normal curve, colouring the graphs, etc. These options are divided into those
for the Histogram/Cumulative Frequency charts, and those for the Probability charts.
Analysis Options
Click on the Analysis button if:
You intend decomposing the data into its constituent populations in the display.
Want to calculate a 3 parameter Log-normal fit for log-normally distributed data in the
display.
Using the prompts in this dialog you can control whether or not the different populations of a data
set will be shown. If you choose to display the populations you can define the colour used to display
each. Further controls are also available.
NORMAL When NORMAL is chosen for the Display mode, the actual values in the Graph field
are used subject to the settings in Numeric exceptions.
NATURAL LOG When NATURAL LOG is chosen, the values in the Graph field are converted into
their natural logarithm. In this case the minimum data value specified by the graph minimum
must be greater than zero as the Ln of zero is - infinity.
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316
Decompose - if it is suspected that the graph represents samples drawn from several
populations, decompose the data into a number of normal or log-normal data sets.
Model colour
Select the colour in which a 3 parameter log-normal curve (only available if the data is transformed
to Natural Log or a composite curve defining mixed normal or log-normal populations is shown).
Show populations
Distribution stats enables you to decompose data drawn from mixed populations into its component
populations. This is done by selecting Model after the graph has been drawn. Select this check box if
you intend to show graphs representing each of the decomposed populations.
The graphs representing each of the populations will be shown as dashed lines. If this information is
shown on a probability plot the graphs of the individual populations may appear to be at a
considerable distance from the graph of the data. This is not necessarily incorrect. The measure of
how well the decomposed data fits the original data is not the position of the constituent
populations on the graph, it is the shape of the model data. Measures of the goodness of fit are
given by the Chi square value and the associated degrees of freedom and P values.
Population N colour
Select colours in which each of a data sets component populations will be displayed.
3 P Ln output field
To further transform Ln (Natural Log) data into a data set which fits a 3 parameter Log-normal
model by calculating an additive constant, you can write the corrected values ie. the original value
plus the additive constant back to a field in the original file.
Enter the name of the field to which the raw data plus the additive constant will be written. This
option is only available when the Display mode is set to Ln (Natural Log).
Write values < minimum
Select this check box if you have set the graph minimum very close to 0 and want to correct for raw
data values which have a value of 0.
When not selected, only those raw data values greater than the graph minimum will be added to the
additive constant and written to the 3 P Ln output field. Values below the graph minimum will be
ignored by the calculation and the results field will be left blank for those records.
This option is only enabled if the 3 P Ln output field is defined.
Write values > maximum
Select this check box if you have set the graph maximum very close to the maximum raw data
values and want to correct for raw data values which have a value up to the real maximum of the
data.
When not selected, only those raw data values which are less than the graph maximum will be
added to the additive constant and written to the 3 P Ln output field. Values above the graph
maximum will be ignored by the calculation and the results field will be left blank for those records.
This option is only available if the 3 P Ln output field is defined.
317
Note: The range of data values defined by the graph minimum and graph maximum are the values used
in the 3 parameter calculation. If this data set has a distribution significantly different from the
distribution of the full data set, it may not be appropriate to select this check box.
Select Query from the graph display menu. The Histogram Query dialog box will open.
Each of the parameters are described below.
2.
Move the mouse pointer to the item of interest on the graph and click. Values will appear
for each of the parameters in the dialog box.
3.
When you have finished querying the graph Close the dialog box.
Median
Maximum value
Ln mean
nd
highest
Ln std deviation
3rd highest
Geometric mean
4th highest
Sichels t estimator
Mean
Sichels V
Standard deviation
Sichels gamma
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The additive constant is the amount needed to normalise (log-normalise) the data set. After running
the calculation, the additive constant is shown together with a series of measures of how well the
modified data fits the log-normal population using chi square, degrees of freedom, a P value and an
RMS value.
When 3 Parameter is selected, a message box will appear on screen while the function processes
the data. Once the calculations are complete, another message box, headed 3 Parameter Log
normal will appear, and the modelled data will be shown on the graph. The 3 Parameter message
box shows a table with columns for both original and new values of: Minimum value, Maximum
value, Ln mean, Ln std deviation, Geometric mean, Sichels t estimator, Sichels V and Sichels
gamma.
For further information on the values shown in the Descriptive stats group click on the underlined
text.
Minimum value
Maximum value
Ln mean
Ln Std deviation
Geometric mean
Sichels t estimator
Sichels V
Sichels gamma
To provide a measure of how well the data fits a 3 parameter log-normal curve, a series of
measurements which provide information on the fit of the modelled data is given. For further
information on these quality measurements click on the underlined text.
Chi2
DF
P
RMS
Additive constant
The dialog box also has two special options: a minimise button at the top right of the title bar and a
write button. For more information click on the following link:
Write
319
In the Distribution stats display select the Model | Decom pose menu option. In the dialog
box that appears select the number of components you want to decompose the graph into.
Click Close to continue.
2.
Click on each breakpoint, that is, the points between populations. You must decide where
these are.
3.
The Decompose dialog box will appear and a line representing the decomposed data is
drawn on the graph. If you selected Show populations in the Analysis dialog box, the
graphs of the individual populations will also be shown.
4.
For each of the populations, the mean, standard deviation and percentage will appear in a
separate prompt. These can be edited since often, when a pick of a population is made
using the notch points in the lower half of the probability plot, the mean will be overestimated. (In the upper half it will be under-estimated.)
5.
If you adjust the mean values and select Run, the decomposition line on the graph will be
moved to show the resulting alteration of the mean. At the same time the values for the
Chi-square will be updated. The aim is to get a Chi-square value that is very close to the
number of degrees of freedom. The P value should be a minimum at this point.
6.
Each time you make changes to the entries in the decomposition dialog box click the Run
button.
Notes:
You can also change the number of factors used by the decomposition function by selecting the
check boxes in the factors column. If you increase the number of factors you will have to enter new
values for mean, SD (standard deviation) and percentage of the new factors.
To see the effect of changing the various parameters controlling the decomposed model you can
minimise the Decompose dialog box.
You can set up a colour set based on the decomposition of the data by clicking the Colour Set
button.
You can also optimize the decomposition of the data by clicking the Optimize button.
320
321
Click the Colour set button in the Decomposition dialog box and the Generate Colour Set
dialog box will open.
2.
Enter the Colour set number and Colour set name in the fields provided. The program will
warn you if a colour set using that number already exists. You will have the option to
overwrite the existing set.
3.
The contents of the Min and Max fields in the Colour set definition group are calculated by
the decomposition function and represent the break points on the underlying graph. Select
a colour for each range unless you have already done so under Show populations (in the
Analysis dialog box).
4.
Click OK.
The colour file can then be used to colour code data in any of the displays. The resulting colour
scheme will enable you to examine any spatial differences between different parts of the data
range.
Tip: An alternative way of doing this is to use the auto colour set option. This option allows you to
specify a series of percentile bins and the colour to be associated with each of these.
For example, data above the 95th percentile may be considered to anomalous. This could all be
defined as one colour while data in range 50-95 percentile could be given another colour and file
data in the bottom 50 percentile range can then given a further colour. The same colour file can be
used in the contouring function and would highlight anomalous regions of the surface being
investigated.
Note: It is not essential that your chosen breakpoints separate distinguishable populations. You could
use a colour-coded probability plot value.
322
Normal/Log normal
Median/Mode calculates the mean, median, mean and integer mode values for any field in a
file. It also presents percentiles corresponding to the 1 st, 2nd, and 3rd standard deviations in the
form p percentile: q. That is, p% of the distribution lies below the value q.
2.
Enter the name of the source file and the names of the fields for which you require
statistics.
3.
Specify a Minimum, a Maximum, and a Cut value for each field if necessary. If you enter a
value in Minimum, all values below it will be excluded from the calculation. The same
applies to values greater than an entry in Maximum. Values greater than your entry in Cut
value will be reduced to that entry before the calculation is made.
4.
Click OK to run the function. The calculated statistics will be displayed on screen. For a
permanent record of the calculation, enter a file name in Output file.
Note that the calculation is limited to fifteen numeric fields in the source file.
Select Stats | Descriptive | Median\Mode to open the dialog box where you can do
these calculations.
2.
Enter the name of the source file and the name of the field for which you require the
statistics.
3.
Specify minimum and maximum values and a cut value for the field. If you enter a value in
Minimum, all values below it will be excluded from the calculation. The same applies to
values greater than an entry in Maximum. All values greater than your entry for Cut value
will be reduced to that entry before the calculation is made.
4.
Click OK to run the function. The statistics will be displayed on screen. For a permanent
record of the calculation, enter a file name in Output file.
323
Tools
GPS input
Overview
Using GPS Input you can connect a Global Positioning System (GPS) receiver to a computer running
the program. The GPS receiver can then send positional information to a file in the program.
Earth scientists will use this tool for field data collection. As samples are collected, their location can
be immediately entered with high accuracy. Notes, pertinent to that location, can be recorded
together with the GPS derived position.
Before beginning this operation you must create a suitable file in which the GPS position, time
information, and your data will be entered.
The Process
Plug the GPS receiver into the serial port of your computer. Make sure the device is turned on and
operating in the correct mode. Refer to the GPS manual for correct cabling and connection to the
serial (RS232) port of the PC.
To set up the GPS Input do the following:
324
1.
Choose the Data format the GPS will output from GGA, GLL and RMC. Your choice will
depend on the setting made for the GPS receiver. GGA has the best accuracy as it can be
differentially corrected in real time.
2.
Choose the Trigger from the program or GPS RECEIVER. If you choose the program, you
will determine when a position record is downloaded from the GPS receiver. If you choose
GPS RECEIVER, a new position record will be saved to the output file every time the
receiver generates one. Normally you will use the program to trigger a new record.
3.
Enter the serial port settings so that they match those set for the GPS receiver. Ensure that
the port is the same as the one to which the GPS is physically connected (e.g. COM1) and
the baud rate, parity, word length, stop bits and handshaking all have the same settings as
the serial output from the GPS receiver.
4.
Enter a name for the file where the GPS measurements will be stored and choose the type
of file from DATA, SURVEY or STRING.
5.
Click the Prompt Fields button and make entries in this dialog box according to your
requirements.
6.
Click the GPS Fields button and enter the names of the fields, in the file, in which the GPS
data and field observations will be saved.
7.
Enter the number for the first record in Start record. This can be any integer greater than 0
and will be incremented automatically.
8.
Once you have filled in the form, select Run and the Receive GPS Data dialog box will
appear. See Receiving GPS data for information on how this is used.
325
Activate the Run button in the GPS Input dialog form to open the Receive GPS Data dialog
box.
2.
3.
Activate the Trigger button. The reported position and your entries in the Prompts table will
be written to the file.
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1.
Activate the Run button in the GPS Input dialog form to open the Receive GPS Data dialog
box.
2.
3.
Activate the GPS and press the button on the GPS which outputs the current position to the
serial port, to download a position. The reported position and your entries in the Prompts
table will be written to the file.
Move the cursor to the Field column and enter the name of the field for the first prompt.
2.
Choose the Mode of input that will be used for that field.
3.
(Optional) Depending on your selection for Mode, make suitable entries in Increment Value
and Default Value. The program will record the Default Value in the entered field. In the
case of Increment value, enter the amount by which the value in the same field of the
previous record will be incremented, before being entered in the current record.
4.
Continue making entries for each of the Prompt Fields in the file as required. Activate the
Close button to complete the operation.
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328
RS-232/RS-422 connection
Some GPS units are only equipped with an RS-422 serial port, that is, no provision is made for RS232. This obstacle can be overcome either by purchasing an RS-232 to RS-422 converter and
placing this in-line or by purchasing (from the GPS supplier) a cable as described below. Before
proceeding, ask the GPS supplier for the preferred method for your model.
Note that when using RS-422, the XON/XOFF handshaking is often required for flow control because
there is often no provision made for hardware control.
In most (but not all) cases, an RS-422 port can be connected to an RS-232 port given that the
wiring is correct. Always refer to the manual supplied with your GPS receiver before making any
connections.
The following table shows the connections that may be used:
Computer End (RS232)
Receive data
Transmit -ve
Signal ground
Signal ground
Signal ground
Receive +ve
Transmit data
Receive -ve
Test the connection thoroughly before proceeding on a field trip where you will be relying on the
GPS/Computer interface.
Micromine takes no responsibility for damage caused by applying the connections described in the table
above.
RS-422 to RS-232 converters are available as commercial devices from a variety of manufacturers.
Contact Micromine for more information.
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Instrument download
Overview
Instrument Download does two things:
It enables you to collect data directly from instruments such as gravity meters and
magnetometers. Such field instruments are connected to the serial port of a computer on
which the program is running (the instruments must be capable of serial communications).
It enables you to load and process a text file generated by such an instrument. You will use
this approach when the instrument has a data logging facility and you receive the data on
disk. In this case, data will have been downloaded from a magnetic tape or memory card
(or other media) and saved as a text file on disk.
Instrument Download has been designed for maximum flexibility. Both column formatted and keyed
data are accommodated. Header and data fields can be separated.
Select Instrument Download from the Tools menu and the Instrument Download dialog form will
open.
Note: The procedures in this section assume that you have created a file in the program. This is the file
in which you will save the data of interest from the instrument.
The Process
Do the following:
1.
Determine the source of the input data by choosing one of the options in Import method.
Choose SERIAL PORT, if you are downloading directly from an instrument, or TEXT FILE if
you are reading the data from a file.
2.
If you have selected SERIAL PORT, click on Serial Port and enter the serial port settings so
they match those of the connected instrument. Ensure that the selected port is connected
to the instrument. Check that the baud rate, parity, word length, stop bits and handshaking
all have the same settings as the instrument. Enter a Request string if required. Consult the
instrument manual for details.
3.
If you have chosen TEXT FILE as the Input Method, enter the path and name of the file
containing the raw data in Input file path.
4.
Enter the Output file path. This is the name and path of a file in which the raw data, as
received from the instrument, will be saved. It is recommended that you save the raw data
for later processing.
5.
Enter the name of the file in which the data from the instrument will be saved in the
program. Choose the Type of file it will be.
6.
Setup the Header processing rules. These define the way in which the incoming data from
the serial port or ASCII file will be processed in the Header Fields dialog box. You will only
need to do this if you know the data is preceded by a header.
7.
Setup the Data processing rules. These define the way in which the incoming data from the
serial port or ASCII file will be processed in the Data Fields dialog box.
8.
Tip: Once the download process is working correctly, save the setup as a Form and include the
device name in the title.
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Header fields
Overview
Using the Header Fields dialog box, parts or all of the header information can be imported into a file
used by the program. These are saved to nominated fields in the file you have created for the
instrument data.
Header information usually contains field names, line numbers, time/date stamps, instrument
names and equipment locations. This information, or parts of it, may be repeated throughout the
data stream.
Header information can be column formatted or tagged with a key. A key is some character string,
determined by the equipment manufacturer, to identify a certain piece of header data (a tag).
A common example of a key and header data occurs every time you enter your name on a form in a
bank. The header key is the field NAME; the header data is your name.
Header Fields Processing
To process Header fields:
1.
Click the Header fields button to open the Header Fields dialog box.
2.
Identify the header data of interest using the instrument manufacturers documentation and
your knowledge of the file structure. You can open the input file by positioning the cursor in
any of the fields in the dialog and right-clicking (F4).
3.
Enter the number of columns that precedes the key in Key Start. This is the number of
columns from the start of a line. For example, a value of 5 will mean that the key in the
instrumentation file starts at column 5 (five characters in - a space is included as a
character).
4.
Enter the key as a character string in Key String. The program will look for this key (in the
incoming data) at the location entered in Key Start.
5.
Enter the location of the header data of interest, measured in columns, in Data Start. That
is, enter the column offset in the instrument file at which the header text of interest starts.
6.
Enter the length of the header data, measured in columns, in the Data Length prompt. That
is, the number of characters that will be imported whenever a key string is found.
7.
Enter the name of the field where the header data will be stored in Target Field. This
nominates the field in the file you will have created to save the specific instrument data you
require.
Note: By repeating this process, up to 10 items of header data (all with different keys) can be imported
into a file.
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Data fields
Overview
Click the Data Fields button to open the Data Fields dialog box. By making appropriate entries in
this dialog box, you can extract only the data you require from the entire data set (output by the
connected instrument or a Text file).
The Data Fields dialog box is split into two parts. The upper part is used to enter Key Definitions and
the lower part is where the data fields are defined.
Use the Key Definition table to define the type, start position and length of up to three keys. These
keys define the conditions that must be met before Instrument Download will accept that row of
data as a valid observation. Valid data will be imported into the file.
The available key types are:
NUMERIC The data key must contain numeric data range in the range 0 - 9 (plus/minus).
BLANK Only blank spaces will be accepted as being a key.
USER The corresponding Key Value field in the Field Definition table is enabled. You must then
enter an alpha/numeric string which will identify a row as being required data.
The Field Definition table is used to specify the start position (column) of the data and its length (in
columns). If, in the Key Definition table, you have specified that the key values are user defined,
you can enter Key values that must precede the required data. The start positions and lengths of
the Key values are defined in the Key Definition table.
Data fields processing
Click the Data Fields button in the Instrument Download dialog form and the Data Fields dialog box
will open.
Setup the key definitions
To define the data keys do the following:
1.
In the Key Definition group, enter the number of columns to the start of the key in Start.
2.
3.
Choose the Type of the data key from the drop down list. The options are NUMERIC, BLANK
and USER. If you choose NUMERIC, the data key must contain numeric data range 0 - 9
(plus/minus). If you choose BLANK, only blank spaces will be accepted as being a key. If
you choose USER, the corresponding Key Value field in the Field Definition table is enabled.
You must enter the alpha/numeric string which will identify a row as being required data.
4.
Repeat these steps for up to three keys. In most cases one will be sufficient.
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1.
Enter the column at which the data of interest begins in the field headed Start.
2.
Enter the maximum number of columns the data can occupy in the field headed Length. By
calculating this value carefully you can deliberately omit information such as coordinate and
unit suffixes, for example N, E.
If you have set any of the key definitions to USER, enter suitable key strings in the Key
Value fields. Data is only inserted in the file when the keys indicate that a row is in fact
data and not header or other information.
4.
5.
Continue making entries in the rows of the Field Definition table as necessary.
Tip : You can open the input file by positioning the cursor in any of the fields in the dialog and
right-clicking (F4).
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Start in column 1
Whenever this key is found, the data defined in the start and length columns of the field definition
table will be placed in the fields of the file defined opposite. The Data Fields dialog form should
resemble that in the following illustration.
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Click on Example 1 file to see how the resulting file should look.
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Note the data for Line is deliberately truncated to exclude the notation E. This is because it is being
stored in the field called East in the file.
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The key definition for the data fields is simply one blank space at the start of the line, since only
data records have a blank at the start of the line.
In the data fields the information in the column headed station is also truncated to exclude the
notation N as this data is directed to the Northing field in the file.
Click on Example 2 file to see how the resulting file should look. The file has been re-formatted to
show the North and East fields with one decimal place.
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2.
Choose the name of the serial port. Make sure the digitiser is connected to this port. Most
often COM2 is used.
3.
The baud rate. This controls the speed at which data is transferred.
The parity. This determines the method used to check for errors during transmission.
The Word length. This is the length of each data packet in the transmission.
The number of Stop bits used. This is the number of digits used to control communication.
Choose the Handshaking method. This determines the communications protocol used by the
two units. The methods supported by the program are mentioned below.
4.
Enter the Output file name. This is the file where data received from the digitiser will be
stored while you are using the ASCII Download function. You can enter any name for the
file. If the file already exists, you will be asked if you wish to overwrite it. If you select No,
you have the option to enter another file name.
5.
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Use a different collar symbol depending on the prefix of the hole ID (DDH*, RC*, RAB*
etc.).
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Edit an existing set. Any changes you make will be automatically saved.
You can open the colour, hatch and symbol set dialogs in two ways:
From a dialog form where you can create a display. This is the most common method.
In both cases you will be returned to where you started when you close the dialog where you create
or edit the set.
The advantage of opening the dialog where you create a colour, hatch or symbol set from a dialog
form, is that it will be aware of the file you are using to create the display, and the field you are
using to control the coding. This means that when you use the tools to automate some of the tasks
associated with these functions (e.g. Assign), they will automatically use the names of the file and
field with which you are working.
There are two types of colour, hatch or symbol set:
Numeric sets.
Text sets.
Note: It is important to remember that sets of colour codes, hatches and symbols are saved in forms.
Installing a True Type font
The install program will automatically add several True Type fonts to your system. These have been
developed at Micromine and can be used by the Hatch and Symbol functions. However, the
application can use any TTF. If you want to add a True Type font to your computer, see the
Windows Help accessible from the Start menu. Click the Index tab and enter font. Then select Font,
adding to your computer.
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Numeric sets
You can create numeric sets for colours, hatches and symbols. They are used to allocate colours,
hatches and symbols to data divided into numeric ranges. Numeric sets are associated with numeric
data fields such as those containing assay values.
To create a numeric set, you divide your data into a series of ranges (bins) and allocate a colour,
hatch or symbol to each. You can use the Calculate and Assign functions to simplify this task.
Text sets
Overview
You can create text sets for colours, hatches and symbols. They are used to allocate colours,
hatches and symbols to text codes, for example, lithology codes. These text codes must be present
in one of the fields of the file with which you are working.
You can either use the Assign tool to extract text codes automatically or you can enter them
manually.
Text sets are always associated with character fields.
Creating text sets
The following processes describe the steps you will need to take when you are creating text sets. To
define a colour, hatch or symbol text set:
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1.
2.
Enter or select the text codes you want to use. Remember that you can use Assign to find
all the text codes in the nominated field. You can then select and group these codes into
the combinations you require. Use commas to separate text codes in the same row of the
text column.
3.
Either use the automatically generated labels or edit them further to suit your
requirements. The text that appears in the Label column can be used in the legend frame of
a plot.
4.
5.
Click OK and give the text set a title. Click OK again to save the text set.
Selecting the field that will control colour, hatch or symbol application
You can use either the display field or another field to control how the display data is colour coded.
For example, you may be collecting surface material and sampling it for Nickel and Copper. You
could construct a display using the Nickel assay values to control the size of a symbol and the
Copper values to control the symbol colour. This way the relationship between the two elements can
be easily seen.
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From a dialog form where you can create a display. This is the most common method.
From the File Editor popup menu e.g. Colour Sets | Edit.
In each case you will be returned to where you started when you close the colour set dialog.
The advantage of navigating to a colour set dialog from a dialog form, is that the colour set dialog is
aware of the file you are using to create the display and the field you are using to control the
colour coding. This means that when you use the tools to automate some of the tasks (e.g. Assign),
they will default to the names of the file and field with which you are working.
2.
3.
Select a palette set from the list in the dialog that appears.
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1.
2.
Click Save, and enter a file name. This is the file that will appear in the selection list.
The colour and line type of the hatch border can be controlled. This is the line that will be
drawn around a hatched area such as an outline.
Because True Type fonts are standard in Windows, they are very easy to install.
Note that unlike colour and symbol sets, you cannot save palettes of hatches.
Note: If a suitable hatch is not available in the standard hatch sets provided with the program, you can
obtain it from Micromine Pty. Ltd. or a third party.
In the dialog where you can select a hatch pattern, the first two hatches are always NO FILL and
SOLID no matter which font is selected. NO FILL is used when you do not want to use any fill
pattern. When you select NO FILL, Background colour and Font size are disabled though you still
have control over the border colour. NO FILL is analogous to the NULL colour in colour sets.
The SOLID hatch pattern fills the enclosed area completely with a solid fill.
Plotting and printing issues to do with hatches
Because True Type fonts are being used, output is restricted to Windows printer drivers (Print
Manager). PGL files will only include the hatch border.
Some printers will not print the TTF hatching if the hatched polygon is too complex. In such cases
set Print text as graphics in the printer options.
If you send a plot containing hatches to another computer where the fonts containing those hatches
are not installed, the results will be unpredictable.
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Select Tools | Symbol Sets | Numeric (or Text) from the main menu. If you are in a
display dialog box, right-click in the Symbol set response.
2.
Double-click on one of the Symbol responses (the column of squares between the Value
and Label columns).
3.
Click New in the Palette group. Any symbols in the palette will be cleared.
4.
Click the Add button. The Select Symbol dialog box will be displayed.
5.
Choose the font containing the symbol you require and then click Add. It will be added to
the palette.
6.
Continue this process until you have added all the symbols you require.
7.
If you want to select multiple symbols use the Ctrl and Shift keys in conjunction with the
mouse just as you would select multiple files in Explorer.
8.
Add a description to each symbol in the palette. This description will appear in the Label
column of the symbol set. It will subsequently be included in a plot legend just as with
hatch and colour set labels.
9.
You can also define a default rotation for the symbol (clockwise, in degrees). Any
subsequent rotations applied to the symbol will be in addition to this default.
10. Click Save. This will save the current palette (the name of the current palette is displayed in
the top left corner of the dialog).
Using Save As you can save the current palette to any location on the local hard drive or network.
Inserting a sym bol
It is possible to insert a symbol (or group of symbols) into the current palette. To do this you must
choose a symbol and then return to the Select Symbol dialog. Select the symbol immediately after
the location of the symbol you are inserting and then click the Insert button.
Deleting a symbol
You can delete one or more symbols from a palette by selecting them (Ctrl+click to select several
symbols), and then click the Delete button or press Delete on the keyboard.
Moving a symbol
A palette of symbols may contain several symbols you use frequently. For convenience you may
want to group these frequently used symbols in the first column or row of the symbol palette. To do
this, click over each of the symbols and drag them to the desired location.
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The update program manages the upgrade from the old symbols to the new symbols for all users
that did not create and use their own symbols.
The first fifteen symbols in the (True Type) symbol font are the same as the first fifteen symbols in
the standard set of symbols that came with earlier versions.
Mapping custom symbols sets to True Type symbols
If you did create custom symbols using an earlier version of the software, you may need to take an
extra step to make sure that they are mapped correctly.
A symbol mapping function can be used to map the old style symbols to the new True Type
symbols. Mapping can be applied to all projects, or on a project by project basis. Also, you can save
a symbol map as a form set and apply it that way.
To open the dialog where you can map old symbols to True Type symbols, select Options |
Symbols from the main menu.
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Open the Edit Colour Sets set dialog form or a dialog box, or by selecting Tools | Colour
sets | Numeric from the main menu. Take similar steps when you are creating a numeric
hatch or symbol set.
2.
Decide on the number of ranges (bins) into which you will divide the data and then enter
values that define the limit of each range in the Value column. The ranges you define will
appear in the Label column. You can either use the automatically generated labels or edit
them further. The contents of the Labels column are for use in the legend frame of a plot.
3.
Alternatively, use the Calculate and Assign tools to divide your data into suitable ranges.
4.
5.
You can clear all values from the colour set by clicking the Clear button. Clicking the New button
clears the current values and prompts for Save As info - in other words it creates a new blank set.
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2.
Select OK. Assign will locate all the text codes in the nominated field and list them in the
Found column of the dialog that appears.
3.
If there is a large number of text codes in the file you may need to group them. You can do
this manually or automatically.
4.
To include a code in the text set, highlight it, then click the arrow button. To remove a code
from the text set, highlight it, then click the arrow pointing in the other direction.
5.
Transfer all the codes you require from the Found list to the Text list and click OK. The
codes will appear in the Text list of the Colour text set dialog.
If you want to group codes on the same line of the text set, select Group and click the arrow button.
The highlighted code will be moved to the highlighted line in the Label list. Grouped codes will be
given the same colour.
You can reposition a code in the list using the Move Up and Move down buttons.
When you use Assign, you are not obliged to use all the codes it finds.
2.
Enter the lower and upper range limits in First and Last. These will be the values at the
extents of the colour range set.
3.
Enter the number of ranges into which the data will be divided.
4.
Click OK to continue.
5.
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Border values
The Asc/Desc button reverses the order of the colour set. This is useful when you have a preference
for the order in which the values will appear in a plot legend. Values occurring on range borders will
take the colour defined for the first range.
Changing labels
The program automatically generates range labels when you make entries in the Value column of
the Numeric sets dialog form. These have the following standard forms: nn.nn to mm.mm, <=nn.nn
, >>mm.mm.
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Position the cursor in the Value prompt that will become the upper limit of the new range.
2.
A new range will be inserted in the position before the cursor. Note that the program automatically
splits the range you are dividing into two equal size ranges.
To delete a range, position the cursor in the entry in the Value column and click Delete. The range
will be removed and one that followed moved into its place. The range values will be automatically
adjusted.
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Select colours for the values at each end of the colour ramp.
2.
3.
Click the Colour Ramp button. The colours between those you selected as the extremes will
take graduated values.
Only one colour ramp can be created at a time. That is, all check boxes between one end of a
ramp and the other must be selected. However, by creating them in succession, you can define
more than one colour ramp for a colour set.
To define colour ramps with very smooth transitions from one range to the next, select Spectrum.
If you are using a pen plotter, only select Standard Colours.
Tip: Colour ramping and Spectrum should not be used when you intend creating a plot with a pen
plotter.
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Text sets
Overview
You can create text sets for colours, hatches and symbols. They are used to allocate colours,
hatches and symbols to text codes, for example, lithology codes. These text codes must be present
in one of the fields of the file with which you are working.
You can either use the Assign tool to extract text codes automatically or you can enter them
manually.
Text sets are always associated with character fields.
Creating text sets
The following processes describe the steps you will need to take when you are creating text sets. To
define a colour, hatch or symbol text set:
1.
2.
Enter or select the text codes you want to use. Remember that you can use Assign to find
all the text codes in the nominated field. You can then select and group these codes into
the combinations you require. Use commas to separate text codes in the same row of the
text column.
3.
Either use the automatically generated labels or edit them further to suit your
requirements. The text that appears in the Label column can be used in the legend frame of
a plot.
4.
5.
Click OK and give the text set a title. Click OK again to save the text set.
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2.
Select OK. Assign will locate all the text codes in the nominated field and list them in the
Found column of the dialog that appears.
3.
If there is a large number of text codes in the file you may need to group them. You can do
this manually or automatically.
4.
To include a code in the text set, highlight it, then click the arrow button. To remove a code
from the text set, highlight it, then click the arrow pointing in the other direction.
5.
Transfer all the codes you require from the Found list to the Text list and click OK. The
codes will appear in the Text list of the Colour text set dialog.
If you want to group codes on the same line of the text set, select Group and click the arrow button.
The highlighted code will be moved to the highlighted line in the Label list. Grouped codes will be
given the same colour.
You can reposition a code in the list using the Move Up and Move down buttons.
When you use Assign, you are not obliged to use all the codes it finds.
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1.
Click on Auto Group and enter the number of characters that will be used to group the
codes. For example, if you enter 2, all codes that begin with the same two characters will
be grouped together in the Found list.
2.
3.
You can then transfer the codes into the Text list for use in the text set.
If a Label response is blank and you make an entry in the Text column, the Label response
will automatically reflect the entry.
Making a change in the Text column will not affect the Label column.
To make an entry in the Label column the same as the corresponding entry in the Text
column, double-click in the Label column.
This happens because the program processes the text set from top to bottom. This should be
remembered when using the Asc/Desc function.
Note: Operations involving hatch sets are virtually identical to those with colour sets. For this reason a
separate explanation is not given.
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Using M acros
A macro is a list of instructions you prepare that allow the system to perform a sequence of
commands without further input. Once a macro is set up, you can run it repeatedly without
intervention.
You can include any function that appears on a menu as an instruction in a macro. For a list of
macro processes as they appear on the main menu see Macro processes.
Use macros to perform tasks such as:
Speed up repetitive tasks e.g. generating plot files, assigning outlines and calculating ore
estimates.
Toolbox
The MICROMINE Toolbox provides a way to run processes that are not available as a single function.
The Toolbox project contains a set of macros that can be used to manipulate data in any of your
working projects. You invoke a Toolbox process by opening the Toolbox project and then running
the appropriate macro.
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Select the function you require from the Tools | Macro Functions menu. A dialog is
displayed.
2.
You can now create a macro file as normal and run it. Note that you can use replaceable parameters
with macro functions. See Using replaceable parameters.
Macro functions
The headings below list the name of the functions in the Tools | Macro Functions menu. The macro
names as they will appear in the Process column of the macro instruction table are listed beside
them.
Run Batch - RUN
Use this command to run a batch file or another program from within a program.
Copy file - FCOPY
Same as in File | Utilities.
Delete file - FDELETE
Same as in File | Utilities .
Rename File - FRENAME
Same as in File | Utilities .
Delete Data - DELDATA
Same as in File | Utilities .
Modify Structure - MODIFY
Same as the File | Modify function.
File Report - REPORT
Use this function to send a file to the default printer.
Select Printer - PRINTER
Use this function to change a printer/plotter and its parameters within a macro.
Substitution Table - MACSUB
Use this function to define a form set of substitution values that can then be substituted in macro
instructions.
Call Macro - CALLMAC
This function is used in a macro file to call a macro in a form (Nesting). The macro you pass to
CALLMAC will run. When it is complete, the main macro will continue. Only one level of nesting is
possible. That is, the macro in the form you pass to CALLMAC cannot contain another macro.
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Prepare all dialog boxes that will be accessed by the macro and save them.
2.
3.
Setting up dialogs
Before you can run a macro you must set up all the dialogs that will be called by the macro and
save them in forms.
Procedure:
1.
Select the required menu item and prepare the dialog box to produce the appropriate
display or process. If possible, test it by running it manually.
2.
If you want to execute the dialog repeatedly, with different values, insert replaceable
parameters in the prompt fields that are to be changed. These will then be replaced with
actual values when the dialog is called from the macro. See Using replaceable parameters.
You can enter some parameters while the macro is executing. See Entering parameters
during execution.
3.
Save the dialog (including the replaceable parameters) in a form with a number and a
name. For details on how to use forms see Forms.
Some functions do not normally have a form associated with them. You can still use these in macros
by using Macro functions.
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Run Macro
Running a macro means executing the commands stored in the macro file. You do not run the
macro file itself, but call the file from the Run Macro dialog.
You can include up to 42 macro files in the one run (with each file containing several instructions).
This allows you to create smaller files, which are easier to test, and then combine them to create
complex operations. You can also skip the first entries in the list and execute from a certain step
onwards.
To run your macro, follow these steps:
1.
2.
Enter the names of all the macro files you want to execute. They will be processed in the
order you enter them.
3.
Select the Start button to indicate the file at which you want to begin. All the files before it
will be ignored.
4.
Enter the name for the report file where you want to store the results of this run. A new file
will automatically be created with the extension MOF. You should check this file after the
macro has run, to see if there were any problems during the execution.
5.
To minimise the Run Macro dialog to an icon during the execution of the macro, select Run
minimised?
6.
The run will commence at the first instruction in the macro file adjacent to the selected the Start At
button. However, if you want to start the process part way through a macro file, you can enter a
value in the Start process prompt. The number you enter in Start process corresponds to the
number of a record in the first macro file that will be used in the run.
If you enter a number that is greater than the number of instructions (records) in the start macro
file, the entire process will begin from the next macro file.
If the process is interrupted, the number of the next instruction to be executed will be displayed in
the Start process response. The process will recommence from that point.
Toolbox
The Toolbox project provides a way to run processes that are not available as a single function and
comprises a set of macros that can be used to manipulate data in any of your working projects. You
invoke a Toolbox process by opening the Toolbox project and then running the appropriate macro.
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2.
3.
Clear the Use template check box and click OK. A file of type MACRO is created.
2.
3.
Select the Use template check box and click the templates button.
4.
Complete the entries as required. If you also want to copy the data, select Copy data ?.
5.
Click Close and then OK. The program now creates a file with the same structure as the
template you selected.
You can also use an existing m acro file to enter your instructions:
1.
2.
3.
Select the file and click Open, or double-click on the file name in the selection box.
To open an existing m acro file from the File menu follow these steps:
1.
2.
3.
4.
Select the file and click OK, or double-click on the file name in the selection box.
The file structure that is created has fields that are used differently depending on the instruction
you use. For a description of the fields in a standard macro file see The macro file structure. For
details on the available commands see Editing a macro.
After the file is opened, the first field is selected and waiting for your input. For information on how
to enter data into the fields see Editing a macro.
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Editing a macro
You can enter two types of instructions in a macro file:
Special commands.
Saved dialogs
These are the most common instructions. Any function available in the program can operate as a
macro. However, if you want to perform some file operations (like import/export, validate,
calculate, etc.) you must do so using the dialogs on the main file menu; macros cannot be used in
the file editor.
You may enter instructions in the macro file in any order; they will be executed one at a time in the
order you entered them. All the necessary information for each instruction must be entered in a
single record in the macro file.
Special commands
Some instructions are available that do not refer to a saved dialog. You will generally use these to
control the processing of the macro itself, for example ABORT, or to ensure readability, like
COMMENT.
ABORT Terminates the macro when an error occurs.
BEEP Sounds the computer speaker.
COMMENT Includes a comment line in the macro (see use of { and }).
PLOTDEF Enables you to call a form with Plot file Defaults. You can access the Plot file Defaults by
clicking the Edit Defaults button, which is shown whenever you generate a plot file
! Behaves like a comment. You can also use it to hide an instruction.
{...} Same as a comment but hides all records including those on which the braces are located.
Used to comment out several instructions.
363
Entering instructions
When you open a macro file, or create a new one, all the file editing facilities of the File Editor are
available.
However, there are some important differences in how you can use the F3 and F4 function keys.
These are discussed below.
You enter the instructions you want to perform in the Process field and then complete the other
fields, which depend on the Process you selected. You can either type in the Process or press the F3
key.
The F3 key gives you access to the Process code of each function that appears on a menu in the
system. When you press F3 with the cursor over the Process field, a flyout menu appears with the
same menu items as the menu line on the main menu of the program.
Some entries have an arrow beside them. They are menus themselves. When you move the
cursor over an item with an arrow, a further menu appears.
Entries that have no arrow, represent the function of the corresponding dialog.
2.
Press F3 and move the cursor over the menus until you get to the item you want.
3.
Click to select the menu item. The appropriate process code is automatically entered in the
Process field.
You must set up the dialogs that you want the macro to call. If you have not already done so, you
can do it here (after you complete the process field), by pressing F4 on any field. This brings up the
dialog corresponding to the function you entered in the Process field. When you have completed the
dialog, remember to save it in a forms.
Once you complete the Process field, you can continue with the other fields.
364
1.
2.
Enter the number of the form where the dialog is saved. You can also press F3, which will
display a list of the available forms.
3.
Complete the other fields as required. These are described in The macro file structure.
365
Following is a list of the commands that use fields in a non standard way:
Items in [brackets] are optional. Where you can choose from several parameters, these are
separated by a slash.
YES
When you run the Display Contours function manually (that is, not via a macro), you will be asked if
you want to reload (min/max, grid spacing) values. When running a macro, this is not done. Placing
a yes in the Par field will force these values to be reloaded when you have substituted the grid file
name with a replaceable parameter.
366
OUTFILE P SINGLE/ROLL/ONE
first-bearing, closing-bearing
In the PAR field enter the initial reference bearing and the closing reference bearing, separated by
commas or spaces.
Model
DHMPSEC
Model
DHMTSEC
Model
GMOD
Model
In the PAR field, enter the name of the model (A Z) you want to load.
367
Replace the question mark with an appropriate value. The program will not continue unless
the question mark is replaced. At the same time you can also change any of the other
prompts. They will be used during the current process, but are not saved to the form.
2.
Press the Escape button (or click Continue). Processing continues. If there are anymore
question marks, the system will pause at the next one.
A dialog that represents a function. That is, a dialog that corresponds to the process code
you entered in the macro file. For example Multiview. To stop processing, press the Cancel
button.
A dialog that is accessed from another dialog. For example, the Display Limits dialog in
Multiview.
To stop processing:
368
1.
Leave the question mark and press Escape or Continue. You return to the next higher
dialog. In the example above of Display limits, the Display limits dialog disappears and only
the Multiview dialog remains.
2.
Press Cancel.
Pass parameters.
Substitution parameters.
Pass parameters
Pass parameters operate on saved dialog forms. To use them you must setup the dialog form with
the data that is to remain fixed. For each parameter you want to change, type in one of the pass
parameters % 1 to %15, instead of a fixed value. When you call the dialog from the macro, the
values in the corresponding Par fields (%1 to % 15) in the macro record are passed to the function.
You still have to use a macro instruction for each execution of the dialog, but you only have to set
up the dialog once.
For example, if you want to create a series of drill section plots using Normal Sections in the Dhole
menu, you need to change the Section coordinate parameter. With replaceable parameters, you set
up the dialog from once. Where you would normally enter the section coordinate, type in %1. In the
macro file, enter the instruction that calls the dialog, for each section. In the field called %1, enter
the actual section value.
Substitution parameters
Substitution parameters operate on macro files. To use them you must create a table of codes and
corresponding values in Tools | Macros | Substitution Table. The substitution table consists of 34
rows. It has a column of codes (@) and corresponding values (Substitution). Once you have filled
out this table, save it as a form set for the MACSUB function. The substitution values defined in the
MACSUB form apply to all subsequent records in the macro file - until another MACSUB function is
entered.
For example, in the Macro Substitutions form you could define @X1 and 10730 and @X2 as 10750
and so on for all the sections.
369
Options
The environment settings in the program allow you to customize the appearance and operation of
the program. Default values, used to fill in blank forms, are specified here. The options also define
the type of plotter attached to your computer and the way the program plot files will be handled
when they are output to the plotter (or a printer configured as a plotter).
Environment settings can be made for:
System
Select the default colours and fonts that will be used for various
prompts, in the display and for the 3D Viewer.
File Editor
Select the font and text colour that will be used in the File Editor;
define the appearance of the tables; select a default text viewer.
Forms
Plot
Digitiser
Symbols
Once you have setup your working environment, further modification will normally not be required.
However, if you need to change the environment settings regularly, use the Forms tool to load
saved parameters sets.
Even if you do not expect to use different environment settings, MICROMINE recommends that you
save any changes you make to standard settings as a new form set.
370
Show Watermark
Display Margin (% )
Zoom in by
Display X = Y
371
They promote reusability by enabling you to save the parameters in any functions you use
often. For example, a local to national grid transformation.
They make it easy to produce consistent output. By using the same form set for a task, you
can ensure the output will always be similar.
They make it easy to return to original settings. This is particularly useful when you are
experimenting with different values in a function.
You can export form sets to other projects or remote systems. This helps promote
reusability.
372
2.
3.
Enter the name (a maximum of 8 characters) of your personal forms sets sub-folder and
click Close. (Press F3 to select a folder.)
4.
Return to the main menu. Note that the name of your personal form sets sub-folder will
appear on the menu bar.
Once you have selected Use Personal Form sets and made the subsequent entries, a personal form
set will be created for all projects you select, create or attach. When you delete a project, any
personal form sets will also be deleted.
Selecting a global form set
Once your organization has created a global form set, you will only need to connect to it. To do this:
1.
2.
Select Use global form set and then navigate to folder containing the form set you require.
3.
Use the empty form sets database. This is the database that is used each time you create a
new project.
Copy a form sets database from another location. Not recommended for inexperienced
users.
When you begin the process of creating global form sets, it may be expedient to use form sets from
another project keeping those that can be used and discarding those that cant.
If you do not have access to any suitable form sets you will have to take the first alternative and
create a new, empty forms sets database.
To create a new global form set:
1.
2.
Select Use global form set and then navigate to the folder where you want to store the form
set. Often this will be a network folder.
3.
Click Close and the Create Global Form Sets dialog box will appear. Either:
373
Click Create.
2.
3.
Enter a name (a maximum of 8 characters) which will be used as the private parameter
folder within the project folder. The first time the parameter files are used, this folder will
be created and the current parameter files from the project folder will be copied into the
new folder.
Note: If this field is blank, you can select a folder by pressing F3.
From this field click the right mouse button to display a pop up menu that allows renaming and
deleting of the currently selected private folder.
There are no restrictions as to how many private folders a project can have.
Note: ALL projects will create the current private forms folder.
In the main title bar of MICROMINE, the private folder is added in square brackets after the project
name.
e.g. MICROMINE PROJECT: demo1 [john]
374
If the field name defined in the Forms Options exists, that value will be automatically
selected.
If there is no exact match, the first field in the file that contains the defined name, is
automatically selected. For example, if in the Forms Options the name for the Easting field
is EAST and this field does not exist in the file, then the first field that has the text EAST in
its name (e.g. EASTING or AMG_EAST), will be selected.
Any fields that are left blank in the Forms Options, will be ignored when a new file is selected.
If any new fields affect the display limits, these will be recalculated; as will grid spacings.
Enter the name of the field, used by files in this project, that contains drillhole names.
Accessing forms
How you open the forms dialog box depends on where you are in the program.
In dialog forms, select Forms from the main menu or click the Forms button on the toolbar.
375
Click the Forms button or select Forms from the main menu.
2.
3.
Enter a title for the form set. The program will find the first available number and enter that
in the ID response.
You can change this to any number between 1 and 999 (inclusive). If the number you enter is
already in use, you will be notified and given the opportunity to change it.
4.
If you have already opened a form set, edited it, and then want to save the changes:
1.
Click the Forms button or select Forms from the main menu.
The highlight will appear over the form set currently in use.
2.
Click the Save button. A message box will appear requesting you confirm that you want to
overwrite the form set with the edited values.
You can also click the New button and the Form Sets function will allocate the next free number or
enter a number you know has not been allocated.
3.
376
Set ID
Set title
Function
Database path
Notes
Author
Created by
Created date
Edited by
Edit date
Files
Files
Embedded sets
377
2.
Opening a form
When you open a form set, the parameters saved within it will be loaded into the open dialog box.
To open a form set:
1.
Click the Forms button or select Forms from the main menu.
2.
Select the form in the list by clicking when the mouse pointer is over the name of the form
you want to open.
3.
4.
Note that you will only be able to select forms for the current dialog box.
378
Click the Forms button or select Forms from the main menu.
2.
Select a form in the list by clicking when the mouse pointer is over its name.
3.
4.
5.
Click OK.
Click the Forms button or select Forms from the main menu.
2.
Select the form in the list by clicking when the mouse pointer is over the name of the form
you want to delete.
To delete more than one form set, hold the Ctrl key down while clicking over their names, and then
click the Delete button.
Click the Forms button or select Forms from the main menu.
2.
Select the form in the list by clicking with the mouse pointer over its name.
3.
4.
Enter a new title and number. Click New to automatically assign the first available number.
You can change this if necessary.
5.
If you only want to change the name of the form set, use Rename.
379
You can export a form set to a special file (default.set) in the program folder. From there it
can easily be imported into other projects.
You can also export a form set to any folder. In this case you must give the form set a
name. This is useful when the form set is not for a global application or you want to make it
accessible to other users. For example, copying it to floppy disk and sending it to a remote
site or system.
2.
3.
Select the forms you want to export and then click Export.
4.
Either accept the default.set file name and installation directory or navigate to another
location and save the file as default.set or with another name.
5.
2.
3.
Click the Import button (only forms for the current function are displayed).
4.
Either choose the default.set file or navigate to the set file you require.
5.
6.
Note: The form set(s) will appear in the list of available forms. Note that imported form sets will not
overwrite existing sets with the same name but different contents.
380
System parameters
System parameters are saved for such things as paper sizes and environment settings. These are
stored in the application folder in the file fldval81.bdb.
The contents of the following dialog boxes are saved as system parameters.
Dialog box
Accessible from
System Options
Options | System
Forms Options
Options | Forms
Plot Options
Options | Plot
Pen Map
Options | Plot
Editor Options
Options | Editor
Digitiser Options
Options | Digitiser
Symbols Setup
Options | Symbols
Paper Settings
Options | Plot
Paper Size
Colour Select
When you create a new project, another form sets database file is created in the project folder. This
file is also given the name fldval81.bdb and will contain the local form sets for the project.
381
By using a WinTab driver. This software driver is supplied with most modern digitisers and
offers the easiest way to get the digitiser up and running. Before you can use this driver
you must install it, and then select Use WinTab driver in Options | Digitiser.
By defining transmission parameters so that the unit can communicate with your PC. This
approach may be necessary with older plotters. Before proceeding, check if there is a
WinTab driver available on your plotter manufacturers Internet site.
If you do not use a WinTab driver you must define the transmission parameters before using the
digitiser, so that the unit can communicate with your PC. The following topics guide you through the
steps required for the second option - to setup the transmission parameters and determine the
transmission format.
To establish that the digitiser works with your PC and the program, do the following :
1.
2.
Determine the exact format of the information sent by the digitiser. See Determining the
output format.
3.
Set-up the digitiser environment in the program. This involves specifying the digitiser
transmission format as an input mask to the PC. See Setting up the digitiser environment.
382
1.
You must define the plot size, so that it can be reproduced on the screen. See Setting up
display limits.
2.
Establish a relationship between the grid system of the digitiser tablet and the one on the
plot. See Correlating the digitiser and plot grids.
Defining the serial connection and an input mask, or selecting the WinTab driver for the
digitiser.
Select Options | Digitiser and either define the serial connection and an input mask, or select
Use WinTab driver.
2.
Open an Outline or String menu in one of the displays and select Digitiser | Use.
3.
The message "Do you want to setup the digitiser" will appear. This part of the setup is the
process of registering points on the digitiser tablet. This process is covered in Correlating the
digitiser and display grids.
4.
Begin digitising.
Tip: Many digitisers will not work unless you turn the digitiser on before you start the computer to
which it is connected.
383
You must know the exact format of this information - the length and position of each field. Spaces
must also be accounted for. This information is usually contained in the Digitiser manual. If it isnt,
you can capture it using a Terminal program like Hyper Terminal, or a communications program
such as XTalk or Procomm.
You can use the ASCII Download function on the Tools menu to:
The ASCII Download function allows you to download a test message from the digitiser to a file on
your PC, which you can then examine.
384
If you have installed the WinTab driver supplied with your digitiser, select Use WinTab
driver. You will be able to setup the digitiser in the display.
Once you have entered the digitiser parameters, select Options | Digitiser and enter the
communications parameters (speed, parity, protocol, etc.) and the output format of the
digitiser. You need only do this once. See Options | Digitiser.
Select Digitiser | Use from the Outline or String display menu and click Yes when the
message "Do you want to set-up the digitiser" appears, or select Digitiser | Setup (if it is
enabled).
2.
If the X and Y scales are equal, type in the coordinates of two points on the display. If not,
you will have to type in the coordinates of three points.
3.
Click Run.
4.
When prompted, move the puck to the first point and click. Repeat this process for the
remaining point(s).
5.
Digitise a point as a check. Confirm that the program returns the correct point.
6.
Begin digitising.
Note: You must repeat this process each time that you run the function where you are working.
385
Select Options | Digitiser, and then select Use WinTab driver. You can begin using the
digitiser immediately.
The digitiser options let you set up the parameters that control communications with a digitiser.
They also allow you to define the transmission format for data that is sent from a digitiser.
To set up the digitiser options follow these steps:
386
1.
2.
Enter the tolerance value in digitiser units. This defines the minimum point separation
distance between successively entered points. Its particularly important when you run the
digitiser in continuous mode.
3.
4.
Define the communications options used to transfer the data. Click the down arrow next to
the fields in the group called Port Options and select the required values. The last used
values are shown when you enter the dialog.
5.
If required select the Beep on box. When selected, the system will beep each time data is
received from the digitiser.
6.
7.
Click Close.
The forms, dialog and display boxes used throughout the program.
The grid lines and the characteristics of the grid labels on the display.
The characteristics of the text that appears on the display. For example, drillhole
annotation. (Note that the font used in the database Editor is defined in the Files menu.)
The default background colour for the 3D Viewer (if your licence includes it).
387
Saved a 3D display as an Open Inventor file (*.iv) and then loaded it.
388
Symbol Options
If you created custom symbols using an early version of the software, you may need to take an
extra step to make sure that they are mapped correctly.
The current version of the software, includes a symbol mapping function. Using this function, you
can map the old style symbols to the new True Type symbols.
Mapping can be applied to all projects, or on a project by project basis. Also, you can save a symbol
map as a form set and apply it that way. To open the dialog where you can map old symbols to
True Type symbols, select Options | Symbols from the main menu.
389
390
Move the cursor to the font column and highlight the font you require.
2.
Move the cursor to the font style column and highlight the style you require.
2.
Move the cursor to the Size column and highlight the size you require.
2.
391
392
Index
Index
3
Dongle.............................................130
DTM ................................................178
Editing files........................................ 82
Execute............................................111
Execute | One/Many............................112
File
printing .........................................123
save as .......................................... 98
Code............................................... 119
File .................................................123
File Editor25, 32, 46, 82, 87, 91, 92, 93, 103,
104, 106, 108
File Editor - tools 25, 32, 87, 91, 92, 93, 103,
106, 108
File extensions......................................9
Description....................................... 119
Detach (Lookup table)......................... 116
Digitiser........................................... 182
Files - creating
New file .......................................... 94
393
Index
using templates ................................95
Combining conditions......................... 81
Execute......................................... 111
Equations in .................................... 79
In dialog boxes................................. 75
Find ................................................120
Find midpoint ............................. 142, 145
Files - displaying
Find next..........................................120
Hiding fields .....................................88
Order fields......................................88
Freeze fields....................................... 89
Go to...............................................102
Goto............................................. 102
Modify ............................................96
opening ..........................................99
Hardlock ..........................................130
Paste............................................ 101
Hide field........................................... 88
Images, displaying..............................220
Import..... 32, 33, 38, 39, 40, 41, 42, 43, 44,
103, 253, 378
Importing files
Filters
Attach filter......................................76
394
Index
Increment | Many .............................. 105
L
Lab data
merging ..........................................57
Lab data ............................................57
O
Object Manager 3D .............................197
in filters ..........................................79
ODBC
Logical operators .................................79
definition ........................................ 64
Lookup table
Export....................................... 48, 70
defining contents of ......................... 117
Import ...................................... 34, 68
new ...............................................94
Import MDB..................................... 36
Lookup table ................................ 94, 117
installing.................................... 34, 68
Lookup tables
linking vs importing........................... 65
attaching....................................... 116
ODBC Link ...................................... 66
compiling ...................................... 115
ODBC ................. 34, 48, 64, 65, 66, 68, 70
creating ........................................ 113
ODBC Link ................ 34, 48, 65, 66, 68, 70
detaching ...................................... 116
Only first level compulsory....................119
new ............................................. 113
Opening files ...................................... 99
options ......................................... 119
Order Fields ....................................... 88
Lookup tables ............... 113, 115, 116, 119
Outlines ...........................................174
M
MDB Import........................................36
MDB Link ......................................36, 71
Merge ................................53, 54, 55, 57
Plotting............................................206
Print................................................123
Print Options .............................. 123, 125
Print Preview .............................. 123, 125
Print setup........................................125
Profiles ............................................179
Projects
395
Index
Attach .......................................... 130
create........................................... 127
Strings
Moving.......................................... 129
on a network.................................. 130
new ..............................................145
saving...........................................145
Quick Contour
Templates ......................................... 95
Unhide Fields...................................... 88
Records
Goto............................................. 102
Validation .........................................117
Save as .............................................98
What's new..........................................1
Wireframe ........................................178
Zoom ..............................................388
396
MICROMINE Exploration
Table Of Contents
Table Of Contents
Digital Terrain Modelling (DTM) ...................................................................................... 1
Create................................................................................................................. 1
Create from Points ................................................................................................. 1
Volumes .............................................................................................................. 1
Contours.............................................................................................................. 1
Seam Thickness..................................................................................................... 1
Generate Z Values.................................................................................................. 1
Assign ................................................................................................................. 1
DTM->MM File....................................................................................................... 1
DTM->Faces File .................................................................................................... 1
Creating a DTM .......................................................................................................... 2
Overview ............................................................................................................. 2
The Process .......................................................................................................... 2
Creating a DTM from points in plane ................................................................................ 3
Using breaklines ......................................................................................................... 4
Using a constraint file .................................................................................................. 6
DTM Contouring.......................................................................................................... 7
Contour smoothing...................................................................................................... 8
Contour file ............................................................................................................... 9
Calculating a DTM volume ........................................................................................... 10
Overview ........................................................................................................... 10
The Process ........................................................................................................ 10
Calculating seam thickness.......................................................................................... 11
Overview ........................................................................................................... 11
The Process ........................................................................................................ 11
Generating Z values from a DTM................................................................................... 12
Overview ........................................................................................................... 12
The Process........................................................................................................ 12
Generating Z values for a Grid ..................................................................................... 13
Grid Clipping............................................................................................................ 14
Grid Assign.............................................................................................................. 15
DTM Assign ............................................................................................................. 16
Overview ........................................................................................................... 16
Table Of Contents
The Process ........................................................................................................ 16
DTM file conversions ............................................................................................. 17
DTM to MM file conversion........................................................................................... 17
Overview ........................................................................................................... 17
The Process ........................................................................................................ 17
DTM to FACES file ..................................................................................................... 18
Generating cross sections ........................................................................................... 19
Overview ........................................................................................................... 19
The Process ........................................................................................................ 19
Displaying cross sections ............................................................................................ 20
Overview ........................................................................................................... 20
The Process ........................................................................................................ 20
Cross section display tools........................................................................................... 21
Goto ................................................................................................................. 21
Continuous......................................................................................................... 21
Previous ............................................................................................................ 21
Next ................................................................................................................. 21
Closing Slope options ................................................................................................. 22
Drillhole data entry.................................................................................................... 23
Overview ........................................................................................................... 23
The Process ........................................................................................................ 23
Drillhole calculations ............................................................................................. 24
Drillhole calculations .................................................................................................. 24
Drillhole Extraction ............................................................................................... 24
Drillhole Intersections ........................................................................................... 24
Drillhole True Thickness......................................................................................... 24
Drillhole POV Conversion........................................................................................ 24
Drillhole Seam Top/Bottom..................................................................................... 24
Intersection calculations ............................................................................................. 25
Overview ........................................................................................................... 25
The Process ........................................................................................................ 25
True thickness calculations .......................................................................................... 26
Overview ........................................................................................................... 26
The Process ........................................................................................................ 26
POV conversion calculations......................................................................................... 27
ii
Table Of Contents
Overview ........................................................................................................... 27
There are two types of output: ................................................................................ 27
The Process ........................................................................................................ 27
Seam top/bottom calculations ...................................................................................... 28
Overview ........................................................................................................... 28
The Process ........................................................................................................ 29
Types of drillhole extraction......................................................................................... 31
AVERAGE ........................................................................................................... 31
WTAVG.............................................................................................................. 31
MIN .................................................................................................................. 31
MAX.................................................................................................................. 31
SUBUNIT ........................................................................................................... 31
SUM ................................................................................................................. 31
Drillhole extraction calculations .................................................................................... 32
Character field output ................................................................................................ 33
FIRST................................................................................................................ 33
LAST................................................................................................................. 33
BLANK............................................................................................................... 33
Using other extraction types ........................................................................................ 34
AVERAGE ........................................................................................................... 34
WTAVG.............................................................................................................. 34
MIN .................................................................................................................. 34
MAX.................................................................................................................. 34
SUM ................................................................................................................. 34
FIRST................................................................................................................ 34
LAST................................................................................................................. 34
BLANK............................................................................................................... 34
IGNORE............................................................................................................. 34
Calculating average grades for constant lithology.............................................................. 35
Calculating final depths for each drillhole ........................................................................ 35
Calculating intervals based on constant geology ............................................................... 36
Calculating total drill lengths per drilling prospect ............................................................. 37
Drillhole compositing and merging................................................................................. 38
Downhole Compositing .......................................................................................... 38
Bench Compositing............................................................................................... 38
iii
Table Of Contents
Grade Compositing............................................................................................... 38
Interval Compositing............................................................................................. 38
Geology Compositing ............................................................................................ 38
Drillhole Merge .................................................................................................... 38
Downhole compositing ............................................................................................... 39
Overview ........................................................................................................... 39
The Process ........................................................................................................ 39
Bench Compositing.................................................................................................... 41
Overview ........................................................................................................... 41
The Process ........................................................................................................ 42
Grade Compositing.................................................................................................... 44
Overview ........................................................................................................... 44
The Process ........................................................................................................ 44
Interval Compositing.................................................................................................. 46
Overview ........................................................................................................... 46
The Process ........................................................................................................ 46
Geology Compositing ................................................................................................. 48
Overview ........................................................................................................... 48
The Process ........................................................................................................ 48
Drillhole compositing methods...................................................................................... 50
Compositing methods for numeric fields....................................................................... 50
WEIGHTED AVG................................................................................................... 50
AVERAGE ........................................................................................................... 50
FIRST................................................................................................................ 50
MIDDLE ............................................................................................................. 50
LAST................................................................................................................. 50
MIN .................................................................................................................. 51
MAX.................................................................................................................. 51
WEIGHTED SUM .................................................................................................. 51
BLANK............................................................................................................... 52
IGNORE............................................................................................................. 52
Compositing methods for character fields ..................................................................... 52
DOMINANT......................................................................................................... 52
FIRST................................................................................................................ 53
LAST................................................................................................................. 53
iv
Table Of Contents
MIDDLE ............................................................................................................. 53
BLANK............................................................................................................... 53
IGNORE............................................................................................................. 53
Merging drillhole data................................................................................................. 54
Overview ........................................................................................................... 54
The Process ........................................................................................................ 54
Matching intervals ..................................................................................................... 55
Using Overwrite target field and Clear target fields............................................................ 58
Displaying drillholes in Plan ......................................................................................... 59
Overview ........................................................................................................... 59
The Process ........................................................................................................ 59
Displaying drillholes in Normal Section ........................................................................... 60
Overview ........................................................................................................... 60
The Process ........................................................................................................ 60
Displaying drillholes in Transform Section ....................................................................... 61
The Process ........................................................................................................ 61
Displaying drillholes in Stacked Section .......................................................................... 62
Overview ........................................................................................................... 62
The Process ........................................................................................................ 62
Displaying drillholes perpendicular to the POV .................................................................. 63
The Process ........................................................................................................ 63
Creating a drillhole display in Simple Interactive ............................................................... 64
Creating a drillhole display in Complex Interactive ............................................................ 65
Overview ........................................................................................................... 65
The Process ........................................................................................................ 65
Setting up the Plan display .......................................................................................... 66
Using the Plan display.............................................................................................. 66
Setting up the Section display ...................................................................................... 67
Defining a Section in the Plan display using a mouse ....................................................... 67
Using the Section display ......................................................................................... 67
Displaying symbols.................................................................................................... 68
Symbol field and default symbol .............................................................................. 68
Symbol size field and default size............................................................................. 68
Symbol angle field and default angle......................................................................... 68
Colour coding...................................................................................................... 68
Table Of Contents
Displaying tenement boundaries ................................................................................... 69
Displaying faults ....................................................................................................... 70
Displaying outcrops ................................................................................................... 71
Digitising seams in Interactive | Complex........................................................................ 72
Editing seams in Interactive | Complex........................................................................... 72
Displaying seams ...................................................................................................... 72
Displaying seams with DTM profiles ............................................................................... 73
Calculating and displaying drillhole intersections ............................................................... 74
Overview ........................................................................................................... 74
The Process ........................................................................................................ 74
Setting up the intersection calculation............................................................................ 75
OUTPUT INTERSECTION ........................................................................................ 75
ASSIGN CODE..................................................................................................... 75
OUTPUT & ASSIGN ............................................................................................... 75
DISPLAY ONLY .................................................................................................... 75
Running intersections................................................................................................. 76
Drillhole Intersections: Display Tools ............................................................................. 77
PgUp/PgDn......................................................................................................... 77
Hole.................................................................................................................. 77
Prev/Next .......................................................................................................... 77
Zoom ................................................................................................................ 77
In .................................................................................................................... 77
Out................................................................................................................... 77
Unzoom............................................................................................................. 77
Keyboard ........................................................................................................... 77
Back ................................................................................................................. 77
Drillhole Intersections: Multiple field display .................................................................... 78
Controlling how the fields will be displayed................................................................. 78
Defining which fields will be displayed ....................................................................... 78
Controlling how the field headers will appear .............................................................. 79
Choosing the side of the trace on which the fields will be displayed .................................. 79
Displaying ticks along the length of the trace .............................................................. 79
Displaying the results of intersection calculations.............................................................. 80
Displaying Strip Logs ................................................................................................. 81
Overview ........................................................................................................... 81
vi
Table Of Contents
The Process ........................................................................................................ 81
Defining hole annotation ............................................................................................. 82
Controlling what hole annotation will appear ............................................................... 82
Colour coding the hole annotation ............................................................................ 82
Positioning and sizing hole annotation ....................................................................... 82
NONE ................................................................................................................ 82
AUTO ................................................................................................................ 82
CENTRE ............................................................................................................. 82
DIRECTION ........................................................................................................ 82
Displaying collar coordinates ..................................................................................... 83
Defining the bottom of hole annotation........................................................................ 83
Collar Symbol display................................................................................................. 84
Displaying outlines .................................................................................................... 85
To display outlines: .............................................................................................. 85
To control which outlines are displayed: .................................................................... 85
Displaying the ground profile ....................................................................................... 86
Displaying depth and offsection details ........................................................................... 87
Displaying events down the drillhole .............................................................................. 88
To display events along the drillhole trace .................................................................. 88
To control the Event label display............................................................................. 88
Colour coding drillhole events ................................................................................. 88
Controlling the symbol display for each event ............................................................. 88
Displaying multiple fields ............................................................................................ 90
Controlling how the fields will be displayed................................................................. 90
Defining which fields will be displayed ....................................................................... 90
Controlling how the field headers will appear .............................................................. 90
Choosing the side of the trace on which the fields will be displayed .................................. 90
Displaying ticks along the length of the trace .............................................................. 90
Displaying the drillhole depth ....................................................................................... 92
To define the appearance of Depth labels................................................................... 92
To define the appearance of ticks that will appear at each label....................................... 92
Displaying drillhole Pierce points................................................................................... 93
Labels ............................................................................................................... 93
Decimals............................................................................................................ 93
Ticks................................................................................................................. 93
vii
Table Of Contents
Symbols ............................................................................................................ 93
Colours.............................................................................................................. 94
Drillhole reporting ..................................................................................................... 95
The Process ........................................................................................................ 95
Defining the overall appearance of the report................................................................... 96
Page Setup......................................................................................................... 96
Report Layout ..................................................................................................... 96
Justification ........................................................................................................ 96
Printer Font ........................................................................................................ 96
Displaying your data as a graph.................................................................................... 97
Displaying a General graph.......................................................................................... 97
Displaying a Spider graph ........................................................................................... 98
Overview ........................................................................................................... 98
The Process ........................................................................................................ 98
Displaying a Ternary graph......................................................................................... 100
Overview .......................................................................................................... 100
The Process ....................................................................................................... 100
Displaying a Stereonet graph ...................................................................................... 101
Complex Display (Single) ........................................................................................... 102
Overview............................................................................................................. 102
The Process ......................................................................................................... 102
Complex Display (Multiple)......................................................................................... 104
Overview............................................................................................................. 104
The Process ......................................................................................................... 104
Complex Display (Polygon)......................................................................................... 105
Overview............................................................................................................. 105
The Process ......................................................................................................... 105
Complex Display (Pie) ............................................................................................... 106
Overview............................................................................................................. 106
The Process ......................................................................................................... 106
Displaying contours .................................................................................................. 107
Overview .......................................................................................................... 107
The Process ....................................................................................................... 107
Working with contours............................................................................................... 108
Lines................................................................................................................ 108
viii
Table Of Contents
Shades............................................................................................................. 108
Blocks .............................................................................................................. 108
The above combined............................................................................................ 108
Generating a contour grid file...................................................................................... 109
Overview .......................................................................................................... 109
The Process ....................................................................................................... 109
Grid calculation methods............................................................................................ 110
Gridding methods.................................................................................................. 110
Inverse distance power (IDP)................................................................................. 110
Anisotropic IDP................................................................................................... 110
Kriging ............................................................................................................. 111
Minimum curvature ............................................................................................. 111
Nearest neighbour............................................................................................... 111
Grid search options .................................................................................................. 112
Duplicate points .................................................................................................... 112
Trend removal ...................................................................................................... 112
Preview mode ......................................................................................................... 113
Smoothing the grid................................................................................................... 114
Generating Trend Surfaces ......................................................................................... 115
Overview .......................................................................................................... 115
The Process ....................................................................................................... 115
Trend Surface output types ........................................................................................ 116
Trend Surface .................................................................................................... 116
Residuals .......................................................................................................... 116
Grid <--> MICROMINE file conversions.......................................................................... 117
Grid to MM File ................................................................................................... 117
MM File to Grid................................................................................................... 117
Grid <--> DTM file conversions ................................................................................... 118
Grid to DTM file .................................................................................................. 118
DTM to Grid file .................................................................................................. 118
Trench Display ........................................................................................................ 119
Overview .......................................................................................................... 119
The Process ....................................................................................................... 119
Selecting the orientation of the Trench display ............................................................... 120
Displaying information along the trench......................................................................... 120
ix
Table Of Contents
Length ............................................................................................................. 120
Displaying stacked profiles ......................................................................................... 121
Overview .......................................................................................................... 121
The Process ....................................................................................................... 122
Displaying stacked profiles (Setup)............................................................................... 123
Overview .......................................................................................................... 123
The Process ....................................................................................................... 123
Deleting a stacked profile........................................................................................... 124
General Statistics..................................................................................................... 125
Distribution tables .................................................................................................... 125
Sample data distribution............................................................................................ 126
Checking sample data distribution for discrete data ..................................................... 126
Checking sample data distribution for continuous data ................................................. 126
Probabilities............................................................................................................ 127
Looking up probabilities for continuous data .............................................................. 127
Looking up probabilities for discrete variables ............................................................ 127
Estimation of mean values ......................................................................................... 128
Table Of Contents
Overview .......................................................................................................... 138
The Process ....................................................................................................... 138
Calculating a semi-variogram...................................................................................... 139
Overview .......................................................................................................... 139
An example of a semi-variogram: ........................................................................... 139
Semi-variogram with two components: .................................................................... 139
The Process ....................................................................................................... 140
The semi-variogram display................................................................................... 143
Defining the search directions ..................................................................................... 144
Directional semi-variograms .................................................................................. 144
Azimuth .............................................................................................................. 144
Azimuth Tolerance............................................................................................... 145
Azimuth Bandwidth ............................................................................................. 145
Dip .................................................................................................................... 145
Dip Tolerance..................................................................................................... 145
Dip Bandwidth.................................................................................................... 146
Lag .................................................................................................................... 146
Interval and Number of Intervals ............................................................................ 146
Unique ID ......................................................................................................... 147
Display mode ..................................................................................................... 147
Colour.............................................................................................................. 148
Hatch............................................................................................................... 148
Symbol............................................................................................................. 148
Direction Tolerance.............................................................................................. 148
Show semi-variograms together ............................................................................. 148
Show semi-variograms in sequence ......................................................................... 148
Align Symbol rotation to azimuth?........................................................................... 148
Include zero interval ............................................................................................ 149
Let MICROMINE calculate angles for 2nd and 3rd directions........................................... 149
Forms................................................................................................................. 149
New ................................................................................................................... 149
Modelling the data in the semi-variogram display............................................................. 150
To model the semi-variogram ................................................................................ 150
Nugget ............................................................................................................. 150
Cycle Distance.................................................................................................... 150
xi
Table Of Contents
Decay .............................................................................................................. 150
Final sill ............................................................................................................ 150
Range .............................................................................................................. 150
Sill .................................................................................................................. 150
Model Type........................................................................................................ 150
Variogram Surfaces .................................................................................................. 152
Index .................................................................................................................... 153
xii
Creating a DTM
Overview
Use Create to generate a digital terrain model (in Plan, West or North Plane) from any file
containing points with X, Y and Z coordinates. Two types of output file can be created.
DTM file - A binary file that defines the surface model. This file is used by the other DTM
functions and cannot be edited.
Contour file - A data file containing strings that define the contour lines.
You can define breaklines to control how the triangles are formed. They can be used to prevent
triangles from crossing linear features, such as ridge lines.
You can also define a boundary file to limit the area for which a DTM is created.
Because DTMs honour the original data points, they provide a very accurate model when the data
defines where the slope of the surface changes. A topographic survey which locates ridges and
valleys will produce good results. When the data is random or sparse, and the terrain is rugged,
then accuracy may be affected.
The Process
1.
2.
Enter the name of the input file. If required, define a filter to selectively process the
records.
3.
4.
Select the desired Output Type and enter an Output Name to write the model data to a file.
5.
Click the Attributes button and set the desired attributes. The default DTM colour should be
set at this time.
6.
Click the Display Limits button to bring up a dialog that lets you define the display limits.
7.
(Optional) Select a DTM Plane from either PLAN, WEST or NORTH. This is the plane against
which the DTM will be projected during construction. The default is PLAN.
8.
(Optional) Check Show triangles? if you want to see the DTM triangles on the display.
9.
(Optional) Check Breaklines? and click the More button opposite to define a string which
controls the position of the output triangle edges.
10. (Optional) Check Constraint file? and click the More button to enter details of a file that
constrains the model.
11. Check Contours? and click the More button to enter details of contour generation.
12. Click OK to run the function.
Specify the number of points in the plane, as defined by the Points file. If only 1 point is
available to define the centre and rotation of the plane, you must specify a dip and dip
direction. For 2 points, specify a dip. Select 3 points to define centre of rotation, dip and dip
direction from the points file. If defining a horizontal surface at that RL, select the RL
option.
2.
Select the file type (usually string) and select the name of the points file.
3.
Define the dip and dip direction for one point, modelling the DTM top Z and then base Z.
4.
5.
Click the Constraint File button to define a file that will constrain the area for which the
triangulated surface is calculated.
6.
7.
8.
Using breaklines
Using the Breakline option, can prevent triangles from crossing selected strings defined in the input
file. For example, triangles that intersect crest or toe lines in a pit will not be representing the actual
surface properly. To ensure that this does not happen, all crest and toe strings can be defined as
breaklines.
To define breaklines in the DTM | Create dialog form:
1.
2.
The illustration below shows DTMs created from the same input file. In the example on the right
triangles cannot form across the breaklines defined around the rim of the pit and the base of the pit
(the breaklines are highlighted). A third breakline is shown defining the edge of the pit.
2.
Enter the name of the file and the X and Y fields within it.
When DTM | Create runs it checks to see if Constraint file is selected. When this is the case it will
use the constraint file you have defined. Otherwise it will create the constraint file by default.
DTM Contouring
Contours are lines connecting points of equal Z value. When you create a DTM, a Z field is defined,
and these values can now be contoured using the DTM | Contour function. The DTM is a triangular
mesh with each vertex being a point in the data file that was used to create the DTM. Each vertex
has an associated Z value and each triangle side defines a constant slope between two known
points. So, if two vertices of the same triangle have Z values of 19m and 21m, then half way along
the connecting side the Z value will be 20m. If a specific Z value enters a triangle by intersecting
one of its sides, it must leave the triangle by one of the other two sides, thereby entering an
adjacent triangle. A contour line is generated by tracking a specific Z value in this way.
The contouring function are accessible via Strings | DTM | Create and Strings | DTM |
Contours. In the latter case you also need to enter the name of the DTM file to use, before
completing the dialog prompts mentioned below.
To complete the Contours dialog, do the following:
1.
Enter a Contour interval as a value in Z units, defining the spacing between contour lines.
2.
Enter a Label interval you want to label contours with their Z value. The interval defines the
number of contours between labels.
3.
Enter the Contour minimum and maximum values to restrict the range of contours.
4.
5.
Enter a colour set number to control contour colours, and double-click Default colour to
select a default colour.
6.
Contour smoothing
If Smoothing is not applied, then the Z intercepts on the triangle sides will be connected by straight
lines, often resulting in jagged contours. Use the slider bar to determine the degree of smoothing
to be applied to the contour lines.
Straight line contours will never cross, but there is no guarantee that smoothed contours will not cross.
Contour file
Contours can be useful background information in other displays, such as String Edit and Vizex. This
can be done by writing the contour lines to a data file. The Contour file is automatically created and
has the fields X, Y, Z and JOIN. When displaying this in another function, define Z as the String field
and JOIN as the Join field to ensure that the contours display correctly. Labels are not written to the
Contour file.
10
1.
2.
Select the Volume definition and enter the names of the DTM file(s) and/or RL(s) required.
3.
4.
5.
Enter the name of the Report file. This will contain the area and volume estimates.
6.
2.
3.
(Optional) Check Boundary file? and click the More button to enter details of a boundary file
to restrict the area.
4.
Check Write grid to file? and enter the required grid spacing. The equally spaced grid points
and Z values will be written to the Thickness file.
5.
(Optionally) Check Contour thickness? and click the More button to enter details of contour
generation, which will be based on the thickness values.
6.
7.
Enter a name for the DTM thickness file if you want to generate one.
8.
Enter a name for the Thickness file . It will contain the coordinates from the input DTM files,
with Z values as the thickness. It will also include the grid coordinates if you chose to
include them in step 4.
9.
11
12
1.
2.
Enter the name of the input DTM and data files applying a filter if necessary.
3.
4.
5.
Check the Overwrite existing Z values? box in order to replace the existing Z values. If the
Overwrite check box is unchecked then it only overwrites when the existing Z value is
blank.
6.
2.
Enter the name of the Grid file you created in the Contours function.
3.
Enter the name of the output file and apply a filter if necessary.
4.
5.
Check the Overwrite existing Z values? box in order to replace the existing Z values. If the
Overwrite check box is unchecked then it only overwrites when the existing Z value is
blank.
6.
13
Grid Clipping
With Grid Clipping you can clip the extents of a data file based on the extents of a grid.
To clip to a Grid, do the following:
14
1.
2.
Enter the name of the Grid file you created in the Contours function.
3.
4.
Click the Constraint File button to optionally constrain the clipping process based on the
boundary contained in a string or outline file.
5.
Grid Assign
With Grid Assign you can determine whether points in a data file are above, below or outside an
existing grid.
Each point in the data file is projected onto the grid. The Z value of the data point is compared to
the Z value of the grid. The value written to the Code field for that point depends on whether the
point is above, below or outside the grid.
Do the following to assign points :
1.
2.
Enter the name of the grid file you created in the Contours function.
3.
Enter the name of the MICROMINE input file. Apply a filter if necessary.
4.
5.
Enter the Code field name. Values indicating whether a point is above, below or outside the
Grid will be written to this field.
6.
Enter the values you want written to the code field for each of the possible assignments.
7.
15
DTM Assign
Overview
With Assign you can determine whether points in a data file are above, below or outside and
existing DTM.
As an example, you could determine which blocks from an OBM have been mined, by assigning the
current pit DTM to the OBM file.
Each point in the data file is projected onto the DTM. The Z value of the data point is compared to
the Z value of the DTM. The value written to the Code field for that point depends on whether the
point is above, below or outside the DTM.
The Process
16
1.
2.
Enter the name of the DTM file. If the wireframe is a solid rather than a surface, the Side of
DTM prompt allows you to specify whether a TOP or BOTTOM value is to be used when
comparing values with Z values in the data file.
3.
4.
5.
Enter the Code field name. Values indicating whether a point is above, below or outside the
DTM will be written to this field.
6.
If the target file in this process is a block model file, you can decompose the blocks into
sub-blocks to improve the accuracy of the assignment process. The blocks can be
decomposed into ten sub-blocks in each (X,Y,RL) direction. To do this:
Select the Subbblocks or Block factor option and click the corresponding More... box.
If you selected the Block factor option, specify whether the block factor will be used to
define the portion of each block that falls above or below the DTM.
7.
Enter the values you want written to the code field for each of the possible assignments.
8.
2.
3.
4.
5.
17
18
1.
2.
3.
2.
Choose the input file type and select or type in its name.
3.
4.
5.
Choose the section type. If you choose LOOKING EAST, for example, the function will
generate lines of constant Easting, commencing with the coordinate entered in Start
Section.
Type in the values for section spacing, start section name and end section name.
Enter the String and/or Join field name, and if applicable, type in the wildcode value.
6.
Screen messages show the progress as the input file is read and the section file is generated.
19
Using the current surface only, the area is defined by joining the start and end points of the
section. A single input file is used.
Using the current surface and a previous surface involves two section files. The previous
surface file is generally expected to extend beyond the limits of the current surface file,
although the function will still operate if this is not the case, by extending lines from the
first surface as described in the procedure.
Using two surface files together with a top and/or bottom RL constrains the area
calculations to the portions below the top and/or above the bottom RL. The ends can be
extended as for the two surface situation.
The Process
1.
2.
Enter the name of the current surface file (it must be a Section file) and choose the line
type.
3.
Double click on Colour, then select a colour from the palette and click Select to apply that
colour to the lines.
4.
(Optional) If you are using a previous surface file, enter its name and choose a line type
and colour as above.
5.
(Optional) Type in the start and ending section coordinates. If you do not enter values, the
program will show each section in turn for the whole file.
6.
(Optional) Enter the top and/or bottom RLs if you are using these values, and select a
colour for each. These values are applicable only if you are using a previous surface file.
7.
Click on Display Limits and enter the data. If you do not enter limits, the scale changes for
each section displayed. Otherwise, each section display will be within the limits defined
here. The grid space values set the distance between grid lines.
8.
Click on Display area? to see the area and calculation results on the screen. Closing slope
options
9.
Double click on Colour in the fill area to set the colour. Double click on Hatch to set the
hatch pattern. Remember that dense hatch patterns can take a long time to plot on pen
plotters.
10. Double click on Colour in the Cut area to set the colour. Double click on Hatch to set the
hatch pattern.
11. If you entered Top and Bottom RL, choose whether to extend to the Top or BOTTOM, or
NONE (the default).
12. Select Plot U-frame? to send U-frame data to the plot file.
13. Run the function to display the sections.
20
2.
3.
Click OK to continue.
Continuous
Use this option when you want to step through all sections in the input file automatically. The
program displays each section for a few seconds and them draws the next section in the display. It
starts from the current display and continues to the last section.
To use this option:
1.
2.
Previous
Select this item to display the previous section.
Next
Select this item to display the next section.
21
Selecting Plot U-frame causes the U-Frame in the display to be written to the plot file. If you do not
select this, only the section data will be written.
22
2.
3.
Click Collar Fields, then enter the names of the required fields in the collar file. You need
not specify Azimuth and Dip fields if this information is only being stored in the Survey file.
4.
Click Default Values, then enter a field name and the default value for that field. These will
be used as the base values. Increments for Easting, Northing and the Hole number can be
entered in the prompts that follow.
5.
Repeat this process for the Assay and (optional) Survey files.
6.
Enter any starting values in the Enter for Each Collar group. Note that these will be
incremented for each hole.
7.
If you want to undo your changes, click the Undo button and nominate the hole you want to delete.
To enter data on a per collar basis:
1.
Do steps 1 - 5 in the procedure above. Note that you can enter default values and
increments. These defaults will be overridden by the entries you make for the prompts in
Enter in Each Collar group.
2.
Note: You can choose the point from where the first is named from the First sample at list. The options
are: COLLAR or PRE-COLLAR. A pre-collar is an interval of any length at the top of a drillhole, that may
be treated differently than ordinary sample intervals. The pre-collar interval may or may not be sampled
or logged.
If you enter pre-collar depth, the program will write one record from the start of the hole to the precollar depth value before writing individual sample records at the defined sample interval. If you do not
define a pre-collar depth, the COLLAR or PRE-COLLAR settings have no effect.
If you choose COLLAR from the First sample at list, sample numbers, default and increment values will
be written to every record in the file. If you choose PRE-COLLAR, values will be written from the precollar depth, but not to the interval from the collar of the hole to the pre-collar depth.
23
Drillhole calculations
Drillhole calculations
Dhole | Calculations contains five sub-functions. All are concerned with the mathematical
manipulation of drillhole data:
Drillhole Extraction
Performs mathematical operations and record extraction on consecutive file records that have
identical values in up to three defined fields. More information...
Drillhole Intersections
Calculates the length weighted average values for defined fixed intervals of a single drillhole.
More information...
Calculates the perpendicular thickness of a drill intersection through a formation with a defined
strike and dip. More information...
Converts relative coordinates displayed by the Transform Sections and Plane of the Vein into
grid coordinates and vice versa. More information...
24
Calculates coordinates for the top and bottom of seams or intervals with identical values in a
field. More information...
Intersection calculations
Overview
Dhole | Calculations | Intersection calculates length weighted averages over user defined
intervals for single drillholes. When the intervals are regular, use the Dhole | Compositing.
This function may also be used in a macro where a similar calculation on a number of drillholes is
required.
Up to ten From and To intersections can be composited. You must enter From/To values for each
interval. The intervals need not be consecutive or equal, nor correspond to the actual sample
intervals. Sample interval values are prorated over the portion included in the composited interval.
When you run the function, the field name for which you are making the calculations and the results
for each interval are displayed beside the table where you defined the From/To values. If you enter
an output file name, it will be created when you run the function. It will contain the fields defined
for the Intersection calculation and the length weighted averages for the calculation field.
Validate all the files you will use as input to this function before running it.
The Process
To calculate Drillhole Intersection values:
1.
2.
Enter the name of the file containing your data. If required, define a filter to selectively
control which records will be processed.
3.
4.
Make an entry in Cut value. Any values above this value will be equated to it by the
function.
5.
Enter numerical values in the From and To Intersection boxes (up to 10 intersections may
be specified).
6.
(Optional) Enter an output filename. This will be created when you run the function.
7.
25
A drillhole identifier.
The function writes the calculated value to a true thickness field in the input file.
Note: The intersection, azimuth and dip values must be in the input file. They are not calculated by this
function. For straight drillholes with constant values these values may be merged from a collar or survey
file. For narrow intersections with changing orientation, values may be interpolated from downhole
surveys. For relatively large intersections with changing orientation, it may be necessary to subdivide to
shorter intervals, carry out the true thickness calculation, then combine the shorter intervals back to the
original intersection. This is easily accomplished using Dhole | Calculations | Extraction.
Validate all the files you will use as input to this function before running it.
The Process
To perform a drillhole True Thickness calculation:
26
1.
2.
Enter the name of the file containing your data. If required, define a filter to selectively
control which records will be processed.
3.
Enter field names in Hole, Drill thickness, Azimuth and Dip and True thickness. The results
of the calculation will be placed in the True thickness field in the output file.
4.
(Optional) Enter values in Azimuth correction, Formation dip correction and Formation dip
boxes. These values must be -ve (down) or +ve (up). The formation dip value must be +ve
(up).
5.
Convert one grid system to another grid system by: displacement of any of three origin
values, rotation around one or two axes, a combination of both.
2.
Enter the name of the file containing your data defined in grid coordinates. If required,
define a filter to selectively control which records will be processed.
3.
4.
Set Conversion type: to OUTPUT POV COORDS or OUTPUT GRID COORDS depending on the
direction in which you want to convert.
5.
Define the Grid East origin and the corresponding POV East origin. Do the same for the
North and RL origins.
6.
If you are converting grid coordinates to POV coordinates, you can enter the range for
which the conversion will be made.
7.
8.
27
The interval file (normally an assay file) must contain a field with identical values in successive
records that identify individual seams.
At a minimum you need an Interval and a Collar file. A downhole survey file can also be used where
necessary.
An example of the output:
You need to enter the field names for the output file. Your entries for the Top and Bottom code
values determine what is written into the Code field to define the top and bottom of each seam.
Typically, T is the code used to designate the record containing the 3D coordinates of the top of
the seam and B for the bottom of the seam.
If the top (or bottom) code value is left blank then records for the top (or bottom) of the seam are
not written to the output file. That is, at least one of the code values must be defined.
You can use downhole drill intersections of structures to create digital terrain models, contours, or
to calculate volumes between surfaces.
Note: The function identifies each seam by looking for identical values in successive records reading
from the top of the file. The identifiers may be any combination of characters. Blank values are
considered NULL characters and no seam will be identified.
28
Select the Dhole | Calculations | Seam Top/Bottom menu option. The Drillhole Seam
Top/Bottom dialog is displayed.
Traditionally, 'Downhole' or 'Drillhole' data refers to data contained in three types of file: Collar,
Survey and Interval. These are the files commonly used by the drillhole functions to display
and manage drillhole data. The data to be used by the Seam Top/Bottom function can be
defined by selecting the Drillhole Database input option.
1.
A drillhole database may contain several interval files. Select the interval file to be
used by the function.
2.
Select the Filter checkbox if you want to apply a filter to the data in the file.
Double-click in the Filter input box to select an existing filter, or right-click (F4) to
define a new filter.
3.
Enter the name of the field that will contain the Seam name (as defined in the
Assay file).
Alternatively, individual collar, survey and interval data files can be specified as inputs to the
function by selecting the Collar/Survey File setup option.
1.
Enter the name of the interval file containing your data. If required, define a filter
to selectively control which records will be processed.
2.
Enter the names of the Hole, From and To fields in the interval file.
3.
Enter the name of the field containing the values that will be used to identify
Seams. This is normally a code or lithology field. When the value in this field
changes a new seam is identified.
29
Enter the name of the Collar file containing your data. Click the Collar fields button
to define the fields that will determine the Hole, North, East, RL, Total depth,
Azimuth and Dip values.
5.
(Optional) Select the All holes vertical?. This will disable Downhole survey?. Where
a survey file will be required to calculate 3D coordinates, select Downhole survey?,
click on the More button, then enter data in the Survey file dialog box.
6.
7.
Enter a name and type for the output file and the names of the fields it will contain.
Enter the name of the Code field, then define the top and bottom code value parameters (these
determine the value of the top and bottom of each seam in the output file).
Click the OK button on the toolbar to run the Seam Top/Bottom calculation.
30
Drillhole extractions
31
Determine the average, maximum and minimum values for an extraction field while other
fields remain constant.
You will normally use this function with a drillhole assay or geology file.
The chosen extraction is performed on all numeric fields except the From and To fields.
When you run Extraction, no changes are made to data in the source file, an output file is created
for the modified data.
A key feature of this function is its ability to perform a calculation on an extraction field while values
in up to three constant fields remain identical. For example:
If Constant field 1:= HOLE, Extraction field: = Au and Extraction type: = AVERAGE, the program
will read a drillhole assay file and calculate the average Au value for each hole. The output file will
contain one record for each drillhole and the field Au would contain the average Au for that drillhole.
Note that all other numeric fields would also be averaged unless Numeric exceptions are set.
This approach can be extended using more that one Constant field. For example, you may want to
extract the AU average for a hole while both hole and geology remain constant (the geology field
would typically contain lithology codes). In this case you would set: Constant field 1: = HOLE,
Constant field 2: = GEOLOGY, Extraction field: = Au and Extraction type: = AVERAGE.
You are not restricted to using one type of calculation for all fields in a file. By selecting Use other
extraction types?, you can enter the names of fields in the file and apply different extractions to
each. Additional functions are included here.
This function can also be used for data manipulation of files that do not contain drilling information
but do have at least one field with repeated values in successive records.
Validate all the files you will use as input to this function before running it.
32
33
2.
3.
Enter the name of the field to which you want to apply a special extraction.
4.
5.
The extraction type you selected in the main form will be used for all fields not entered in this
dialog.
AVERAGE
Calculates the arithmetic average.
WTAVG
Calculates the length weighted average.
MIN
Extracts the minimum field value.
MAX
Extracts the maximum field value.
SUM
Totals the field values.
FIRST
Extracts the first field value.
LAST
Extracts the last field value.
BLANK
Leaves the field blank.
IGNORE
Excludes the field data from the Output file.
34
Enter the name of the input file. This should be an interval file.
2.
Enter the name of the Hole ID field in Constant field 1 and the name of the lithology field in
Constant field 2.
3.
4.
5.
You can use the output file to place lithologies on any of the section type plots. The lithology will
only appear once per homogeneous interval. This reduces the complexity of the output.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
The output file will contain a single record for each drillhole. The final depth for each drillhole will
appear in the To field.
35
2.
Enter the name of the field containing the geology information in Constant 1. In this case it
is GEOLOG.
3.
Enter the name of the From and To fields (FROM and TO in the example input file).
4.
Set the Type to SUM (the same results can be achieved with other settings).
5.
6.
7.
36
The contents of the Depth field in the Collar file will be summed while the prospect field remains
constant.
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
The output file will contain as many records as there are prospects. The Depth field in the output file
will contain the sum of the depths for each prospect. This is shown in the illustration:
37
38
Downhole compositing
Overview
Downhole Compositing composites any drillhole data to constant downhole intervals. The function
takes an interval file as input and then creates an output file with the new intervals you define.
When you run the function it can produce a report file. The report file contains information about
the process such as error and warning messages.
Compositing is generally applied to the entire interval file. However, you can restrict it to a range
defined by RL (elevation) or downhole depth. If you restrict by:
DEPTH - you must enter From and To values in terms of downhole depths.
If you use RLs to define the compositing range, you must specify a drillhole trace coordinate file
(Dhole | Generate | Drillhole Trace) in the Calculated Fields dialog. Given this file, the function can
also write the 3D downhole coordinates at each interval centre to the output file.
There are a number of methods to determine the value that will be used in each interval in the
output file. They can be divided into methods that can be applied to numeric fields and those that
can be applied to character fields.
To apply these processing methods you set a default for numeric fields and a default for character
fields. For example, you might use weighted averaging for numeric fields and first for character
fields. You can also select individual fields from the source file and apply different processing
methods to them. The default method remains in effect for all fields other than those for which you
choose a different method.
As part of the process you can apply a cut value to one field. You must nominate the field and enter
the value. Values greater than the cut value will be reduced to it. The cut value will be applied
before the compositing is performed.
You can also specify a constant field (typically Lithology) to force a new composite whenever the
value in the field changes.
Validate all the files you will use as input to this function before running it.
The Process
1.
2.
Enter the name of the interval file containing the data. Click the Fields button and enter the
names of the fields in the interval file.
3.
Choose the default compositing methods that will be applied to the character and numeric
fields.
If you need to composite individual fields using different methods, select Other methods and then
click the More button opposite. Select the fields that require individual treatment and set a
compositing method for each.
4.
Enter the composite interval. For example, if the current From/To interval is 1m, you might
enter a composite interval of 2.5m.
You can also define a minimum composite length. Compositing will not occur unless the new interval
will equal or exceed this length.
5.
Choose the method of defining the range over which compositing will be performed from
the Composite range list:
If you choose ALL, there is no need to enter range limits in From and To.
39
If you want to update the existing thickness field and/or the downhole coordinates at the
centre of each interval in the output file, you must make entries in the Calculated Fields
dialog.
7.
To reduce high grades, enter the name of the field where these occur and a cutoff value.
Grades higher than the cut value will be reduced to that value.
8.
(Optionally) Select a constant field to force a new composite whenever the value in that
field changes.
9.
If you select Insert missing intervals, missing intervals will be added to the output file. They
will commence from the top of the hole.
10. Enter the name of the output file and optionally a report file. If any errors occur during the
process, they will be written to the report file.
11. Click the OK button to run the function.
40
Bench Compositing
Overview
Drillhole Bench Compositing enables you to composite assay values in an interval file at regular
elevation intervals. The function takes an interval file as input and generates an output file with
from and to intervals that correspond to the bench elevations.
When you run the function it also produces a report file. The report file contains information about
the process such as error and warning messages.
Bench compositing is used to calculate average grades for future mining benches. Because irregular
sampling intervals are regularised, you can also use it to create input suitable for use in block
models.
As well as allowing you to composite benches using RL, you can also composite in the East and
North directions. The function also allows some flexibility as to how you define the benches to which
the drillholes will be composited. For example, if you were compositing along RL, you can define the
upper, mid or lower RL of the max (top) bench, the bench width and the number of benches. The
corresponding point on the min (bottom) bench will be calculated automatically.
Alternatively, you might want to define the midpoint of the max bench and the mid point of the min
bench and the bench width. In this case the number of benches will be automatically calculated.
41
Because this function uses RLs to define the location of the benches, you must specify a drillhole
trace coordinate file (Dhole | Generate | Drillhole Trace) in the Calculated Fields dialog.
The function can also write the 3D downhole coordinates at each interval centre to the output file.
If there are intervals missing in the input file, the compositing process will be interrupted and will
recommence after the missing intervals.
There are a number of methods to determine the value that will be used in each interval in the
output file. They can be divided into methods that can be applied to numeric fields and those that
can be applied to character fields.
To apply these processing methods you set a default for numeric fields and a default for character
fields. For example, you might use weighted averaging for numeric fields and first for character
fields. You can also select individual fields from the source file and apply different processing
methods to each. The default method remains in effect for all fields other than those for which you
choose a different method.
As part of the process you can apply a cut value to one field. You must nominate the field and enter
the cut value. Values greater than the cut value will be reduced to the cut value. The cut value will
be applied before the compositing is performed.
You can also specify a constant field (typically Lithology) to force a new composite whenever the
value in the field changes.
Validate all the files you will use as input to this function before running it.
The Process
42
1.
2.
Enter the name of the interval file containing the data and the names of the fields in that
file. Click the Fields button and enter the names of the Hole, From and To fields in the
interval file.
3.
Enter the name of the trace coordinate file in the Calculated Fields dialog. Enter the names
of the required fields in that file if they have not updated automatically. The function needs
this file to calculate the coordinates at the centre of each interval.
4.
If you want an updated thickness field in the output file, you must also make entries in the
Calculated Fields dialog.
To reduce high grades, enter the name of the field where these occur and a cutoff value.
Grades higher than the cut value will be reduced to that value.
6.
(Optionally) Select a constant field to force a new composite whenever the value in that
field changes.
7.
Choose the dimension on which you will composite RL, EAST or NORTH and how you will
define the benches TOP, MIDDLE or BOTTOM. You can then enter the coordinates of the
min and max benches and the bench width. Alternatively, enter the coordinate at the max
bench, the number of benches and the bench width.
8.
Choose the default compositing methods that will be applied to the character and numeric
fields.
If you need to composite individual fields using different methods, select Other methods, and
then click the More button opposite. Select fields in the file and set a compositing method for
each.
If you select Insert missing intervals, missing intervals will be added to the output file. They
will commence from the top of the hole.
1.
Enter the name of the output file and optionally a report file. If any errors occur during the
process, they will be written to the report file.
2.
43
Grade Compositing
Overview
The Grade Compositing function composites drillhole intervals on the basis of the grades they
contain. In the simplest case, the function works down the length of each hole. When it meets a
grade above the cutoff you have specified, it begins compositing. When the grade drops below the
cutoff, compositing ceases only restarting when the process meets more intervals containing values
above the cutoff.
When you run the function it also produces a report file. The report file contains information about
the process such as error and warning messages.
The compositing is performed using the grades in a field that you nominate. Values in the grade
field greater than or equal to the Cutoff value will be composited. You can also specify a cut value to
reduce high grades (applied to the values in the grade field before compositing is performed) and
specify a constant field to force a new composite whenever the value in the field changes.
Minimum length is the other compositing parameter that requires an entry. Composites will not be
formed unless they equal or exceed this length. The remaining parameters to do with the
compositing process can be combined with the mandatory parameters in a number of ways.
There are a number of methods to determine the value that will be used in each interval in the
output file. They can be divided into methods that can be applied to numeric fields and those that
can be applied to character fields.
To apply these processing methods you set a default for numeric fields and a default for character
fields. For example, you might use weighted averaging for numeric fields and first for character
fields. You can also select individual fields from the source file and apply different processing
methods to each. The default method remains in effect for all fields other than those for which you
choose a different method.
Grade Compositing can also create a new field in the output file and write a grade or waste flag to
each interval (record) according to its contents. This enables you to separate grade and waste
intervals when you use the output file in other functions.
Validate all the files you will use as input to this function before running it.
The Process
44
1.
2.
Enter the name of the interval file containing the data and the names of the fields in that
file. Click the Fields button and enter the names of the Hole, From and To fields in the
interval file.
3.
If you want an updated thickness field and/or the downhole coordinates at the centre of
each interval in the output file, you must make entries in the Calculated Fields dialog.
4.
Enter a cut value to reduce high grades. For the computation (no changes will be made in
the input file) the value you enter will be used in place of all values in the Grade field that
exceed it.
5.
Enter a cutoff value. This is the grade that must be equalled or exceeded before composites
will be formed.
6.
(Optionally) Select a constant field to force a new composite whenever the value in that
field changes.
7.
Specify a minimum and (optionally) a maximum length for the grade intervals. The
parameters you select will depend on whether grade intervals or waste intervals, or both,
are to be included in the computation.
Choose the default compositing methods that will be applied to the character and numeric
fields.
If you need to composite individual fields using different methods, select Other methods, and
then click the More button opposite. Select fields in the file and set a compositing method for
each.
9.
If you select Insert missing intervals, missing intervals will be added to the output file. They
will commence from the top of the hole.
10. Enter the name of the output file and optionally a report file. If any errors occur during the
process, they will be written to the report file.
11. Click the OK button to run the function.
45
Interval Compositing
Overview
The Drillhole Interval Compositing function combines the contents of two interval files into a single
output file. The input files are referred to as Source File A and Source File B. When you run the
function it produces a new interval file and a report file. The report file contains information about
the process such as error and warning messages.
This function is useful when you need to combine:
To combine the two input files, you can direct the function to use the intervals in Source File A, or it
can use the intervals from both files. When the intervals in the two source files do not match, you
must choose a method to determine the value that will be used in each interval in the output file.
The available compositing methods, can divided into those that can be applied to numeric fields and
those that can be applied to character fields.
To apply these processing methods you set a default for numeric fields and a default for character
fields. For example, you might use weighted averaging for numeric fields and first for character
fields You can also select individual fields from either source file and apply different processing
methods to each. The default method remains in effect for all fields other than those for which you
choose a different method.
If there are duplicate fields in the source files, you will need to change the names of those fields in
one of the source files or exclude them by selecting one of the options in the Duplicates group (in
the main Drillhole Interval Compositing dialog).
Another feature of this function is that you can calculate 3D downhole coordinates when you run it.
Downhole coordinates are required when you need to know the location of each interval centre such
as when you are assigning or doing a resource estimate.
Validate all the files you will use as input to this function before running it.
The Process
1.
2.
Enter the names of each of the input files. For each of these files you must enter the name
of the field containing the hole identifier, and the names of the from and to fields. Do this in
the dialogs that open when you click the Fields buttons.
3.
If you want an updated thickness field and/or the downhole coordinates at the centre of
each interval in the output file, you must make entries in the Calculated Fields dialog.
4.
Define how the output intervals will be composited. If you choose FROM A, the intervals
present in the Source file A will be used in the output file.
5.
Choose the default compositing methods that will be applied to the character and numeric
fields.
If you need to composite individual fields using different methods, select Other methods, and then
click the More button opposite. Select fields in the file and set a compositing method for each.
46
1.
Select a method of dealing with fields with the same name in the source files from the
Duplicate Fields group.
2.
Select what will be output in the Hole Output group. If you select All holes, the holes from
both source files will be output. If you select Composited holes, only those holes present in
both source files will be output.
If you select Insert missing intervals, missing intervals will be added to the output file. They
will commence from the top of the hole.
4.
Enter the name of the output file and optionally a report file. If any errors occur during the
process, they will be written to the report file.
5.
Click OK to continue.
47
Geology Compositing
Overview
Geology Compositing reads a drillhole assay file that contains many records with identical geology
codes over successive intervals. From this it creates a summary file containing a single record for
each geological interval.
This function is generally used to prepare a geology file from an assay file that contains a geological
description in every record. In a geology file it is only necessary to have intervals that match the
changing geology. Geology Compositing reduces the quantity of geological information that will
appear in a drillhole display or plot without reducing its quality.
The coordinates for each geological interval are averaged to recalculate the interval centres. To
generate exact coordinates, use Dhole | Generate | Downhole Coordinates.
When you run the function, a new file with the same structure as the input file is created.
The Dhole | Calculations | Extraction option provides a more complex facility to extract data into
groups based on values in up to three variables.
The Process
48
1.
2.
Enter the name of the input file. If required, define a filter to selectively process the
records.
3.
Enter the names of the Hole, From, To and Geology fields in the input file. While Hole name
remains constant, the function looks for consecutive records with identical values in the
Geology field.
If you define a Thickness field in the input file, the function will calculate and enter the
downhole length of each continuous interval in the output file.
5.
Select Blanks = Missing if you want to ignore blank values in the input file. This is the
recommended condition.
6.
7.
49
MIDDLE
The value of the interval in the Source file that includes the mid point of the Output file interval. If
no interval contains the mid point (missing interval), then the interval closest to the middle is
chosen. If two intervals are the same distance from the mid point, or the mid point is an interval
boundary, then the first of these intervals is used.
LAST
The last interval in the Source file that includes any part of the Output file interval.
50
WEIGHTED SUM
The sum of the values from the intervals in the Source file that include any part of the Output file
interval.
51
BLANK
The field is left blank.
IGNORE
The field does not appear in the output file.
52
FIRST
The value of the first interval in the Source file that includes any part of the Output file interval.
LAST
The value of the last interval in the Source file that includes any part of the Output file interval.
MIDDLE
The value of the interval in the Source file that includes the mid point of the Output file interval. If
no interval contains the mid point (missing interval), then the interval closest to the middle is
chosen. If two intervals are the same distance from the mid point, or the mid point is an interval
boundary, then the first of these intervals is used.
BLANK
The field is left blank.
IGNORE
The field does not appear in the output file.
For more information, refer to the Applying different compositing methods to individual fields topic.
53
2.
Enter the names of the source and target files, and the names of the hole, from and to
fields within them.
3.
Click the Merge Fields button and enter the names of fields in the source file that contain
data you want to merge to the target file. If you enter the name of a field in the source file
and there is a field in the target file with the same name, the Target File field name will be
entered automatically.
To modify the structure of the target file, position the cursor in the Target File response,
right-click, and then select Modify (F6) from the menu that appears.
54
4.
The Match parameter controls which interval values in the source file will be merged. When
the intervals in the source and target file are the same, the setting for Match is
insignificant. However, when there is more than one interval in the source file for each
interval in the target file, the Match parameter setting becomes significant.
5.
6.
Finally, if you need to flag the records that have been merged successfully, select Flag
merged records and click the More button opposite. In each row of the table, select the
name of a field in the target file and enter the value that will be written to that field when a
record is merged successfully.
7.
Click OK to run the function. A message box will appear indicating how many records have
been successfully merged for each field in the target file.
Matching intervals
There are four ways of matching intervals in the source file to those in the target file:
LONGEST
MIDDLE
FIRST
LAST
55
56
57
58
2.
3.
Click Plan Setup and enter the extents of the display. The Window towards and Window away
prompts define the data corridor that will be included in the Plan display.
4.
Enter the trace definition parameters. This involves entering the name and field names of
the collar file and (optionally) a survey file. You must also define the trace interval. Smaller
values will display curved traces more accurately.
5.
6.
7.
59
60
1.
2.
Choose the section view and enter the coordinate of the section you want to view.
3.
Click Display Limits and enter the extents of the display. Note that your choice of view will
control which of the prompts are enabled in this dialog box. The Window towards and Window
away prompts define the data corridor that will be included in the section display.
4.
Enter the trace definition parameters. This involves entering the name and field names of
the collar file and (optionally) a survey file. You must also define the trace interval. Enter
smaller values to display the curved holes more accurately. Enter an Azimuth correction if
required.
5.
6.
A reference point and a bearing from that point. To define the extents of the section you
must enter offsets from the reference point in each direction along the section line.
You must also enter values in Window towards and Window away to define the data corridor.
Drillholes occurring in this corridor will be displayed on the section.
Note: When you digitise outlines in Transform Sections, the outline coordinates will be relative to the
reference point - not grid coordinates.
When you plot transform sections using the Plot Editor, you can draw true East and North grid lines
(along the X axis) as well as grid lines related to the reference plane. Do this in Plot | Editor |Grid
|Transform.
The Process
To display a section at an angle to the orthogonal grid:
1.
2.
3.
Click Display Limits. Your choice of section definition controls which prompts in this dialog
box are enabled. Enter values accordingly. The Window towards and Window away prompts
define the data corridor that will be included in the display. Enter values in grid units.
4.
Enter the trace definition parameters. This involves entering the name and field names of
the collar file and (optionally) a survey file. You must also define the trace interval.
5.
6.
7.
61
62
1.
2.
Use the Depth factor to control the height of the sections so they will stack in the display
and plot without overlapping or being too small to be useful. Enter a value greater that 0.0.
Values less than 1.0 will shrink the drillhole length and values greater than 1.0 will extend
it. If you leave these prompt empty, the vertical scale of the sections will be the same as
the plan scale.
3.
4.
Enter the trace definition parameters. This involves entering the name and field names of
the collar file and (optionally) a survey file.
5.
6.
The strike and dip of a plane that passes through that point.
When you run the display the strike and dip will be shown in the information panel beside the
drillhole display.
A common application of POV displays is to show intersections through dipping tabular bodies.
Note: When you digitise outlines in POV, the outline coordinates will be relative to the reference point not grid coordinates. You can convert the relative coordinates to grid coordinates using Dhole |
Calculations | POV Conversion.
The Process
To display a section at an angle to the orthogonal grid:
1.
2.
Click the POV Setup button and enter values to define the position of the reference point
and the plane.
3.
Enter the trace definition parameters. This involves entering the name and field names of
the collar file and (optionally) a survey file. You must also define the trace interval.
4.
5.
6.
63
64
1.
2.
Enter the trace definition parameters. This involves entering the name and field names of
the collar file and (optionally) a survey file. You must also define the trace interval.
3.
4.
Click Section Setup and define the display limits for the Plan and Section display and the
data corridor.
5.
6.
Click OK to run the display. The drillholes will be displayed in Plan view.
7.
Generating plots in both plan and section view with access to the full set of display options.
Displaying multiple surfaces, represented as DTMs, together with fault and outcrop
information (section view).
Displaying tenement files containing strings defining the limits of the tenement. In the
section view these will appear as vertical lines on the display.
Interactively interpret drillholes on different sections and generate the string files required
for creating DTMs and Gridded Seam models. Seam features are digitised in section as
strings into separate files. It is possible to step through a data set at defined coordinate
intervals, digitising common features into the same file.
Validate all the files you will use as input to this function before running it.
The Process
1.
2.
Select Show Drillholes to enable seams to be interpreted from drilling data. Once a model of
the seam(s) is developed, clear Show drillholes? to remove unnecessary detail from the
display. Note that when it is cleared, only the Plan and Section setup, Seams?, DTM
profiles?, and Faults? prompts will be enabled.
3.
Enter the trace definition parameters. This involves entering the name and field names of
the collar file and (optionally) a survey file. You must also define the trace interval.
4.
5.
Click Plan Setup and define the characteristics of the Plan display. Optionally specify a
Background file.
6.
Click Section Setup and define the display limits of the Section display and the data
corridor.
7.
8.
Click OK to run the display. The drillholes will be displayed in Plan view.
Note:
When using Interactive Drillholes to define the limits of and display stratified deposits such as a
coal, use a suitable string file to describe the upper and lower bounds of each seam in the
deposit. Repeat this process on subsequent sections to build an image of the seam(s) based on
the drillhole data. The string file built in this process can later be used to create a DTM file.
DTM files for the seams in the deposit can be displayed in section view only.
Faults and seam outcrops use strings with dip, dip direction and (for outcrop) thickness to
define these features. These can be entered directly from field data or digitised from existing
maps and plans.
65
2.
3.
Enter a value (in degrees) in Ortho snap. Any sections you define with bearings that lie off
the cardinal directions, at angles less than this value, will be displayed as normal sections
aligned to the grid. For example, if you enter a value of 3 and the section bearing (defined
interactively) is 92, the section will be drawn at 90.
Note: When left blank, the default value is 3.
4.
Select Hole annotation if you want to display the hole name by each collar.
5.
Select Show hole trace if you want to be able to see the drillhole traces in plan. Select the
colour in which the traces will be displayed. If the drillholes are vertical there is no point in
displaying the drillhole traces in plan view.
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2.
Clear Skip plan display when you want to display the section view immediately after
running the function.
3.
4.
(Optional) Select the ground surface colour. The surface appears as a string joining the
drillhole collars. Select the NULL colour if you do not want to display it. DTM profiles can
show the ground surface using a section through a DTM drawn on topographic information.
This is more accurate if the terrain is rough or the section includes holes drilled from
underground.
5.
Define the direction and length of the section by entering the start and end points of a
section or enter a single point, and a bearing and distance. You can also define a section in
the plan view display by digitising the start and end points with a mouse. Define the data
corridor by entering values (in grid coordinates) in Window towards and away. You can also
change these in the display.
6.
Enter values in the Window away and towards responses to define the thickness of the slice
that will be shown in section. When making multiple sections, such as when defining a coal
seam, the sum of these values will determine the spacing between sections selected using
the +Sec and -Sec options in the section display.
Run Interactive | Complex. Make sure you have not selected Skip plan display in the
Section Setup dialog box.
2.
Position the cursor at the start point of the section and click.
3.
Move the cursor to the end point of the section and click again. The solid line that describes
the section will follow the cursor. The window towards and window away you defined in
Section Setup parameter will be shown as dotted lines on either side of the section line.
The section parameters are displayed in the panel to the right of the plan display. You can edit
these parameters to refine the section position.
The direction in which you view the section will depend on the order in which you digitise the end
points of the section. For example if you define a section line along line 10000 North (a North
section) by positioning the first point on the left of the screen and the second on the right, the
resulting section will be viewed looking North. If you define the same section by digitising the right
hand point first the section display will be viewed looking south.
67
Displaying symbols
Symbols are identified by number in a file. You define the symbol number when you create the
symbol in the Symbol Editor. If you want the same symbol displayed at all points, simply define the
Default symbol and Default colour and leave the other responses blank. By defining fields to control
the symbol, its size, and its angle, different types of symbols can be drawn at each point.
Refer to the file fragment shown below when reading the following.
Symbol field and default symbol
By referring to the field containing the symbol number (SYM), you can display symbols at each
point. To do this, enter the name of the field where the symbol numbers are retained. If a symbol
number is not specified for a record, you can select (F3) the default symbol that will appear at that
point.
Symbol size field and default size
You can also control the size of the symbol for each point using a factor contained in a symbol size
field (SIZE). The symbols will be sized in the display. If there is no symbol size specified for a
record, you can enter a default value.
Symbol angle field and default angle
You can control the angle of the symbol for each point with a value contained in a symbol angle field
(ANGLE). The angle should be a value between 0 and 360. The symbol will be rotated clockwise
from its natural position. Usually angles defining cardinal points are used in this field. If symbol
angle is not specified for a record, you can enter a default value.
Colour coding
By entering the name of the field that will control the colour coding and selecting (F3) or defining
(F4) a colour set, you can colour code the symbols in the display. The default colour will be applied
to symbols not included in the colour set.
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The type and colour of the lines used to display the strings in the background file.
The characteristics of symbols that will be displayed at each of the data points in the string
file.
Do the following:
1.
2.
Enter the name of the file and the names of the fields in that file.
3.
Enter the name of the field that will be used to define the line type. This will contain string
codes. Enter string code values (including wildcards) in Solid, Dashed, Dotted and None
prompts to allocate line types to the string codes in the file. If you want to draw solid lines
leave this field blank.
4.
To colour code the lines used to display tenements, enter the name of the Colour field and
either select or create a colour set. Alternatively, select a default colour.
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Displaying faults
You can display faults in Interactive | Complex. The program projects the intersection point of the
fault and the section line onto the plane of the section. If the section is not perpendicular to the dip
direction of the fault the apparent dip in the section is shown.
Faults are defined as strings in standard .DAT files. You can enter the information in the Fault file
directly from field observations or by digitising existing maps and plans. You can also digitise over a
background data display in String Edit. A fragment from a file containing either faults or outcrop
lines is shown:
A fault is defined by a series of points with information on the dip and dip direction of the fault at
that point. The fault is drawn from the Easting, Northing and RL values which define the fault. In
most cases the RL of the fault will be the ground elevation.
A fault string can be attached to the topography or any other surface by using the Strings | DTM |
Generate Z values. Faults defined by RLs which are above the ground surface will be displayed in
the wrong position.
Do the following:
70
1.
2.
Enter the name of the file and the names of the fields in that file.
3.
To colour code the lines used to display faults, enter the name of the Colour field and either
select or create a colour set. Alternatively, select a default colour.
Displaying outcrops
Outcrop lines are defined as strings in a file similar to the fault file. Outcrop strings should contain
points defining the top surface of the unit to be projected. Do not use closed strings defining
outcrop outlines or boundaries. The program draws the lithologic unit's cross section thickness from
the value in the thickness field. An example of an outcrop file is shown in the illustration.
The records for outcrop strings have an additional field, thickness, which contains the true thickness
of the outcrop at the point of measurement. When you run the program the thickness is shown as a
line perpendicular to the apparent dip in the plane of the section. A series of dots will appear at the
lower end of the thickness line if the section bearing is not 90 degrees to the dip direction. These
extend either left or right from the end of the line depending on whether the angle between the dip
direction and the outcrop line is more or less than 90 degrees.
Do the following:
1.
2.
Enter the name of the file and the names of the fields in that file.
3.
To colour code the lines used to display faults, enter the name of the Colour field and either
select or create a colour set. Alternatively, select a default colour.
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Displaying seams
When you are in the section display you can digitise (mouse or digitiser) the upper and lower
bounds of seams. These will be saved in the file you define in the Seams dialog box.
The strings can be coloured according to a Colour field, Colour file, and Default colour that you
specify.
This facility will typically be used to display and digitise seam boundaries and other surfaces such as
footwalls, hanging walls, oxidation zone boundaries or topographic surfaces. Once these surfaces
are defined on all required sections, you can use Strings | DTM | Create to make a DTM of each
surface. Such surfaces can be displayed using DTM Profiles.
72
2.
Enter the surface DTM file and the top and bottom DTM files for each seam.
Since the surface DTM is displayed as a single line this may only be given a colour. A single DTM file
specified for one of the seams will show as a single surface.
You can define up to ten seams, specifying a hatch and colour for each.
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2.
Enter the name of the collar file containing the drillholes. Click the Collar Fields button and
enter the names of the field in the collar file.
3.
Enter the name of the first hole that will be displayed in the Hole ID prompt.
4.
If you want to display a subset of the holes in the collar file enter the name of a list file.
This must contain a hole filed with the names of the holes you want to display. Enter the
name of the hole field in this file. A list file is any file that contains a list of the holes to be
displayed.
5.
6.
Select Calculate intersections and click the more button opposite. Fill out the dialog box
that opens.
7.
8.
When you run the function with Calculate intersections selected, the program will give you the
option of appending or overwriting intersection values to the Output file. You will normally want to
append. When you select overwrite, all data in the current Output file will be deleted.
Note: The collar information is shown only if the top of the hole is displayed. If a section of a hole is
displayed a yellow triangle appears at the top and bottom of the extreme left hand side of the screen,
indicating data exists above and below the current display.
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The program allows on screen compositing of the value in up to six numeric fields. Enter the names
of these fields in the Intersection fields prompts. The length weighted average values, and any
codes you define, can then be written to the input file, which contains the original data, and/or the
Output file, which contains the result of the compositing. Alternatively it can be output to the
display only.
Choose one of the Run modes to control output.
OUTPUT INTERSECTION
To write the intersection to the output file. The thickness is output to the Thick field. Any code you
enter (when prompted in the display) will be written to the Code field.
ASSIGN CODE
To write any code you enter (when prompted in the display) in the Code field in the input file only.
Output file is disabled.
OUTPUT & ASSIGN
To write the intersection to the output file. Any code you enter (when prompted in the display) will
be written to the Code field in the input file and the output file.
DISPLAY ONLY
To display the result of the calculation on screen only.
When you select Gaps = missing the length of the sample of any missing value in any field over an
interval is treated as NULL for averaging. When you clear it, the interval is included in the averaging
and treated as if it had a value of zero.
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Running intersections
To calculate intersections:
1.
Make sure that you have selected Calculate Intersection in the main form.
2.
3.
Position the line that appears on the screen at one boundary of the intersection and left
click.
4.
Position the line that defines the other end of the interval at the other boundary of the
intersection and click. Note the averages for the six intersection fields will change as you
move the cursor.
5.
Enter the code that will be assigned to this record. You will not be prompted to enter this
code if you have chosen DISPLAY as the run mode.
Note:
If you digitise multiple intersections, work from the top of the hole to the bottom. Intersections
must not overlap. If you digitise intersections in other than top-down order, they will be written to
the output file and to the data file, but will not display (though they will not corrupt the file).
You can enter intersections in any order, then sort the output file by Hole and ascending From
value. All (non-overlapping) intersections will display properly. This restriction is necessary because
the output file can be used as a normal drill intersections file, these cannot have overlapping or
incorrectly ordered From-To values.
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77
INTERSECTIONS - This will display the interval, average value and code from an intersection
file. You can define how the thickness of the intersection will be displayed.
MULTIFIELDS - This will display the contents of several fields (labels) in a file down the length
of the drillhole. You will normally use this function to display fields in an assay file.
2.
Enter the name of the file that contains the data you want to display.
3.
4.
If you have set the display mode to INTERSECTIONS, enter the annotation that will appear
beside the thickness value (e.g. the units in which it will be displayed). Define the number
of decimal places that will be used for the thickness value and select the colour in which the
value will be displayed.
5.
Define the position and appearance of the labels that will be displayed and the
characteristics of the field header.
6.
Define the name and characteristics of each field that will be displayed.
7.
(Optional) Define how ticks will be displayed beside the drillhole trace.
78
1.
2.
A colour set.
The Width of the column in which the data will be displayed (in characters).
The justification. Normally text is left justified and numbers are right justified.
2.
Select a tick colour or select Use value colour?. If you select Use value colour?, the colour
applied to the nearest field values will be used for the tick.
3.
Enter the offset distance in grid units and define the size factor for the ticks.
Note: A vertical line joining the left side of the tick marks serves to distinguish intersection displays
from multi-field displays.
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80
1.
Make sure you have setup the Calculate Intersections dialog so an output file will be
created. Calculate intersections will create the Output file if it does not already exist.
2.
Run the program, then return to the Drillhole Intersection Display dialog box.
3.
Select one of the Intersect/MF options and click the More button opposite. Enter the name
of the output file (defined in the Intersection Calculations dialog) in the Input file prompt.
4.
Setup how the intersection value will be displayed in this dialog box.
5.
6.
7.
2.
Enter the name of the collar file containing the drillholes. Click the Collar Fields button and
enter the names of the field in the collar file.
3.
Enter the name of the first hole that will be displayed in the Hole ID prompt.
4.
If you want to display a subset of the holes in the collar file enter the name of a list file.
This must contain a hole field with the names of the holes you want to display. Enter the
name of the hole field in this file. A list file is any file that contains the identification of the
holes to be displayed. Holes will be displayed in the order in which they appear in the List
file.
5.
6.
7.
81
What will be displayed - by entering any of the field names in the collar file, that is, a field
name other than the one containing the Hole name.
To define complex hole annotation, select Use complex parameters and click the More button
opposite. Make entries in the dialog box that opens.
Controlling what hole annotation will appear
Normally you will want to display the hole name at each drillhole. However, you can enter the name
of any field in the Collar file and display its contents at the collar or bottom of hole.
Colour coding the hole annotation
The drillhole annotation can also be colour coded. The type of colour coding will depend on the field
type (C or N) of the hole annotation field. To apply colour coding, double-click with the cursor in the
Colour field (F3) and select a colour set from the list that appears. Alternatively, create a new colour
set by right-clicking (F4).
Positioning and sizing hole annotation
You can display the drillhole annotation at the top and/or the bottom of the hole. The following
explanation only describes how to display annotation at the top of the hole but applies equally to
the bottom of the hole.
Choose one of the options from the Top location list:
NONE
No annotation will be displayed.
AUTO
The annotation will appear in the default position. This is parallel to the last segment in the drillhole
trace.
CENTRE
The text of the drillhole annotation will appear at the top of the hole centred on the drillhole collar.
It will be horizontal.
DIRECTION
The text of the drillhole annotation will be rotated about all drillhole collars and will depend on your
entry in Top direction.
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2.
3.
Enter the labels that will be appended to the coordinate values (e.g. E or N).
Put a space before the label if you do not want it to appear right up against the coordinate value.
Enter the number of decimal places that will be used when displaying the label.
If you want to suppress one of the coordinate values from the display enter an @ character in the
appropriate field. For example, if you only want to display Easting and Northing coordinates, enter a
@ in the RL response.
83
A default symbol.
To define complex collar symbols, select Use complex parameters and click the More button
opposite. Make entries in the dialog box that opens.
By entering the name of a field in the collar file and nominating a colour set, you can control how
the collar symbols will be coloured. Colour sets are often used to differentiate drillholes by type. For
example, you could use red for all DDH holes, green for all RC holes and blue for all RAB holes.
The Symbol field must contain values that correspond to the different symbol types. You can use
the File | Fields | Generate function to enter the values in a field in the collar file. The default
symbol will be applied whenever that field is empty or contains a value for which there is no symbol
defined.
By entering the names of fields in the Symbol angle and Symbol size prompts, you can further
control how the collar symbols are applied. Default angles and sizes can be specified. When left
undefined these are 0 and 1 respectively.
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Displaying outlines
You can display predefined outlines from most of the dialog boxes used to generate displays. You
can define up to five outline files and selectively display outlines from each. Once you have defined
the outline files they must be saved as a form set. This facility also allows you to include the
outlines in your macros.
To display outlines:
1.
2.
If you have already defined a form set containing one or more outline files, position the
cursor in the response and click (F3).
3.
The outlines in the form set will be displayed when you run the function.
To control which outlines are displayed:
1.
2.
3.
If you have not already done so, enter the name of an outline file.
4.
Click the More button opposite. The Outline Options dialog will appear.
5.
The Outline Options dialog is divided into two parts. The parameters in the upper group
enable you to restrict which outlines in the file will be displayed. The parameters in the
lower part control how the selected outlines will be displayed.
6.
You can restrict which outlines are displayed by attribute, that is, by NAME or CODE.
Choose one of these and then enter an identifier in the prompt opposite. All the outlines
that match this identifier will be displayed. Wildcards can be used in the identifier. Enter up
to five restrictions.
7.
In the Display Options, select which values will appear at the centroid of each outline and
whether or not they will be filled (with hatching).
8.
Close the dialog box and either save an outline form set or continue entering outline file
names.
Note: When you change values in an existing form set they will be automatically saved when returning
to the main form. Use Forms | Save As to create a new forms set. The new form set will be automatically
selected when you return to the main form.
85
By allowing the program to display a string linking the collars on the section.
By entering the name of a section file. This must contain profiles on or around the sections
you will be displaying.
The first option will not display changes in the topology between the drillhole collars. In this case
you only need to select the default colour for the ground profile.
To use a cross section file you must first create it. You can do this by creating a DTM of the terrain
and using Cross Sections to create a file with X and Y coordinates on the sections you nominate.
Normal Sections will look in the cross sections file and use the section coordinates nearest that
entered in the Section specification.
An example cross section file is shown in the illustration below.
86
The points at which each drillhole pierce the toward, away and section planes.
The depth and offsection values can be displayed at a nominated interval and their position, size,
offset can be controlled.
The points where the drillholes pierce section planes can be highlighted with symbols. These can be
colour coded, sized, rotated and positioned.
When you display both depth and offsection values, the offsection values appear slightly above the
tick and the depth values slightly below.
To define these parameters:
1.
2.
Select which options you require from Depth, Offsection and Pierce points, and enter
parameters accordingly.
87
You can use an assay file as an event file if you use either the From or To intervals to define the
depth of an event.
To display events along the drillhole trace
1.
Select Events from the Display group and click the More button opposite.
2.
Enter the name of the event file and the names of the depth and event fields in this file.
3.
The event field contains the values or text that will be displayed at the location of the event
e.g. LOX. The function uses the Depth field to position the event display along the drillhole
trace.
4.
Define how the labels and symbols will be displayed at each event.
Choose the label position - either the left or right of the trace.
Define the distance, in grid units, that the label will be offset from the trace. The distance is
measured from the character nearest the trace. The default is one.
You can also control the size of the label text by making an entry in Size factor. This factor is
applied to the display font (you can define the display font in Options | Colours & Fonts).
Note that the sizing will not be applied to the label in the display. However, when you create
a plot file, the size factor is included. You can see the results when you preview the plot in
Quick Plot or the Plot Editor.
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89
Enter the name of the file that contains the data you want to display.
2.
3.
Define the position and appearance of the labels that will be displayed and the
characteristics of the field header.
4.
Define the name and characteristics of each field that will be displayed.
5.
(Optional) Define how ticks will be displayed beside the drillhole trace.
2.
A colour set.
The Width of the column in which the data will be displayed (in characters).
The justification. Normally text is left justified and numbers are right justified.
To find out the field specifications for the file, select Utilities | Descriptive Stats from the menu that
appears when you right click in the File response.
Controlling how the field headers will appear
The name of each of the fields you display will appear at the head of each column of labels. You can
also select the colour in which they will be displayed and enter a size factor here.
Choosing the side of the trace on which the fields will be displayed
Choose either left or right from the Side list. Note that if you are displaying any other data beside
the drillhole trace, you will either need to choose an empty side or use offset distances to ensure
that one set of data does not overwrite another.
Displaying ticks along the length of the trace
In addition to field values, you can also display ticks down the length of the drillhole trace at each
trace interval.
90
2.
Select a tick colour or select Use value colour?. If you select Use value colour?, the colour
applied to the nearest field values will be used for the tick.
3.
Enter the offset distance in grid units and define the size factor for the ticks.
91
2.
3.
2.
Enter the interval, in grid units, at which the depth labels and ticks will appear. For
example, enter 10 for 10m intervals.
3.
Choose the side on which the depth labels will be displayed and enter the offset distance
from the label to the drillhole trace. This distance should be entered in grid units.
4.
Enter a size factor for the labels. The default value is 1. To halve the size of the labels,
enter 0.5. To double the size of the label enter 2. Only one decimal place can be used.
92
1.
Enter the size factor for the tick in grid units (usually metres).
2.
Enter the distance between the tick and the drillhole trace. Once again this is entered in
grid units.
The Pierce Points display is used to indicate the locations where the drillhole trace intersects:
The plane running parallel to the section, on the Window towards coordinate.
The plane running parallel to the section, on the Window towards coordinate.
You can annotate the points on each plane where the intersection occurs with:
Labels
Enter a size factor to control the size of the labels in which the depth and offsection values will be
displayed. By default this is 1.0. To decrease the sizes of the label, enter a value greater than 0.0
and < 1.0. To increase the label size, enter a value greater than 1.0. Note that the label will not
change size on the display; only on a plot.
You can also choose which side of the trace the label will be positioned, and enter a distance (grid
units) the label will be offset.
Decimals
Enter the number of decimal places that will be used for the Depth and Offsection labels.
Ticks
Enter a size factor, in grid units, to control tick size. The effects will be displayed. You can also enter
the distance, again in grid units, that the ticks will be offset from the trace. Select the colour in
which the ticks will be displayed.
Symbols
The Entry, Pierce and Exit points are the places where the drillhole intersects the window towards,
section and window away planes. Each of these points can be annotated with a symbol. You can
define the colour, size, angle and offset (grid units) for the symbols.
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94
Drillhole reporting
Validate all the files you will use as input to this function before running it.
Dhole Reporting enables you to prepare drillhole logs by selecting and formatting data from assay,
collar, survey and geology files.
You can prepare drillhole logs ranging from a simple listing of assay values for one drillhole to highly
complex multiple hole listings with dividing lines, headers, footers and special pagination.
You can also :
Substitute values from a reference file into the report headers and footers. The reference
file can contain items such as tenement number, geologist details, driller details, dates or
other technical data that may be required on the report. Use of a reference file is
recommended.
You can define the output to be a text file or send it directly to the printer.
The Process
1.
2.
Click Report Setup and define the overall appearance of the report.
3.
Choose a layout for the report. This controls whether or not Assay and Geology data are
included and how they are positioned on the page.
4.
Choose how headers and footers will be included then define their appearance.
5.
6.
Enter the name of a List file that contains the list of the drillholes that are to be printed.
7.
Define the input data sources by entering the details of the collar, survey, assay and
geology files.
8.
For each of the source files, define which fields will be included in Body Layout and how
they will appear in Print Style.
9.
You can either output the report directly to a printer, or save it as a file (enter a filename in
the box provided). More information...
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96
Exploration - Graphs
A General line, bar, point or value graph showing up to ten data fields.
A Spider graph showing data from several different fields for specified groups of records. A
line connects data from individual records.
A Stereonet representation of data with strike and dip values, using either Wulff or Schmidt
display.
2.
3.
Click Display Limits to set the boundaries of the display, grid size and type. Check either
linear or logarithmic for each axis and optionally enter the name of the field controlling the
Y range.
4.
Choose the type of graph. For a VALUE type you can also choose the angle at which the
text will be displayed.
5.
Enter the name of each field to be displayed on the Y axis, and double click (F3) the Colour
button to select the colour of each.
6.
97
Exploration - Graphs
The Process
To display a Spider Graph:
1.
98
Exploration - Graphs
2.
3.
(Optional) Enter the name of the field containing Sample numbers. The data may be
numeric or textual; it will be associated with a colour on the display.
4.
5.
Click Numeric Exceptions to enter values that should be ignored. Check the relevant boxes
to ignore characters, ignore blanks and treat values prefixed with < as half the value.
6.
(Optional) Enter the name of the field to be used for normalising the values.
7.
8.
Enter the names of the fields to display. For each field, optionally enter a factor by which
the data will be divided before displaying.
9.
99
Exploration - Graphs
You can display the points as symbols, with fields controlling the symbol, its size and colour. Each
point can be labelled with the contents of a field (for example, to indicate the sample number or
origin).
A typical application is the display of oxide components of whole-rock analysis.
The Process
To display a Ternary Graph:
100
1.
2.
3.
Enter the names of the fields that will provide the data to be plotted. These names will be
displayed at the vertices of the triangle.
4.
Click Numeric Exceptions to enter values that should be ignored. Check the relevant boxes
to ignore characters, ignore blanks and treat values prefixed with < as half the value.
5.
(Optional) Check the Display lines? box to show a triangular grid (that is, with grid lines
parallel to each side of the triangle).
6.
(Optional) Enter the name of the fields that control the symbol used and the size of the
symbol for each point. Double click (F3) the Default symbol field to select a default symbol.
7.
(Optional) Enter the name of the field that will be displayed as a label for each point.
8.
(Optional) Enter the name of the field that controls symbol and label colour, and enter the
Colour set to be used. Double click (F3) the Default colour button to set a default colour.
9.
Exploration - Graphs
If you use strike and dip values, dips must be defined as positive for right dips and negative for left
dips.
If you use dip direction and dip data values, the absolute values of dips are used.
Structures with a dip of 90 degrees will have their centres plotted on the stereonet boundary,
meaning that a symbol may overlap the boundary.
The Process
To display a Stereonet Graph:
1.
2.
3.
4.
Either:
5.
Check Dip direction field and enter the name of the dip direction field, or
6.
Check Strike field and enter the name of the strike field.
7.
Click Numeric Exceptions to enter values that should be ignored. Check the relevant boxes
to ignore characters, ignore blanks and treat values prefixed with < as half the value.
8.
9.
(Optional) Enter the name of the fields that control the symbol used and the size of the
symbol for each point. Double click (F3) the Default symbol field to select a default symbol.
10. (Optional) Enter the name of the field whose values will be displayed as a label for each
point.
11. (Optional) Enter the name of the field that controls symbol colour, and enter the Colour set
to be used. Double click (F3) the Default colour button to set a default colour.
12. Run the function to see the graph.
101
The Process
1.
2.
3.
Enter the Display field. This will provide the value to be shown in each label.
4.
Click Display Limits to set the boundaries of the display, grid size and type.
5.
(Optional) Enter a Colour field name and enter a colour set number to use a field in the file
to control label colour. Otherwise, the default label colour will be used (you can double click
(F3) to select this).
6.
(Optional) Check the Display symbols box if you want to show symbols, and click More to
specify how they will be displayed.
7.
(Optional) Check the Display labels box if you want to show labels. Enter the Label Position
field name to use a field to control where the label will be shown relative to the point. The
values should be in the range 1 to 15.
8.
Double click (F3) the Default position to select one of the 15 label positions as a default.
9.
(Optional) Enter the label Angle field name to use a field to control the angle at which the
label will be displayed. If you want to change the default angle, type in a new value. The
following figure shows some examples.
10. (Optional) Enter the label Size factor field name to use a field to control the size of each
label in the plot file (the label size on the screen is fixed). The plot label size will be
multiplied by the factor. If you want to change the default factor, type in a new value.
11. (Optional) Check the Display Outlines box and enter an outline set if you want to show
outlines.
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103
The Process
104
1.
2.
3.
Click Display Limits to set the boundaries of the display, grid size and type.
4.
(Optional) Check the Display symbols box if you want to show symbols, and click More to
specify how they will be displayed.
5.
(Optional) Check the Display labels box if you want to show labels, and click More to specify
the various fields and values. Enter a number to determine the Label Positions around the
coordinate point.
6.
(Optional) Check the Colour code labels individually? box if you do not want a single field or
default to control the colour of all labels. In this case, you will be able to specify the colour
set and default colour in the Display labels dialog box.
7.
(Optional) Enter the label Colour field name to use a field to control the colour of all labels.
This is available only if you did not check the box in step 6. Enter the number of the colour
set to use and double click (F3) to set the default colour.
8.
(Optional) Check the Display Outlines box and enter an outline set if you want to show
outlines.
9.
The Process
1.
2.
3.
Click Display Limits to set the boundaries of the display, grid size and type.
4.
Choose the scaling method. If you choose FACTOR, enter the Base value, Scaling factor and
Maximum radius. If you choose RANGES, click on the Range Values button and enter values
in the dialog box.
5.
Select Use hatch field if you want to control polygon hatching using a field in the polygon
file. When you select this option, you must enter the name of the controlling field and either
select or create a hatch set. If you want to control the foreground and background colours
of the hatching you must select Foreground and/or Background and click the adjacent More
button. In the dialog that opens, enter the name of the field in the polygon file that will
control the hatch colour and select or create a colour set.
If you only need to use a single hatch pattern for all the polygons, do not select Use hatch
field.
6.
(Optional) Check the Display Outlines box and enter an outline set if you want to show
outlines.
7.
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The Process
106
1.
2.
3.
Click Display Limits to set the boundaries of the display, grid size and type.
4.
5.
Click on Define Fields to specify which fields you want to define as pie segments and enter
the required values. Some of these depend on the scaling method you selected.
6.
(Optional) Check the Display Outlines box and enter an outline set if you want to show
outlines.
7.
Displaying contours
Overview
Using a grid file as source, you can create a contour display or plot file; and you can also output
contours as a string file. You can control the contour line spacing, including the use of irregular
intervals controlled from a separate file. In addition, you can control the type of line, colouring,
labels and the application of smoothing. A contour display can also show values as shades (blocks
filled with colour) or as blocks containing the values.
The Process
To display Contours:
1.
2.
Enter the name of the grid file containing your data. When you specify a new file, a prompt
asks if you want to load new values. Answer YES to have the program calculate new
coordinate limits and contour interval to suit the new data, or NO to leave those settings as
they are.
3.
Click Display Limits to set the boundaries of the display, grid size and type.
4.
5.
Click on Lines to specify various parameters associated with the contour lines if you chose a
LINES display.
6.
Click on Grid to specify parameters associated with the grid and label size if you chose a
SHADES or BLOCKS display.
7.
(Optional) Check the Display data? check box and Click More to specify how to display the
original data points.
8.
(Optional) Check the Outline restrictions? box and click More to use outlines to restrict the
contours shown.
9.
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108
2.
3.
Enter the name of the Grid field whose data will be used for the calculations.
4.
5.
(Optional) Check Preview mode? and click More to set preview options.
6.
Choose the gridding method. If you chose INVDISTPOW or ANISOTROPIC IDP, type in an
inverse power.
7.
8.
Choose how the function should deal with Duplicate points: IGNORE, AVERAGE or take the
MAXimum or MINimum value. Duplicate points are those with the same coordinates but
different data values.
9.
(Optional) Check the Use points outside grid limits? box if you want to include points
outside the grid limits (but within the search ellipse).
10. (Optional) Check the Outline restrictions? box and click on More if you want to restrict the
search to within specific outlines.
11. (Optional) Check the Trend removal? box and click on More if you want to eliminate
regional trends from your data and optionally emphasize local anomalies. This is
unavailable for the minimum curvature method and is not normally used with the kriging
method.
12. (Optional) Check the Smooth grid? box and select either ONE or TWO adjoining cells.
13. Enter an output file name.
14. Run the function. If you specified Preview mode you will now see a graphical representation
of the search ellipse as it collects the data at each node. If you specified trend removal, you
will also see its search.
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110
Kriging
Kriging first requires the determination of a suitable semi-variogram model using the geostatistical
functions in the Stats menu. This can involve fitting a trend surface to remove drift. A search ellipse
is then defined. The semi-variogram model parameters are defined separately from the data search
ellipse parameters. The function uses the standard kriging algorithm to estimate block values. The
Trend removal and Smooth grid options are not normally used with the Kriging method of
estimation.
Minimum curvature
This attempts to fit curves with the least acute bends between points and produces smooth
contours. There is no search ellipse used.
Nearest neighbour
Selects the nearest point to the node and uses its value. If there is more than one point at this
distance, the values are optionally averaged or the minimum or maximum used.
111
Trend removal
This option performs a first order, large scale trend removal. The grid file produced is the result of a
mathematical operation between the data search estimate and the trend removal estimate. Trend
removal is often used to emphasize local anomalies.
You would not normally use this with the kriging method as that function has the option of drift
removal which achieves the same purpose. Trend removal is not available with the MINIMUM
CURVATURE method.
The Trend Removal dialog box lets you define a search circle or ellipse in exactly the same way as
for the Data search. In addition, you can choose one of three Trend grids to write to the output file:
RESIDUALS: the trend removal estimate is subtracted from the data search estimate to
calculate the residual value.
ORIGINAL + RESIDUAL: the data search estimate is added to the residual, making it the
trend value plus twice the residual value.
TREND: the residual is subtracted from the data search estimate to give the trend estimate.
If trends are suspected in the data, rotate the ellipse to align its long axis to the trend direction.
Note that this approach to trend removal is fairly simple and you should take care not to
unintentionally mask an important trend in the data. The Trend Surfaces function offers a choice of
first, second and third order trend surface generation and should be considered if the trend removal
here is not suitable.
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Preview mode
This slows processing, but allows you to observe the points being collected. You can make the
following settings in the Preview dialog box:
Double click (F3) the colour buttons to select colours for the Input data points colour and
Nearest data points colour. As the search ellipse passes over the data points, the change in
colour will identify those used in the calculations.
Enter a pause time (in seconds) that the search ellipse will stop over each block. This will
slow the processing more, but give you extra time to observe which points are being used.
Check the Display blocks? box if you want to see the grid on the display.
113
Smoothing works best with large areas that have small blocks. The results may be unexpected if
you use it with large blocks in small areas.
114
2.
3.
4.
Enter the X, Y and Z fields. X and Y must be coordinates, and Z must be a single value
variable.
5.
Choose the type of Trend surface (LINEAR, QUADRATIC or CUBIC). This determines the
order of the equation used for the calculation, and your choice will depend on the source
data. The aim is to minimise the variance between the measured points and the trend
surface. In general, higher order equations give better results but take longer to calculate.
6.
Choose the Output format. TREND SURFACE means the output data will represent the
calculated trend surface, while RESIDUALS produces the difference between the original
data and the trend surface. The latter emphasises local variations.
7.
Enter the output file name. Only a file of the same type as the input will be available.
8.
You can display a grid file using the Display | Contours | Display function. For a MICROMINE file,
you must first generate a grid file with the Display | Contours | Generate Grid function.
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116
2.
3.
4.
Check Output blank values? if you want a complete grid to be written to the output file even
if some nodes have blank values.
5.
6.
MM File to Grid
This function is generally used with files that were converted from Grid to a MICROMINE data file
format. These files are manipulated as data files and then converted back to Grid format.
To convert a MICROMINE data file into Grid format:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
117
2.
Enter the name of the Grid file that will be converted to a DTM.
3.
Specify the name of the DTM file to be created. A DTM wireframe is the default output file
type.
4.
(Optional) Define additional attributes and metadata for the DTM wireframe.
5.
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1.
2.
Enter the name of the Grid file that will created from the DTM file.
3.
Define the number of X cells that will be created from the triangulated surface X range.
4.
Define the number of Y cells that will be created from the triangulated surface Y range.
5.
6.
Trench Display
Overview
The Display | Trench display function displays trench file data in either a plan or section view.
Trenches are typified by:
Trenches that do not display the above characteristics can be displayed as horizontal drillholes, or
as ordinary sample points.
A Trench file must have been prepared using the Dhole | Generate | Trench coordinates
function. This converts the bearing and distance measurements of the trench starting position and
inflection points into ordered coordinates.
The rapid changes in direction that can occur in trenches would normally make it difficult to display
the data using one of the drillhole display functions.
Trench coordinates can be calculated from points in the trench, or from points whose offset from the
actual trench, both horizontally and vertically, is known.
The calculation of the coordinates also allows proportional adjustments to be made to sample
lengths if the total of the sample lengths differs from the length of the trench as determined by the
bearing, distance and slope measurements.
The Process
To generate a trench display:
1.
2.
Enter the name of the Trench file containing your data. If required, define a filter to
selectively control which records will be processed.
3.
Enter the field names for the Trench, X, Y and Z variables, then select your orientation and
define the section setup for your trench display.
4.
Optional you can define the attributes of your Trench ID and Trench symbols.
5.
If you have selected EAST or NORTH as your orientation, and a SECTION file of the
topography (or of any other data) is available, it can be displayed by selecting the
appropriate section file.
6.
Set your display characteristics by selecting the appropriate features that you want to
display, then further defining each feature as appropriate.
7.
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120
To give useful results, the source data needs to have a reasonably constant X or Y value along
which the profiles will be stacked. (For example, a survey file of a pit may have fairly constant
Northing values which can be used as the nominal baseline for the graph. If the profile is based on
RLs, the display will show a series of stacked cross sections.)
This value can be used to identify that profile. In the illustration below, you can see that the East
values change on every row, whereas the North values remain constant for many records before
they change.
In this case the data was collected traveling along Northing lines, i.e. the data forms a North profile.
The first point of each profile determines the nominal Northing (or Easting) value. The profiles are
plotted relative to a line which joins the points making up the baseline.
In practice, there will be some variations in the constant value (Northing in the example above)
which would cause a variation in the baseline - making the graph difficult to read. You can define
tolerances within which a constant value will be used.
Although random data is of no use in this function, you can use as input contour files that were
themselves produced from random data and that have been made into a section file using Strings |
Cross section | Generate function
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The Process
Use the Stacked Profile Display function to produce an orthogonal display of stacked profiles
prepared using the Display | Stacked Profiles | Setup function. Ordinary data files will not work as
inputs.
The profiles may be shown as crosses, lines, bar graph or values. Useful applications include the
display of multi-element geochemical sample data.
To display a Stacked Profile:
1.
2.
Enter the identifier of the profile you want to display (in the range A to Z as specified when
you set up the profile).
3.
4.
Type in the minimum, maximum and grid spacing values for the X axis.
5.
Type in the minimum, maximum and grid spacing values for the Y axis.
6.
Enter the names of up to three profile fields and click More to specify parameters for each.
7.
Choose the type of display, CROSS, VALUE, LINE or BAR. The best choice depends on the
type of data you are profiling.
8.
(Optional) Check the Hidden line removal? box to hide lines that would normally appear
behind other lines.
9.
(Optional) Check the Display base line? box to show the baseline at the bottom of the first
profile.
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2.
3.
Enter the names of the X and Y fields. One of these should have fairly constant values over
the range to be used, and the other will supply the profile data. It does not matter which is
which.
4.
Enter the identifier for the stacked profile (in the range A - Z). You can view the contents of
the corresponding descriptive file (if it exists) by pressing F4. If the file does not exist, it
will be generated when you run the function.
5.
EASTING(R) and NORTHING(R) produce regularly spaced profiles along the Easting and
Northing directions respectively.
EASTING(I) and NORTHING(I) produce irregularly spaced profiles along the Easting and
Northing directions respectively (controlled by values in a file).
TRANSFORM
6.
7.
Enter the name of the control file if you chose an irregular spacing type.
8.
(Optional) Enter the name of a report file. This will record the activity of the function.
9.
Type in the value of the first section (for example, 10020.10E). It should be the most
Southerly or Westerly point at which you want to start.
Type in the spacing between sections and the number of sections to include.
Type in the Search window tolerances in the Towards and Away text boxes. Baseline values
falling within this range will be assigned a constant value.
Check the Assign unique? box if you do not want samples to be allocated to adjacent
sections if the search window overlaps.
10. If you chose TRANSFORM, type in the spacing between sections and the number of sections
to include.
11. Define the Search window by entering the Towards and Away values that determine the
tolerance for baseline values. Those values that fall within this range will be treated as
constant.
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124
1.
2.
3.
Click Delete.
General Statistics
Distribution tables
To get a better understanding of the distribution of values in a data set you can generate frequency
and cumulative frequency tables. To do this:
1.
Enter the name of the file containing the source values. If required, define a filter to
selectively control which records will be processed.
2.
Enter the name of the field containing the data you want to evaluate.
3.
Enter the minimum and maximum values that will be included in the calculation and define
the bin size, that is, the interval that will be used.
4.
Select either NORMAL or LOG NORMAL. If you select LOG NORMAL each value will be
converted to its natural log form before being used in the calculation.
5.
Enter the name of the output file. When you write the results to an existing report file that
does not have the distribution table structure, the existing data in the file will be
overwritten. To append the results to the end of an existing report file it must have the
correct distribution table structure.
To see the results of your calculation position the cursor in the Output file response and press F4.
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Select Stats | Sampling | Discrete from the main menu. Enter the name of the source
data file and the field you want to analyze.
2.
Choose the distribution to which you want to compare the sample data. Make an entry in
Confidence level.
3.
Use the Minimum and Maximum prompts to exclude sample values less than and greater
than your entries (respectively).
4.
Select Cumulative if you want to display your data as a cumulative frequency chart rather
than as a frequency histogram.
5.
Click OK to run the function. A display showing the distribution of the sample data plotted
against the standard distribution will appear, along with numeric statistics and your entries
for the function parameters.
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1.
Select Stats | Sampling | Continuous from the main menu. Enter the name of the source
data file and the field you want to analyze.
2.
Choose which distribution you want to compare the sample data with and make an entry for
Confidence level. The confidence level define the range of values that will include the true
mean.
3.
Use the Minimum and Maximum prompts to exclude sample values less than and greater
than your entries (respectively). When working with continuous data you will need to define
the number of bins the sample data will be divided into before being displayed.
4.
Select Cumulative if you want to display your data as a cumulative frequency chart rather
than as a frequency histogram.
5.
Click OK to run the function. A display showing the distribution of the sample data plotted
against the standard distribution will appear, along with a series of parameters and numeric
statistics.
Probabilities
Use the Stats | Probabilities functions to calculate the probability that a range of values belongs
to a distribution. You can evaluate both discrete and continuous data.
Looking up probabilities for continuous data
To look up probabilities for continuous variables:
1.
2.
Choose the type of distribution from the list. The remaining prompts will be enabled
accordingly. Make entries for these prompts.
3.
The parameter values and the statistical output will be displayed on screen. In each display the total
probability (the area enclosed by the distribution) is equal to 1.0. The range of values for the
probability calculation is highlighted and the probability of this range of values belonging to the
specified distribution is shown.
Note: When you are interested in the extent to which the selected distribution corresponds to the
distribution of values in a data file, use the Descriptive Stats function.
Looking up probabilities for discrete variables
To look-up probabilities for discrete variables:
1.
2.
Choose the type of distribution that will be applied. The other prompts will be enabled
accordingly. Make entries for these prompts.
3.
The parameter values and the statistical output will be displayed on screen. In each display the total
probability (the area enclosed by the distribution) is equal to 1.0. The range of values for the
probability calculation is highlighted and the probability of this range of values belonging to the
specified distribution is shown.
Note:
For a Binomial distribution, you should enter the probability that any one event (trial) has a
particular outcome. This must be a number between 0 and 1.
When checking for a Poisson distribution, you need to enter a real number to specify the
average outcome of all events.
When you are interested in the extent to which the selected distribution corresponds to the
distribution of values in a data file, use Descriptive Stats function.
127
Select Stats | Estim ation of Mean | Mean. Enter the name of the file containing the
sample data and the field of interest in that file.
2.
Enter a suitable confidence level and the standard deviation of the sample. Increasing the
confidence level has the effect of increasing the range within which the estimated mean can
fall. The estimate will be enhanced if you are able to enter a standard deviation for the
parent population.
3.
Click OK to run the function a display will appear and a series of statistics calculated. The
calculated statistics are largely self explanatory. However, note that Lo Mean and Hi Mean
specify the range of values within which the true mean of the parent population is
estimated to lie.
When you create a report of the estimated mean you should include values of the both the Hi
and Lo Mean and the confidence level.
Select Stats | Estim ation of Mean | Difference Between Two Means to open the
dialog box for this function.
2.
You need to enter the names of the files containing the two populations, the names of the
fields where the values lie, and any known characteristics. You must also enter a value for
the confidence level. Increasing the confidence level has the effect of increasing the range
within which the estimated mean can fall.
3.
Make entries according to what you know about the data sets. The following cases can
apply: The standard deviations of the two populations are unknown; The standard
deviations of the two populations are unknown, but they are known to be equal; Both
standard deviations are known.
4.
Click OK to run the function. A display showing a standard distribution and a series of
parameters and statistics for the comparison will appear. These are largely selfexplanatory. Note that Lo Diff and Hi Diff give the estimated range of values for the
difference between the means.
128
Scattergrams
The Stats | Scattergram s functions calculate the correlation statistics for any variables in a file.
Both simple and multiple linear regressions can be calculated and displayed.
The correlation between two (jointly distributed) variables is the degree to which their values have a
linear relationship. Regression curves let you use one variable to predict another variable to which it
is correlated.
A simple linear regression involves a single dependent and single independent variable. Multiple
linear regressions assess the ability of two or more dependent variables to predict an assumed
independent variable.
129
Quality Control
The Stats | Quality Control functions help you to monitor the results of repeated assays of
standard samples. Shewart and CUSUM control charts can be generated that enable you to verify
whether or not a process is operating within predefined limits.
Primarily, these functions are provided so that you can monitor an assay laboratorys process, but
may also be adopted for any process where there is a measurable variable which can be assumed to
have a normal distribution when in a state of statistical control.
Normally, standard samples are submitted to a laboratory together with a batch of samples. The
assay results for the standard samples are plotted on the control chart over time. If the assay
results of the standard samples exceed defined limits, this will be apparent on the control chart and
you can take corrective action.
Variation in quality or assays of standard samples can be attributed to two causes:
Random variation: over which little control can be exercised other than by changing the
processing method.
Assignable causes: over which some control can be exercised. These include the quality
of process materials, operator skills, etc.
If repeated assays of a standard sample are such that they come from a single normal distribution,
having a mean within a specified range, the whole process can be said to be "in control". If variation
from one or more assignable causes is present, the process is said to be "out of control".
Data can be displayed on Shewart Mean, Shewart Range, or CUSUM charts.
Whether you choose one of the Shewart charts or a CUSUM chart, will depend on the degree of
variation you anticipate, the urgency with which you need to identify a loss of process control and
the type of process you are monitoring. Both types of Shewart chart should be used in order to
understand the precision and the accuracy of the sample group.
For a detailed description of quality control concepts, refer to:
Wetherill G. Barrie (1982) Sampling Inspection and Quality Control, 2 nd Edition, London,
Science Paperbacks, Chapman and Hall. Numerous other publications are available on this
subject.
The Process
The following process describes the steps you would take when monitoring the assay process for a
laboratory.
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1.
Create a file with a structure that will suit your sample quality monitoring plan.
2.
Submit your standard samples along with a batch of samples to the laboratory.
3.
When they are returned from the laboratory, enter the assays in your file for each of the
standard samples.
4.
Decide which of the control charts you want to display. Enter parameters for that chart,
then run the program to display it. You may want to run both the Shewart and CUSUM
charts.
5.
Select Stats | Quality Control | Shewart Control Chart from the menu and enter the
name of the file where you retain the standard sample data. Enter the name of the field
where the sample values (or group means of the sample values) are retained in the Field
prompt. For more information about appropriate file structures, refer to the Sample file
structure and content topic.
2.
Make entries for the parameters that control the way the sample data is handled. Enter the
number of samples in each group in Group size. The program uses this to calculate a mean
for each sample group. It is the mean value that is plotted. If the mean has already been
calculated for each group, then set the Group size to one. In this case you must specify a
Reference standard deviation.
3.
Enter values for the Reference mean and Reference Std Dev. These can be determined in a
number of ways. For a more detailed description, see the headings that follow.
4.
Decide on a suitable Action Level and enter that. This is the percentage level beyond which
a process is considered to be out of control.
5.
Choose which chart type you want to display and click OK to display the data on the
Shewart chart.
For more information, refer to the Interpreting the Shewart control chart topic.
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2.
Enter the name of the file where you retain the standard sample data. If your sample group
size is fixed, enter the name of the field where you entered the sample value. If the number
of standard samples varies from time to time, enter the name of the field where the group
mean is stored.
3.
Enter the number of samples in each group in Group size. The program uses this to
calculate a mean for each sample group. It is the mean value that is plotted.
4.
5.
Enter a value for the Decision interval. This value is added to and subtracted from the
reference mean to define a range. When values fall outside of this range, the process is
considered to be out of control.
6.
For more information, refer to the Interpreting the CUSUM chart topic.
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Exploration Geostatistics
Geostatistics
Overview
The Semi-variogram, Trend Surface and Cross Validation functions collectively provide the tools you
need to determine values for use in the 3D Block Kriging options and OBM (Ore Body Modelling).
Throughout this section no attempt is made to determine the suitability of Geostatistics as a
resource estimation technique or expound geostatistical theory. You are expected to be familiar with
both the geostatistical process and the vocabulary associated with this discipline.
It is also essential to understand the geology and continuity of mineralisation in deposits you are
studying. The Kriging modelling algorithm will always produce a result in a block model. However,
applying parameters incorrectly or using inappropriate values will usually produce a result further
from the correct outcome than that produced by simpler methods.
The distribution of sample values should also be investigated using histograms, probability plots,
and scattergrams to determine correlation between variables and possible geological patterns.
The Process
The general process for Geostatistics is:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
Calculate semi-variograms using residuals produced by Trend Surfaces, then fit a model.
6.
7.
Krig a grid of point values or blocks, or estimate the average value inside a polygon.
133
Exploration Geostatistics
QQ Plots
To display data using a QQ (Quantile Quantile) Plot:
134
1.
2.
In this case, the two axes of the graph represent different grade ranges. For each axis,
enter the name of the MM file and specify the field to be displayed. Apply a filter if
necessary.
3.
Optionally click the Numeric Exceptions button to apply numeric exceptions before the data
is processed.
4.
Enter the number of bins (Quantiles). This can be any value between 4 (25, 50, 75 and 100
%) and 100 (1 - 100 %).
5.
Select the symbol and symbol colour to be used to display the data point. Data points are
plotted at the X/Y intersection of each quantile.
6.
Enter X and Y increment values to define the number of tick marks along each axis of the
graph. Annotation is written beside each tick mark.
7.
Select the Log Transformation? option to perform a log transformation of data values.
8.
Specify whether lines showing equal X and Y values will be plotted. If so, using what colour.
9.
Exploration Geostatistics
Paired Samples
Use the Stats | Paired Samples option to set a paired distance tolerance, e.g. 2 m radius. The
function outputs a file which lists all samples in drillholes which have a sample (or part of a sample)
in another drillhole within the paired distance tolerance.
The Paired Samples function checks each interval in each hole in the interval file against other
intervals in all other holes, from that point in the interval file. This ensures there is only one entry
for each paired interval.
For instance:
If there is a paired interval between hole AZ123 From 7 To 8 and hole BQ456 From 9 To 10, then
there will not be an entry in the output file showing a pair between hole AZ123 From 7 To 8 and
hole BQ456 From 9 To 10.
One sample in a hole may however be paired with several samples in an adjacent hole such as hole
AZ123 From 10 To 12 paired with Hole BQ456 From 15 To 16 and paired with Hole OF543 From 6
To 7.
Adjacent intervals in a hole will not pair with each other but may pair with the same intervals in
different holes. Such as Hole AZ123 From 6 To 7 paired with hole BQ456 From 8 To 9 and hole
AZ123 From 7 To 8 paired with hole BQ456 From 8 To 9.
To generate paired samples, do the following:
1.
2.
3.
For each data set, specify the fields to be included in the output data set.
4.
For each data set, select the filter check box if you want to apply a filter to the data.
5.
Enter the Pair Distance. This will be a distance which defines the maximum separation
between pair points. Any samples which have a separation less than this value will be
reported in the pairs table.
6.
Enter the type of the output file or accept the default type.
7.
Output File
The output file will include pairs of values for each of the fields in the input files and the distance
between each of the paired samples.
Hole_ID (1)
Easting (1)
Northing (1)
RL (1)
Grade 1 ... Grade 10 (1)
Hole_ID (2)
Easting (2)
Northing (2)
RL (2)
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Semi-variogram models are only valid when calculated using data which does not exhibit a
trend.
To proceed with 3D Kriging we must provide the semi-variogram of the residual variation
plus an indication of the type of trend we expect to find.
The program performs a polynomial trend surface analysis using the least squares method. It
calculates a contour grid using the raw data, then fits a planar (linear), quadratic (dome or bowl),
and a cubic (saddle point) surface to the contoured data. When you run the display, you can view
any of these surfaces fitted to your data and choose the one that fits best.
In addition to the contour display, Trend Surfaces calculates and saves to file a set of statistics that
can help you decide which surface best fits your data. It also saves a data file containing the output
data from the function - including residuals.
The Process
If you are going to display an existing Trend Surface, you can only change the limits of what is
displayed, the characteristics of the contour grid, and the names of the output files. If you intend
performing a new Trend Surface Analysis, the following steps apply.
To calculate and display a Trend Surface for a set of analysis data:
1.
Select Stats | Trend Surface from the main menu and decide whether you want to display
an existing analysis or calculate a new one.
2.
Select the field on which the analysis will be performed and, if necessary, refine how the
data in the analysis field will be used. This can include transformation of the raw data
before it is processed.
3.
Define which fields in the data file will represent the X, Y, and Z directions, and the
coordinates at limits of the display. Do this in the Display Limits dialog.
4.
(Optional) Identify any restrictions on the area for which you are calculating the trend
surface using outlines. An outline can be used to control the data input to the calculation.
To do this you must define the name of an outline file and identify the appropriate outlines
within it.
5.
The data used by the least squares calculation is obtained by creating a contour map. You
must define the characteristics of this contour grid.
6.
Enter names for the Stats and Data output files, then click OK to run the process. Analyze
the display.
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Cross Validation
Overview
Cross Validation compares the measured value for a point with that estimated for the same location
AFTER trends have been removed and a model fitted. It is a way of testing the validity of the model
prior to using it for Kriging estimation. The operation is also known as jack-knifing although
statisticians sometimes use that term for a different procedure.
The difference between the estimated value and the actual value is used to calculate the standard
error of the estimate and the error statistic. The program calculates the ratio of the actual error
(actual value estimated value) to the Kriging standard deviation to obtain the standard error. If
the basic assumptions have been satisfied and you have chosen the correct semi-variogram model,
the average error statistic should be zero and the standard deviation of the error statistic, one.
When you run Cross Validation, it calculates the standard error for each point and displays it. The
purpose of the Cross Validation display is to highlight data values that differ markedly from their
modelled values.
The Process
Before doing anything else you must decide on the mode of operation. If you want to cross validate
and display a data set, set Mode to Calculate/Display. Select Display Existing to run the display
again with the same data. In the latter case you can select another analysis field in the data file and
also create another output file.
Do the following:
1.
Enter the name of the file containing the test data set and enter the name of the field on
which you want to perform the analysis. The data file is normally the output file from Semivariograms.
2.
If you need to transform the data in the analysis field before the calculation, choose the
appropriate transformation (e.g. Log Normal) and enter the related parameters.
3.
Define the local trend of the data. This pertains to the scale of estimation.
4.
Define the model type and select one of the parameter sets you saved for that model in
Semi-variograms. These can be modified if necessary.
5.
Define the shape and direction of the search ellipsoid and identify any Outline restrictions.
6.
Define the orientation of the display by entering coordinate field names in the X and Y field
prompts. You must also define the limits of the display in each direction and the grid
spacing (if you specify a Grid type).
7.
Setup the Graphic Display parameters. This involves defining data ranges for the average
error statistic and a symbol colour and size for each range.
8.
9.
Tip: If you need to remove the inherent display distortion imposed by the monitor (480 x 640, 600
x 800, etc.), you can select X = Y scale in Options | System.
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Calculating a semi-variogram
Overview
The Stats | Sem i Variogram s function is used for two tasks:
The calculation and display of experimental semi-variograms using data sets comprised of
measurements and their positions.
Modelling the experimental semi-variograms to obtain values for use in Cross Validation
and the 3D Block Kriging functions.
Useful semi-variogram models can only be created using data without a significant trend or drift.
Hence, the first step is to create experimental semi-variograms to identify any trends and possible
anisotropy in the data. If there is no apparent trend in the data you can proceed with modelling the
semi-variogram.
If a significant trend is found, it must be quantified and removed from the data using Trend
Surfaces. Once the trend has been removed, run Semi-variograms again, using the residual values
calculated by Trend Surfaces, and model the semi-variogram using the trend free data.
It is advisable to model a series of experimental semi-variograms for the data set, saving each for
comparison. The characteristics and coefficients for each model must be saved as parameter sets
for use in Cross Validation and the 3D Block Kriging functions.
An example of a semi-variogram:
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The Process
To calculate and model a semi-variogram:
1.
2.
Select a mode. You can model a new semi-variogram from raw data or from a H
Scattergram file. Alternatively, you can model data from an existing semi-variogram file as
an absolute or relative semi-variogram. More information...
Calculate from raw data
This option allows the semi-variogram to be created form a set of raw data such as a
drillhole interval file, with coordinates for each of the data points in the file.
If the file contains 3D coordinates and the RL (elevation) coordinate is defined then
3D semi-variograms are created when the semi-variogram type is set to
Omnidirectional or Directional.
Enter the names of the Easting, Northing, and RL fields and define the direction for
which semi-variograms will be calculated. Optionally enter a name for the output file
and run the process.
If you selected the Show semi-variograms? option, analyze and model the semivariogram display. Once a suitable model has been fitted to the semi-variogram, you
can save the model parameters for use in Cross Validation and Kriging.
Display semi-variogram from file
This mode allows previously generated semi-variograms, which have been saved to
file, to be re-displayed. Specify a file containing semi-variogram data as the input
file, then click OK to run the function.
Display relative semi-variogram from file
This mode allows previously generated semi-variograms, which have been saved to
file, to be re-displayed as relative semi-variograms. Specify a file containing semivariogram data as the input file, then click OK to run the function.
Display semi-variogram from H Scattergram file
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This mode reads a semi-variogram pairs file (an H Scattergram file) and generates
semi-variograms from this information. An H Scattergram file can be written when
semi-variograms are created using the mode Calculate from raw data.
The contents of the file can be modelled using Stats | Scattergrams and acceptable
values flagged using Outlines | Calculate | Assign. These values can then be used to
generate semi-variograms.
Only values in the file with a flag in the Include field will be read when the variogram
is constructed.
Specify a H Scattergram file as the input file. Unlike the Display semi-variogram
from file and Display relative semi-variogram from file options, you can also output a
semi-variogram file and another H Scattergram file.
If another H Scattergram file is specified as an output file, make sure it does not
have the same name as the input file.
3.
Select a type. There are three semi-variogram types: Omnidirectional, Downhole and
Directional (the default). More information...
4.
If you intend modelling a semi-variogram that exists, enter the name of the file previously
created, then click OK to run the function. If you are creating a new semi-variogram from
raw data, proceed with the following steps.
5.
Enter the names of the source data file and the data field from which the semi-variogram
will be calculated. Enter the names of the Easting, Northing, and RL fields. More
information...
File
If the mode is Calculate from raw data enter the name and type of the File
containing the raw data and specify the field from which the semi-variogram will be
calculated.
If the mode is Display relative semi-variogram from file or Display semi-variogram
from file, enter the name and type of the file containing (relative) semi-variogram
data.
If the mode is Display semi-variogram from H Scattergram file, enter the name and
type of the file containing H Scattergram data as the input file.
Filter
Select the Filter check box if you want to apply a filter to the data in the file. Enter a
filter number in the adjacent response. Double click (F3) to see a list of existing
filters. Right click (F4) to open the dialog box to create a new filter or edit an
existing filter.
Easting, Northing, RL fields
These fields are enabled when the Calculate from raw data mode is selected. When
the semi-variogram type is set to Downhole the prompts Easting, Northing and RL
become Hole, From and To respectively.
Semi variogram field
This field is enabled when the Calculate from raw data mode is selected. Select the
field in the input file on which the semi-variogram will be based.
6.
If necessary, refine how the data in the analysis field will be used. This can include
transformation of the raw data before it is processed. More information...
Numeric exceptions
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Click Numeric Exceptions to open a dialog box in which you can control the way nonnumeric values are handled. Non-numeric values include characters, blanks and
values preceded by a less than sign (<).
Transformation
Select the method that will be used to process the data before it is used by the
function. A number of transformations are available: None, Natural Log, Indicator
and Uniform/Rank. The choice of transformation will depend on the data being
modelled.
Additive Constant
An additive constant can be used with a natural log transformation to force data
which is near log normal to take on a log normal distribution. Since the additive
constant is added to all values, it has the effect of increasing the Natural log of small
values relatively more than large values. In effect rotating the graph of the natural
logs of the data value to the right.
To investigate whether of not an additive constant may be of value use the option
Stats | Distribution Stats and select Model |3 Parameter from the display menu.
Cutoff value
Enter the value of the indicator to be used when using an Indicator transformation.
Values for potentially useful indicator values can be derived from Stats |Distribution
using the Model | Decompose option from the display menu.
7.
Select the Show variance option to draw a horizontal line that shows the variance of the
data set as a line across the semi-variogram display. In many cases the data set variance
will be very close to the final sill of a semi-variogram model and therefore it can aid in the
location of the final sill.
8.
9.
Enter names for the output files, then run the process. Depending on the options you
select, the semi-variogram will be displayed and output files will be created. More
information...
When the mode is Display semi-variogram from file, the Semi variogram file and H
Scattergram file output options are disabled.
Show semi-variogram?
Select this option if you want to analyze and model the semi-variogram. The semivariogram display will be opened when you run the function.
Semi variogram file
Select this option to output the parameters used to draw the semi-variogram to a
file. Since calculation of semi-variograms from large data sets is a time consuming
task, it is useful to be able to calculate a set of semi-variograms and to them recall
them for modelling and analysis.
H Scattergram file
Select this option if you want to output data for use in H_scatter plots.
A file of all pairs used at each lag for each variogram and their grade values is
written to the output file. Fields in the output file include ID, Lag, Value1, Value2,
Include.
The Include field is blank by default.
The output file filtered by ID and Lag can then be displayed using the Stats |
Scattergrams option. Extreme points can be excluded by drawing outlines and
assigning outline codes using Outlines | Calculate | Assign.
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When the H_scatter file is used as input to the variogram option only records which
have a value (any value) in the Include field are used to construct the variogram.
10. Analyze and model the semi-variogram display.
11. Once verified as correct, save the model parameters for use in Cross Validation and Kriging.
The sem i-variogram display
Click OK to run the semi-variogram calculation. If you have chosen to display it, the semivariogram will appear with a plot of the semi-variogram values for each interval and for
each direction.
The X range is determined by the product of the interval and number of intervals, plus one
at each end. The Y range depends on the maximum (the analysis field) calculated from
the data. The Y origin is 0.
If the data shows a trend, you must remove it using the Trend Surface function. You must
then return to Semi Variograms and recalculate the semi-variogram based on the residuals
calculated by Trend Surface.
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Speed buttons
You can quickly populate the Directions dialog using the speed buttons which form the column
headers along the top of the table.
In most cases, clicking on these will generate a new set of values for each column. These values will
be based on the settings in the first and last rows.
If the settings in the first and last rows are the same, then the value in the first row will be used to
fill in all the records for that column.
If the settings in the first and last rows are different, then the first value will be incremented by a
constant amount so that the last row maintains its current value.
In the case of the Unique ID column, clicking the Unique ID button will generate an ID for each
semi-variogram. This will be a concatenation of the values in Azimuth, Dip, Interval and Number of
Intervals, with each element separated by an underscore ( _) character.
In the case of the Mode Column, clicking the Mode button will apply the Display mode value in the
first row to all other valid rows.
Each direction you define will be plotted on the difference versus direction in the semi-variogram
display. You can define and display up to 17 search directions.
The interval value and the number of intervals need not be the same for every direction/dip
combination.
It is however good practice to investigate either the effect of direction using the same interval and
number of intervals, or the effect of interval and number of intervals for the same direction.
Azimuth
Each row in the table describes the characteristics of a directional search. For each azimuth, the dip,
interval length and number of intervals must be defined.
The azimuth must be a value between 0 and 360. Only whole degrees can be entered. Angles are
measured clockwise from North.
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Azim uth Tolerance
You must also specify a tolerance for the azimuth. The tolerance will be added to and subtracted
from the azimuth you specify. Data that falls within the volume defined by the tolerance will be
included in the calculation. Entries with up to one decimal place can be entered.
Dip
Enter the dip for which a calculation will be made. In this case downward values are positive (+Dip
= Down). The dip must be measured from the horizontal (0) in the plane of the azimuth. Only whole
degrees can be entered.
If an RL field is not defined then the Dip, Dip Tolerance and Bandwith options are disabled. See also
Dip tolerance.
Dip Tolerance
You must also specify a tolerance for the dip. The tolerance will be added to and subtracted from
the dip you specify. Data that falls within the volume defined by the tolerance will be included in the
calculation. Entries can have up to one decimal place.
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In this case Dip values are positive down and the horizontal = 0. Leave the Dip at 0 when two
dimensional calculations are being performed, that is, an RL variable has not been specified.
Dip Bandwidth
This field is used to define a distance in metres which is the maximum width of the cone or prism,
as defined by the tolerance setting applied to the Dip of a search direction.
Note: When 2D semi-variograms are specified (by not defining an RL field in the Semi Variograms
dialog) the Dip group will be disabled.
Lag
Interval and Number of Intervals
You need to define the Interval size and the number of intervals to control which values the semivariogram calculation will use. In geostatistics the Interval is called a Lag.
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The Directional semi-variogram groups samples into distance intervals. Pairs of samples at
distances equal to the product of the interval number and the interval, plus or minus half the
interval size, are included in the calculation for a search volume.
The maximum distance covered in the search for values is the product of the Interval size and the
number of Intervals. Generally this distance is approximately half of the sample coordinate range
for a particular direction.
Unique ID
Enter a unique ID for each semi-variogram. Alternatively, click the Unique ID button to generate
an ID for each semi-variogram. This will be a concatenation of the values in Azimuth, Dip, Interval
and Number of Intervals, with each element separated by an underscore ( _) character.
Display mode
Once you have entered the azimuth and dip for each search direction, you need to define how they
will be displayed.
Enter a suitable identifier (ID) to label the graph for each direction. The azimuth is often a suitable
identifier because it allows easy differentiation in the graphical display and the output file. Any
keyboard characters may be used.
For each semi-variogram, select a display mode from the drop-down list. These control the way in
which the graph of each semi-variogram will be displayed.
Alternatively, click the Mode button to apply the value in the first row to all other valid rows. The
valid display modes you can choose from are:
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None The data for that azimuth will not be displayed. Useful when you want to switch a
direction off temporarily to simplify the display.
Line Data for the azimuth will be plotted as a simple line graph. You can enter a symbol
number when LINE is selected. The corresponding symbol will appear at each interval
distance. Its size will vary proportionally to the number of pairs in that interval.
Graph The data will be displayed as a graph with two lines. The area between the lines can
be hatched. To generate the lines, alternate values from interval one to the maximum
calculated distance interval are connected. The intervening values are then connected back
to the first interval value. This displays the difference between values in adjacent intervals
(but loses information on the number of pairs in each interval).
Symbol The interval semi-variogram value for the azimuth will appear as a symbol. The
symbol size is relative to the number of pairs in the interval.
Pairs The Pairs display option displays a fixed size symbol with the number of pairs written
beside the symbol.
Colour
For each semi-variogram, double click on the Colour button (or press F3) to display a colour palette
to select from.
Hatch
For each semi-variogram, double click on the Hatch button (or press F3) to display a fill palette to
select from. Select the hatch pattern that will be used to fill a GRAPH variogram display.
Symbol
For each semi-variogram, double click on the Symbol button (or press F3) to display a symbol
palette to select from.
Direction Tolerance
Select whether a Conical or a Pyramid volume will be searched for data to be used in the semivariogram calculations. The Direction Tolerance is defined by this setting and the tolerance settings
for the Azimuth and Dip of a search direction.
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the symbol is selected. This will mean that if symbols are rotated by the azimuth the azimuth
rotation is in addition to any applied when the symbol is selected.
Note: This option replaces the Symbol rotation parameter used in previous versions.
Include zero interval
In some cases it may be useful to include the zero lag interval in the semi-variogram calculation. If
this option is selected, pairs of samples in the zero interval lag are used to calculate the gamma
value of the first point in the semi-variogram.
For example let's take lag distance 70m. Because MICROMINE's default setting for the lag tolerance
is half the lag distance, the first lag interval is from 35 to 105m, second is from 105 to 175m and so
on. In this case "zero interval" is from 0 to 35m.
Let MICROMINE calculate angles for 2nd and 3rd directions
Once the azimuth and dip of the main axis of anisotropy is identified, select this option to calculate
angles for 2nd and 3rd directions.
If 2nd direction is selected enter azimuth and dip of the main axis. Angles in Azimuth column are
calculated automatically after entering values into Dip column.
If 3rd direction is selected enter azimuth and dip of the main axis and dip of the second axis. Angles
in Azimuth and Dip columns are calculated automatically. You can specify different values only for
Tolerances, Lag Intervals and Number of Intervals.
The first variogram will be in the direction of maximum continuity, the second one - perpendicular
to the first variogram, and the third one - perpendicular to the first two variograms.
Note: There are many cases when the studied structure has a plunge. And it is difficult to define
variogram parameters correctly for the second and third directions because the plane of these directions
is not orthogonal to the normal planes. Also it is much more difficult to generate a variogram fan for
2nd direction when doing experimental variography.
Form s
Click the Forms button to save the directions you define for the semi-variogram search as a form.
Alternatively, you can populate the Directions dialog using a saved form set.
New
Click the New button to empty the current set of values displayed in the Directions dialog.
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For each component, define the parameters that apply to the model type for that
component. Note that some semi-variogram model types allow only one component to be
defined.
Nugget
The Nugget value (effect) is the variance at distance zero. This is always less than the sill.
The nugget effect arises because the regionalized variable is erratic over a very short
distance that the semi-variogram goes from zero to the nugget effect in a distance less than
the sampling interval.
Cycle Distance
Enter the distance between peaks and troughs in Hole Effect or Paddington Mix variogram
models.
Decay
Enter a damping factor for Hole Effect or Paddington Mix variogram models. This is an
inverse function - the smaller the factor the faster the damping.
Final sill
The semi-variogram (Y axis) value of the final or highest sill in multiple component
variogram models.
2.
If a Directional semi-variogram is being modelled for Kriging, define the variogram direction
by entering azimuth and dip values. These values are used internally to define the model's
anisotropy.
3.
Where multiple components are allowed, the number of components can be set (or
updated) and the associated range, partial sill, and model type can be entered for each
component.
Range
Enter the range of the component of the semi-variogram model. The range is the distance
where there ceases to be an identifiable relationship between sample pairs.
Sill
Enter the Y coordinate (semi-variogram) value of the sill for each component of the model.
This is constant for a dataset.
Model Type
The type of model should have a general shape which resembles the experimental semivariogram.
4.
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All response boxes have spin controls associated with them and these provide a quick way
of adjusting the values. The controls are set up to increment the increment value (change
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gear) over 10 consecutive increments by a factor of 10. You can therefore use these to
quickly make both fine and coarse adjustments.
5.
Once you have refined the model's characteristics, save them as a form set. This form set
will then be accessible in Cross Validation and the 3D Block Kriging functions.
2.
3.
Note: The form set includes the model type, values for Nugget, Range and Sill and, the entries
for Azimuth, Dip and Plunge if the model is anisotropic. These values can be changed later in
Cross Validation and 3D Kriging.
2.
Select Forms and chose a saved form set and click Open to load it into the
modelling dialog.
3.
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Variogram Surfaces
Variogram surfaces are used to investigate and display potential anisotropy in the data being
modelled. Once the basic data is calculated, this is contoured using a Minimum Curvature algorithm.
To create a semi-variogram surface, do the following:
1.
2.
Specify a variogram model file produced from the Semi Variograms function. This will
normally contain data covering 180 degrees of variography in one dip direction, with the
same lag and number of intervals. A report file of the same name but with a .RPT extension
will also have been generated by the Semi Variograms function. SEE 3.
3.
Select the Use Normalised Gamma values option if you are using normalised gamma values
rather than actual gamma values.
If normalised gamma values are used then the system needs information on the global
variance (this is calculated and stored in the report file generated by the variography
function. When the normalised option is used the gamma values in the input file are divided
by the variance to generate a value used in the display.
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4.
Use the slider bar to specify a value for the tension to be used in the gridding operation
5.
Specify a colour set which controls the colours in the final display.
6.
Select the Display variance contour? option to display the variance as a contour line, with
control over the colour of the line. If this is used then you will need to input the semivariogram variance.
7.
8.
Index
Index
A
Annotation .........................................82
Constraint file
Assign ..........................................15, 16
AVERAGE ...........................................50
Constraint file.......................................6
Average grades
Contour file..........................................9
Calculating.......................................35
Converting
Basic stats
Mean............................................ 128
Converting........................................117
Probabilities
Creating
DTM ................................................2
Creating..............................................2
Bench Compositing..........................38, 41
Cross Sections
BLANK...............................................50
Breaklines........................................... 4
CUSUM chart
Calculating
average grades.................................35
using ............................................132
final depths......................................35
CUSUM chart.....................................132
Calculating ....................................35, 36
Depth ............................................... 92
Calculations, Intersections......................25
Depth/Offsection ................................. 87
Calculations, POV.................................27
Clipping .............................................14
Digitise Seams.................................... 72
Displaying
drillhole depth.................................. 92
faults ............................................. 70
outcrops ......................................... 71
153
Index
outlines...........................................85
Creating ...........................................2
MM file ........................................... 17
Strip Logs........................................81
to FACES file.................................... 18
symbols ..........................................68
DTM Assign........................................ 16
DTM Contours................................ 7, 8, 9
Distribution tables
DTM profiles....................................... 73
DOMINANT.........................................50
Editing
seams............................................ 72
Drillhole depth.....................................92
Editing.............................................. 72
Events .............................................. 88
Extractions, drillhole............................. 32
FACES file
from DTM........................................ 18
FACES file.......................................... 18
Faults
Displaying....................................... 70
Faults ............................................... 70
Drillholes
Final depths
Calculating ...................................... 35
Displaying ..................................59, 61
FIRST ............................................... 50
Generate Grid....................................109
Generating
Trend Surfaces................................115
DTM
154
Index
Geostatistics
Calculating ...................................... 36
Log .................................................. 74
Grade Compositing..........................38, 44
Matching
Grid Assign.........................................15
intervals ......................................... 55
Matching ........................................... 55
Grid Clipping.......................................14
MAX ................................................. 50
Mean
estimating......................................128
Grid file
Converting..................................... 117
Mean...............................................128
MIDDLE ............................................ 50
MIN ................................................. 50
Gridding
MM file
Smoothing..................................... 114
DTM .............................................. 17
MM file.............................................. 17
Hole annotation...................................82
Normal Sections.................................. 60
Offsection/Depth ................................. 87
Outcrops
Displaying....................................... 71
Outcrops ........................................... 71
Intersection calculation..........................75
Outlines
Displaying....................................... 85
Intersections..................................74, 76
Outlines ............................................ 85
Interval Compositing........................38, 46
Intervals
Matching .........................................55
Intervals............................................55
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Index
Plan display ........................................66
Seams, digitizing................................. 72
Plane
Semi-variograms - modelling
Vein ...............................................27
Plane ................................................27
POV
Calculations .....................................27
POV ..................................................27
Smoothing
Probabilities
grid ..............................................114
Probabilities...................................... 127
Smoothing.................................... 8, 114
Spider Graph...................................... 98
QQ Plot............................................ 134
Stacked Profile
Quality control
Deleting ........................................124
Stacked Sections
display ........................................... 62
Stacked Sections................................. 62
Statistics
Geostatistics...................................133
Displaying....................................... 81
Strip Logs.......................................... 81
Seam Thickness...................................11
Symbols
Seam top/bottom.................................28
Seams
Displaying....................................... 68
Symbols............................................ 68
Displaying .......................................72
Editing ............................................72
Seams..........................................28, 72
156
Index
Tenement boundaries
Displaying .......................................69
Thickness, Seam..................................11
Volume
DTM .............................................. 10
Volume ............................................. 10
Transform Sections...............................61
Trench
WEIGHTED SUM.................................. 50
Z
Z values
Generate ........................................ 12
Generating ...................................... 13
Z values....................................... 12, 13
157
MICROMINE
Resource Estimation
Table Of Contents
Table Of Contents
2D Block Estimate: An overview ..................................................................................... 1
2D Block Estimate Interpolation...................................................................................... 2
The Process .......................................................................................................... 2
Displaying the 2D model............................................................................................... 4
3D Block Estimate ....................................................................................................... 5
Creating a blank block model ......................................................................................... 7
The Process .......................................................................................................... 7
3D Block Estimate - Inverse Distance Weighting ................................................................. 8
The Process .......................................................................................................... 8
3D Block Estimate: Display............................................................................................ 9
The Process .......................................................................................................... 9
3D Block Estimate: Statistical ...................................................................................... 11
The Process ........................................................................................................ 11
3D Block Estimate: Assign Outlines ............................................................................... 12
The Process ........................................................................................................ 12
Kriging ................................................................................................................... 13
Ordinary/Universal Kriging ..................................................................................... 13
Indicator Kriging.................................................................................................. 13
Rank Kriging ....................................................................................................... 13
Multiple Indicator Kriging ....................................................................................... 14
Ordinary/Universal Kriging .......................................................................................... 15
Rank Kriging ............................................................................................................ 16
Indicator Kriging....................................................................................................... 17
For Indicator 1 cutoff: ........................................................................................... 17
For Multiple Indicator Kriging: ................................................................................. 17
Multiple Indicator Kriging ............................................................................................ 19
For Indicator 1 cutoff: ........................................................................................... 19
For Multiple Indicator Kriging: ................................................................................. 19
3D Block Index......................................................................................................... 21
Overview ........................................................................................................... 21
The Process ........................................................................................................ 21
2D Index ................................................................................................................ 22
The Process ........................................................................................................ 22
Table Of Contents
Subblocking............................................................................................................. 23
Validate Block Model.................................................................................................. 24
Reblock Block Model .................................................................................................. 25
Add Two Block Models................................................................................................ 26
Optimise Block Model................................................................................................. 27
Regularise Block Model............................................................................................... 29
Mining Grade Estimates.............................................................................................. 30
Wireframe grade shells............................................................................................... 31
The Process ........................................................................................................ 31
Polygonal Section Estimate.......................................................................................... 32
Setup................................................................................................................ 32
Digitise.............................................................................................................. 32
Assign ............................................................................................................... 32
Grade Tonnage Report .......................................................................................... 32
Delete ............................................................................................................... 32
Plans from Sections .............................................................................................. 32
Generate Outlines ................................................................................................ 32
Setting up a polygonal model....................................................................................... 33
Overview ........................................................................................................... 33
The Process ........................................................................................................ 34
Deleting polygonal models........................................................................................... 35
Digitising a polygonal model ........................................................................................ 36
Overview ........................................................................................................... 36
The Process ........................................................................................................ 36
Depth/Offsection.................................................................................................. 36
Trace ................................................................................................................ 37
Display 1, 2........................................................................................................ 37
Events............................................................................................................... 37
Hatch 1, 2, 3 ...................................................................................................... 37
Graph 1, 2 ......................................................................................................... 37
Multi fields ......................................................................................................... 37
Assigning polygonal model outlines ............................................................................... 38
The Process ........................................................................................................ 38
Calculating polygonal estimates: Grade Tonnage Report ..................................................... 40
Overview ........................................................................................................... 40
ii
Table Of Contents
The Process ........................................................................................................ 40
Plans from sections ................................................................................................... 42
The Process ........................................................................................................ 42
Generate outlines...................................................................................................... 44
The Process ........................................................................................................ 44
Grades within outlines................................................................................................ 45
The Process ........................................................................................................ 46
Gridded Seam Estimate .............................................................................................. 47
Creating the material files in Gridded Seam Estimate Setup................................................. 49
The Process ........................................................................................................ 50
Creating the gridded seam model.................................................................................. 51
The Process ........................................................................................................ 52
Write number of points.......................................................................................... 52
Write standard deviation........................................................................................ 52
Write 2D index .................................................................................................... 52
Create blank OBM ................................................................................................ 52
Displaying a gridded seam model.................................................................................. 54
The Process ........................................................................................................ 54
Calculate Strip Ratio .................................................................................................. 55
The Process ........................................................................................................ 55
3 Layer Grade Report................................................................................................. 56
The Process ........................................................................................................ 56
Gridded Seam Estimate - Model Report .......................................................................... 57
The Process ........................................................................................................ 57
Gridded Seam Model to 3D OBM ................................................................................... 59
The Process ........................................................................................................ 59
3D OBM to Gridded Seam Model ................................................................................... 61
The Process ........................................................................................................ 61
The volume field .................................................................................................. 62
Index ..................................................................................................................... 63
iii
In addition, you must define the plane for which the model is being generated by entering a Z
coordinate. In the East facing drillhole section example, this would be a Northing. The Z coordinate
can also be used to locate the modelled blocks within a larger 3D model.
You can produce estimates using one of five methods. If you index each block in the model, you can
create several estimates and then merge the output files using the index field as the key. This gives
you the opportunity to compare the estimates produced by the different methods.
The Process
1.
2.
Enter the name of the input file. If required, define a filter to selectively control which
records are processed.
3.
Click the Input Fields button and specify coordinate fields and the fields for which estimates
will be calculated in Input fields 1-5.
4.
To reduce the number of low values written to the Output file you can enter a value in Min
value to file. When the grade estimate for input field 1 is below this value, no grade values
will be written to any field.
5.
Define the dimensions and number of blocks for which estimates will be calculated. For
more information, refer to the Defining the block size and quantity topic.
6.
Choose the estimation method from the list. For more information, refer to the Different
estimation methods topic.
7.
Define the characteristics of the search shape. For more information, refer to the Defining
the search ellipse topic.
Select Preview mode to visually check the modelling parameters when you run the
program. This is recommended when you are modelling a new dataset. For more
information, refer to the Previewing the block modelling process topic.
9.
Click OK to run the function. If you have selected Preview, the search shape, data points
and blocks will be displayed, and the estimates will be calculated in real time. These are
written to the output file. If not, the preview window will not be displayed. For more
information, refer to the Contents of the output file topic.
3D Block Estimate
Using the functions in the Modelling | 3D Block Estimate menu you can:
Calculate statistical values for each block using the values within the block.
All data points to be used must have three-dimensional coordinates and one or more fields to be
modelled. It is not necessary for each sample to contain values for all variables to be modelled.
The Inverse Distance Weighting (IDW) function forms a three-dimensional block model and
calculates block estimates for up to five numeric fields in a data file. When you run the IDW function
the block model and estimates are written to a new data file.
A block model can be seen as a rectangular body made up of layers of equal size blocks. At the
centre of each block is a grid point. The grid point in the lower left-hand corner of the bottom layer
is taken as the origin and the grid point in the top right-hand corner is taken as the centre of the
end block. You define the model by entering the X, Y and Z coordinates of the grid point at the
origin and either:
How you orient the block model is up to you as long as it lies orthogonal to the grid.
When you run the function it "positions" a data search ellipsoid at a grid point and then calculates
an estimate using the points that fall within it. The estimate is then written to the record for that
block. Grid points occur at the centroid of each block. The process continues until estimates have
been calculated for all blocks.
Either isotropic or anisotropic weighting can be applied to the points used in the estimation.
Block indexes are an important part of the model. The program uses the block indices as the key
when you merge data from different models. To do this the models must have a common block
origin or the index must have been generated (using Modelling | Index | 3D Block Index) with an
origin that will fit all models. Merging block models is important when combining data from different
ore domains or when different qualities of estimates are combined (e.g. measured, indicated and
inferred).
It is possible, but uncommon, to use outlines to control which block estimates are calculated. Unless
one outline shape is valid for the whole range of RL values in the model, do not use this option.
A fragment of a typical output file is illustrated below. Each record defines the characteristics of a
block. The block dimensions are contained in the fields with the coordinate names prefixed with an
underscore. Three estimates have been calculated for each block: Au, Cut15 and SG.
2.
3.
Click the Block Definitions button to set the size, quantity, and dimensions of the blocks
written to the output file.
4.
Click the Add Fields button to add up to 5 new fields to the output file. These fields are
often populated with values at a later stage in the modelling process using one of the
assign functions.
For each field:
Enter the field name and characteristics - type, width, number of decimal points (if
any).
If anything is entered into the Value field, this value will be written to all records in
the new field in the output file.
5.
Optionally define how block constraints will be applied by selecting one of the following
options:
6.
Click okay to create the blank block model using the parameters you have defined.
Select Modelling | 3D Block Estimate | Inverse Distance Weighting from the main
menu.
2.
Enter the name of the input file. If required, define a filter to selectively control which
records are processed.
3.
Click the Input Fields button and specify coordinate fields and the fields for which estimates
will be calculated in Input fields 1-10.
4.
To reduce the number of low values written to the Output file, enter a value in Min value to
file. When the grade estimate for input field 1 is below this value, no grade values will be
written to any field.
5.
Define the size of the blocks (grid spacing) for which estimates will be calculated. See
Defining the block size and quantity for more information. Alternatively, you can define
Blocks from a file.
6.
Choose either INVDISTPOW or ANISOTROPIC IDP as the estimation method. For more
information, refer to the Different estimation methods topic.
7.
Define the characteristics of the data search shape. For more information, refer to the
Search ellipsoid parameters topic.
8.
Enter the name of a new field that will be used to store a Count of the number of values (in
the nominated Count Reference field) used to calculate estimates.
9.
If you have specified a name for the Count field, then the Count Reference field input is
enabled. Select a field from the sample or composite file (i.e. Hole_ID) which will be used
as a reference counter.
10. Optionally, use the Min Count field to specify a minimum number of values to be applied to
the calculation for each block.
11. Click OK to run the function. The function will begin processing the data. What is displayed,
while the process is underway, depends on your choice of parameters. For more
information, refer to the Working in the 3D Block Modelling display topic. When the process
is complete operations will return to the main form from where you can check the output
file.
Generating models with small block sizes from widespread data points may lead to
inaccurate results.
Occasionally some sample points will be displayed but not have blocks calculated around
them. When selecting points for modelling a level, the algorithm extends slightly beyond
the RL (elevation) limits defined by the search ellipsoid. The modelling process
subsequently ignores the points that do not fall within the search ellipsoid.
The Process
1.
2.
3.
Click Display Limits, and then define the extent of the display. In addition to the coordinate
field names and the min and max values for each, you should enter a tolerance. This is
used when you "slice" the model to view the block estimates. The tolerance defines the
thickness of this slice. To avoid the slice including two layers of blocks, enter a tolerance
that is slightly less than half the block dimension in the viewing direction.
Choose the orientation of the display and then enter the coordinate of the viewing plane in
the prompt that follows. This is the plane along which the model will be sliced and
displayed.
5.
Select Display block centres if you want crosses to be displayed at the centre of each block.
If you display block centres, you can also select a colour set and enter a field that will
control how they are colour coded.
6.
The blocks that make up the model are displayed by default. You can control the size of the
blocks in the display by entering a size factor (1.0 by default). Use this feature to reduce
the area covered by the blocks to allow background information to be visible in a multilayered plot. For example, geology outlines.
7.
There are two ways to fill the blocks in the display, solid and hatched. These options are
described further in the Different block fill methods topic. Select NONE if you dont want to
fill the blocks.
8.
You can display three values from fields in the block model file as labels in each block. A
single colour set can be used for all three fields or you can apply a different colour set to
each.
9.
To superimpose outlines on the block model display, select Display Outlines. Select an
outline set, choose files from within that set, and then define which outlines will be
displayed. For more information, refer to the Outline Details topic. Note that these outlines
will be visible when the display orientation is the same as the orientation in which they
were drawn. That is, you will only see outlines digitised in Plan view when the display
orientation is set to plan.
10
To make statistical comparisons between block estimates calculated using one of the
modelling procedures and estimates calculated using points within each block.
For grade estimation purposes. That is, you can "grade" blocks for which there are multiple
points used in the grade estimate as Measured and then merge them with grade estimates
made using Inverse Distance Weighting (IDW). The IDW estimated blocks can be graded as
Indicated or Inferred.
The function can also write block index numbers to each record in the file. You can use these to
merge data from two or more models into a common file. This makes it easy to make comparisons
between the different estimation methods and the statistical calculations.
Note: Before you compare different models, make sure they have the same origin and the same block
size in each dimension.
The output file will contain the following:
The fields containing the statistical values. These are the fields for which you have entered
names in the dialog box.
The Process
1.
2.
Enter the name of the input file. If required, define a filter to selectively control which
records are processed.
3.
Enter the names of the fields for which estimates will be calculated in OBM field 1 and 2.
4.
Define the size and shape of the blocks for which estimates will be calculated. See Defining
the block size and quantity for details.
5.
Enter a name for the output file. This file will be created when you run the function.
6.
Enter the names of the fields where the mean, standard deviation and median for the two
OBM fields will be written.
7.
11
Select Modelling | 3D Block Estimate | Assign Outlines from the main menu.
2.
Enter the name of the 3D Block model file. If required, define a filter to selectively control
which records are processed.
3.
Enter the names of the coordinate fields in the 3D Block model file.
4.
Choose the outline type and enter the range of outline files that will be used by Assign
Outlines. Your entry in Start number corresponds to the first outline file that will be used in
the process. All outline files up to and including the one with the End number will be used.
If the first and last number are the same, only that outline file will be assigned.
5.
Define the orientation of the outlines. Your setting here controls the coordinate prompt that
will appear in the Window group. For example, if you set the orientation to PLAN, the
coordinate prompt will change to RL. Note that this option is disabled when Outline type is
set to MODEL.
6.
If you have set the outline type to GEOLOGY, MODEL or USER, you must define the data
window for each outline by making entries in the window coordinate and in Window plus
and Window minus. For more information, refer to the Defining the data window topic.
7.
Make entries in the Outline Details dialog box to control which outlines will be used in the
assignment process and the fields to which the outline attributes will be written.
8.
Refer to Using Clear target field and Overwrite target field for details on how to use these
parameters.
9.
Enter a name for the report file. A summary report of the process will be written to this file.
12
Kriging
Kriging is a geostatistical method of interpolation for estimating unknown values, from some original
sample data set. It differs from other techniques such as inverse distance in that it uses the concept
of spatial continuity between data. The aim is to minimise the variances of the estimates and arrive
at the best data value for each unknown point.
Part of the input is a semi-variogram model that fits the input data. The validity of the Kriging result
depends on how well the semi-variogram models the data.
This means that you should not use Kriging until you are satisfied that you have created the best
possible semi-variogram model for the data, as its closeness of fit will determine the confidence you
have in the kriged output.
Kriging functions operate on points, blocks, or polygons defined in an outline file.
Before Kriging a data set, you need to analyze the data and create a semi-variogram that will be
used in the modelling process.
The semi-variogram model you produce must be saved in a form set, which will then be used as an
input to the Kriging function.
Analysis should also include:
Investigating the distribution of sample values using histograms, probability plots, and
scattergrams for correlation between variables and possible geological patterns.
The following Kriging functions are provided under the Modelling | 3D Estimate menu:
Ordinary/Universal Kriging
With Ordinary Kriging, the mean of the data (contained within the search ellipse) is recalculated
every time the search ellipse is repositioned on a block centroid. With Simple Kriging, a global mean
is applied.
Universal Kriging takes into account trends in the data, for instance, a change in the mean. The
trend is modelled and included as one of the inputs to the Kriging process.
For more information, refer to the "Ordinary/Universal Kriging" topic.
Indicator Kriging
Indicator Kriging allows you to preferentially exclude data at a defined cutoff. It estimates the
probability of values being above or below the cutoff. Probability is associated with the mean of a
bin to produce a weighted-average (e-type) estimate.
For more information, refer to the "Indicator Kriging" topic.
Rank Kriging
13
14
Ordinary/Universal Kriging
To perform Ordinary or Universal Kriging do the following:
1.
2.
Enter the name of the file containing your data and click the Input Fields button to specify
coordinate fields and the Analysis field containing the values that will be modelled.
Point or Block mode Kriging can be performed in any orientation, depending on what fields
are specified as the X and Y fields (Easting and Northing for Plan view, Easting and RL for
North sections, Northing and RL for East sections). The RL field is disabled if Polygon
Kriging is selected (See step 6).
3.
4.
5.
(Optional) Select Display block? to show block outlines on the screen during processing.
6.
Select the Kriging mode you want to perform (Point, Block or Polygon) and specify the
parameters for discretisation. Discretisation is available when BLOCK or POLYGON mode are
selected.
7.
Define the blocks by creating Block definitions or by defining Blocks from a file.
8.
(Optional) Specify outline restrictions and numeric exceptions. These will limit what is
displayed.
9.
Select how you want to display the data points (None, Cross, Value).
10. (Optional) Select the Trend, Transformation type of the model, and Additive Constant value
where appropriate.
11. Specify the parameters of the semi-variogram model you are applying. Double-click to load
a form set. Right-click to setup Directional parameters. To open the Semi Variogram Model
dialog, right-click in the main, 2nd and 3rd direction input boxes.
12. Enter parameters to define a search ellipse. Double-click to load a form set. Right click to
edit data search parameters.
13. Enter the name of a new field that will be used to store a Count of the number of values (in
the nominated Count Reference field) used to calculate estimates.
14. If you have specified a name for the Count field, then the Count Reference field input is
enabled. Select a field from the sample or composite file (i.e. Hole_ID) which will be used
as a reference counter.
15. Optionally, use the Min Count field to specify a minimum number of values to be applied to
the calculation.
16. Select output data options.
17. Enter the name of the Output file, and (optionally) add fields as required.
18. Click OK to run the function.
15
Rank Kriging
To perform Rank Kriging do the following:
1.
Select Modelling | 3D Block Estimate | Rank Kriging from the main menu.
2.
Enter the name of the file containing your data and click the Input Fields button to specify
coordinate fields and the Analysis field containing the values that will be modelled.
Point or Block mode Kriging can be performed in any orientation, depending on what fields
are specified as the X and Y fields (Easting and Northing for Plan view, Easting and RL for
North sections, Northing and RL for East sections). The RL field is disabled if Polygon
Kriging is selected (See step 6).
3.
4.
5.
(Optional) Select Display block? to show block outlines on the screen during processing.
6.
Select the Kriging mode you want to perform (Point, Block or Polygon) and specify the
parameters for discretisation. Discretisation is available when BLOCK or POLYGON mode are
selected.
7.
Define the blocks by creating Block definitions or by defining Blocks from a file.
8.
(Optional) Specify outline restrictions and numeric exceptions. These will limit what is
displayed.
9.
10. Specify the parameters of the semi-variogram model you are applying. Double-click to load
a form set. Right-click to setup Directional parameters. To open the Semi Variogram Model
dialog, right-click in the main, 2nd and 3rd direction input boxes.
11. Enter parameters to define a Search ellipse. Double-click to load a form set. Right click to
edit data search parameters.
12. Enter the name of a new field that will be used to store a Count of the number of values (in
the nominated Count Reference field) used to calculate estimates.
13. If you have specified a name for the Count field, then the Count Reference field input is
enabled. Select a field from the sample or composite file (i.e. Hole_ID) which will be used
as a reference counter.
14. Optionally, use the Min Count field to specify a minimum number of values to be applied to
the calculation.
15. Select how you want to display the data points (None, Cross, Value).
16. Select output data options.
17. Enter the name of the Output file, and (optionally) add fields as required.
18. Click OK to run the function.
16
Indicator Kriging
Indicator Kriging allows you to preferentially exclude data at a defined cutoff. It estimates the
probability of values being above or below the cutoff. Probability is associated with the mean of a
bin to produce a weighted-average (e-type) estimate.
For Indicator 1 cutoff:
1.
Assign 1 or 0 to each record (in the Input file) depending on whether the value of the
Analysis field is below (1) or above (0) the cutoff value.
2.
These values are now kriged (using the associated Variogram Model) and written to a new
field (Cutoff1) in the OBM file (these fields are later deleted if "Write cutoff values?" is not
selected). The value written to this field is the estimated portion of the block that is below
the cutoff grade (probability).
3.
4.
In the new field, replace any cutoff value greater than 1 with 1
Now check that the cutoffs (1 to n) for each record in the OBM are in ascending order (equal values
are OK). An invalid sequence can occur because each cutoff may use a different variogram model.
For each record:
1.
Create an upward adjusted set of cutoffs so that if Cutoff(n) is less than Cutoff(n-1) then
Cutoff(n) = Cutoff(n-1).
2.
Create a downward adjusted set of cutoffs so that if Cutoff(n-1) is greater than Cutoff(n)
then Cutoff(n-1) = Cutoff(n).
3.
Mean the upward and downward sets to calculate the final values.
Subsequent calculations (below) refer to "bins". The first bin contains all the values, from the Input
file, that are lower than the first Indicator cutoff grade. The second bin contains all values between
the first and second Indicator cutoff grade. The final bin contains all values above the last Indicator
cutoff grade. To handle calculations for the final bin an additional (dummy) Cutoff column
(Cutoff(n+1)) is generated, which will have a value of 1 for each block.
To calculate the estimated value for each block, sum the products of each bin probability and the
grade estimate for each bin. The bin probability is simply the difference between the probabilities of
consecutive Cutoff fields. So the probability of the block's grade being in the first bin equals the
value in the Cutoff(1) field.
The probability of the block's grade being in the second bin equals Cutoff(2) - Cutoff(1) and the
probability for the last bin equals 1 - Cutoff(n). The calculation of the grade estimate for a bin
depends on the method selected for that bin:
1.
MEDIAN uses the median of all the input grades that are within the bin limits.
2.
MEAN uses the mean of all the input grades that are within the bin limits.
3.
LINEAR uses the mean of the Indicator cutoff grades that define the bin. The lower value
for the first bin, and the higher value for the last bin, can be defined by the user in the
"Grade Estimate (Tails)" group box. If not specifically defined, the first bin (Lower tail) uses
0 as its lower value and the last bin (Upper tail) uses the maximum grade value (from the
Analysis field in the Input file) as its higher value.
The estimated block value is written to a field in the OBM file with the same name as the Analysis
field in the Input file.
To perform Indicator Kriging do the following:
17
Select Modelling | 3D Block Estimate | Indicator Kriging from the main menu.
2.
Enter the name of the file containing your data and click the Input Fields button to specify
coordinate fields and the Analysis field containing the values that will be modelled.
Point or Block mode Kriging can be performed in any orientation, depending on what fields
are specified as the X and Y fields (Easting and Northing for Plan view, Easting and RL for
North sections, Northing and RL for East sections). The RL field is disabled if Polygon
Kriging is selected (See step 6).
3.
4.
5.
(Optional) Select Display blocks? to show block outlines on the screen during processing.
6.
Select the Kriging mode you want to perform (Point, Block or Polygon) and specify the
parameters for discretisation. Discretisation is available when BLOCK or POLYGON mode are
selected.
7.
Define the blocks by creating Block definitions or by defining Blocks from a file.
8.
(Optionally) Specify outline restrictions and numeric exceptions. These will limit what is
displayed.
9.
Select the Trend and optionally select the Nested indicator Kriging option.
10. Specify the cut off value(s) to be applied. Double-click to load a form set. Right-click to
invoke the Model Values dialog.
For each cut off value in the Model Values dialog, specify the parameters of the semivariogram model you want to apply.
11. Enter parameters to define a Search ellipse. Double-click to load a form set. Right click to
edit data search parameters.
12. Enter the name of a new field that will be used to store a Count of the number of values (in
the nominated Count Reference field) used to calculate estimates.
13. If you have specified a name for the Count field, then the Count Reference field input is
enabled. Select a field from the sample or composite file (i.e. Hole_ID) which will be used
as a reference counter.
14. Optionally, use the Min Count field to specify a minimum number of values to be applied to
the calculation.
15. Select output data options.
16. Enter the name of the Output file, and (optionally) add fields as required.
17. Click OK to run the function.
18
Assign 1 or 0 to each record (in the Input file) depending on whether the value of the
Analysis field is below (1) or above (0) the cutoff value.
2.
These values are now kriged (using the associated Variogram Model) and written to a new
field (Cutoff1) in the OBM file (these fields are later deleted if "Write cutoff values?" is not
selected). The value written to this field is the estimated portion of the block that is below
the cutoff grade (probability).
3.
4.
In the new field, replace any cutoff value greater than 1 with 1
Now check that the cutoffs (1 to n) for each record in the OBM are in ascending order (equal values
are OK). An invalid sequence can occur because each cutoff may use a different variogram model.
For each record:
1.
Create an upward adjusted set of cutoffs so that if Cutoff(n) is less than Cutoff(n-1) then
Cutoff(n) = Cutoff(n-1).
2.
Create a downward adjusted set of cutoffs so that if Cutoff(n-1) is greater than Cutoff(n)
then Cutoff(n-1) = Cutoff(n).
3.
Mean the upward and downward sets to calculate the final values.
Subsequent calculations (below) refer to "bins". The first bin contains all the values, from the Input
file, that are lower than the first Indicator cutoff grade. The second bin contains all values between
the first and second Indicator cutoff grade. The final bin contains all values above the last Indicator
cutoff grade. To handle calculations for the final bin an additional (dummy) Cutoff column
(Cutoff(n+1)) is generated, which will have a value of 1 for each block.
To calculate the estimated value for each block, sum the products of each bin probability and the
grade estimate for each bin. The bin probability is simply the difference between the probabilities of
consecutive Cutoff fields. So the probability of the block's grade being in the first bin equals the
value in the Cutoff(1) field.
The probability of the block's grade being in the second bin equals Cutoff(2) - Cutoff(1) and the
probability for the last bin equals 1 - Cutoff(n). The calculation of the grade estimate for a bin
depends on the method selected for that bin:
1.
MEDIAN uses the median of all the input grades that are within the bin limits.
2.
MEAN uses the mean of all the input grades that are within the bin limits.
3.
LINEAR uses the mean of the Indicator cutoff grades that define the bin. The lower value
for the first bin, and the higher value for the last bin, can be defined by the user in the
"Grade Estimate (Tails)" group box. If not specifically defined, the first bin (Lower tail) uses
0 as its lower value and the last bin (Upper tail) uses the maximum grade value (from the
Analysis field in the Input file) as its higher value.
The estimated block value is written to a field in the OBM file with the same name as the Analysis
field in the Input file.
To perform Multiple Indicator Kriging do the following:
19
Select Modelling | 3D Block Estimate | Multiple Indicator Kriging from the main
menu.
2.
Enter the name of the file containing your data and click the Input Fields button to specify
coordinate fields and the Analysis field containing the values that will be modelled.
Point or Block mode Kriging can be performed in any orientation, depending on what fields
are specified as the X and Y fields (Easting and Northing for Plan view, Easting and RL for
North sections, Northing and RL for East sections). The RL field is disabled if Polygon
Kriging is selected (See step 6).
3.
4.
5.
(Optional) Select Display blocks? to show block outlines on the screen during processing.
6.
Select the Kriging mode you want to perform (Point, Block or Polygon) and specify the
parameters for discretisation. Discretisation is available when BLOCK or POLYGON mode are
selected.
7.
Define the blocks by creating Block definitions or by defining Blocks from a file.
8.
(Optional) Specify outline restrictions and numeric exceptions. These will limit what is
displayed.
9.
Select how you want to display the data points (None, Cross, Value).
10. Specify the cut off value(s) to be applied and the grade estimate method(s) to be used.
Double-click to load a form set. Right-click to invoke the Model Values dialog.
For each cut off value in the Model Values dialog, specify the parameters of the semivariogram model you want to apply and the grade estimate method to be used for each bin.
11. Enter parameters to define a Search ellipse. Double-click to load a form set. Right click to
edit data search parameters.
12. Enter the name of a new field that will be used to store a Count of the number of values (in
the nominated Count Reference field) used to calculate estimates.
13. If you have specified a name for the Count field, then the Count Reference field input is
enabled. Select a field from the sample or composite file (i.e. Hole_ID) which will be used
as a reference counter.
14. Optionally, use the Min Count field to specify a minimum number of values to be applied to
the calculation.
15. Select output data options.
16. Enter the name of the Output file, and (optionally) add fields as required.
17. Click OK to run the function.
20
3D Block Index
Overview
The 3D Block Index function (Modelling | Index | 3D Block Index) adds a unique index number to
each record in a data file. It is generally used to re-index block models produced in 2D and 3D
Estimation and Grids and Kriging. However, it can be used whenever you need to index data points
to a 3D grid. For example, to identify the sample points that fall inside particular blocks in a block
model use 3D Block Index to generate a point index based on the same origin and block size as the
block model.
A model can have up to 9999 blocks in each direction. Numbering commences from 000100010001
- the centre of the block defined by the coordinate origin. The first four digits from the left are the
index number along the Easting axis (X), the next four are the index number of the Northing axis
(Y) and the last four are for the RL axis (Z).
A block model and this indexing function must have the same origin point and block size before the
data point index will match the block index. Using the coordinates of each data point, the function
determines which block it will occupy. The index of this block is written to the nominated index field
(this field will be created if it does not exist). If there is more than one data point in a block, each
will get the same index number.
You can use the 3D Block Index function to re-index 2D Block model files that have been appended.
If 2D Block models representing different Z layers in a deposit are appended, the indexing (derived
when the models were created) will only be a 2D Index. Applying a 3D Block Index will generate a
unique value for each block.
The Process
1.
2.
Enter the name of the input file. If required define a filter to selectively process the records.
3.
4.
Enter a name for the field to which the block index will be written. If this field does not
exist, it will be created automatically when you run the function.
5.
Enter the coordinates of the origin of the block model you are indexing.
6.
7.
21
2D Index
Modelling | Index | 2D Block Index creates a unique eight-digit index number for each block in
a layer in a gridded seam model.
You must enter the Easting and Northing coordinates of the origin (shown in the illustration) and the
X and Y block dimensions. These must be the same as those you entered in Gridded Seam Estimate
| Interpolation if the index numbers in the data file are to correspond with the blocks created by the
estimation function.
The Process
22
1.
2.
3.
4.
Enter the name of the fields where the 2D index will be written.
5.
6.
7.
Subblocking
In previous versions of MICROMINE, sub-blocking could only be performed by subdividing model
cells into virtual sub-blocks in order to calculate factors for each parent cell. Using the options
provided under the Modelling | Subblocking menu, existing block models can now be:
validated, using the Validate Block Model option, to ensure that there are no overlapping
blocks and that no discrepancies exist between the block model (OBM) file and the block
definitions assigned to it. A check can also be made for missing compulsory field values or
invalid non-numeric values.
sliced by different block definitions into a sub-blocked model so that the output model can
fit into new block definitions, using the Reblock Block Model option.
added together irrespective of their sub-cell division, using the Add Two Block Models
option.
optimised, using the Optimise Block Model option, in a way that sub-blocks are combined
into bigger blocks within parent cells.
converted into a factored model, using the Regularise Block Model option. The process
creates a block model with regular block sizes.
A blank block model can also be created using the Modelling | 3D Block Estim ate | Blank Block
Model menu option.
As well as specifying block definitions and constants, the user can also specify block constraints and
sub-block those blocks that are wholly or partially inside one or more wireframes, or above or below
a DTM.
23
1.
2.
3.
Click the Block Definitions button to enter (or use the Forms button to load) the
block definitions you want to validate the input file against.
4.
If you want to validate for overlapping blocks, select the Block Overlaps option.
Overlapping blocks may have been inadvertently introduced during manual editing
of the input file - or may exist in OBM files which are imported into MICROMINE
from other third-party applications.
5.
If you want to resolve overlapping blocks and write new block definitions to the
output file, select the Resolve overlaps option.
You may choose to validate without resolving overlapping blocks to determine the
extent of the problem (if any). If the overlapping blocks in the report file are too
numerous to be resolved manually, validate again with the Resolve overlapping
blocks option selected.
24
6.
Select the Block model fields option to check for numeric exceptions(missing values
in compulsory fields and invalid non-numeric values).
7.
Select the Block definition fit and the Block definition extent options to validate the
input OBM file against the specified block definitions - checking that:
the blocks defined in the input file correspond with the block definitions
the extent of the input file is not greater than the extent of the block definitions
1.
2.
3.
Click the Block Definitions button to enter new block definitions for the input file or
to modify the block size, quantity, and dimensions of the blocks written to the
output file.
4.
Click the Numeric Exceptions button to define how non-numeric values are
handled.
The data values in the existing block model file will be modified to reflect any
changes made to the block definitions and written to the specified new output file.
No averaging of numeric values will be done since no block will be combined in the
output model file.
5.
Click the Run button to run the Reblock Block Model function using the parameters
you have defined.
Note: The Reblock option is often used as a prerequisite to using the Add Two Block Models
function, since the block definitions used by that function must have identical block definitions.
25
2.
3.
Click the Block Definitions button to view the block definitions of the input file and
(optionally) modify the block size, quantity, and dimensions of the blocks written to
the output files.
Both input block model files must have the same parent cell dimensions and the
same number of cells in each (X,Y,Z) direction. The input block models may however
have different numbers of sub-cells in equivalent cells, and may also have different
model extents.
Typically, sub-cells are created when a block model is decomposed into subblocks to
improve the accuracy of an assign process. To determine whether a block model file
has been subblocked, click F7 to view the Minimum and Maximum values for the
coordinate fields in each file. If there is a difference between the minimum and
maximum values, then the block model file contains sub-cells.
When dealing with sub-cells, the following rules apply:
If neither model contains any sub-cells, then the resulting output model will
contain all cells which are in the two models.
If a cell exists in one model but not in the other, then an absent value will
be assigned for those values in the latter model. The resulting output model
will be the same as if the two models had been added based on X, Y, Z
fields using the Merge Files function.
If one of the models, model A, contains sub-cells, but model B does not, the
output model will contain the sub-cells from model A and each sub-cell will
be assigned field values from the corresponding cell in model B.
If both models contain sub-cells, but the sub-cells in model A are not the
same as the sub-cells in model B, then the sub-cells in both models will be
superimposed to create additional sub-cells in the output model. Note that if
there is a significant disparity between the two files in terms of sub-cells,
then the size of the output model may be significantly larger than the size
of the input files.
Both models must have corresponding index values. Index values should be the
same for all sub-cells within a parent cell.
If the same field exists in both model A and model B, then the values in model B will
be written to the output model.
However, if field values are absent in model B, then the values in model A will be
written to the output file.
4.
26
Click OK to run the Add Two Block Models function using the parameters you have
defined.
1.
2.
3.
4.
Click the Numeric Exceptions button to define how non-numeric values are
handled.
5.
Click the Block Definitions button to to view the block definitions of the input
file and (optionally) modify the block size, quantity, and dimensions of the
blocks written to the output file.
6.
Key fields in the input file are used to determine which subblocks will be optimised,
given that they come from the same parent cell. Only those subblocks which belong
to the same parent cell and which share the same key field values can be optimised.
A key field might identify which blocks sit within the same wireframe, or which
blocks are situated above or below a DTM surface.
7.
Click the Run button to run the Optimise Block Model function using the
parameters you have defined.
Notes:
During the optimisation process, numeric values in the output file are re-calculated
using a volume weighted average,and character fields are assigned a value which is
the most commonly occurring (or the last encountered) value for the sub-cells being
combined into larger cells.
27
28
Blocks will only be optimised if the key values match for all of the blocks.
If the input model does not have sub-cells, then the output model will be exactly the
same as the input model.
2.
3.
4.
Click the Block Definitions button to view the block definitions of the input file and
(optionally) modify the block size, quantity, and dimensions of the blocks written to
the output file.
5.
Click the Numeric Exceptions button to define how non-numeric values are
handled.
6.
Specify an output file and enter the name of the block factor field. The portion of
each parent block that was within subblocks will be written to this field.
7.
Specify which numeric fields will be re-calculated using a volume weighted average
value. Up to ten fields can be specified.
Numeric fields which are unspecified will be assigned an accumulated value.
Character fields will be assigned a value which is the most commonly occurring (or
the last encountered) value for the cells being regrouped.
8.
Click OK to run the Regularise Block Model function using the parameters you have
defined.
29
30
2.
Enter the name of a block model and the names of the East, North and RL fields within it.
3.
In Cutoff field, enter the name of the field containing the values from which the grade shells
will be calculated.
4.
Select (F3) GRADE SHELLS in Output Wireframe Type. This is not a requirement, you could
set it to any type of wireframe, however, using a consistent system of wireframe types
makes it easy to find your work in other functions.
5.
6.
31
32
33
The Process
1.
Select Modelling | Polygonal Section Estimate | Setup from the main menu.
2.
Enter the name of the input file and the names of the fields within it. This is normally an
interval (assay) file. If required, define a filter to selectively control which records will be
processed.
3.
Enter a polygonal model identifier (A - Z) in the Model response box. This can be any single
character from the alphabet (A-Z). This character will be used in the names of the
polygonal section data and the outline files. Note that a file (GEOLGx.PAR) listing the
important features of the polygonal model is created when you run the function. Right-click
in the Model response box to open this file.
4.
Define the type of model: Easting/Northing, Transform or Plan. The section in the Easting
and Northing models can be irregularly spaced. While it is not a requirement to enter a title
for the polygonal model, it can be useful when referring to the model in the future.
5.
Enter the parameters for the model you have chosen (regular , irregular , transform , plan
).
6.
Enter a name for the report file. The report file describes characteristics of the model. This
file is useful when you come to check the outcome of the process.
7.
Notes:
34
The input file to Modelling | Polygonal Section Estimate | Setup does not have to contain data.
If you use an empty file as input, a set of empty GEOLxn.DAT files are created. These can then
be populated using other processes in MICROMINE or can be deleted altogether.
Generally you will do this to create the parameter file associated with a Polygonal Model
(GEOLx.PAR). This file is used by a number of functions in MICROMINE which do not use the
data from the GEOLxn.DAT files. These are: Modelling | Polygonal Section Estimate | Generate
Outlines, Mining | Pit Optimisation | MM to 3D and 3D to MM.
35
1.
2.
Select the polygonal model you want to work on from the list that appears then click
SELECT. The model type suffixes are: (R) for regular models, (I) for irregular models, (T)
for transform models and (P) for plan models.
3.
Once you have selected the model, the main digitising form will appear. Its contents will
depend on the type of model you select; Plan, Section or Transform Section. The forms
used here are the same as those used to define the drillhole plans, sections and transform
sections. When you are displaying a transform model, the reference point coordinates and
section bearing are automatically entered in the Section Setup dialog box. In Plan models,
the appropriate mid-RL for the selected plan is automatically applied.
4.
Enter a section (plan) number. When you run the function this is the section that will be
displayed.
5.
6.
Click OK to run the function. If you have changed the section number, a message 'Update
GEOL file names ?' is displayed. If any GEOLxn.DAT files created with the Setup function
are referenced in the display, the file names will be updated to reflect the section number.
7.
8.
9.
Enter a new section or plan number and repeat steps 6 through to 8 until you have
completed digitising on all sections (or plans).
36
37
You can use this function to define which data will be used in the polygonal estimate process. When
you digitise over a display, you can digitise outlines for ore, geology, alteration or metallurgical
boundaries etc. Generally each outline type is assigned to a separate field in the underlying data
file. When calculating polygonal or block estimates, the values in the different fields can be selected
using a filter.
Using Assign you can:
Write any of the outline attributes, Name, Code, Colour, Hatch, Grade, SG, or a Value, to a
field in the associated data file.
When you run Assign, it also creates a report file. Use this report to understand what has happened
in the target file.
Before using Assign, you must create the polygonal section data files and their associated outlines.
There must be one or more fields in these data files to receive the assigned attributes. Make sure
you add the fields that will receive the outline attributes to the assay file before creating the
polygonal model.
The Process
38
1.
Select Modelling | Polygonal Section Estim ate | Assign from the main menu.
2.
Enter the numbers of the first and last sections you want to include in the process.
4.
If you do not define start or end numbers, all files in the model will be processed. Enter an
end number to define the file at which the processing will stop. Enter a start number only to
define the file from which the processing will begin. To limit the assignment to a single
outline/data file pair, enter the same number in both responses.
5.
Select Clear target field or Overwrite data depending on the result you want to obtain.
6.
7.
Once you have entered the Model identifier, press F3 to list the valid files for the model.
These prompts are included so that the files being processed can be viewed or edited
directly from this form. They do not determine which file is being processed. This is
controlled by the entries in Start number and End number.
8.
Click OK to run the process. As the process runs the screen will show coloured
representations of the geological outlines.
39
simple averaging,
length weighting.
There are two ways of passing grades to the function. The first is to enter the names of up to ten
fields in the data file. The function will use the grade values in these fields when it calculates
estimates. If grade values are missing from some of the records in the data file, you can enter
default values that will be substituted when these records are processed. The second method is to
use the grade attributes in the outline files. Because each outline can only have one grade attribute,
this approach has only limited application.
SG can be defined as a default value, or if there is a field containing SG values in the data file, you
can direct the function to use the values it finds there. If SG values are missing from some of the
records, you should enter a default value. This will be substituted when these records are
processed.
If a project has been setup to use Imperial units the prompts for SG are changed to prompts for
tonnage value.
Specific gravity or tonnage factors are multiplied by volume to get tonnes. If each data point has a
value in the SG field, and that field is entered in the SG field response, the sample assay will be
multiplied by its SG (to determine average grade).
The function also generates a report file. This contains a series of records, one for each outline on a
section, and a total for the section. The report file fields include:
The width of the section or plan that will be used to calculate each volume.
M_Grade(s). The contained metal for each grade, calculated as grade x tonnes (or grade x
volume).
The width for normal (regular) and transform section models, and the thickness in plan view
models, comes from the value you enter in the section spacing prompt in the Setup option. If the
model is made up of irregular sections, the width for each section is taken from the associated
control file.
The function can also write grades and specific gravities back to outline files. The Modelling |
Polygonal Section Estimate | Grade Tonnage Report function enables you to calculate grade tonnage
estimates for specified sections within a polygonal model.
The Process
1.
40
Enter the numbers of the first and last sections you want to include in the process. If you
do not define start or end numbers, all files in the model will be processed.
3.
Once you have entered the Model identifier, you can enter the names of the data and
outline files that will be used in the calculation.
4.
Enter the name of the report file. The results of the estimation will be written to this file
when you run the function.
5.
Use the Outline restrictions to control which points will be used in the estimation process.
6.
If you intend using SG values from the data file in the calculation, enter the name of the
field where they are stored. Enter a default SG - this will be used where there are values
missing from the SG field. Alternatively, you can use SGs recorded as outline attributes.
7.
Enter the name of the fields for which estimates will be calculated and the default grade
that will be used for each. You can enter a Cut value for the first value in this table. Values
greater than your entry are reduced to it before averaging. Alternatively, you can use
grades recorded as outline attributes.
8.
9.
Click OK to run the function. The outline and data points are shown on the screen as
calculations proceed, colour intensity changes for points inside the outline.
41
2.
3.
Enter the display limits. East and North coordinates are used to display Normal and
Transform models and either East or North and RL coordinates are used for Plan models.
4.
5.
Define the number of layers. If you want more than one layer you must enter the layer
spacing. Negative values add layers towards the viewer. Positive values add layers away
from viewer. If you have an outline file that you want to appear in the display background,
enter its name and define which outline attributes will be displayed.
6.
Click the Outlines Display Mode button to restrict which outlines will be displayed.
Outline Display Mode refers to the display of the selected outline attributes: Name, Code,
SG, Grade and Fill.
1.
42
Choose the method by which you will select the outline from the Select By list.
Select By can be set to either Name or Code.
Enter the identifier (a string) that will be used to select the outline(s). Use wildcards
to broaden the identification string so more outlines will be included in the display.
3.
4.
Tick marks are automatically drawn in each outline's colour, where the outline crosses the
defined Z value. These cannot be suppressed. Entering F will draw a solid coloured bar
between the tick marks, this is highly recommended to display continuity. Any other
attribute can also be displayed by entering the appropriate letter e.g. NGF will display a
solid coloured bar between tick marks with the outline name and grade displayed.
7.
Define the output you require when you run the function. If you select DIGITISE or AUTO
you must enter a name for the outline file that will be created when you run the function.
8.
Optionally display a background file to assist with visual orientation. It must be an outline
file and cannot be edited.
9.
43
Generate outlines
Using Modelling | Polygonal Section Estimate | Generate Outlines you can create a series of
cross section outlines. To do this you require a string file containing strings that intersect the
sections in an existing polygonal model. The cross-section outlines are appended to each outline file
in the model.
You can also create a set of cross section outlines using two string files (labelled Current and
Previous in the dialog box). In this case, the function creates separate outlines where the two string
files intersect. This method can be used to define the material mined between successive pit
surveys.
Before you run the function, you must enter an outline code and a prefix for the generated outline
names. Each outline will be assigned a unique name and a code. If you have selected them, the
outlines will also be assigned a colour and a hatch type. When you are using two string files, the
generated outlines are recognised as cut or fill.
By entering top and bottom RLs, you can control the vertical range within which the outlines will be
generated. Straight lines are drawn at the top and bottom RLs.
You can enter left and right slopes to control how an outline will be extended if it does not intersect
the specified top or bottom RL. These parameters can be used to prevent miscloses when you have
defined two string files and the generated outlines do not intersect on a section. They are also used
to define average pit slopes when you generate an approximate pit plan from a plan outline.
Generate Outlines can create outlines between two topography files. In this case the string file you
enter in the Current column should contain strings with lower elevations than the string file you
enter in the Previous column.
Generate Outlines is often used to create a series of pit sections at a given elevation. These sections
can be used to calculate stripping ratios in Modelling | Polygonal Section Estimate | Grade Tonnage
Report or Modelling | Model Report | Grades Within Outlines.
Once you have generated the outlines for the polygonal model, you can display them and the string
file in the 3D Viewer.
The Process
1.
Enter the name of a string file in the Current column. This file will typically contain pit
contours.
2.
3.
4.
If required, enter top and bottom RLs to control the vertical extent of the outlines. If you
don't enter values, the vertical extent of the outlines will be controlled by the RLs in the
string file. A typical application of top and bottom RLs is to use them to limit the vertical
extent of the outlines to benches in a pit.
5.
Enter a prefix for the name that will be assigned to each outline. Typical entries are CUT
and FILL.
6.
Click OK to run the function. As the outlines are drawn, they will be displayed momentarily
giving you an indication of what the program has done.
When you are using two string files (Current and Previous), separate outlines will be created where
the strings intersect.
In cases where the previous and current slopes do not meet, you can define the angle at which they
will be projected so that they close. For more information, refer to the Defining closing slopes topic.
44
Outlines are the means by which you can restrict which data points are used in the
estimation process. You can use any set of outline files as long as they exist before you run
the function.
The numeric component of their names is identical to those of the DAT file with which they
are associated.
For example, a series of data files ABCD10.DAT to ABCD15.DAT can be associated with outline files:
GEOLM10.OUT to GEOLM15.OUT or DESGN10.OUT to DESGN15.OUT or with GEOL10.OUT to
GEOL15.OUT.
For more information about outline naming conventions, refer to the outline files topic.
By defining outline restrictions you can further control what values will be used in the grade
estimate calculation. If you specify more than one criteria, an outline only needs to satisfy one of
them to be included in the calculation.
You can further control which records are used in the calculation by applying a filter.
There are three methods you can use to calculate grade estimates : simple averaging, thickness
weighting and length weighting. For more information, refer to the Calculation methods topic. The
one additional point that must be added is that From To weighting can only be applied to drillhole
data.
There are two ways of passing grades to the function. The first is to enter the names of up to ten
fields in the data file. The function will use the grade values in these fields when it calculates
estimates. If grade values are missing from some of the records in the data file, you can enter
default values that will be substituted when these records are processed. The second method is to
use the grade attributes in the outline files. Because each outline can only have one grade attribute,
this approach has only limited application.
SG can be defined as a default value or, if there is a field containing SG values in the data file, you
can direct the function to use the values it finds there. If SG values are missing from some of the
records, you should enter a default value. This will be substituted when these records are
processed.
If a project has been set-up to use Imperial units, the prompts for SG are changed to prompts for
tonnage value.
Specific gravity or tonnage factors are multiplied by volume to get tonnes or tons as required. If
each data point has a value in the SG field, and that field is entered in the SG field response, the
sample assay will be weighted by its SG (to determine average grade).
The Grades Within Outlines function can also write grades and specific gravities back to outline files.
When you run the function, it creates a report file. This file contains a series of records; one for
each outline on a section and one containing totals for the section. The report file fields include:
45
The width of the section or plan that was used to calculate each volume.
The average grade, for each of the grade fields, contained within the outline.
The total metal for each grade field within the outline. Metal is defined as the Grade * the
tonnage.
The Process
46
1.
Enter the prefix used for the data file names and the start and finish number of the files you
want to use in the calculation. If required, define a filter to selectively control which records
are processed.
2.
Choose the type of outlines that will control which points (records) are included in the
calculation.
3.
The series of data files can represent EASTING SECTION, NORTH SECTION or PLAN views.
However, you must identify the section type so that the outline files are correctly
superimposed. Do this in the Orientation dialog box.
4.
Use the Outline restrictions dialog to control which points will be used in the estimation
process. For more information, refer to the Using outlines to restrict which points are used
in the estimates topic.
5.
Choose the method of calculation from the list. For more information, refer to the
Calculation methods topic.
6.
Click the Grade Fields button and enter the name of the fields for which grade estimates will
be calculated and the default grade that will be used for each. You can enter a cut value for
the first value in this table. Values greater than the value you enter will be reduced to the
entry before the calculation. Alternatively, you can use grades recorded as outline
attributes. For more information, refer to the Using grades recorded as outline attributes
topic.
7.
If you intend using SG values from the data file in the calculation, enter the name of the
field in which they are stored. Enter the default SG - this will be used where there are
values missing from the SG field. Alternatively, you can use SGs recorded as outline
attributes. For more information, refer to the Using SGs recorded as outline attributes topic.
8.
Enter the name of the report file. The results of the estimation process will be written in
this file when you run the function.
9.
Click OK to run the process. The outline and data points are shown on the screen as
calculations proceed. Colour intensity changes for those points inside the outline that are
used in the estimation process.
The functions for preparing, modelling and displaying a gridded seam model.
Utilities for converting gridded seam models to 3D block models and vice-versa.
The Gridded Seam Estimate | Setup function separates the input data into individual material files one for each material code. You can then calculate grade estimates for each of these material files
in Gridded Seam Estimate | Interpolation.
Gridded seam files can be converted to block model files and block model files can be converted to
gridded seam files. If you want to use the Pit Optimisation functions with a gridded seam model,
you will need to convert it to a 3D Block Model first.
Once you have created the material files in Modelling | Gridded Seam Estimate | Setup , you
can calculate strip ratios and simple and general, grades, volumes and tonnages.
When you use the Gridded Seam Estimate functions to build a GSM of a narrow vein, you will
generally prepare the data (that represents the material that will be modelled) using the
compositing functions in the Dhole menu. With narrow veins it is normal to only model one material
- the ore. Hence there is only one material file required. This single material file is used as input to
the Gridded Seam Estimate | Interpolation function.
Depending on the orientation of the model, you may want to swap the RL and Easting fields or the
RL and Northing fields. For example, if a vein is trending North/South, you would swap the Easting
and RL coordinate fields.
To use the Gridded Seam functions to ultimately create a block model, you must perform the first
two steps in the procedure below. The sequence in which you use the functions is fixed.
47
48
1.
Run Setup to create material files from a data file or polygonal model files. Alternatively,
create the material files elsewhere in MICROMINE.
2.
Run Gridded Seam Estimation to model each material file to estimate grades for blocks in
the model.
3.
4.
To calculate estimates use Modelling | Model Report | Block Model Report or use the 3
Layer Grade Report or Model Report options under the Modelling | Gridded Seam
Estim ate menu.
5.
Separate records with the same material codes into files, one for each material you
nominate. Generally the material codes will match the layers in the deposit.
If there are more than ten material codes, you can run the function more than once.
The operation of the Setup functions is shown in the following example. This example, uses a data
file as input. In this case LITHOLOGY has been selected as the Material field. The thickness field
represents the drill intersection for each material code in each drillhole. Only two output files are
shown in the illustration; in practice there may be many more.
The output files are the material files that you specify in the Gridded Seam Estimate | Interpolation
function.
There are a number of ways to enter specific gravities for each material type. Which of these you
use will depend on what information you have at hand. These are described later in this section.
The Setup function composites individual intervals with the same material type in a drillhole. Up to
five grade fields can be handled by this process. You can also assign a cut value to each grade field.
The cut value will be substituted when the grade in a field exceeds it. Values above the cut value
will be reduced to the cut value in the material files. It is possible for a grade field to be repeated
with a different cut value.
If you select Insert Missing and particular material types are missing in a drillhole, the function will
insert records with a From/To interval of 0.00 into the material files to establish a complete
geological record for each hole. The 0.00 interval is given an RL equal to the RL at the base of the
material type that immediately precedes it. Do this if you want to model "pinch outs" correctly.
When using this option (Insert Missing ) it is important to ensure that you specify the correct
sequence (from top to bottom) for the different material files.
49
50
1.
Select Modelling | Gridded Seam Estim ate | Setup from the main menu.
2.
If you are using a polygonal model as input, select Use Model and then click the Model
Details button. Enter the polygonal model details in this dialog box. If you are using a data
file as input, select Use data file and enter its name. If required, apply a filter to selectively
process the records.
3.
4.
Enter the name of each of the grade fields for which you require estimates. If you need to
remove excessively high values from the grade fields that will be written to the material
files, you can enter cutoff values. Values in grade fields greater than those you enter will be
reduced to the cutoff values.
5.
If the input file has a thickness field and you enter its name, the material thickness will be
written to that field when you run the function. If you do not make any entry in Thickness
field, a field with the name THICK will be created in each of the material files. In either case
these fields will contain the thickness of the material for each drillhole.
6.
There are three ways of entering SGs in the records written to the output material files.
Which of these you use will depend on the information you have at hand. For more
information, refer to the Defining SG values for the output material files topic.
7.
Select insert missing if your input data does not contain all material codes in each drillhole.
Missing materials in a drillhole will then be written to the material files. They will be given a
thickness of 0 and an RL which defines where, in the geological sequence, the material
would be if it existed in that hole. This is necessary to ensure that pinchouts are modelled
correctly. For more information, refer to the function of Insert Missing topic.
8.
Click the Output Files button and enter the names of the material code and corresponding
file that will be created by this function. Make sure you enter material the codes in
sequence form the top to the bottom of the deposit. You can enter an SG at this point,
depending on your output requirements.
9.
Click OK to run the function. Each of the material files will be created.
The Inverse Distance Weighting (IDW) algorithm uses points surrounding a block to arrive at the
block estimate. To control the size of the area that will be searched for points, you must define the
size and skew of a search shape. You must also enter the power that will be used in the IDW
algorithm and the distance points will be "moved" from the block centre before they are used in the
estimate for that block.
The parameters you define for the search ellipse must suit the characteristics of the deposit and the
block size you have defined.
Modelling is performed using the same ellipse parameters for all the material files. If necessary, you
can restrict the calculation to points lying within specified outlines. If you use outlines in this way,
they must have been drawn in the same orientation as the data - usually this is in plan.
Additional information
The inverse distance algorithm used to build the gridded seam model is good for modelling the
grade distribution and, if no other information is available, may do a good job of modelling material
thickness and elevation. However, in many cases, it is better to build the gridded seam model from
separate models for the grade, material thickness and material elevation. For example, where there
is additional information on the structure of the material in the deposit and structural controls such
as faults.
In these cases you can obtain the best models by building DTMs of material thickness and elevation.
To do this:
1.
Use Dhole | Interactive | Complex to model sectional strings which represent the top
and bottom of the different material types.
51
Use the string data as input to Strings | DTM | Create to make a DTM of the top of each
material. You will also need a DTM of the base of the lowest material to be modelled.
3.
Using the pairs of DTMs representing the top and bottom of each material as input to
Strings | DTM | Seam Thickness, produce DTMs of the material thickness.
4.
Use Strings | DTM | Generate Z Values to calculate Values for the material thickness
and material Top in the Gridded Seam Model. This will overwrite existing thickness values
but areas outside the modelled (DTM) area will retain the existing thicknesses. Note that
you will require an extra field to store the values for material top.
5.
Calculate the elevation of each material using Material top 0.5(Material thickness).
The Process
1.
Select Modelling | Gridded Seam Estim ate | Interpolation from the main menu.
2.
Enter the names of the material files created in Gridded Seam Estimate | Setup. They must
be listed in stratigraphic order from the top to the bottom of the deposit.
3.
Click the Fields button and enter the names of the coordinate, SG and grade fields in the
material files. If you make an entry in Min block value, it is used as a minimum. It will be
written to blocks where the grade calculated from Grade field 1 is less.
4.
Define the X and Y block dimensions and the block origin in horizontal space. For details on
how to do this see Defining the block origin and dimensions .
5.
For details on how to use outline restrictions to control which outlines and thus points will
be used in the block estimates, see Controlling which outlines are used in the process.
6.
To learn how to define the parameters of the search ellipse see Defining the search
parameters.
7.
When you run the function, block estimates will be calculated for each of the layers in the
model. This is done layer by layer. You can display the blocks and a cross, value or nothing
for each layer. Select Display blocks to display the block outlines and choose one of the
options from the Display data list.
8.
Enter the name of the output file and a name for a new field that will take the volume
calculation for each block. This field is created when you run the function. You can also add
up to five new fields to the output file. To do this, click the Add Fields button.
9.
Click OK to run the function. The display window will open and you will see each layer in the
model processed separately. As the program runs data points are shown on the screen as a
cross and block location is also shown.
52
53
54
1.
Select Modelling | Gridded Seam Estim ate | Display from the main menu.
2.
3.
Click Display Limits, and then define the extent of the display. In addition to the coordinate
field names and the min and max values for each, you should enter a tolerance. This is
used when you "slice" the model to view the block characteristics. The tolerance defines the
thickness of this slice. To avoid the slice including two layers of blocks, enter a tolerance
that is slightly less than half the block dimension in the viewing direction. Use a filter on
material type when you want to display blocks in the direction in which the block
dimensions change.
4.
Enter the name of the thickness field, choose the viewing direction (View) and then enter
the coordinate of the viewing plane in the prompt that follows. This is the plane where the
model will be sliced and displayed.
5.
Select Display block centres if you want crosses to be displayed at the centre of each block.
If you display block centres, you can also select a colour set and enter a field that will
control how they are colour coded. This process is covered in Colour coding data using colour
sets.
6.
There are two ways to fill the blocks in the display, solid and hatched. These options are
described further in The different block fill methods. Select NONE if you only want the
blocks to appear as outlines.
7.
You can display three values from fields in the block model file as labels in each block. A
single colour set can be used for all three fields or you can apply a different colour set to
each. See Displaying labels on the blocks.
8.
To superimpose outlines on the block model display, select Display Outlines. Select an
outline set, choose files from within that set, and then define which outlines will be
displayed. For details see Displaying outlines.
9.
In this case the stripping ratio is reported in the RATIO field. When code INF (infinity) appears in
the ratio field, it indicates that there is no ore in that block, it is all waste.
The Process
1.
Select Modelling | Gridded Seam Estim ate | Calculate Strip Ratio from the main
menu.
2.
Enter the coordinate fields and the thickness, material and block index fields.
3.
Enter up to five ore codes and five waste codes. If you have many waste codes, such as
M1, M2, M3 and so on, use the star wildcard (M*) to select them all.
4.
Enter the name of the output file and a name for the field where the stripping ratio will be
recorded.
5.
55
Select Modelling | Gridded Seam Estim ate | 3 Layer Grade Report from the main
menu.
2.
Enter the names of the Wash, Pre-strip and Backfill material files. If required define filters
to selectively process records.
3.
4.
Enter the names of the thickness and grade fields in the input files.
5.
Choose the mode of operation. If you set Mode to MINING, you can apply a series of factors
that will modify the results of the calculation. For more information, refer to the Choosing
the operating mode topic.
6.
Choose the type of outlines you will use to control what is included in the calculation. These
are the mining outlines. Enter the number of the first and last outlines you want to include
in the process. If you are using polygonal model outlines you will need to enter the model
identifier. If they are user defined outlines you will need to enter the user prefix.
7.
Use the outline restrictions to control which outlines are used. For more information, refer
to the Controlling which outlines are used in the process topic.
8.
Enter the nominal drillhole spacing in the X and Y directions. Enter a distance, in grid units,
in the Accuracy prompt. This is a sub blocking factor. For more information, refer to the
Hole spacing parameters topic.
9.
56
If you have factor values for the recovery of any of the materials or the metal they contain, you can
use Files | Fields | Calculate to apply corrections to the estimates in the output file.
The Process
1.
Select Modelling | Gridded Seam Estim ate | Model Report from the main menu.
2.
Enter the names of the material files you want to use in the calculation. If required, define
filters to selectively process records.
3.
4.
Enter the names of the thickness and grade fields in the input files. To use the SG values in
the material files, enter the name of the SG field. Alternatively, enter an SG opposite each
material file.
5.
Choose the type of calculation that will be performed from Metal calc type.
6.
Choose the type of outlines you will use to control what is included in the calculation. These
are the mining outlines. Enter the number of the first and last outlines you want to include
in the process. If you are using polygonal model outlines you will need to enter the model
identifier. If they are user defined outlines you will need to enter the user prefix.
7.
Use the outline restrictions to control which outlines are used. For details see Controlling
which outlines are used in the process.
57
Enter the nominal drillhole spacing in the X and Y directions. Enter a distance, in grid units,
in the Accuracy prompt. This defines the zone of influence of each drillhole. For more
information, refer to the Hole spacing parameters topic.
9.
58
The program calculates the SG of a block in the 3D block model from the SGs of the various
ores. In the case of a Sparse GSM, the associated waste SGs are also used. In addition, the
SGs of both the ore and the waste are written to the output file. This is required by programs
such as Whittle 4D and 4X because they need information on the SG of both ore and waste.
These can not be reconstructed from the block SG.
Where a block is partly in air, the grade will be the grade of the ore portions of the block; its
volume will be the volume of ore and waste in the block, and the SG will be the weighted SG
for the ore (materials) and the waste (materials). Tonnes are calculated as block volume
multiplied by block SG.
Calculation proceeds from the base of a stack of blocks to the top, hence the requirement that
the blocks are indexed.
The Process
1.
Select Modelling | Gridded Seam Estim ate | GSM ->3D OBM from the main menu.
2.
Enter the name of a GSM file created in Gridded Seam Estimate | Interpolation .
3.
Enter the names of the coordinate fields in the GSM file. The function uses the names of the
Easting and Northing coordinate fields to identify the block dimension fields in the GSM file.
59
Enter the names of the Thickness field, the 2D Index field and the Material number field.
Note that the 2D Index and Material number fields will only be present if you have selected
these options in Gridded Seam Estimate | Interpolation.
5.
Enter the RL origin. See How to determine the elevation at the block model origin. The RL
block dimension defines the height of the blocks in the block model.
6.
Enter a Default SG. This will be used in instances where not all records have an SG or there
is no SG field in the input file.
7.
8.
You can display the block model in Modelling | 3D Block Estimate | Display or in Display | 3D
Viewer.
This Ore factor is similar to the Block factor field in Modelling | Model Report | Mining Block Grades.
It records the portion (to an accuracy of 0.01) of the block that is ore. This data must be in the
input file. The Ore Factor field is only enabled for Sparse GSMs. In the Sparse GSM only ore is
modelled, therefore, when you convert it to a 3D block model, you must define the percentage of a
block which is ore and the percentage which is non ore (waste).
Enter a name for the Tonnage field that will take the calculated tonnage values in the output file.
This parameter is optional, however, if you define it, you must also enter the SG field name and/or
a default SG. You must add this field to the input file. The tonnage is calculated as Block
volume * Block SG.
60
The Process
1.
Select Modelling | Gridded Seam Estim ate | 3D OBM -> GSM from the main menu.
2.
3.
Enter the names of the coordinate fields in the block model file. Because the block
dimension field names are derived from the coordinate fields, the function can find the
block dimensions in the model.
4.
Enter the name of the material and block index fields in the input file.
5.
6.
Enter the name of the output file and a name for the thickness field that will be created
when you run the function. The vertical height of the blocks in the gridded seam model will
be written to the thickness field.
61
62
Index
Index
2
3D OBM.......................................... 61
to 3D OBM ...................................... 59
2D Block Index....................................22
3D Block Index....................................21
3D OBM
3D OBM........................................59, 61
Assign Outlines...............................12, 38
Nested
Indicator Kriging............................... 17
Ordinary/Universal Kriging..................... 15
Deleting
Deleting ......................................... 35
Polygonal model............................. 33, 35
Polygonal Section Estimate32, 33, 36, 40, 42,
44, 45
R
Rank Kriging ...................................... 16
S
Setup, polygonal section estimate ........... 33
63
Index
64
MICROMINE Wireframing
Table Of Contents
Creating solids from wireframes ................................................................................... 19
To create a solid, do the following:........................................................................... 19
Calculating wireframe volumes ..................................................................................... 20
Overview ........................................................................................................... 20
The Process ........................................................................................................ 20
Creating outlines from wireframes................................................................................. 21
Overview ........................................................................................................... 21
The Process ........................................................................................................ 21
Wireframe Boolean operations...................................................................................... 23
Wireframe A and B ................................................................................................. 23
Wireframe Type................................................................................................... 23
Wireframe Name.................................................................................................. 23
Output ................................................................................................................. 23
A IN B ............................................................................................................... 23
A OUT B ............................................................................................................ 23
B IN A ............................................................................................................... 23
B OUT A ............................................................................................................ 24
Intersection Strings ................................................................................................ 24
Assign Wireframes .................................................................................................... 25
Overview ........................................................................................................... 25
The Process ........................................................................................................ 25
Refining the Assign process when using a block model (Sub blocking).................................... 27
Grade Tonnage Report ............................................................................................... 28
Overview ........................................................................................................... 28
The Process ........................................................................................................ 29
Index ..................................................................................................................... 31
ii
Wireframing
What is a wireframe?
A wireframe is a triangulated surface composed of one or more facets. The surface can be open or
closed. Wireframes have attributes. You can enter values in these attributes to define the wireframe
characteristics and add information about the structures they represent. Typical attributes are name
and colour. Other attributes such as ore grade or cost of mining a tonne of rock can also be used
with different types of wireframe.
In addition to attributes, you can also define metadata for each wireframe. Metadata is global
information about the wireframe such as when it was created, who created it, and so on.
Note: A wireframe is the smallest entity that can be processed in MICROMINE. That is, although a
wireframe can be composed of several surfaces, all those surfaces will be processed as though they are a
single entity. If you want to process surfaces separately, they must be different wireframes.
Wireframing
Ore
Fault
Lithology Boundary
Pit
Underground
Opencut
Stope
Rock Model
Mineralisation
Extrude *
Natural
DTM
Boolean
Grade Shells
Selecting wireframes by type. Select one type of wireframe, and one or more wireframes of
that type in functions that can be used to process wireframes.
Wireframing
Selecting wireframes by set, enables you to select multiple types of wireframe. For each
wireframe type you can then select multiple wireframes by their attribute values and use
partial strings and wildcards to do so.
2.
3.
In the Define Wireframe Set form, enter types, attributes and names for the wireframes
that are to be defined as part of the set. You can left double-click (or press F3) to select
types, attributes, and names from selection lists.
To select multiple wireframes by attribute, enter partial strings and wildcards.
4.
To use the types, attributes and names you have defined previously, click the Load button
to load another wireframe set.
5.
To save the types, attributes and names you have defined and re-use them in other
functions click the Sets button to create a form set.
Table Of Contents
Table Of Contents
What is a wireframe? ................................................................................................... 1
Working with wireframe types ........................................................................................ 2
Working with wireframe sets.......................................................................................... 3
To create a wireframe set ............................................................................................. 3
Select only wireframes matching all conditions for type?.................................................. 3
Wireframe attributes (properties).................................................................................... 4
How wireframe coordinates are stored ............................................................................. 5
Local vertical exaggeration ....................................................................................... 5
Global vertical exaggeration ..................................................................................... 5
Moving wireframes between projects ............................................................................... 6
Using the wireframe editor ............................................................................................ 7
Editing strings and outlines ........................................................................................... 8
Using the Wireframe Editor toolbar.................................................................................. 9
Triangulation methods and validation.......................................................................... 9
String editing ...................................................................................................... 10
Validating wireframes................................................................................................. 11
The Optimising options in Validation ......................................................................... 11
Working with tie-lines ................................................................................................ 12
To load tie-lines ..................................................................................................... 12
To draw tie-lines .................................................................................................... 12
To save tie-lines..................................................................................................... 12
To save a set of tie-lines .......................................................................................... 12
To delete tie-lines................................................................................................... 12
Working with triangles................................................................................................ 14
Opening the ends of wireframes................................................................................. 14
Closing the ends of wireframes .................................................................................. 14
Removing unwanted triangles.................................................................................... 14
Wireframe from String (3D menu)................................................................................. 15
Overview ........................................................................................................... 15
The Process ........................................................................................................ 15
Wireframe from String ............................................................................................... 17
Overview ........................................................................................................... 17
The Process ........................................................................................................ 17
Wireframing
1.
2.
3.
Click the User Defined Attributes button to modify user defined attributes.
4.
Click the Forms button to save the properties as a form set that can be applied to other
wireframe objects.
5.
Wireframing
Local
Global
Wireframing
Sections or Profiles.
Generally you will create the strings or outlines in other functions such as Modelling | Polygonal
Section Estimate. Once you load the strings or outlines into the Wireframe Editor you can edit them
further. You cannot save the changes back to the original file, but you can save them to another
file.
The overall process is:
1.
2.
Load the strings or outlines from which you will create the wireframe(s) using the options
under the Load menu. You can also load other supporting data to help you form the
wireframes correctly, for example point values.
3.
Select W irefram e | New to create a wireframe. This starts the Wireframe Editor.
4.
Click the Build Wireframe button on the toolbar and triangulate between the strings or
outlines.
5.
In the most cases this is all you will need to do to create wireframes. However, there will be
instances where triangulation will not form correctly. In these instances you will need to draw tielines to assist the triangulation algorithm.
Sometimes you will also need to edit strings in the Wireframe Editor. A good example is when you
need to close off orebodies by extending the shape of the wireframe mid-way between drillhole
sections. A wide range of string editing functions are provided on the toolbar and via the right-click
menu.
Occasionally you will need to remove triangles and regenerate or open the end of a closed surface.
Finally, to complete the process, you must validate the wireframes you have created. This involves
visual validation and then running the wireframe validation process.
In summary, there are four modes of operation in the Wireframe Editor:
Build Wireframes
Edit Tie-lines
Edit Strings
Edit Triangles
Build Wireframes is the primary mode. The others are secondary modes that support the process of
wireframe building.
Click the Edit String button in the Wireframe Editor (or select W irefram es | Mode | Edit
Strings from the menu) and click on the string you want to edit.
When you select Edit Strings or the Edit String button, the string editing buttons on the menu will
be enabled, and string editing options will be available via the right-click menu.
Functions provided on the toolbar (and under Mode on the right-click menu) operate on the points
(nodes) in a string, or on the selected string as a whole:
Copy a string.
Move a string.
Scale a string.
Split a string.
Load a wireframe object and select the Wireframe | Edit menu option.
Alternatively, load the strings or outlines from which you will create the wireframe and
select W irefram e | New.
The tools on the 3D Viewer toolbar are augmented by a number of wireframe editing tools.
Note: The width of the application window and the selections you have made when customising the
toolbar, may determine what tool buttons are displayed.
Depending on the object being edited, different editing modes can be enabled. The current mode
determines which tools are enabled.
Select the Build W ireframes tool to put the display into Build Wireframes mode.
A number of triangulation options are then enabled on the toolbar (See Below).
Forming triangulation between outlines and strings.
Select the Edit Tie Lines tool to put the display into Tie Lines mode. For more
information, refer to the Working with tie lines and Using tie lines to resolve
inconsistent triangulation topics.
Select the Edit Strings button to put the display into String Edit mode.
Sometimes you will also need to edit strings in the Wireframe Editor. A good
example is when you need to close off ore bodies by extending the shape of the
wireframe mid-way between drillhole sections. A wide range of string editing
functions are provided on the toolbar and via the right-click menu.
Select the Edit Triangles tool to edit the triangles in a wireframe individually.
Click the Undo button (or Ctrl-Z) to undo the last edit performed on an object in
the display. The Undo function records the edits made in the display window and
will undo those edits in reverse order.
Note: If you leave edit mode and then re-enter edit mode, any previous edits will be
lost and you will not be able to undo them.
10
Validating wireframes
Wireframes require two types of validation:
Checks that the software performs when you create the triangulation.
You should validate wireframes before you can use them in other parts of MICROMINE or you will
not get accurate results. It is probably a good idea to use the software to validate the triangulation
as you create it, especially if the strings or outlines with which you are working do not form easily.
The two main validation issues for closed surfaces such as orebodies are:
For surfaces that are not closed, like faults, the main issue is that there are no intersecting
triangles.
To validate wireframes:
1.
2.
Right-click and select Validate from the menu that appears. The Validate Wireframes dialog
will appear.
3.
If you are checking that the surface is closed, select Check Closure, and then click OK. If
you do not need to check for closure, for example, when you have triangulated a fault, only
self-intersection will be reported.
4.
Invalid connections - when these are found, the validation process will not be continued.
11
Right-click while you are in tie line mode. Select Load from the right-click menu.
2.
Enter the name for the file where the tie-lines are saved.
3.
If required, enter a code in combination with wildcards to control which tie-lines will be
loaded.
4.
To draw tie-lines
When you select the Tie-line button, you enter tie-line editing mode. In this mode you can add any
number of tie-lines to the wireframes in the display.
In the Wireframe Editor:
1.
Click the Edit Tie-lines button on the menu. Alternatively, select Wireframe | Mode | Edit
Tie Lines from the Wireframe menu. The nodes on all the strings will appear.
2.
Click over a node on one of the strings. It will be highlighted in the tie-line colour.
3.
Move the cursor to the node on the next string, and then click again. The tie-line will
appear between the two nodes.
To save tie-lines
You can save tie-lines and re-use them later. When you do this, you should consider assigning a
character code (of up to twenty characters). The code will be applied to all the tie-lines you save.
If you then save more tie-lines in the same file (by appending), you can use this character code
alone or combined with wildcards to limit which tie-lines will be reloaded. While you are not required
to enter codes, they can be very useful when you want to deal with portions of a wireframe in
isolation.
The tie-line file is automatically created when you save. All tie-lines in the current view are saved. If
you want to save groups of tie-lines with different codes you need to ensure that only the outlines
you want to save with each code are in the current view.
To save tie-lines:
1.
With tie-lines displayed on screen, right-click, and then select Save from the right-click
menu.
2.
Enter a name for the file in which the tie-lines will be saved. The file will be created by this
function.
3.
If required, enter a code. This will be assigned to all the tie-lines that are saved.
4.
To delete tie-lines
12
Click the Tie-line button. Alternatively, select W irefram e | Mode | Edit Tie Lines from
the Wireframing menu. The nodes on all of the strings will appear.
2.
Right-click anywhere in the display and select Delete Ties from the right-click menu.
3.
Position the cursor over a tie-line and left-click. The tie-line will be deleted.
To continue deleting tie-lines, click on them.
To draw a new tie-line, right-click again, and then select Add Ties.
13
Ensure that you are in Edit Triangles mode (by clicking the Edit Triangles button) in the
Wireframe Editor.
2.
3.
4.
Make sure you are in Build Wireframes mode (by clicking the Build Wireframes button) in
the Wireframe Editor.
2.
3.
Move the cursor over the triangulated surface or solid and click the mouse to highlight a
triangle. To select multiple triangles use the CTRL key with the mouse.
Alternatively, right-click and select Select connected triangles or Select triangles
created together from the menu.
14
If the input string file contains additional fields, you can use them to control the Width, Height, and
X and Y offsets of the string segments. If you do this, the values you enter in the Width, Height,
and X and Y offset prompts become defaults. That is, they will be substituted when values are
missing from records in the input file.
When you create a wireframe from a string, you must enter a name attribute. All the other
attributes, including metadata, are optional.
The Process
1.
2.
In the Wireframe from string dialog, enter the name of the string file and the names of the
fields in that file.
3.
4.
Enter dimensions for the shape. If you select one of the trapezoids, enter a value for the
narrower dimension in the Top or Bottom prompt (the prompt changes according to which
of the trapezoid shapes you have chosen).
5.
Enter X and Y offsets to control the position of the wireframes with respect to the strings.
6.
The shape and dimensions of the wireframe profile appear in the panel in the centre of the
dialog box. The position of the profile with respect to the string is also shown.
15
16
7.
(Optional) Click the Attributes button and enter any other attributes for the wireframe.
8.
(Optional) Click the Metadata button to define a set of attributes that provide information
about the data represented by the wireframe.
9.
If the input string file contains additional fields, you can use them to control the Width, Height, and
X and Y offsets of the string segments. If you do this, the values you enter in the Width, Height,
and X and Y offset prompts become defaults. That is, they will be substituted when values are
missing from records in the input file.
When you create a wireframe from a string, you must enter a name attribute. All the other
attributes, including metadata, are optional.
The Process
1.
2.
3.
In the Load Wireframe From String dialog, enter the name of the string file and the names
of the fields in that file.
4.
5.
Enter dimensions for the shape. If you select one of the trapezoids, enter a value for the
narrower dimension in the Top or Bottom prompt (the prompt changes according to which
of the trapezoid shapes you have chosen).
6.
Enter X and Y offsets to control the position of the wireframes with respect to the strings.
17
To adjust the Z values when displaying the file, select the Adjust Z values option and click
the More button to open the Adjust Z values dialog. The new values are used in the 3D
Viewer only and do not update the file.
8.
(Optional) To control the drawing style, transparency and edge smoothing, select Change
appearance, click the adjacent More button, and make entries in the Appearance dialog.
9.
Select the Close ends option to close the ends of the strings prior to creating the wireframe.
18
2.
Define the Z offset for the top surface (offset will be added to the Z value of all points in the
triangulation).
3.
Select the bottom surface (this may be the same as the top surface).
4.
Define the Z offset for the bottom surface (offset will be added to the Z value of all points in
the triangulation).
5.
Define the type, name, code and colour of the wireframe to be generated by this function.
Title text may also be assigned to the wireframe.
6.
7.
Optionally display a dialog summarising the validation of the wireframe generated (as per
validation in 3D wireframing).
19
The Process
20
1.
Select Modelling | Polygonal Wireframe Estimate | Volumes from the main menu.
2.
If you want to process a number of wireframes at one time, select Set and then enter the
name of the set. To process an individual wireframe, enter the name of the wireframe type,
and then enter the name of the wireframe you want to work with.
3.
If you want to calculate tonnage and volumes, select Calculate Tonnage, and then enter the
name of the SG attribute in the wireframe(s). If you enter a value in Default SG it will be
used when a wireframe SG attribute does not contain a value.
4.
Enter the name of the report file that will be created when you run this function.
5.
Click OK to continue.
The Process
1.
2.
If you want to process a number of wireframes at one time, select Set and then enter the
name of the set. To process an individual wireframe, enter the name of the wireframe type,
and then enter the name of the wireframe you want to work with. For details see Selecting
the wireframes that will be used in a function.
3.
21
If you want the outlines to be created at regular intervals select Regular Spacing and then
enter:
The coordinate of the first outline that will be drawn in Start section.
If you want the outlines to be created at irregular intervals, clear Regular Spacing, and then
enter the name of the control file that specifies where the outlines will be drawn, how many
will be created, and the spacing between them. For more information on control files see
Controlling what is included in a model with irregular sections.
5.
MODEL - enter the model identifier in the next prompt. Outline files with names in
the form GEOLXnnn.OUT will be created. The X is the model identifier and the nnn
is the number.
GEOLOGY - outline files with names in the form GEOLnnn.OUT will be created.
DESIGN - outline files with names in the form DESGNnnn.OUT will be created.
USER PREFIX - outline files with names in the form CCCCCnnn.OUT will be created.
The CCCCC corresponds to the user prefix you enter.
6.
Enter a Start number - The components of a polygonal model are allocated numbers
between 1 and 999. This is the XXX portion of the model naming system: GEOL(A-Z)XXX.
Enter the number (XXX) of the last component that will be used in the grade estimation.
(This corresponds to the numeric component of the outline file.).
7.
8.
22
Purge Outline files? Select this option to delete any existing outlines in the
output file.
Overwrite existing outlines? This option is only enabled when the "Purge outline
files" option is not selected. When you select this option, if an outline is found in
the output file with the same name as the outline currently being generated, the
existing outline is overwritten (this only applies to outlines that existed in the file
before the process was run - not to outlines generated during the current run of
the function).
Generate m odel param eter file? Select this option to generate a parameter file
when the MODEL output file type is selected.
Click OK to run the function. After a few moments, the outlines will be created. You can
return to the 3D Viewer and see both the wireframes and the outlines created from them.
Wireframe A and B
For each wireframe you want to perform a boolean operation on:
Wireframe Type
Select one of the wireframe types in the current project by double-clicking in the Wireframe Type
input box.
A wireframe type is a name used to categorise a wireframe. All wireframes, no matter what the
type, are the same - collections of triangles, attributes and metadata. Because you will require
different wireframe attributes, according to the sort of feature they describe, wireframe types are a
means of organising data.
Wireframe Nam e
Having selected a wireframe type, double-click in the Wireframe name input box. Select the name
of the wireframe you want to display.
Output
Define what output files will be produced as a result of the set operation you specify and optionally
specify a default output colour or colour set to be used to colour code each wireframe.
Specify the set operations to be performed on the two surfaces.
A IN B
Select this option to output the part of the first surface which lies inside the second surface.
A OUT B
Select this option to output the part of the first surface which lies outside the second surface.
B IN A
Select this option to output the part of the second surface which lies inside the first surface.
23
Intersection Strings
Select the Intersection strings option to write the strings where the two surfaces intersect. Click the
More box to define the attributes of the string file.
24
Assign Wireframes
Assign Wireframes
Overview
Using Modelling | Assign | Wireframes, you can write selected attributes from a wireframe to the
points in a data file that intersect it. The function works by determining if points occur within the
wireframe volumes. If so, it writes the wireframe attributes you have nominated to fields in the
records for those points.
You can apply this function widely in MICROMINE - anywhere you need to identify points inside a
wireframe. Assign Wireframes has two input requirements:
A file containing records with 3D coordinates and one or more fields to receive assigned
attributes. This will often be a block model file but can be any data file. The wireframe
attributes are assigned to this file.
Once you have assigned wireframe attributes to separate fields in the input data file, other functions
can use the data file as input. You can filter on selected attributes to control which data is used by
the function.
If you are using a block model as input, you can decompose the blocks into sub block to improve
the accuracy of the assign process.
When you run Assign Wireframes it creates a report file. This report is useful when you want to
understand what has happened in the target file and to check that the process has been successful.
The Process
1.
Select the Modelling | Assign | Wireframes menu option to open the Assign Wireframes
dialog.
25
Assign Wireframes
26
2.
If you want to assign a wireframe to a block model without subblocking, select Point Data
as the input type.
3.
If the target file in this process is a block model file, you can decompose the blocks into
sub-blocks to improve the accuracy of the assignment process. The blocks can be
decomposed into ten sub-blocks in each (X,Y,RL) direction. To do this:
Select the Sub-blocks or Block factor option and enter the corresponding
parameters for the Subblocking method you have selected.
4.
Enter the name of the data file that will be the target of the assign process. You must also
enter the names of the coordinate fields in that file.
5.
If you want to process a number of wireframes at one time, select Set and then enter the
name of the set. To process an individual wireframe, enter the name of the wireframe type,
and then enter the name of the wireframe you want to work with. For details see Selecting
the wireframes that will be used in a function.
6.
Define how the attributes will be assigned to the data file. For more information, refer to
the Mapping the wireframe attributes to fields in the data file topics.
7.
Select Clear target fields and Overwrite target field according to how you want to deal with
values already in the target fields (in the file to which you will assign the wireframe
attributes). For more information, refer to the Overwrite target field and Clear target field
topic.
8.
(Optional) Select the Delete records outside wireframes option to delete those records in
the data file that fall outside the extent of the wireframe(s).
7.
Enter the name of the Report file. For information about the report file generated by this
function, refer to the Assign Wireframes Report file topic.
8.
Assign Wireframes
Refining the Assign process when using a block model (Sub blocking)
If the target file in this process is a block model file, you can decompose the blocks into sub-blocks
to improve the accuracy of the assignment process. The blocks can be decomposed into ten sub
blocks in each direction.
If you selected Sub-blocks as the Subblocking method (in the Assign Wireframes dialog):
Enter the number of blocks, in each direction, into which the block will be subdivided. The
more sub-blocks there are, the more accurate the assignment will be - at the expense of
processing speed.
If you selected Block factor as the Subblocking method (in the Assign Wireframes dialog):
1.
Enter the name of the Block Factor field. The portion of each block that falls within each
wireframe volume will be written to this field.
2.
Enter the number of blocks, in each direction, into which the block will be subdivided. The
more sub-blocks there are, the more accurate the assignment will be - at the expense of
processing speed.
3.
If you select Clear block factor field, the nominated field will be cleared of all values before
the function makes any assignments.
4.
If you want to accumulate values in the Block factor field, for example, where a block or
part of a block falls within more than one wireframe, select Accumulate block factors. When
values in the block factor field exceed 1 it indicates the wireframes are overflowing in that
block.
Depending on the size of the original blocks in the block model and the wireframes they intersect,
you may want to assign attributes to blocks that are only partly within a wireframe. To do this,
select Attributes assigned for partial blocks. A value will still be written to the block factor field.
27
A file containing records with one or more grade fields and 3D coordinates or a drillhole interval
file that is part of a drillhole database (Collar and Survey files).
When you use an interval file as input, you can either specify a trace coordinate file or calculate the
coordinates "on-the-fly". If you want to use a trace coordinate file, see Generating Downhole
Coordinates for details. If you use an interval file and want to calculate the trace coordinates when
you run the function, enter the name of a collar file and, optionally, a survey file. You must also
enter the names of the required fields in these files.
There are three methods you can use to calculate estimates, simple averaging, factor weighting and
length weighting. From To weighting (length) can only be applied to drillhole data.
Up to ten grades fields can be used in the estimation process. For each grade, there are two ways of
passing each grade to the function. The first is to enter the name of a grade field in the input file.
The function will use the grade values in this field when it calculates estimates. The second method
is to obtain a value from one of the attributes in the wireframe(s).
In both cases you can enter a default grade. If grade values are missing from some records in the
interval file or from a wireframe, the default value will be substituted in the calculation for that
record.
If grade values are missing from some records in the input file or from a wireframe, and you do not
specify a default, a value of 0.0 will be substituted in the calculation for that record.
You can also direct the function to write an average of the grades in a field back to the wireframe
attribute you have specified.
28
The average grade for each of the grade fields in each wireframe.
The total metal (M_) for each grade field in each wireframe.
Where grade is measured in weight/volume, the grade per tonne will be reported. Where grade is
measured in weight per weight, the grade per cubic metre will be reported.
This is a fragment of a report file produced by this function.
The Process
1.
Select Modelling | Polygonal Wirefram e Estimate | Grade Tonnage Report from the
main menu.
2.
If you want to process a number of wireframes at one time, select Set and then enter the
name of the set. To process an individual wireframe, enter the name of the wireframe type,
and then enter the name of the wireframe you want to work with. For details see Selecting
the wireframes that will be used in a function.
3.
If you select 3D Points, you must enter the name of the input data file and its
coordinate fields.
If you select Interval file, you must enter the name of the interval file. Click the
Drillhole Setup button, and select Coordinate file or Collar file. If you select
Coordinate file enter the names of the fields in that file. If you select Collar file,
enter the names of the fields in it. If there is a Survey file, do the same.
4.
5.
Click the SG Fields button and define where SG values will be obtained for the process.
6.
Click the Grade Fields button and define which grades will be used in the process and where
grade values will be obtained.
29
30
7.
Enter the name of the report file that will be created by this function.
8.
Click OK to run the function. To view the report file, right-click with the cursor in the output
file response.
Index
Index
A
Strings
Editing .............................................8
Strings...................................... 8, 15, 17
Boolean operations...............................23
Surface
Build Wireframe.................................... 7
to solid........................................... 19
Surface ............................................. 19
Creating
Surface to solid................................... 19
solids .............................................19
Tie-lines............................................ 12
Triangles ........................................... 14
Creating ........................................ 3, 19
Validate Wireframes............................. 11
Edit Tie-lines........................................ 7
Volume ............................................. 27
Edit Triangles.................................. 7, 14
Edited strings....................................... 7
Editing
Wireframe
strings ............................................. 8
assign ............................................ 25
Editing ............................................... 8
Generate
Generate ...........................................15
Wireframe coordinates............................5
Move ................................................. 6
Wireframe types....................................2
Wireframe Volumes.............................. 20
Wireframes
Set .................................................... 3
Solids
Solids................................................19
31
Index
moving to other projects ...................... 6
changes in ......................................5
types............................................... 2
Wireframes................................... 1, 5, 6
Z values
32
MICROMINE Mining
Table Of Contents
Table Of Contents
Underground mine design ............................................................................................. 1
Loading an underground design...................................................................................... 2
Extrude String............................................................................................................ 3
The Process .......................................................................................................... 3
Generate sections and openings ..................................................................................... 5
The Process .......................................................................................................... 5
The Mine Design toolbar ............................................................................................... 6
Ring Design ............................................................................................................... 8
Ring database ....................................................................................................... 8
Naming of objects .................................................................................................. 8
Selecting objects in the display.................................................................................. 8
Loading a ring design................................................................................................... 9
Adding a drive.......................................................................................................... 12
Drive String .......................................................................................................... 12
Drive Options ........................................................................................................ 12
Regenerating drive boundaries ..................................................................................... 14
Creating a ring ......................................................................................................... 15
Editing a ring ........................................................................................................... 16
Editing an existing ring boundary ............................................................................. 17
Exiting Ring Edit mode .......................................................................................... 17
Generating a drillhole fan............................................................................................ 18
Drillhole spacing algorithms......................................................................................... 19
Toe................................................................................................................... 19
Boundary ........................................................................................................... 19
Fixed ................................................................................................................ 19
Generating parallel drillholes........................................................................................ 20
Editing drillholes ....................................................................................................... 22
Deleting drillholes ................................................................................................ 22
Interactive charging and stemming ............................................................................... 23
To set up charging and stemming parameters............................................................. 23
Charging colour settings ........................................................................................ 23
Exiting Charging mode .......................................................................................... 23
Auto-calculating charging start points ............................................................................ 24
Table Of Contents
Radius of influence ............................................................................................... 24
Minimum uncharged collar distance .......................................................................... 24
Copying a ring.......................................................................................................... 25
To copy a ring ..................................................................................................... 25
Replicating a ring along the drive .................................................................................. 26
To replicate a ring ................................................................................................ 26
Generating a wireframe and grades ............................................................................... 27
Generate wireframe ................................................................................................ 27
Thick value......................................................................................................... 27
Wireframe .......................................................................................................... 27
Generate tonnes and grades ..................................................................................... 28
Renumbering drillholes............................................................................................... 29
Shortening drillholes .................................................................................................. 29
Deleting objects........................................................................................................ 30
Deleting drillholes ................................................................................................ 30
Creating a plot ......................................................................................................... 31
The Ring Design toolbar.............................................................................................. 32
Pit Optimisation........................................................................................................ 34
MM to Whittle Proteus ................................................................................................ 35
Model Parameters ................................................................................................ 35
The Process ........................................................................................................ 35
Whittle Proteus to MM ................................................................................................ 37
The Process ........................................................................................................ 37
MM to MineMax Planner .............................................................................................. 38
The Process ........................................................................................................ 38
MineMax To MM........................................................................................................ 39
Pit Design ............................................................................................................... 40
Before beginning the Pit Design process .................................................................... 41
Loading a pit design .................................................................................................. 42
In Vizex ............................................................................................................. 42
Pit Design............................................................................................................. 42
Display Options...................................................................................................... 43
Digitising the base string ............................................................................................ 44
Adding roads to the pit ............................................................................................... 46
Creating a switchback ........................................................................................... 47
ii
Table Of Contents
Generating the walls of the pit ..................................................................................... 48
Pits with multiple bases ......................................................................................... 49
Draping an outline on a wireframe ................................................................................ 50
For example ....................................................................................................... 50
To drape the outline on a Wireframe:........................................................................ 50
Intersecting the pit with the surrounding topography ......................................................... 51
To move a point .................................................................................................. 51
To extend a string ................................................................................................ 51
Handling crossover strings .......................................................................................... 52
Stockpile Design ....................................................................................................... 52
The Mine Design toolbar ............................................................................................. 53
Pit Constraints.......................................................................................................... 55
The Process ........................................................................................................ 55
Divisions............................................................................................................ 55
Subdivisions ....................................................................................................... 55
Moving between levels .......................................................................................... 55
Blasthole Design ....................................................................................................... 57
Blasthole Setup...................................................................................................... 57
The Process ........................................................................................................ 57
Loading a blasthole design........................................................................................ 59
Creating a new blasthole file ..................................................................................... 59
The Process ........................................................................................................ 59
Blasthole tools ....................................................................................................... 60
Blast Displacement.................................................................................................... 62
Create new ore outline .......................................................................................... 62
Display displacement vectors .................................................................................. 63
Grade Control Setup tools ........................................................................................... 64
Setting up the Grade Control display......................................................................... 64
The Calculation Setup Process................................................................................. 64
Grade Control .......................................................................................................... 66
The Process ........................................................................................................ 66
Calculate grade tonnage within a mining boundary ............................................................ 67
Other applications ................................................................................................ 68
The Process ........................................................................................................ 68
Calculating grade tonnage above a cutoff........................................................................ 70
iii
Table Of Contents
The Process ........................................................................................................ 70
iv
Use the Generate Sidewalls tool to generate a polygon enclosing the area within a specified
distance of the selected string. A dialog is displayed which prompts for the distance for left
and right walls. When you click OK, a polygon is formed by joining the left and right walls with
two lines perpendicular to the centreline string.
Use the Underground Solid function to apply a profile to the centre line and "extrude" a decline
design.
To aid visualisation, a wireframe can be generated from the design strings. Design wireframes can
then be used to calculate volumes or for extracting sections which can be used as inputs to ring
design, and during the creation of blast patterns.
Once a solid has been created, polygon boolean and wireframe boolean functions can be used to
further refine your designs and volume calculations.
Select an option from the Mining | Underground menu to load or create a string file that
defines a Centreline, Stope, or Panel. Alternatively, double-click on the Underground
Design icon in the Form Sets pane or select the Display | Vizex | Underground Design
menu option.
2.
Enter the name of the file (or double-click in the file input box to select a file) containing
your underground design strings. If required, define a filter to selectively control the records
to be processed.
To create a new underground string file, right-click in the file input box and select New from
the right-click menu.
3.
Enter the names of the Easting, Northing and RL fields in the file.
4.
4.
5.
To colour code the lines, enter the name of the field that will control the colour coding and
the number of the colour set. If you do not colour code the lines, they will be displayed in
the default colour.
Extrude String
The Extrude String function converts one or more strings into a wireframe. You can use it to
generate a wireframe from a series of strings that define underground features such as drives. The
wireframes will be drawn along the paths defined by the strings. You can define:
The Process
In the Wireframe definition tab:
1.
2.
(Optional) Click the Attributes button and enter any other attributes for the strings.
3.
(Optional) Click the Metadata button to define a set of attributes that provide information
about the data represented by the wireframe.
4.
Select the Close-ends option to close the ends of the selected string before the wireframe is
created. The start and end point of the string will be connected by a new segment.
5.
Select the Auto-load the created wireframe option to load the wireframe object into the
display once it has been created.
6.
Select the Only use selected strings option to create a wireframe using only those strings
that are selected. If no strings are selected, this option will be disabled.
1.
2.
Enter dimensions for the shape. If you select one of the trapezoids, enter a value for the
narrower dimension in the Top or Bottom prompt (the prompt changes according to which
of the trapezoid shapes you have chosen).
3.
Enter X and Y offsets to control the position of the wireframes with respect to the strings.
The shape and dimensions of the wireframe profile appear in the panel in the centre of the
dialog box. The position of the profile with respect to the string is also shown.
4.
Select Mining | Underground | Sections and Openings from the main menu.
2.
Enter the name of the file containing your data. If required, define a filter to selectively
control which records will be processed.
3.
4.
Enter the String field and/or Join field name and the Wildcode (if any).
5.
Choose the type of input strings (BACK & FLOOR, FLOOR ONLY or BACK ONLY). See the
overview (above), for more information.
6.
7.
8.
9.
Which buttons and tools are enabled will depend on the object currently selected in the display, or
on the tool or mode that is currently active. The width of the application window, and the selections
you have made when customising the toolbar, may also determine which buttons are displayed.
Click the Gradient Control tool to interactively set the elevation of new points
when digitising a string.
Click the Generate Sidewalls button to generate a polygon enclosing the area
within a specified distance of the selected string.
Click the Polygon Boolean Operations button, or click the drop-down menu
to select from a list of boolean options that can be applied to two or more
selected polygons.
When you are digitising a new string and want to insert a point at the
intersection of two other strings, click the Insert Intersection Point tool to
extend the current string by snapping to the nearest string intersection.
Click the Project String tool to project a pit string up or down based upon
the Batter Height, Batter Slope, and Expand settings defined in the Pit
Design dialog.
Click the Project to Elevation tool to project an outline up or down based
upon a specified elevation. The base string of a pit, for example, might be
projected onto a DTM of the surface.
Click the Project To Berm tool to project the pit outline in both a vertical
and a horizontal direction, based upon the Berm Width, Batter Height, Batter
Slope and Expand settings defined in the Pit Design dialog. Depending on the
number of intermediate contour strings you have defined, this tool will
project up or down until it reaches a berm. To create the berm, an Expand
String is performed.
Click the Expand String tool to expand the current string in an inwards or
outwards direction based upon the Expansion Distance you have defined in
the String Editor tab of the Vizex options dialog.
Note: In Pit Design mode, Berm Width and Expand settings in the Pit Design
dialog are used to define how the pit outline will be projected.
Click the Weed String tool to make contour strings more manageable by
reducing the number of points. Set the amount of point reduction by
applying a weed tolerance value. The weed tolerance value can also be
applied in the String Editor tab of the Options | Vizex dialog.
Click the Extrude String button to convert one or more strings into a
wireframe. You can use the Extrude String function to generate a wireframe
from a series of strings that define underground features such as drives. The
wireframes will be drawn along the paths defined by the strings.
Ring Design
MICROMINE Ring Design functionality provides for the interactive design, editing and display of
underground blasthole layouts. Designs suitable for any stoping method can be generated, taking
into account the characteristics of the area being excavated, and the physical limitations of drill rigs.
Ring Design data is organised in a Ring database format which contains one or more drives which
can be loaded in the same display layer. Wireframe models representing drives can be sliced at any
orientation to produce strings that can be used in the hole design procedure.
Ring database
The Ring database is used to store:
Parameters and ring data associated with each drive. This will include drive points and
references to wireframes used to model the drive.
Parameters and drillhole data associated with the rings on each drive
A suggested way of organising ring data, is to store each drive in a separate ring database. In this
way, each drive can be added as a separate display layer during the design process. However, if
your ring design comprises a large number of drives, you may prefer to store all the drives on the
same level in one database.
Nam ing of objects
All objects in the Ring database are assigned a default name when they are added to the database.
You can change the default names at the time you create new objects, or change them later by
editing object properties.
Selecting objects in the display
How objects in the display are selected, will vary depending on whether or not the display is in Ring
Design mode.
If Ring Design mode is not enabled (and the ring design toolbar is not visible) and you select a ring
design object in the display, then the Ring database object is selected as a whole. You cannot select
individual objects such as drive or ring boundaries.
If Ring Design mode is enabled, then the display objects defined as part of the Ring database can
be selected individually, using either the Select tool or the tools on the Ring Design toolbar.
Select the Mining | Underground | Ring Design menu option. Alternatively, double-click
on the Ring Design icon in the Form Sets pane, or select the Display | Vizex | Ring Design
menu option.
2.
In the Database tab of the Ring Design form, select an existing Ring database (or specify
the name of a new one) in the Load Ring Design dialog. Right-clicking in the Database input
box will invoke the following menu options:
Select database
Database Properties
3.
In the Drive tab, specify the display characteristics of the drive outline. If you have chosen
to display the drive name, click the More... button to define colour and font characteristics
for the display name.
Here you can also define the start and end location and direction of the drive name text.
Specifying the drive name location and direction
Select the location for the drive name text at the start and/or the end of the drive string.
Choose from: NONE - no text is displayed. AUTO - draws the text parallel to and over the
drive string. CENTRE - centres the text above the start/end of the string. DIRECTION - this
option allows you to enter an angle that defines the direction of the text displayed at the
start/end of the drive string.
4.
10
In the Ring tab, specify the display characteristics of ring boundaries and drillholes.
If you want to display the ring name, select the Display name option to enable the display
name colour and font selection boxes.
As part of the drillhole display options, you can select a symbol for the pivot point, specify a
line type, line width, and line colour for drillholes, and select a colour to differentiate between
charged and uncharged drillhole sections.
If you want to display ring boundaries, select the Display ring boundary option to enable line
type, line width, and line colour response boxes.
Note: Drive and ring display settings are global and apply to all objects of the same type.
Click OK to load the ring design in Vizex. When the ring design object is selected (either in the
Object Manager or in the display) the Edit button is enabled on the View toolbar.
Click the Edit button to put the display into Ring Design mode. To open the Ring Design toolbar,
select the View | Toolbars | Ring Design menu option. Alternatively, right-click in an empty
portion of the application menu bar and select Ring Design from the list of available toolbars.
11
Adding a drive
Click the Add Drive button to display the Add Drive dialog.
Drive String
Use the Drive String tab to specify a string file and a corresponding wireframe that will be used to
represent one or more drives in the Ring Design display.
The string file is the same as any other string file used in MICROMINE and will contain one or more
strings. Each string in the nominated file is a reference line that defines the location and linear
extent of a drive.
Drive Options
Use the Drive Options tab to specify a drive name and a wireframe. Typically, wireframes will have
been extruded using strings in the same file. The drive name can be changed later by viewing the
properties of the drive.
12
To display other non-drive wireframes (for example, a wireframe representing an orebody) use the
Load | Wireframe menu option.
OK
Finally, click OK to add the drive to the display. The drive parameters you have specified (including
the data in the string file) are added to the Ring database, including a reference to the wireframe
object, which is stored externally.
Whenever you open a Ring database, the drives and rings it contains are displayed, together with
the wireframes objects specified during the Add Drive process.
13
If no drive is selected and multiple drives exist, all drive boundaries will be updated. Otherwise, only
the boundaries of the selected string(s) will be updated.
Note: This tool will be disabled when the display is in Ring Design - Edit mode.
14
Creating a ring
Before you create a ring you will need to select an existing drive in the display, or add a drive to the
display. To create a ring on the currently selected drive:
1.
When this mode is active an existing ring cannot be selected. The Create Ring function
expects the user to define the location of the ring by digitising a point on the drive string.
2.
If the drive wireframe is obscuring your view of the drive string, you can turn off the display
of the wireframe object (unselect the checkbox) in the Object Manager (Display pane).
3.
Digitise a reference point for the new ring. An empty ring object is created and a wireframe
slice (the drive boundary) is displayed on the drive string. The default ring name, dump
angle and location are stored in the Ring database together with the coordinates and
bearing of the ring location.
4.
A Properties window is displayed to the left of the graphic display, If necessary, you can
edit the default ring name, dump angle, and chainage.
Chainage is the distance between the start of the drive and the point digitised as the ring
location. (The start of the drive is determined by the direction of the string).
Note: A ring is empty until a ring boundary has been defined. For more information about defining a ring
boundary, refer to the Editing a ring topic.
15
Editing a ring
Click the Edit Ring button to put the display into Ring Design - Edit mode. When you click Edit Ring
button, the String Edit toolbar is displayed and enabled. You can use these tools to edit the strings
and outlines in your ring design display.
Once in edit mode, you can define a ring boundary, define parallel or fanned drillholes, renumber
drillholes, setup for charging, and carry out charging calculations.
To enable the edit buttons on the Ring Design toolbar, either an empty or a non-empty ring must be
selected in the display. A ring is "empty" if no drillholes or ring boundary have been defined for it.
Once Ring Design - Edit mode has been invoked, the orientation of the display is changed so that it
is orthogonal to the selected ring plane, and the view is restricted to the selected ring on the
current drive (looking towards the ring from the start of the drive).
Note: If the display is not orthogonal, then the edit tools on the ring design toolbar are disabled.
To restore the view so that it is orthogonal to the ring plane, click the Set View Orthogonal to Ring
Plane button on the toolbar.
16
boundary.
Editing an existing ring boundary
You can edit an existing ring boundary by clicking the Define Ring Boundary tool for
a non-empty ring. The vertices of the ring boundary can then be selected and
dragged to a new position, or you can select and delete the ring boundary.
Click the Define Ring Boundary button again to exit the restricted edit mode. You will
be prompted to save your changes (select 'No' to undo any changes). If you select
'Yes', then the changes you have made will be written to the Ring database.
Click the Generate Drillhole Fan tool to create a "fan" of holes that all share the same
origin (pivot point).
Click the Generate Parallel Drillholes tool to create a group of parallel holes within an
extent rectangle.
Click the Renumber Drillholes button to renumber the holes. Optionally, specify the
direction in which the holes will be renumbered.
Click the Charging and stemming tool to interactively edit the charging and stemming
for all drillholes in a ring.
As an alternative to setting up charging and stemming parameters interactively, you
can click the Calculate Charging button to apply an algorithm to calculate charging
start points.
Exiting Ring Edit m ode
To exit Ring Design - Edit mode, click the Edit Ring button. You will be prompted to save any
changes you have made to the drillholes.
17
2.
Digitise a pivot point. The pivot point must be located within the drive boundary. For a
drillhole fan, the pivot point for each drillhole remains constant, while the hole angle differs
for each hole, based upon the specified angle range, toe spacing, and spacing algorithm.
3.
Once the pivot point has been digitised, move and then drag the mouse in an arc to define
the angle range the drillhole fan will cover.
As you generate the drillhole fan you can also snap to an existing pivot point or drillhole.
4.
When you release the mouse button, the Generate Fan dialog is displayed.
5.
Enter the drill diameter, the toe spacing, and the spacing algorithm to be applied when
generating the fan. The toe spacing is expressed in metres.
After you have digitised a pivot point, its coordinates can be edited in a property window
which is displayed to the left of the display window. The displayed coordinates represent an
offset from the drive string. The pivot point is measured from the intersection point of the
string that represents the drive and the ring plane (the drive "centre line").
Note: You cannot edit the position of the pivot point once drillholes have been generated.
While you can make minor modifications to the position of the drillholes in the display, it is
not recommended. For more information, refer to the Editing drillholes topic.
18
Optionally, modify start and end angle values before generating the drillhole fan. Angles are
measured in relation to the display, from the positive Y-axis in an anti-clockwise direction.
7.
Select the Generate holes at start and end angles option to ensure that a drillhole will be
generated at both the start angle and the end angle irrespective of the toe spacing. The toe
spacing may be affected, depending on the spacing algorithm you apply.
8.
Enter the parameters that describe the type and density of the explosives to be used for
charging. Charge details can be included in a ring design report or plot.
9.
Tip: You are not restricted to creating one drillhole fan. You can create multiple fans, and, where
appropriate, combine them with parallel drillholes. To ease the process, you can snap to an existing
pivot point or drillhole.
19
2.
Digitise an initial pivot point. The initial pivot point must be located within the drive
boundary. For parallel drillholes, the pivot point is offset for each drillhole situated in
parallel, at a specified hole angle.
3.
Once an initial pivot point has been digitised, move and then drag the mouse to define the
rectangular area the drillhole fan will cover.
As you generate parallel drillholes you can also snap to an existing pivot point or drillhole.
4.
When you release the mouse button, the Generate Parallel Holes dialog is displayed.
5.
Enter the drill diameter, hole angle, and the toe spacing to be applied when generating
parallel drillholes. The toe spacing is expressed in metres.
After you have digitised a pivot point, its coordinates can be edited in a property window
which is displayed to the left of the display window. The displayed coordinates represent an
offset from the drive string. The pivot point is measured from the intersection point of the
string that represents the drive and the ring plane (the drive "centre line").
Note: You cannot edit the position of the pivot point once drillholes have been generated.
While you can make minor modifications to the position of the drillholes in the display, it is
not recommended. For more information, refer to the Editing drillholes topic.
The position of subsequent pivot points are automatically calculated based upon the hole
spacing and the rectangle you have defined in the graphic display.
20
Select the Generate holes at start and end angles option to ensure that a drillhole will be
generated at both the start angle and the end angle irrespective of the hole spacing.
8.
Enter the parameters that describe the type and density of the explosives to be used for
charging. Charge details can be included in a ring design report or plot.
9.
Tip: You are not restricted to creating one set of parallel holes. You can generate parallel drillholes
as many times as you like, and, where appropriate, combine them with fanned drillholes. To ease
the process, you can snap to an existing pivot point or drillhole.
21
Editing drillholes
When you click on a drillhole to select it, its properties are displayed in a read-only panel which
shows the drill diameter, pivot point coordinates, hole angle, hole length, and charging information.
While you cannot edit these properties, you can use the mouse to modify the position of the
drillhole in the display. When you drag a drillhole to a new position with the mouse, its length is
adjusted so that it automatically snaps to the ring boundary and the position of the pivot point is
automatically adjusted.
You can also click on and drag the start point or end point to change the hole angle.
Any changes made in the display are reflected in the properties dialog.
Tip: In general, adjusting the position and angle of individual drillholes is not recommended. If you
need to make a large number of modifications, it is easier to delete drillholes and reuse the
Generate Drillhole functions.
Deleting drillholes
There are a number of ways in which drillholes can be deleted.
To delete a single drillhole, select it with the mouse and press the Delete button (either on the Ring
Design toolbar or on the keyboard).
To select and delete multiple drillholes, hold down the CTRL or the SHIFT key as you select them
with the mouse and then press Delete. Alternatively, you can use the select tool to define an extent
rectangle that encompasses the drillholes you want to delete before pressing the Delete button.
To clear all drillholes for the current ring, press the Delete button when nothing is selected in the
display. You will be asked to confirm the deletion. Note that the ring and drive boundaries will not
be deleted.
22
In the example shown above, drillhole 17 is the current hole. Red denotes charging and cyan
denotes stemming.
Charging colour settings
Colour settings for charging and stemming are configured as part of your Ring Design properties.
Double-click on the Ring Design icon in the Form Sets pane and then modify the colour settings in
the Ring tab.
Exiting Charging m ode
When you exit Charging mode (by clicking the Charging and Stemming button again, or by clicking
the Ring Edit button to exit Ring Design - Edit mode), you will be prompted to save your changes to
the Ring database.
23
Note: Any settings you have applied interactively for individual drillholes will be lost.
When you click on the Calculate Charging & Stemming button, the following dialog is displayed:
Radius of influence
Specify a radial distance (from any point along the charged section of a drillhole) that represents
the expected extent of fragmentation after blasting.
Minimum uncharged collar distance
A drillhole is rarely charged at, or in close proximity to, the drillhole collar. Specify a minimum
uncharged collar distance at which to stem the drillhole.
24
Copying a ring
The Copy Ring function allows the currently selected ring to be copied to a new location on any
drive. Once in Copy mode, you can select a point on any drive (including the drive the source ring is
located on) as the location for a new ring.
If necessary, the location of the new ring can be modified later using the Edit Ring function.
To copy a ring
1.
In the display, select the ring you want to copy. The Copy Ring button is enabled on the
Ring Design toolbar.
2.
The Copy function requires that you digitise a point on the underlying drive string, which
may be obscured from view. You can turn off the display of the wireframe object (unselect
the checkbox) in the Object Manager (Display pane).
3.
Click the Copy Ring button and digitise a point that represents the location of the new ring
on the chosen drive.
4.
A copy of the ring is displayed and the copied ring becomes the current ring. The properties
of the ring are displayed. If necessary, change the default ring name and the chainage.
5.
While in Copy mode, you can digitise another point on the same (or another) drive string to
copy the current ring again. When you are finished copying, click the Copy Ring tool to exit
Copy mode.
25
In the display, select the ring you want to replicate. The Replicate Ring Along Drive button
is enabled on the Ring Design toolbar.
2.
Click the Replicate Ring Along Drive button. The Replicate Ring dialog is displayed.
3.
Specify how many rings are to be replicated along the drive and the spacing (distance in
metres) between them.
Replicated rings can be created in the same direction as the selected ring, or in the opposite
direction.
4.
There may be occasions when you want to add "empty" rings at a regular spacing along the
drive. In this case, make sure the Copy Ring Boundary option is not selected. A ring is
empty unless a ring boundary has been defined for it.
5.
The Copy Drillholes option will only be enabled when you have chosen to copy the ring
boundary. In other words, you cannot copy drillholes independently of the ring boundary
they belong to.
In most cases you will want to replicate the selected ring boundary, drillhole pattern and
charging setup. Both options should therefore be selected.
6.
26
Finally, click OK to generate and display new rings along the drive and store them in the
Ring database. All new rings are renamed and numbered incrementally based upon the
name of the selected ring.
Click this button to open the Generate Wireframe and grades dialog. There are two tabs:
Generate wireframe
Use the Generate Wireframe tab to load a wireframe which represents the area that will be blasted
for the current ring.
The name of the current ring and drive are displayed at the top of the tab.
Thick value
The height and the width of the ring boundary is used when generating a wireframe of the blasted
area for the current ring. To estimate the depth of the blasted area, enter a Thick value which is an
estimate of the extent of rock fragmentation at either side of the ring boundary.
If a value of 4 metres is entered, for example, then we expect the rock to fragment 2 metres from
either side of the ring boundary.
Wireframe
Before you can create a wireframe and save it, you will need to specify its type and enter the
standard and (where appropriate) user-defined attributes for that type.
To enter user-defined attributes, click the Attributes button.
To enter Metadata, click the Metadata button.
27
To calculate tonnes and grades for the blasted area represented by the wireframe:
28
1.
Select the Generate tonnes and grades option to enable the OBM file inputs. The function
requires a block model (OBM) file containing tonnes and grades data.
2.
Enter the name of the block model and the names of the East, North and RL fields within it.
3.
Enter the name of an SG field and/or specify a default SG value. If SG values are missing
from some of the records, you should enter a default value. This will be substituted when
those records are processed.
4.
Specify one or more fields whose values will be used in the calculation of grades.
5.
Enter the name of the Report file where the tonnes and grades results will be written. If the
file does not exist, it will be created. If the file exists, you can append a new set of
calculations. When you run the process, the calculated tonnes and grades are also
displayed in a results table.
Renumbering drillholes
The first hole created will, by default, be numbered as hole number 1, with subsequent holes being
incremented by 1 in an anti-clockwise direction.
To change the default numbering and the direction in which holes are numbered, when the display
is in Ring Edit mode, click on a hole in the display to select it and then click the Renumber Drillholes
button.
The selected hole then becomes hole number 1, and all subsequent holes in a clockwise direction
are re-numbered based on the new start hole.
Each time the Renumber Drillholes button is selected, the direction of the hole numbering is toggled
between clockwise and anti-clockwise.
Shortening drillholes
It may be necessary to apply under-drilling to certain holes. When the display is in Ring Design Edit mode and one or more holes are selected, click the Shorten Drillholes button:
Specify a distance by which the selected hole(s) will be shortened and click OK.
29
Deleting objects
Clicking the Delete button on the Ring Design toolbar (or on the keyboard) deletes the currently
selected object, whether it be a drive, a ring, or a drillhole.
Deleting an object deletes all "sub-objects". If you delete a drive, all rings on that drive will be
deleted. If you delete a ring, all drillholes on that ring will be deleted.
Caution: When you use the Delete function, you will be prompted whether to continue with the delete
operation. There is currently no undo facility.
Deleting drillholes
When the display is in Ring Design - Edit mode, drillholes can be selected and deleted in a number
of ways:
TO delete ALL drillholes in a ring, click the Delete button when no drillholes are selected.
To delete a single drillhole, click on it to select it, then click the Delete button.
To delete multiple drillholes, use the CTRL key with the mouse to select the drillholes you
want to delete. Alternatively, drag the mouse to define a rectangle that encloses the
drillholes you want to delete. Click the Delete button.
To delete drillholes in increasing drillhole order (based on the current clockwise or anticlockwise numbering direction):
Hold down the SHIFT key and click on the drillhole you want to delete TO.
All drillholes that fall between the delete FROM And TO drillholes, including the FROM
and TO drilholes, will be deleted when you click the Delete button.
30
Creating a plot
Plotting works the same as for other Vizex display modes. However, a specific type of plot, designed
specifically for a drill rig operator, is provided.
To create a Ring plot:
1.
Click the Plot button when you are in Ring Design - Edit mode - or when you have a ring
selected in the display.
2.
The Generate Plot File dialog is displayed. Click OK. A Ring plot file is created.
3.
Click the Plot Editor button and load the plot file you created in the previous step.
4.
5.
Note: The data contained in each frame of the plot layout is extracted from the Ring database and is
stored in a temporary (.DAT) data file in the current project folder. These temporary files are given a
__ringdesign prefix.
You should not delete these temporary files. Temporary files associated with a Ring plot file are
automatically deleted whenever you delete the Ring plot file.
31
Which buttons and tools are enabled will depend on the object currently selected in the display, or
on the tool or mode that is currently active. The Define Ring Boundary tool, for example, will be
disabled until you select a ring in the display and enter Ring Design - Edit mode (by clicking the Edit
Ring button. See below).
The width of the application window and the selections you have made when customising the
toolbar, will also determine what buttons are displayed.
If the Ring Design toolbar is not displayed, right-click in an empty portion of the application menu
bar and select Ring Design from the list of toolbar options.
Click the Add Drive button to specify a string file and a corresponding
wireframe file that will be used to represent one or more drives in the Ring
Design display. Each string in the nominated file will be treated as a
separate drive. Typically, wireframes will have been extruded using the
strings in the same file.
It may be necessary to adjust the drive wireframe during the design
process. To adjust the drive boundaries so that they conform to the new
shape of the drive wireframe, click the Regenerate Drive Boundary
button.
Before you use the Create New Ring tool to create a new ring object, you
will need to select an existing drive in the display, or add a drive to the
display.
Click the Edit Ring button to put the display into Ring Design - Edit mode.
Once in edit mode, you can define a ring boundary, define parallel or fanned
drillholes, renumber drillholes, setup for charging, and carry out charging
calculations.
The Copy Ring function allows the currently selected ring to be copied to a
new location on any drive. Once in Copy mode, you can select a point on
any drive (including the drive the source ring is located on) as the location
for a new ring.
Along an individual drive, rings are often identical in terms of their ring
boundary, drillhole pattern and charging setup. The Replicate Ring Along
Drive function allows you to save on planning time by copying a ring along
the drive multiple times.
Clicking the Delete button on the Ring Design toolbar, deletes the currently
selected object, whether it be a drive, ring, or drillhole.
32
When the display is in Ring Design - Edit mode and a non-empty ring is
selected, click the Generate Drillhole Fan tool to create a "fan" of holes
that all share the same origin (pivot point).
When the display is in Ring Design - Edit mode and a non-empty ring is
selected, click the Generate Parallel Drillholes tool to create a group of
parallel holes within an extent rectangle.
When the display is in Ring Design - Edit mode, click the Renumber
Drillholes button to renumber the holes. Optionally, specify the direction in
which the holes will be renumbered.
It may be necessary to apply under-drilling to certain holes. When the
display is in Ring Design - Edit mode and one or more holes are selected,
click the Shorten Drillholes button to shorten the length of those holes by
a specified distance.
When the display is in Ring Design - Edit mode, click the Charging and
Stemm ing tool to interactively set up and edit the charging and stemming
for all drillholes in a ring.
As an alternative to setting up charging and stemming parameters
interactively, you can click the Calculate Charging button to apply an
algorithm to calculate charging start points.
Click the Set View Orthogonal button to change the orientation of the
display so that it is orthogonal to the selected ring plane. This is particularly
useful when you want to reset the display in Ring Design - Edit mode. When
you edit a ring, the display must always be orthogonal. to the selected ring
plane.
Click the Ring Design Options button to display the options that can be
applied to the ring design process.
33
Pit Optimisation
The Pit Optimisation functions convert MICROMINE ore body model files into the formats required by
WHITTLE PROTEUS and MINEMAX pit optimisation programs.
While the actual optimisation is performed outside MICROMINE, the Result files and Mining
Sequence files generated by the WHITTLE and MINEMAX programs can be imported back into
MICROMINE using the Whittle Proteus to MM and the MineMax to MM functions. These functions
convert the optimised results files back into an ore body model file.
34
MM to Whittle Proteus
The MM to Whittle Proteus function can be used to output data for use in either single commodity or
multiple commodity Whittle programs. Whittle Proteus functions allow more complex investigations
of the economic potential of a deposit modelled in MICROMINE.
All necessary information, including 3D block model and DTM parameters, must be supplied in the
MM to Whittle Proteus dialog box.
In addition to information on block GRADE, ROCK TYPE, SG MCAF and PCAFs, the interface allows
you to specify SG, MCAF and PCAFs for waste blocks. Block factors can be used to describe the
portions of a block that are ore, waste, internal air, or in another ore domain.
Previous Whittle interfaces provided by MICROMINE allowed for the alteration of SG, MCAF and
PCAF with depth. Using the MM to Whittle Proteus interface, the depth at which the new default
values take effect can be variable and can be controlled by DTMs. The pit profile index allows
information on the pit profiles (slope angles) to be defined in the MICROMINE OBM.
The Ore parcels facility allows multiple ore parcels to be written to the Whittle model file.
MICROMINE blocks that are combined together into one Whittle block are preserved as ore parcels.
Model Parameters
In addition to the polygonal model, section block model, and sec file that defines the topography,
you need the following to use this function:
Default values for SG, Ore factor and Rock factor. The default values do not include values
for ore and processing factors with the default SG as the default Ore and Mining factors are
considered to be 1. This is the factor used for a typical block. Different default values for SG
together with Ore and Mining factors can be defined to apply below selected RLs. Of the Ore
or Rock factor fields are left blank then a value of 1 will be set for this factor.
The mining block size - the smallest size that can be differentiated during extraction.
Information on the mining cost and additional processing cost per tonne of rock. Since the
Whittle optimisation software generates multiple pit shells each of which are optimal under
different mining and economic scenarios, the costs are presented as ratio values relative to
a typical block, rather than direct dollar values. The Whittle Proteus software allows you to
define the values that will be used by the reference mining block.
Information on the type of Rock (ore) in each mining block. This must be a character string
of 4 or less characters. Do not use the identifier Ore as this is used as the default Ore type.
The time taken by the Whittle software to create the model file, depends on the number of blocks. A
large number can require several hours processing. For this reason, the OBM blocks should be reblocked to at least a minimum mining block; early runs should be done on multiples of a minimum
mining block.
Input requirements
The Process
1.
Select Mining | Opencut | Pit Optim isation | MM to Whittle Proteus from the main
menu.
2.
Enter the name of the block model file and the names of the coordinate fields in that file.
3.
Enter the name of the DTM file that defines the topography.
4.
Enter the names of the various fields in the input block model file.
35
Enter values in the CAF defaults dialog. These will be used if you don't have fields in the
block model file containing SG, PCAF and MCAF values for ore and waste or if values are
missing in these fields. You can also enter further default values for blocks beneath given
RLs or DTMs.
6.
Enter the name of the field in the MICROMINE OBM that contains pit profile information.
7.
Define whether of not you want to write ore parcels into the blocks in the Whittle model file.
Ore parcels are used to preserve information, which could affect the economics of a block
when the Whittle block is composed of multiple MICROMINE blocks. Once the Ore Parcels
option is checked you can then define the way in which MICROMINE blocks will be combined
to form a Whittle block.
8.
The optimising volume defines the total volume for which optimising will be performed.
Enter the coordinates at the lower corner of the volume in Min E, N and RL and the
coordinates in the upper corner of the volume in Max E, N and RL. This volume will
generally be larger than the volume of the MICROMINE Block model. The reason for this is
that the MICROMINE model normally consists of ore only and it is necessary to allow for the
pit slopes within the Optimising volume. As a rule of thumb the extra space you allow on all
sides of the MICROMINE OBM should be equal to the depth of the block model. For
example, if you had a MM block model with the following dimensions East 1500 1700,
North 2300 2600, RL 300 550 make the optimising volume East 14750 17250, North
22750 26250, RL 300 500.
9.
Enter the names of the output model, report and parameter files and choose the output file
format from the list.
36
Whittle Proteus to MM
This function convert the output from the Whittle pit optimisation program (a Results file or a Mining
Sequence file) back into a MICROMINE 3D block model file. This model can then be used to define
pit shells and to flag blocks in the 3D block model file which are in the "optimal pit".
The Process
1.
Select Mining | Opencut | Pit Optim isation | W hittle Proteus to MM from the main
menu.
2.
3.
Enter a pit number. Whittle Proteus generates a series of nested pits that correspond to
different product prices. Low numbers represent low product prices, high values represent
high product prices. The number you enter here will import all pits, up to and including the
response value, into a MICROMINE block model file. You can then select a pit using a filter.
4.
Define what is to be imported, the Whittle Results and / or the Whittle Mining Sequence file.
Enter the name of the Whittle RES file and the name of the Whittle MSQ file as necessary
and define the format of these files Column or comma delimited).
Note: If both the Results file and the Mining Sequence file are imported back into MICROMINE
at the same time, then both sets of data will be written to the MICROMINE OBM file.
5.
6.
7.
Define whether or not a block index is to be written to the file together with its origin. The
block index will be based on the size of the Whittle blocks.
8.
Click OK to run the function. The output from Pit Optimisation is a MICROMINE block model
file that contain the following fields.
37
MM to MineMax Planner
The Process
1.
Select Mining | Opencut | Pit Optim isation | MM to MineMax Planner from the main
menu.
2.
Enter the name of the block model file and the names of the coordinate fields in that file.
3.
Enter the name of the DTM file that defines the topography.
4.
Enter the names of the various fields in the input block model file.
5.
Enter values in the CAF defaults dialog. These will be used if you don't have fields in the
block model file containing SG, PCAF and MCAF values for ore and waste, or if values are
missing in these fields. You can also enter further default values for blocks beneath given
RLs or DTMs.
6.
Enter the name of the field in the MICROMINE OBM that contains pit profile information.
7.
Define whether of not you want to write ore parcels into the blocks in the MineMax model
file. Ore parcels are used to preserve information, which could affect the economics of a
block when the MineMax block is composed of multiple MICROMINE blocks. Once the Ore
Parcels option is checked you can then define the way in which MICROMINE blocks will be
combined to form a MineMax block.
8.
The optimising volume defines the total volume for which optimising will be performed.
Enter the coordinates at the lower corner of the volume in Min E, N and RL and the
coordinates in the upper corner of the volume in Max E, N and RL. This volume will
generally be larger than the volume of the MICROMINE Block model. The reason for this is
that the MICROMINE model normally consists of ore only and it is necessary to allow for the
pit slopes within the Optimising volume. As a rule of thumb the extra space you allow on all
sides of the MICROMINE OBM should be equal to the depth of the block model. For
example, if you had a MM block model with the following dimensions East 1500 1700,
North 2300 2600, RL 300 550 make the optimising volume East 14750 17250, North
22750 26250, RL 300 500.
9.
Enter the names of the output model, report and parameter files and choose the output file
format from the list.
38
MineMax To MM
This function convert the output from the MineMax pit optimisation program (a Results file or a
Mining Sequence file) back into a MICROMINE 3D block model file. This model can then be used to
define pit shells and to flag blocks in the 3D block model file which are in the "optimal pit".
Do the following:
1.
2.
3.
4.
Enter a Pit number. MineMax generates a series of nested pits that correspond to different
product prices. Low numbers represent low product prices, high values represent high
product prices. The number you enter here will import all pits, up to and including the
response value, into a MICROMINE block model file. You can then select a pit using a filter.
5.
6.
Click OK to run the function. The output from Pit Optimisation is a MICROMINE block model
file that contain the following fields.
Note: This function replaces the (version 9.1) MineMax option that was provided by the File | Import |
OBM function.
39
Pit Design
The Visual Explorer (Vizex) provides the tools necessary to be able to generate an open pit or a
stockpile, complete with haul roads. The pit (or stockpile) can be generated from either the base
upwards or from the crest downwards.
You begin by digitising a base string in the display. To help you locate this correctly you can display
ore strings, a block model, topographic contours, and pit optimisation output, in the background.
Pit or stockpile walls are generated according to the parameters you define. There are
comprehensive editing and road design facilities. You can create complex pits with multiple bases,
variable RL bases, intersecting topography, push-backs and more.
In addition to the pit constraints you define, you can import a constraints model that can be used to
project varying slope angles and berm widths in different parts, and at different elevations, of the
pit.
For more information refer to the Assigning outlines to populate the constraints model and Pit
Constraints topics.
Pit Design is an iterative process. You can optimize your pit outline by using the tools on the Edit
Strings and Mine Design toolbars:
New String
Smooth
String
Weed
String
Right-click
New |
Road
40
Project to
Berm
You can preview your pit outline, generate a wireframe, and load it into the 3D Viewer.
At any stage you can use the Undo button to undo the last edit or revert back to a previous level in
the design process. You can intervene at any stage or allow automatic features to perform part of
the design using default values. However, the entire process can not be totally automated. Features
such as initial road directions, switchbacks, passing bays, road intersections and changing road
slopes, all require manual intervention.
Before beginning the Pit Design process
You should be familiar with the Edit String functions and the tools provided on the Edit
Strings toolbar.
You should have some idea of the existing surface topography, the nature and extent of the
orebody, and the economic limits of the mine.
Set the display limits. The minimum and maximum coordinates should define an area larger
than the largest pit that will be generated.
In most cases the extents of the display will coincide with the boundaries of a block model
or a pit optimisation string that defines the area of interest and what you want to mine.
41
Pit Design
Use the Pit Design tab to specify the display settings and constraints to be used when generating an
open pit or stockpile:
1.
Enter the name of a Pit file (or double-click in the file input box to select a file) containing
your pit outline data. A Pit file is the same as any other string file used in MICROMINE, but
includes an additional Road field.
To create a new pit file, right-click in the file input box and select New from the right-click
menu.
Define the default settings to be applied when you use the string editing tools to generate
the slopes, batters and berms for sectors at various levels within a pit outline.
42
2.
Enter the Batter Height or Bench Thickness. This is the vertical distance between a toe at
the current level and the crest at the next RL.
3.
Enter a Contour Interval. This is used to generate additional contour strings between
successive toes and crests, for example, to denote benches. The Batter Height must be a
multiple of the Contour Interval value.
Enter the Batter Slope. This is the default angle, measured from the horizontal, between
successive toe and crest strings. The angle is measured in degrees to two decimal places
and a maximum of 90.
5.
Enter the default Berm Width. This is the horizontal distance between a toe and
corresponding crest at the same RL.
Note: If a Constraints model is used, the Batter Slope and Berm Width values specified in that file will
be used instead of the default values.
6.
Optionally select the Taper berms at road crossings option to taper the berm where it
crosses a road. Enter a Length of taper value in grid units.
7.
Select Expand (UP or DOWN, OUT or IN) settings to determine how the walls of the pit or
waste dump will be projected using the Project String, Project To Berm and Expand String
tools on the Editor Strings toolbar.
Typically you will select the Expand UP and OUT options to generate a pit up and out from a
digitised base string. For more information refer to the Generating a pit outline topic.
9.
Optionally select Variable constraints? to import a Constraints Model that can be used to
project varying slope angles and berm widths in different parts of the pit.
10. Click the More button to select a block model file that will be used to store constraints.
Identify Easting, Northing and RL fields, and identify the fields that will be used to override
the default Slope and Berm Width values entered in the Pit Design dialog.
For more information refer to the Assigning Outlines to a Constraints Model topic or the Mining |
Opencut | Pit Constraints section of the online help.
Display Options
There are different modes for creating strings in Pit Design. Use the Display Options tab to set a
suitable line colour, line type and line width for the types of string the pit outline is comprised of.
43
Before you begin, make sure the display limits are set so that the current RL is that of the
base of the pit (or stockpile). Typically, an ore body model and/or a pit optimisation string
will be displayed as a background layer, showing what you want to mine at the current
level.
2.
To switch to edit mode, make sure the file containing your pit outline data is selected in the
Object Manager Display pane and click the Edit button on the View toolbar:
The tools you will use to generate a pit outline are provided on the Edit Strings toolbar:
3.
Click the New String tool and digitise points on the screen.
When you use the New String tool a Toe string is always created.
Note: There are different modes for creating strings. Use the Right-click New String menu to
select a (toe, crest, road, contour, other) string mode option.
Keep adding points to define the string and close the string onto the first point. If you intend
to use the Smoothing and Weeding tools to optimize the base string, then you should make
the base string quite coarse.
44
Tip: The integrity of the shape of the pit may be lost if you use the Smoothing and Weeding
tools higher up. It is safer to insert points manually as you progress upwards from the base
string.
Use your common sense as you add more points. Certainly make the corners quite curved
and include more points in the area of the road. Long continuous lines need less definition
and therefore fewer points.
Avoid sharp corners as this can lead to problems as the pit is expanded upwards.
45
To start a new road, right-click on a point on the base string and select the Road | Edit
menu option from the right-click menu.
Note: The Road menu will not be available on the right-click menu unless you click on a point.
46
2.
Enter road (Width, Gradient, Gradient Units, and Direction) properties. The width of the
road should be at least as wide as the Berm Width. In practice it will be wider.
3.
After defining Road properties using a saved form set, or using the Edit Properties dialog,
the point you clicked on is shown as a red road point and the point nearest to the road
point is moved, or a new point is inserted, to form a road entrance.
4.
As you generate the walls of the pit, the road will be generated with it. Unless you are
creating a switchback, try not to move the road around, as this can cause problems as you
generate the pit higher up.
Creating a switchback
To change the direction of a road (create a switchback):
1.
Right-click on a road point at the location where you want the road to change direction.
Move the road point out to define the extent of the turning area.
2.
Manually edit the turning area by moving or inserting points in the toe string.
3.
Click on the same road point and select None from the Road menu. This closes the current
road.
4.
Right-click on the point where you want to continue the road and navigate to the Road
menu on the right-click menu. Select a saved form set which contains road properties with
a different road direction (clockwise or anti-clockwise). Alternatively, select the Edit menu
option to define new Road properties and specify a different road direction.
47
Click the Project String tool to project the pit outline up or down based
upon the Batter Height, Batter Slope, and Expand settings defined in the Pit
Design dialog.
Click the Project To Berm tool to project the pit outline in both a vertical
and a horizontal direction, based upon the Berm Width, Batter Height, Batter
Slope and Expand settings defined in the Pit Design dialog. Depending on the
number of intermediate contour strings you have defined, this tool will
project up or down until it reaches a berm. To create the berm, an Expand
String is performed.
You can add successive crest, contour and toe strings individually using the Project String and
Expand String tools, or you can use the Project To Berm tool.
If a problem is encountered, clicking the Undo button on the editor toolbar will undo each individual
string.
As you generate the walls of the pit (or stockpile), ie. expanding the walls of the pit upwards by a
defined batter height, the background block display will change to show blocks for the level the pit
has reached. If you select the Clip to Window option in the View | Display Limits dialog, you can
also restrict the string display to the current level.
If Clip To Window is selected, you can use the Next and Previous section tools on the View toolbar
to step back and forth through the contours and blocks at each successive level.
As the pit is expanded, additional points and segments may need to be inserted to provide proper
control over the shape of the pit. If a part of the pit is too concave (the pit walls curve in) problems
can arise as the pit is expanded and strings may cross over.
48
Note: The slope should never be steeper than the slope defined as part of your pit constraints. In other
words, you should always move out when moving points. Never move points in.
Pits with multiple bases
If the pit is to have multiple bases which coalesce as the pit extends upwards, start by designing a
pit base for each of the bases and generate them up to the level at which they coalesce. It is
important to ensure that the RL of the display is set correctly before each pit base is added.
To digitise multiple bases which coalesce:
1.
Select the bases that coalesce. Hold down the SHIFT key as you select them. The points on
the last string you select are highlighted as solid black squares. The points on the string(s)
you selected previously are highlighted as clear or outline squares.
Note: You can only edit one string at a time. You can not edit a string when multiple strings are
selected. All you can do is move or copy them. If you hold down the CTRL key and click on another string
when only one string is selected, a JOIN STRING operation is performed.
2.
Use the Project String and Expand String tools to generate the walls of the pit from the
selected strings.
3.
When you reach the level(s) where the base strings coalesce, delete segments and then
digitise new points and segments in order to join the base strings together.
4.
For more information, refer to the Edit Strings toolbar and Mine Design toolbar topics.
49
When digitising a pit, you might want the batters to match with the slope of a coal seam
and build the pit outline at the same inclination, rather than start from a flat base.
When digitising a waste dump or a stockpile, you might want to drape the base string over
a DTM of the ground surface.
Use the Form Sets pane to load the wireframe(s) you want to drape.
2.
Select the outline or string you want to drape over the wireframe.
3.
50
51
Where there is an acute angle between consecutive segments on a selected string, the points on
those segments are highlighted in pink. A cross-over will generally occur as a result of this defect
when the next string is generated. To manually resolve crossover strings:
1.
2.
Delete the two extraneous points and resolve any defect in the current string.
Refer to the Edit Strings topic for more information about the functions and tools you can use when
you are editing strings.
Stockpile Design
The functions and tools used to design a pit can also be applied to the design of a stockpile or waste
dump. How the walls of the pit or stockpile are projected will depend on how the string expansion
tools on the Mine Design toolbar are used.
52
Which buttons and tools are enabled will depend on the object currently selected in the display, or
on the tool or mode that is currently active. The width of the application window, and the selections
you have made when customising the toolbar, may also determine which buttons are displayed.
Click the Gradient Control tool to interactively set the elevation of new points
when digitising a string.
Click the Generate Sidewalls button to generate a polygon enclosing the area
within a specified distance of the selected string.
Click the Polygon Boolean Operations button, or click the drop-down menu
to select from a list of boolean options that can be applied to two or more
selected polygons.
Click the Insert Intersection Point tool to
Click the Project String tool to project a pit string up or down based upon
the Batter Height, Batter Slope, and Expand settings defined in the Pit
Design dialog.
Click the Project to Elevation tool to project an outline up or down based
upon a specified elevation. The base string of a pit, for example, might be
projected onto a DTM of the surface.
Click the Project To Berm tool to project the pit outline in both a vertical
and a horizontal direction, based upon the Berm Width, Batter Height, Batter
Slope and Expand settings defined in the Pit Design dialog. Depending on the
number of intermediate contour strings you have defined, this tool will
project up or down until it reaches a berm. To create the berm, an Expand
String is performed.
Click the Expand String tool to expand the current string in an inwards or
outwards direction based upon the Expansion Distance you have defined in
the String Editor tab of the Vizex options dialog
53
Click the Weed String tool to make contour strings more manageable by
reducing the number of points. Set the amount of point reduction by
applying a weed tolerance value. The weed tolerance value can also be
applied in the String Editor tab of the Options | Vizex dialog.
Click the Extrude String button to convert one or more strings into a
wireframe. You can use the Extrude String function to generate a wireframe
from a series of strings that define underground features such as drives. The
wireframes will be drawn along the paths defined by the strings.
54
Pit Constraints
The Mining | Opencut | Pit Constraints menu option allows you to interactively define slopes and
bench widths for sectors at various levels within a pit outline. The resulting constraint file can be
exported as an ASCII file for importing into the Pit Design function, where it will be used to project
slope angles and bench widths in different parts of the pit.
The Process
1.
2.
3.
4.
(Optional) Select Blocks and click More... to specify background blocks to be displayed.
5.
(Optional) Select Strings and click More... to specify background strings to be displayed.
6.
7.
Set the Low Z (RL) and High Z for the first level (Level 0).
Set the Low Z value to be the lower RL and the High Z value to be the upper RL of the
current level. This determines the thickness of the layer being edited.
8.
Interactively set the desired slope and bench width values for each area, division and subdivision at this level.
9.
55
56
Blasthole Design
Blasthole Setup
Use the Mining | Opencut | Blasthole Design | Blasthole Setup function to create a basic
rectangular blast pattern. Hole spacing and an extent rectangle can be defined. Holes may be in a
square or a diamond pattern, with a nominated azimuth and dip. They can also be restricted to an
outline or a string, to create a non-rectangular blast pattern.
The Process
1.
In the Blasthole Setup dialog, enter the Easting origin and the Northing origin of the
blasthole pattern. This point represents the South-West corner of the pattern.
2.
3.
Enter the clockwise rotation, from zero degrees, of the blasthole pattern.
4.
5.
Enter the distance North from the origin, in which to calculate holes. This measured in the
direction of the bearing.
6.
(Optional) Select the Restrict to outline option and click the More button to create a nonrectangular blast pattern by restricting the holes to an outline or a string.
7.
Define the spacing between holes in each direction. The Square pattern option determines
whether the blasthole spacing is perpendicular or staggered.
8.
Define the Hole azimuths and dips that will be applied to the blastholes.
57
Specify how a first hole number that will be incremented going north (the default) or (when
the Number east? option is selected) going east.
10. Select the Write partial samples option to write a sample shorter than the Regular sample
increment as the last sample in the file. When you clear it, the program only writes full
length samples.
11. If you entered an Assay file name, you can specify whether the sampling intervals will be
regular or irregular, and define the sample numbering. You can also add assay fields to the
output file. More information...
12. Finally. click OK to run the function.
58
Select Display | Vizex | Blasthole Design to load an existing blasthole design in Vizex.
If you are already in Vizex, you can double-click on the Blasthole Design icon in the Form
Sets pane, to load a blasthole file into the display.
2.
In the Blasthole Design dialog, enter the name of a Blasthole file (or double-click in the file
input box to select a file) containing your blast collar locations. A Blasthole file is the same
as any other collar file used in MICROMINE.
3.
To create a new blasthole file, right-click in the file input box and select New from the rightclick menu.
4.
Enter the names of the Hole ID, Easting, Northing, RL and Depth fields. If applicable, enter
the names of the Azimuth and Dip fields in the file.
5.
6.
To colour code the lines used to depict the drillhole trace, enter the name of the field that
will control the colour coding and the number of the colour set. If you do not colour code
the lines, they will be displayed in the default colour.
7.
Specify whether hole names will be shown in the display. If hole names are shown, doubleclick on the Font icon to set the text font and double-click on the Position icon to specify
how the labels will be positioned in relation to each collar.
8.
Click OK to load the blasthole file into the display. The Edit button is enabled on the View
toolbar.
9.
Click the Edit button to open the Blasthole Editor toolbar and use the tools provided to
define the extent (and optionally the restrictions) that will be applied to the blasthole
pattern.
10. Click the Create Blast Pattern button to edit the extents of the blast pattern and set hole
numbering and hole spacing parameters in the Blasthole Setup dialog.
59
Blasthole tools
When a Blasthole Pattern has been loaded and is selected in the display, click the Edit button to
enable the Blast Design toolbar. If the Blast Design toolbar is not displayed, select the View |
Toolbars | Blast Design menu option.
Which buttons and tools are enabled will depend on the object currently selected in the display, or
on the tool or mode that is currently active. The width of the application window and the selections
you have made when customising the toolbar, will also determine what buttons are displayed.
The following tools are provided:
Click the Define Boundary button to select the area in which you want to
define a bench (or grid) of blast holes. The blast extent is then displayed in
a Properties pane to the left of the display. The lower left corner of the
extent rectangle, is the origin shown in the Blast Extent Properties pane.
Click the Rotate button to attach the mouse cursor to a corner of the
extent rectangle and rotate it in a clockwise or anti-clockwise direction.
The centre connection point can then be used to resize the selected extent.
When the mouse cursor is positioned anywhere within the extent, the
extent rectangle can be dragged and relocated. The origin, size and
position parameters in the Blast Extent Properties pane will be updated
accordingly.
Click the Blast Pattern Setup button to set the parameters that will be used
when generating a new blast hole pattern using the extents and
(optionally) the restrictions already defined in the display.
Click the Display Properties button to specify a line type for the lines.
To colour code the lines used to depict the drillhole trace, enter the name
of the field that will control the colour coding and the number of the colour
set. If you do not colour code the lines, they will be displayed in the default
colour.
Specify whether blasthole names will be shown in the display. If blast hole
names are shown, double-click on the Font icon to set the text font and
double-click on the Position icon to specify how the labels will be positioned
in relation to each collar.
Note: To view the properties of a blasthole, click the Query tool on the View
toolbar to use the cursor to identify a hole in the display. Properties of the
hole will be displayed in a dockable window to the left of the display.
Click the New Blasthole tool to use the mouse to add a new blasthole to
the display.
To delete blastholes, press the Delete key on the keyboard to delete all
selected blastholes. If necessary, use the Undo button on the View toolbar
to restore any blastholes that may have been deleted by mistake.
temporarily turn off snapping mode, hold the SHIFT key down as you
digitise a point.
Point, Line, and Grid snapping options can be selected.
Click the Depth Adjustm ent tool to use the mouse to adjust the depth of
a blasthole up or down. As you drag the mouse to define a new depth, the
dip and azimuth of the hole is preserved.
To change the dip and azimuth of a blasthole, select the Query tool on the
View toolbar and click on the blasthole in the display to display its azimuth,
dip and depth properties in an editable Properties window.
Click the Select Restriction tool to restrict the extent of the Blast Hole
pattern to an outline, or string, or both, currently selected in the display.
When you depress the mouse, the Select Restriction tool detects the
objects selected in the display and uses them to modify the blast hole
extent.
Note that the selection can only be made using a selection polygon.
Individual blastholes cannot be selected.
For a string or an outline not filled by a hatch pattern, click on the string or
outline boundary to select it. For outlines filled with a hatch pattern, click
anywhere within the outline to select it.
To select a restriction, you can also drag the mouse, or use the Shift key
with the mouse, to multi-select outlines and strings in the display.
Click the Restrict button to crop the blasthole extent so that only those
holes that fall within the restriction boundary are included.
Click the Clear Restriction button to remove the restriction defined using
the Select Restriction tool.
When you select one or more blastholes in the display, Hole Name and Depth
values for the selected blasthole(s) are displayed in the two drop-down lists to the
right of the Blasthole toolbar.
While the same hole name can not be applied to multiple blastholes, a wildcard can
be entered to modify the hole name prefix. A new depth value can also be entered
and assigned to multiple holes.
A list of the most recently edited (or added) holes and their depth are maintained in
each list.
61
Blast Displacement
The Blast Displacement tool allows a blast design engineer or an ore control engineer to create a
visual representation of an ore body prior to and after blasting.
The information provided by the Blast Displacement tool can be used with drill pattern and shot
orientation data to help minimise ore displacement and dilution during future blasting.
The Blast Displacement tool requires the following data:
a string file which represents an ore body (based upon measurements made prior to blasting).
two point files which represent PRE and POST BLAST MARKERS.
Once the ore body string and the pre and post blast markers have been loaded into the display, the
ore body string must be selected in order to enable the Edit Strings toolbar.
Click the Blast Displacement button to open the Blast Displacement dialog:
Specify the files that contain the pre and post blast point data. Each file must contain corresponding
coordinate and marker ID fields.
Create new ore outline
If the Create new ore outline option is not selected, the existing ore body string is displaced based
upon the data in the pre and post blast marker files.
62
If the Create new ore outline option is selected, a new string (representing the displaced ore body)
is generated and displayed alongside the original string.
63
Specify the name of the input file containing grade values. This will typically be a drillhole
interval file or a block model file.
To obtain the most accurate grades and volumes, use a block model file. Since the blocks are
subblocked, only those sub blocks that fall within the displayed outlines will be included in
the calculations.
2.
Specify the names of the Easting, Northing and RL coordinate fields in the input file.
3.
Specify where the Thickness values used to calculate volumes in the selected outlines will
be obtained from. There are three possible sources:
Constant
When you choose this option, you must enter a Thickness value.
From File
64
Specify where the SG values used to calculate tonnages in the selected outlines will be
obtained from. There are three possible sources:
Constant
When you choose this option, you must enter an SG value with up to two decimal places.
From File
When you choose this option, the grade calculations will use SG values in the input file. You
can only change these values by editing the input file.
From Outline
When you choose this option, the function will use the SG attribute in each outline to
calculate tonnages. You must edit the SGs in the outlines to change those values.
5.
The grade control calculation can be applied to a maximum of four fields in the source file.
At least one Calculation field must be specified.
6.
Enter the name of the Report file where the results will be written. If the file does not exist,
it will be created. If the file exists, you can append a new set of calculations.
7.
Finally, click the Calculate button to perform the calculation. When the calculation is
complete, the results are written to the specified Report file and displayed in a separate
window.
The output file will contain the outline name, code and area of each outline plus the weighted
average total for all selected outlines. Any outlines assigned with the Subtract tool will have
a minus sign preceding the grade, volume and tonnage values in the output file. Outlines not
included in the calculation (assigned using the Exclude tool) will not be shown.
Note: To create output in a form suitable for the Survey | Set Out Calcs function, refer to the
Mining | Opencut | Grade Control topic.
65
Grade Control
The Mining | Opencut | Grade Control function is a mine planning tool. To use it, you build a
display containing up to nine datasets including two outline sets. Once you have done this, you can
calculate volumes and tonnes based on the grades of the material within existing geological or
design outlines, or new outlines you create.
By adjusting the shape of the outlines and re-calculating volumes and tonnages as part of an
iterative process, you can develop a grade control plan. The primary orientation of the display will
be plan. Grade control is normally only carried out in section when working underground.
The function produces three outputs:
Grade, area, volumes and tonnages. These can be saved in a data file.
Outline information in a form suitable for the Survey | Set Out Calcs function. Using this
output, you can calculate bearings and distances from known survey stations to the outline
vertices.
You can add outlines to polygonal model and mine design files from the display. You can also
delete outlines from models and mine designs and create new outlines.
The function stores the information from the input files and, in the display, checks if values are
inside or outside selected outlines. You must re-run the function when you change the input.
A further application of the Grade control function is the preparation of multiple display plots.
The Process
1.
2.
3.
Click the More buttons for the options you have selected and fill out the dialog boxes that
appear.
Note that for Stacked Sections and Trenches you can also display values, hatching and graphs.
4.
Click OK to run the function. The data you have selected will be displayed.
The best way to use this function is to set up a grade control element, turn it off, and then set up
the next display. When they are all set up correctly, turn on those that you require. Too many
display elements are difficult to interpret, especially if colour files are used in each.
If you are processing large block model files processing speed will increase if you exclude blocks not
required for the calculation with a filter.
For more information, click on the following topic links:
66
You can add a further character field to the output file and write a value to that field. When you run
the function a number of times and append the results, you can differentiate each run by writing an
identifier to the new character field.
Operating Details
When a mining outline covers part of a model where block values do not exist, the default SG will be
used to report the tonnage of material inside the outline but outside the model boundary. In this
case no grade will be reported and the material is included on the bottom of the list in the output
file.
67
Apply a filter to the block model so only the blocks for the appropriate layer are passed to
the Mining Block Grades function.
68
1.
Select Modelling | Model Report | Mining Block Grades from the main menu.
2.
Enter the name of the ore body model file in Input File and the names of the coordinate
fields in that file. If required, use a filter to selectively process records.
3.
Choose the orientation that defines the relationship between the block model file and the
outlines you will use to restrict the estimation process.
4.
Enter the name of the field for which you will calculate grade estimates (Estimate field).
5.
Enter the name of the field where block factors will be written in Block factor field. The
portion or each block inside the outline(s) will be written to this field.
6.
You can use a Cutoff set or a Colour set to control the reporting intervals. The Colour set
method has been retained for backward compatibility. Select Use Cutoff set if you want to
use this method, and then enter a cutoff set number. If you need to create a cutoff set,
double-click to select Default set, and then right-click to open the dialog box where you can
create it.
7.
Enter the name of the SG field, if it is present. Enter the default SG in the prompt with that
name. The default SG will be used when there isn't an SG present in a record being
processed. If there is no SG field in the input file, and you don't enter the default SG, a
value of 1.0 will be used in the tonnage calculations.
8.
By default, the blocks in the input file are divided into five sub-blocks in each direction. You
can reduce or increase these values by entering values between 0 and 10. For more
information, refer to the Using sub-blocks to improve the accuracy of the calculation topic.
If there is a possibility that blocks occur in more than one outline, select Accumulate. The
block factors for those blocks will be accumulated.
Choose the type of outline file, and then enter the details for that type. DESIGN type
outlines are often used here but there is no reason other types of outline cannot be used.
Enter the numbers of the start and end outline files that will be used in the calculation. If
you enter the same number in both Start and End prompts, only that outline will be used.
10. Use the outline restrictions to control which outlines will be used in each of the outline files.
11. Enter a name and choose a type (DATA) for the output file. This will contain the report.
12. If you want to add a field to the output file, you can enter the field name and the value that
will be written in that field. For details see Appending a field to the output file.
13. Click OK to run the function and select either Overwrite or Append according to your
requirements.
69
The Process
70
1.
Select Modelling | Model Report | Point Sample Grades from the main menu.
2.
Enter the name of the input file. If required, use a filter to selectively process records.
3.
Enter the names of the coordinate fields in that file. Which of the Easting, Northing and RL
fields is enabled, depends on your choice of orientation. For example, if you set Orientation
to PLAN, the Easting and Northing field will be enabled.
4.
Click the Estimate Fields button and enter the names of the fields for which you want to
calculate cut-off block grades. Enter the cut-off value for each field in the column opposite.
5.
Enter the name of the SG field, if it is present. Enter the default SG in the prompt with that
name. The default SG will be used when there isn't an SG present in a record being
processed. If there is no SG field in the input file, and you don't enter the default SG, a
value of 1.0 will be used in the tonnage calculations.
6.
Enter a value in the Thickness response. This defines the third dimension required to
calculate volume. It will typically be a bench height or section thickness.
7.
If you intend using outlines to restrict which blocks are used in the calculation, select
Restrict to outlines and click the More button opposite.
Enter a name for the output file. If you want to add a character field to the output, enter
the name of the field in the Extra character field response. To populate the field, enter a
value in the Extra character value response.
If the report file already exists, you will be given the opportunity to overwrite or
append to it.
Because you can append the output of this function to an existing file, you can run
several calculations using different parameters. The Extra field can therefore be used
to identify the differences between each calculation, especially if you need to use a
filter in some subsequent process.
Note: You can only append reports in the output file if they are for the same estimate field.
71
MICROMINE Surveying
Table Of Contents
Table Of Contents
Surveying ................................................................................................................. 1
Digital Terrain Modelling (DTM) ................................................................................. 2
Detailed Coordinate Calculations..................................................................................... 4
Overview ............................................................................................................. 4
The Process .......................................................................................................... 4
Set out calculations ..................................................................................................... 6
Overview ............................................................................................................. 6
The Process .......................................................................................................... 6
Calculating the Mean of Observations............................................................................... 7
Overview ............................................................................................................. 7
The Process .......................................................................................................... 7
Calculating top/bottom volumes ..................................................................................... 9
Top string only ...................................................................................................... 9
Top and bottom strings ......................................................................................... 10
Traverse Calculations ................................................................................................. 12
Reference Bearings............................................................................................... 13
Current Coordinates ............................................................................................. 13
No Closing Station................................................................................................ 13
Importing Survey Observations .................................................................................... 14
Overview ........................................................................................................... 14
The Process ........................................................................................................ 14
Preconditions To Importing Observations ........................................................................ 16
File Formats and Codes .............................................................................................. 17
Type 1 record...................................................................................................... 17
Type 2 record...................................................................................................... 17
Type 3 record...................................................................................................... 17
Type 4 record...................................................................................................... 18
Input format....................................................................................................... 18
Connecting the Survey Instrument ................................................................................ 19
Reformatting the Input............................................................................................... 20
Defining the Input Output Format ................................................................................. 21
Downloading Station Coordinates.................................................................................. 22
Field Reductions ....................................................................................................... 23
Table Of Contents
The Process .......................................................................................................... 23
Calculating EDM Reductions......................................................................................... 24
Calculating Angle Rounds ............................................................................................ 24
Calculating Stadia Reductions ...................................................................................... 25
Calculating RDS Reductions ......................................................................................... 26
Vertical Angle...................................................................................................... 26
Calculating subtense bar reductions............................................................................... 27
Manual Calculations................................................................................................... 28
Angles.................................................................................................................... 29
Stadia .................................................................................................................... 30
RDS....................................................................................................................... 31
Subtense ................................................................................................................ 32
EDM ...................................................................................................................... 33
SAS ....................................................................................................................... 34
Generating Cross Sections........................................................................................... 35
Overview ........................................................................................................... 35
The Process ........................................................................................................ 35
Displaying Cross Sections............................................................................................ 36
Overview ........................................................................................................... 36
The Process ........................................................................................................ 36
Cross Section Display Tools ......................................................................................... 37
Goto ................................................................................................................. 37
Continuous......................................................................................................... 37
Previous ............................................................................................................ 37
Next ................................................................................................................. 37
Displaying Interactive Cross Sections ............................................................................. 38
Overview ........................................................................................................... 38
The Process ........................................................................................................ 38
Calculating Volumes from Cross Sections ........................................................................ 39
Overview ........................................................................................................... 39
The Process ........................................................................................................ 39
Digital Terrain Modelling (DTM) .................................................................................... 40
Create............................................................................................................... 40
Create from Points ............................................................................................... 40
Volumes ............................................................................................................ 40
ii
Table Of Contents
Contours............................................................................................................ 40
Seam Thickness................................................................................................... 40
Generate Z Values................................................................................................ 40
Assign ............................................................................................................... 40
DTM->MM File..................................................................................................... 40
DTM->Faces File .................................................................................................. 40
Creating a DTM ........................................................................................................ 41
Overview ........................................................................................................... 41
The Process ........................................................................................................ 41
Creating a DTM from points in plane .............................................................................. 42
Using breaklines ....................................................................................................... 43
Using a constraint file ................................................................................................ 44
DTM Contouring........................................................................................................ 45
Contour smoothing.................................................................................................... 46
Contour file ............................................................................................................. 46
Calculating a DTM volume ........................................................................................... 47
Overview ........................................................................................................... 47
The Process ........................................................................................................ 47
Calculating seam thickness.......................................................................................... 48
Overview ........................................................................................................... 48
The Process ........................................................................................................ 48
Generating Z values from a DTM................................................................................... 49
Overview ........................................................................................................... 49
The Process ........................................................................................................ 49
DTM Assign ............................................................................................................. 50
Overview ........................................................................................................... 50
The Process ........................................................................................................ 50
DTM to MM file conversion........................................................................................... 51
Overview ........................................................................................................... 51
The Process ........................................................................................................ 51
DTM to FACES file ..................................................................................................... 52
Index ..................................................................................................................... 53
iii
Surveying
Surveying
The functions provided with the Surveying module, can be used to import survey data and reduce it
to data points and strings with 3D coordinates. You can acquire data using all the standard data
collection methods, and can interface to virtually any data recorder.
The Surveying functions can be used to:
Perform survey calculations such as missing line, pegging ties and meaning rounds of
angles.
Calculate coordinates of left and right offsets from a centre line for underground surveys.
Surveying menu options:
Survey |
Import Obs
Survey |
Survey |
Survey |
Field Reductions
Survey |
Mean Obs
Survey |
Traverse
Survey |
Manual Calcs |
General
Survey |
Manual Calcs |
Angles
Survey |
Manual Calcs |
Stadia
Survey |
Manual Calcs |
RDS
Survey |
Manual Calcs |
Subtense
Survey |
Manual Calcs |
EDM
Survey |
Manual Calcs |
SAS
Display cross-sectional areas and report cut and fill volumes between surfaces.
Surveying
Strings |
Cross Sections |
Generate
Strings |
Cross Sections |
Display
Strings |
Cross Sections |
Volumes
Strings |
Cross Sections |
Interactive
Survey |
Top/Bottom Volumes
Calculate the Z values for a file containing points with known X and Y coordinates.
Report whether points in a file are above, below or outside a DTM. If the wireframe is a
solid rather than a surface, you can choose whether to use top or bottom values when
comparing Z values with values in the data file.
Calculate thickness from DTMs representing the top and bottom of a seam.
Use the DTM Create Plane function to create a wireframe from points in plane. A constraint
file is defined which will clip the triangle edges. Z values in the constraint file are
recalculated and these are included during the surface creation.
A constraint file can also be applied when using the DTM Create function. The DTM Create
function allows the user to control the nominal plane in which the DTM is formed (i.e. Plan,
East, North). If you are creating a DTM for a near vertical surface which overhangs, then
the DTM is created in the East or North plane as appropriate (the plane with the maximum
surface extent). This is very useful for contouring hanging and footwalls in mines, and fault
zones.
DTM Menu Options
Strings |
DTM |
Create
Strings |
DTM |
Create Plane
Surveying
Strings |
DTM |
Volumes
Strings |
DTM |
Contours
Strings |
DTM |
Seam Thickness
Strings |
DTM |
Generate Z values
Strings |
DTM |
Assign
Strings |
DTM |
Strings |
DTM |
Surveying
From fields containing the Reference Object (RO), name (ID), the observed direction to the
point and the observed direction to the RO.
You can also choose one of two methods of reduction, depending on whether the file contains
horizontal distances and height differences or slope distance, vertical angle, instrument height and
target height.
The file to be used must be a Survey type with fields for Northing, Easting and RL values. You also
require a Station file (also a Survey type) containing the Station ID, Northing, Easting and RL for
each instrument station and (if used) each RO.
See the example of a typical input file (Easting, Northing and RL values will be inserted by the
function):
The Process
1.
2.
3.
4.
Choose the zero vertical parameter. Zenith means that 90 or 270 is horizontal; <90 or
>270 is an elevation and >90 or <270 is a depression. Horizontal means that 0 is
horizontal, positive values are elevations and negative values are depressions.
5.
If you are using a reference object, select the RO check box. This is not required if the
horizontal angles are true bearings.
6.
Enter the required field names. Some fields will be disabled depending on your selections
above depending on the reduction type chosen. If you specify an offset field, its values will
be used to move the coordinates by the amount indicated in each point. (A positive value
shifts the point to the right.)
7.
Enter a new station name value if there is a new station identified in a field that is blank for
all records except when an observation is made to a new fixed point. The station and its
Surveying
coordinates will be written to the Station file. The most common use for this is in an open
traverse, when the last observation is to the next setup station. You dont need to enter the
information manually into the Station file.
8.
9.
Run the function to write the calculated fields to the survey file.
Surveying
You also need a Station file containing the coordinates of the stations.
The Process
To perform set out calculations on a file:
1.
2.
3.
Enter the data file field names in the remaining text boxes on the left side of the dialog box.
4.
5.
6.
Surveying
The Process
1.
2.
For the (input) file and the output file, choose the file type and select or enter the file name
and field names.
3.
Enter a report file name in the text box if you want to generate a report of the operation.
4.
Enter the field names for the observation and output files.
5.
6.
Run the function to generate the output file (and the report file if a name was entered).
You will now see a summary of the number of records that were used in the means calculation for
each field. This information will also be written to the report file if one is used.
Surveying
Surveying
Specify a top and a bottom RL. Volume is calculated by multiplying the string area by the
mean RL difference.
Specify top and bottom strings. Volume is calculated by multiplying the average of the two
areas by the mean RL difference.
The key steps involved in using the Top/Bottom Volumes function are as follows:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
Enter the other field names, depending on which method you want to use (see below).
6.
Choose the report file type and select or enter its name.
7.
Run the function. The results will be written to the report file and a dialog box will ask if you
want to display the file now.
Surveying
Enter the RL field name to use the average of the file RLs for both strings, or
Enter either the top or bottom RL value to use the value for that string and the file average for
the other, or
Enter both top and bottom RL values. In that case, the RL field will be ignored.
10
Surveying
11
Surveying
Traverse Calculations
This function adjusts traverse observations in three dimensions, using either the Transit or Bowditch
method of coordinate adjustment. Heights are adjusted according to the distance between stations.
You need an input (control) file containing the traverse information, as generated by the Mean
Observations function. This can contain one or more traverses, and the Traverse function allows you
to adjust one at a time. You also need a Station file containing details of the known starting and
closing points.
You can choose to write the adjustments back to the control file.
2.
(Optional) Select the Calculate RLs check box to calculate reduced levels.
3.
Choose the adjustment type. Bowditch is the usual choice unless angular measurement is
more accurate than distance measurement.
4.
5.
Enter the name of the Station file and the field name information.
6.
Select the Write to station file? check box if you want to write adjusted station coordinates
to the station file.
7.
8.
9.
(Optional) Enter a name for the report file. A record of adjustments will be written to the
file.
10. Choose the traverse file type and select or enter its name and field names.
11. Run the function.
12
A dialog box now shows the bearing misclose. If this is acceptable, click Yes to continue.
Surveying
A dialog box shows the misclose in coordinates, RL, bearing and distance. You can click Yes to
carry out the adjustment.
The function now calculates the adjustments and writes the new stations and their coordinates
to the Control file (if that box was checked).
Reference Bearings
If the coordinates of the initial and closing ROs are not in the Station file and/or you did not enter
their names in the dialog box, the program will prompt you for initial and closing reference
bearings.
Current Coordinates
If the station in the first record is not found in the Control file, you will be asked if you want to use
the current coordinates. Key 'N' to abort the function so you can add the information to the file, or
'Y' to use the Northing, Easting and RL values found in the first record. If there are no values, 0.0
will be used for each.
No Closing Station
If the closing station is not found in the Control file, a message will tell you that the traverse will be
calculated as Open (no adjustments). However, there will still be a full printout and coordinates will
be added to the Control file.
13
If relevant, connect the instrument to a PC port with a serial cable. Omit this step if you are
importing from an ASCII file already on the PC.
2.
3.
4.
Choose the zero vertical parameter. Zenith means that 90 or 270 is horizontal; <90 or
>270 is an elevation and >90 or <270 is a depression. Horizontal means that 0 is
horizontal, positive values are elevations and negative values are depressions.
5.
6.
For a text file input, enter the input ASCII file name.
7.
Enter the Station file name and click Station Fields to enter the field names.
8.
(Optional) Enter the Code Definition information. There may be one, two or three of these,
depending on the instrument.
9.
(Optional) Select Reformat input? and click More to enter the information.
10. (Optional) Select Use record number? and click More to enter the information required if
you are not using all records in the file.
14
15
The format of the data that you will be importing, as specified in the manual for the
instrument.
If appropriate, the way in which the file has been configured - the record specification.
What sort of information to expect in each field of the records - the field specifications.
You will also need a Station file containing the names and locations of known survey (control)
stations.
A serial cable and knowledge of the communications parameters is required if you import directly
from an instrument.
16
The next types all have a 2-digit secondary code starting in column 10.
Type 2 record
This has a primary code of 02 and a secondary code of 01. It contains a 2-digit station ID starting in
column 16 and a 6-digit instrument height starting in column 20. Example...
Type 3 record
This has a primary code of 02, and a secondary code of 02. It contains a 2-digit RO ID starting in
column 16 and an 8-digit RO Horizontal angle starting in column 20. Example...
17
Type 4 record
This has a primary code of 02 and a secondary code of 03. It contains a 6-digit target height
starting in column 16. Example...
Input format
Numeric data is in integer format, so you need to know the factor by which it should be divided to
produce the correct result. For example, the instrument height mentioned above needs to divided
by 1000 to give the value in metres.
For each field you will need to enter the starting column number and the length. For example:
18
Parity.
Word length.
Handshaking, if specified.
The request string that initiates a download. Not all instruments have this.
The parameters for these settings must be entered in the Import Obs dialog form.
19
Line endings are not signalled by the Carriage Return (CRLF) sequence.
Type in an ASCII code in the Substitute CRLF for ASCII code text box if the line endings are
indicated by a code other than CRLF.
If fields are not of fixed length, type in the ASCII delimiter code and the end position of each
column to define the padding widths. Separate the widths by commas (irrespective of what the
delimiter code is). For example: 10,20,28,38.
A data recorder stores its information in a particular format; usually as a set of records in which
each record is a string of data ending in a Carriage Return/Line Feed (CRLF) sequence. Other endof-record characters may be used in some instruments, and the Import Observations function allows
you to specify which applies if this is the case.
If the data is not in fixed length fields, you can use the Reformat Input option to specify the
maximum length for each field. The program will reformat the input by padding fields (if necessary)
to the maximum length and remove the delimiters. In the rare case that the delimiter is not a
comma, you can specify what it is.
20
Assuming that the values for fields 2 and 3 are likely to change in width, you might enter
4,12,20,22 in the pad delimiter box to allow for longer values. The reformatted records would then
look like:
The column number in the file at which each data item starts.
Measurement items also need a 'Divide by' factor, that will be applied to the value when it is
transferred to the file in the program.
21
22
Select the Write to Station file if you want the Station and RO coordinates to be written to
the project Fixed file.
Enter the required information for each field - the first three are mandatory.
Field Reductions
Field Reductions
Using this menu item you can reduce four types of survey observations to a height difference,
horizontal distance, or both, and calculate included angles. Although generally only one type of
reduction will apply, the function can perform any of the reductions if the appropriate data is
present in the source file.
The output is written to fields in the source file.
The source data must be in a file containing the appropriate records. Before calculation commences,
check to ensure that all required fields are sufficiently defined.
You can carry out the same calculations on keyboard-entered data with the Survey | Manual Calcs
menu item.
The types of calculations available are:
Electronic distance measuring - reduces a vertical angle and slope distance to a horizontal
distance and height difference.
Angle rounds - calculates the included angle between two observed directions.
RDS - calculates height differences and horizontal distances from self-reducing tacheometry
observations.
Subtense bar - similar to stadia observations using a horizontal bar with optional target
height readings.
The Process
This process overview lists the key steps involved in using the Field Reductions function.
1.
2.
3.
4.
(Optional) Enter the name of the dH factor field in the text box. If you enter a value here,
any dH (delta height) calculated will be multiplied by this value.
5.
Select the check box for the appropriate method and click More to enter the required
information. You can select more than one box if the file contains data for different
methods.
6.
Run the function to write the calculated fields into the file.
23
Field Reductions
24
Field Reductions
An error flag field is optional; if entered, a 1 will be written to the field in the case of an error.
25
Field Reductions
Vertical Angle
Instead of using a Factor, the vertical angle can be observed plus the staff reading at the centre of
the graticule. Now the height difference is calculated from the vertical angle and graticule reading.
The horizontal distance is calculated in the same way as for the Factor method. In this method, the
Middle Wire reading is optional. If no Middle Wire observation is used, the vertical angle is adjusted
by 17' 12" and the bottom wire used instead.
Using a Middle Wire reading causes the program to find the difference between the true Middle Wire
value and one calculated from:
26
Field Reductions
Foresight reading and either left or right horizontal angle. In this case, the included angle
between the foresight and the left or right horizontal angle will be doubled and used to
calculate a horizontal distance.
27
Manual Calculations
Manual Calculations
If you have small one-off calculations to perform, you can enter the data via the keyboard using this
function. Results are displayed on the screen and optionally written to a report file. Repetitive
calculations or those involving a lot of data are best carried out from a file using one of the other
functions.
The various options allow you to calculate the following items.
28
Mean of a set of horizontal angles given two directions defining the angle.
Means a set of vertical angles and converts them to the Face Left equivalent.
Horizontal distance and height difference from a vertical angle and slope difference.
Coordinates of a point given the included angles between, and the horizontal distances to,
two known points (side angle side calculation).
Manual Calculations
Angles
This function accepts a list of horizontal angle pairs and calculates the included angle between each
pair. It also displays the mean and range of the included angles. In addition, you can enter a list of
vertical angles and the program will normalise them all to Face Left and display the mean and
range.
To use the Angles function:
1.
2.
3.
Choose the zero vertical. Zenith means that 90 or 270 is horizontal; <90 or >270 is an
elevation and >90 or <270 is a depression. Horizontal means that 0 is horizontal, positive
values are elevations and negative values are depressions.
4.
5.
Enter pairs of horizontal angles and/or a list of vertical angles and run the function.
29
Manual Calculations
Stadia
This function checks and reduces stadia readings. You can nominate a station from a station file, or
you can enter specific station data.
Do the following to use the Stadia function:
1.
2.
3.
4.
Enter a station name if you want to use a station from the specified station file, or enter
Easting, Northing and RL values.
5.
Enter the values for instrument height, bearing, vertical angle and top, middle and bottom
wires.
6.
In the output, dH is the difference in ground height between the station and observed point. HD is
the difference, in millimetres, between the mean of the top and bottom wire readings and the
middle wire reading.
30
Manual Calculations
RDS
This function checks and reduces RDS readings, using either the Vertical Angle or Factor method.
To use the RDS function:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
Enter a station name to use details from the station file, or enter Easting, Northing and RL
values.
6.
Enter the bearing and top, middle and bottom wire values.
7.
Enter either the vertical angle or the factor, depending on which method you chose.
8.
In the output, dH is the difference in ground height between the station and observed point. HD is
the difference, in millimetres, between the mean of the top and bottom wire readings and the
middle wire reading.
31
Manual Calculations
Subtense
This function calculates the included angle and horizontal distance, given a bar length and two
horizontal angles.
To use the Subtense function:
32
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
Manual Calculations
EDM
This function reduces a vertical angle and slope distance to a horizontal distance and a height
distance.
To use the EDM function:
1.
2.
3.
4.
Enter the vertical angle, slope distance, instrument height, target height and RL.
5.
33
Manual Calculations
SAS
This function (Side Angle Side) calculates the coordinates of a point, using two known stations, the
included angle made at the unknown point and the horizontal distances. You can used named
stations from a station file or enter coordinates.
To use the SAS function:
34
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
Enter station names to use details from the station file, or enter Easting, Northing and RL
values. You can use one station from the file and one with specified coordinates.
6.
7.
Cross Sections
2.
Choose the input file type and select or type in its name.
3.
4.
5.
6.
i.
Choose the section type. If you choose LOOKING EAST, for example, the function
will generate lines of constant Easting, commencing with the coordinate entered in
Start Section.
ii.
Type in the values for section spacing, start section name and end section name.
iii.
Enter the String and/or Join field name, and if applicable, type in the wildcode
value.
Screen messages show the progress as the input file is read and the section file is generated.
35
Cross Sections
2.
Enter the name of the current surface file (it must be a Section file) and choose the
linetype.
3.
Double click on Colour, then select a colour from the palette and click Select to apply that
colour to the lines.
4.
(Optional) If you are using a previous surface file, enter its name and choose a linetype and
colour as above.
5.
(Optional) Type in the start and ending section coordinates. If you do not enter values, the
program will show each section in turn for the whole file.
6.
(Optional) Enter the top and/or bottom RLs if you are using these values, and select a
colour for each. These values are applicable only if you are using a previous surface file.
7.
Click on Display Limits and enter the data. If you do not enter limits, the scale changes for
each section displayed. Otherwise, each section display will be within the limits defined
here. The grid space values set the distance between grid lines.
8.
Click on Display area? to see the area and calculation results on the screen.
9.
Double click on Colour in the fill area to set the colour. Double click on Hatch to set the
hatch pattern. Remember that dense hatch patterns can take a long time to plot on pen
plotters.
10. Double click on Colour in the Cut area to set the colour. Double click on Hatch to set the
hatch pattern.
11. If you entered Top and Bottom RL, choose whether to extend to the Top or BOTTOM, or
NONE (the default).
12. Select Plot U-frame? to send U-frame data to the plot file.
13. Run the function to display the sections.
36
Cross Sections
2.
3.
Click OK to continue.
Continuous
Use this option when you want to step through all sections in the input file automatically. The
program displays each section for a few seconds and them draws the next section in the display. It
starts from the current display and continues to the last section.
To use this option:
1.
2.
Previous
Select this item to display the previous section.
Next
Select this item to display the next section.
37
Cross Sections
2.
Choose the type and select or type in the name of the first file defining the surface.
3.
Enter the X, Y and Z field names and optionally choose a colour for the cross section line by
double clicking the Colour box then selecting the colour.
4.
Enter the String and/or Join field names and type in the wildcode value if used.
5.
(Optional) Enter the colour field name and enter the colour file.
6.
(Optional) Select a default colour by double clicking on the box and choosing a colour.
7.
8.
(Optional) Check the Display 2nd surface? box and enter the data as for the first surface.
This surface will not appear in the plan display, but its cross section will be shown.
9.
The surface 1 file will now be read in and displayed (usually as contours).
Click and drag to define a cross section line, then click again to see the cross section displayed. If
you used a second surface file, both cross sections will be shown, each in its own colour.
The display shows the coordinates of the section line end points with bearing and distance of the
line.
38
Cross Sections
V = L*(A1+A2+SQRT(A1*A2))/3
L is the distance between sections.
A1 and A2 are the areas of the two sections respectively.
The Process
1.
2.
Enter the name of the current surface file (it must be a Section file) and choose the
linetype.
3.
(Optional) If you are using a previous surface file, enter its name.
4.
(Optional) Type in the start and ending section coordinates. If you do not enter values, the
program will show each section in turn for the whole file.
5.
(Optional) Enter the top and/or bottom RLs if you are using these values. These values are
applicable only if you are using a previous surface file.
6.
7.
8.
If you entered an RL, choose whether to extend to the TOP of BOTTOM or NONE.
9.
Type in a name for the report file, if required, to contain the volumes for each section.
10. Type in a code value if you want this information written to a Code field for identification.
11. Run the function.
The program now displays coordinates and cut and fill volumes for each section, followed by
cumulative totals.
39
DTM
40
DTM
Creating a DTM
Overview
Use Create to generate a digital terrain model (in Plan, West or North Plane) from any file
containing points with X, Y and Z coordinates. Two types of output file can be created.
DTM file - A binary file that defines the surface model. This file is used by the other DTM
functions and cannot be edited.
Contour file - A data file containing strings that define the contour lines.
You can define breaklines to control how the triangles are formed. They can be used to prevent
triangles from crossing linear features, such as ridge lines.
You can also define a boundary file to limit the area for which a DTM is created.
Because DTMs honour the original data points, they provide a very accurate model when the data
defines where the slope of the surface changes. A topographic survey which locates ridges and
valleys will produce good results. When the data is random or sparse, and the terrain is rugged,
then accuracy may be affected.
The Process
1.
2.
Enter the name of the input file. If required, define a filter to selectively process the
records.
3.
4.
Select the desired Output Type and enter an Output Name to write the model data to a file.
5.
Click the Attributes button and set the desired attributes. The default DTM colour should be
set at this time.
6.
Click the Display Limits button to bring up a dialog that lets you define the display limits.
7.
(Optional) Select a DTM Plane from either PLAN, WEST or NORTH. This is the plane against
which the DTM will be projected during construction. The default is PLAN.
8.
(Optional) Check Show triangles? if you want to see the DTM triangles on the display.
9.
(Optional) Check Breaklines? and click the More button opposite to define a string which
controls the position of the output triangle edges.
10. (Optional) Check Constraint file? and click the More button to enter details of a file that
constrains the model.
11. Check Contours? and click the More button to enter details of contour generation.
12. Click OK to run the function.
41
DTM
42
1.
Specify the number of points in the plane, as defined by the Points file. If only 1 point is
available to define the centre and rotation of the plane, you must specify a dip and dip
direction. For 2 points, specify a dip. Select 3 points to define centre of rotation, dip and dip
direction from the points file. If defining a horizontal surface at that RL, select the RL
option.
2.
Select the file type (usually string) and select the name of the points file.
3.
Define the dip and dip direction for one point, modelling the DTM top Z and then base Z.
4.
5.
Click the Constraint File button to define a file that will constrain the area for which the
triangulated surface is calculated.
6.
7.
8.
DTM
Using breaklines
Using the Breakline option, can prevent triangles from crossing selected strings defined in the input
file. For example, triangles that intersect crest or toe lines in a pit will not be representing the actual
surface properly. To ensure that this does not happen, all crest and toe strings can be defined as
breaklines.
To define breaklines in the DTM | Create dialog form:
1.
2.
The illustration below shows DTMs created from the same input file. In the example on the right
triangles cannot form across the breaklines defined around the rim of the pit and the base of the pit
(the breaklines are highlighted). A third breakline is shown defining the edge of the pit.
43
DTM
2.
Enter the name of the file and the X and Y fields within it.
When DTM | Create runs it checks to see if Constraint file is selected. When this is the case it will
use the constraint file you have defined. Otherwise it will create the constraint file by default.
44
DTM
DTM Contouring
Contours are lines connecting points of equal Z value. When you create a DTM, a Z field is defined,
and these values can now be contoured using the DTM | Contour function. The DTM is a triangular
mesh with each vertex being a point in the data file that was used to create the DTM. Each vertex
has an associated Z value and each triangle side defines a constant slope between two known
points. So, if two vertices of the same triangle have Z values of 19m and 21m, then half way along
the connecting side the Z value will be 20m. If a specific Z value enters a triangle by intersecting
one of its sides, it must leave the triangle by one of the other two sides, thereby entering an
adjacent triangle. A contour line is generated by tracking a specific Z value in this way.
The contouring function are accessible via Strings | DTM | Create and Strings | DTM |
Contours. In the latter case you also need to enter the name of the DTM file to use, before
completing the dialog prompts mentioned below.
To complete the Contours dialog, do the following:
1.
Enter a Contour interval as a value in Z units, defining the spacing between contour lines.
2.
Enter a Label interval you want to label contours with their Z value. The interval defines the
number of contours between labels.
3.
Enter the Contour minimum and maximum values to restrict the range of contours.
4.
5.
Enter a colour set number to control contour colours, and double-click Default colour to
select a default colour.
6.
45
DTM
Contour smoothing
If Smoothing is not applied, then the Z intercepts on the triangle sides will be connected by straight
lines, often resulting in jagged contours. Use the slider bar to determine the degree of smoothing
to be applied to the contour lines.
Straight line contours will never cross, but there is no guarantee that smoothed contours will not cross.
Contour file
Contours can be useful background information in other displays, such as String Edit and Vizex. This
can be done by writing the contour lines to a data file. The Contour file is automatically created and
has the fields X, Y, Z and JOIN. When displaying this in another function, define Z as the String field
and JOIN as the Join field to ensure that the contours display correctly. Labels are not written to the
Contour file.
46
DTM
2.
Select the Volume definition and enter the names of the DTM file(s) and/or RL(s) required.
3.
4.
5.
Enter the name of the Report file. This will contain the area and volume estimates.
6.
47
DTM
48
1.
2.
3.
(Optional) Check Boundary file? and click the More button to enter details of a boundary file
to restrict the area.
4.
Check Write grid to file? and enter the required grid spacing. The equally spaced grid points
and Z values will be written to the Thickness file.
5.
(Optionally) Check Contour thickness? and click the More button to enter details of contour
generation, which will be based on the thickness values.
6.
7.
Enter a name for the DTM thickness file if you want to generate one.
8.
Enter a name for the Thickness file . It will contain the coordinates from the input DTM files,
with Z values as the thickness. It will also include the grid coordinates if you chose to
include them in step 4.
9.
DTM
2.
Enter the name of the input DTM and data files applying a filter if necessary.
3.
4.
5.
Check the Overwrite existing Z values? box in order to replace the existing Z values. If the
Overwrite check box is unchecked then it only overwrites when the existing Z value is
blank.
6.
49
DTM
DTM Assign
Overview
With Assign you can determine whether points in a data file are above, below or outside and
existing DTM.
As an example, you could determine which blocks from an OBM have been mined, by assigning the
current pit DTM to the OBM file.
Each point in the data file is projected onto the DTM. The Z value of the data point is compared to
the Z value of the DTM. The value written to the Code field for that point depends on whether the
point is above, below or outside the DTM.
The Process
50
1.
2.
Enter the name of the DTM file. If the wireframe is a solid rather than a surface, the Side of
DTM prompt allows you to specify whether a TOP or BOTTOM value is to be used when
comparing values with Z values in the data file.
3.
4.
5.
Enter the Code field name. Values indicating whether a point is above, below or outside the
DTM will be written to this field.
6.
If the target file in this process is a block model file, you can decompose the blocks into
sub-blocks to improve the accuracy of the assignment process. The blocks can be
decomposed into ten sub-blocks in each (X,Y,RL) direction. To do this:
Select the Subbblocks or Block factor option and click the corresponding More... box.
If you selected the Block factor option, specify whether the block factor will be used to
define the portion of each block that falls above or below the DTM.
7.
Enter the values you want written to the code field for each of the possible assignments.
8.
DTM
2.
3.
4.
5.
51
DTM
52
1.
2.
3.
Index
Index
A
FACES file.......................................... 52
Assign ...............................................50
Field Reductions
Breaklines..........................................43
an overview..................................... 23
Constraint file
Contours............................................45
Creating
Generating
DTM...............................................41
Z values ......................................... 49
Creating ............................................41
Generating......................................... 49
Import Obs
an overview ...................................... 4
instrument connection........................ 19
DTM
preconditions................................... 16
Creating..........................................41
MM file............................................51
Manual calcs
an overview..................................... 28
Mean Obs
DTM, breaklines...................................43
overview...........................................7
MM file
FACES file
from DTM ........................................52
DTM .............................................. 51
MM file.............................................. 51
53
DTM
S
RDS............................................... 31
Seam Thickness...................................48
SAS ............................................... 34
Stadia ............................................ 30
an overview ...................................... 6
Subtense ........................................ 32
Smoothing
DTM Contours...................................46
Smoothing .........................................46
station coordinates...............................22
calculating ........................................9
Survey
Traverse
an overview ...................................... 1
overview......................................... 12
Field Reductions................................23
Traverse............................................ 12
Volume
DTM .............................................. 47
Volume ............................................. 47
traverse ..........................................12
Volumes.........................................9, 39
Z values
Angles ............................................29
Generate ........................................ 49
EDM...............................................33
Z values............................................ 49
54
MICROMINE Plotting
Table Of Contents
Plotting................................................................................................................ 3
Plot Editor & Quick Plot ......................................................................................... 4
Creating a simple plot ............................................................................................. 5
Creating a plot ...................................................................................................... 6
Modify a predefined layout or create a new layout..................................................... 6
Specifying the master plot frame .......................................................................... 6
Defining a title ................................................................................................. 6
Adding frames to a predefined layout..................................................................... 6
Creating a Section+Plan plot..................................................................................... 7
Types of plot frame ................................................................................................ 8
Plot Parameters................................................................................................... 10
Setting up preview options..................................................................................... 11
Editing the plot while in Preview mode ...................................................................... 12
Defining size factors ............................................................................................. 13
Defining a grid .................................................................................................... 14
Using Substitutions............................................................................................... 16
Importing form sets.............................................................................................. 17
Plot Options........................................................................................................ 18
Index................................................................................................................ 19
Plotting
Plotting
The Plotting module extends the Quick Plot functionality provided by the Core module.
The Plot Editor is a very powerful tool that allows you to generate hard copy and customize the
appearance of plots created in any MICROMINE graphical display. It includes comprehensive
facilities for previewing the output on screen, and for printing outlines to a plotter or a disk file.
With the Plot Editor you can do such things as:
Define sheet size, scale, grid type and spacing, rotation, label and symbol size factors,
title blocks and legends.
Include multiple plot frames on a single sheet. Layouts can be defined that specify what
frames will appear on a plot, their positions, and their characteristics. A number of
predefined plot layouts are provided by the application.
Save the contents of frames as form sets for later editing and reloading.
Plot Editor
Plot |
Append
Plot |
Batch
Plotting
Provided as part of the Core module, Quick Plot is a simplified version of the Plot Editor. Quick
Plot is designed to produce preliminary plots in the field. While it may not have all the features
provided by the Plot Editor, it is still a powerful plotting tool.
Quick Plot is limited to:
Five other frames that can only have frame types of SYMBOL, NONE and LEGEND.
Plot Editor
The following Plot Editor features are not available in Quick Plot:
The Plot Editor allows you to customize the appearance of plots generated by other MICROMINE
functions. It includes comprehensive facilities for previewing the output on screen and for
printing outlines to a plotter or a disk file.
With the Plot Editor you can do such things as:
Save the contents of frames as form sets for later editing and reloading.
The Plot Editor setup process can be quite involved. However, if you use the predefined layouts
supplied with the application, the process of setting up plots can be greatly simplified.
Plotting
Make sure the plotter and printer are set up in Options | Plot.
2.
Select Plot | Plot Editor or Plot | Quick Plot from the main menu.
3.
Select the file you want to plot. This is a file that was generated in one of the other
functions, like Simple Display. Note that filters are not available.
4.
You are then asked if you want to import the parameters for use with this plot.
When you select No, the parameters currently shown in the Plot Editor are used.
When you select Yes, and you have used this file in the Plot Editor before, the last used
parameters associated with the file are used. If you have not yet used the file in the
Plot Editor, the original parameters are imported.
If at any stage you want to use the original parameters, that were entered when the
plot file was created, click LOAD at the top of the screen.
Whichever parameters you use, the original parameters are always shown in the bottom
two rows on the Plot Editor screen. The parameters you have chosen to use are shown in
the two rows above it.
5.
Select the plot paper size. Double-click the paper size box to show a list of all available
paper sizes.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10. To draw the plot on the screen, select PREVIEW from the list of Output Options and
then define Preview Options (Plot Editor only). Or if you want to plot directly to paper,
set Output to HARDCOPY.
11. Make sure the plot Style is set to Scaled. This is normally selected automatically
depending on the function you used to create the plot (the other option is a statistical
plot, which is a graphical representation of statistical data, for example a linear
regression).
12. Ensure the Changed By Scale prompt is set to Min/Max, and all other fields are empty.
When using a statistical plot, scaling is irrelevant and the option will be disabled.
13. Click OK and the plot data will be sent to the plotter or drawn on the screen, as it would
appear on the plotter.
After you have set all these up, you can preview the plot on the screen, exactly as it will be
printed. You can then make changes in the preview editor before printing a hardcopy.
Plotting
Creating a plot
Plot layouts are defined in the Layout Definition dialog. There are three ways of working with
layouts. You can:
Modify a predefined layout. Frames can be added without changing the layout permanently.
Create and save an entirely new layout, either from scratch, or by modifying one of the
predefined layouts and saving it as a form set.
Enter the Parameter set to be used for the title. To create a new one, press F4 and
complete the Title Frame layout dialog box.
2.
3.
Enter the position of the title within the master plot. If you want to position the title
anywhere in the plot area, use coordinates of USER, mm or GRID. You must then enter
the location of the bottom left and top right corners. When you use any other
coordinates, the title frame is only movable in the master plot frame. In that case enter
the width and height in the TRx and TRy fields.
4.
To rotate the title within the frame, enter the number of degrees.
5.
Select a colour and line type in which to draw the title frame. Note that the size of the
thickness for options THICK, THIN and MEDIUM depends on the paper size you use.
Plotting
You can annotate the plan view so it is clear which drillholes in the plan plot are shown in the
section plot. You can also display lines at the section coordinate and the extent of the data
corridor defined by the Window towards and Window away parameters.
All the parameters available when you set the Style to SCALED are also available in this plot
style.
The Process
Do the following:
1.
2.
Enter the name of the section file in the Plot file response.
3.
4.
Click the Drillhole Plan button and define parameters to control how the Plan plot will be
displayed.
5.
Select Grid and click the More button opposite. Define the appearance of the grid that
will be displayed in the plan view.
6.
Select Section and click the More button opposite. Define the labels and lines that show
the portion of the plan view that is displayed in the section view.
7.
8.
When you have finished entering parameters, click OK to preview the plot.
Plotting
Description
In
Quick
Plot
Master Plot
Yes
Title
Yes
Yes
Yes
No
Yes
No
Plotting
No
No
Yes
Yes
No
Plotting
Plot Parameters
All the entries you make in the Plot Editor and Quick Plot dialogs are called plot parameters.
They define the content and appearance of a plot. Both the Plot Editor and Quick Plot have
many levels and in most of them you can create form sets. When you create a form set it saves
the contents of all parameters in a dialog and in any of the dialogs accessible from it (that are
beneath it in the hierarchy of functions).
When you want to re-use parameters saved in a form for a new plot, you can apply them by
selecting the form set. In time you can create a comprehensive suite of plot set-ups saved as
form sets.
You can control most aspects of the plot by entering parameters in forms. Note that some
options are controlled in Options | Plot.
Original plot parameters
When you create a plot file, you dont need to define any parameters, except for the name of
the plot file. However, you may wish to create and save a set of standard parameters that
describe key features of a common type of plot. Such parameters include the plots X and Y
scales, paper size, rotation, grid line spacing and so on. You do this by clicking the Edit Defaults
button when creating the plot file.
You can also save these as a form for use in other plots, by activating the Forms button in the
Plotfile Defaults dialog. These parameters become the original parameters for that plot and they
are saved as part of the plot file. Any variations on this standard set of values can be made in
the Plot Editor for specific plots.
Loading and saving parameters
When loading a file in the Plot Editor, or Quick Plot, you have a choice of which set of
parameters you want to use:
The original parameters that were set up when the plot file was created. The original
plot parameters are created on the Plotfile Defaults dialog. You can access this by
clicking the Edit Defaults button when creating a plot file.
The most recently used parameters associated with the file. The parameters that you
last used with the file are automatically associated with the plot file when you close the
Plot Editor or Quick Plot, run Plot Preview or plot the file.
No matter which parameters are loaded, you can always modify them.
Note: When creating a statistical plot, the stats form set is automatically loaded. This contains the
basic parameters for a standard statistical plot. The current non-statistical parameters are saved to a
temporary file when you use this option and will be reloaded on exit.
10
Plotting
Select Preview from the Output list on the Plot Editor screen and click the Preview
Options button.
2.
Choose whether to display the entire page or only the plot. Viewing the entire page in
the preview window is useful when positioning a plot on the page. Plot area shows the
whole plot in the preview window.
3.
Choose whether to display all frames or select individual frames to display. If the
Display all option is selected, frames, labels, line work and grid lines will all be
displayed when you execute the Plot Editor. If the Display all option is not selected, you
can choose which elements will be displayed and, in the case of labels, how they will
appear. Select the appropriate box to include them in the preview.
Labels have an additional option called BOX. Select this option if you want to replace the
label text with a small rectangle. This can speed up the display considerably.
4.
If you want to display labels or symbols at a different size, type in a scale factor. Enter
factors in the size factor prompts to increase or decrease the size of the components in
the display. The default value is 1.0. To decrease the size of one of these components,
enter a value greater than 0.0 and less than 1.0. To increase its size, enter a value
greater than 1.0. These size factors will only apply to the preview.
5.
Click Close.
Note:
Selecting Preview from the list of Output options on the main Plot Editor screen works
differently from pressing the Preview button available on many dialogs.
Selecting Preview as Output displays the complete plot area and gives you access to all
editing facilities via a menu at the top.
Pressing the Preview button shows the frame on which you are currently working. No
editing is allowed, and a limited set of functions are available by right-clicking. You can also
right-click to exit Preview.
11
Plotting
Show the complete plot on the screen just as it will appear on paper.
Enlarge any part of the plot area on the screen for a detailed inspection.
Move the various frames that make up the plot within the plot area.
Only the plot features selected in the Preview Options dialog box will be shown. If you find that
parts of the plot do not appear, return to the preview dialog box and check that the necessary
parameters are set correctly.
Notes:
The changes you make using the Preview Edit options will be reflected in the parameters of
the plot.
When you are viewing the whole plot, only the master plot can be edited. When the screen
pointer is in a frame other than the master frame, the editing options on the menu line are
disabled. To edit any other plots that have been included in the plot area you must Zoom in
on those plot frames.
You cannot edit the contents of Text, Title, Table, Legend or Complex frames in the Plot
Preview window. However, you can reposition them.
Use the mouse to move around the plot. If you do not have a mouse, you can use the Tab
key to move the screen pointer from frame to frame, or use Shift+Tab to move the pointer
in the reverse direction.
For information about the menus available from the menu bar in the Plot Preview window, refer
to the Plot Preview Menus topic.
12
Plotting
Enter the multiplier to be used to size all the plot labels. You can downsize them by entering a
decimal number less than 1. For example, 0.5 will halve their size. To increase the size, enter a
number greater than 1.
Grid label factor
Enter the multiplier to be used to size all the grid labels. They can be made smaller by entering
a decimal number less than 1. For example, 0.5 will halve their size. To increase the size, enter
a number greater than 1.
Symbol size factor
Enter the multiplier to be used to size all the symbols. They can be made smaller by entering a
decimal number less than 1. For example, 0.5 will halve their size. To increase the size, enter a
number greater than 1.
Notes/Legend frame text
Enter the multiplier to be used to size the text in the Notes-A, Notes-B and Legend frames. Text
can be made smaller by entering a decimal number less than 1. For example, 0.5 will halve their
size. To increase the size, enter a number greater than 1.
Title/Client frame text
Enter the multiplier to be used to size the text in the Title and Client frames. Text can be made
smaller by entering a decimal number less than 1. For example, 0.5 will halve their size. To
increase the size, enter a number greater than 1.
13
Plotting
Defining a grid
The Grid dialog box enables you to define the appearance of the grid on the master plot. You
can control most grid parameters including the type of gridlines you want to display (for
instance full lines or just crosses at the x and y intersections), their colour, the spacing between
the lines, the thickness of the lines, and the grid labels and their style.
With an Inset grid you can show grid labels in a margin between the edges of the plot and the
paper. The advantage of drawing the labels in between two borders is that they will not obscure
the detail of the plot.
Another advantage becomes apparent when you rotate the plot at an angle that is not a
multiple of 90 degrees. Under these circumstances the X and Y grid labels in a conventional plot
might well overwrite each other. When you use an Inset grid this will not occur.
You can also force the X and Y coordinates through a particular coordinate on the plot. This is
especially useful for cross sections. For example, a grid with a 20m spacing will, by default, run
through 100m, 120m and 140m. To have the grid pass through 90m, 110m and 130m enter
those values in the Force Through fields.
The Process
14
1.
Select the Grid? option in the Plot Editor dialog and click the More button. Select a Type
of grid from the list.
2.
Choose the type of grid then click the More button to define Grid Parameter Sizes.
3.
If you want to show a margin around the plot, select Inset. The plot area will be
reduced and a margin shown around it, with the grid labels drawn between the outer
border and the plot border.
4.
For transform sections select the gridlines to display. Transform sections have arbitrary
X values, but it is often useful to display the true E and N grid values as well as, or
instead of, the X gridlines.
5.
Optionally enter the X or Y coordinates through which you want to force the gridlines.
6.
Double-click Colour and select a colour in which to draw gridlines. Then double-click
Label colour and select a colour for the labels. To ensure that labels are always drawn in
the same colour as gridlines, select the Null colour (indicated by X) for Labels.
Plotting
7.
Type in the distance between gridlines and between ticks. Specify it in grid units (as
defined in the Grid Parameters dialog box). Grid spacing must be a multiple of tick
spacing.
8.
When the origin gridlines pass through the plot, you can enter a label for the positive
and negative sides of the gridlines. If no annotation is defined for the negative label,
any negative grid values will have the same label as positive values.
9.
When one of the origin grid lines passes through the plot, select the annotation that is
to appear along the 0 grid line.
10. Type in the number of decimal places to appear in the grid labels.
11. Optionally select the Reverse label box to print labels upside down. This is mostly used
during plot rotations, where labels appear upside down. With this option they can be
righted.
12. Click Close.
Controlling the plotting order
There will be cases, especially if you use a full grid, when the grid obscures some of the detail in
a plot. If you want to ensure that the grid is plotted before the remaining content of the plot,
select Plot first.
15
Plotting
Using Substitutions
Substitutions enable you to easily change data on a plot that is specific to that plot or series of
plots, including section numbers in the title, or dates, sheet numbers, reference numbers and so
on. This is a convenient way to keep all text changes to the plot in a single place the
substitutions table. You can also use substitutions with macros.
Before the application outputs a plot, it looks at the Data Sets specified for the frames in the
plot. If a character of a text entry in a Data Set is the @ , the application reads the text that
follows and then looks for a matching value in the Substitutions table. If it finds a match, the
corresponding entry in the Substitution column is output to the plot.
If the substitution is not found, the variable name (@variablename) is output to the plot.
To define a substitution, the variable name prefixed with the @ symbol must be entered in a
Data Set in one of the plot text files or the composite-frame file. The same variable name must
also be entered in the Substitution table.
You can also concatenate variable names with the . (period) character. For example,
@one.@two becomes 12 when one = 1 and two = 2. You can save a substitution table as a form
set in the normal way.
There are two types of substitution parameters:
User-defined
Predefined
16
Plotting
From the File menu open the project where you want to import the forms.
2.
In the Plot Editor dialog, click the Layout Definition button. Click the Import button.
If a form exists in the current project with the same number as a form you are importing, a
dialog appears giving you the option to overwrite the existing form. Once you have selected an
option for each duplicate form, importing starts.
Available options are:
Overwrite
Select this to overwrite the form whose number is displayed. If more duplicates exist you will be
asked for each one.
Overwrite All
Select this to overwrite all duplicate forms. The message will not be shown again.
Skip
Indicates not to copy the specified form. If more duplicates exist you will be asked for each one.
Skip All
Indicates not to copy any duplicate sets. If more duplicates are encountered, they will be
skipped without asking. Note that this only refers to duplicates; forms that do not have
duplicate numbers are still copied.
Notes:
You can use the Import and Export functions to quickly move all your Layout forms
between projects or machines.
To import/export individual forms, or export to a different folder, click the Forms button
and then select Import/Export.
17
Plotting
Plot Options
Before you output your file to a plotter, check that communications parameters and display
settings are setup for your requirements.
To set up Plot options
1.
2.
Choose between using the Print Manager or sending plots directly to a port. If the
printer or plotter you intend to use for hardcopy plots does not support HPGL (Hewlett
Packard Graphics Language) or if you specifically want to use a Windows device driver
to control your output, select the Use Print Manager check box.
3.
HP 7585 Use this for most plotters supporting HPGL (Hewlett Packard Graphics
Language), that can plot on A1 or A0 size paper. This includes the HP Draftmaster and
DesignJet plotters (and compatibles). The plotter origin is in the centre of the paper.
Note: if you have an HP Design Jet, make sure the Termination string includes the
command PG;.
HP 7475A Hewlett Packard A3 size plotters and compatibles. This should also be used
for any HPGL plotters with the origin at the bottom left of the paper. Typically these are
A3 plotters from Hewlett Packard and Roland and new models from Calcomp. This
setting is also used when outputting a HPGL file which is to be embedded in another
application such as Microsoft Word and for any plotter that only supports HPGL/2.
HP DRAFTPRO Hewlett Packard DraftPro plotters (or any plotter with restricted hard
clip limits).
Most modern plotters recognize HPGL (Hewlett Packard Graphics Language) commands
and therefore emulate one of the available options. Your plotter manual will list the
plotters it can emulate.
4.
Click the Pen Map button to open a form in which you map how display colours in the
application are translated to plotter pens (colour).
5.
Click Close.
Once the Plot options are setup correctly, further modification will not normally be required.
Note that even if you do not use Windows Print manager, you still have to complete the Pen Map if
you intend to send your plot output to a DXF or PGL file.
Plot Utilities
When working with multiple plot files, various utilities are available which allow you to append
plot files or plot several plot files consecutively.
Batch plotting
18
Index
Index
E
introduction ................................ 4, 6
Environment .................................... 11
layout - designing............................. 3
Form sets........................................ 10
layouts .......................................... 3
Frames.............................................4
overview ................................. 1, 4, 6
Grid frame
appearance.....................................8
inset .............................................8
origin gridlines.................................8
substitutions ................................. 10
substitutions - overview................... 10
Import
layout form sets............................. 10
Plot Editor............... 1, 2, 3, 4, 6, 7, 8, 10
Plot environment
Import/Export .................................. 10
Inset grid
example.........................................8
default settings.............................. 11
Plot environment .............................. 11
Plot layouts
selecting ........................................8
editing........................................... 3
Inset grid..........................................8
modifying....................................... 3
Label size..........................................8
Plot parameters
Layout
original .......................................... 6
designing .......................................3
overview ........................................ 6
importing ..................................... 10
Plot parameters.................................. 6
Layout..............................................3
Plot Utilities..................................... 11
Layouts
Preview mode
editing........................................... 7
Layouts ............................................3
Preview options.................................. 6
Options .......................................6, 11
Printer
default settings.............................. 11
Plot Editor
Printer............................................ 11
frames...........................................4
Quick Editor
Quick Editor....................................... 2
19
Index
Quick Plot
Frames ..........................................4
Section+Plan plot
Section+Plan plot................................ 3
overview ........................................1
Simple plot.................................... 2, 3
Substitutions ................................... 10
simple plot......................................8
Symbol size....................................... 8
substitutions ................................. 10
Text size........................................... 8
Utilities........................................... 11
differences......................................1
20