Creating Color Model Profile Diagrams

RockWorks | Borehole Manager | Colors | Profile

Use this program to:

• Create a new 3-dimensional solid or block model representing your downhole color intervals (an .RwMod file) - OR - read an existing .RwMod file you've already created.
• "Slice" this color model between two points and create a 2D profile diagram.   Because the colors are interpolated across the entire project, you can place the profile slice anywhere you like.

The color model stores the actual Windows color for each node.  2D striplogs can be projected onto the profile with true orientation maintained.

See also: Color Sections for color model cross sections made up of multiple slices.

Feature Level: RockWorks Standard and higher
 

Menu Options
Step-by-Step Summary
Tips

Menu Options

• Color Modeling Options: First, tell the program whether you wish to use an existing color solid model (from a previous use of this tool or another Colors menu tool) or you wish to create a new color solid model, by clicking in the appropriate radio button.
  ! NOTE This is not trivial. Creating the color model can take some time, depending on the resolution of the model and the detail of your data. If you already created a pleasing model for display as a fence diagram, for example, you can use the same model, which was stored on disk as an .RwMod file, for the profile.
   
  • Create New Model:  If want to create a new model, click in this radio button, and expand this item to establish the modeling settings. 
    • Create Filter / Sampling Report: If you select any filter/resampling options, this option will create a summary report of the results. (More.)
      ! Note that these tools filter the data that is passed to the modeling procedures.  This is distinct from the filters that are applied after the model is completed (see Other Modeling Options below).
    • Color Range Filter: Insert a check here to filter the input data based on color.  (More.)
    • Spatial (XYZ) Filtering: Insert a check in this box - on the far right side of the current program window - to activate a data filter based on spatial coordinates. Expand this heading to establish the filter settings. 
    • Solid Model Name: Click to the right to enter a name for the color model.  The program will append automatically the file name extension .RwMod. 
    • Solid Modeling Options: Click on this button to establish important modeling settings:
      • Algorithm (Modeling Method): This determines the modeling method to use, for creating a solid model from your irregularly-spaced drill hole color data. (More.)
      • Model Dimensions: This determines the model density. (More.)  Unless there's a specific reason to do otherwise, you should probably leave the solid model dimensions set to the current output dimensions.
      • Other Modeling Options: These include tilting, warping, filtering above-ground, defining this as a color model type, and much more. 
         
  • Use Existing Model: If you wish to use an already-existing color model, click in this radio button, and expand this item to select: 
    • Model Name: Click to the right to browse for the name of the existing color model (.RwMod file) to be used for this profile.
       
• Contour Lines: Insert a check here if you want contour lines to be displayed on the profile panel. Expand this heading to access the contouring settings.  (More.)
   
• Colored Intervals: Insert a check here to display color-filled intervals. Expand this heading to access the color settings. (More.)
  ! Note: When creating a color section with colored intervals, be sure to set the Color Scheme to "Direct" so that the actual model colors will be displayed.
   
• Plot Logs:  If you would like for the program to append striplogs to your profile diagram, insert a check here. 
  • Clip Logs: Check this sub-item if you want to restrict the logs to a particular elevation range.  This should match the elevation range of the color model you are creating at this time (or the existing color model, if specified).
  • Include Stripmap: Insert a check here to include a stripmap above or below the profile diagram, which depicts the position of the logs within the search "swath" relative to the profile. Expand this heading to establish the Stripmap location and appearance options. (More.)
  • Show Collar Distances: Insert a check in this box to display at the top of the profile a series of labels that represents each borehole's distance to the profile line. (More.)
  • 2D Striplog Designer: Click on the 2D Striplog Designer tab to the right, to select the items to display in the individual logs to overlay the color profile. 

• Visible Items:  Use the check-boxes in the Visible Items column to select which log items are to be displayed.  See Visible Item Summary for information about the different log items.
• Options: Click on any of the Visible Items names to see the item's settings in the Options pane to the right.  See the Visible Items Summary, above, for links to the Options settings.
• Layout Preview: For each item you've activated, you'll see a preview cartoon in the upper pane.  Click and drag any item to the left or right to rearrange the log columns.  See Using the 2D Log Designer.

! For Profile diagrams, striplogs will be projected onto the line of section; you'll be able to select the distance from the profile cut within which logs will be "grabbed" for display in the diagram.  See Multi-Log Profiles for information.

! Deviated/inclined boreholes can be displayed with true geometry on the profile.

• Plot Surface Profile:  Insert a check here to include a line on the profile that represents a user-selected grid model, typically the ground surface. Expand this heading to access the line profile options.
  • Surface Profile Options: Click the Options button to select the grid model to be represented, and to establish the profile settings.  (More.)

  
   

• Create Additional Parallel Profiles:  Check this box if you want multiple profile lines to be drawn automatically, offset from the profile that you define. Expand this heading to define the direction and spacing of the automatic profile lines, the maximum distance, and diagram labeling options.  (More.)

  
   

• Show Fault(s): Check this box to display vertical fault lines in the profile, based on the location of one or more fault polylines defined in the project database. (More.)

• Show Infrastructure: Check this box to display buildings, pipes, or other infrastructure with your profile. Click the Options button to define the infrastructure file and plot settings. (More.)

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• Perimeter Annotation: Expand this heading to establish title, border, and vertical exaggeration settings for the profile. (More.)

• Create Location Map:  Insert a check here to have the program create, along with the profile, a reference map that shows the profile cut's location.  It can be embedded in or created separately from the profile. (More.) 

• Profile Selection Map: Click on the Profile Selection Map tab to the right, to select where the profile cut (or multiple cuts, if you've requested parallel profiles, above) to be placed. The most recent profile drawn for this project will be displayed.  (More.)

Step-by-Step Summary

Follow these steps to create a 2-dimensional (flat) vertical profile of the project's interpolated color intervals: 

1. Access the Borehole Manager program tab. 
2. Enter/import your data into the Borehole Manager. This tool specifically reads location, orientation (if any), and color data.
3. Enable boreholes:  Be sure that all boreholes whose data are to be included in the color model (which will be sliced for the profile) are enabled.
4. Select the Colors | Profile menu option. 
5. Enter the requested menu items, described above
6. If you are including logs with the profile, be sure to click on the 2D Striplog Designer tab to establish how you want the logs to look.
7. Click on the Profile Selection Map tab to set the profile location.
8. Click on the Process button to create the color profile diagram. 

If you've selected Use Existing Model, the program will load the information from the existing color model (.RwMod file), and will proceed to diagram generation.

If you've selected Create New Model, the program will scan the project database and extract the XYZ points for all of the downhole color measurements. (For color data, the elevations will represent interval midpoints.) It will apply any source data filters you have requested.

9. If you requested Confirm Dimensions, the program will prompt you to confirm the default solid model dimensions.  (More.)

The program will use the selected algorithm to create a solid model of the downhole color data, storing the actual Windows color number as the "G" value in the model. The completed model will be stored on disk under the indicated file name. 

The program will then look at the coordinates specified for the profile cut and determine the closest nodes along the cut in the brand-new model, if created, or in the existing model. It will construct a vertical profile to illustrate the color zones; logs and a profile location map will be appended if requested.  The completed diagram will be displayed in a RockPlot2D tab in the Options window.

10. You can adjust any of the following items and then click the Process button again to regenerate the profile.
    • Color model settings in the Options pane on the left*, and/or
    • Profile settings in the Options pane on the left, and/or
    • Striplog settings in the 2D Striplog Designer tab, and/or
    • Profile location in the Profile Selection Map tab.

    ! Each time you click the Process button, the existing profile display will be replaced. 
    ! * If the color model looks OK and you just need to adjust one of the diagram settings, you don't need to keep re-interpolating the model.  Choose Use Existing Model and browse for the color .RwMod file to be used for the profile. This will save you a lot of time.

11. View / save / manipulate / print / export the profile in the RockPlot2D window.
    
    

Tips:

• Use the Stretch button in RockPlot to fill the window with the profile.  This is helpful if the profile is long and shallow. 
• If the profile looks better with a vertical exaggeration greater than or less than 1, you can pre-define this in the Perimeter Annotation Options which will generate better-looking axis annotations.
  
  

 Back to Colors Menu Summary 

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