Colored Interval Options

The Colored Intervals layer is used to create a 2D map layer with solid color regions that represent the distribution of Z-values throughout the study site. You can conceptualize this as a line contour map with the blank spaces filled in, color-coded by Z-value.  Colored Intervals are also available for display of G-value intervals in solid model profiles, section panels, contoured stereonet and ternary diagrams, and more.

Menu Options

• Color Scheme: Click on the Options button to the right to access a variety of pre-set color schemes, or to create your own.  (More.)
   
• Colorization Method:
  • Contours: Generate color contours based on the node values. This is the classical approach that has always been available within RockWorks
  • Classification: Colorize grid cells based on the value of the grid node. This approach is different than contouring because no attempt is made to show any intermediate colors between nodes that have different values. Instead, the program will bevel the edges of discordant cells. The Classification method should only be used when plotting grids in which the user wishes to suppress any attempt to impart a transitional effect between cells that have different values. Examples include stratigraphy and lithology.
    • Plot Boundaries: This sub-option replaces conventional contour lines by simply plotting lines between cells that have different node values.
      ! Note: It is not possible to plot conventional contour lines in conjunction with a map that uses classification colors. Instead, use the classification boundaries described here.

    

    The following examples illustrate the differences between the two colorization methods when dealing with a grid that consists of whole numbers that represent different stratigraphy types.

  

  
   

• Confirm Interval: 
  • If this option is not checked, the program will automatically compute an appropriate contour interval and generate the diagram without any additional user interaction.
  • If this option is checked, the program will automatically compute and appropriate contour interval and then display a small dialog box that allows the user to change this suggested interval before generating the final diagram  (see below).
    ! If you've set the Color Scheme to use a custom Colorfill Table, the confirmation window will simply display the minimum and maximum contour levels which will be output in the map, with no override option.
     
• Skip Low Values: When plotting contours for grid models that have been filtered (such as polygon clipping) you can define the threshold below which contours should not be drawn; type that value into the Lower Threshold prompt.  For example, if you have filtered a grid model so that the nodes outside a polygonal area are set to zero, you would enter the minimum non-zero value in the model in this prompt for the contours to end at the polygon boundaries. 
  ! Note that if you filter grid models using the RockWorks Null value (-1e27) as the replacement, you do not need to turn on the Skip Low Values filter to ignore them - the program will ignore the null value automatically.
   
• Skip High Values: When plotting contours for grid models with anomalous highs, you can define the threshold above which contours should not be drawn; type this value into the  Upper Threshold. 
   
• Plot Color Legend: Insert a check in this box if you wish to include a color index along the right side of a color-filled contour diagram. This color index shows the color intervals with accompanying text depicting the actual values that are represented by the colors.
  • Expand this item to click on the Options button, which you can use to access the legend settings.  (More.)

If you have requested color-contour interval confirmation (Confirm Intervals is checked), the program will display a window like the following prior to contouring. (The Color Interval prompt may be displayed below the line contour interval prompts if they've also been requested.)  The default color interval will be determined automatically by the program based on the range of Z-Values it found.  You can edit the color contour interval as you wish.

Tip: You can adjust the transparency of your color-filled contours in RockPlot2D: Once your map is displayed, click the Edit arrow, right-click on the colorfill layer, and set the Opacity to a value less than 100.  See Colorfill Attributes for more information.

See also: 2D Map Options Overview

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