Create Color Model Surface Maps

RockWorks | Borehole Operations | Colors | Surface Map

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.
• Create a 2-dimensional map representing the interpolated values where the model intersects a designated surface.

In other words, it creates a color-based geological map based on downhole data. The color model stores the actual Windows color for each node. The completed map is displayed in RockPlot2D.

See also
     Color Model Plan Maps for simpler, horizontal slices through the color model at a user-specified elevation.

Feature Level: RockWorks Standard and higher

Menu Options
Step-by-Step Summary
Tips

Menu Options

• Rules & Filters: Use the buttons at the top of the window to apply filters and rules for this program. (More info)
  • Spatial Filter: Filter the input data for the color model based on XYZ location. Note that these tools filter the data that is passed to the modeling and map-generating procedures. This is distinct from the filters that are applied once the model is completed, and described below.
  • Time Filter: Check this item to filter any T-Data or Water Level measurements if included as a borehole map layer.
  
  
• Faulting Click on this tab to enable the display of faults and to modify fault options. (Read this for more details.)



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• Model: First, tell the program whether you wish to use an existing color solid model (from a previous use of this program 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 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 solid, for example, you can use the same model, which was stored on disk as an .RwMod file, for the surface map.
  
  • Create New Model: If want to create a new model, click in this radio button, and use the tabs to the right to establish the modeling settings.
    • Solid To Be Created: Click to the right to enter a name for the solid model. RockWorks should append the .RwMod file name extension.
    • Color Range Filter: Insert a check here to filter the input data based on color. (More info)
    • Algorithm: This determines the modeling method to use, for creating a solid model from your irregularly-spaced drill hole color data. (More info)
    • Special Options: Click on this tab to establish other model settings, such as tilting, warping, filtering above-ground, and smoothing. (More info)
    
    
  • Use Existing Model: If you wish to use an already-existing color model for this profile diagram, click in this radio button.
    • Solid Model: Browse for the name of the existing solid model (.RwMod file) to be used for this diagram.
    
    
• Surface Grid
  Click here to browse for the name of the grid model (.RwGrd file) to be used to create the color surface. The interpolated colors zones will be extracted from the solid model along the contours of this surface. This grid model could represent the ground surface, an aquifer, a stratigraphic layer, a fracture plane, etc.
  • ! Be sure the Surface Topography Grid you specify has the same node dimensions and spacing in the X,Y directions as your solid color model.
  
  
• Output Grid
  Click here to type in the name to assign the output grid (.RwGrd file) that will be created. This grid model's nodes will be assigned the actual Windows color values interpolated for the data, where they intersect the Surface Topography Grid.


• Contour Options Click to establish settings for (Contour Options) such as Contour Lines, Color Bands and other grid-based map options. These settings will apply to both 2D Grid Maps and 3D Grid Diagrams.


• Grid Display
  Click here to set up how the output map should look.
  • Colored Intervals: Insert a check here to include color bands to represent the color values. Use the options to the right to access the various options. (More info)
  • Contour Lines: Check this box to include line contours. (More info)
  • Other Map Layers
    Use the remaining check-boxes to set up the other map layers (images, overlays, peripherals, etc.)
  
  
• Output Options: Use these settings to define whether the output graphic is to be displayed after it is created and how/whether it is to be saved in a file in the project folder. (More info)

Step-by-Step Summary

Follow these steps to create a 2-dimensional map that displays the color zones that intersect a surface model:

1. Access the RockWorks Borehole Manager program tab.
2. Enter/import your data into the Borehole Manager, if you have not already done so. This program specifically reads location, orientation (if any), and color data.
3. You'll also need to have a surface model (.RwGrd file) in your project folder, which will be used to extract the color zones at that surface. This grid model must have the same X,Y dimensions and node spacing as the solid color model.
4. Select the Borehole Operations | Colors | Surface Map menu option.
5. Enter the requested program settings, described above.
6. Click the Continue button to proceed.

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.

RockWorks 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 load the specified Surface Topography Grid model. For each grid node, it will determine the color in the corresponding location in the solid model, and store that Windows color number in the output grid model. The program will then create the 2D color map using the requested diagram settings. The completed map will be displayed in a RockPlot2D tab in the Options window if requested.

7. You can adjust any of the program settings in the main Options pane to the left and then click the Continue button again to regenerate the surface map.

! 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 map.

8. View / save / manipulate / print / export the image in the RockPlot2D window.

Tips

• Use RockPlot2D's File | Export | RockPlot3D tool to drape the 2D image over the input Surface Topography Grid to transform your 2-dimensional map into a 3-dimensional surface. This should be done on 2D surface maps that are not annotated with border text.

See also

• Adding this program to your Playlist
• Adding this program to your Favorites
• Save/load/view menu settings

Back to Colors Menu Summary

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