Plotting Directional Data in 3D - Tubes

RockWorks | Utilities | Grafix | 3D Utilities | Urchingram

Use this program to read a listing of azimuth bearings, inclination angles and lengths, and display them as arrows or tubes in 3D as a single "urchin" shaped object.  This can be used to display directional variability.

Menu Options
Step-by-Step Summary

Menu Options

• Input Columns: The prompts along the left side of the window tell RockWorks which columns in the input datasheet contain what data.
  Click on a displayed name to select a different name from the drop-down list.

• • Color: Choose the column where the samples' colors are defined.  If you choose Fixed colors for the tubes, this column will be ignored; this data is not required.
  • Direction: Select the column where the azimuth bearings (0-360) are listed.
  • Inclination: Select the column where the samples' inclinations are listed.  These should be listed with 90 = straight up, 0 = horizontal, -90 = straight down.
  • Length: Select the column where the samples' lengths are listed.  This can represent total counts of measurements (as a 3D rose diagram or a 3D variogram), actual fracture lengths, etc.  This will be used to determine the length of the tubes; a multiplier can be defined, below.
• Length Multiplier: If you need to scale or convert the length measurements in the data file for display in the diagram, you can enter a value here.  The Length entries in the data file will be multiplied by this value.
• Color:
  • Column-Based: Choose this if the colors are to be read from the column in the data file defined under the Input Column listing.
  • Automatic: Click here if the colors are to be assigned automatically, on a cold to hot color scale based on the item length.
• Tube Radius: Type here the radius for  the tube portion of the arrows, expressed as a percentage of the project size.
• Cone Radius: Type here the radius for the cone tip that is plotted at the end of the arrows, expressed as a percentage of the project size. If you want the cone to be flush with the tube, set this equal to the Tube Radius.
• Cone Height : Here you can enter the distance from the base of the cone tips to the end of the arrows, expressed as a percentage of the project size.
• Bidirectional: Check this box if the program should extend each arrow 180 degrees opposite the listed measurement, representing bi-directional data.

Step-by-Step Summary

1. Access the RockWorks Utilities program tab.
2. Open a data file that contains a listing of measurements: 0-360 degree dip azimuth, 90 (up) to -90 (down) dip angles, and (optional) lengths and colors.
3. Select the Grafix | 3D-Utilities | Urchingram menu option.
4. Enter the requested menu settings, listed above.
5. Click the Process button to continue.

The program will read the indicated measurements and create a 3D diagram that represents their directionality with arrows of the requested size and color.  All arrows will start at an origin of 0.  The completed diagram will be displayed in a RockPlot3D tab in the options window.

6. You can adjust any of the diagram options in the pane to the left and then click the Process button again to regenerate the 3D image.

   ! Each time you click the Process button, the existing display will be replaced. 

7. View / manipulate the image in RockPlot3D.

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