RockWorks | Utilities | Grid | Filters | Fill Sinks
This program is used to removed closed depressions from a grid model. There are several applications for this utility:
- Eliminating closed depressions from a grid model prior to creating a simulated drainage net (see above graphic).
- Cleaning up an "oversampled" grid model or other types of models that may have depressions caused by either the sampling method (e.g. LIDAR) or the gridding algorithm (e.g. inverse-distance).
- Creating a model that can be subtracted from the original model in order to identify and estimate the volumes of depressions (e.g. sinkholes, excavations, subsidence, etc.).
! This program requires that the RockWorks grid model (.RwGrd file) to be filtered already exists in your project folder.
Menu Options
Step-by-Step Summary
Menu Options
- Input Columns: If you request plotting of 2D map symbols (below) AND if you have data loaded into the RockWorks Utilities datasheet, you can use these prompts (along the left edge of the Options window) to specify the X and Y locations for the map symbols. If you don't plot map symbols, these will be ignored.
- X (Easting): Click here to select the name of the column containing the X or Easting coordinates.
- Y (Northing): Click here to select the name of the column containing the Y or Northing coordinates.
- Input Grid (with sinks): Click to the right to browse for the name of the grid model (".RwGrd" file) to be filtered.
- Output Grid (no sinks): Click to the right to type in a name for the new grid file that will be created.
- Create 2-Dimensional Grid Diagram: Insert a check in this check-box if you want to display the output grid as a 2D map at this time. Expand this heading to set up the 2D map layers (bitmap, symbols, labels, line contours, color-filled contours, labeled cells, and/or map border).
- Create 3-Dimensional Grid Diagram: Insert a check in this check-box if you want to display the output grid as a 3D surface. Expand this heading to set up the 3D map layers (flat surface, Boolean colors, perimeter, reference cage). You can request both a 2D and 3D representation of the grid model.
- Create Grid Statistics Report: Insert a check here if you want to see a report summarizing the output grid.
- Include Standard Deviation: Check this box if you want the report to include standard deviation.
- Include Directional Analysis: Check this box to include slope, aspect, and strike computations. Be warned that these can take a few moments for large grid models.
Step-by-Step Summary
- Be sure you have a real number RockWorks grid model (.RwGrd file) already created, for input into this program.
- Access the Utilities program tab so that the Grid menu is visible.
- If you'll be creating a 2D map with sample location (well) symbols, you can use the File | Open option to open the .RwDat file containing the X and Y location coordinates for the map symbols.
- Select the Grid | Filters | Fill Sinks menu option.
- Enter the requested menu settings, described above.
- Click the Process button to continue.
The program will load the input grid model. For each grid node, the program follows a course downgradient until it can't go any further. If the final node is not on the edge of the grid (thus it's a sink), the program will raise that grid node to a level equal to the next highest neighboring grid node. The process is repeated until there are no more sinks. The final model is stored under the output grid model name.
! The time required to fill the sinks with a grid model may range from seconds (for a 20x20 grid model) to hours (for a 250x250 grid model).
The requested diagram(s) will be displayed in a RockPlot2D tab and/or RockPlot3D tab in the Options window. If you requested a statistics report, it will be displayed in a Text Tab in the Options window.
- You can adjust any of the settings in the Options window and then click the Process button again to regenerate the diagram(s).
! Each time you click the Process button, the existing display(s) will be replaced.
- View / save / manipulate / export / print the diagram in the RockPlot2D or RockPlot3D window.
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