RockWorks | Utilities | Grid | Initialize
Use this program to create a new grid model that represents a flat plane with a user-defined elevation or a dipping plane based on a user defined orientation. If the plane is dipping, the user may define the xyz coordinates for a point that the dipping plane will intersect.
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 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.
- Grid Name: Click here to type in a name for the grid model (.RwGrd) which will be created.
- Model Dimensions: Expand this heading to set the grid dimensions.
- Orientation: The new grid model can be either a horizontal or inclined plane.
- Horizontal: Choose this option to set all nodes such that grid represents a horizontal plane.
- Elevation: Value to assign to all nodes within the grid model.
- Inclined: Choose this option to tilt the plane based on user-defined parameters.
- Dip Direction: Dip direction of the plane, in degrees. 0 = North. 90 = East. 180 = West.
- Dip Amount: Dip angle of the plane, in degrees. 0 = horizontal, -90 straight down. 90 = straight up.
- Reference Point: The output model will be adjusted such that the inclined plane intersects this point.
- X: Easting at reference point.
- Y: Northing at reference point.
- Z: Elevation at reference point.
- 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.
The following example depicts various dip directions with a constant dip angle of -15 degrees.
Step-by-Step Summary
- Access the RockWorks Utilities program tab.
- Select the Grid | Initialize menu option.
- Enter the requested menu settings, as described above.
- Click the Process button to continue.
The program will generate a grid model with the dimensions you established. The Z values will be assigned either constant elevation values (flat) or those representing a tipped plane intersecting the defined reference point and the declared dip direction and angle. The resulting grid model will be stored under the file name you declared.
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.
Example
Let's say that a strike and dip on the surface was measured for an important fracture orientation. The xyz coordinates for this point would be used as the reference point for an inclined plane. By plotting this plane in conjunction with other data (e.g. a stratigraphic block model), the viewer can see where the plane should intersect other features (assuming, of course, that fractures are perfect planes - which they aren't).
To isolate the exact intersection of two grid models, simply subtract one from the other (via the Grid-Math routines). Node values that approximate zero within the resultant grid model show where the surfaces intersect. In the following example, the fracture plane surface (as generated by the new Grid / Initialize program) was subtracted from the Aquifer-1 (baby-blue in the diagram above) superface grid to create an intersection model. This grid was then converted to a Boolean grid as shown within the following grid.
Back to Grid Menu Summary
RockWare home page