Applying a Minimum Ore Zone Thickness Filter to a Boolean Model

RockWorks | Utilities | Solid |
Boolean Operations | Minimum Ore Zone Thickness

This program reads a Boolean model and allows you to specify a minimum thickness for any individual ore zone to be included in the output model and computations. This is a means of discarding non-economic areas from the totals.  In the cartoon above the "ore" zones for a single column in the solid model are colored red, with "waste" areas shown in gray.

Menu Options
Step-by-Step Summary
 

Menu Options

• Boolean Input Model: Click to the right to browse for the name of the existing Boolean solid model that the program is to read and filter. 
  ! This must be a Boolean (not a real number) model. See the Applying a Boolean Filter to a Solid Model option for information. 
• Boolean Output Model: Click to the right to type in the name to assign to the new Boolean solid model that the program will create, which results from the filtering operation. 
• Constraining Surface: Insert a check in this box if the computations are to be only for solid model nodes that lie below a grid (usually representing ground) surface. You can leave this box un-checked if the computations can include all nodes to the top of the model. 
  • If activated, expand this heading to select the grid model that contains the elevations for the surface topography. 
  • ! This grid model must already exist, and it must have the same X, Y dimensions and node spacing as the Boolean model being filtered.

  

• Minimum Ore Zone Thickness: Enter the minimum thickness for a single, contiguous zone in a solid model column to be passed to the output model unchanged. Be sure that the thickness you enter is in the same units (feet or meters) as the original Z-value elevations or depths in the solid model.  See the cartoon at the top of this page for an example.  Each such "column" of nodes in the solid model will be analyzed.
  
  
• Create 3-Dimensional Diagram: Insert a check here if you want to create a plottable 3D diagram of the resulting solid model. Expand this item to establish the diagram settings. 
  • Diagram Type: Choose Isosurface to display the solid model as if enclosed in a "skin". Choose All Voxels to display color-coded voxels. (More.)
  • Iso-Mesh: Use this option to plot a series of polylines that represent three-dimensional contours at a user-defined cutoff. Expand the heading to establish the settings.  (More.)
  • Color Scheme: Click on the Options button to the right to access a variety of pre-set color schemes, or to create your own. For this Boolean model, you can choose "2 Logical Colors" to assign a specific color for the "0" and "1" nodes.  (More.)
  • Reference Cage: Insert a check here to include vertical elevation axes and X and Y coordinate axes in the 3D diagram. Expand this item to set up the cage items.  (More.)
  • Include Legend: Insert a check here to include an index to the colors and G values in the diagram.  (More.)

Step-by-Step Summary

1. Be sure you have an existing Boolean solid model already created, for input into this program. 
2. Access the RockWorks Utilities program tab. It is not necessary to enter data into the main datasheet because RockWorks will be manipulating an existing model. 
3. Select the Solid | Boolean Operations | Minimum Ore Zone Thickness menu option.
4. Enter the requested menu settings, described above.
5. Click the Process button to continue.
   
   The program will read the input Boolean solid model file. If requested it will determine which nodes fall below the input ground surface grid and use only those nodes in the computations. It will scan each vertical column of voxels within the model and determine which areas contain continuous "ore" nodes. It will compute the thickness of each of those areas. 
   Those individual areas where the thickness falls below your threshold are changed from "ore" to "waste" (the nodes are changed from "1" to "0"). Those individual areas in which the ore thickness is greater than your threshold remain "ore." The resulting model is stored on disk.  If you have requested a diagram, it will be displayed in a RockPlot3D tab. 
    
6. You can adjust any of the input options along the left side of the window and click the Process button again to regenerate the model and display.

   ! Each time you click the Process button, the existing 3D display will be replaced. 

7. View / save / manipulate / print the diagram in the RockPlot3D window. 
   
   

See also:  The "Convert total ore thickness to a grid model" tool if you wish to convert this Boolean model to a grid model for display as a 2D contour map.

Example: Let’s continue with the Clay example described under the Boolean Conversion option, in which you have created a True/false Boolean solid model that represents the presence of clay (versus "not-clay") in your study area. Using this Minimum Ore Zone Thickness filter, you can tell the program that if a clay zone exists that is less than a specified thickness, it can be considered as not-clay and removed from the model and further computations.
 

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