RockWorks | Utilities | Solid |
Boolean Operations | Stripping Ratio
This program filters an existing Boolean solid model based on the ratio between the thickness of the overburden ("waste") and the thickness of the zone of interest ("ore"). Several methods of computing the stripping ratio are offered, based on individual ore zones or total ore zones.
Menu Options
Step-by-Step Summary
Menu Options
- Boolean Input Model: Click to the right to browse for the name of the existing RockWorks solid model (.RwMod file) 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.
- Maximum Ratio: Enter the maximum acceptable value for the overburden:thickness ratio. Enter here just the real number overburden portion of the ratio (a ratio of 16:1 would be entered as "16"). The lower the stripping ratio, the thinner the overburden is in relation to the zone of interest. The higher the ratio, the thicker the overburden is in relation to the zone of interest. An example: A stripping ratio of 20:1 signifies that for every 1 foot of zone thickness, 20 feet of overburden must be removed.
- Method: These options control how the program computes the stripping ratio. Choose one of the methods by clicking in its radio button.
- Total Waste / Total Ore: This method computes a single stripping ratio for each column in the solid model, using total non-ore thickness to total ore thickness. If, for the column, the ratio exceeds your maximum, then all of the "ore" for that column will be reclassified as "waste."
- Contiguous Waste: This method computes the ratio for each ore zone in the column in the solid model. For each zone it determines the total contiguous thickness of waste above it, up to the next ore zone if any, and computes the stripping ratio for that zone. If, for that zone, the ratio exceeds your maximum, then that ore zone only is reclassified as "waste."
- Total Waste / Zones: This method also computes the ratio for each ore zone in each column in the solid model. Unlike the previous method, this considers overburden for each ore zone to be all of the overlying "waste" material, even the waste that lies above other ore zones. If the stripping ratio exceeds your maximum, then that ore zone only is reclassified as "waste."
- 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
- Be sure you have an existing Boolean solid model already created, for input into this program.
- 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.
- Select the Solid | Boolean Operations | Stripping Ratio menu option.
- Enter the requested menu settings, described above.
- 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, determine which areas contain continuous "ore" nodes, and compute the thickness for each ore zone.
- It then determines which areas contain continuous "waste" nodes, and computes the thickness for each waste zone.
- It will divide overburden (waste on top) or interburden (waste in between) by ore thickness, based on the method you requested, to determine the single or multiple stripping ratio for each column in the solid model.
- Those ore voxels for which the stripping ratio exceeds your maximum will be reclassified as "waste" and assigned a value of "0." Those ore voxels for which the stripping ratio is less than your maximum will remain "ore" and are assigned a "1."
- The program will store the new 3D Boolean model under the requested file name.
If you have requested a diagram, it will be displayed in a RockPlot3D tab.
- 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.
- 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.
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