RockWorks | Utilities | Solid |
Convert | Overburden Thickness -> Grid
This program is used to translate a Boolean solid model file representing "ore" versus "not-ore" into a 2-dimensional grid file that represents total overburden ("not-ore") thickness. The resulting grid file can be illustrated as a contour map, 3D surface, etc. This tool includes a grid filter to remove above-ground nodes from computation.
Menu Options
Step-by-Step Summary
Menu Options
- Input Columns: Use these prompts only if you have map location data for your current project listed in the RockWorks Utilities datasheet and wish to include map symbols in a 2D map. If you don't turn on the 2D map symbol layer, these settings will be ignored.
- X (Easting): Select the column in the current datasheet that contains the X or Easting coordinates for the map symbols.
- Y (Northing): Select the column in the current datasheet that contains the Y or Northing coordinates for the map symbols.
- Surface Grid: Click to the right to browse for the name of the existing grid model that represents the ground surface. This will be used to exclude above-ground nodes from the thickness computations.
! This grid model must have the same dimensions and number of nodes in the X and Y directions as the input Boolean solid model.
- 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, containing the "ore" versus "not-ore" voxel values (values of "1" versus "0", respectively).
! This must be a Boolean (not a real number) model. See the Applying a Boolean Filter to a Solid Model option for information.
- Output Grid: Enter the name to assign to the new grid file that the program will create. The real number grid model will represent the total thickness of the overburden ("not-ore" or "waste") nodes within the input solid model file.
- Create 2-Dimensional Grid Diagram: Insert a check here to create a flat "bird's eye" map of the output grid model. Expand this heading to set up the 2D map layers (bitmap, symbols, labels, line contours, color-filled contours, labeled cells, and/or map border).
! Don't request map symbols or labels if you don't have any data loaded into the Utilities datasheet at this time.
- Create 3-Dimensional Grid Diagram: Insert a check here to create a 3-dimensional image of the output grid model. Expand this heading to set up the 3D map layers (surface style, colors, perimeter, reference cage).
- 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 an existing Boolean solid model already created, for input into this program.
- Be sure you also have a grid model that represents the ground surface, with the same node density as the solid model, for input into the program.
- Access the RockWorks Utilities program tab.
- If you want to include your control point symbols on a 2D map, you'll need to create or open a listing of these X and Y locations.
! Tip: Use the Borehole Manager's File | Transfer | Locations -> Utilities Datasheet to transfer a listing of your borehole location data to the Utilities.
- Select the Solid | Convert | Overburden Thickness -> Grid 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. It will first determine the solid model nodes that lie above the grid surface and remove them from consideration. Then, for each column of node values it will compute the total thickness of overburden nodes (which are assigned a Boolean value of "0") down to the first ore node (which are Boolean values of "1"). The total thickness above the ore, expressed in your original elevation or depth units, will be stored as the Z value for that X,Y node location in the output grid file. This process is repeated for each column of nodes in the source file. The completed grid file will be stored on disk under the requested file name.
! If there is no ore for a particular location (the entire thickness is overburden), the thickness will be set to zero.
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 / print the diagram in the RockPlot2D and/or RockPlot3D window.
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