Filtering Solid Models Based on Node to Borehole Distance

RockWorks | Utilities | Solid | Filters | Distance

The Distance Filter is used to filter an existing solid model file based on the nodes' distances from the control points. All nodes that lie beyond the distance cutoff will be set to null or a user-specified value (e.g. zero). This can be used to remove low-confidence areas from a model. 
! Unlike earlier versions, this tool now computes the true 3D distance between the voxel and the control points, not just the XY location of the borehole.

This program requires that a real number RockWorks solid model already exists. It also requires that you have displayed in the Utilities datasheet a listing of the X, Y,Z locations for the boreholes from which the solid model was created.

Menu Options
Step-by-Step Summary
 

Menu Options

• Input Columns: Select the input data in the left pane of the program window.
  • X (Easting), Y (Northing), Z (Elevation): Select the names of the columns in the datasheet that contain the X and Y location coordinates and the Z (elevation) for the control points, from which distance is to be computed.
    These can be Eastings in meters or feet, local coordinates, etc. See Defining your Datasheet Coordinates for more information.
    
    
• 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.
• Output Model: Click to the right to type in the name to assign to the new solid model that the program will create, which results from the distance filtering operation.
  
  
• Distance Cutoff: Enter here the distance from each control point that you wish to consider "high confidence." This distance is expressed in your X,Y coordinate units.  During filtering, all nodes that are further than this distance from a control point will be set to the replacement value defined below.
• Value to Assign to Nodes Beyond Cutoff Distance: Use these settings to define the value to be assigned to the nodes that fall outside the specified distance cutoff. 
  • Null: Click in this option for the program to assign the RockWorks null value (-1e27) to the filtered nodes.
  • User-Specified Value: Click in this radio button if you want to specify a specific real number value (such as 0) for the filtered nodes.  Expand this heading to type the value into the Replacement Value prompt.
    
    
• 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.  (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.)
    
    
• Rules & Filters: Use these settings, along the right side of the options window, to filter the data that will be processed. (More.)
  
  

Step-by-Step Summary

1. Access the RockWorks Utilities program tab.
2. Open into the datasheet the listing of the X, Y, and Z coordinates for the solid model control points. 
   • If the model was originally created in the Utilities, the XYZG data was probably stored in an .RwDat file:  Use the Project Manager to open this file.
   • If the model was originally created in the Borehole Manager, use the Borehole Manager's File | Export | datatype | Utilities Datasheet options to transfer source data from the Borehole Manager to the Utilities datasheet for use in this program.
3. Select the Solid | Filters | Distance Filter menu option.
4. Enter the requested menu settings, described above. 
5. Click the Process button to proceed.
   
   The program will load the input solid model file, and will determine which nodes lie within the declared cutoff distance from a control point. (Because the solid model is 3-dimensional, you can picture this cutoff distance to be a cylindrical zone around each control point, extending vertically through the solid model.)
   
   All nodes that lie within the cutoff from any control point will be passed to the output file unchanged. Any nodes in the source file that do not lie within the cutoff distance from any control point will be re-assigned a G value of "0." The resulting node values will be stored in a new solid model on disk under the output file name you selected.  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 display.

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

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

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