Plotting T-Data Measurements over Time as Google Earth Billboards

RockWorks | Borehole Manager | T-Data | Google Earth Billboards

This program is used to plot T-Data as a function of time for all enabled boreholes. The results are then displayed as vertical "billboards" in Google Earth such that the viewer can examine the changes in T-Data spatially.

This program requires that Google Earth is installed on your computer. It is installed separately from RockWorks.

See also:  Time-Graph Map for creating time-charts for multiple boreholes in a RockPlot2D map view.

Feature Level: RockWorks Standard and higher

Menu Options
Step-by-Step Summary

Menu Options

• Track #1: This program allows the user to plot one or two tracks of data. Track #1 must be defined whereas Track #2 is optional.
  • T-Data Track: Click here to select the column within the T-Data table that is to be used to create the diagrams.
  • Symbols: If checked, this option will plot symbols that depict the sample points.
    • Symbol Type: Click on the small sample to choose the symbol design to be used to represent this track's data.

    
    

  • Connect Points: If checked, this option will plot a polyline that connects the sample points.
    • Polyline Color: Click the sample to choose the color for the line to be plotted.
    • Polyline Thickness: Click here to define the thickness for the line:  1=thin, 2=medium, 3=thick

    
    

  • Bargraph: If checked, this option will plot a bargraphs from the base of the graph to the sample point.
    • Pattern: Click on the sample to choose a fill pattern and color for the chart's bargraphs.

    
    

  • Tilt Labels: If checked, this option will tilt the labels along the horizontal axis.  If un-checked, they will be plotted vertically.
    
    
• Track #2: To plot an additional track (i.e. a second t-data column), check this box. The sub-items are identical to the Track-1 sub-options. 

Notice how the 2nd curve units are normalized to the same range as the first curve. Also note how the annotation for the second curve is located along the right and top of the diagram. This capability means that the two curves may be expressed in completely different units.

• Dimensions and Intervals: These options allow a means for labeling the horizontal axes based on the sampling dates or fixed intervals.  All sizes are expressed as a percent of the project dimensions.
  • Label Dimensions: Expand this heading and choose from Small, Medium, Large, or Other. 
  • Label Decimal Places: Use these settings to define the number of decimal places for the Y-Axis labels.
    • Automatic: Choose this option for RockWorks to set the number of decimal places automatically, based on the data range.
    • Manual: Choose this option to manually define the number of decimal places in the labels.
  • Symbol Dimensions: Expand this heading and establish the symbol size as Small, Medium, Large, or Other.
  • Bargraph Column Dimensions: Expand this heading and establish the bargraph width as Thin, Medium, Wide, or Other.
  • Labeling Intervals: Expand this heading to define the intervals at which the horizontal (time) axis is to be labeled. (Default = Samples) 
  • Tick-Mark Intervals: Expand this heading to define the intervals at which the horizontal (time) axis tick-marks are to be placed. (Default = Samples)
  • Diagram Dimensions: This will determine the horizontal and vertical dimensions of your hydrograph plot in inches, excluding axis labels, titles, and diagram title. You can make the diagrams virtually any size you choose, as you may scale them up or down during printing from RockPlot.
    
    
• Billboards: Click the Options button to view/adjust the Billboard settings.
  • Units: Choose Feet or Meters by clicking in the appropriate radio button.
  • Width: Type in the width, in the above units, for the billboards. For example, if you set the width to 50 meters, the billboards will plot that wide in relation to the ground in Google Earth.
  • Elevation: Enter the offset above ground in the above units.
  • Direction: Enter the left-to-right reading direction of the billboards, in a 0 to 360 azimuth format.
  • Group clustered wells: Check this box if the billboards for proximal wells are to be combined into a single, stacked diagram.
    
     

Step-by-Step Summary

1. Access the RockWorks Borehole Manager program tab. 
2. Enter/import your data into the Borehole Manager. This tool reads Location and Time-Interval data.
3. Enable/disable the boreholes to be included in the billboard displays by inserting/removing the checks from their check-boxes.
4. Select the T-Data | Google Earth Billboards menu option. 
5. Establish the diagram settings, discussed above. 
6. Click the Process button to continue.
   
   

   The program will generate the requested graph(s) for the enabled boreholes, storing them in a KML file inside a KMZ (zip) file. The Google Earth KML and KMZ file names will be assigned automatically.

7. If RockWorks displays the KMZ name in a popup window for your reference, you can confirm:
   • Automatically load file into Google Earth: Be sure this is checked if you want to display the output at this time.
   • Show this message every time a KMZ File is Created: If checked, this window will be displayed each time a Google Earth output is created. Uncheck this if you prefer not to see this window in the future.
     (Both of these settings are also available via the Preferences menu.)
     
   • Click OK to continue or Cancel to cancel the operation.

The billboards will be displayed in Google Earth, if requested. 

 Back to T-Data Menu Summary

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