MS3D-Geomap Geologic Maps in MS3D From 2-D Field Maps-200706

8/12/2019 MS3D-Geomap Geologic Maps in MS3D From 2-D Field Maps-200706

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This article discusses how to put your geologic map data into MineSight3-D in order to create a3-dimensional geologic map inside MineSightthat can be used to help interpret the geology at your minessite (Figure 1).

Figure 1 shows the nal 3-D geologic map (shown without symbols) for a particular pit.

Unless you are using a tablet PC where you can digitize directly into MineSight 3-D while you are mappingin the eld, then you are probably creating geologic maps on paper (basically a 2-D medium). Your geologicmap is likely then digitized into AutoCAD(or another CAD software package) and is then imported intoMineSight 3-D. This article shows you how to put a planar geologic map created on a paper eld copy, intoMineSightusing the Digitizer Tool together with the Geomap Tool. Once the data has been transferred intoMineSight 3-D, other tools and functions are used to create a 3-D geologic map.

Bear in mind that there are many ways of putting your geologic data into MineSight3-D, and the open pitexample shown in this article is just one of many.

Digitizers and Accuracy

After youve been out to the pit or underground and have created your geologic eld map, you can then

use a digitizer to accurately place the data into MineSight

3-D using the Geomap Tool for symbols and othergeologic features (e.g., contacts and faults).

When using the Digitizer Tool in MineSight 3-D, digitizing is done on a fxed plane.It is important tonote that digitizing using the Digitizer Tool ensures accurate data placement in 3-D. In general, the digitizersdimensions can be made to match your monitors screen dimensions and the puck can be used like the mouse,honoring snap modes and choosing the various MineSight 3-D tools and functions with a left-click. However,digitizing without using the Digitizer Tool is inaccurate. Mintec, Inc. recommends using the Digitizer Tool inconjunction with the Geomap Tool to ensure accurate placement of your data.

In the example used here, a portion of a pit wall was mapped on the 2585 bench using the current as-built pit(Figure 2). Geologic compass readings (strike and dip of bedding, faults, cleavage, and trend and plunge of fold

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Creating Geologic Maps in MineSight3-D

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axes) were taken at approximately 5 ft above the bench along the pit wall at 2590. Mapping was also done partof the way down the ramp toward the next lower bench. A ruler tape was laid out in several lengths along thebench and ramp and the azimuth and length were measured. The start and end points for each tape length wassurveyed for point control.

Figure 2 shows the geologic eld map and acontoured current pit conguration before datais transferred into MineSight 3-D.Important

Note: These gures are for illustrativepurposes only! Unless the texture map is aSiroTiff le with precision placement, neverdigitize directly from texture maps as accuracy wilbe lost.

Once the geologic symbols and lines (contacts, faults) have been digitized onto a xed plane in MineSight

3-D, they can either be moved, draped, or used as boundaries to clip against existing surfaces (e.g., pit surfaces)in order to create a 3-D geologic map. For the example, in this article we will start by putting all of the datadigitized using the Geomap tool on this one level into one geometry object, but will eventually move the variouscomponents to their own geometry objects; symbols for this level into one geometry object, the geologic contactsand faults into another object, and geomap rulers into yet another object.

Optionally, we could eliminate the step of moving data since we already know the elevation on which thedata was gathered; geomap rulers represent the tape that was laid out on the bench level (bench 2585 in ourexample) and compass readings (for symbols) were taken on the 2590 level. Its important to note there aremany ways to reach the same goal using the tools in MineSight 3-D and this article shows one method.

Digitizer Setup

Use the Digitizer Tool in MineSight 3-D with a digitizer table or tablet to place data accurately in space. Setup the digitizer to work with MineSight 3-D by going to to Tools | Digit izer. When the Point Digit izerdialogis displayed (Figures 3a and 3b), click on the Setupbutton to display the Setup Coordinate Systemdialog(Figure 4).

Figures 3a and 3b show the Point Digitizerdialog before Setup (on the left) and after Setup(on the right).

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Select all of the symbols (and their labels, if you had placed those with the symbol), then open the PointEditor followed by Element | Move(or Copy). Choose Entire Selectionto move all of the symbols at once,then pick the insertion point on one of the symbols (as shown in Figure 8). UnderAbsolute, click ONthetoggle to the right of the Z:input eld and type in the new Z:value (2590).

Moving the symbols that were originally taken while mapping the pit wall down the ramp is trickier. Inthat case, you probably should move those symbols individually with the Point Editor(knowing theEasting,

Northing, and elevation for each symbols insertion point), or move each symbol by snapping each to the pit face.You may also want to move the geomap rulers using the Point Editor, in order to utilize the surveyed start

and end point elevation information. Otherwise geomap rulers can be draped onto the pit surface as in thenext step.

Figure 8 Use the Point Editorto move a geologic symbol.

Drape Polylines

Polylines such as faults and fold axes can be draped on to a pit surface. In this example, we assume thepit surface that is already in MineSight 3-D was created from accurately surveyed as-built pit information.Geomap rulers can also be draped onto the pit surface using this method, but we recommend that you comparethe start and end point elevation values after draping against the surveyed information for these points.

Create a new object to receive the results from draping. Then select all the polylines to be draped to the pitsurface and go to Tools | Drape Tool. Drape the Entire Selectionusing azimuth = 0 and dip = -90 on to theselected pit surface (Figure 9).

Figure 9 shows the selected polylines (faults and fold axes) to be draped(shown in red) and the result on the pit surface.



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Create Polygons from the mapped Polylines

If you put just the contacts and faults that separatedthe rock types on your eld map (and then coloredyour map to note the rock type), you should nowcreate polygons that represent the rock types. If you

used Geomap polygons while mapping Contacts (orRock Type outlines) you can skip this step. These rocktype polygons can then be used as boundaries whenclipping against the pit in the next step.

Using the digitized polylines (contacts and faults),create polygons on the 3000 level around the rocktypes you mapped, as shown in Figure 10. Thesepolygons are created by joining the polyline segments(the denite and inferred contacts and faults) thatseparate the different rock types. Make sure thesepolygons are exactly coincident along their contacts

and that there are no overlaps.Bear in mind that on this particular map, the

contacts and faults are the only pieces of informationwe have regarding their association in space. Theouteredges of this map are unknown and will bereinterpreted when more geologic information isavailable. The example shown in this article coversonly a small area of the pit. Please refer to Figure 1,the nal geologic map created after more of the pitwas mapped.

Figure 10 Four different rock types, shown as lled polygons, weremapped in this portion of the pit.

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Clip Polygon Contacts against Surfaces

Once you have polygons that represent the rocktypes, you can use them as boundaries to clip againstthe pit wall in order to create geologic surfacesbyrock type. This example will clip the surfaces and

using all of the polygons in one operation.Create a new geometry object into which the results

from clipping will be saved. Then select the same pitsurface used in the earlier steps. Next, choose Surface| Clip Surfaces and Solidsand pick the rock typepolygons created in the last step as the boundaries[toggle ONBoundary is an open surface(s)]. Inorder to save the results to the geometry object youhave just created, go to the Optionsdialog and toggleONSave results to edit geometry object (Leaveoriginal data unchanged). In addition, toggle ON

the option to Explode results (Maximize number ofelements)to save the individual pieces. A previewof the result is shown in Figure 11. Then click on

Applyto save. Figure 12 shows the results with theindividual clipped pieces attributed differently.Finally, Figure 13 shows the original 2-D, hand-drawneld map and its 3-D equivanent MineSight.

Figure 11 is a preview of the results from clipping the current pit using

the rock type polygons as boundaries. Note the individual resultingpieces of pit wall that correspond to the polygon outlines.



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MS3D-Geomap Geologic Maps in MS3D From 2-D Field Maps-200706