Tutorial Micromine 2018 PDF

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Micromine 2018 Training MM 1000 – Introduction to Micromine
MICROMINE (Head Office)

Level 2, 174 Hampden Rd
Nedlands WA 6009
Australia
Tel: +61 8 9423 9000

Fax: +61 8 9423 9001
Email: [email protected]
WWW: http://www.micromine.com
To find your local office, please visit: https://www.micromine.com/contact/.
Licence Agreement
The use of the software described in this manual is subject to a licence agree-
ment with MICROMINE. The software may only be used or copied in accord-
ance with the terms and conditions of that agreement.
This course requires Micromine 2018 or higher to be installed.
Disclaimer
MICROMINE Pty Ltd and its subsidiaries will not accept any liability whatsoever
for any loss or damage arising from the use of the software or any other soft-
ware product mentioned in this manual; nor for any technical or editorial errors
or omissions made in this manual.
The mention of any other computer software product within this manual does
not imply any endorsement of such product by MICROMINE.
© Copyright MICROMINE 2018 i

MM 1000 – Introduction to Micromine Micromine 2018 Training
Copyright
MICROMINE is the owner of the software, and of all icons and logos within the
software, together with all soft- and hard-copy documentation. This manual
contains information protected by copyright. No part of this manual may be
photocopied or reproduced in any form without prior written consent from
MICROMINE.
© Copyright 1999, 2001 – 2018 by MICROMINE Pty Ltd and its subsidiaries.
All rights reserved.
Editor: Authors:
Frank Bilki David Bartlett Alan LeBlanc
Frank Bilki Deb Marriner
Andrew Greenhill Erik Scheel
Michael Haffenden Tenille Szolkowski
Trademark Acknowledgment
Micromine, Geobank Mobile, and Geobank are trademarks of MICROMINE Pty Ltd and its subsid-
iaries. Other brands and product names mentioned in this manual are trademarks or registered
trademarks of their respective owners.
ii © Copyright MICROMINE 2018

Before You Begin

Course Duration: 16 hours
For: New Micromine users
Introduction
This course is designed to show you how to start using Micromine and to in-
troduce some of the program’s key features. To make it as realistic as possible
it’s based on a scenario that will be familiar to many Micromine users.
The Scenario: Your Company is evaluating a prospect on which initial stream

sediment sampling indicated an anomalous area. You followed this with a geo-
chemical sampling programme over the area of interest. The sample locations
were recorded using a GPS and the data coordinates were recorded in
Lat/Longs. Lastly, you investigated the detected anomaly with trenching and
a subsequent two-phase drilling programme.
Purpose
Phase 1 of the drilling program indicated a substantial resource. Your task is
to integrate and process the original data in order to evaluate the prospect
with a view to designing the Phase 2 drilling program. The purpose of the new
drilling program will be to provide in-fill data to enable the classification of the
resource as inferred, indicated or measured. The lessons that follow describe
the tasks you’ll need to undertake to achieve your objective.
Objectives
As a result of this course, you’ll have learnt to:
• Use the Micromine user interface and its various tools

• Manage Micromine projects
• Create and manipulate Micromine files
• Validate drillhole and general purpose data
• Understand and use filters to subset the data of interest
• Create and plot a multi-layered plan, vertical section, and 3D view
• Interpret drillhole cross sections
• Automate Micromine tasks with macros
• (Optionally) Construct a 3D wireframe solid of an orebody.
Approach
This course will be predominantly hands-on. Each new topic will begin with a
brief introduction followed by a practical exercise. A small training database
will be used for all exercises.
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Trainee Prerequisites
The following skills are essential for obtaining the maximum benefit from this
course:
• Microsoft Windows essentials such as file and folder management, using

the mouse, and understanding menus, dialog boxes and icons.
How to Use This Manual

Course Content
The two-day Introduction to Micromine course is divided into parts, each of
which is a self-contained document. They are:
MM 101 – Micromine Basics

MM 102 – Displaying and Manipulating Data
MM 103 – Showcasing Your Project (optional)
MM 104 – Plotting 1
MM 105 – Macros
MM 106 – Wireframing 1
Because each part is self-contained, the page, lesson, and exercise numbers
reset to 1 at the beginning of each document. Your trainer will introduce each
part to you at the appropriate time.
Installing the Data

Your trainer will supply the data for this course and instruct you on how to
install it. The data must be present before you can commence the training.
You’ll need at least 50 MB of free space on the hard disk drive where the data
is installed.
Getting Help
Where appropriate, references to topics in Micromine’s help system are in-
cluded. These references provide further information about the current task as
well as topics that are related to that task. They also give you an opportunity
to become familiar with the help system.
Help references are displayed as italic in the following format:
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Help Topic Topic Heading > Subheading > Content
For example:
Importing ODBC Files > Import > ODBC
To browse to a reference using the web help:
1. Select Help | Open Web Help from the Micromine menu.

2. Your web browser will display the Help window with the Contents pane
active.
3. Click the Topic Heading in the Contents pane. In the above example,
the topic heading is Files and the subheading is Import. From there you
can select ODBC to find the content ODBC Import.
4. Alternatively, you can use the Index pane, enter a keyword, for ex-
ample ODBC, and select a topic from the index list. If there’s only one
topic with that keyword it will be displayed as soon as you click it. If the
keyword is used in more than one topic, click once to expand the list,
and a second time to open the relevant topic.
Micromine also includes an offline help system, which is accessible via Help |
Contents. We recommend using the web help when you are connected to the
internet and the offline help whenever you are in the field.
Conventions Used in this Manual

Visual Indicators
This document uses a combination of visual and text indicators to make it
easier for you to identify different sections of the text. Visual indicators use a
combination of icon and colour:
Icon Meaning
Exercise. A series of steps that you can complete to help un-

derstand the current topic.
Optional exercise. Additional practice for the current topic but

not needed to complete the basic training. The title is printed
on a shaded background.
Sidebar. Additional text that amplifies the current topic. The

text is printed on a shaded background.
Module required. A particular Micromine module is required to

complete this task. The title is printed on a shaded
background.
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Exercises
For exercises, the text uses a combination of bold and italic type to indicate
the correct response:
Style Denotes
Bold type The names of menu items, dialog boxes and
prompts that invoke or contribute to the primary
process being undertaken.
Italic type Entries you must type, or items you select from a
list, in dialog box responses and table fields.
Entries in Dialog Boxes and Files

In many exercises you’ll need to make entries in dialog boxes or data files
(tables). In this manual, the text or values you need to enter as part of the
exercises will be illustrated in one of two ways:
• A screenshot of the relevant form or dialog box with the correct entries.
• A tabular display. The first column contains the name of the dialog
prompt and the second column contains the text or value to be entered.
For example, this screenshot of a dialog box (form) contains parameters you
might need to enter:
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The same information could also be presented within the text as a table:
Prompt Setting
Name Templates
Location C:\MmData
Create folder for project Enabled
Title File Template Location
Units METRIC
Use existing project as Disabled
template
For Further Study

Whilst the main purpose of this course is to introduce you to the key features
of Micromine, optional material is included to expose you to more advanced
features of the application.
In addition to these optional tasks, in-house experts at MICROMINE have con-

tributed their ideas on how to get the most from the application. You’ll find
these ideas at the end of each lesson under the heading Good Practice.
System Prerequisites
Licensing
You must have a valid Micromine licence to complete the exercises in this
training manual. If you don’t have a licence, your trainer may supply you with
a temporary training licence for the duration of the course.
If you have been issued a temporary training licence, you must return the
security key (dongle) and delete the licence file at the end of the course.
Other Optional Applications

An up-to-date copy of Adobe Acrobat Reader should be installed in order to
view a 3D PDF file.
A VRML/X3D viewer should be installed in order to view a virtual reality file.
A GIS application such as QGIS should be installed in order to view a GIS file.
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Printers and Plotters

There is no need to use a printer or plotter during this course. However, the
Microsoft Print to PDF printer should be ideally available for the exercises in
MM 104 – Plotting 1.
Micromine Options
Micromine automatically applies the relevant options when it is installed. If you
share your Micromine licence with another person, confirm the following op-
tions before you begin the course. Check that in:
Tools | Options | Default Language
English is selected.
Tools | Options | Form Sets
Compulsory prompt is set to Red.
Tools | Options | Editor
Text Viewer is set to Built-in.
Tools | Options | Vertical Exaggeration
Vertical exaggeration is disabled.
viii © Copyright MICROMINE 2018

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Micromine 2018 Training MM 101 – Micromine Basics
MM 101 – Micromine Basics

Table of Contents
LESSON 1 – PREPARING A MICROMINE PROJECT .............................................................................1

WORKING WITH PROJECTS.............................................................................................................................. 1
Projects ................................................................................................................................................ 1
Attaching an Existing Project .................................................................................................................. 2
Creating a New Project .......................................................................................................................... 3
Creating a Project Folder Outside of Micromine ....................................................................................... 4
Managing Projects ................................................................................................................................. 4
LESSON 2 – WORKING WITH DATA FILES .........................................................................................7
WORKING WITH TABULAR FILES ....................................................................................................................... 7
Files in Micromine .................................................................................................................................. 7
Field Types ........................................................................................................................................... 8
File Processing .................................................................................................................................... 10
Creating a New Data File ..................................................................................................................... 10
Creating a New File Using a Template................................................................................................... 12
Modifying a File’s Structure .................................................................................................................. 14
LESSON 3 – WORKING WITH DIALOGS AND FORM SETS ............................................................... 18
DIALOGS .................................................................................................................................................. 18
FORM SETS ............................................................................................................................................... 19
Managing and Sharing a Project’s Form Sets ......................................................................................... 22
LESSON 4 – DATA ENTRY AND FILE PROCESSING .......................................................................... 24
GETTING DATA INTO MICROMINE ................................................................................................................... 24
The Different Ways to Obtain Tabular Data ........................................................................................... 25
IMPORTING TABULAR DATA ........................................................................................................................... 26
From Microsoft Excel ........................................................................................................................... 26
From a Text File .................................................................................................................................. 27
MERGING ASSAY DATA ................................................................................................................................ 29
Merging: Possible Data Loss ................................................................................................................. 32
IMPORTING GIS DATA ................................................................................................................................. 34
IMPORTING OR LINKING DATABASE DATA USING ODBC ....................................................................................... 36
Controlling the Structure of the Imported File ....................................................................................... 39
MANUALLY ENTERING DATA .......................................................................................................................... 39
Calculator ........................................................................................................................................... 44
EXERCISE 4.10: CALCULATE SAMPLE MIDPOINT DEPTHS ............................................................................... 45
LESSON 5 – VALIDATING DATA ....................................................................................................... 49
VALIDATING DATA IN A PROJECT .................................................................................................................... 49
Validating a Data File ........................................................................................................................... 50
Validating Drillhole Data....................................................................................................................... 52
Drillholes: Validating Deviation ............................................................................................................. 53
Drillholes: Validating Multiple Downhole Files ........................................................................................ 53
LESSON 6 – FILTERS........................................................................................................................ 57
WORKING WITH FILTERS .............................................................................................................................. 57
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MM 101 – Micromine Basics Micromine 2018 Training
Defining more than One Filter Condition ............................................................................................... 59

Using Wildcards .................................................................................................................................. 59
Filtering date values ............................................................................................................................ 61
Tables
Table 2.1: Binary field types, sizes, and ranges .............................................................................................. 9

Table 4.1: File Editor keyboard shortcuts ..................................................................................................... 40
Table 6.1: Filter wildcards .......................................................................................................................... 60
Sidebars
Creating a new file directly from a dialog..................................................................................................... 13

The right-click file utility menu .................................................................................................................... 14
Click it to pick it ......................................................................................................................................... 19
Identifying saved form sets ....................................................................................................................... 21
Why use form sets? .................................................................................................................................. 22
Checking the results of a task ..................................................................................................................... 32
Using the File Editor shortcuts on multiple records ....................................................................................... 40
Creating a validation check file ................................................................................................................... 50
Data type: GENERAL vs. DRILL HOLE ......................................................................................................... 51
How did Micromine know the right field names? ......................................................................................... 55
Why save filters as form sets? ................................................................................................................... 57
Right-click to edit ....................................................................................................................................... 58
Exercises
Exercise 1.1: Attach an existing project ......................................................................................................... 3

Optional Exercise 1.2: Create a new project .................................................................................................. 4
Optional Exercise 1.3: Detach an existing project ........................................................................................... 5
Exercise 2.1: Create a new data file ............................................................................................................ 11
Exercise 2.2: Create a new file using a template .......................................................................................... 13
Exercise 2.3: Add fields to a file’s structure.................................................................................................. 14
Exercise 3.1: Explore dialogs and form sets ................................................................................................. 21
Alternative Exercise 4.1: Import assay data from a Microsoft Excel workbook ................................................ 26
Alternative Exercise 4.2: Import assay data from a CSV file .......................................................................... 28
Exercise 4.3: Merge assay data into the soil geochemistry file ...................................................................... 30
Exercise 4.4: Move and redefine fields in a file ............................................................................................. 32
Exercise 4.5: Label the sample locality file ................................................................................................... 33
Exercise 4.6: Import and display topographic contours from an Esri Shapefile ............................................... 35
Exercise 4.7: Create an ODBC data source .................................................................................................. 38
Exercise 4.8: Import Data from an Access Database .................................................................................... 38
Exercise 4.9: Use the File Editor’s data entry tools ....................................................................................... 40
Exercise 4.10: Use the File Editor Calculator ................................................................................................ 44
Exercise 5.1: Validate fields in a file ............................................................................................................ 50
Exercise 5.2: Validate drillhole data ............................................................................................................. 54
Exercise 6.1: Create a filter with multiple conditions .................................................................................... 60
Revision 2018-06 © Copyright MICROMINE 2018

Lesson 1 – Preparing a
Notes:
Micromine Project
Duration: 20 minutes
In Micromine the project is the primary place for storing and organising your
data. This lesson introduces you to projects and how you use them.
After this lesson you’ll be able to:
• Attach an existing project

• Create a new project
• Delete a project, and
• Delete a project without deleting the associated data.
Working with Projects

Projects
Normally you store the data from an area in a Micromine project. This includes
surface samples, drilling data, property boundaries, aerial surveys, photog-
raphy and any other related information. In addition to information about the
area, other information (such as scripts, macros and form sets) is also stored
as part of a project.
A Micromine project represents a real-world project.
You must create at least one project to begin working with Micromine. A pro-
ject is a folder (or directory) where you store files containing related
information.
Once more than one project has been created, you can select a project from
a list of all projects. When you select a project, the files, macros and form sets
stored with that project are made available to you.
When you’re working in a project there’s no need to enter a file path (i.e.
C:\Projects\Tenement1\...) to create or open files. The only time you work
outside the project is when you need to access external data.
To create a project, you enter a project name, a path and a project title.
You subsequently refer to that project by its name. A project may be located
on the computer you’re using, or on a network. In either case we recommend
that you place all projects under a single parent folder.
You must also set the units for a project to metric or imperial when you first
create it. The default is metric. Imperial is only used when rock densities are
measured with a tonnage factor.
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Notes:
When you create a new project, you can optionally use file structures, form
sets and macros from a similar project. This is a good approach because it
means you can reuse existing work and promote consistency between projects.
Some Micromine users create a template project and save any reusable file
structures, macros and form sets within it.
Micromine does several different things when you create (or attach) a project:
it creates a corresponding project (.PRO) file in your Micromine user profile, it
optionally creates the new project folder, and it adds default template files to
the folder if they don’t already exist.
You can rename, move, delete and attach projects. Renaming simply changes
the project name, whereas moving a project manages the entire process of
moving the project files from one location to another.
Because files from different projects are stored in different folders, you can
use the same filenames in each. For example, the projects “Demo” and “Train-
ing” can both have files named Collar.dat, Survey.dat and Assay.dat.
By default, when you open Micromine it will automatically load the last project
you were using.
Attaching an Existing Project

Because the data for this training course has already been prepared, you’ll just
attach the project where the data is stored. Attaching a project is a convenient
way of working with existing projects and external data, such as old projects
and data created using other applications. Once you’ve attached a project, you
can select it as though you had created it.
Before you begin this lesson
Make sure the training data is installed on your PC or some location on your
network. You’ll need this data throughout this training course. See Installing
the data set for details.
2 © Copyright MICROMINE 2018

The following exercises assume the training data is in this folder: Notes:
C:\MmData\Training
If your data is in a different location, substitute that location in the instructions

that follow.
Exercise 1.1: Attach an existing project
To attach an existing project:
1. Start Micromine by double-clicking the icon on your desktop or selecting

the application name from the Start page or menu.
2. Select File | Project | Attach from the main menu.
3. Enter the Project name. Generally, this is the name of the folder
containing the project data. In this case, enter: Training
4. Click the browse button in the Project path edit box and navigate
to the folder C:\MmData\Training. Click the Select Folder button to
select the folder.
5. Enter Micromine Training in the Project title.
6. Click OK to attach the project.
You have just attached the Training project. Note how the Micromine window
title bar (at the top of the screen) displays the new project’s name and title,
along with Micromine’s version and build number.
Lastly, confirm that Micromine is attached to the correct folder:
7. From the Vizex Forms pane near the top left of your screen, click the
expand icon next to the Saved View form type. You should see
three entries, Introducing Vizex, String Editor, and Geological
interpretation immediately below the Saved View label:
8. If you don’t see the entries shown here, check with your instructor
before proceeding.
Creating a New Project

Although this course uses existing project data, you still need to know how to
create a new project. Creating (instead of attaching) a project allows you to
set the units and optionally use an existing project as a template.

Notes:
Optional Exercise 1.2: Create a new project
In this exercise you’ll create a new project that could potentially be used as a
template for future projects. It’s not intended to store any real data, just the
various file structures that might be re-used elsewhere.
To create a new project:
1. Select File | Project | New from the main menu.

2. Fill-in the dialog box as shown below. To define the Project path, use
the browse button to navigate to the C:\MmData folder.
3. Ensure Create folder for project is enabled (ticked).
4. Click OK to create the project. Micromine will open the new project and
display its name and title at the top of the Micromine window.
5. Switch back to the Training project by selecting File | Project | Open
or clicking the Open Project toolbar button.
Under normal circumstances you’d begin creating template files within the
Templates project. When you next create a project, you can enable Use
existing project as template and then enter this project’s name. You can
then choose which items you want to re-use from the template project by
selecting from the options shown in the group at the bottom of the dialog.
Creating a Project Folder Outside of Micromine

Project | New usually creates the folder for you. If you previously created
the folder in Windows, disable the Create folder for project option. Micro-
mine will still add the necessary files to the folder.
Managing Projects
Micromine’s project management options are located on the File | Project
menu and are essential for anyone who uses different Micromine projects. For
example, you might be a consultant with many clients, or a worker at a mine
with several satellite operations.

The Project Manager gathers together the tools for managing projects. With Notes:
it you can open, create, attach, detach, delete, move, and rename projects.
You can also view extended metadata on each project, including its location
(path) on your file system and the time you last used it. Metadata columns are
sortable; to keep the last-used project at the top of the list simply sort the last
opened column in descending order.
The associated Project toolbar includes many of these tasks, along with direct
access to Windows/File Explorer, and special browse tools that step forward
or backward through the project list.
Detaching or deleting a project
In the next exercise you’ll detach a Micromine project. This involves deleting
the project (.PRO) file, which contains the reference to the project folder. It is
rather like deleting a shortcut from your Windows desktop; you remove the
reference to the folder but keep the folder and its contents intact.
Alternatively, you may wish to delete a project. This method deletes the .PRO
file along with the project folder and its contents. By default, deleted files are
sent to the recycle bin.
Generally, you only want to detach a project.
Optional Exercise 1.3: Detach an existing project
To detach a project:
1. Select File | Project | Manage from the main menu.

2. Choose the Templates project from the list that appears.
3. Click the Detach button.
4. Click Yes to confirm you want to detach the project.
5. Close the Project Manager.
From now on, the Templates project won’t appear in the list when you select
File | Project | Open from the main menu.
To delete a project and the files it contains, follow the same procedure but
click the Delete button instead. Alternatively, choose File | Project | Delete
from the main menu. If you use this method, you must disable Detach only
to delete the entire project.

Notes: Lesson 1 Summary
These are the key points of this lesson:
• The project is the fundamental structure for organising data in

Micromine.
• To start working with Micromine you must create at least one project.
• Projects store files, macros, scripts, form sets and other project data.
• You can set the project units to metric or imperial when you create it.
• When you create a new project, you can use the file structures, form
sets and macros from a similar project as a template.
To attach a project:
Select File | Project | Attach, then

Type in a new Name and Title, and
Browse to the project’s folder location (Path).
To create a new project:
Select File | Project | New and enter the necessary settings.
To manage your projects:
Select File | Project | Manage and choose the project, and

Click a button in the cluster at right as required.
Good Practice
If you created the project folder in Windows, disable the Create folder for
project option when you use Project | New.
Consider using an existing project as a template whenever you create a new

project. Doing so will:
• Encourage consistency in the way you store and process your data, and
in the appearance of output.
• Reduce set-up time because you won’t have to re-create data file
structures, colour sets, macro files and form sets.
Help Topics
For information on: See:
Projects Projects
Template projects Projects > Use a template
Form sets Tools and Options > Form Sets

Lesson 2 – Working with Data

Notes:
Files
Data files are the basic data container in Micromine. In this lesson you’ll learn
about the different types of data files and how to create and work with them.
• Create a new file

• Create a file using an existing file as a template
• Modify a file’s structure.
Working with Tabular Files

Files in Micromine
Most of the files you work with in Micromine have a tabular structure, which
you’ll recognise if you’re already familiar with spreadsheets or databases.
An example of a typical Micromine data file is shown above. Each record of

this file contains a sample number and the associated gold, silver, and copper
(amongst others) assay values.
Micromine uses several types of tabular file. The main types are Data, Survey
and String. These files are differentiated by file extension. The data file has
the extension DAT, the survey file SVY, and the string file STR, but in practice
you refer to them by type rather than by their extensions. There are no other
fundamental differences between these types of file. In fact, a file with the
same structure could have any of these extensions.
The main reason for having the different extensions is so you can group similar
files in a project. For example, geological data is often stored in data files;
contour strings and other string type data is stored in string files; and survey
information from total stations or theodolites is stored in survey files. You can
also arrange files into project subfolders for greater clarity.
Micromine also uses some non-tabular file types (for example, grid surfaces,
annotations and wireframes); however, it handles their creation and manage-
ment for you.

Notes: You must create the tabular files needed for a project. To do this you give the
new file a name and then define its structure. That is, the names and char-
acteristics of the fields in the file and the order in which they are stored.
Field Types
Micromine supports four different field types: Character, Numeric, Binary num-
ber, and Formatted. The content of your data will determine the field type, for
example:
• Alphabetic (letters only) and alphanumeric (letters and numbers) are

generally held in a Character field.
• Data that’s essentially numerical with occasional special characters such
as laboratory codes should be held in a Numeric field.
• Data that is exclusively numerical should be in a Binary number field.
• Dates, times, and colours should be in a Formatted field.
Binary number fields
Binary and numeric fields both hold numerical data. A Binary number field
stores a number using binary zeroes and ones that are not human readable,
whereas a Numeric field stores readable text that represents that number.
Binary number fields usually have better numerical accuracy, may reduce file
size and may produce noticeable speed improvements over Numeric fields.
Micromine supports the following binary number types:
• Real
• Float
• Long integer
• Short integer
Real and Float fields may optionally be formatted using significant digits in-
stead of decimals, which is useful for data whose magnitude can vary by sev-
eral orders of magnitude.
Ideally, all numerical data should be stored in a Binary number field. However,
binary numbers cannot contain the character codes (e.g. “LNR”) and below
detection values (e.g. “< 0.05”) used by assay laboratories. These codes are
known as numeric exceptions. The following rules will be applied if you add
data containing numeric exceptions to a Binary number field:
• Blanks stay as blanks.

• Character codes (e.g. “LNR”) become blanks.
• Below detection values (e.g. < 0.05) are automatically multiplied by 0.5
and that value is stored instead.
• Above detection values (e.g. > 10000) are multiplied by 1.01 and that
value is stored instead.
The data will not be altered in any way if it is held in a Numeric field, making
this field type ideal for assay information.

Binary data ranges Notes:
Micromine supports several binary number field types, and it is important to

choose the right type for numerical data. This decision has two parts:
• Does the data contain decimal values?

• How many digits of precision does it need?
Table 2.1 summarises the properties of binary field types. Real and Float fields
can handle decimal values. The ranges listed in the table are not relevant;
what is important is the number of significant figures (digits) of precision; Real
fields have around twice the precision of Float fields. Using the wrong type
won’t affect the overall scale of a number but will affect its level of accuracy.
Table 2.1: Binary field types, sizes, and ranges

Size Significant
Type Code Range
(bytes) Figures
Real R 8 ±3.4 x 10±308 15
Float F 4 ±1.7 x 10±37 7

-2,147,483,647 to
Long Integer L 4
2,147,483,647
Short Integer S 2 -32,767 to 32,767
Long and Short Integer are integral types that cannot handle decimals. They
do not use significant figures; instead they have very specific limits on the size
of numbers that can be stored, also listed in Table 2.1. Using the wrong type
can be a problem with integer fields because a Short Integer will simply ignore
data beyond its limiting value of ±32,767. When in doubt you should always
use a larger field type.
Binary precision
Binary fields are not precision-limited. For example, consider a Numeric field
defined with three decimals. When you perform a calculation, the result is
stored with exactly three decimals. All other decimals are discarded. The same
calculation carried out on a Real field stores the full 15 decimals of precision
in the file, even if only three decimals are displayed.
To avoid loss of precision we recommend that you make Binary duplicates of

any Numeric assay fields if you intend to derive data from them, for example
for resource estimation. Using the Binary version will maintain precision, whilst
retaining the Numeric version will allow you to inspect the original detection
limits and laboratory codes.
Backward compatibility
Binary field-enabled files can only be used in Micromine 2011 and later. How-
ever, these files are easily exported to earlier Micromine versions by using File
| Utilities | Convert Binary to ASCII.

Notes: File Processing

In general, Micromine processes data files to create output. You must tell a
function (in Micromine) the name of a file and the fields it should use from that
file. The function then loads data from the file and performs its task. This is a
fundamental operating concept of Micromine.
The main file preparation and processing tool is the File Editor, which provides
many useful features and data processing tools.
One of Micromine’s strengths is that you can copy the contents of a file or
change its structure at any time. Such flexibility is very convenient. However,
if you’re not using a central database it’s very easy to create copies of master
files and mistakenly enter new data into the copy instead of the original. To
avoid this, be sure to establish a convention that clearly defines your file nam-
ing procedures. A better alternative is to store your master data in a geological
database management system such as MICROMINE’s Geobank.
Creating a New Data File

You create a new file in Micromine using the File | New menu option, the
New File toolbar button or the Ctrl+N keyboard shortcut.
Options on the New File dialog give you control over the level of automation:
• For full control over the file’s structure and contents, enable Auto open
file for editing.
• For complete automation, select the New from Template submenu,
choose a template File, and then disable Modify new file structure
and Auto open file for editing.
Creating a file involves two steps. Firstly, you define the file's name and type,
such as data or string, and secondly you define the name, type, format and
width of each field (column) contained within it.

Defining file fields Notes:
Field Name can be up to 255 characters. Although spaces are permitted in

field names you should try to avoid using them. Best practice, unless there’s
an overriding company standard, is to keep field names simple. For example,
use Sample instead of Sample No., Sample_No or Sample #.
Type can be Character, Numeric, Real, Float, Long, Short, Date, Date/Time,
or Colour. Bold characters indicate the corresponding keyboard shortcuts.
Width can be up to 255 for character or numeric fields but should be kept as
short as possible without compromising the data. Binary fields have fixed
widths as listed in Table 2.1.
Decimals in numeric fields should be enough for your requirements; you gain
nothing by choosing more decimals than needed. The decimal point is counted
as one character in a Numeric field, so be sure to allow for this when you set
its width. Formatting and decimals in binary numbers are only used for display.
Because you’ll be using the data set supplied as part of this course you only
need to create a couple of new data files in later lessons. However, to reinforce
the idea of the template project this task will show you how to create a collar
file that could be used as a template.
Exercise 2.1: Create a new data file
Before you begin this exercise make sure that you are in the Training project.
The Micromine window title bar (at the top of the screen) should display Train-
ing – Micromine Training. If it doesn’t, select File | Project | Open and open
the Training project that you attached earlier.
To create a new collar file template:
1. Select File | New from the main menu. Alternatively, click the New
File toolbar button or press Ctrl+N on the keyboard.
2. Enter the following values in the top portion of the New File dialog box:
Prompt Setting
File Collar_Template
Type DATA
Title Collar Template
Auto open file for editing Enabled
Multi language content Disabled
In the workplace you’d typically disable the Auto open option unless you
wanted to immediately start entering data. However, you’ll leave it enabled for
this exercise so that you can see the newly created file.

Notes: You define the file structure in the lower part of the dialog. To do this you
must supply:
• The names of the fields

• The type of each field
• Optional formatting for binary number and formatted fields
• The width of each field (if not a binary number field)
• For numeric, real, and float fields, the number of decimal places.
3. Enter the following values in the table:
Press the Tab key to move right from field to field and Shift+Tab to move to
the left. You can also use the arrow keys to move up and down, or just click
on a cell with the mouse. Press Enter to create a new row, and press Ctrl+R
to replicate existing data onto the row below.
4. Click OK to create the file.
The new file will open into a File Editor window. You could now start entering
values, but for this exercise you’ll leave the file empty and close it instead.
5. Close the File Editor window by clicking the [ ] in the file tab:
Alternatively, you can click the [X] at the top right of the Editor window (at
the same height as the tab!) or the Close toolbar button.
Creating a New File Using a Template

Once you have suitable files in the current project (or a dedicated template
project), you can use their structures whenever you create new files.

Notes:
Exercise 2.2: Create a new file using a template
To create a file using a template:
1. Select File | New | New from Template on the main menu.

2. Enter the following values into the top half of the New File dialog:
Prompt Setting
File Test_Collar
Type DATA
Title From Template
3. Enable Current project.

4. Click the browse button in the File edit box and choose the
Collar_Template file you created in Exercise 2.1.
5. Disable Modify new file structure.
6. Enable Auto open file for editing.
7. Click OK to create the new file.
Because you enabled Auto open and disabled Modify new, Micromine si-
lently created the file instead of requesting further input. You should only
enable Modify new file structure if you wish to control the structure of the
to-be-created file.
8. Inspect the content of this new file and note that it’s the same as the
original template.
9. Close the File Editor once you’re done.
You can see from this exercise how much time using templates can save, es-
pecially when you’re creating files with many fields. Additionally, using tem-
plates promotes consistent file structures within and across projects. In the
workplace you’d normally keep template files in a separate project, such as
the one you created in Optional Exercise 1.2.
Creating a new file directly from a dialog
An alternative way to create a new file is to use File | Create or

Modify File. This menu option creates a new file directly from the dialog
without needing a template, which is especially useful when you’re writ-
ing a macro or script. Macros are explained in more detail in MM 105 –
Macros and scripts are covered in MM 331 – Python Scripting 1.

Notes: Modifying a File’s Structure

In Micromine you can add, delete, and change file fields at any time. If a field
contains data when you delete it, the data will also be deleted. To add fields,
change their properties, or delete fields from a file, use the Modify File
function.
The Modify File function is on the File menu of the main Micromine window
and the File Editor. You can also right-click (F6) on a file field in a dialog box
(as shown above) and select Modify from the menu that appears.
If you add fields to a file using Modify File, no data will be lost. However, if
you delete a field that contains data, the data will be lost.
The right-click file utility menu
Modify is one of several functions found on the right-click file utility

menu. This menu is accessible from any file or field name response on
every Micromine dialog and makes it possible to perform basic file func-
tions without having to close a partially completed dialog.
Exercise 2.3: Add fields to a file’s structure
This task shows you how to add new fields to a soil geochemistry file, which
currently contains sample coordinates along with analytical results for gold and
silver. The new fields are needed for merging a new suite of base-metal
analyses recently received from the laboratory.
To add the new fields, do the following:
1. Select File | Open from the main menu.

2. Select NVG_Geochem from the window that appears. If you can’t see it,
make sure that Files of type is set to DATA.
3. Click Open to open the file in the File Editor.
4. Select File | Modify File Structure from the File Editor menu, or press
F6, to display the Modify Structure dialog.

5. Position the typing cursor in the EAST_LOCAL field and press Ctrl+I Notes:
three times. Alternatively, drag a selection from EAST_LOCAL to
EAST_UTM (covering the three field names) and click the Insert
Row button on the dialog toolbar.
6. Add the following fields to the file:
Field Name Type Decimals

Cu Float 0
Pb Float 0
Zn Float 0
7. The file structure should look like this once you have finished editing:
8. Click OK to finish the modification.

9. Micromine automatically saves the modified file so there’s no need to
explicitly save it. Instead, simply Close the file editor:
Exercise 4.4 includes an example of modifying a file by changing the properties

of existing fields.

This lesson has illustrated the following points:
• Most data in Micromine is stored in files with a table structure.

• When creating a file, you must give the file a name and type, and then
define field names, types, lengths and number of decimal places.
• You can use existing files as templates when creating new files.
Templates can be in the current project, another project, or a folder on
a local or shared drive. Templates promote consistency and avoid having
to repeat work.
To create a new data file from scratch:
Select File | New and enter the file’s name and type, then
Optionally, enable Auto open file for editing, and
Define the structure by specifying each field’s name, type, format,
width, and number of decimals.
To create a new data file using a template without your intervention:
Select File | New | New from Template, enter the file’s name
and type, then choose the template File.
Disable Modify new file structure.
Disable Auto open file for editing, and
Enable Use template and, and
To modify the structure of an existing file:
Select File | Modify File, or

Press F6, or
Right-click a filename on a form and select Modify from the pop-up
menu, then
Change the file’s structure.
To create a new data file directly from a form:
Select File | Create or Modify File, then

Type the new file’s name, and
ADD each new field name, type, width and decimals.

Lesson 2 Summary Notes:
Good Practice
Wherever possible, use templates or form sets to create new file structures.
(Form sets are introduced in Lesson 3.) Two options are:
• Create a set of template files and store them in a folder that has been
set aside for that purpose. When you create a file using File | New,
retrieve a suitable template and use it to define the file structure.
• Create a series of file definitions using File | Create or Modify File,
saving each one as a form set. When you create a file using File |
Create or Modify File, simply open the appropriate form set and use it
to define the file structure.
Help Topics
Creating a file Files and Fields > Files > New
Modifying a file Files and Fields > Files > Modify File Structure
Creating a file from Files and Fields > Files > Create or Modify File
a form
Character, numeric Files and Fields > Fields > Binary fields
and binary fields

Lesson 3 – Working with

Notes:
Dialogs and Form Sets

So far, you’ve only seen the simplest of dialogs, but as you continue to learn
Micromine they will become increasingly complex. Lesson 4 and onwards rely
on your ability to work with Micromine’s dialogs, so now is a good time to learn
about the process of entering parameters.
One of Micromine’s greatest strengths is its ability to save dialog settings once
you’ve created them and recall those settings whenever they’re needed in fu-
ture. A simple analogy is using AutoComplete or Autofill on your web browser:
every time you visit, say, your online banking website this utility automatically
fills out the form for you, saving you time and effort. Micromine’s forms work
in much the same way.
• Systematically fill out a dialog (form)

• Use the various mouse and keyboard shortcuts to speed up the process
• Save dialog entries as form sets and recall them whenever needed.
Dialogs
Although Micromine is generally very easy to use, some advanced dialogs may
contain dozens of controls arranged in different groups. The best way to fill
out such a dialog is to work through it as if you were reading down the columns
of a newspaper: from the top down, working left-to-right. In a tabbed dialog
you can treat the tabs as if they were pages of a magazine. Using this system-
atic approach ensures that your responses are made in the right order, which
is important because other prompts on the dialog may change depending on
your earlier choices.
Micromine includes many dialog shortcuts that maximise productivity whilst

minimising effort. You’ve already seen the right-click context menu, which is
one such shortcut. Another involves the way you choose filenames, fieldnames
or embedded form set titles: whenever Micromine prompts you for a name,
click the browse button at right of the box, double-click within the box,
or press F3 to select from a pop-up list. With the obvious exception of creating
a new file you should never retype an existing name, since it’s very easy to
mistype and produce an error.
Once you choose a filename Micromine will try to select the required field-
names, so you may not have to do this yourself. If a numeric or binary field is
selected, Micromine will also automatically calculate the minimum and maxi-
mum values of that field.

Notes:
Fill out a complex dialog by starting at the top of the left-hand column and
working down and repeating for the right-hand column.
Use Ctrl+Z and Ctrl+Y undo and redo changes.
Click it to pick it
If a filename, fieldname or form set title already exists, you should

choose it by clicking the browse button (or double-clicking in the box)
instead of typing. If you prefer to use the keyboard, use the F3 shortcut.
Some dialog prompts are highlighted in a different colour (usually red). These
prompts are compulsory: you must enter a value before continuing. Other
prompts may be left blank if they’re not relevant.
Form Sets
Micromine provides an elegant way to reuse dialog entries: You save them as
a form set, which you can easily recall for later reuse.
A form set contains the saved contents of a dialog. It does not include
any data.

Notes: To save the contents of a dialog as a form set you generally click the Forms,
Save or Save As button located at the right of the dialog. The exact layout
varies according to the context of the dialog, but in general Micromine provides
these ways to manage form sets:
• Vizex Dialogs have a combination of Forms, Save, or Save As buttons

depending on how the dialog was opened, shown on illustrations (a) and
(b). Vizex is introduced in MM 102 – Displaying and Manipulating Data.
• Filters, colour sets, and other embedded dialogs (dialogs within dialogs)
use a layout consisting of Save and Close, Save As and Forms
buttons, as shown on illustration (c).
• Non-graphical dialogs that perform a calculation use the layout shown
on illustration (d), with just a Forms button. These dialogs also use
Run instead of OK to indicate their non-graphical purpose.
(a) (b) (c) (d)
• Graphical windows that are not part of Vizex, such as graphs and charts,
have no buttons. Instead, form sets are accessed from the toolbar (e).
The chart toolbar only appears where relevant.
(e)
Clicking the Forms button will display the Forms dialog, allowing you to save
your entries with a Title of your choice. The title can be any descriptive text,
since Micromine only needs the form set’s ID Number, which must be unique.
Micromine automatically manages this number, which rarely needs changing,
although you may do so if you wish to control the ordering of form sets.
Each function keeps an independent list of form sets, avoiding duplication. For
example, more than one function could have a form set Number 1 with the
title “Testing”.
Clicking the small arrow at right of the Forms button will display a small
utility menu with options for managing previously saved form sets and saving
or clearing the current form.
Even if you forget to save a form set, every Micromine dialog is automatically
saved to a default form set. Re-opening a dialog will recall the default set;
your entries are always available even after restarting the computer. As soon
as you change a value, however, the previous entry will be lost.

Identifying saved form sets Notes:
Once you save a dialog as a form set, its Title will appear at the top of
the dialog. If you don’t see the title, you’re not working with a saved
form set! In Vizex, default (unsaved) form sets are always marked as
Untitled, so you can see at a glance whether you’ve saved them.
Exercise 3.1: Explore dialogs and form sets
In this exercise you’ll display some geochemical sample locations and save the
display parameters as a form set.
1. From the main menu, select Display | Point.

2. Ensure the Input Data tab is active (highlighted). Click the browse
button in the File response and choose NVG_Geochem from the file list
that appears.
3. Once you’ve chosen the file, note how the coordinate fields below the
file name have automatically been chosen. Micromine always tries to
complete as much of the form on your behalf as it can.
4. Click the Points tab to activate it, and then enable the Show Points
and Use Symbols options.
5. Double-click the small blank square next to the Default symbol prompt
and choose the small filled circle  symbol.
6. Click OK at the right of the dialog to display the points.
7. Inspect the Display window pane at the bottom left of the screen. Note
how it now contains a single entry called Untitled (NVG_Geochem.DAT).
Assuming you’re happy with how the sample locations are displayed, you can
save the settings as a form set.
8. Double-click the Untitled (NVG_Geochem.DAT) entry in the Display

pane, near the bottom left of your screen, to redisplay the Point dialog.
9. Click the Save As button at the right of the dialog.
You can also right-click the Untitled (NVG_Geochem.DAT) entry in the

Display pane and choose Save Form As from the pop-up menu.
10. Inspect the Save Current Values dialog and note how the form set
has automatically been given the Number 1.

Notes: 11. Enter the Title Soil geochemistry (overwriting the default Untitled title)
and click OK. Note how the name Soil geochemistry now appears on the
title bar at the top of the dialog.
12. Click OK on the Point dialog and note how the name in the Display
pane has now changed to Soil geochemistry.
You use the same process to make additional changes to the form set: Double-
click the form set in the Display pane, make the changes on the dialog, click
Save, and lastly click OK.
To reuse a form set, redisplay the original dialog, click the Forms button at
right, and then Open the form set.
Why use form sets?
If you plan to use the entries on a dialog more than once then you
should save that dialog as a form set. The small effort of initially creating
a form set is more than compensated by the time saved in reusing it.
Form sets enable you to create libraries of Vizex display layers, consist-
ently reuse settings for repetitive tasks without re-entering values, and
automate Micromine by writing macros (All of which are covered in sub-
sequent lessons or courses).
Managing and Sharing a Project’s Form Sets

Managing form sets is an important task in a mature project, and Micromine
includes several tools for this purpose, accessible via Tools | Form Sets on
the main menu. From here you can manage, import, export, restore form
sets from a backup, and set basic form set options. The Form Set Manager
(Tools | Form Sets | Manage) gathers all project and system form sets into
one location, allowing you to search for, delete, rename and export form
sets, and lock (or unlock) form sets to protect them from accidental changes.
For convenience you can also create form set folders to group related form
sets. Form set folders are essential in any complex project containing many
form sets and are introduced in MM 102 – Displaying and Manipulating Data.
Most of these options may also be accessed via the Forms button and its
utility menu at right of any Micromine dialog.

The key points of this lesson are:
• Form sets represent the saved contents of Micromine dialogs, and are
essential for speed, consistency, and automation of repetitive tasks.
• Form sets allow you to automate the entry of settings within Micromine,
much like an AutoComplete utility on a web browser would do.
• The Form Set Manager is essential for managing form sets in a large
project.
• There are numerous form shortcuts, such as the right-click menu and
click it to pick it.
• Compulsory prompts are highlighted in red; you must provide a value for
these before using the form. You can change the colour under Tools |
Options | Colours and Fonts.
To fill out a Micromine dialog:
Work through the settings as if you were reading columns in a

newspaper, filling out (at least) the compulsory prompts as you go.
To speed up filling out a dialog, most information is available from a list.
In other words, don’t type but click it (the browse button) to pick it.
To save a dialog as a form set:
Click Forms, followed by Save As.
To save a Vizex dialog as a form set:
Click the Save As button.
To recall a previously saved form set:
Open the relevant dialog, then

Click Forms, then locate the desired form set and click Open.
Good Practice
Anything worth doing more than once is worth saving as a form set.
For example, to import text files that all have the same format, create a form
set containing the import parameters. This will save you re-entering the import
parameters every time you need to import data in the same format.
Help Topics
Form sets Tools and Options > Form Sets
Vizex Vizex > Display

Lesson 4 – Data Entry and

Notes:
File Processing
The data that describes a prospect or mine can be collected and recorded in a
variety of ways. These include survey data from GPSs and total stations, rock
sample data from geologists’ notebooks, drillhole logging data, compass trav-
erse notes, data files from aerial surveys and aerial photography, along with
digital data in a variety of third-party formats.
Getting this information from different formats into a project and into a coher-
ent and useful state can be challenging. This lesson describes some of the
processes that can be used to get data into a Micromine project.
• Import a Microsoft Excel workbook and a text file into Micromine

• Merge assay results from a lab with their associated coordinates
• Import data from a GIS format (Esri Shapefile)
• Import (or link to) data from a database table using ODBC
• Spatially preview imported data in Vizex
• Enter tabular data using the File Editor
• Navigate records and fields in the File Editor.
Getting Data into Micromine

A person working on an exploration or mining project will typically encounter
four different data sources:
• Tabular data exported from a third-party application as a Microsoft

Excel® workbook or text file.
• Spatial data in a CAD, GIS or GPS format.
• A relational database such as Microsoft Access®, SQL Server®, or
Oracle®. Data within these databases is normally managed by a
geologically aware system such as MICROMINE’s Geobank.
• Non-digital data such as paper field maps or printed logs and reports.
Examples of these data types are explored in the following topics.

The Different Ways to Obtain Tabular Data Notes:
Micromine includes three different ways to get large quantities of tabular data
into a project with a minimum of effort. They are:
• Importing
• Linking
• Merging
When you import tabular data, you create a Micromine version of the source
data as it existed at that moment. The source data may be any supported
tabular format, and you control which fields are written to the Micromine target
file. The data must be re-imported if the source version changes.
When you link data, you create a permanent connection to the source data,
which may only originate from an ODBC data source or Microsoft Access data-
base. Linked data is easily refreshed to stay up-to-date whenever the source
version changes.
When you merge tabular data, you select fields in a source file and merge
them to the correct fields in the target file by matching values in a key field.
You can also append data. The source data may be a text or Micromine file.
Before you begin using these techniques, it’s worth reviewing the different
types of text file that you’ll meet when you undertake these processes.

Notes: If you use Geobank Mobile to collect field data, you can exchange files in
native Micromine format. Geobank Mobile and the Micromine File Editor
contain many data entry and processing functions created specifically for
geoscience data. It’s usually cheaper and more efficient to buy Geobank
Mobile or use the Micromine File Editor than to customise a non-geo-
logical spreadsheet or database application.
Importing Tabular Data

Text files and Microsoft Excel workbooks are frequently used as tabular data
exchange formats within the mineral industry, each of which has advantages
and disadvantages.
The next two alternative exercises will teach you to import the analytical data
briefly mentioned in Exercise 2.3, in preparation for merging it into the existing
soil geochemistry file. Alternative Exercise 4.1 uses an Excel workbook and
Alternative Exercise 4.2 a text file. They create the same target file; the best
source file will depend on your preferences or workplace scenario. Your in-
structor will help you to choose a method.
In Exercise 4.3 you’ll merge the imported data into the geochemistry file.
From Microsoft Excel

Although Microsoft Excel is intended for calculations it is often used for data
exchange. It does have the advantage of being understood by everyone and
being installed on virtually every computer. However, because it generally
lacks type-checking or validation it is important to always validate the imported
data.
Micromine treats the data in each worksheet as if it was a database table, and
it must therefore be correctly formatted. Each worksheet must contain a simple
header followed by columns of consistent data, with each column containing
the same data type from top to bottom. The worst possible data is a workbook
formatted to look like a traditional paper log, with a collar description, down-
hole survey data, and geological logging on a single worksheet.
The next exercise will teach you to import data from Excel.
Alternative Exercise 4.1: Import assay data from a

Microsoft Excel workbook
In this exercise you’ll import the new analytical data from a Microsoft Excel
workbook. To import the data:
1. Select File | Import | Microsoft Excel from the main menu.

2. Click the browse button in the Source File response and navigate to
the Import folder (within your training project). Select the
New_Assay_Results.xlsx file and click Open.

The .xlsx extension will not be visible if Windows is set to hide extensions Notes:
for known file types.
3. Click the browse ( ) button in the Sheet response and choose

New_Assay_Results from the list.
4. Enter the Output File name New_Assay_Results and ensure the Type is
set to DATA.
5. Enable Auto open file for editing.
6. Enable Import all fields at the top of the Fields to Import group to
import all fields.
Import all is usually the best option unless you want to import specific fields.
7. Click Import to import the data.

8. Close the dialog and inspect the imported file and structure (F6).
9. Click Cancel to close the Modify Structure dialog once you are done.
Most elements are imported as Longs or Reals. Mo and Sb are Characters

because they contain numeric exceptions; this is normal. For safety, data con-
taining numeric exceptions is imported as Character. In the workplace you
would Modify Mo and Sb to be Numeric fields structured to suit the data. (Re-
member, only Numeric fields can retain exceptions in numerical data.)
Importing from Excel is simple and straightforward provided the data is cor-
rectly formatted. However, the data is imported as-is, with no validation.
From a Text File

Text files are used to transfer data in a software-independent format, and
generally fall into two groups: delimited and fixed width. A delimited file con-
tains rows of values separated by a separator or delimiter, with each row rep-
resenting a single record. Common delimited formats are comma delimited
(using commas) and tab-delimited (using tabs). Comma-delimited files are of-
ten called comma separated values (CSV) files.
Most applications can export and import CSV files, making it a popular ex-
change format. A typical scenario might involve recording field data using the
built-in software on a laptop or tablet. On return to the office it would most
likely be uploaded to a Micromine project. CSV is ideal for this situation.
Fixed width files, sometimes known as column-delimited files, contain values

separated into columns made up of a fixed number of characters. Although
human operators can read fixed width files more easily than delimited files,
they are generally less space-efficient than delimited files.
Importing a Text File
You import text using File | Import | Text, and the easiest way to do so is
to automatically define the output file structure. You do this by choosing
Determine from Input file in the Output File Structure group, and then
using the Scan Rows or Scan File buttons to determine the structure.

Notes: The next exercise will teach you to import a text file.
Before you continue
Make sure you’re using the built-in file viewer. To ensure this is the case, select
Tools | Options | Editor from the main menu and check that Built-in is
selected in the Text Viewer group.
Alternative Exercise 4.2: Import assay data from a

CSV file
In this exercise you’ll import the new analytical data from a CSV file. To import
the text file:
1. Select File | Import | Text from the main menu.

2. Click the browse button in the Input File response and navigate to
the Import folder (within your training project). Select the
New_Assay_Results.CSV file.
The .csv extension will not be visible if Windows is set to hide extensions
for known file types.
3. Right-click the text file name to display it in the text viewer. Confirm that
it’s in comma-delimited format and note that the first row is a column
header for Sample number and the nine additional elements (Cu, Pb, Zn,
Ba, Mo, Sb, As, Hg, and Tl). Close the text viewer once you’re done.
4. Set the Format to COMMA DELIMITED.
5. Enable Field Name Header and choose One row.
This file contains no rows to ignore so there’s no need to apply any Rows To
Ignore options. You can use these options to ignore metadata, internal head-
ings or footers in a more complex file.
Define the structure of the output file
6. Set the Output File Structure to Determine from Input file.

7. Enter the Output File name New_Assay_Results and ensure the Type is
set to DATA.
8. Enter the Report file name Assay_Import.
9. Enable Auto open for editing.
10. Click the Scan File button to scan the input file and automatically
determine the structure of the output file.
Mo, Sb, and Hg will be imported as Reals, and the others as Shorts. Mo and
Sb contain numeric exceptions, which will be converted to one-half of their
value on import; this is normal. In the workplace you would preserve the orig-
inal below-detection values by using the Preview option to change Mo and
Sb into Numeric fields structured to suit the data.

11. Click Run to import the data. Micromine will report hundreds of errors. Notes:
12. Dismiss the warning.
13. Right-click the Report file and select View from the pop-up menu to
inspect its contents. Close the report once you are done.
The errors are of the type Input value missing. The reason will become clear
when you view the output file.
14. Right-click the Output File and select View from the pop-up menu to
verify the file contents. Most of the missing values originate from the Tl
(Thallium) column.
15. Close the dialog once you are done.
Importing from a text file requires a small amount of effort to determine the
file structure and configure the import options. However, as you saw in the
exercise it does offer a reasonable level of validation.
MM 102 introduces methods for exporting data from Micromine, and MM 103
covers some additional export options.
Merging Assay Data

You added fields to the NVG_Geochem file in Exercise 2.3 to prepare that file
for the merging process. It currently contains a sample number, coordinates
describing where the sample was taken, the existing precious metal geochem-
ical results, and new, empty fields for the new base metal suite.
In the preceding alternative exercises, you imported the additional elements

into a file called New_Assay_Results. In this task you’ll merge the new geo-
chemical data into the existing soil geochemistry file (NVG_Geochem).
You may have noticed that the New_Assay_Results file contains another six
fields for elements associated with hydrothermal sulphide alteration. You’ll
learn to handle these fields in the following exercise.
Successfully merging the records in the two files requires a field with the same
values in both the target and source files. This is known as a key field. If the
key field in each file contains duplicate values, you must either:
• Eliminate the duplicates, or

• Combine two or three fields in each file to form a unique key that
differentiates each record.
The Merge function processes the target file record by record. It finds the key
field in each record and reads the value it contains. It then looks for the same
value in the key field in the source file. When it finds an equivalent value, it
takes the data from the fields you’ve chosen and writes it to the corresponding
fields in the target file.

Notes: The source and corresponding target field names must both be defined when
you set up the merge operation. However, Micromine will automatically create
the target fields if they don’t already exist.
You may alternatively use File | Merge | Text to merge fixed-width text data
instead of importing the text beforehand. This method is not suitable for the
CSV format and is not covered in this course.
Exercise 4.3: Merge assay data into the soil

geochemistry file
In this exercise you’ll merge the new assay data into the soil geochemistry file.
The sample identifiers in both files are unique, which means you can use the
field containing the sample IDs in each file as the key field for the merge.
To merge the data:
1. Select File | Merge | Micromine from the main menu.

2. Click the browse button in the Source File response and choose
New_Assay_Results (ensure the file Type is set to DATA).
3. Repeat for the Target File response and select NVG_Geochem.
Defining the Key Field
You know that the Sample field is common to both files. And, because there
are no duplicates in the Sample field in either the source or target files, you
can use Sample as the single key field.
To define the key field:
1. Click the Key Fields button. (If the button is disabled, select the Use
key fields option lower down the dialog.)
2. Click the list ( ) button for Source Field for Key # 1 and choose
SAMPLE. Micromine will automatically find the matching Target Field
name.
3. Because the sample numbers consist of alphanumeric values, set the
Match to CHARACTER. Close the Key Fields dialog once you’re done.
Micromine will ignore the letter prefix of each sample number if you omit the
preceding step. You only need one key field so there’s no need to proceed to
the next row.

Defining the Merge Fields Notes:
You must now define the merge fields, which is very similar to defining the key
field. However, Micromine simplifies the process whenever the field names are
the same in both the source and target file.
1. Click the Merge Fields button.

2. Click the small Select Fields button near the top left of the dialog.
3. Drag the mouse down the field list, starting with Cu and ending on Tl, to
highlight the nine geochemical fields, as shown in this screenshot. Click
OK once you’re done.
Don’t select Sample; it’s already defined as the key field.
Alternatively, you can map individual source/target field pairs by clicking the
list ( ) button and choosing a Source field, then clicking and choosing the
matching Target field.
Because the base-metal field names are the same in both files, Micromine
automatically mapped each source field to its target field. Later in the exercise
you will see how it handled the unmapped fields.
4. Close the Merge Fields dialog.

5. Set the Match to FIRST, which will only merge the first occurrence of
each key field value.
6. Enter Unmerged in the Unmerged file response, Duplicate in the
Duplicate file response, and Merge_Stats in the Report file response.
These files will record the results of the merge process.
Running and validating the merge
1. The final stage of the process is to run the merge. Do this by clicking the
Run button on the dialog box.
2. Micromine will display a report describing the results of the process.
Inspect the numbers and then click Close to dismiss it.
3. Right-click | View the three output files.

Notes: The Merge_stats file reproduces the report window, and the Unmerged and
Duplicate files list any source sample numbers that were duplicated or not
merged. In this exercise there are none.
4. Right-click | Edit the NVG_Geochem file, noting the position and

appearance of the new fields. Keep it open for the next exercise.
Although the merge succeeded, the hydrothermal alteration suite is out of se-
quence at the end of the file, and some of the imported fields may have been
allocated the wrong data type. You’ll fix these problems in the next exercise,
which builds on Exercise 2.3.
Checking the results of a task
A useful check on any task that processes files is to right-click | View

the output file (or files). Any problems will become obvious and you can
re-run the task after making the necessary corrections. Report files are
considered output and should also be checked.
Exercise 4.4: Move and redefine fields in a file
In this exercise you’ll tidy up the soil geochemistry file. To do so:
1. Select File | Modify File from the File Editor menu, or press F6, to
modify the file.
2. Select the rows from Ba to Tl (hint: drag your mouse down the row
headings at left of the file).
3. Click the Move Row(s) Up button until Ba is immediately below Zn.
4. Optionally, change the newly added fields to Floats.
5. Click OK to close the structure editor.
6. To realign the cell boundaries, click the top-left corner cell of the editor
window (to highlight the whole file), and then double click the cell
boundary between Sample and AUAVE.
7. Close the File Editor and Merge Files dialog once you are done.
Merging: Possible Data Loss

Micromine may occasionally warn you about possible data loss during a merge.
This usually happens when some of the source fields are of a larger data type
than the matching target fields. Click Continue to ignore the message or
Cancel to return to the dialog. From there you can modify the target file struc-
ture or merge parameters.
You can sometimes ignore the warning. For example, assay results usually
need fewer than seven digits of precision; converting a REAL to a FLOAT during
a merge won’t unduly affect the data. Always make this choice with care, and
when in doubt always use a larger data type.

Notes:
Exercise 4.5: Label the sample locality file
Now that you know a little more about the soil geochemical data you’ll add
labels for the Au1 geochemical data to the display:
1. Open the Soil geochemistry form set by double-clicking it in the Display

pane near the bottom left of your screen.
2. The Point dialog will open back on the Points tab, which is where you
last left it. Switch to the Label tab and complete it as shown here:
Prompt Setting
Show labels Enabled
Labels (first row) Enabled
Text field (first row) AU1 (click the list button)
Position Right (double-click and choose
option 13)
Angle 45 (type the number)
Decimals 0
Text properties Calibri, Scaled, 8 Grid units
(double-click the AaBbYyZz text)
You can quickly choose the Calibri font in the Text Properties dialog by typ-
ing the letter ‘c’. Micromine will jump directly to fonts beginning with that letter.

Notes: 3. Click OK to close the Text Properties.

4. Click the Save button at the right of the Point dialog to save the
changes, and then click OK to redraw the labelled points. Your display
should look like this screenshot:
Importing GIS Data

In addition to tabular data such as sample locations, drillhole information, and
geochemical results, Micromine supports numerous spatial formats from GIS
(Geographic Information System), GPS (Global Positioning System), general-
purpose mining applications and CAD (Computer Aided Drafting).
Supported formats include:
• GIS: Mapinfo TAB and MIF; Esri Shapefile, Personal and File
Geodatabase; SpatiaLite; and MapGIS
• GPS: GPS eXchange (GPX); GPS TrackMaker (GTM)
• Google Earth (KML).
• Mining: Surpac and Datamine strings
• CAD: AutoCAD DXF and DWG; Microstation DGN
Although it’s possible to display most of these formats in Vizex without con-
version, in the following exercise you’ll import topographic contours from an
Esri Shapefile and convert them to a Micromine string file. Displaying GIS data
in Vizex is covered in MM 102 – Displaying and Manipulating Data.

Exercise 4.6: Import and display topographic contours Notes:

from an Esri Shapefile
In this exercise you’ll import and visually verify an Esri shapefile. Although this
importer has an auto-load option, you will manually load the imported data:
1. Select File | Import | Vector (CAD/GIS/GPS) Data from the menu.

2. Ensure the Input is set to File.
3. Click the browse button in the File response and browse to the
Import folder (inside your project). Choose the nvg_topo_contours.shp
file and click Open.
The input Layer option only applies to multi-geometry spatial databases. It is

not relevant to simple-geometry formats like Shapefiles and native TAB files.
4. Type NVG_Topo_Contours in the Output File name and set the Type to
STRING.
5. Ensure Auto load is disabled.
Micromine will automatically fill out most of the output field names for you.
6. In the Import Attributes group, set the mode to Select and then click
the Scan Attributes button. Select both layers.
You can do this in one step by setting the mode to All.
7. Click Run to import the contour data.

8. Right-click | View the new contour file to confirm the import.
9. Close the file editor and Import Vector dialog once you’re done.
To verify the process, you’ll display the imported contours in Vizex:
1. Select Display | String from the main menu to display the String
dialog.
2. Ensure that the Input Data tab is active, and the file Type is set to
STRING.
3. Click the browse button in the File response and choose the
NVG_Topo_Contours file. Micromine will fill out the rest of this tab.
4. On the Display tab, set the Default colour to light brown.
5. Click the Save As button at the right of the dialog to save your settings
as a form set with the Title Topographic contours.
6. Click OK to apply the settings. Your display should now resemble the
screenshot overleaf.
7. Conclude this exercise by selecting Edit | Remove All from the main
menu and closing any open files.
The last two exercises have briefly introduced Vizex, which is fully explained
in MM 102 – Displaying and Manipulating Data.

Notes:
Importing or Linking Database

Data Using ODBC
ODBC is an acronym for Open Database Connectivity. It’s an industry standard
interface that provides access to a variety of database applications. ODBC isn’t
limited to a particular operating system or database program, but instead
allows you to see your data in the same way irrespective of the underlying
software. You’re able to link to the database of your choice simply by installing
the database drivers on your computer.
Database drivers are usually installed whenever you install a database product.
If your organisation uses Micromine 64-bit, you should obtain 64-bit drivers to
avoid compatibility problems. Alternatively, you can temporarily switch to
Micromine 32-bit to import data from an ODBC source without a 64-bit driver.
Setting up a new ODBC connection involves creating a Data Source Name

(DSN). There are three types of DSN and choosing between them may seem
complex at first. However, they differ only in their degree of visibility to the
rest of the users on your computer or network. You need only create the DSN
once; from then on you re-use it each time you reference the database.
The three types of DSNs are:

• User, which is local to your computer and is accessible only to you. Notes:
User DSN: One user on one com-

puter. Not available to other users.
• System, which is local to a computer and is shared by all users of that

computer.
System DSN: Available to all users

on one computer.
• File, which is shared among all users on a network. It’s neither user-
dedicated nor local to an individual computer.
File DSN: Available to

all users on a
network.
On most computers, the User and System DSN’s are grouped under the
category Machine Data Source.
In Micromine you can use an ODBC connection in two ways: you either import
the data or link to the database. When you import, Micromine creates a snap-
shot of the data. The files created in the Micromine project are ordinary data
files, the same as those you might create yourself. Because of this the newly
created files are independent of the database and can be used even if the
connection to the database is lost. However, you must re-import the data if
anything in the database changes.
When you link to an ODBC database, Micromine maintains a connection to that

database. This means that if anything changes within the database you can
refresh your link by right clicking its name on any dialog that references it and
choosing Reload Link from the pop-up menu. If you rely on multiple ODBC
links, you can use File | Link | ODBC Link Update to refresh them all.
However, your access to the data will be lost if the connection to the database
fails. Additionally, the underlying database controls the structure of linked
data, so you can’t modify (or edit) the linked version.
You’ll connect to an Access database and import an example table in the next
two exercises. In the workplace you would usually create an ODBC link (via
File | Link | ODBC) so that Micromine always has access to up-to-date data
from your company’s database. However, because you may need to edit this
file later you’ll import the data instead.

Notes:
Exercise 4.7: Create an ODBC data source
In this exercise you’ll create a user DSN to connect to the training Access
database, which contains drilling data. This step only needs to be done once;
from here onwards, you can simply reuse the data source when needed.
This exercise will fail if you don’t have the right database drivers installed.
However, the imported data is optional and may be safely omitted.
1. Enter odbc in the Windows search box.

2. Choose the ODBC Data Sources option that matches the database
driver’s architecture (32-bit or 64-bit).
3. On the User DSN tab, click Add...
4. Select Microsoft Access Driver (*.mdb, *.accdb) and click Finish.
5. On the ODBC Setup dialog, enter Training as the Data Source Name.
6. Click the Select button and navigate to C:\MmData\Training\Import.
7. Select MMI_Drillhole_Data.mdb and click OK three times.
Exercise 4.8: Import Data from an Access Database
You’re now ready to import the table(s), which you must do every time you
update your Micromine data from the source database.
1. In Micromine, select File | Import | ODBC and click the Select Data
Source button.
2. Switch to the Machine Data Source tab, choose the Training
database, and click OK.
3. The Select Table dialog lists the available tables; select the Collar table
and click OK.
4. Fill-out the remaining prompts on the dialog as shown below:
Prompt Setting
Target File NVG_Collar_Import
Determine structure Selected
Fields to Import > Select all Enabled
Preview Enabled
5. Click Import. The contents of the Collar table will be previewed. If you
need to change the structure of the target file you can do so here.
6. Click OK. Micromine will import the contents of the Collar table from the
MS Access database, reporting the total number of records.
7. Dismiss the message box, and then confirm the import by right-
clicking the Target file and choosing View from the pop-up menu.
8. Close the file and Import ODBC dialog once you’re done.

In the workplace, your database administrators would normally manage your Notes:
data sources and, as a user, you would rarely need to create one yourself.
Controlling the Structure of the Imported File

There are three ways to control the structure of the imported database table.
In the preceding exercise you selected Determine Structure, and Micromine
scanned the contents of the table to determine the optimal data structure for
the new file. Alternatively, if you select Use Database Structure Micromine
will use the structure of the table to create the new file. And lastly if you select
Use Current Structure Micromine will force the data to fit into the existing
target file.
Manually Entering Data

Micromine’s File Editor is an excellent data entry tool that provides many tools
for quickly entering spatial and drillhole data. For example, by defining a series
of rules you can enter drillhole collar coordinates and downhole sample data
with just a few keystrokes. Although many people use a spreadsheet applica-
tion for data entry you’ll find that the File Editor provides a safer and more
rapid data entry environment.
The File Editor has a menu available under Edit | Tools that contains a col-
lection of basic functions for importing, exporting and merging data; sorting
and validating files; and performing field-based calculations. Many of these
tools also have toolbar buttons.
Micromine files are displayed in a familiar grid layout. You navigate up and
down through the file by using the keyboard up and down arrow keys, as well
as Page Up and Page Dn to go one page at a time. Of course, you can scroll
using the mouse, too. To move from one field to the next, press Tab or
Shift+Tab, or click into the field with the mouse. To create a new record,
press Enter at the end of the file.
The File Editor supports standard Windows shortcuts for editing text:
• Ctrl+C (Copy)
• Ctrl+X (Cut)
• Ctrl+V (Paste)
By using these shortcuts, you can easily transfer blocks of data between
Micromine and a spreadsheet application in either direction. However, the File
Editor also provides many other unique shortcuts that are designed to auto-
mate repetitive geological data entry tasks. You can access these shortcuts by
opening the Records menu, some of which are summarised in Table 4.1. Refer
to the lesson summary for a complete list of shortcuts.

Notes: Table 4.1: File Editor keyboard shortcuts
To… Keyboard Menu Button

Increment contents Records |
Ctrl+A
to the cell below Increment | One
Set Increment value Ctrl+Shift+I Records | Increment =
Increment last Records | Increment last

numeric component numeric component
Copy contents to the Records |
Ctrl+R
cell below Replicate | One
Operate on multiple
Ctrl+T Records | Execute | One
fields to record below
Define execution Records |
Ctrl+Shift+P
parameters Execute | Parameters
Records |
Delete records Ctrl+D
Delete Records
Insert blank records Ctrl+I Records | Insert Records
Using the File Editor shortcuts on multiple records
The add (Ctrl+A), replicate (Ctrl+R) and execute (Ctrl+T) tools also
operate on multiple records, by pressing Ctrl+Shift+[Letter] instead of
Ctrl+[Letter]. These standard shortcuts all have a matching toolbar but-
ton if you prefer to use the mouse instead of the keyboard.
Exercise 4.9: Use the File Editor’s data entry tools
You’ll put some of these tools to work. This exercise always refers to the key-
board shortcut for each function, but you can also use the menu or toolbar if
you prefer to use the mouse. The corresponding button icon is always shown.
Refer to Table 4.1 or the lesson summary to convert between keyboard
shortcuts and menus or toolbar buttons.
Enter data into a single field
1. From the main Micromine menu, select File | Open and open the
Example_Assay file. Alternatively, click the Open File toolbar button.
2. Scroll to the bottom of the file and select (click) the last HOLE value,
which should read T17.

Notes:
3. Press Ctrl+A ( ). Observe how Micromine creates a new record, rec-

ognises that the text T17 contains a numeric part, increments that part
by one, and places the new value into the new record.
4. Now press Ctrl+R ( ) four or five times. Each time you choose this
command it replicates the T18 value to the record below.
5. Select (click) the first blank FROM value in your new T18 hole and type
in a value of 0 (zero).
6. Press Ctrl+Shift+I ( ) and change the increment from 1 to 4.

Click OK.

Notes: 7. With the highlight still on the zero value, press Ctrl+Shift+A ( ). The
Increment Many dialog will appear. Just click OK to accept the default
values.
8. Observe how Micromine has applied the new increment value to all
records below the selected cell.
9. Select the first blank TO value, type a 4 into that cell, and repeat the
Ctrl+Shift+A ( ) function. Your file should now resemble this:
That was quick, but it would be better if you could perform all actions at once.
Fortunately, there is a way.
Enter data into multiple fields
1. Press Ctrl+Shift+P ( ) to display the Execute Parameters dialog.

You use this dialog to define a separate action for each field in the file.
Once they’re defined, you can apply them all at once.
2. The HOLE field on the Execute Parameters dialog should already be

selected, but if it isn’t, click it to select it.

3. Click the Replicate button. Note how Micromine changes the Action for Notes:
the HOLE field from IGNORE to REPLICATE.
4. The SAMPLE field is now automatically selected, so just click the
Increment button. When the Increment dialog appears, leave the
value set to 1 and click OK.
5. The FROM field now becomes the selected field. Although it’s tempting
to set an increment value here, there’s a much smarter way to handle
this field: click the Copy button instead.
6. When the Copy Field dialog appears, select TO from the list and click
OK. This will take the TO value from the previous record and copy it into
the FROM field in the current record.
Copying the previous TO value into the FROM field is an excellent way to
ensure that your interval data has no gaps or overlaps. Even if you man-
ually edit a TO value, the next FROM value will always be correct.
7. With the TO field selected, click the Increment button and set the
increment value to 4. Your Execute Parameters dialog should now look
like this:
8. Click OK to close the Execute Parameters dialog.

9. Select the last T18 value in the HOLE field and press Ctrl+A ( ). This
will start a new hole.
10. Manually type in a SAMPLE number of S00001, a FROM of 0 and a TO of
4. Your file should now look something like this:
Before you can use the execution parameters you must always have a
starting record containing actual values. The cursor must also be some-
where in this record before creating any new data.

Notes: 11. Press Ctrl+T ( ) and observe the result: the rules are all applied at
once. Press Ctrl+T a few more times to add more records. Your file
should now look like this:
If you know how many records you need to add (you might be drilling a
series of 100 m Reverse Circulation holes, for instance), you can scroll to
the end of the file, press Ctrl+Shift+T, and type the number of new
records into the Execute Many dialog.
Calculator
You use the Calculator, via the two following menu options, to quickly per-
form calculations ranging from simple algebra to complex data manipulation:
• File | Fields | Calculate (Expression) (for macro automation)

• The Calculations (expression) button on the File Editor toolbar
(for interactive calculations)
To define a calculation, choose a file and then write the calculation. Expres-
sions are like equations that use natural language to define a relationship
between one or more file fields, constants, functions and operators. In other
words, you would write the expression 1+2 to calculate one plus two.
The result can be written to a new or existing field. Each expression in a cal-
culation occupies a separate row in the dialog, and a toolbar provides options
for adding, removing, and moving calculation steps:
The following exercises introduce some simple expressions; for more infor-
mation, including a getting started guide, please refer to the online help.
Exercise 4.10: Use the File Editor Calculator
In this exercise you’ll calculate the INTERVAL lengths of the records you just
added to the Example_Assay file. You’ll also overwrite the interval lengths for
the existing records.
1. Click the Calculations (Expression) button near the right-hand

end of the File Editor toolbar.

2. Right-click in the Input row and choose Edit Expression from the pop- Notes:
up menu.
3. In the Variables group, expand the Fields list and double-click the
[TO] field. Note how it now appears in the Expression Editor.
4. Click once within the expression editor and press the minus (-) key.
5. Back in the Fields list, double-click the [FROM] field. Your expression
should now read:
[TO]-[FROM]
6. Click the Check button at right of the dialog, followed by OK, to add it
to the calculation.
7. Click the Result list ( ) button and select the INTERVAL field. The
dialog should resemble this screenshot:
8. Enable Overwrite result field.

9. Click Run to perform the calculation.
10. Keeping the Expression Calculate dialog open, move it to one side so
you can see the interval lengths.
Exercise 4.10: Calculate sample midpoint depths
Now you’ll calculate the mid-point of each interval to illustrate a slightly more
complex calculation. The mid-point is simply the average of TO and FROM.
1. Right-click in the Input row and choose Edit Expression.

2. Modify the expression so that it reads:
([TO]+[FROM])/2
This expression combines an addition and a division in one statement that

reads naturally: add TO and FROM, and then divide the result by two.
3. Click the Check button, followed by OK, to add it to the calculation.

4. Enter a new Result field name: MIDPOINT.
5. Click Run to perform the calculation. You’ll be prompted to create the
new field; answer Yes to create it. Inspect the result.
6. Optionally, use the Decrease Decimals button on the File Editor
toolbar to show 2 decimals.
7. Close the File Editor once you’re satisfied with the changes, answering
Yes when prompted to save them.

The key points of this lesson are:
• Source data for Micromine may originate from tabular data such as
spreadsheet files, text files, database tables and third-party formats, or
spatial data such as GPS data, CAD drawings or GIS layers.
• There are several ways to get tabular data into Micromine, namely
linking, importing, and merging. More than one method may suit a data
type – for example, text files may be imported or merged, whereas
database tables may be imported or linked.
• You can merge analytical laboratory data into an existing Micromine file
by importing the data to a temporary Micromine file and then merging
that into the destination file. An alternative technique uses the Merge
Lab Data function, which is described in MG 202 – Drillholes 1.
• The File Editor understands the relationship between Hole ID’s and
From-To intervals and can be much more efficient than a spreadsheet
application for entering tabular data.
• Use Calculate (Expression) to perform a calculation on a Micromine file.
To import a Microsoft Excel workbook:
Select File | Import | Microsoft Excel from the main menu, then
Select the input File, and input Sheet, then
Enter an output File name, and
Choose the Fields to Import.
To import a text file:
Select File | Import | Text from the main menu, then

Select the Input File and Format, and
Enable Field Name Header and choose a row option, and
Select Determine from Input file, then
Enter the Output File name and Type, and
Click the Scan File button.
To merge data from one Micromine file into another:
Select File | Merge | Micromine, then

Set the Source and Target file names, and
Define Key Fields and Merge Fields.
To calculate a value for a field:
Select File | Fields | Calculate (Expression) or click the

Calculations (Expression) button, then
Define the Inputs and select a Function, and
Choose a Result field or a temporary variable.

To import GIS data:
Select File | Import | Vector (CAD/GIS/GPS) Data, then

Select the input GIS file and optional Layer(s), and
Enter the output File name and field names, then
Choose an Import attributes mode and scan for the required
attributes.
To import or link data via an ODBC connection:
Create or select a Data Source Name (DSN), then

Select File | Import | ODBC or File | Link | ODBC, then
Select the Table(s) and type a Target File name, and
Use the Preview option to assess the imported structure.
To install 64-bit drivers when 32-bit Microsoft Access is installed:
Refer to Microsoft Access compatibility in the System Requirements on

the Micromine website.
Help Topics
Form sets Tools and Options > Form sets
Importing from Excel Files and Fields > Files > Import > Microsoft Excel
Importing text data Files and Fields > Files > Import > Text
Merging MM files Files and Fields > Files > Merge
Importing or Files and Fields > Files > Import > ODBC
linking ODBC
Importing GIS/GPS Files and Fields > Files > Import > Vector
(CAD/GIS/GPS) Data
Displaying GIS Vizex > Display > GIS
The File Editor Files and Fields > Files > File Editor
Calculate (Expression) Files and Fields > Fields > Calculate (Expression)

Good Practice
If you’re importing text files that all have the same format, create a form set
containing the import parameters. This will save you re-entering parameters
every time you need to import data in the same format.
Whenever you import tabular data that did not originate in Micromine, right-
click and view the input file before importing it. After importing, right-click and
view the newly created Micromine file to ensure it’s correct. If not, you can
change settings and re-import without closing and re-opening the dialog.
Important File Editor shortcuts
To… Keyboard Menu Button
Cut values Ctrl+X Edit | Cut
Copy values Ctrl+C Edit | Copy
Paste values Ctrl+V Edit | Paste
Insert records Ctrl+I Records | Insert
Delete records Ctrl+D Records | Delete
Set Increment value Ctrl+Shift+I Records | Increment =
Increment last Records | Increment last

numeric component numeric component
Increment value to Records |

Ctrl+A
the cell below Increment | One
Increment value in Records |

Ctrl+Shift+A
following records Increment | Many
Copy value to the cell Records |

Ctrl+R
below Replicate | One
Copy value to Records |

Ctrl+Shift+R
following records Replicate | Many
Define execution Records |

Ctrl+Shift+P
parameters Execute | Parameters
Operate on multiple Records |

Ctrl+T
fields to record below Execute | One
Operate on multiple
Records |
fields to following Ctrl+Shift+T
Execute | Many
records

Notes:
Lesson 5 – Validating Data
Validation is an essential processing task, serving two main purposes:
• To eliminate incorrect values from a file

• To enhance the consistency of the data.
Many companies use a centralised database management system (DBMS) to

store their corporate and scientific data. If your company uses such a system,
it places increased pressure on you to ensure that your data is valid and con-
sistent before being uploaded. In addition, the value of a resource project
ultimately depends on the quality of its data, and statutory reporting standards
like JORC or NI 43-101 place a strong emphasis on properly validated data.
This requires good validation workflows. Lastly, some Micromine functions may
produce undefined results if they encounter invalid data.
• Validate fields in a data file

• Validate drillhole data comprising collar, survey and interval files.
Before you continue...
Make sure you’ve completed Lesson 2 – Working with data files.
Validating Data in a Project

Micromine supports the validation of nearly all types of codified data (with the
obvious exception of fields containing freehand comments) and performs rig-
orous validation of drillhole data. There are five validation functions in
Micromine:
• Validate ( ) in the Tools menu of the File Editor

(Edit | Tools | Validate in the File Editor)
• Validate under the Fields item in the File menu
(File | Fields | Validate from the main menu)
• Validate in the Drillhole menu
(Drillhole | Validate | … from the main menu)
o Drillhole
o Trench
o Drillhole Database
The first two options are designed to validate the contents of fields in a file,
whereas the last three are designed to validate drillhole and trench data.

Notes: Drillhole database validation is covered in MM 102 – Displaying and

Manipulating Data.
Validating a Data File

You have two choices for validating fields in a file: Either Edit | Tools | Val-
idate or File | Fields | Validate. With Edit | Tools | Validate, you can
only validate one field at a time, but it’s easy to use because you can validate
while you’re editing the file.
File | Fields | Validate is more powerful because it can validate any number
of fields in one pass and you can set validation ranges on numeric fields. You’ll
use this function in this lesson.
The Validate function checks the specified fields in the target file for correct
values. If it finds an incorrect value it will write an error message to a report
file, along with the name of the field and the number of the record in which
the error was found.
A check file is used to validate the contents of fields where there’s a fixed set
of possible values, which most commonly applies to character fields. The Val-
idate function determines whether the values are correct by comparing them
against the check file. If a value exists in the target file but doesn’t exist in the
check file, it’s considered an invalid entry. You must have previously created
the check file.
Although it’s possible to use a check file to validate numeric fields (e.g. 1 =
MINED, 0 = UNMINED), most numeric validation is done by range checking.
The Validate function determines which values are valid by testing if they fall
within the ranges that you specify. Range checking helps to eliminate typo-
graphical errors and other mistakes that often occur in data entry.
Creating a validation check file
There are many ways to create a check file. If your company uses a cor-
porate database, you should be able to create one by importing the rele-
vant lookup table or pick list from the database. Otherwise you can use
File | Fields | Extract Unique to list all codes – including errors – that
exist in the main data table. Clearly you must correct the errors in the
extracted data before using it as a check file.
Exercise 5.1: Validate fields in a file
Validation is often used to check the consistency of lithology codes used to

describe sample data. In this exercise you’ll perform character validation using
a check file and numeric validation using range checking, to validate records
in the NVG_Lith_with_Error file. (This file contains deliberate errors.) The nu-
meric range checking will identify values that fall outside the range of 0 (zero)
to 75.

To validate the file: Notes:
1. From the main menu, select File | Fields | Validate.
The Fields Validate dialog is split into two parts: The left-hand portion con-
trols the input, check, and report files, and you define the validation rules in
the Fields to Validate list on the right.
2. Fill in the left-hand column of the Fields Validate dialog as listed:
Prompt Setting
Input File NVG_Lith_with_Error
Type DATA
Data type DRILL HOLE
Check file NVG_Valid_Lith
Type DATA
Report file Invalid_Lith
3. Right-click the Check file NVG_Valid_Lith and inspect its contents.
The listed codes are all confirmed as being valid; therefore, any codes in
NVG_Lith_with_Error that are absent from the check file will be recorded as
invalid. (Description and frequency are not needed here.)
Data type: GENERAL vs. DRILL HOLE
Both data types validate in the same way; only the way in which errors
are reported changes. If you use the GENERAL data type, errors are re-
ported as being on LINE x of the input file. If you use DRILL HOLE,
errors are reported as being on LINE x, HOLE y, FROM a TO b.
4. Now, set up the Fields to Validate list as shown here (press Enter to
create the second row):
When you enable Case Sensitive, values in the file you’re validating must
match the case of your check file or they’ll be recorded as invalid. For example,
ANDS would be different to ands or Ands.
5. Click the Run button on the dialog to run the process, and dismiss the
Errors were detected message box.

Notes: 6. The Fields Validate window will disappear, leaving the Report Viewer
docked at the bottom of the window.
7. Double-click a record in the Report Viewer. This will take you to the
matching record in the Input File, which you can correct if necessary:
8. Close the file and Report Viewer window once you are done.
Validating Drillhole Data

The drillhole validation function (Drillhole | Validate | Drillhole) detects
many different errors and inconsistencies in collar, downhole survey, interval
and event files, which are assigned a severity level to indicate the seriousness
of each error. It detects:
FROM < previous TO Duplicate collar entry
FROM >= TO Dips or Azimuths change by more than x
FROM or TO missing Surveys beyond total depth
Collar missing or incorrect Missing hole in interval file
Record beyond total depth Compulsory field blank
Hole excluded by collar filter Total depth missing
Duplicate hole Rate of Deviation
Non-consecutive surveys Sample Interval Lengths
Micromine performs this validation by checking the relationship between the

files and the relevant fields, as illustrated below. For example, it checks for
missing holes by listing the hole IDs it finds in each file and then checking to
see if any are missing from any of the other files.

Notes:
Hole ID Collar
Coordinates
Total Depth File
Hole ID Survey
Survey Depth
Azimuth/Inclination File
Hole ID Interval Event

From/To or Depth File(s) File(s)
Drillholes: Validating Deviation

When you validate drillhole deviation, Micromine compares consecutive survey
orientations, flagging any differences that exceed the valid change threshold
as potential errors. You can define this threshold in two different ways:
• By independently checking the inclination and apparent azimuth

• By validating the normalised deviation in 3D
Check inclination and azimuth independently is easy to understand and

apply. Changes in the apparent azimuth are influenced by the inclination
and become smaller as the hole gets steeper, reaching zero when the hole is
vertical. This eliminates errors caused by spurious azimuth changes in near-
vertical holes. Because the valid change threshold is applied equally, irrespec-
tive of the distance between successive surveys, this method is best used when
your surveys are at regular intervals.
Check deviation in 3D accounts for the distance between consecutive sur-

veys, adjusting the threshold to suit the survey interval, making it more robust
with unevenly spaced surveys. It assesses the combined inclination/azimuth
change as a true 3D angle.
Max 3D deviation is measured in degrees per unit of length. For example,

suppose you surveyed a diamond drillhole at 30 metre intervals, and the drill-
ers guaranteed a maximum deviation between surveys of 1.5°. Then the max
3D deviation is 1.5 divided by 30, or 0.05 degrees per metre.
Drillholes: Validating Multiple Downhole Files

You must perform a separate validation run for each interval or event file using
the same collar and downhole survey file in each case. For example, if you
have interval files for assay, lithology, and oxidation, you must do three sepa-
rate validation runs, using a different file each time.
Alternatively, you can validate all files in one pass using Drillhole | Validate
| Drillhole Database. Creating and validating a drillhole database is ex-
plained in MM 102 – Displaying and Manipulating Data .

Notes: As you can see, drillhole data undergoes comprehensive testing. You should
always validate drillhole data to ensure trouble-free use in later processes.
Exercise 5.2: Validate drillhole data
To validate the drillhole data, do the following:
1. Select Drillhole | Validate | Drillhole from the menu.

2. Ensure the Collar File tab is active and make the following entries:
Prompt Setting
File NVG_Collar
Type DATA
Hole field [Automatic]
Easting, Northing, Z field [Automatic]
Total depth field [Automatic]
3. Switch to the Survey File tab and make the following entries:
Prompt Setting
Use Survey File Enabled
File NVG_Survey
Type DATA
All other fields... [Automatic]
Azimuth correction [Blank]
Apply to 1st azimuth Disabled
4. Enter the following on the Interval File tab:
Prompt Setting
Use Interval File Enabled
File NVG_Assay_with_Error
Type DATA
All other fields... [Automatic]
5. There are no event files to validate, so skip the Event File tab.

6. Lastly, set the following options on the Report tab: Notes:
Prompt Setting
File DH_Valid
Check for missing intervals Enabled
Allow zero length intervals Disabled
Check for missing holes Enabled
Check collar locations Disabled
Check deviation in 3D Not selected
Check maximum deviation Not available
Check inclination and azimuth Selected
Check inclinations/apparent azimuths Enabled
Check sample interval lengths Disabled
Valid inclination/azimuth change 5/5
Max 3D deviation (deg/m) Not available
Max interval length Not available
Grade field Not available
7. Click OK. You’ll receive a message saying, There were X errors found.
These errors are written to the Report File and will be shown in the
Report Viewer when you click OK to dismiss the message box.
8. Inspect the report file and note the errors, along with their severity
(STATUS). The file begins with some downhole survey errors caused by
consecutive surveys deviating by more than 5°.
These errors could consist of valid data and it’s entirely up to you to determine
whether corrections are required. For this exercise you’ll assume they’re valid.
9. Scroll to the bottom of the file and double-click the last record.
You’ll be taken to the matching record in the NVG_Assay_with_Error file, where

you can see the offending interval. If this were a real project you’d insert the
missing data, but for the remainder of the training you’ll use an alternative file,
NVG_Assay, that contains no errors.
10. Close the file and Report Viewer in preparation for the next exercise.
How did Micromine know the right field names?
You probably noticed that Micromine knew the names of the fields in the
drillhole files. You can set the fieldnames that Micromine allocates to dia-
log prompts by selecting Tools | Form Sets |Options from the main
menu and switching to the Defaults tab. Here you can enter the field-
names you use at your site.

• To ensure consistent results you must validate data before using it.
• Validation is important for data that will be stored in a central database.
• The value of a resource project may depend on the validity of its data.
• Validation processes can be automated on sites with consistent codes.
• Drillhole data should be validated before using it in other drillhole
processes.
To validate the contents of a file:
Select File | Fields | Validate, and

Select the File to be validated and the Check file, then
Define the validation rules.
To validate drillhole data:
Select Drillhole | Validate | Drillhole, and

Select the Collar, downhole Survey, Interval and Event files, then
Select the desired reporting options.
Good Practice
• If you’re processing many files containing similar codes, create validation

files and re-use them.
• You should always validate any new drilling data, or after importing or
reading data from other systems. Most drillhole-related problems are
caused by data errors that Validate will easily identify.
• If you use multiple interval files (such as separate assay and lithology
files), or multiple event files, you must do a separate validation for each
interval file using the same collar and downhole survey file.
• Use Drillhole | Database | Validate to simultaneously validate all
files in a drillhole database.
Help Topics
Field validation Files and Fields > Fields > Validate
Drillhole validation Drillhole > Validate

Notes:
Lesson 6 – Filters
Micromine filters allow you to subset data of interest from a larger dataset
based on a condition that you specify. This might be useful if, for instance, you
only wanted to work with drillholes completed during 2018. Most functions
have a filter option, and filters can be saved as form sets. As you’ve already
seen, form sets allow you to re-use previous settings.
After this lesson, you’ll be able to:
• Set up a filter from within a Micromine function

• Preview the filter result in the File Editor.
Why save filters as form sets?
Saving filters as form sets is essential for automation, since it permits

conditional execution – in other words, running a process only on the
subset records. Automation is introduced in MM 105 – Macros.
Working with Filters

Filters are a kind of embedded form set – a form set within another dialog.
Embedded form sets are always marked on the referencing dialog with the
form button. To work with filtered records instead of a complete dataset,
begin by enabling the filter option on the main dialog:
Once you enable the filter you then edit the conditions by right-clicking (or
pressing F4) on the filter number. The number is blank in the screenshot above
but will appear here once you save the filter as a form set. To choose an
existing filter, click the form button at right of the filter number (or press
F3) and choose the form set from the list.

Notes: Right-click to edit
You edit embedded form sets by right-clicking the form set number on
the parent dialog.
The Filter Dialog
The Filter dialog is divided into three areas: groups of settings at the top and
bottom of the dialog and a list of conditions in the Filter Conditions grid. If
you open a filter from within another function the filter will automatically
choose the correct filename. The rest is up to you.
The Records group allows you to subset by record numbers (say, records 0
to 100). It’s very easy to accidentally leave this option enabled, so please re-
member to disable it afterwards! If a filter gives you exactly everything you
don’t want, enable the Reverse filter option to invert the filter result. You
should also remember to clear this option afterwards.
Each filter condition needs three pieces of information: a Field Name, an

Operator, and a Value. For example, consider these settings:
This filter condition only accepts records with a local easting greater than or
equal to 24900 and rejects records with an easting less than 24900. The field
name is EAST_LOCAL (chosen by clicking the list button), the operator is
Greater than or equal, and the value is 24900 (entered by typing). Enabling
the Numeric checkbox against a binary field instructs Micromine to compare
the coordinates at the full precision of the field, ignoring the displayed
decimals.

Matching Records Notes:
You preview the results of a filter by right-clicking the filename, or any field-
name, and selecting View from the pop-up menu. Records on a white (or
striped) background have passed the filter conditions and will be used in the
current operation (such as a calculation or display). Records on a grey back-
ground did not pass the filter and will be excluded from the operation.
You can simplify a large or complex filter result by enabling Hide Unfiltered
Records from the file editor’s Filter menu or via the pulldown menu on
the Use Filtered Records button. With this option enabled, records that
do not pass the filter will be hidden altogether.
Defining more than One Filter Condition

The filter dialog allows you to define any number of filter conditions. Whenever
you use more than one condition you must choose a Boolean operator such as
AND or OR. As soon as you define two or more conditions, the Combine Lines
group becomes active, which allows you to choose the desired Boolean
operator:
You must use a filter equation if a filter is too complex for a simple AND/OR
combination, which is covered in MG 201 – Surface Geology.
Using Wildcards
In addition to using Boolean operators to combine filter conditions you can
also use these wildcards to catch a variety of different values:

Notes: Table 6.1: Filter wildcards
Wildcard Meaning
? Any single character
* Any characters (including blanks)
+ Any characters (excluding blanks)
! Everything except the filter value
(logical NOT)
$ Any string containing the filter value
Exercise 6.1: Create a filter with multiple conditions
You’ll put a filter to work in this exercise by revisiting the geochemical point
display from Exercise 4.5 and graphically illustrating the filtered results. Your
task is to create a filter to subset all geochemical samples whose coordinates
fall within the following ranges:
• 24900 – 25000E
• 15900 – 16000N
First, you need to reload the Point display you created earlier. To do this:
1. From the Vizex Forms pane at the top left of your screen, click the
expand icon next to the Point form set type. You’ll see a single
entry, Soil geochemistry, immediately below the Point label.
2. Right-click the Soil geochemistry form set and select Open from the
pop-up menu. This will allow you to edit the form before displaying it.
Now you’ll modify it to only show data falling within the coordinate ranges:
3. Switch to the Input Data tab and enable the Filter check box.
4. Right-click (or press F4) the blank filter number to edit it. The Filter
dialog will appear.
5. Click the list ( ) button in the first Field Name cell and choose
EAST_LOCAL from the list.
6. Set the Operator to Greater than or equal.
7. Type 24900 into the Value cell and enable the Numeric check box.
8. Press Enter to create a new row, then repeat Steps 5 through 7 for the
remaining filter conditions. Your filter should look like the screenshot on
the facing page.

Notes:
HINT: Use the replicate shortcut (Ctrl+R) to copy to the cell below.
9. Set Combine Lines to And.

10. Preview the filter by right clicking the File response and choosing View
from the pop-up menu. Confirm that a small number of records are on a
white (or striped) background. If not, then correct your filter.
11. Close the File Editor and then click Save and Close to close the filter.
12. Click OK on the Point dialog to display the filtered data:
13. Select Edit | Remove All in preparation for the next lesson.
Filtering date values

Dates may be filtered as easily as other data provided they are held in a proper
DATE field. For example, a filter to extract all records from the 2018 calendar
year in ISO format would look like this:
DATE >= 2018-01-01 (value as text)

DATE <= 2018-12-31 (value as text)
Combine Lines = And
Be sure to write the filter conditions using the same date format as your data.

• Filters are an extremely versatile way to subset only the data of interest
from a larger dataset.
• Most Micromine functions have a filter option.
• Filters can be saved as form sets, allowing them to be re-used.
• Multiple filter conditions must be combined using a Boolean operator.
To create or edit a filter:
Enable the Filter option on the dialog, then

Right-click the filter number to edit it.
To define a filter condition:
Specify a Field Name, an Operator, and a Value.
To preview the filter result:
Right-click the File response and choose View from the pop-up menu,
then
Observe the relationship between records on white (accepted) and grey
(rejected) backgrounds.
To combine multiple filter conditions:
Set Combine Lines as desired.
Good Practice
• Saving frequently-used filters as form sets allows you to re-use them

throughout your project.
Help Topics
Filters Files and Fields > Files > Filters > Using Filters
Filter wildcards Using wildcards in file searches

.
Micromine 2018 Training MM 102 – Displaying and Manipulating Data

Table of Contents
LESSON 1 – VIZEX ..............................................................................................................................1

INTRODUCTION ............................................................................................................................................ 1
THE USER INTERFACE .................................................................................................................................... 3
Vizex Forms Pane .................................................................................................................................. 3
Project Explorer Pane ............................................................................................................................ 4
Display Pane ......................................................................................................................................... 4
The Vizex drawing order (depth testing) ................................................................................................. 5
MANIPULATING THE VIEW ............................................................................................................................... 7
Coordinate grid Settings ........................................................................................................................ 8
MANAGING MULTIPLE VIZEX WINDOWS.............................................................................................................. 9
Opening a New Window......................................................................................................................... 9
Creating a New Vizex Document ........................................................................................................... 10
RESTORING THE VIZEX WINDOW .................................................................................................................... 10
LESSON 2 – CREATING A MULTILAYERED DISPLAY ....................................................................... 17
ADDING LAYERS TO THE VIZEX DISPLAY ........................................................................................................... 17
Symbolising Data................................................................................................................................. 17
Point: Displaying Geochemical Samples ................................................................................................ 18
Revision: Using the Vizex Forms and Display panes ............................................................................... 18
String: Displaying Property Boundaries ................................................................................................. 22
Image: Displaying an Aerial Photograph ............................................................................................... 24
Revision: The Vizex Drawing Order (Depth Testing) .............................................................................. 26
Supported Image File Formats ............................................................................................................. 26
Compressing Very Large Images .......................................................................................................... 26
GIS: Displaying Geological Polygons ..................................................................................................... 26
Completing the Picture ........................................................................................................................ 28
CREATING A PLOT FILE ................................................................................................................................ 28
STRATEGIES FOR USING SAVED VIEWS AND LAYER GROUPS................................................................................... 29
Vizex Layer Groups .............................................................................................................................. 30
LESSON 3 – WORKING WITH DRILLHOLES .................................................................................... 34
INTRODUCTION .......................................................................................................................................... 34
THE DRILLHOLE DATABASE ........................................................................................................................... 34
Creating a New Database..................................................................................................................... 35
Behind the Scenes: Drillhole Trajectories .............................................................................................. 35
Adding Event and Interval Files ............................................................................................................ 35
REFRESHING A DRILLHOLE DATABASE .............................................................................................................. 38
VALIDATING A DRILLHOLE DATABASE............................................................................................................... 38
Automatic Validation ............................................................................................................................ 38
Manual Validation ................................................................................................................................ 39
DISPLAYING DRILLHOLE DATA ....................................................................................................................... 40
Displaying Drillhole Traces ................................................................................................................... 40
DISPLAYING VERTICAL SECTIONS.................................................................................................................... 42
The Vizex Sections Toolbar and Sections Window .................................................................................. 43

MM 102 – Displaying and Manipulating Data Micromine 2018 Training
Understanding Clipping........................................................................................................................ 45
The View Toolbar ................................................................................................................................ 46
The Display Limits Dialog ..................................................................................................................... 47
DISPLAYING AN INCLINED VIEW ..................................................................................................................... 51
The Rotate Tool .................................................................................................................................. 51
Understanding Rotation ....................................................................................................................... 51
The Display Limits Dialog ..................................................................................................................... 51
SECTION CONTROL FILES ............................................................................................................................. 53
ADDING DOWNHOLE INFORMATION................................................................................................................. 54
Creating a Text Colour Set ................................................................................................................... 56
Creating an Interval Hatch Display ....................................................................................................... 59
CREATING A PLOT FILE ................................................................................................................................ 63
LESSON 4 – SPATIAL EDITING ........................................................................................................ 69
INTRODUCTION.......................................................................................................................................... 69
The user Interface .............................................................................................................................. 69
Using the Spatial Editing Tools ............................................................................................................. 69
The Editing Toolbars ........................................................................................................................... 70
Editing Strings .................................................................................................................................... 71
Creating New Strings (or Points or Polygons) ........................................................................................ 74
Snapping ............................................................................................................................................ 75
CREATING NEW FILES ................................................................................................................................. 77
Controlling the File Structure ............................................................................................................... 78
INTERPRETING GEOLOGICAL SOLIDS ............................................................................................................... 78
Naming the Interpreted Strings ............................................................................................................ 79
Interpretation Steps ............................................................................................................................ 81
LESSON 5 – DTMS ............................................................................................................................ 88
CREATING A DIGITAL TERRAIN MODEL............................................................................................................. 88
Draping Images onto DTMs ................................................................................................................. 91
Tables
Table 1.1: Gallery of Vizex forms ................................................................................................................ 11

Table 3.1: Gallery of Vizex Drillhole forms ................................................................................................... 64
Table 4.1: Context edit modes .................................................................................................................... 71


Table of Contents
Sidebars
Displaying a Vizex form as a new layer .......................................................................................................... 3

Changing the properties of a display layer ..................................................................................................... 5
Form sets: untitled and unsaved? .............................................................................................................. 22
Save your form sets! ................................................................................................................................. 32
Orientation, location, thickness ................................................................................................................... 43
Displaying ‘Plane of the Vein’ with the Section Tool ...................................................................................... 44
Constrained rotation ................................................................................................................................... 51
Perspective Mode and Depth Testing ........................................................................................................... 53
Hatch field vs. Colour Control ...................................................................................................................... 61
Where do new objects go? ........................................................................................................................ 70
Need a reminder to set properties? ............................................................................................................ 75
Setting the default snap status ................................................................................................................... 75
Save a mouse click: Keep the Properties window visible ............................................................................... 77
Plotting views containing wireframes ........................................................................................................... 92
Exercises
Exercise 1.1: Load a previously saved view .................................................................................................... 2

Exercise 1.2: Drag a file into Vizex ................................................................................................................ 4
Exercise 1.3: Use the Display pane to manage the display .............................................................................. 5
Exercise 1.4: Use the view tools .................................................................................................................... 7
Exercise 1.5: Set up a coordinate grid ........................................................................................................... 8
Exercise 2.1: Symbolise the geochemical points ........................................................................................... 19
Exercise 2.2: Display property boundaries ................................................................................................... 23
Exercise 2.3: Display an aerial photograph................................................................................................... 25
Exercise 2.4: Display a geological map in GIS format ................................................................................... 27
Optional Exercise 2.5: Save, remove, and then reload the display ................................................................. 28
Exercise 2.6: Create a plot file .................................................................................................................... 29
Exercise 3.1: Create a new drillhole database .............................................................................................. 36
Exercise 3.2: Manually validate a drillhole database ...................................................................................... 39
Exercise 3.3: Set up a drillhole trace display ................................................................................................ 40
Exercise 3.4: Display data in cross section ................................................................................................... 49
Exercise 3.5: View drillholes in an inclined view ........................................................................................... 52
Exercise 3.6: Use a section control file ......................................................................................................... 54
Exercise 3.7: Add drillhole assay values to the trace display .......................................................................... 54
Exercise 3.8: Add drillhole lithology labels to the display ............................................................................... 55
Exercise 3.9: Create a text colour set .......................................................................................................... 57
Exercise 3.10: Add a hatch pattern to the display ......................................................................................... 60
Exercise 3.11: Create a plot file................................................................................................................... 63
Exercise 4.1: Edit strings ............................................................................................................................ 72

Exercise 4.2: Snap to objects ...................................................................................................................... 76

Optional Exercise 4.3: Set up a new string file ............................................................................................. 80
Exercise 4.4: Interpret the quartz veins, making use of all available data ...................................................... 82
Exercise 5.1: Create a topographic DTM ...................................................................................................... 89
Exercise 5.2: Drape an air photo onto the DTM ........................................................................................... 91

Notes:
Lesson 1 – Vizex
Vizex is Micromine’s graphic environment and is what you see whenever you
open Micromine.
You use Vizex to display, edit, and interact with all Micromine data types, as
well as data from many mining, CAD, GIS, GPS and image processing appli-
cations. Micromine data types include basic elements like points, strings and
polygons, and compound information like downhole data, dynamic contours,
wireframes, block models and open pit or underground mine designs. The
broad range of editing tools includes snapping, smoothing, weeding, gradients,
curves and draping, along with CAD and wireframing tools. Vizex also supports
seamless transitions between plans, sections and inclined views.
• Work with the Vizex user interface

• Manage Vizex Forms and Display Layers
• Manipulate the view by using the zoom and pan tools.
Introduction
The Visual Explorer (Vizex) is an interactive viewing environment for all Micro-
mine and many third-party data types. You add data to Vizex in a few different
ways: by dragging-and-dropping it, by using the Vizex Forms pane to
configure its appearance before loading it, or by using the Display pane to
change the properties of the visible layers.
Interactive spatial editing tasks such as sectional interpretation, mine design

or wireframe construction are performed within Vizex.
Vizex has a multiple-document and multiple-window interface, which means

you can simultaneously view the same data in different windows from different
directions, or completely different data in different windows. You can set ad-
ditional windows to be overviews, which can be floating or docked, or as full-
size windows that are tabbed with the main window and are accessible with a
single keystroke.
Any Vizex display can be saved as a Saved View, which can easily be recalled
at a later stage. This gives you a way to quickly restore a view without rebuild-
ing it from scratch. Vizex displays can be exported or plotted to a variety of
formats including 3D PDF, simplifying the process of sharing 3D data with col-
leagues who may not have access to Micromine.
You’ll explore the Vizex user interface in the next exercise.

Notes:
Exercise 1.1: Load a previously saved view
In this exercise you’ll load a previously saved view containing some example
display layers.
1. Expand the Saved View list by clicking the expand icon to the left
of the Saved View node. This node is located at the top left of your
screen, immediately under the menu and toolbar.
2. Drag the Introducing Vizex saved view into the graphic display to load it.
You can read about saved views and layer groups in Strategies for Using Saved
Views and Layer Groups at the end of Lesson 2.
3. Vizex will load a few different layers into the window and change the
window extents to match those of the saved view:
Vizex Forms pane Toolbar Area
Display pane Graphic Display
Figure 1.1: The Vizex workspace

The User Interface

Notes:
Vizex consists of three main windows (Figure 1.1): the graphic display, which
covers most of the screen, the Vizex Forms pane, which normally docks at
the left edge of the screen, and the Display pane, which also normally docks
at the left. If having these windows at the left is not your preference you can
easily dock them against any other window edge, stack them over each other,
float them over the graphic display, or drag them onto a second monitor.
The Project Explorer, Properties and Sections windows appear as tabs

underneath the Vizex Forms pane. You’ll explore these in later lessons.
The Vizex Forms and Display panes may be auto-hidden by clicking the Auto
Hide button at their top right-hand corners, temporarily reducing them to
a small tab at the docked edge and maximising the graphic display area. Hover
the mouse over a tab to restore it to the view.
You toggle the panes by clicking the Form Sets

Pane and Display Pane buttons on the main
toolbar. Alternatively, you can open these panes by selecting Window | Dis-
play Pane or Window | Vizex Form Sets Pane from the menu. To close
the panes, click the Close button at the top right-hand corner of each one.
There are numerous toolbars at the top (and possibly sides) of the screen,
which provide a variety of tools for selecting and manipulating data, and for
manipulating the view. Depending on the specific menu options you select,
Vizex may also add additional toolbars.
Vizex Forms Pane

You use the Vizex Forms pane to create or select Vizex forms to view in the
graphic display. Before you load a form, you can modify its properties to con-
trol how it will appear in the display. Table 1.1, at the end of the lesson, illus-
trates the available Vizex form types, each of which handles a specific kind of
data, including virtually all Micromine data types and many third-party file for-
mats. You can view most of the types shown in the table with any module
configuration, but you won’t be able to spatially edit some of them without the
indicated module(s).
Displaying a Vizex form as a new layer
To display a Vizex form type as a new layer, double-click that type in

the Vizex Forms pane. Or, select it from the Display menu. It becomes
a display layer once it is loaded.

Notes: Project Explorer Pane

The Project Explorer provides direct access to project files from within
Micromine. It is almost like having an embedded Windows Explorer and is ideal
for dealing with an unfamiliar project or a project with no existing form sets.
Simply drag-and-drop files from the Project Explorer into Vizex to automatically
display them with default settings.
You can also drag supported files directly into Micromine from Windows/File
Explorer, an email client, or a compressed file archive, and drop them into the
Vizex Forms pane, the Display pane, the File Editor, or the Script Editor. Certain
file types will prompt you to choose from a collection of items, and others may
display a dialog for importing data that can’t be displayed in its native format.
Exercise 1.2: Drag a file into Vizex
In this exercise you’ll drag a Micromine file containing topographic contours

into Vizex:
1. Display the Project Explorer pane by clicking the tab at the bottom of
the Vizex Forms pane.
2. Locate the Example_Topo_Contours.STR file.
3. Using the left mouse button, drag the file into Vizex.
Vizex Forms versus Project Explorer
Although the Vizex Forms pane and the Project Explorer pane will both display
data in Vizex, they have different purposes and workflows. The Project
Explorer is a convenient tool for displaying data without having to configure
it beforehand. But, if you load the same data tomorrow you will lose any dis-
play settings that you configured today. The Project Explorer can also target
other windows like the File Editor and Plot Editor.
In comparison, the Vizex Forms pane has a more formal workflow that relies
on creating, saving, and reusing form sets. Once you save a form set, you can
redisplay it at any time and instantly see your display settings. Unlike the Pro-
ject Explorer, the Vizex Forms pane only targets Vizex.
We recommend using the Project Explorer to display data you’re seeing for the
first time or only intend to use once, and the Vizex Forms pane to display data
you intend to reuse on an ongoing basis. In either case you can always save
a form set for any data you decide to reuse.
Display Pane
The Display pane lists the currently loaded display layers, and you use it to
manage those layers. From here you can hide or show a layer, remove it,
change its properties, or save it.

Notes:
To show or hide a layer, simply click the checkbox alongside it. When you
remove a layer (by right-clicking it and choosing Remove from the pop-up
menu, or by clicking it and pressing the Delete key), it’s removed from the
graphic display and the Display pane. However, the form set you used to load
the layer is still available for selection in the Vizex Forms pane.
Changing the properties of a display layer
You change the properties of a layer in the current display by double-

clicking it in the Display pane. Alternatively, you can right-click it and
choose Properties from the pop-up menu.
The Vizex drawing order (depth testing)

The Display pane also gives you control over the order in which layers are
drawn. Vizex organises layered data in two different ways:
• In layer order, objects are drawn in order from the bottom of the
Display pane upwards, like sheets of paper on a traditional light table.
• In 3D order, objects are drawn in 3D sequence from the most distant
to the closest, irrespective of their order in the Display pane.
In layer order you modify the display by dragging the layers into the desired
order. The bottom layer is drawn first, the one above that is drawn next, and
so on. Conversely, in 3D order the distance from each individual object to your
viewpoint determines the drawing sequence; closer objects are always drawn
in front of more distant ones.
Vizex always defaults to 3D order, but you can switch between the two modes
by clicking the Toggle Depth Testing button near the top of the Display
pane. The next exercise will introduce the Display plane and the drawing order.
Exercise 1.3: Use the Display pane to manage the

display
This exercise will show you how to manage the graphic display using the
Display pane. First, you’ll edit and save a layer’s properties:

Notes: 1. Double-click the Untitled (Example_Topo_Contours.STR) layer name (or

icon) to open the String dialog.
2. Switch to the Display tab and click the list ( ) button in the Colour
field response (about half way down). Choose RL from the list.
3. Click the form button in the Colour set response and choose set
number 3, which is titled NVG_TOPO DTM Colours.
4. Click Save As, enter the Title Example Topo contours, and click OK
twice to save and apply the changes.
You’ll learn more about saving and using form sets throughout the course.
Now you’ll show a hidden a layer:
5. Click the check box next to the Aeromag data layer to show it. Make
sure it’s visible before proceeding to the next step.
The aeromag surface hides the other data because its values are so much
larger than the topographic elevation. You’ll fix this by changing the drawing
order:
6. Right-click the Aeromag data layer in the Display pane and choose
Move to Bottom from the pop-up menu. Alternatively, drag it to the
bottom of the list.
Because Vizex is in 3D order, lowering the Aeromag data layer has no effect
on the display! In 3D order the spatial location of the data, not its position in
the layer list, controls its appearance. You can fix this by switching the display
to layer order instead.
7. Click a blank part of the Display pane (below the listed layers) to
ensure there are no selected layers. Alternatively, click the Vizex node
at the top of the layer list.
8. Click the Toggle Depth Testing button near the top of the Display
pane to turn off depth testing.
Now everything else is visible, and the Aeromag data appears below the other
layers because it’s below them in the Display pane.

And, lastly, you’ll remove a layer: Notes:
9. Select the Aeromag data layer in the Display pane and press the Delete
key on the keyboard to remove it. Or, right-click and choose Remove
from the pop-up menu.
10. Leave the view open in preparation for the next exercise.
Manipulating the View

Vizex provides you with a suite of interactive tools for easily viewing and ma-
nipulating your data. Many of these tools are dedicated to manipulating the
view itself, which is the focus of the next few topics.
The View Tools
The View toolbar includes several tools for zooming and panning, including a
zoom undo and redo memory. (The remaining buttons are introduced in
Lesson 3 – Working with Drillholes.)
Exercise 1.4: Use the view tools
This exercise will introduce you to the basic view tools. First, you’ll learn to use
the middle mouse button:
1. Drag with the middle mouse button to use pan mode.

2. Roll the mouse wheel to use dynamic zoom mode.
These middle-mouse-button shortcuts are always available no matter which

tool is active. This is invaluable when you’re spatially editing because you can
manipulate the view without closing the current editing tool.
And now, the pan and zoom tools:
3. Click the Pan Tool and drag the mouse in the display.
4. Click the Zoom Tool and drag a medium-sized rectangle in the
middle of the screen. When you release the mouse, Vizex zooms to the
extents of that rectangle.
5. Click the Previous View button to return to the previous extents.
6. Click the Pan Tool and hold the Ctrl key. Now drag the mouse
vertically in the graphic display to activate an alternative zoom.
7. With the view zoomed-in, right-click on the Example drillhole trace layer
in the Display pane and choose View Selection from the pop-up
menu. The view will adjust to fit the drillhole trace layer into the screen.
Note how the drillholes are surrounded by a blue rectangle, which
indicates the layer is selected.

Notes: 8. Lastly, click the View All button to restore the original view.
Coordinate grid Settings

Vizex includes a variety of coordinate grid overlays. You load or change a co-
ordinate overlay by selecting View | Coordinate Grids | Grid Settings
from the menu or clicking the Coordinate Grid Settings button on the
Grid toolbar.
Vizex normally calculates the best grid spacing to present a reasonable number
of grid lines using spacing values that increase in a 1-2-5-10 sequence. How-
ever, you can enable User-defined Line Spacing to control the spacing
yourself should you need a specific grid spacing.
Micromine ships with a variety of predefined coordinate grid settings form sets.
Alternatively, you can define your own settings as required. You’ll explore
these in the next exercise. The Coordinate Grid toolbar also provides control
over other decorations including a scale bar and orientation axes.
Exercise 1.5: Set up a coordinate grid
This exercise will take you through the process of loading a predefined co-
ordinate grid using auto-spaced gridlines with mE, mN, and mRL labels.
1. Click the Coordinate Grid Settings button on the Coordinate

Grid toolbar. Alternatively, select View | Coordinate Grids | Grid
Settings from the menu.
2. Click the Forms button at right of the Coordinate Grid Settings dialog,
and double-click the Dots [mE, mN, mRL labels] form set to apply it to
the dialog.
3. Inspect the contents of the Grid Settings dialog, paying attention to
the Active Grids, Display Labels, and Line Settings groups.
4. Click OK to apply the grid. Your display should look like the screenshot
on the facing page.
5. Toggle the grid by clicking the Toggle Auto Working Plane button
on the Grid toolbar.
6. Select Edit | Remove All to clean up in preparation for the next
exercise.
7. Answer Yes if prompted to save any changes.
The grid stays visible after you select Edit | Remove All because it’s a
property of the view, not the data.

Notes:
Managing Multiple Vizex Windows

Vizex supports multiple documents and multiple windows, allowing you to sim-
ultaneously view the same data in different windows, which can be at different
orientations, or completely different data in different windows.
You create additional windows in one of two different styles: full-size windows
that are tabbed or tiled with the main window, or variable-size overviews that
can either be docked or floating.
Opening a New Window

There are three ways to open a new full-sized Vizex window containing the
same data as the current window:
• Click the Open Additional Vizex Window toolbar button.

• Right-click the tab at the top of the existing window and choose New
Window from the pop-up menu. Tile the windows by right-clicking the
tab and choosing New Horizontal Tab Group or New Vertical Tab
Group.
• Select Window | New Window from the menu. From here you can ei-
ther select Window | Tile Horizontally or Window | Tile Vertically
to position them side-by-side.
Similarly, there are three ways to create a new overview window:

Notes: • Click the New Overview Window toolbar button.

• Convert an existing window to an overview window by right-clicking the
tab at the top of the window and choosing Float.
• Convert an existing window to an overview window by selecting
Window | Float from the menu.
The New Overview Window option creates an overview that may omit
some layers to simplify the overview. You set which layers are visible by click-
ing the Toggle Object Overview Window Visibility button in the
Display pane toolbar.
The two window conversion options maintain the original window contents.
You predefine which layer types appear in the overview window by selecting
Tools | Options | Vizex, switching to the Layer Defaults tab, and then
selecting or de-selecting the desired Vizex form sets in the Overview list.
Whenever you open multiple full-sized windows, you can use Ctrl+Tab to
rapidly switch between them. This does not apply to floating windows, which
are excluded from the tab sequence.
Creating a New Vizex Document

Along with opening multiple windows into the same data you can also create
an entirely new Vizex document containing completely different data.
To create a new Vizex document, click the Open New Vizex Instance
toolbar button. In addition to the new window you’ll also see an empty Vizex
node in the Display pane, and you’re free to choose data for that window.
Saved Vizex form sets must, however, originate from the same project as the
original window.
Restoring the Vizex window

Vizex normally opens a single window whenever you start Micromine. How-
ever, if you’ve been switching between multiple windows it’s possible to close
them all and be left with a blank Micromine screen. If this happens, you can
easily restore Vizex using one of these options:
• Click the Open New Vizex Instance toolbar button (you can also
use this to create a completely new Vizex document)
• Load any form set or saved view from the Vizex Forms pane, or
• Load any form set or saved view from the Display menu.

Table 1.1: Gallery of Vizex forms Notes:
Point: Point data classified by shape, String: Linework classified by line, colour,
colour, size and label. fill and label.
Spatially editable. Spatially editable.
Contour: Drawn directly from Drillhole: Drill data with many label,
wireframes, grids or strings. Classified by pattern and symbol options.
line, label and colour. Exploration module.
Drillhole solids and seam correlation in
Exploration module.
Pie Chart: Multivariate point data Image: Data from many source formats.
displayed as a pie segments, classified by May be aligned to any 3D orientation.
radius and colour. Exploration module.
GIS: Vector data classified by line, CAD: Drawings, polygon

symbol, meshes, and 3D meshes. Source file
colour, fill and label. Optional on-the-fly determines appearance.
geographic-to-UTM conversion.
2D Seismic: With automatic gain control, Grid Surface: Raster data classified by
vertical velocity adjustment and wiggle colour and displayed in 2D or 3D.
colouring. Exploration module. Display in Core. Creation in Exploration module.

Notes: Gallery of Vizex forms (continued)
Wireframe: Triangulated 3D surfaces 3D Model:Mesh data from 3D modelling

and solids with many display styles. applications. Source file determines
Spatially editable. Display in Core. appearance. Surveying & Mining modules
Creation
in Wireframing & Exploration modules.
Search Ellipsoid: Interactive 3D data Structural Trend Model

search ellipsoid. Spatially Editable. Visualisation of anisotropic direction and
Exploration & Resource Estimation modules. 2D strength for implicit modelling.
Resource Estimation & IM modules.
Block Model: 3D blocks, classified by Annotation: Labels, dimensions and

colour and label; many display styles. callouts. Spatially editable.
Display in Core. Creation in Basic in Core; advanced in Mining module.
Resource Estimation module.
Pit Design: Benches/berms, ramps, and Blasthole Design: Blast patterns and
roads Spatially editable. holes, firing sequence, charging.
Mining module. Spatially editable. Mining module.

Gallery of Vizex forms (continued) Notes:
Underground Design: Sidewalls, Ring Design: Stope boundaries, rig

centrelines, ramps, declines, shafts. placement, blasthole design, charging &
Spatially editable. Mining module stemming, blast energy. Mining module.
Polygonal Model: Alternative modelling 3D Volume Model: Interactively view

method using flattened 2D drillholes and large 3D regular block models. Optional
sections. Resource Estimation module. isosurface creation. Exploration module

This lesson has covered the fundamentals of Vizex and has shown you how to
work within it. Here’s what you’ve learnt so far:
To load a saved view:
Expand the Saved View list by clicking the expand icon to the left
of the Saved Views node in the Vizex Forms pane, and
Double-click or drag the saved view into the graphic display, or
Right-click | Load the saved view.
To save a view:
Set up the display, then

Select View | Save Vizex View from the menu, or
Double-click the Saved View node and choose Save from the dialog.
To display a Vizex form as a new layer:
Double-click the form type in the Vizex Forms pane, then

Set up the dialog and click OK to display the data.
To display a previously saved Vizex form set:
Expand the form set list by clicking the expand icon to the left of its
type in the Vizex Forms pane, then
Drag the form set into the graphic display, or
Double-click the desired form set to load it.
To quickly load a supported file using default settings:
Drag it into Vizex from the Project Explorer, Windows/File Explorer, an

email client, or a compressed file archive.
To hide or show a layer:
Enable or disable its checkbox in the Display pane.
To change the properties of a layer:
Double-click the layer in the Display pane to open its dialog, or

Right-click it and choose Properties from the pop-up menu, then
Make the necessary changes.

To save an Untitled layer as a form set:
Double-click the layer in the Display pane to open its dialog, or

Right-click it and choose Properties from the pop-up menu, then
Click Save As, enter a Title, and click OK.
To remove a layer from the display:
Click the layer in the Display pane and then press the Delete key, or
Right-click the layer in the Display pane and choose Remove from
the pop-up menu.
To switch between Layer order and 3D order:
Deselect all layers (by clicking a blank part of the Display pane, below
the listed layers, or by clicking the Vizex node), and
Click the Toggle Depth Testing button.
To modify the display order of layers (only applies to layer order mode):
Drag the layers in the Display pane into the desired order, from the
bottom up, or
Right-click a layer and choose Move to Top or Move to Bottom.
To use the middle-button mouse shortcuts:
Drag with the middle button to pan, or

Roll the mouse wheel to zoom.
To use the alternative dynamic zoom:
Select the Pan Tool and hold the Ctrl key whilst dragging vertically.
To set up a coordinate grid:
Select View | Coordinate Grids | Grid Settings from the menu, or

Click the Coordinate Grid Settings button on the Coordinate
Grid toolbar, and
Click Forms followed by Open to load a form set, or
Enter the grid parameters.
To display a new full-sized window:
Click the Open Additional Vizex Window toolbar button, or

Right-click the tab at the top of an existing window and choose New
Window from the pop-up menu, or
Select Window | New Window from the menu.

To display a new overview window:
Click the New Overview Window button, or

Right-click the tab at the top of an existing window and choose Float
from the pop-up menu, or
Select Window | Float from the menu.
To create a new Vizex document:
Click the Open New Vizex Instance button, and

Load Vizex forms into the new window.
Good Practice
Always load Vizex forms from the Vizex Forms pane and change the prop-
erties of layers from the Display pane. If you try to change the properties of
an Untitled layer from the Vizex Forms pane, you risk duplicating the layer
instead of changing its properties.
Use the Project Explorer to display data you’re seeing for the first time or only
intend to use once, and the Vizex Forms pane to display data you intend to
configure and reuse on an ongoing basis.
Display layers that haven’t been saved as form sets appear in the Display pane
as Untitled layers, whereas those that have been saved are listed by title. You
should only leave temporary, once-off layers Untitled.
Any layer worth viewing more than once is worth saving as a form set.
Help Topics
Vizex Forms pane Vizex > Display Pane > Vizex Form Sets Pane
Project Explorer pane Projects > Explore
Display pane Vizex > Window > Display Pane
Depth testing Vizex > Window > Display Pane > Depth Testing
(link on page)
Vizex windows Vizex > Window

Lesson 2 – Creating a
Notes:
Multilayered Display
Once you acquire and validate the data for a project the next step is to combine
the different data sets into a multilayered display. The tasks in this lesson
demonstrate how to create a display in which all data sets in the project can
be integrated.
• Classify surface geochemistry using size and colour in proportion to the

values of the underlying data
• Display property boundaries as labelled polygons
• Display an aerial photograph of the area
• Create a colour set and save it as a form set
• Combine these layers into an integrated view of the project area.
Adding Layers to the Vizex Display

The view you used in Lesson 1 contained several display layers. Being able to
view multiple data sets as layers allows you to identify trends and relationships
between layers and helps you to form an overall idea of the area of interest.
It will be familiar to anyone who uses a GIS (Geographic Information System).
Unlike a GIS, Vizex also displays 3D data such as drillholes in section and in-
clined views, although we won’t introduce that functionality until Lesson 3.
Symbolising Data
Vizex forms include many symbology options, such as foreground and back-
ground colour, symbol (marker), size (scaling), line style and pattern. Several
forms support compound symbology, for example to combine colour, marker
and scaling using three different attribute fields. In most cases you create a
specific form set, such as a colour set or symbol set, to define each com-
ponent of your symbology. However, there are exceptions: colour can also be
read directly from a field containing appropriately formatted RGB values, and
scaling is defined using ranges or a simple equation.
The following topics and exercises introduce some of the Vizex form types and
their associated symbology by setting up an example of each. Because of
Micromine’s consistent design you’ll be able to use the techniques you learn
here on other Vizex forms.

Notes: Point: Displaying Geochemical Samples

Most surface geochemistry data can be displayed as points. Colouring and siz-
ing the point symbols according to their geochemical value increases the visual
effectiveness of the geochemical display.
Varying the symbol colour
A colour set makes it easy to differentiate between values, regions and other
objects in the display. Micromine has many tools for creating colour sets, and
because they are saved as form sets you can use them anywhere in a project.
You can even export them to other projects. This promotes consistency and
saves time.
There are two types of colour sets: numeric and text. You use numeric colour
sets with numerical data and text colour sets with character data. In this lesson
you’ll create a numeric colour set.
Refer to the help for information on displaying colour directly from a file field.
Varying the symbol size
Point symbol sizes in Vizex may either be fixed or scaled. Fixed symbol sizes
are stated in points. They always stay the same size regardless of the zoom
level; zooming in or out therefore changes the visual relationships between
neighbouring symbols.
Scaled symbol sizes are stated in real-world units (e.g. metres). They grow
larger when you zoom in and smaller when you zoom out, preserving the visual
relationships between them. This method generally produces a better display.
Vizex has two methods for varying the size of each symbol in a Point layer:
factor, which adjusts the size of each symbol based on the values in the scal-
ing field, and ranges, which limits the symbols to the sizes you specify. The
factor method works by multiplying the symbol sizes (either fixed or scaled)
by the corresponding values in the scaling field. It takes some optional param-
eters (base value, minimum radius and maximum radius), which may be
needed if the original symbol is fixed-size. They are described in the help.
A natural log transform may optionally be applied, which varies the symbol
sizes in proportion to the logarithms of the original values. It is generally only
needed for data with a strong positive skew, such as the assay values of many
precious metals.
Now is a good time to recap the ways to manage Vizex form sets and layers,
before you begin the next exercise.
Revision: Using the Vizex Forms and Display panes

You use the Vizex Forms pane to display and save Vizex forms, and the
Display pane to configure or remove layers. Depending on your exact task,
you do so in one of three ways:

To display a new Vizex form, double-click the required form type in the Notes:
Vizex Forms pane. For example, to display new strings, double-click the
String type. Alternatively, select the type from the Display menu.
To display a previously saved form set, click the expand icon next to the
matching form type in the Vizex Forms pane to expand its list, and then
drag the desired form set into the graphic display. For example, to load the
Topographic contours form set, click the next to the String type, and then
drag Topographic contours into the display.
Alternatively, you can double-click the saved form set to load it.
To change the properties of a layer already in the display, double-click it

in the Display pane. Alternatively, you can right-click it in the Display pane
and choose Properties from the pop-up menu.
Exercise 2.1: Symbolise the geochemical points
In this exercise you’ll use a combination of colour and size to symbolise (clas-
sify) the geochemical points according to their gold grades.
First, you’ll reload the Soil geochemistry form set you created in MM 101:
1. If the Point list is not already expanded in the Vizex Forms pane, click
the expand icon next to the Point form to expand it.
2. Drag the Soil geochemistry form set into the graphic display. You’ll see
the original labelled black circles in the graphic display and the Soil
geochemistry layer name in the Display pane.
Next, you’ll open the Point dialog to change the properties of the layer:
3. Double-click the Soil geochemistry layer in the Display pane to open the
Point dialog.
4. Click the Points tab to activate it.
5. About half-way down the Points tab, click the list ( ) button in the
Colour field response and select Au1 from the list that appears.
The colour field is the one whose values will determine the symbol colours.
Now it’s time to create the colour set. First you get the numerical values:

Notes: Add numerical values to a colour set
There are three ways to assign values to a numeric colour set: RANGES, which
divides the data equally between the min and max values, PERCENTILE, which
splits the data into sorted groups containing the same number of values, and
STATISTICAL, which arranges the data by its mean and standard deviation.
Alternatively, you can enter your own values into the Value column.
You’ll use RANGES mode for this exercise.
6. Right-click the Colour set response. The Edit Colour Sets (Numeric)
dialog will appear.
7. Change the Decimals at the top right of the dialog to 2.
8. Click the Assign button at right to open the Assign dialog.
Because you opened this dialog from an existing form the File and Value field
responses are automatically filled in.
9. Set Calculate mode to RANGES and the Number of ranges to 5.

10. Click OK. Your dialog should look like this:
Five equal ranges are calculated. There’s also provision for values above and
below these ranges, which means the colour table contains seven entries.
Apply colours to a colour set
There are three ways to apply colours to a colour set. You can choose a pal-
ette, manually select specific colours by double-clicking each colour swatch,
or create a colour ramp. To create a colour ramp, assign colours to specific
pivot values (e.g. min, median, and max), then right-click > Colour Ramp
All. Micromine will smoothly blend the colours between pivot values.
For this exercise you’ll choose a predefined palette:
1. Click the Select button in the Palette group and navigate to

ColorBrewer > Divergent.
2. Locate the 07 Spectral palette and click Select.
With the colour set created, it’s time to save it:
3. Click the Save As button (on the Edit Colour Sets dialog).

4. Enter Soil geochem Au1 as the colour set Title. There’s no need to Notes:
change the number of the colour set; Micromine automatically finds the
next available number.
5. Click OK. Note how the title Soil geochem Au1 now appears at the top of
the Edit Colour Sets dialog.
6. Return to the Point dialog by clicking Save and Close. The number
allocated to the colour set will appear in the Colour set response.
Scale the symbols
The colours are completed, so now you can scale the symbols. Begin by con-
figuring the original symbol to use a scaled size:
1. Double-click the Default symbol (the ) to redisplay the Select

Symbol dialog.
2. Change the Size to Scaled and enter a size of 4 grid units (you may
need to experiment with this number).
3. Set the symbol’s Border to Black.
4. Click OK to apply the changes.
5. Back on the Point dialog, enable the Scale group.
6. Set up the Scale options as shown here:
Prompt Setting
Default size factor [Blank]
Scaling field AU1 (click the list button)
Natural log transform Enabled
Method Factor
7. Click the Factor Values button and inspect the options on the dialog.
They are not needed for this display, so simply close the dialog once you
are done.
Now that the Point layer is completed, it makes sense to save the changes for
later re-use:
8. Click the Save button (on the Point dialog). Micromine will save the
new settings, overwriting the previous version.
9. Click OK to close the Point dialog.
10. Lastly, select the Soil geochemistry layer in the Display pane and click
the Colour Legend button to display the point colours. Your display
should now resemble the screenshot overleaf.
11. Close the floating Soil geochem Au1 window once you’re done.

Notes:
Form sets: untitled and unsaved?
It’s important to save form sets if you plan to use them more than once,
but how do you know if they’ve been saved? Micromine gives you three
indicators:
The Title of a saved form set appears at the top of the dialog. If you
don’t see the name, you’re not working with a saved form set.
In Vizex, new (and unsaved) form sets are marked in the Display pane as
Untitled, so you can see at a glance if you’ve saved them.
If you’ve modified a layer but haven’t saved it, the layer name will be
shown in blue instead of black text.
String: Displaying Property Boundaries

Exploration and mining activities take place within properties held by the op-
erator, with boundaries that comprise polygonal regions of varying shapes and
sizes. When drawn on a map, mineral properties are customarily labelled with
the property name, which is usually placed at the centre of each property.
Linework such as this is typically displayed using a string file.
You’ll learn to display and label property boundaries in the next exercise.

Notes:
Exercise 2.2: Display property boundaries
In this exercise you’ll display a string file containing property boundaries. First,
select the data and set the display options:
1. Double-click the String form type in the Vizex Forms pane to open the
String dialog. Or, select Display | String from the menu.
2. Ensure that the Input Data tab is active, and the file Type is set to
STRING.
3. Click the browse button in the File response and choose
Properties.STR from the list.
Note how Micromine automatically found the right coordinate fields.
4. Switch to the Display tab and set these Line Style options:
Prompt Setting
Line field: SURVEYED (list button)
Property survey status
Line set:
(form button)
Line type: Solid
Line width: 0.13 mm (THIN)
5. Remove any Colour field and Colour set entries and set the Default
colour to dark green.
6. Switch to the Polyline Labels tab and set the following options:
Prompt Setting
Label Polylines Enabled
Only display labels for
Enabled
polygons
Label Field (1) PROPERTY (list button)
Calibri Scaled 20 Grid units
Text properties
(double-click AaBbYyZz text)
Now you’ll save these settings as a form set:
7. Back on the String dialog, click the Save As button and set the Title to
Property boundaries.

Notes: 8. Click OK to save the form set. Note how its title now appears at the top
of the String dialog.
9. Click OK on the String dialog to return to Vizex and update your display.
10. To view the boundaries in full, right-click the Property boundaries layer
in the Display pane and select View Selection from the pop-up menu.
Most people use a GIS to manage their property boundaries and although you
used a string file in this exercise, in the workplace you should use the original
GIS file. You’ll learn about displaying GIS data later in this lesson.
Image: Displaying an Aerial Photograph

Micromine supports a wide range of image formats from the graphics, remote
sensing, GIS and CAD communities. The next layer you’ll add to the Vizex
display is an aerial photograph of the project area.
Before an image can be viewed with other Micromine data it must be geo-
referenced. When an image is georeferenced it has a spatial reference that
relates pixel coordinates within the image to real-world coordinates. Minimal
georeferencing information comprises the real-world X and Y pixel dimensions
and the real-world X- and Y-coordinates of the top left pixel. (Some systems
use the top left corner of this pixel, whereas others use the centroid. Micromine
handles both standards.)
Figure 2.1: Parameters for manual georeferencing
There are three ways to georeference an image:
• Using existing data (preferred). Virtually all commercial and

government image data is georeferenced, and Micromine supports most
georeferencing formats. This is simplest approach.
• Interactively. Identify control points in the image and enter the X, Y,

and optionally, Z coordinates of each. Micromine shows the RMS errors
of each point and allows you to turn off points where the error is high.
The interactive technique allows you to georeference an image in any

orientation. It will be given a Micromine GRF file along with standard
World and TAB files. Because World and TAB files cannot handle 3D

georeferencing the image will appear as if projected into a plan orienta- Notes:
tion whenever one of these files is used. 2D and 3D georeferencing are
detailed in MG 201 – Surface Geology.
• Manually. Select Custom 2D from the Georeference Source list and en-
ter the coordinates at the top-left corner of the image, along with the X
and Y pixel sizes. These parameters are illustrated in Figure 2.1.
In the next exercise you’ll use an ER Mapper ECW image with georeferencing
data supplied in Micromine’s GRF format.
Exercise 2.3: Display an aerial photograph
In this exercise you’ll drag the image into Vizex, and then configure the layer
and save it as a form set:
1. Switch to the Project Explorer and double-click the Import folder.

2. Locate the MMI_Image.ecw file and drag it into Vizex.
3. Double-click the Untitled (MMI_Image.ecw) layer to display its form.
Micromine automatically loads image georeferencing information and displays

the selected header in the Georeference group, and automatically shows the
Source as Micromine (GRF).
4. Inspect the contents of the Source list and note how it reports multiple
available header formats.
In addition to horizontally referencing the image, this GRF file also sets its
elevation to 1600 metres, which is the average elevation of the surface topog-
raphy in that area.
5. Switch to the Display tab and drag the Transparency slider to around
20%. This will stop the image overpowering the other information in the
display.
6. Ensure Interpolation is set to BILINEAR.
Bilinear interpolation ensures the image is presented smoothly even when

zoomed in beyond 1:1 pixel scale.
Now, save the new layer’s settings as a form set:
7. Click Save As to save a form set with the Title Air photo. Click OK on
the Save Current Values and Image dialogs to return to Vizex.
8. Observe the result. Some of the property boundaries and geochemical
samples have disappeared! However, if you look carefully you’ll see they
are still there – they’re faintly visible below the image.
This is a plan view (essentially in 2D) so you can solve this problem by switch-
ing from 3D order to layer order:

Notes: 9. Click the Vizex node in the Display pane to deselect all layers.
Alternatively, click a blank part of the Display pane, below the layers.
10. Click the Toggle Depth Testing button to put Vizex in layer order.
Now everything is faintly visible, below the image.
11. Right-click the Air photo layer and choose Move to Bottom from the
pop-up menu. Alternatively, you can drag it to the bottom of the layer
list. The photo is now below the other layers.
Revision: The Vizex Drawing Order (Depth Testing)

In Layer order, layers are drawn in sequence from the bottom of the Display
pane upwards, like sheets of paper on a traditional light table. You modify the
display by moving the layers into the desired sequence in the Display pane.
You normally use layer order when working on a plan or cross section.
In 3D order, objects are drawn in 3D sequence from the most distant to the
closest, irrespective of their order in the Display pane. You normally use 3D
order when you’re working in an inclined view.
Supported Image File Formats

Micromine supports common image formats including JP2, JPG, TIF, ECW, SID,
and others. If you have an image in an unsupported format, use a GIS appli-
cation to convert it into a compatible format.
Compressing Very Large Images

Micromine handles very large images by instantly presenting a low-resolution
preview and then progressively adding detail. However, if your image is large
(more than 1 GB uncompressed), converting it to JPEG 2000 (JP2) format will
allow Micromine to add detail more quickly. You perform this conversion by
selecting File | Image | Compress from the main menu.
Compression may be lossy or lossless. Lossy compression sacrifices some im-

age quality in exchange for a greater reduction in file size. Ratios of 20:1 to
50:1 are common for colour images, and ratios of 10:1 to 15:1 are common
for greyscale images.
Lossless compression does not alter the image quality. However, the resulting
file may be larger than for lossy conversion. Additionally, compressing images
from another compressed format (such as JPEG) may increase the file size,
depending on the original compression settings.
GIS: Displaying Geological Polygons

Micromine supports GIS and GPS formats including Esri shapefiles and geo-
databases (both file and personal); MS SQL and SpatiaLite databases; Mapinfo
tables and interchange files; Google KML; GPS Exchange; and MapGIS. You
can even turn 2D data into 3D data by supplying an orientation and 3rd co-
ordinate value.
In the next exercise you’ll display geological polygons in shapefile format.

Notes:
Exercise 2.4: Display a geological map in GIS format
First, set up the GIS dialog:
1. Switch back to the Vizex Forms pane and then double-click the GIS
form type.
2. Switch to the Input Data tab and click the browse button in the
File response.
3. Navigate to the Import directory and choose nvg_geology.shp.
The Layer option applies to spatial databases, which typically include multiple
layer and geometry types. It is not relevant to single-geometry data formats
like ArcGIS shapefiles and MapInfo Tab files.
4. Disable Ignore attributes.

5. Ensure Orientation is set to PLAN and enter a Z value of 1600.
This will set the elevation of the data to the average topographic elevation.
6. Switch to the Polygons tab and enable Use hatch field.

7. Click the Hatch field pull-down arrow and select GEOL_CODE.
8. Click the form button in the Hatch set response and choose ArcGIS
surface geology map from the list.
9. Set the Transparency to about 70%.
10. Set the Polygon Labelling Display field to GEOL_CODE.
11. Set the Text Properties to Calibri Scaled 8 Grid units italic.
12. Back on the GIS dialog, set the Label Position Method to Optimised.
Next, save the form set:
13. Click the Save As button to save a form set with the Title Surface
geology.
14. Click OK on the Save Current Values and GIS dialogs to display the
geology map.
Lastly, set the drawing order:
15. The geology map appears above the geochemical points and property
boundaries, so drag the Surface geology layer between the Soil
geochemistry and Air photo layers.

Notes: Completing the Picture

This view is now complete, and if you inspect the Vizex Forms pane you’ll
notice that the Point, String, Image, and GIS form types all have an ex-
pand icon next to them, meaning they contain at least one saved form set.
Because you’ve saved these layers as form sets you can quickly reload them
any time you wish to reuse them.
You can demonstrate this by creating and then reloading a saved view.
Optional Exercise 2.5: Save, remove, and then reload

the display
First, create a saved view:
1. Select View | Save Vizex View from the main menu. Or, double click
the Saved View node in the Vizex Forms pane and choose Save on the
Forms dialog.
2. Enter the Title Regional plan and click OK to save the view.
Next, remove the display layers:
3. Select Edit | Remove All from the menu.
Lastly, reconstruct your view:
4. Expand the Saved View list in the Vizex Forms pane by clicking the
expand icon to the left of the Saved View node.
5. Drag the Regional plan saved view onto the graphic display (or double-
click it) to open it.
Vizex has reconstructed your layers, achieving the same result as if you had
individually loaded each one by hand.
Creating a Plot File

The final step of this lesson is to create a plot file of the display, to be used in
the plotting exercises later in the course. Plot files provide a snapshot of the
data as it existed at that time and are one of the methods Micromine uses to
create printed output.

Notes:
Exercise 2.6: Create a plot file
To create a plot file:
1. Hide the Air photo layer to simplify the plot.

2. Click the Generate Plot File toolbar button. Or, select Plot |
Generate Plot File from the menu.
3. Enter the Plot file name Plan.
4. Enable Auto load and ignore the remaining responses.
5. Click OK to make the plot file.
Micromine will create a plot file and open a plot layout containing the plot
data. You’ll learn more about plotting in MM 104 – Plotting 1.
6. Close the Plot Editor window by clicking the Close button on the
Plan.PEX tab.
7. Lastly, select Edit | Remove All to clean up the display.
Or, you can export the view to 3D PDF via View | Export Vizex Scene
to | 3D PDF, as detailed in MM 103 – Showcasing Your Project.
Strategies for Using Saved Views

and Layer Groups
Optional Exercise 2.5 illustrated a typical way to use a saved view: to quickly
redisplay existing layers. To get the most from your saved views it’s best to
limit each one to a specific project area or collection of related layers. For
example, you might save different views for Pit 1 and Pit 2, each showing only
the data for the relevant pit, or different views for the layers that make up
your geological base map (geological polygons, faults and structural symbols)
and topographic overlay (contours, tracks and imagery). You can easily com-
bine different views by dragging them into Vizex or right-clicking and
choosing Add from the pop-up menu.
Although you might be tempted to save a single view containing all data from
every project area, and then toggle the individual layers as needed, it’s not a
good way to work. Each layer consumes memory, even when it’s turned off or
outside the current view, and loading many unused layers simply burdens your
computer for no real benefit. Saving a handful of different views gives you the
same convenience without wasting your computer’s resources.
To produce a series of drillhole cross-sections that share the same data, save
one view that contains the data for all sections within the project area, and
then define a series of named sections in a section control file, as de-
scribed in the next lesson. Don’t save different views to for each section;
although saved views do store view orientation parameters, it’s not their main
purpose.

Notes: There are two ways to save a view, by select View | Save Vizex View from
the menu, or by double-clicking the Saved View node and choosing Save
from the dialog. Whenever you save a view you also save edit locking, snap
status, depth testing, perspective, and overview visibility.
Similarly, there are several ways to load a saved view; by dragging it into
Vizex, by double-clicking it, via right-click | Load, or via right-click |
Add as Group.
Vizex Layer Groups

Vizex layer groups provide another way to organise your display layers. A
layer group gathers multiple layers into a single item in the Display pane, which
you can then expand or contract, show or hide, or move up and down the
layer list as if it were a single layer. This is especially useful when you need to
temporarily hide multiple layers while keeping other layers visible. If you create
a saved view containing layer groups, those groups will be redisplayed when
you reopen the view.
There are several ways to create a layer group, which involve right-clicking
multiple selected items in the Vizex Forms pane or Display pane (hold the Ctrl
key to select them), and then choosing an option from the menu. The Vizex
Forms pane includes options to Add as Group or Display as Group. It also
includes a Display All option for displaying the form sets in a Vizex form set
folder.
The right-click options in the Display pane comprise Create Group, with a
corresponding Ungroup.

This lesson has taught you to construct a basic Vizex display, as well as create
and modify colour sets. Here’s what you’ve learnt so far:
To display a Vizex form as a new layer:
Double-click the desired form type in the Vizex Forms pane, or

Select the form type from the Display menu, then
Set up the display parameters and click OK.
To display a previously saved form set as a layer:
Click the expand icon next to the appropriate form type in the
Vizex Forms pane to expand its list, then
Drag the form set into the graphic display, or
Double-click the form set.
To change the properties of a displayed layer:
Double-click the layer in the Display pane, or

Right-click the layer and choose Properties from the pop-up menu,
then
Make the changes, and
Click Save, followed by OK to apply the changes.
To recognise an unsaved layer:
Inspect the layer name in the Display pane, and

If it’s listed as Untitled (FILENAME) it’s never been saved, or
If it’s listed in blue text it has unsaved modifications.
To save a layer as a form set:
Right-click the layer in the Display pane and choose Save Form As, or
Double-click the layer in the Display pane to open its form, then
Click Save As to create a new form set or Save to overwrite an existing
form set.
To create a numeric colour set:
Right-click the Colour set response on the dialog, then

Set the numerical ranges (by typing or using Assign), and
Set the colours (by double-clicking, selecting a palette, or by creating a
ramp).

To switch between layer order and 3D order:
Deselect all layers (click a blank part of the Display pane below the
listed layers, or click the Vizex node at the top of the Display pane), and
Click the Toggle Depth Testing button.
To modify the display order of layers (only applies to layer order mode):
Drag the layers in the Display pane into the desired order, from the
bottom up, or
Right-click a layer and choose Move to Top or Move to Bottom
To plot a Vizex display:

Select Plot | Generate Plot File from the menu, or
Click the Generate Plot File toolbar button, then
Enter the Plot file name, and
Optionally, enable Auto load.
To save a view:

Select View | Save Vizex View from the menu, or
Double click the Saved View node and choose Save on the Forms
dialog.
Good Practice
Because Vizex form sets are so simple to create it’s easy to create multiple
versions of the same information. For example, you could create a String form
set for topographic contours coloured by elevation, and another with the same
contour data coloured according to whether they’re index or intermediate
contours.
Save your form sets!
Saving Display Layers as form sets is one of the key concepts for effi-
ciently using Vizex. Doing this allows you to very quickly rebuild a com-
plex display without redefining each layer.
A simple rule is: Any layer worth displaying more than once is
worth saving as a form set.

Help Topics
Displaying points Vizex > Display > Point
Displaying strings Vizex > Display > String
Displaying images Vizex > Display > Image
Image file formats Vizex > Display > Image > Supported raster image
formats
Georeferencing Vizex > Display > Image > Georeference an image
Displaying GIS Vizex > Display > GIS
Depth testing Vizex > Window > Display Pane > Depth Testing
(link on page)

Lesson 3 – Working with

Notes:
Drillholes
Lessons 1 and 2 focused on the basics of Vizex and introduced a few Vizex
form types. Drillholes are an integral part of Vizex and this lesson will teach
you to manage drillhole data and display the holes in plan, section and inclined
views.
Vizex supports many types of down-the-hole information such as labels, hatch

patterns, graphs, events, and structures. You construct a drillhole display by
adding whatever types are required. When you combine these with other in-
formation, such as geophysical images, DTMs of topography or oxidation sur-
face boundaries, and polygonal geological interpretations you produce a rich
and informative drillhole display.
• Create and manage a drillhole database

• Display drillhole traces and their associated down-the-hole data
• View drillholes in plan, orthogonal or oblique (transform) cross sections,
and inclined views
• Work with display limits form sets and section control files
• Create a text colour set and a text hatch set.
Introduction
Micromine uses an efficient method called a drillhole database to handle the
underlying data, allowing you to easily manage all drilling data related to your
project. Once you’ve created the database, simply use Vizex to display any
combination of downhole information in any view orientation. Table 3.1, at the
end of the lesson, illustrates the available Vizex drillhole forms.
This lesson will introduce the drillhole database and teach you how to create
and manage your drilling data. You’ll also learn to create and display a variety
of downhole information.
The Drillhole Database

Before you can view drillhole data in Vizex you must construct a drillhole da-
tabase. A drillhole database isn’t a database in the traditional sense because it
doesn’t store raw data; you can delete a drillhole database and not lose the
underlying data. Instead, it manages the relationship between individual files
containing different components of the drillhole data.

A simple drillhole database could consist of only one data file, but a typical Notes:
drillhole database uses three or more data files related to one another by the
ID of each drillhole. The files you’re most likely to use are:
• Collar (mandatory): Must contain 3D coordinates of the collar lo-

cations and the total depths of the holes. For straight holes, may op-
tionally contain the azimuth and inclination.
• Downhole survey: Where deviation surveys have been completed,
must contain survey depths and matching azimuths/inclinations.
• Events: Contains down-the-hole data where individual records are po-
sitioned at single DEPTHs. The database may contain as many event
files as needed, e.g. structure, groundwater, oxidation, etc.
• Intervals: Contains down-the-hole data where individual records are
positioned between FROM and TO depths. The database may contain as
many interval files as needed, e.g. assay, lithology, oxidation state,
stratigraphic horizon, etc.
Creating a New Database

You create a drillhole database from the main menu (Drillhole | Database
| Create), or from Vizex. To create a new drillhole database within Vizex,
display any Drillhole form, then right-click the Database response and select
New Database from the pop-up menu.
Begin by specifying a collar file. Most modern drill data includes downhole de-
viation survey data, so a downhole survey file is also needed. Together these
files control the location and trajectory of each drillhole.
Behind the Scenes: Drillhole Trajectories

Most drillholes describe a curved trajectory (known in Micromine as the trace).
When you construct or modify a drillhole database, Micromine internally de-
fines each hole by linking successive downhole surveys with a series of 3D
spherical arcs (also known as the minimum curvature method). Micromine then
approximates the arcs with straight-line segments.
Micromine automatically varies the length of each straight-line segment (the

trace interval) on a hole-by-hole basis, keeping the displayed trace location
within 5 cm of the true location.
Consequently, straight holes only need two points – at the collar and the end
of hole. Curved holes are given a trace interval that varies according to the
curvature of the hole; the more curved the hole, the shorter the trace interval
and the more points required to draw it.
Adding Event and Interval Files

Once the collar and survey files for a drillhole database are defined, you may
optionally add as many event or interval files as needed. As you’ve already
seen, event and interval files describe related downhole data such as rock unit
names, assay values, groundwater horizons, or structures that are relevant to
the database.

Notes: Vizex automatically tracks the relationship between event and interval files and
the associated collar and survey files, which means you don’t have to do it
yourself. The advantages of this system are:
• You can refer to the drillhole database by one name instead of remem-
bering three or more individual file names.
• You aren’t distracted by dozens of irrelevant files – instead, only the files
you added to the database are available.
You’ll set up a drillhole database in the next exercise.
Exercise 3.1: Create a new drillhole database
In this exercise you’ll learn to build a drillhole database. The database has
some errors, which you’ll manage in the next exercise.
First, create the new database and specify the collar and survey files:
1. Select Drillhole | Database | Create from the menu.

2. On the Create New Drillhole Database dialog, select the Drillhole
database option.
3. Enter the name Training, and click the Create button. The Drillhole
Database dialog will appear.
4. On the Collar File tab, click the browse button in the Collar file
response and choose NVG_Collar from the file list. Vizex will
automatically fill out the rest of the compulsory prompts on this tab.
5. On the Collar Attributes tab, click the list ( ) button in Attribute
field 1 and choose HOLEREF.
6. Repeat for Attribute fields 2 through 4, setting them to SECTION,
DATE, and PROPERTY.
Collar attribute fields are used for labelling and filtering drillholes. You’ll learn
to label drillholes in the next exercise and to filter them in MG 202 –
Drillholes 1.
7. On the Survey File tab, enable Downhole surveys.

8. Click the browse button in the survey File response and choose
NVG_Survey from the list. Vizex will fill out the remaining fields, as
shown on the facing page.
The survey file contains LOCAL and UTM azimuth fields, which is normal for a
resource project that uses a local grid. Clearly you must choose the right one
when creating the database. Alternatively, you can use the Azimuth cor-
rection to convert between different north orientations without relying on du-
plicate fields.
Now it’s time to add the related downhole files (events and intervals):
9. Click the Event Files tab and then click the Add button.

Notes:
10. A new dialog will appear; select the Event File NVG_Structures. As
before, Vizex will automatically fill out the compulsory fields.
11. Click OK. Vizex will add the file NVG_Structures.DAT to the database.
12. Now click the Interval Files tab, followed by Add.

13. Select the Interval file NVG_Assay and click OK to add it.
14. Click Add a second time and add the NVG_Lith file to the database.
You’ve now set up the files for the new drillhole database. The last step is to
have Vizex validate and relate them and then build the database.
15. Click OK to build the database. Vizex will scan and validate the input
files, calculate the drillhole traces and then create the database.

Notes:
Refreshing a Drillhole Database
Most drillhole databases are regularly updated through the addition of new
holes, merging of new assay and downhole survey data, and correction of
errors. To keep Micromine up to date you must refresh the drillhole database
whenever you change the underlying data.
To refresh a drillhole database, choose Drillhole | Database | Refresh from

the main menu and select the database. Micromine will recognise that the
underlying data has changed and refresh the database to match. Alternatively,
you can right-click a Vizex drillhole layer in the Display pane and choose
Refresh DHDB from the popup menu.
Whenever the source data for a drillhole database includes underlying ODBC
or Access links (see MM 101 – Micromine Basics), Micromine will automatically
refresh the links along with the drillhole database, ensuring the drillholes are
fully updated.
If your project contains multiple drillhole databases, you can use Drillhole |
Database | Refresh Databases to refresh them all.
Validating a Drillhole Database

You learned to validate drillhole data back in MM 101 – Micromine Basics,
where you used Drillhole | Validate | Drillhole to relate the collar and
downhole survey files to one interval file, allowing you to validate the data at
that moment in time. However, drillhole databases are dynamic and each up-
date introduces the risk of invalidating the data.
Validation should always be an integrated part of your drillhole database up-

date cycle, using one or both of the following options.
Automatic Validation
Micromine provides an auto-validation option that addresses the dynamic na-
ture of most drillhole databases, which is accessible via Drillhole | Validate
| Auto-validate Options. This function automatically performs the default
validations you learned about in MM 101. However, you can also optionally
check for missing holes and missing intervals, as shown in this screenshot:

Manual Validation Notes:
Along with the auto-validation option Micromine provides a manual version,

accessible from the main menu via Drillhole | Validate | Drillhole Data-
base or Drillhole | Database | Validate. (They both run the same func-
tion.) This version is different from the validation you performed in MM 101
because it validates the entire drillhole database in one pass, instead of val-
idating individual files in multiple passes. Think of it as a time-saving shortcut,
especially for an existing database containing multiple interval or event files.
You’ll set up drillhole database validation in the next exercise.
Exercise 3.2: Manually validate a drillhole database
To manually validate the newly-created drillhole database:
1. Select Drillhole | Validate | Drillhole Database from the menu.

2. Fill out the Drillhole Database Validation dialog as shown in this
screenshot (the options are identical to those you used in MM 101):
3. Click OK to run the validation; close the Report Viewer once done.
As with previous validation runs, Micromine opens the Report Viewer. For the
most part the errors are identical to those of the original validation; however,
you’ve also discovered an unexpected error in the NVG_Structures event file.
A hole with no event file records isn’t a critical error and can be safely ignored,
but you would not have discovered it without performing this step.

Displaying Drillhole Data

Notes:
Vizex displays drillhole data in the ways listed in Table 3.1 at the end of this
lesson. Over the next few exercises you’ll learn to set up a drillhole trace,
along with drillhole interval labels and a drillhole interval hatch. You’ll
begin with the drillhole trace, which represents the trajectory of the drillholes.
Displaying Drillhole Traces

To display drillhole traces in Vizex, either load a Drillhole Trace form on the
Vizex Forms pane or select Display | Drillhole | Trace from the main menu.
The Trace dialog has seven tabs that you use to customise your drillhole
traces. Each tab controls one aspect of the display.
In the following exercise you’ll use the first four tabs to set some basic drillhole
trace properties.
Exercise 3.3: Set up a drillhole trace display
To set up the trace display:
1. Click the expand icon next to the Drillhole folder on the Vizex
Forms pane, and then double-click the Trace form type. Or, choose
Display | Drillhole | Trace from the menu.
2. On the Trace dialog, switch to the Input Data tab.

3. Click the browse button in the Database response and choose
Training.dhdb.
4. Enable Display Trace.
With the database selected and the trace enabled you can now set some visual
properties of the traces. You’ll colour them according to their assay values,
display the Hole ID at the top and drill date at the bottom of each hole, and
symbolise the collars. You’ll use a previously calculated colour set to colour the
traces.
5. Set the Trace thickness to 0.60 mm (MEDIUM).

6. Enable Colour Coding and then click the browse button in the
Interval file response. Note how only the two interval files you added
to the database are listed. Select NVG_Assay.DAT.
7. Click the list ( ) button in the Colour field and choose AU1 PLOT.

8. Click the form button in the Colour set and select Drillhole Au1 Notes:
(deciles) from the list.
Your Trace dialog should resemble this:
9. Switch to the Hole Name tab and enable Show Hole Name.
10. Fill out the Top Label and Bottom Label groups as listed here:
Prompt Setting
Top Label > Location AUTO
Top Label > Label HOLE
Top Label > Text Properties Calibri Scaled 4 Grid units
Bottom Label > Location CENTRE
Bottom Label > Label DATE
Bottom Label > Text Properties Calibri Scaled 2 Grid units
11. Switch to the Depth tab and enable Show Hole Depth.
12. Type a space followed by a lower-case m into the Label suffix
response. The text will be appended to each end of hole depth, e.g.
102.3 m, in the display.
13. Set the Location to CENTRE.
14. Set the Text properties to Calibri Scaled 3 Grid units.
15. Switch to the Collar tab and enable Show Collar.
16. Double-click the blank Default symbol box (about half way down the
form), choose the large circle-dot  symbol, and set its size to scaled 3
grid units. Click OK to apply the change.

Notes: These settings are worth reusing so you’ll save them as a form set:
17. Click the Save As button at right of the dialog and Title the new form
set Simple assay display.
18. Lastly, click OK on the Save Current Values and Trace dialogs to load
the traces, which should look something like this:
Displaying Vertical Sections

The lessons you’ve completed so far have concentrated on plan views in Vizex,
largely because you’ve been using what is effectively 2D data. However, the
drillhole database you just created contains true 3D data. Now is a good time
to learn about working with other view orientations before you explore the
more advanced drillhole displays.
Vizex creates each new view in plan orientation. However, a vertical section,
which may be orthogonal or oblique to the coordinate grid, is the usual way to
view subsurface drillhole information. (Oblique sections are known as trans-
form sections in Micromine.)
Setting up a vertical section requires three parameters:
• Section orientation (orthogonal or oblique, and at what azimuth).

• Location of the section plane (often called the section number). Micro-
mine will draw the section by placing the screen at this location.
• Thickness of the section corridor (data falling outside this corridor will
be excluded from the section).

Notes:
Orientation, location, thickness
Orientation, location, thickness is a useful aid for remembering the

parameters for producing a vertical section.
Micromine provides three ways to set the orientation, location and thickness
of a vertical section: the Vizex Sections toolbar and associated Sections
window, the Display Limits dialog, and via a Section Control File.
The Vizex Sections Toolbar and Sections Window

The Vizex Sections toolbar contains tools for setting up and browsing vertical
sections in any orientation:
With this toolbar you can:
• Use the Section Tool to draw a section in any orientation (setting

both the location and orientation of the section), or
• Use the Section or Elevation box to enter the location of an
orthogonal section. (You use the Sections window to set its orientation,
explained below.)
• Use the Move Section Plane tool to move the section plane
smoothly through your data.
In all cases you also:
• Use the Towards Distance and Away Distance boxes to control the
section thickness.
• Optionally, use the Step to define a custom step distance between
sections.
• Use the Clip View button to enable or disable section clipping.
The Sections window, shown overleaf, contains other tools for working with
sections. It provides direct access to the Display Limits dialog and any pre-
viously saved Display Limits form sets, and a short-cut to Standard Sections
such as PLAN or LOOKING NORTH.
The following topics explain the two main ways to use the Vizex Sections
toolbar and Sections window. The remaining tools in the Sections window are
dedicated to section control files, which are introduced later in this lesson.

Notes:
Defining a section in any orientation with the Section Tool
The Section Tool gives you a quick way to define a vertical section in any
orientation. Simply click the Section Tool button and drag a section line
across the display. Or, click the section’s start and end points. You can option-
ally restrict the line to multiples of 30° or 45° by holding the Ctrl key as you
drag.
When you release the mouse, Vizex will draw the section defined by the line.
This tool also clips the view using the current towards and away distances.
(See Controlling the thickness and Understanding Clipping for more infor-
mation on clipping.)
Displaying ‘Plane of the Vein’ with the Section Tool
You can use the Section Tool even when the view is already a sec-
tion, making it very useful for setting up a ‘plane of the vein’ display.
For example, to view a long section through a dipping vein, start with a
plan view and drag a section parallel to the dip direction of the vein, fol-
lowed by a second section down-dip. Lastly, change the Roll to zero (via
the Display Limits) to correctly orientate the view.
Defining an orthogonal section with the Sections Window
To set an orthogonal orientation with the Sections window, begin by double-

clicking a Standard Section such as PLAN or LOOKING NORTH. Vizex will
align the view to that orientation and automatically clip the view using the
current section location and towards and away distances.
Section or Elevation is enabled whenever an orthogonal view is set. Use this

box to quickly change the location of the section by typing in a new value. The
box remembers previous entries, and once a section number has been entered
you can quickly access it again using the pull-down list as shown on the facing
page.

Notes:
If you inspect the status bar cursor coordinate after using Section or Elevation,
you’ll notice that one of the coordinate values (depending on the view orien-
tation) remains fixed at the value you entered.
This control is not available for oblique (transform) sections; you should use
the Section Tool instead.
Controlling the thickness
You set thickness of the section corridor (in any view orientation) with the
Towards Distance and Away Distance boxes, which remember previous
settings in the same way as the Section or Elevation box. By optionally enabling
Shadow Sections , you can extend the corridor by faintly displaying the
sections either side of the current section. For safety, shadowed data cannot
be edited. Once the corridor has been defined you can switch clipping on and
off by clicking the Clip View toolbar button.
When Clip View is enabled you can use the Previous Section and Next Sec-
tion buttons to browse through your data:
The default step size applied by the Previous and Next buttons is equal to the
total thickness of the section corridor, which is the sum of the towards and
away distances. It’s shown on the toolbar as a number in square brackets, as
illustrated above. You can use a custom step size by entering a different value
in the Step box, which will be shown without the square brackets. Delete the
custom step size (or re-enter the default value) to restore the default step size.
Understanding Clipping
As you’ve seen there are many ways to define the orientation and location of
a vertical section. However, you always use the towards and away distances
to define the thickness of the slice or corridor that will be displayed, by entering
values in the Towards Distance and Away Distance boxes. These values
represent the thickness of the corridor either side of the section plane, as il-
lustrated in Figure 3.1 overleaf.
Whenever you enable Clip View only the data falling within the corridor
defined by the distance values will be visible. So, if only part of a drillhole falls
within the data corridor, only that part will be visible, and the remainder of the
hole will be excluded.

Notes:
Figure 3.1: Clipping parameters
On the other hand, no corridor is defined if Clip View is not enabled. In

this case everything will be visible and will appear as if projected against the
section plane.
The View Toolbar

The View toolbar provides another way to switch between view orientations
without using the Sections window:
The first six view buttons highlighted above correspond to orthogonal stand-
ard views. Their function differs from the corresponding standard sections in
the Sections window because they don’t automatically apply Clip View when
they are used. Instead they take whatever default clipping settings were ap-
plied beforehand. The Plan standard view is useful for returning to a plan
view after having displayed a section.
There is one extra standard view icon than there are standard sections
because Looking Up is included as a standard view.
This part of the View toolbar also includes four isometric buttons for quickly
setting up an oblique and inclined view. On all buttons the shaded side of the
cube denotes the viewing direction.

The Display Limits Dialog Notes:
The second way to set up a vertical section is by using the Display Limits
dialog, which you can access by:
• Clicking the Display Limits button on the Vizex Sections toolbar.

• Double-clicking the Display Limits node in the Sections window.
• Right-clicking in the graphic display and choosing Display Limits
• Choosing View | Display Limits from the menu.
The Display Limits dialog has three tabs, two of which are relevant to vertical
sections: Orthogonal and Transform (oblique). You can also define the
thickness of section corridor on the Display Limits dialog. The settings that are
applied will depend on which tab is active when you click the OK button.
Defining an orthogonal section
The Orthogonal tab contains three main groups that allow you to vary the
View Type, view Limits, and clipping Window. The three groups are:
• View Type: controls the section orientation, allowing you to choose

from six orthogonal standard views.
• Limits: controls the section location. You set the section number by en-
tering a value in the appropriate Section response. The controls in this
group will automatically enable or disable based on the view type. The
Minimum and Maximum values are usually set by the view itself.
• Window: controls the section corridor thickness and, optionally, the
step size.

Notes: Micromine automatically enables and disables the Section responses

whenever you change view orientation.
For example, for a Plan view, only the Z Section response is enabled and
the value you enter will set the screen elevation. Similarly, for a Looking
North view only the North Section response is enabled and the number
you enter will set the screen northing, or, if you’re Looking West, the
Section you enter will set the easting.
Defining an oblique (transform) section
The Transform tab allows you to define an oblique cross section, controlling
orientation and location together. You do this by entering the endpoint coor-
dinates that define the section into the Section group; Vizex calculates the
bearing and length of the section based on those numbers. Vizex also provides
a preview window so you can see how the section will relate to the real world.
The Window group is identical to the Orthogonal version.
Although this technique gives you very precise control of settings that can also
be saved as a form set, the Section Tool is a faster way to draw a trans-
form section.
You’ll explore the section drawing tools in the next exercise.

Notes:
Exercise 3.4: Display data in cross section
In this exercise you’ll set up a Looking North cross section at 15900mN, fol-
lowed by a Transform section, then return to the looking north section.
First, load a ground surface profile to provide some context for the drillholes:
1. Click the expand icon next to the Wireframe form (in the Vizex
Forms pane) to expand its list and drag the DTM (2D slice) form set
into the graphic display.
Next, set up the section display using the Sections Window and Vizex
Sections toolbar:
2. Click the Sections tab underneath the Vizex Forms pane to reveal the
Sections Window.
3. Click the expand icon next to the Standard Sections node to
expand the list of standard sections and double-click LOOKING NORTH.
Vizex will switch the view to looking north orientation and apply clipping. How-
ever, the section number and towards and away distances are set to default
values that are not what you need for this display.
4. Enter the value 15900 into the Section or Elevation box on the
Sections toolbar.
5. Enter 15 for both Towards Distance and Away Distance. Micromine
will apply each change as you move off the box.
Now that the section is set up you can browse through the data:
6. Click the Next Section and Previous Section buttons to

browse between sections.
Note how the value in the Section or Elevation box automatically updates each
time you change section. Moreover, the status bar at the lower right corner of
the screen shows the current 3D cursor coordinate (which incorporates the
section number when the view is orthogonal).
7. Click the Plan View button on the View toolbar to return to plan
view.
8. If necessary, reset the plan view by right-clicking the Simple assay
display layer in the Display pane and choosing View Selection from
the pop-up menu.
Lastly, create an oblique section:
9. Click the Section Tool and drag an oblique (transform) section at an

angle to the drillholes.
Observe how Vizex shows the section extents as you drag the mouse, as shown
overleaf. When you release the mouse, Vizex displays the transform section.

Notes:
10. Click the Display Limits button on the Sections toolbar to open the
Display Limits dialog.
11. Note how the contents of the Transform tab have been filled out, and
then close the Display Limits dialog.
12. Click the Next and Previous Section buttons to browse the
data. Observe how the oblique orientation is maintained as you go.
13. Click the Move Section Plane button and drag the mouse vertically
within the graphic display.
Observe how this tool allows you to smoothly move the section plane through
your data instead of jumping in regular steps.
14. Click the Plan View button to return to plan view. Right-click the
Simple assay display layer and choose View Selection.
Lastly, restore the Looking North view:
15. Double-click the LOOKING NORTH Standard Section to return to a cross-

section view. Note that the value in the Section or Elevation box no
longer reads 15900.
16. Click the pull-down button next to the Section or Elevation box and
choose 15900 from the list.
17. Leave the view open in preparation for the next exercise.

Notes:
Displaying an Inclined View
In addition to the standard orthogonal and transform sections, you can seam-
lessly rotate your view to any inclined orientation. Clipping is still available if
you need it, and all editing tools are also available.
The Rotate Tool

The quickest way to view your data from any direction is to select the Rotate
Tool and drag the view with the mouse.
If you’re in a clipped section view while rotating, the section corridor will rotate
with the data, allowing you to view your section from different angles.
To return to a standard view, just click a standard view button.
Understanding Rotation
Although the visible objects appear to move when you use the Rotate Tool
, your viewing location (the camera position) is moving around the station-
ary objects. It pivots around an imaginary point (the viewpoint), which is situ-
ated near the centre of the screen.
Most people want to rotate the view sideways or towards and away. To carry
out these to actions, either drag your mouse horizontally through the centre
of the screen to rotate the view sideways, or vertically through the centre
of the screen to rotate it towards or away. The view will twist diagonally if
you drag from a corner.
Constrained rotation
Pressing the X, Y, or Z key whilst rotating the view will limit the rotation
to the corresponding real-world axis. For example, pressing the Z key will
rotate the data about the Z (elevation) axis.
Pressing the U, V, or W key will have a similar effect, limiting the rota-
tion to the X, Y, and Z axes of the screen, respectively.
The Display Limits Dialog

You normally rotate the view using the Rotate Tool . However, the 3D
View tab on the Display Limits dialog allows you precisely control the rotation
parameters and then save them as a form set.
Most of the controls are beyond the scope of this training and should be left
at their current values, but you may alter the Inclination, Azimuth, and Roll
values if you’d like to view your data from a specific direction. Vizex will auto-
matically calculate the other parameters based on your changes.

Notes: The Window group is identical to the Orthogonal and Transform versions.
You’ll learn about inclined views in the next exercise.
Exercise 3.5: View drillholes in an inclined view
In this exercise you’ll view your drillholes in an inclined view orientation:
1. Click the Clip View button to disable clipping.

2. Select the Rotate Tool and drag the mouse in the graphic display.
Observe how the view rotates around the data.
3. Click the Display Limits button to open the Display Limits dialog
and note how the contents of the 3D View tab have been filled out.
4. Once you finish viewing the inclined view, double-click the LOOKING
NORTH Standard Section to return to a cross-section view.
5. Click the pull-down button next to the Section or Elevation box and
choose 15900 from the list.
A useful feature of Micromine’s rotation is its ability to rotate the section cor-
ridor along with the data. With clipping enabled, simply rotate the view and
the section corridor will follow. This is very useful for checking the relationship
between drillholes and the section corridor, especially while you’re interpreting
data. (Interpretation is covered in Lesson 4.)
You’ll demonstrate that now:

6. Select the Rotate Tool and drag the mouse in the graphic display. Notes:
7. As you rotate from the looking north view, observe how the section
corridor, defined by a blue box, rotates with the data. Also note how the
section is highlighted as a pale blue plane.
8. Once you’ve completed viewing the section, click the Previous View
button until you return to the looking north view on a northing of 15900.
Alternatively, double-click the LOOKING NORTH standard section and
then choose 15900 from the Section or Elevation box.
9. Leave the display open in preparation for the next exercise.
Perspective Mode and Depth Testing
Micromine’s view tools allow you to construct Vizex views in a variety of

ways. Some combinations that you might consider are:
Depth Testing : turn on for inclined views; turn off for plans and
vertical sections.
Perspective Mode : turn on to enhance inclined views using

vanishing-point perspective; turn off for plans and vertical sections,
especially if you are interpreting cross-sections. Perspective mode is ex-
plained in MM 103 – Showcasing Your Project.
Section Control Files

A section control file (SCF) provides a way to save section parameters in a
standard Micromine file without needing numerous display limits form sets.
Although a detailed explanation is beyond the scope of this introductory train-
ing we’ll introduce some basic concepts here since they complete the selection
of tools that can be used with drillhole and related data.
The Vizex Sections window (discussed above) and the accompanying Sec-
tion Control File toolbar provide the tools for creating and managing section
control files and named sections:
An SCF defines the orientation, location and thickness of a section by storing

those parameters within the file. When you first save an SCF it is automatically
placed within the SECTIONS subfolder within your project, which is created if
it doesn’t exist. You can create and edit SCFs in a variety of ways, either from
strings, visually or using the File Editor, offering clear advantages over the
Display Limits workflow.
Sections within an SCF are known as named sections. You can use an SCF
to instantly move to any named section or browse through the sections, re-
gardless of their orientation and thickness.

Notes: Sections in an SCF may be defined in any view orientation.
You’ll use an existing SCF in the next exercise and learn to create a section
control file in MG 202 – Drillholes 1, which is part of the Exploration course.
Exercise 3.6: Use a section control file
This exercise shows how a section control file simplifies choosing a section.
1. Ensure that the Sections window is visible.

2. Locate the NVG_Sections file and click its expand icon to reveal the
list of named sections. Alternatively, double-click it.
3. Double-click any named section to go immediately to that section.
4. Use the Previous and Next Section buttons on the Section
Control File toolbar to browse the sections.
5. Double-click 15900mN in the named sections list to return to that
section.
6. Leave the display open in preparation for the next exercise.
This example should give you an idea of the versatility of section control files.
There are many other tools for working with SCFs, which are described in more
detail in MG 202 – Drillholes 1.
Adding Downhole Information

With Vizex you can add as much information to your drillhole traces as clarity,
common sense and your computer’s resources will allow. You’ll explore some
drillhole form set types in the next few exercises.
Exercise 3.7: Add drillhole assay values to the trace

display
Now that you’ve set up a coloured trace display based on assay value you’ll
place some assay labels using the same colour set:
1. Click the Vizex Forms tab underneath the Sections window to

redisplay the Vizex Forms pane.
2. Double-click the Drillhole > Interval Label form type.

3. In the Interval Label dialog, switch to the Input Data tab. Notes:
4. Click the browse button in the Database response and choose your
Training database.
5. Click the browse button in the Interval file and choose
NVG_Assay.DAT.
6. Click the list ( ) button in the first Label field and choose AU1 PLOT.
7. Click the form button in the Colour set and choose Drillhole Au1
(deciles).
8. Leave Width, Decimals, and Justify set to their default values:
If more than one Label Field is selected, they will appear in columns to
the right or left of the drillhole depending on the side you select.
9. Switch to the Display tab and set the label Side to RIGHT.
10. Set the Text Properties to Calibri Scaled 1 Grid unit.
11. Click Save As and save the form set with the Title Au Assay (deciles).
12. Click OK on both dialogs to load the labels.
Because the average interval length of the drillhole data is one metre, scaling
the text to that height reduces the potential for clashes with the preceding and
following labels. If the text is too small, simply zoom in to enlarge it.
Exercise 3.8: Add drillhole lithology labels to the

display
With the assays labelled you’ll repeat the exercise to display lithology labels.
1. Double-click the Interval Label form type a second time and switch to
the Input Data tab.
2. The name of your Training database already appears in the dialog, so go
directly to the Interval file response.

Notes: 3. Click the browse button in the Interval file response and choose
NVG_Lith.DAT.
4. Click the list ( ) button in the first Label field and choose LITH. You
have no lithological colour set at this stage, so blank out the existing
Colour set and ensure the default colour is BLACK:
5. Switch to the Display tab and set the label side to LEFT.
6. Set the Text Properties to Calibri Scaled 2 Grid units.
7. Click Save As and save the form set with the Title Lithology (black).
8. Click OK on both dialogs to load the labels. You’ll see black labels
appear down the left-hand side of each drillhole trace.
Creating a Text Colour Set

So far, you’ve created a numeric colour set that assigned numerical ranges to
specific colours. You use a similar technique to create a text colour set, which
uses character codes instead of numerical ranges. When you use the Assign
button, Micromine finds all unique values in the selected field.
To simplify your colour set you can group similar values in one of two ways:
Auto Group, which groups the codes by the first n characters, or manual
grouping, where you decide which codes will be gathered together. Auto
grouping is best for hierarchical codes, such as standard Geological Survey
codes, where there’s a distinct hierarchy in the code structure. Non-hierarchical
codes are best handled using manual grouping. You’ll use manual grouping in
the following exercise.

Notes:
Exercise 3.9: Create a text colour set
In this exercise you’ll create a text colour set, grouping related codes to sim-
plify the colours. To save time, you’ll start with the existing form.
1. Double-click the Lithology (black) layer in the Display pane to open its
form, and switch to the Input Data tab.
2. Right-click the LITH Colour set response to create the colour set. The
Edit Colour Sets (Text) dialog will appear.
3. Click the Assign button at the right of this dialog.
4. Micromine automatically identifies the file and field you’re working on, so
just click OK on the Assign dialog after it appears.
Grouping and assigning codes
1. A second Assign dialog will appear, containing two columns. The

Found column contains all unique codes in the file, and the Text
column will contain your newly created groups.
2. Enable Add selected items to group.
3. Hold down the Ctrl key on your keyboard and click to select the ANDS
and DACT codes from the Found column.
4. Click the right single arrow button. Observe how the two codes now
appear on a single line in the Text column.
5. Click once anywhere below the ANDS | DACT entry in the Text column
to deselect it.

Notes:
6. Repeat Steps 3 through 5, this time with the FAUL and FBX codes.
7. Lastly, disable Add selected items to group and click the double right
arrow to move the remaining codes (NC, SED, and VEIN) as separate
entries. Your Assign dialog should look like this:
8. Click OK to close the Assign dialog. Your newly created groups will be
transferred to the Edit Colour Sets (Text) dialog.
Choosing colours and saving the colour set
With the codes created you can now turn your attention to the colours.
1. Double-click each colour and choose a colour to represent each code

group. You may optionally type in a more descriptive Label for each
group. Your finished colour set should look like this:
2. Click Save As and save the colour set with the Title Basic lithology.
3. Click Save and Close to return to Vizex. Note how the form set ID
appears in the Colour set response of the Drillhole Values dialog.
4. Do NOT click OK on the Interval Label dialog!

Creating a new form set from an existing form Notes:
You’ll use these Drillhole Value settings to create an alternative (colour) version
of the black labels form set you created earlier.
1. On the Interval Label dialog, click Save As.

2. In the Save Current Values dialog, observe how Vizex allocated a new
form set ID and changed the title to Copy of Lithology (black).
3. Change the Title to Lithology (coloured) and click OK.
4. Lastly, click OK on the Interval Label dialog to accept the changes.
Note how the labels on the drillholes are no longer black, the layer name in
the Display pane is now Lithology (coloured), and a new form set appears
under the Interval Label form type in the Vizex Forms pane.
Had you not saved the Interval Label settings as a new form set, Vizex
would have listed the layer name in the Display pane using blue text, in-
dicating it had been modified but not saved.
If you want to overwrite the old settings when you modify a Vizex form
set, click Save before you click OK.
Creating an Interval Hatch Display

The drillhole display is becoming informative, although the very narrow drill-
hole traces are difficult to see. You can improve the appearance of the
drillholes by placing an interval hatch along the drillhole trace.
Hatch sets allow you to place a fill pattern into any enclosed region. There are
three main uses for hatch sets:
• Downhole interval hatches (lithology, oxide, etc.)

• Downhole graphs (assay, recovery, etc.)
• Other polygonal areas (strings containing geological interpretations,
property boundaries, etc.)
Micromine includes large number of hatch patterns. However, you can use any
TrueType or OpenType font if you require additional patterns.
When you set up a hatch set you independently control the pattern, foreground
and background colours, symbol size and outline of each pattern. Additionally,
many Micromine functions allow you to independently control or override the
foreground and background colours.
With the Exploration module you can alternatively create a Solid Trace, which
draws the drillholes as 3D cylinders and is ideal for an inclined view, or use the
Drillhole Imaging form to display cylindrically-wrapped images.

Notes: Controlling the hatch width
In a drillhole interval hatch the filled regions are rectangles extending between
each FROM-TO interval, with widths specified in real-world units. So, a hatch
pattern with a width of four in a metric project is literally four metres wide.
Plotting it at 1:1,000-scale would produce a hatch width of 4 mm on the paper.
You can optionally use the contents of a numeric field to vary the hatch width.
You’ll create a drillhole hatch in the next exercise.
Exercise 3.10: Add a hatch pattern to the display
In this exercise you’ll add a geological hatch pattern to each drillhole trace,
building on an existing hatch set that has some missing patterns.
Setting up the fill patterns
First, set up the Interval Hatch dialog:
1. Double-click the Interval Hatch Vizex form type and ensure the Input
Data tab is active.
2. Click the Database browse button and choose Training.

3. Click the Interval file browse button and choose NVG_Lith.DAT.
Ignore the Colour Control group – it is not needed for this exercise.
4. Switch to the Hatching tab and enable Use hatch field.

5. Click the list ( ) button in the Hatch field and choose LITH.
6. Click the Hatch set form button and select Sample downhole
lithology from the list. When you return to the Interval Hatch dialog
you’ll see the number of this hatch set in the Hatch set response.
Next, edit the hatch set and define the missing patterns:
7. Right-click the Hatch set number and choose Edit from the menu.

8. You’ll see the partially completed hatch set with code groups that were Notes:
Assigned using the same procedure as Exercise 3.9.
9. Double-click the empty hatch pattern for the NC (No core) entry to open
the Fill Pattern dialog. Create a fill using a combination of pattern and
foreground, background, and border colours.
10. Repeat for the SED (Sedimentary Rocks) entry. Your hatch set should
resemble this (the labels are optional):
Lastly, save the changes as a new hatch set:
11. Click Save As to save the hatch set with the Title Basic lithology.
12. Click the New button next to the form set Number to pick up the first
available number (4) instead of 51.
13. Click OK followed by Save and Close.
Hatch field vs. Colour Control
The Colour Control option allows you to override the foreground and
background colours of a hatch set and is best used whenever your cat-
egories are too simple or too complex to use a hatch set.
A typical too-simple scenario arises when you want to display values with
different colours using the same hatch pattern. Here you would use a sin-
gle Hatch along with a Foreground colour set.
A too-complex scenario might arise when many rock types are subjected
to many alterations. Instead of creating a hatch set containing all pos-
sible rock/alteration combinations, create a rock type Hatch set and use
a Foreground colour set to overprint the alterations.
Choosing a size and position for the hatch display
If you inspect the Side list, you’ll see that Vizex only provides options for LEFT
and RIGHT. Fortunately, there is an easy way to centre the hatch.
1. Leave the Side set to LEFT.

2. Set Offset distance to –2, Hatch width to 4, and Border to 4 SIDES.
3. Enable Draw at right-angles to trace.

Notes: Lastly, save as a form set and then display the Interval Hatch settings:
4. Click Save As on the Interval Hatch dialog and save a form set with
the Title Drillhole lithology.
5. Click OK to return to Vizex. Your display should look like this:
Offsetting the value labels
If you zoom in on a drillhole you’ll notice some unfortunate side-effects of the

hatch layer: it overlaps the interval values and the drill trace is still visible in
the middle of it. To improve the display, you need to make two more changes:
• Offset the two interval label layers so that they aren’t overlapped by the
hatch pattern.
• Switch the display to layer order mode.
First, offset the interval labels:
1. Double-click the Au assay (deciles) layer to open its dialog, and switch to
the Display tab.
2. Enter an Offset distance of 2 for the Labels group.
3. Enter an Offset distance of 2 for the Ticks group.
4. Click Save followed by OK to save the form set and update the display.
5. Repeat the Steps 1 through 4 for the Lithology (coloured) layer.
Now, switch the display to layer order:
6. Click the Vizex node in the Display pane to deselect all layers. Or, click
a blank part of the Display pane, below all listed layers.

7. Click the Toggle Depth Testing button to put the display into layer Notes:
order mode.
Note how the drill traces, which were originally visible down the centre of the
hatch, have disappeared as shown here:
8. Zoom in on a drillhole and observe how the label ticks stop exactly at
the edge of the hatch polygons.
9. Restore the view by right-clicking the Drillhole lithology layer in the
Display pane and choosing View Selection from the popup menu.
10. Keep the display open in preparation for the next exercise.
Creating a Plot File

The final step in your work with drillholes is to create a plot file of the cross
section, to be later used in the plotting exercises along with your plan plot.
Exercise 3.11: Create a plot file
1. Click the Generate Plot File toolbar button. Or, select Plot |
Generate Plot File from the menu.
2. Enter a Plot file name of 15900mN. Don’t change any of the other
responses.
3. Click OK to make the plot file.

Notes: 4. Micromine will create a plot file and open a plot layout of the plot data.
Naming the plot file with label text, such as 15900mN, will make it easier
to automate the plot title, which you’ll learn in MM 104 – Plotting 1.
5. Close the Plot Editor by clicking Close on the 15900mN.PEX tab.

6. Lastly, select Edit | Remove All from the menu to clean up the display.
The lessons and exercises you’ve covered so far are a preamble to sectional
geological interpretation, which is covered in Lesson 4.
Table 3.1: Gallery of Vizex Drillhole forms
Trace: Trajectory of the holes, Solid Trace: Cylindrical solids along

displayed as simple or colour-coded the hole trace, with colour and
line, with collar and end-of-hole scaling options. Exploration module.
symbology and labels.
Interval Hatch: Rectangular bars Event: Downhole data at set

positioned relative to the hole trace, DEPTHs, with symbology options
with various patterns and widths. including rotation and scaling.

Gallery of Vizex Drillhole forms (continued) Notes:
Graph: Various presentation Interval Label: Labelled FROM-TO

techniques for numerical downhole data. Multiple fields may be placed
data such as recovery, mag sus, etc. either side of the hole trace,
individually coloured.
Oriented Structure: Shows true/ Seam Correlation: Links seams

app. dip from oriented diamond core between holes. Also used for fence
(alpha/beta). Exploration module. diagrams. Stratigraphic Modelling module.
Imaging: Cylindrical solids along

the hole trace, with wrapped
imagery. Exploration & Mining modules.

This lesson has taught you to manage and display drillhole data. You’ve worked
with various kinds of downhole data, such as interval labels and hatch patterns.
Additionally, you’ve seen how to view data in cross section and inclined view
orientations, and how to set up text colour and hatch sets.
To create a drillhole database:
Select Drillhole | Database | Create from the main menu, or

Open a Drillhole Vizex form, then
Right-click the Database response and choose New Database from
the popup menu, and
Enter the database name, and
Select the file names.
To refresh a drillhole database:
Select Drillhole | Database | Refresh from the main menu, or

Right-click the Database response on a Drillhole dialog and choose
Refresh Database from the popup menu, or
Select Drillhole | Database | Refresh Databases to refresh multiple
databases.
To validate a drillhole database:
Select Drillhole | Validate | Auto-validate options and enable the

necessary auto-validation options, or
Select Drillhole | Validate | Drillhole Database or Drillhole |
Database | Validate to manually validate it.
To display a Drillhole form type:
Double-click the Vizex form type in the Vizex Forms pane, then
Select the Database and files, and
Set up the display parameters.
To view an orthogonal section using the Sections window and toolbar:
Select the Standard Section from the Sections Window to set the
orientation, then
Enter the Section or Elevation, Towards Distance, and Away Dis-
tance on the Sections toolbar to set the location and thickness, and
Optionally set the Step value.

To view a transform (oblique) section using the Section Tool:
Use the Section Tool to drag an interactive section, which will

simultaneously set the orientation and location, whilst
Optionally holding the Ctrl key to limit the section orientation to
multiples of 30° or 45°, then
Enter the Towards and Away Distances to set the thickness, and
To view an orthogonal section using Display Limits:
Open the Display Limits dialog, then

Choose a View Type to set the orientation, then
Enter the Section number to set the location, then
Enter the Towards and Away values to set the thickness, and
To change view orientations using the View toolbar:
Click a Standard View to set the orientation.
To create an inclined view:
Select the Rotate Tool , and

Rotate the view into an inclined orientation.
To return to a standard view:
Click a Standard View button on the View toolbar.
To add downhole data to a drillhole display:
Double-click a Label, Hatch, Graph, Event, or Structure form type in the

Vizex Forms pane, then
Select the Database and file(s), and
Set up the display parameters.
To create a text colour or hatch set:
Right-click the Colour set or Hatch set response, then

Use the Assign button to list the available codes, then
Set the colours or patterns.

To centre a hatch pattern along a drillhole trace:
Set the Offset to minus one-half of the Hatch width.

Select Plot | Generate Plot File from the menu, or
Click the Generate Plot File toolbar button, then
Name the Plot file in a way that could be used as literal label text, and
Optionally, enable Auto load.
Good Practice
The standard views on the View toolbar are different from the standard sec-
tions on the Sections Window. Choosing a standard view only changes the
view orientation, taking whatever default clipping and towards/away distances
were set beforehand, whereas choosing a standard section always applies clip-
ping. Use standard views, particularly Plan, to reset the view without ap-
plying clipping, and use the standard sections to view a new section
orientation.
Use drillhole hatches to emphasise downhole variations. You can add as many
hatches as needed (for example for lithology, groundwater, oxidation state,
each of which would be offset from the others for clarity) to produce an
informative 3D graphic log. Optionally, use a numeric field to control the hatch
width.
It’s common for Micromine projects to contain many plot files. You can auto-
mate the process of titling plots if you name the files with text that could
appear on the plot title, for example a file name of 15900mN representing the
section at 15900mN. This technique is covered in MM 104 – Plotting 1.
Help Topics
Drillhole Database Drillhole > Databases
Validating a database Drillhole > Validate > DHDB
The Section tools Vizex > View > Sections and section control files
Display Limits Vizex > View > Display limits
Displaying Labels Drillhole > Drillholes in Vizex > Interval Label
Displaying Hatches Drillhole > Drillholes in Vizex > Interval Hatch

Notes:
Lesson 4 – Spatial Editing
Much of the information in a mineral project is spatial data that you create
through the process of spatial editing. Geological examples include heads-up
air-photo or geophysical interpretations and sectional drillhole interpretations.
In engineering spatial editing is most often used for planning and design.
• Use the Vizex Layers, String Editor, and String Editor Tools, and String
Tools toolbars
• Move and copy a string
• Insert, delete, and snap points
• Create a new string file for a sectional interpretation
• Create and name polygons within that string file
• Interpret geological shapes using both fact and interpretation.
Introduction
Vizex contains a suite of tools for editing many form types. With these tools
you can create points, lines, and polygons; smooth and simplify strings; define
gradients and curves; drape strings onto a wireframe and snap to any other
object in the display. You can also easily insert, move and delete points, as
well as move, copy and delete entire strings. A range of CAD tools provides
advanced editing options.
The user Interface

You access the spatial editing tools through the Vizex Layers, String Editor,
String Editor Tools, and String Tools toolbars. If you regularly perform
spatial editing, you should always keep these toolbars visible. In addition to
the toolbars Vizex provides many context-editing modes where the exact func-
tion depends on the object under the mouse cursor. There’s also a right-click
context menu that contains additional tools.
Using the Spatial Editing Tools

Because the editing toolbars are always visible there’s no need to explicitly
activate a stand-alone editor. Instead you simply start editing. There are three
ways to begin editing, which depend on your preferences and the task at hand.
They are:

Notes: • Edit an existing object

Activate the Select Tool , click the object, and then make some
changes to it. For example, you could move a point.
• Add something to an existing layer

Make the layer the Active Layer, either by using the Select Active
Layer pull-down list, or by right-clicking the layer in the Display pane
and selecting Active Layer from the pop-up menu. For example, you
could add a new polygon to a geological interpretation.
• Create a new layer and add something to it

Choose [New] (Layer type) from the Select Active Layer list. The new
layer will automatically become the Active Layer. For example, you could
create a new file for heads-up digitising over a scanned map.
Where do new objects go?
New objects are always added to the active layer. If you haven’t chosen
an active layer, or if it’s the wrong type (for example, you can’t add a
string to a wireframe), Vizex will prompt you to choose an active layer.
You can change more than one layer at a time. Edited layers are marked with
an asterisk (*) in the Display pane, but the files aren’t saved until you save
or attempt to remove or refresh them. Micromine provides a few ways to save
your edits, which also depend on your preferences and the task at hand.
The different ways to save files are:
• Right-click an edited layer in the Display pane and choose Save or

Save As from the pop-up menu.
• Click an edited layer in the Display pane to highlight it, then choose
File | Save or File | Save As from the menu, or press Ctrl+S.
• Select File | Save All from the menu, or press Ctrl+Shift+S, to
save all edited files.
If you forget to save your work, you’ll be prompted to save when you remove
or refresh an unsaved layer. However, we recommend that you always explic-
itly save each file.
The Editing Toolbars

The Vizex spatial editing interface comprises four toolbars: Vizex Layers,
String Editor, String Editor Tools, and String Tools. For this lesson you’ll
concentrate on the Vizex Layers toolbar and a handful of buttons from the
String Editor toolbar. For information on the remaining tools and toolbars,
consult the help links in the lesson summary.

Vizex Layers Notes:
• Select Active Layer pull-down list: Allows you to set an editable layer
as the active layer or create a new editable layer on-the-fly.
• Active layer: Provides an alternative way to set an active layer.
String Editor
• Snap Mode: Toggle snapping on and off; set snapping to object, point,
line, grid or intersection.
• Between Tool: Toggle the creation of points between two mouse
clicks. Use with Snap Mode to snap between two points.
• Insert Points: Toggle the insertion of points into existing strings.
• New Points: Draw new points.
• New String: Draw a new string, which may be open or closed.
• New Polygon: Draw a new closed string.
• New Two-Point/Three-Point Rectangle: Draw a rectangle from two
or three corner points.
Editing Strings
During a spatial editing session, the edit mode changes according to whether
your mouse pointer is above a point or a string, and whether that string is
already selected. You also control the edit mode by holding the Ctrl key. Vizex
gives you visual feedback on the selected editing mode by changing the shape
of the mouse pointer.
Table 4.1: Context edit modes
Mouse Over… Key Editing Function (1)

Cursor (2)
Nothing (New/Extend None New/extend

mode only)
String None Select; Drag to move
selected string
String Ctrl Multi-select; Drag to copy
selected string
Point None Drag to move point in
selected string
Point Ctrl Delete point from selected
string
(1) Italicised editing functions apply when string is not yet selected; the remaining
functions apply to selected strings.

(2)Cursors are only shown for editing modes. Selection modes (italicised) use the
standard Windows cursor.

Notes: Some edit modes, for example extending, closing or reversing a string, are
available from the right-click context menu. Like the context editing modes,
the functionality changes according to what you’re doing at the time. Table 4.1
summarises the mouse context edit modes.
Many edit modes are only accessible when the Select Tool is active.
You use three main tools to control most of the editing process:
• New Points/String/Polygon: Begins digitising new points or a new

string or polygon. To finish, press Esc after the last point, or double-
click the last point, or right-click.
• Snap Mode: Turns snap mode on and off. Press the S key to toggle
snapping from the keyboard.
The Snap Mode pull-down list allows you to snap to points, lines,
surfaces, coordinate gridlines, the intersection between two lines, or
perpendicular to a line. Click the small arrow at the right of the button to
select from the list. Or, press Shift+S to cycle through the snap modes.
Alternatively, display the Snapping toolbar for ready access to all snap
modes.
• Insert Points: Turns insert points mode on and off. Toggle this mode
by pressing the I key.
You’ll learn to use and combine these modes in the next exercise.
Exercise 4.1: Edit strings
In this exercise, you’ll load a saved view containing several layers that you
might use for a sectional drillhole interpretation. You’ll then explore the edit
modes listed in Table 4.1, along with snap and insert modes.
First, load the view and select a layer for editing:
1. Expand the Saved View list by clicking its expand icon in the Vizex
Forms pane.
2. Drag the String Editor saved view into the graphic display.

Vizex will load four layers, with only the Geological Section layer shown. Notes:
3. Ensure the Select Tool is active.

4. Click any polygon in the display to select it. Vizex will highlight the points
that define the polygon, as shown below. You’re now ready to edit it.
Now you can explore the basic edit modes:
5. Place the mouse pointer over a string segment and drag to move the
entire string.
6. Hold the Ctrl key, place the mouse pointer over a string segment, and
drag to create a copy of the string.
7. Release the Ctrl key, place the mouse pointer over a point and drag to
move it.
8. Hold the Ctrl key and click on a point to delete it.
Next, try snap mode:
9. Click the Snap Mode button and ensure that it’s set to Snap to
Object . Alternatively press the S key to activate Snap Mode.
10. Click on a point and drag to move it. Note how Vizex snaps to other
points and string segments as you drag.
Snap mode only applies within a certain tolerance; move closer to an obvious
polygon corner if you don’t see any snapping.
Zoom in using the mouse wheel if you need a smaller snap tolerance.
Lastly, switch to insert points mode:
11. Click the Snap Mode button to deactivate it and then click the Insert
Points button to activate insert points mode. Or, press the S key to
deactivate Snap Mode and the I key to activate Insert Points.
12. Click on a string segment to insert a point.
13. Inspect the Geological Section 15900mN layer in the Display pane and
note that it has an asterisk next to it indicating it’s been edited.

Notes: Now you’ll refresh the layer to restore it to its previous condition:
14. Right-click the Geological Section 15900mN layer in the Display pane
and choose Refresh from the pop-up menu. Answer No when
prompted to save your edits. The layer will revert to its unedited state.
Creating New Strings (or Points or Polygons)

So far, you’ve edited existing strings in the Geological Section layer. To create
a new object, such as a string, begin by making the target layer the Active
Layer. You do this by right-clicking the layer in the Display pane and
choosing Active Layer from the pop-up menu, or by choosing it from the
Active Layer list in the Vizex Layers toolbar. There can only be one active
layer at any time, which is listed in bold text in the Properties window (although
you can modify any number of layers).
To draw the new object, click the New Points , New String or New
Polygon toolbar button based on the object type you wish to create. (Only
New Points will be available for a point file.) Or, right-click anywhere in the
graphic display and choose New String or New Polygon from the pop-up
menu. Vizex will change the mouse pointer to a precise (crosshair) cursor to
indicate the change of mode. You can now add points as required.
You finish a new string in several different ways, depending on whether you
want to leave it open or closed. To finish the string and leave it open:
• Right-click after adding the last point.

• Press the Esc key after adding the last point.
• Double-click to add the last point.
Vizex will change the mouse pointer back to the Select Tool to indicate the
new string is finished. To close the string:
• Choose New Polygon when you create it and use one of the above
methods to finish it. The string will automatically close.
• Digitise the last point over the first. Provided you’re reasonably accurate
Vizex will automatically snap the two points.
• If you used New String , create an open string as above and then
right-click and choose Close String from the pop-up menu.
Closing a string automatically finishes it and changes the mouse pointer back
to the Select Tool.
To set the properties of a string, select it and switch to the Properties window
(tabbed with the Vizex Forms and Sections panes). You can edit any prop-
erty that is not shown in grey text. Use the Property Window toolbar
button to reopen the Properties window if you can’t see it.

Need a reminder to set properties? Notes:
You can optionally configure Vizex to prompt you for the properties every
time you create a new string. To enable this option, select Tools | Op-
tions | Vizex from the menu and switch to the String Editor tab on
the Vizex Options dialog. Enable Prompt to edit properties on adding
a new string to activate this option.
Snapping
Most on-screen digitising incorporates pre-existing data. For example, you
would typically interpret cross-sections from existing drillhole information or
draw a geological map over satellite imagery or geophysics. With Vizex you
can snap to virtually any visible object; thus, you can improve the accuracy of
a cross-section interpretation by snapping to true 3D drillhole intervals.
Although snapping works for nearly every layer type it is not appropriate, and
isn’t enabled, for types like images and grids. Additionally, you might want to
display a layer but intentionally avoid snapping to it. You control the snap
status of a layer by selecting it in the Display pane and clicking the Toggle
Snap Status button. When this button is down the layer can be snapped-to;
when the button is up it can’t.
To snap to a point, activate Snap Mode and move the mouse near that point.
You’ll see a small square, the snap cursor, following your mouse pointer.
Once the snap cursor is in the right place, click the mouse to snap to that
point. Don’t move your mouse pointer over the point as it will hide the snap
cursor and make it harder to tell which point is being snapped.
Snap Mode works in two ways: you either click the mouse to a snap single
point or you drag the mouse to follow a string. Vizex always displays a snap
cursor showing the currently-snapped point and highlights the currently-fol-
lowed string segments with a dashed line.
Setting the default snap status
You control the default snap status on a layer type-by-type basis by se-
lecting Tools | Options | Vizex and switching to the Default Layer
Options tab. Here you can set the default snap status for each new layer
type that you might load.

Notes:
Exercise 4.2: Snap to objects
In this exercise you’ll create a couple of new polygons and experiment with
Snap Mode and following a string.
1. Show the hidden layers in the Display pane.

2. Make the Geological Section 15900mN layer the Active Layer by right-
clicking it in the Display pane and choosing Active Layer from the
pop-up menu. Or, select Geological Section 15900mN from the Select
Active Layer list on the Vizex Layers toolbar.
3. Enable Snap Mode and disable Insert Points .
4. Click the New Polygon button to create a new polygon in the string
file. Vizex will change the mouse pointer from the selection cursor to the
precise cursor, indicating that you’re now ready to digitise.
5. Move the mouse pointer around the graphic display and note how the
snap cursor jumps to points and lines from all visible layers.
A dark green rock unit has been logged at the western side of the drilling, and
now you’ll produce a simple interpretation of this unit.
6. Move the mouse onto a drillhole until the snap cursor finds one of the
dark green contacts, taking care to not hide it with your mouse pointer.
Click to add a point.
7. Repeat for the remaining five points that define the green unit – but
don’t try extending the interpretation beyond the drillholes at this stage.
8. Once you’ve digitised the sixth point (without closing the polygon),
Right-click the mouse. Vizex will automatically close the polygon.
9. Switch to the Properties window and set the String value to ANDS.
Your display should resemble this:

Save a mouse click: Keep the Properties window visible Notes:
The Properties window is a dockable window that behaves like the

Vizex Forms and Display panes. Keep it visible if you’re doing a lot of
editing. Then, you need only select an object to change its properties.
Optionally, the next part of this exercise will briefly show you how to follow a
string. This action is discussed in detail in MG 201 – Surface Geology.
10. Click the New Polygon button to create another new polygon.
11. Click and drag the mouse down the western side of HW1 (the red
polygon). As you proceed, you’ll see a faint line appear along that edge.
When you’ reach the bottom of HW1, release the mouse. Vizex will
immediately draw the shared line.
12. Experiment with following other boundaries or lines.
13. Once you’re satisfied with your digitising, press Ctrl+S to save the
edits.
14. Leave the display in preparation for the next exercise.
Creating New Files

You often need to create new files for editing within Vizex, for example to start
a new sectional drillhole interpretation, an air-photo interpretation, or heads-
up digitising over a scanned paper map.
Creating new point or string files in Vizex is straightforward: pull down the
Select Active Layer list on the Vizex Layers toolbar and choose [New]
(Layer type) from the list. For example, you create a new string file by pulling
down the list and choosing [New] String.
Once you’ve made the selection Vizex will place a new layer in the Display
pane, named Untitled (Untitled.EXT) and automatically set as the active
layer. (EXT varies according to the layer type you requested – DAT for points
and STR for strings.) Untitled appears twice because the form set and the
underlying file both have no title.

Notes: Controlling the File Structure

Vizex uses a default structure whenever you use Select Active Layer to cre-
ate a point or string file. Advanced users may wish to use one of these alter-
native methods to create a file with a custom structure:
• Create a layer using Select Active Layer. As soon as it’s created right-
click it in the Display pane and choose Open Input File from the pop-
up menu. Then modify the file using the method you learned in MM 101.
• Open the Vizex Point or String dialog (as required). Right-click the File
response in the Input Data tab and choose New from the pop-up
menu. Enter the file name, choose the file type and then manually
define the structure.
A minimal string file should contain these five fields:
• EASTING, NORTHING, and RL (ELEVATION): Real fields with display

precisions appropriate for your coordinate system.
• STRING: A character field with a width of at least 10 characters. Use
this field to label each string (as a road, fence, boundary, fault, etc.).
• JOIN: A numeric field with a width of about 8 characters and zero dec-
imals. Vizex will automatically place values into this field and will use
them to identify where one string ends and another begins.
A minimal point file should contain the 3D coordinate fields described above.
Both file types may contain as many additional fields as needed. Consider cre-
ating a template to simplify the process if you regularly use this method.
Although we recommend naming the fields as listed you may use any field
names that suit the purpose. For example, it’s common to use a LABEL field
as a string field.
Interpreting Geological Solids

One of the main reasons for displaying drillhole data is for geological inter-
pretation: you view your drillholes in a vertical section along with supporting
data such as faults and oxidation surface boundaries, and then carry out an
on-screen interpretation.
Before you start the interpretation exercise we need to summarise the

prerequisites and conventions that you should use.
You must have already:
• Validated your drillhole data (see MM 101 – Micromine Basics).

• Loaded the supporting data (assay, lithology, existing wireframes or in-
terpretations, block models or pit shells) into the display. You use these
layers as snapping targets while digitising.
• Set the view to the correct orientation, location, and thickness.

You can set the view to any orientation, including oblique/inclined, for in- Notes:
terpretation. Additionally, you can simultaneously edit in multiple win-
dows, such as in plan and cross section.
Naming the Interpreted Strings

Within a given file you should name each string according to the real-world
object it represents. If you’re digitising Number Four Lode, then give it a name
like NO4. As you proceed to the next section, if it’s the same lode, keep giving
it the same name.
Give each object a unique name wherever there’s more than one object in a
section. For example, if a lode is bifurcated or splayed by a fault use a suffix
(e.g. NO4_F for Number Four Lode Footwall) to keep the names unique, as
shown in the three example sections overleaf.
NO4 NO4 NO4 NO4_F
Although you don’t have to name the strings this way your workflow will go
more smoothly if you do. It will also simplify the wireframing stage.

Notes:
Optional Exercise 4.3: Set up a new string file
In Exercise 4.1 you edited an existing string file. In this exercise you’ll create
a new string file, which will comprise a simple bounding box that defines the
limits of the to-be-created geological model.
1. Right-click the Geological Interpretation saved view in the Vizex

Forms pane and select Load from the pop-up menu. Answer No when
prompted.
Right-click | Loading a saved view automatically removes the previous view.

The new view contains the same data you saw earlier, on section 15900mN,
but with clipping disabled so that you can see all of it at once.
2. Pull down the Select Active Layer list in the Vizex Layers toolbar and
choose [New] String from the list. Note how Vizex places a new layer
called Untitled (Untitled.STR) in the Display pane.
3. Click the New Two-Point Rectangle tool on the String Editor

toolbar. (Disable Snap Mode if necessary.)
4. Click two diagonally opposite points to define a rectangle that
comfortably contains the drilling. Ignore the outer limits of the
topographic DTM.
5. In the Rectangle Properties dialog, optionally round the East and Z
coordinates to the nearest 10 metres, Previewing the result:

Notes:
6. Right-click the Untitled (Untitled.STR) layer in the Display pane and

choose Save As from the pop-up menu.
7. Enter the File Name Interp_Limit and set the File Type to STRING.
Click OK to save the polygon.
In the next exercise you’ll continue the quartz vein geological interpretation.
Interpretation Steps
At this point it’s tempting to just jump in and start drawing the geology, but
as with most tasks a systematic approach will produce a better result. Gen-
erally, you should use a two-stage workflow for a geological interpretation.
Figure 4.1: Draw facts by snapping

Notes: • First, digitise the Facts by Snapping to the available data, as shown
on Figure 4.1.
• Then, digitise the Interpretation using Insert Points mode with

Snap Mode turned off (Figure 4.2).
Figure 4.2: Interpret by inserting points
You need this approach because drillholes are rarely, if ever, located exactly
on the plane of the section. The slight mismatch between the holes and the
section plane means some intervals will fall slightly off the section. Initially
concentrating on the facts by snapping to existing points creates a 3D co-
ordinate framework for your new string. By inserting the interpreted points
into this framework, you allow Vizex to interpolate their 3D locations from the
surrounding data, which produces a more accurate result. If you had started
freehand digitising, Vizex would always put the new points exactly on the plane
of the section instead of the drillholes.
Exercise 4.4: Interpret the quartz veins, making use of

all available data
In this exercise you’ll complete the quartz vein interpretation, working north-
wards and southwards from section 15900mN. The aim here is to understand
how to carry out an interpretation using the tools and techniques you’ve learnt
so far, so don’t worry if your new polygons look a little … creative.
1. Right-click the Quartz vein interpretation and make it the Active Layer.
2. Switch to the Sections window (tabbed against the Vizex Forms pane)
and expand the NVG_Sections list.
3. Double-click the section 15925mN.
4. Click the New Polygon button to start drawing a new polygon.

Digitise the facts Notes:
1. Click the Snap Mode button (or press S) to enable Snap Mode.
2. Digitise a polygon around the red drillhole intervals to produce a basic
quartz vein shape, observing the location of the snap cursor as you go.
Don’t extend it beyond the drillhole data at this point.
3. Right-click to finish and close the polygon.
4. With the polygon selected, switch to the Properties window and enter a
STRING value that matches the vein in the previous section.
Draw the interpretation
1. Click the Insert Points button (or press I) to activate Insert Points.
2. Click the Snap Mode button (or press S) to disable Snap Mode.
3. Insert points by clicking on a string segment and, in the same action,
dragging each newly created point to its final location.
4. Repeat the fact/interpretation steps for the other veins on this section.
5. Your screen should resemble this screenshot:
Optional: Continue the interpretation
Now you can move to the next section:
1. Move to the next section by clicking the Next Section button on the
Section Control File toolbar or pressing Shift+Page Down.
2. Repeat the fact/interpretation steps for the veins on the new section.

Notes: Save your work
1. Once you’ve completed the interpretation, right-click the Quartz vein

interpretation layer in the Display pane and choose Save from the
pop-up menu.
2. Select Edit | Remove All from the main menu to clean up the display
in preparation for the next exercise.

In this lesson you learned to do spatial editing in Vizex using various editing
modes, editing tools and context menus. You also learned to perform a sec-
tional interpretation.
To start editing:
Make changes to an editable layer, or

Set a layer as the active layer using the Select Active Layer list, or
Set a layer as the active layer by right-clicking it and choosing Active
Layer from the pop-up menu, or
Create a new editable layer by choosing [New] (Layer type) from the
Select Active Layer list.
To save changes to a layer:
Right-click the layer in the Display pane and choose Save or

Save As from the pop-up menu, or
Highlight the edited layer in the Display pane and choose File | Save
or File | Save As from the menu, or press Ctrl+S, or
Select File | Save All from the menu, or press Ctrl+Shift+S.
To create a new file:
Create a new editable layer choosing [New] (Layer type) from the
Select Active Layer list, or
Double-click the Vizex form in the Vizex Forms pane, then right-
click the File response and select New from the pop-up menu.
To create a new point, string or polygon:
Click the New Points, New String or New Polygon button, or
Right click and choose New String.
To finish a new object:
Right-click, or
Press Esc, or
Double-click the last point, or
Close the string by clicking the last point over the first.
To move a point or string:
Click the point or string and drag it to its new location

To copy a string:
Hold the Ctrl key, then click and drag the string to produce a copy.
To delete a point:
Hold the Ctrl key and click the point.
To delete a string:
Select the string and then press the Delete key, or

Right-click and choose Delete String from the pop-up menu.
To toggle Insert Points mode:
Click the Insert Points toolbar button (or press the I key).
To toggle Snap Mode:
Click the Snap Mode toolbar button (or press the S key).
To select a snapping method:
Select Snap to Object, Snap to Point, Snap to Line, Snap to Surface,

Snap to Grid, Snap to Intersection or Snap Perpendicular from the pull-
down menu at the right of the Snap Mode button, or
Press Shift+S to cycle through the snap modes, or
Display the Snapping toolbar for quick access to snapping methods.
To follow a string:
With snap mode enabled, drag the mouse along the object boundary.
To interpret a new geological shape:
Digitise the facts using Snap Mode , and then

Digitise the interpretation using Insert Points mode.
To name a new object in a file:
Display the Properties window.

Name it according to the real-world object it represents.
If it’s the same object from section to section, give it the same name.
Use a suffix to name bifurcations and splays.

To be prompted to set properties whenever you create a new object:
Select Tools | Options | Vizex from the menu, and

Activate the String Editor tab, then
Set Prompt to edit properties on adding a new string.
Good Practice
Always keep the three editing toolbars (Vizex Layers, String Editor, String
Editor Tools) visible so that you can begin editing at any time. Similarly, keep
the Properties window visible so that you can set the properties of a newly-
created string by clicking it.
Become familiar with the keyboard and right-click shortcuts so you can speed
up the editing process. For example, it’s quicker to toggle snap mode and
insert points mode by pressing S and I than it is to move the mouse to the
toolbar each time.
If you need a different file structure to the default structure produced by the
[New] (Layer type) option, create a file template and use that to create a new
file using the right-click | New method.
A useful way to systemise the sectional interpretation process is to break it

down to a few lines:
• Same object, same name

• Facts by snapping (Snap Mode on)
• Interpretation by inserting (Insert Points mode on)
Help Topics
Spatial editing toolbars Vizex > Window > Toolbars
Spatial editing tools Strings > String Editor
The Active Layer Strings > String Editor Tools > Working with
the Active Layer
Properties pane Vizex > Window > Properties Pane
Displaying points Vizex > Display > Point

Notes:
Lesson 5 – DTMs
A DTM (Digital Terrain Model) is a way to represent a surface using a network

of connected triangles. DTMs, also known as DEMs (Digital Elevation Models)
or TINs (Triangulated Irregular Networks), are usually used to represent real
physical surfaces like topography, open pits and waste dumps.
• Build a DTM from a string file of topographic contours

• Apply a colour set to a DTM
• Drape an image on a DTM
• Adjust the transparency of a DTM.
Creating a Digital Terrain Model

With Vizex you can generate a DTM directly from strings or points in the dis-
play, which is useful if you’ve just finished a pit design and want to produce a
pit shell, or if you’ve edited some photogrammetric data and want to produce
a topographic surface.
Creating a DTM requires the Exploration, Wireframing or Surveying

module.
There are three ways to create a DTM, depending on your preferences:
• Interactively select the points and strings from the display and click the
Create Wireframe button.
• Click the Create Wireframe button and then follow the instructions
in the Selection Assistant.
• Select DTM | Create Surface from the main menu. This option takes
place outside of Vizex and is ideal for process automation.
When you use an interactive method, the Selection Assistant will prompt you
to optionally use another string to restrict the extents of the DTM and will then
open the Build DTM dialog. You must supply the output wireframe’s Type,
Name and Colour. The wireframe Type gives you a convenient way to group
similar wireframes; for example, you might have DTMs of pre- and post-mining
topography, which could be placed in the DTM wireframe type. The Name is
any name you specify. Enabling the Auto load option will immediately display
the newly created DTM in Vizex.
Create DTM automatically treats the input strings as breaklines, producing a

DTM that exactly honours the input data.
The Processing Options tab provides many advanced construction options.

Use Define Projection Plane to build the DTM in a direction other than
PLAN. Use Generate Terrain Features to build a DTM from topographic
contours: Simple mode prevents contour lines from being self-connected,

minimising flat triangles, and Advanced mode creates topographic relief in Notes:
otherwise flat areas. Disabling Generate Terrain Features (the default setting)
allows the creation of flat triangles for pit designs with haul roads.
Wireframe, triangulation, DTM, DEM, DSM, surface, TIN, solid

– what’s with all the names?
These names are generally interchangeable, and represent shapes made from
triangles. Micromine uses Wireframe as a generic word for any shape made of
triangles. A DTM, DEM and TIN cannot enclose a volume or fold back over
themselves, whereas a surface and solid can be any shape.
Exercise 5.1: Create a topographic DTM
In this exercise you’ll use the topographic contours you imported from ArcGIS
to produce a topographic DTM.
First, create the view and select the Create DTM option:
1. Expand the String form by clicking its icon in the Vizex Forms pane.
2. Drag the Topographic contours form set into the graphic display. Vizex
will load the contours you created earlier.
3. Click the Create Wireframe button on the Wireframe Tools
toolbar to reveal the Selection Assistant.
Step 1 of the Selection Assistant is highlighted, asking you to select the strings
from which to create the DTM. It has also automatically activated the Select
Tool. You’re now ready to select the contour lines:
4. Drag a rectangle that encloses the contour lines. The selected lines will
be highlighted when you release the mouse. Drag a larger rectangle if
you didn’t select them all. You can repeat this step as often as needed to
get the right selection.
5. Right-click the mouse or click the Accept Selection button to go
to Step 2, which asks you to specify an optional restriction string.
6. Right-click (or Accept Selection ) to skip the restriction string.
7. Ensure the Output Wireframe tab is visible, then click the Type
browse button and choose DTM.tridb from the list
8. Enter the Name Topo and change the Colour from black to green.
Although this dialog includes an auto-load option, you need to learn about
manually loading a wireframe and won’t use it here.

Notes: 9. Ensure Auto load is disabled.

10. Switch to the Processing Options tab and enable Generate Terrain
Features. Leave it set to Simple mode.
11. Click OK to build the DTM.
Now you can load the newly created DTM:
1. Double-click the Wireframe form type in the Vizex Forms pane.
2. Ensure that the Input Data tab is active, and the Wireframe group is
set to Single.
3. Click the Type browse button and choose DTM.tridb from the list. (If
you see Example wireframes, go up one folder level).
4. Click the Name list ( ) button and choose Topo from the list.
Micromine automatically chooses the name when the tridb file only contains
one wireframe.
5. Switch to the Display tab and set Draw Style to 3D Shaded (Hollow).
6. Enable 3D Colour coding and click the Colour set form button.
7. Choose NVG_TOPO DTM Colours from the list of available colour sets.
8. At this point the DTM is worth seeing, so click OK to display it. Your
display should look like this screenshot:

Draping Images onto DTMs Notes:
Using a DTM together with a georeferenced air photo makes it possible to

display a semi-realistic view of a topographic surface. The technique of placing
an image on a 3D surface is known as draping.
Exercise 5.2: Drape an air photo onto the DTM
In this exercise you’ll drape an air photo onto the DTM. Begin by reopening
the Wireframe dialog and choosing the image file:
1. Double-click the Untitled (DTM Topo) layer in the Display pane. The
form will open back on the Display tab, which is where you last left it.
2. Switch to the Draping tab and choose Image.
3. Click the Image file browse button and navigate to the Import
folder. Select the MMI_Image.ecw file.
4. Ensure the Georeference option is selected.
Vizex will automatically choose Micromine (GRF) georeferencing from the

Source list.
Now save the settings as a form set:
5. Click the Save As button and save a form set with the Title Topo DTM
with airphoto.
6. Click OK on the Save Current Values dialog and Wireframe form to
display the modified DTM.
Your display should resemble this screenshot:

Notes: Optional: Change the transparency of the DTM via the Advanced tab.
7. Double-click the Topo DTM with airphoto layer in the Display pane to
reopen the form.
8. Switch to the Advanced tab and drag the Transparency slider to
about 20%. Click OK to apply the changes (without saving them to the
form set).
9. Once you’re finished experimenting with the transparency, select Edit |
Remove All from the menu to clean up the display, answering No
when prompted to save changes.
Plotting views containing wireframes
To plot a view containing an image draped on a wireframe, first save the

view as a Saved View and then select Plot | Generate Vizex Plot
from the menu. A Vizex Plot is drawn directly from a Vizex view and will
correctly handle the draping, texturing and shading of a wireframe.
If you generate a regular plot file the Plot Editor won’t be able to cor-
rectly interpret the wireframe and it may be drawn poorly, if at all.
More information on plotting is in MM 104 – Plotting 1.

In this lesson you learned to create and work with DTMs.
To create a DTM:
Select the input strings and points from the display and click the Create
Wireframe button, or
Click the Create Wireframe button and then follow the Selection
Assistant, or
Select DTM | Create Surface from the main menu.
To load a DTM:
Double-click the Wireframe form type in the Vizex Forms pane, and
Set up the Wireframe form.
To drape an image on a DTM:
Switch to the Draping tab on the Wireframe form, then

Select Image mode, and
Browse to the Image file, then
Choose a Georeferencing option.
Good Practice
Always choose a default colour when you create a new DTM. If you don’t it
will be displayed in solid black and no texture will be visible when you view it.
You should not use a colour set to change the default colour of a DTM. Instead,
right-click its name on any dialog that references it and change the colour on
the Wireframe Properties dialog. Or, use the Wireframe Manager
(Wireframe | Manage | Wireframes) to change colours.
Use 3D Shaded (Hollow) display mode to view a DTM in an inclined view,

particularly if you want to drape an image on it. However, switch to 2D Slice
mode whenever the DTM needs to appear as a profile in a vertical section. You
can change the draw style of a wireframe at any time by right-clicking the layer
in the Display pane and choosing Draw Style from the pop-up menu.
Auto draw style automatically switches between 3D Shaded (Hollow) mode in

plan view and 2D Slice mode in section view.

Help Topics
DTM | Create Surface DTM > Create Surface
Loading a wireframe Vizex > Display > Wireframe
Draw Style Wireframe > Wireframes in Vizex > Draw Style
Draping an image Wireframe > Wireframes in Vizex > Draping

.
Micromine 2018 Training MM 103 – Showcasing Your Project
MM 103 – Showcasing Your Project

Table of Contents
INTRODUCTION ............................................................................................................................................ 1
LESSON 1 – CREATING A REALISTIC VIEW .......................................................................................2
DRAPING AN IMAGE ONTO A DTM..................................................................................................................... 2
ADVANCED DRAPING TECHNIQUES .................................................................................................................... 4
ENABLING PERSPECTIVE MODE......................................................................................................................... 6
SETTING THE BACKGROUND COLOUR ................................................................................................................. 6
CONTROLLING THE LIGHTING .......................................................................................................................... 8
PUTTING IT ALL TOGETHER ........................................................................................................................... 10
Hiding the Horizon............................................................................................................................... 10
CHANGING SURFACE SHININESS ..................................................................................................................... 11
LESSON 2 – CREATING A FLY THROUGH ANIMATION .................................................................... 15
INTRODUCTION .......................................................................................................................................... 15
CREATING A FLIGHT PATH ............................................................................................................................ 16
SETTING FLIGHT PATH OPTIONS .................................................................................................................... 18
REFINING A FLIGHT PATH ............................................................................................................................. 19
Creating a Fly-through: Art or Science? ................................................................................................. 21
RENDERING A FLY-THROUGH AS A MEDIA FILE ................................................................................................... 22
Choosing Parameters for Video Rendering ............................................................................................ 23
LESSON 3 – STEREOSCOPIC 3D ...................................................................................................... 27
INTRODUCTION .......................................................................................................................................... 27
3D VIEWING ............................................................................................................................................. 27
CONFIGURING A STEREO 3D VIEW .................................................................................................................. 28
Stereo Mode ....................................................................................................................................... 28
Parallax .............................................................................................................................................. 29
Camera offset/Eye separation .............................................................................................................. 29
LESSON 4 – SAVING AND CREATING OTHER OUTPUT .................................................................... 31
INTRODUCTION .......................................................................................................................................... 31
SAVING A VIEW.......................................................................................................................................... 31
LOADING A SAVED VIEW .............................................................................................................................. 32
CREATING A PLOT OF A VIZEX VIEW ................................................................................................................ 32
GENERATING A SCREENSHOT ......................................................................................................................... 33
CREATING A 3D PDF .................................................................................................................................. 33
PRODUCING A VIRTUAL REALITY FILE .............................................................................................................. 34
Choosing a Virtual Reality Viewer ......................................................................................................... 35

MM 103 – Showcasing Your Project Micromine 2018 Training
MM 103 – Showcasing Your Project

Table of Contents
Sidebars
Limitations of image draping ........................................................................................................................ 5

Sky blue? ................................................................................................................................................... 7
Restoring classic Micromine lighting .............................................................................................................. 9
Record viewpoints first ............................................................................................................................... 16
Tables
Table 2.1: Common TV video sizes and frame rates ..................................................................................... 23

Table 2.2: Common computer video sizes and recommended frame rates .................................................... 24
Exercises
Optional Exercise 1.1: Drape an image onto a DTM ....................................................................................... 2

Exercise 1.2: Enable Perspective Mode .......................................................................................................... 6
Exercise 1.3: Set the background colour ........................................................................................................ 7
Exercise 1.4: Add a light............................................................................................................................... 8
Exercise 1.5: Create a realistic view ............................................................................................................ 11
Exercise 2.1: Create a fly-through ............................................................................................................... 16
Exercise 2.2: Set flight path options ............................................................................................................ 19
Exercise 2.3: Refine the flight path by editing the string ............................................................................... 20
Exercise 2.4: Render the fly-through as a media file .................................................................................... 22
Exercise 3.1: Create a stereoscopic 3D view ................................................................................................ 27
Exercise 4.1: Save the view ........................................................................................................................ 31
Exercise 4.2: Load a Saved View ................................................................................................................. 32
Exercise 4.3: Create and interact with a Vizex Plot ....................................................................................... 32
Exercise 4.4: Generate a high-resolution screenshot .................................................................................... 33

Notes:
Introduction
Communicating complex spatial concepts to non-technical audiences is an im-
portant part of the resource development workflow. Whether your audience
includes joint venture partners, potential investors or local townsfolk, they’re
unlikely to have ever used 3D modelling software and most probably lack the
3D acuity to mentally convert a printed plan or cross section into a 3D model.
For example, the two images below cover essentially the same area. Although
an earth scientist could easily interpret the upper image and mentally picture
the data in 3D, the lower image will have a far greater impact on a non-
technical person. The people who invest in a project or approve project funding
are often non-technicians, so it quite literally pays to present your project data
in a form that they can understand.
The following lessons teach some of the ways to showcase your project, in-
cluding creating a realistic view, creating and rendering a fly-through ani-
mation as a media file, and saving a view in a variety of formats.

Lesson 1 – Creating a
Notes:
Realistic View
One of the simplest ways to produce a semi-realistic view is to drape an air

photo or satellite image onto a digital elevation model (DTM). The 2D image
will adopt the 3D shape of the DTM, increasing its realism. Doing this in a
perspective view with the right lighting and background options will further
enhance the realism of the view.
• Drape an image onto a DTM

• Toggle between perspective and orthogonal view modes
• Set a realistic sky background colour, and
• Control lighting and surface shininess.
Draping an Image onto a DTM

In the following exercise, which is revision of Exercise 5.2 in MM 102 –
Displaying and Manipulating Data, you’ll drape an image onto your DTM as the
first step towards producing a semi-realistic view.
Optional Exercise 1.1: Drape an image onto a DTM
To drape an image, begin by loading the DTM wireframe:
1. Double-click the Wireframe form in the Vizex Forms tree.

2. Switch to the Input Data tab on the Wireframe dialog, and ensure the
Single option is selected.
3. Click the browse button in the Type response and choose DTM.tridb
from the list. Next, click the list ( ) button the Name and choose Topo.
4. Switch to the Display tab. Ensure the Draw Style is set to 3D Shaded
(Hollow) and 3D Colour Coding is disabled.
With the DTM selected you can now drape the image:
5. Switch to the Draping tab and select the Image option.

6. Click the Image file browse button and navigate to the Import
folder. Select MMI_Image.ecw from the list.
7. Vizex will automatically set the Georeference Source to Micromine
(GRF). The dialog should resemble screenshot on the facing page.

Notes:
Now that the settings are defined you can save them as a form set:
8. Click the Save As button and save a form set with the Title Topo DTM
with airphoto.
9. Click OK to display the draped image on the wireframe.
At this point the display should resemble this:
The draped appearance of the image will be more realistic if the image and
DTM both contain enough detail. You must also ensure that the image is ref-
erenced to the same coordinate system as the DTM, otherwise it won’t drape
properly.

Notes: You can optionally control the transparency of the DTM by changing the
Transparency slider on the Advanced tab. This tab also allows you to control
the amount of smoothing in the triangle edges by adjusting the Smooth
Wireframe slider.
Advanced Draping Techniques

Although draping an image onto a wireframe is ideal for an existing surface, it
can’t be used for proposed construction like an open pit or waste dump be-
cause that imagery simply doesn’t exist. And, if you were to drape an existing
airphoto onto a proposed pit you would only create conflicting information and
confuse your audience. After all, no-one expects to see trees and a grassy field
at the bottom of a proposed mine.
The most obvious alternative might be to display the pit as a simple wireframe
with nothing draped on it, but that creates a different kind of visual conflict
when the surrounding landscape still includes a draped airphoto. Pit walls with
perfectly even colour just don’t exist in the real world:
To overcome these limitations Micromine allows you to repeat or tile a small

image across a wireframe, adding texture that breaks up the evenness of the
individual triangles. You enable this draping method via the Repeat (Tile)
option on the Draping tab. The compulsory Size value controls the physical
size of each tile in real-world units. You should experiment to find the most
realistic texture size, by entering a larger value to enlarge it and a smaller
value to shrink it.
The image must match the context of the display: use a rock texture for pit
walls and a snippet from an airphoto for to-be vegetated surfaces such as
rehabilitated waste dumps. It must also contain an even texture with no
uniquely identifiable features, or they will be repeated across the wireframe
and destroy the illusion. However, even a well-chosen image can overwhelm
the display, as shown in the screenshot on the following page.

Notes:
An effective way to avoid this problem is to load each wireframe twice. The
first copy simply displays the wireframe in a single colour (chosen to match
the local landscape) and the second copy includes the tiled image. By adjust-
ing the transparency of the tiled image wireframe, you can reveal it just
strongly enough to add texture whilst preserving the underlying colour:
Limitations of image draping
Your computer’s graphics card controls the amount of detail that can be
draped onto a wireframe. To inspect this amount, select Tools | Check
Graphics Configuration from the main menu. The Maximum texture
size shows the maximum amount of detail that can be draped. Images
larger than this will be sub-sampled to fit.

Enabling Perspective Mode

Notes:
If you’ve ever stood on a straight set of railway tracks, such as on Australia’s

Nullarbor Plain or the North American prairies, you’ll know they appear to con-
verge at a point near the horizon even though they are parallel. This is known
as vanishing point perspective and is one of the visual cues that we use to
judge distance and depth in the real world.
Vizex uses the same principle for producing a realistic view: objects that are
farther from the current viewpoint appear smaller than objects close to it, and
parallel lines appear to converge over distance. You achieve this by selecting
Perspective Mode on the View toolbar. Without it your data will be
drawn in orthogonal mode and the display will lack depth.
However, Perspective Mode can be distracting when viewing a plan or vertical

section and can be downright misleading when you’re drawing interpreted or
design strings. Because of this, it is not enabled by default.
You’ll inspect the effect of Perspective Mode in the next exercise.
Exercise 1.2: Enable Perspective Mode
To enable Perspective Mode:
1. Click the Perspective Mode button on the View toolbar and inspect
its effect on the data.
2. Use the Rotate Tool to turn the view in so you are looking at the
DTM from a low angle.
3. Toggle Perspective Mode on and off and inspect its effect. Note
how the sense of depth is severely reduced when it’s turned off.
4. Leave it turned on in preparation for the next exercise.
Setting the Background Colour

The background colour is an important part of any realistic view. The outdoor
sky generally doesn’t appear as a single solid colour, but changes from a light
blue at the horizon to a darker blue overhead. A realistic view must reproduce
this gradation.
Vizex offers three different background colour modes, which are accessible
from the View | Vizex Background Options menu:
• Simple: Displays a single background colour.

• Gradient: Smoothly grades between two colours from the top to the
bottom of the screen. This mode is useful for lessening the visual impact
of using a single colour.
• Sky and Ground: Uses any combination of colour ramps or colour sets
to independently control the sky and ground colours.

You’ll use Sky and Ground in the following exercise. Notes:
Exercise 1.3: Set the background colour
To set the background colour using Sky and Ground mode:
1. From the main menu, select View | Vizex Background Options.

2. Select the Sky and Ground option.
The colours for Sky and Ground mode are already set by default, but it’s useful
to inspect them before applying them to the view.
3. Right-click the Colour set response for the Sky Hemisphere and
choose Edit from the pop-up menu.
Sky colours are defined in terms of altitude above the horizon, measured in
degrees from zero (the horizon) to 90 (the zenith). Note that 0 and 90 do not
appear in the colour set as they are implied by the first and last ranges. Also
note how the sky is pale near the horizon, becomes darker as the altitude
increases, and then becomes pale again approaching the zenith.
4. Click Cancel to close the colour set.

5. Inspect the Ramp settings for the Ground Hemisphere.
Ground colours are defined very simply, using a pale brown at the nadir (di-
rectly below) and slowly grading to a darker brown at the horizon.
6. Click OK to apply Sky and Ground mode to the display.

7. Use the Rotate Tool to turn the view so that the horizon crosses
near the middle of the screen. Your display should resemble the
screenshot on the following page.
Sky blue?
The sky is a much lighter blue than many people realise, especially near
the horizon. Additionally, the gradation of colour in the sky is not linear;
the colour changes quickly within about 15° of the horizon, and much
more slowly as the altitude increases towards the zenith (90°).
The Sky Hemisphere colours have been created to accurately simulate

this change of colour.

Notes:
Controlling the Lighting

Lighting is another important part of producing a realistic view, and you control
the lighting in Vizex via the View | Vizex Lighting Options on the main
menu.
Vizex provides two types of light:
• Scene Light: Up to four lights that cast a glow evenly in all directions
and can be positioned anywhere relative to the data.
• Head Light: A point light that illuminates the data from the viewing
position, like the headlights of a vehicle. Because it always originates
from the viewing position, shadows and highlights will change as you
rotate the view.
In the following exercise you’ll add a third light to illuminate the hillsides from
the south, which currently appear a little too dark.
Exercise 1.4: Add a light
To add the light:
1. From the main menu, select View | Vizex Lighting Options.

2. On the Vizex Lighting dialog, select Enable Light 3 and enter the
following values:

Prompt Setting Notes:
Azimuth: 180
Altitude: 60
3. Click OK to apply the new light and note the effect on the DTM as you
do so. Your display should resemble this screenshot (compare this result
with Exercise 1.3):
4. Keep the view open in preparation for the next exercise.
Restoring classic Micromine lighting
Early Micromine versions used a different lighting model, which you may
want to restore under some circumstances. For compatibility the Vizex
Lighting dialog contains form sets for both Version 11 and current (from
Micromine 2010 onwards) default lighting. You can easily switch between
them by clicking the Forms button and choosing a form set.

Putting it all Together

Notes:
Producing an informative and engaging scene is as much art as it is science.

In addition to controlling technical aspects like draping, perspective, back-
ground and lighting it’s also important to consider the artistic appearance of
the view. The most important technique for creating a semi-realistic view is to
always use Perspective Mode and Sky and Ground lighting.
For an above-ground view it’s also essential to create an illusion of a real aerial
view. Useful ways to do this are:
• Get close to the data so that the edges of the screen hide the front,
left- and right-hand edges of the DTM, creating the illusion that the DTM
continues forever.
• Position the viewpoint as if you were realistically flying above the data
at low altitude to create a sense of depth and drama, and
• Position the viewpoint so that the DTM hides the horizon, giving the
illusion that it is the horizon.
Micromine draws the horizon (between the sky and ground hemispheres) at
an infinite distance and an altitude of zero, just like the real horizon. You can’t
change its position (just like the real horizon), so you may need to use other
methods if you can’t hide it using the tips above.
You’ll apply the techniques for creating an aerial view illusion in the next
exercise.
Hiding the Horizon

The best way to hide the horizon is to extend your DTM well beyond the project
area. If you don’t have enough data to do this, you can download regional
digital elevation data from an online source. Government organisations like
Geoscience Australia (GA), the United States Geological Survey (USGS), and
the Shuttle Radar Topography Mission (SRTM), amongst others, are good
sources of free elevation data.
SRTM data is available for most of the earth’s surface within 60° north or
south latitude and may be imported and converted to a DTM or directly
viewed in Vizex.
Sky and Ground lighting may be inappropriate for an underground view, de-
pending on the extents of the surface DTM. However, you can still create a
sense of depth and drama by positioning yourself next to and looking along a
drive, heading, or stope to make use of the converging parallel lines.

Notes:
Exercise 1.5: Create a realistic view
You’ve already done the preparatory work for the view, so the only remaining
task is to position the viewpoint to create the illusions described above.
1. Rotate, pan, and zoom until you produce a view that resembles this:
2. Compare this view with the one shown in Exercise 1.4, and keep it open
in preparation for the next lesson.
Although the change in viewpoint is subtle, it has a major effect on the illusion
of reality. Within the limits of the available data this view does almost look like
a photograph from the window of a low-flying aircraft, even though you know
the DTM stops just beyond the screen. In comparison, because the edges of
the DTM are visible in Exercise 1.4 that view looks more like a model in a
transparent box.
Changing Surface Shininess

The Vizex Lighting dialog also allows you to set the surface shininess of
objects such as grid surfaces, block models and wireframes. Shininess is of
limited value when you’re creating a realistic view, but it is very useful for
revealing subtle texture in surfaces with little relief.
For example, consider the magnetic data in the following images (from a dif-
ferent project area), which includes regions of high and low geophysical relief.
The upper image uses a headlight with no shininess. Although this lighting
mode reveals the obvious structures in areas of high relief, the low-relief region
at the top of the image is almost completely featureless.

Notes:
In comparison, the lower image uses directional lights with a low lighting angle
(40° from the northeast) and around 50% surface shininess. Note how much
more texture is now visible in the flat region near the top of the image.
If your daily tasks include using airborne or surface geophysics, consider dis-
playing the data in Vizex as a grid surface and using lighting and shininess to
highlight structural trends within it. This technique is detailed in MG 201 –
Surface Geology.

In this lesson you learned to create a realistic view.
To load a DTM and drape an image:
Double-click the Wireframe form in the Vizex Forms tree, then

Choose the Wireframe, and
Switch to the Draping tab, then
Select Image mode, and
Load the image file.
To tile an image onto a DTM:
Open a Wireframe form and switch to the Draping tab, then

Select Repeat (Tile) mode, and
Load the image file.
To enable Perspective Mode:
Click the Perspective Mode button on the View toolbar.
To change the background colour:
From the main menu, select View | Vizex Background Options, then
Choose a background mode, and
Set the desired colour(s) or colour set(s).
To control the lights:
From the main menu, select View | Vizex Lighting Options, then
Enable or disable a Scene Light or the Head Light as needed, and
Enter the Azimuth and Altitude of the Scene Lights.
To change surface shininess:
From the main menu, select View | Vizex Lighting Options, and
Drag the Object Shininess slider to the desired level.
To produce a visually pleasing view:
Use Perspective Mode and Sky and Ground backgrounds, and

Create an illusion of realism by getting close to the data, so that:
The edges of the screen hide the edges of the DTM, and
The DTM hides the horizon.

Good Practice
Remember that creating a pleasing view is as much art as it is science so allow

enough time to find the best viewpoint.
Many government and private organisations provide online access to free ele-
vation data, so consider searching online if you need to extend your DTM to
create a better view.
Help Topics
Creating a DTM (Vizex) Vizex > Window > Toolbars > Wireframe Tools
Creating a DTM (Menu) DTM > Create Surface
Draping images Vizex Display > Wireframe > Draping (page topic)
Draping an image Wireframe > Wireframes in Vizex > Draping
Lighting options Vizex > View > Vizex Lighting Options

Lesson 2 – Creating a Fly

Notes:
Through Animation
Nowadays virtually every proposed highway or urban redevelopment is shown

in the mass media using a fly-through animation. Similarly, applications like
Google Earth Pro™ make it possible for anyone to produce a fly-through ani-
mation. In this lesson you’ll learn to create a fly-through in Vizex and render it
as a media file.
• Understand some of the art behind creating a fly-through animation

• Create a fly-through, and
• Render it as a media file.
Introduction
A fly-through serves the same purpose as the view you created in Lesson 1:
it presents complex data in a realistic and easily digestible format. The camera
movement in a fly-through creates an enhanced sense of depth—nearby ob-
jects move past more quickly than distant ones—and an enhanced sense of
drama. It also allows you to naturally direct the viewers’ attention from one
part of your project to another.
Creating a fly-through involves two steps:
• Defining the path along which the camera will fly, called the flight
path. Each point in the flight path is called a viewpoint.
• Setting the direction in which the camera will look at each viewpoint in
the flight path, called the view direction.
The actual flight path and changes in view direction are smoothed on-the-fly,
requiring only a few viewpoints to create a smooth fly-through. Once the flight
path file is created it can be replayed using any data that exists within the
same coordinate space as the original data.
Vizex displays the Flight Path toolbar while you’re editing or playing a fly-
through. This toolbar is split into three sections and contains the tools that you
need to create or open, record, modify, play back and create a movie from a
fly-through.
You use the buttons near the centre-left of the toolbar, highlighted overleaf,
to manipulate the flight path.

Notes:
Play
Stop Playback
Move First
Move Previous
Move Next
Move Last
Insert Viewpoint After
Insert Viewpoint Before
Delete Current
Modify Current
Before creating a fly-through animation it’s important to plan the overall flight
path and the view directions of key viewpoints in the animation. This process
is known as storyboarding the fly-through. Work on the flight path can begin
once the storyboard is created.
Creating a Flight Path

As you’ve seen, creating a fly-through involves setting the location of view-
points in the flight path and the viewing direction of the camera at each
viewpoint. You can define these using any combination of:
• Recording viewpoints using the standard View controls to position the

camera, and then using one of the Insert buttons to record the
viewpoint, or
• Editing the flight path as if it were an ordinary string file. Viewpoint
coordinates and view directions are both editable.
The easiest way to create a fly-through is by recording viewpoints. You’ll au-

tomatically produce the flight path as you define the key viewpoints from your
storyboard; from here you can adjust the flight path by editing the string. In
the next exercise you’ll explore the basic tools by creating a simple fly-through
using recorded viewpoints.
Record viewpoints first
Recording viewpoints is the safest way to begin a fly-through. It’s a visual

process that works well with the storyboard concept and produces a
ready-made flight path string. Once the basic flight path is recorded you
can finesse it by adjusting the string.
Exercise 2.1: Create a fly-through
Before you begin the fly-through you’ll storyboard its key viewpoints. This fly-
through will be a simple south-to-north loop. You’ll start with an overview, fly
in from the south, and then fly low over the hills towards the north. As you
reach the northern edge of the data you’ll look back towards the south but
continue flying upwards and away from the data in a northerly direction.

You’ll finish the fly-through where you began, giving you the opportunity to Notes:
play it as a continuous loop. The six key viewpoints are shown here:
1 2 3 4 5 6
To give the flight path some context and give you the opportunity to fly below-
ground, you’ll begin by adding some drillhole data to the display:
1. Expand the Drillhole Trace list in the Vizex Forms pane and drag the
Example drillhole lithology form set into the display.
To create the flight path:
2. From the main menu, select Display | Flight Path | New .
Vizex will add a Flight Path layer to the Display pane and display the Flight
Path toolbar.
Your first task is to create a viewpoint at the beginning of the fly-through.

You’ll also reuse it at the end, so you’ll save it as a Display Limits form set
before continuing.
3. Click the Plan View button followed by the View All button (on
the View toolbar) to reset the view. If necessary, manually adjust the
zoom level so the data resembles Viewpoint 1 of the storyboard.
4. Right-click anywhere within the Vizex window and choose Display
Limits from the pop-up menu.
5. On the Display Limits dialog, ensure the 3D View tab is active, and
then click Forms followed by Save As. Set the Title to Flythru start-
end and click OK on both dialogs to return to Vizex.
6. Click the Insert Viewpoint After button on the Flight Path toolbar
to record the first viewpoint.
Now that the start (and end) viewpoint is defined you can record the rest of
the fly-through.
7. Rotate your viewpoint downwards (by pushing the data away) about 45°
to resemble Viewpoint 2 and click Insert Viewpoint After .
8. Now zoom in and rotate the view until it resembles Viewpoint 3. Click
Insert Viewpoint After to record it.
9. Using the Seek Tool , click a point on the far side of the DTM to
immediately fly to it. Rotate the view horizontally by 180° so that it
resembles Viewpoint 4. Click Insert Viewpoint After to record it.
The Seek Tool is a simple way to move beyond the middle of your
data. Holding the Z key while you rotate the view horizontally by 180°
will make it easier to rotate.

Notes: 10. Move backwards and upwards so that you pull away from the data, and
then add Viewpoint 5.
Viewpoint 6 is the same as Viewpoint 1, so you’ll re-use the Display Limits form
set that you created earlier.
11. Click the Sections tab at left of the screen to display the Sections
window, and then expand the Display Limits list.
12. Double-click Flythru start-end to apply it to the display, and then click
Insert After to record Viewpoint 6.
13. Save your work by clicking the Save toolbar button, or by selecting File
| Save from the main menu. Name the file Training.
14. Lastly, click the Play button to test your fly through.
You reload a previously saved fly-through by selecting Display | Flight

Path | Open from the menu, or by clicking the Open Flight Path File
toolbar button. The Example flight path file provided with the training
data is a finished version of this fly-through.
Note that the number of markers on the Flight Path Slider (to the right of
the toolbar buttons) corresponds to the number of viewpoints that you rec-
orded. If necessary, you can use this to advance to a specific viewpoint in the
fly-through.
Setting Flight Path Options

You probably noticed a black line trailing behind you when you recorded View-
points 4, 5, and 6. This line is the flight path that you recorded, but it is not
the line that Vizex flew when you tested it. Instead, Vizex flew a smoothed or
splined version of the flight path.
You control the appearance of the spline, and other properties of the flight
path, through the Flight Path Options dialog, which you open by clicking the
Flight Path Options toolbar button, selecting Display | Flight Path |
Flight Path Options from the menu, or double-clicking the Flight Path layer
in the Display pane.
In addition to displaying the spline you can also control the Spline Tension.
Minimum tension produces a very smooth but ‘loose’ spline whereas maximum
tension forces the spline to closely follow your original flight path.
You control the duration of the fly-through using the Time option. The number
you enter here either represents the duration of the fly-through (TOTAL
FLIGHT PATH mode) or the time between viewpoints ( BETWEEN EACH VP
mode). Use TOTAL to hold a constant flight speed, or BETWEEN to vary the
flight speed according to the distance between viewpoints: the farther apart
they are, the faster the flight. You’ll explore some of these options in the next
exercise.

Exercise 2.2: Set flight path options Notes:
To set flight path options:
1. Click the Flight Path Options toolbar button or double-click the

Flight Path (Training.VFLY) layer in the Display pane.
2. On the Flight Path Options tab, change the time value to 45 seconds
and ensure that Mode is set to TOTAL FLIGHT PATH.
3. Enable Display Spline and set the following options:
Prompt Setting
Colour: Red
Width: 0.13 mm (THIN)
Type: dotted
4. Switch to the Point Labels tab and enable Label Points and
Sequence number.
6. View the entire loop by clicking the Looking West button followed
by the View All button.
Note the appearance of the spline. You can see that even with only six view-
points the flight path is still very smooth. Plus, the points are labelled, making
it easy to match the flight path string with the flight path slider.
7. Play the fly-through and inspect the effect of the new time value.
8. Save your work by clicking the Save toolbar button or selecting File
| Save from the main menu.
9. Drag the Flight Path Slider back to Viewpoint 1 in preparation for the
next exercise.
Choose a time value that matches the time within which you can show
the fly-through, for example to synchronise to a recorded voiceover. But
don’t make it too short or the fly-through will be too fast, potentially
nauseating your audience.
Refining a Flight Path

Creating a flight path by recording viewpoints, like you did in Exercise 2.1, is
a useful start, but it will most probably need some refinement before it is con-
sidered a finished product. Refinements might include:
• Adding or deleting viewpoints.

• Changing the location of a viewpoint.
• Changing the view direction of a viewpoint.

Notes: You make these changes by editing the flight path string with the regular Vizex
editing tools or interactively using the tools on the Flight Path toolbar. You’ll
make changes to the string in the next exercise. As you adjust each viewpoint
the spline will automatically adjust to show the final position of the flight path.
Whenever you need to move a viewpoint, change the view orientation so

that the intended movement is roughly in the plane of the screen.
Exercise 2.3: Refine the flight path by editing the

string
In this exercise you’ll begin by modifying Viewpoints 3 and 4 so that the flight
path passes very close to the hillside.
You want to change the heights of these viewpoints. Given that the flight path
is a north-south loop it is most easily seen in a looking west direction. You
can then safely change the viewpoint heights without accidentally changing
their horizontal positions.
To modify the viewpoints:
1. If you have not already done so, click Looking West followed by
View All to view the flight path from the side as shown here:
2. Adjust the position of the lowermost Viewpoints so that the spline (not
the original string) just grazes the top of the DTM.
Note how the spline automatically adjusts itself to the new viewpoint locations.
You may need a couple of attempts to avoid sending the spline below-ground.

Or, you might wish to deliberately send it below-ground to highlight the drilling Notes:
information.
3. Play the fly-through and inspect the effect of the changes.
You could also interactively make the same changes with the following Flight
Path tools:
• To interactively add a viewpoint, position the Flight Path Slider at the

viewpoint before it, then adjust the view and click the Insert
Viewpoint After button.
• To interactively delete a viewpoint, position the Flight Path Slider on
that viewpoint and click the Delete Current button.
• To interactively change the location of a viewpoint, position the Flight
Path Slider on that viewpoint, then adjust the view as desired and click
the Modify Current button to apply the change.
• To interactively change the view direction of a viewpoint, position the
Flight Path Slider on that viewpoint, then select the Rotate View
Direction tool and point the camera as desired. Lastly, click the
Modify Current button to apply the change.
Creating a Fly-through: Art or Science?

Creating a fly-through is conceptually simple: You set up a series of viewpoints
and let Micromine fly between them. However, getting the art right can be
time-consuming, so be prepared to invest some time if you want to produce a
quality result.
Here are some suggestions:
• Always begin by recording storyboarded viewpoints so you quickly

get a sense of the overall fly-through. You can adjust the flight path
string later.
• When recording viewpoints always change two axes of movement at
a time, for example by rotating the data away and moving inwards.
Changing two axes eliminates the robotic effect that occurs if only one
axis is changed.
• Use Vizex’s editing tools to modify the flight path string. For example,
to simulate a driver’s eye view of an open pit mine, draw points along
the haul road, drape them on the pit DTM and then add 4 m to their
elevations.
• By default, the camera always looks along the direction of flight.
However, you can use the Rotate View Direction tool to look in a
different direction. Be sure to use the Modify Current button to
apply the changes.
• You can also change the view direction directly within the VFLY file. In
ANGLE mode (the default) VALUE1 is the azimuth and VALUE2 the
inclination of the view. Simply enter new values here or leave them
blank to reset the view back to the direction of flight.

Notes:
Rendering a Fly-through as a
Media File
Although it’s easy to play a fly-through animation in Micromine, it can also be
played outside Micromine by rendering the fly-through as a media file. This
makes it extremely versatile for events such as trade shows, board meetings
or in-house presentations. You render a fly-through as a media file by clicking
the Create Movie button.
Exercise 2.4: Render the fly-through as a media file
To render the fly-through as a media file:
1. In the Display pane, click the checkbox next to the Flight Path
(Training) layer to hide the flight path.
Clearly you don’t want to see it in the movie.
2. Click the Create Movie toolbar button or select Display | Flight

Path | Create Movie from the main menu.
3. Fill out the Create Movie dialog as shown:
Prompt Setting
File: Training
Type: AVI
Cinepak Codec by Radius
Compression method:
(Micromine 32-bit only)
Quality: Around 80%
Width: 640
Height: 360
Frames/second: 30
Show live preview: Enabled
4. Click OK to render the video.

5. Let the video render for a minute or two and then press Esc to stop the
process. Answer Yes when prompted to interrupt processing.
6. To play the video select File | Explore | Current Project and then
double-click the Training.avi file. Windows will launch a media player and
play the video.
7. Close the media player once you’re done. However, keep File Explorer
open in preparation for the next lesson.
8. Back in Micromine, right-click the Flight Path (Training) layer and choose
Remove from the pop-up menu.

9. Optionally, close the Flight Path toolbar by right-clicking anywhere in a Notes:

blank toolbar area and deselecting it from the toolbar list.
10. Keep the display open in preparation for the next lesson.
Although you requested 30 frames per second when you rendered the movie
this only applies to playback. The video will be rendered at the best frame rate
your computer can manage. If the data is complex this might be only one or
two frames per second; it might take several hours to render a complex video.
Choosing Parameters for Video Rendering

Many different parameter combinations may be used when rendering a video,
some of which are discussed here.
Video size and frame rate
Consider the intended use of the video when you choose a video size and
frame rate. If it will be viewed online, choose a small size and low frame rate
to keep the file manageable. On the other hand, choose a full high-definition
(HD) or 4K widescreen format for maximum impact in a boardroom presenta-
tion using high-end equipment.
You should also consider the output device. There is no point rendering a 4K
video if it will only be shown on a 1024 × 768 projector; you will only waste
rendering time and disk space if you do. Table 2.1 and Table 2.2 list some
suggested video sizes, frame rates, and quality ratios.
In the preceding exercise, setting the dimensions to 640 × 360 produced 16:9
widescreen output in a small window. For full high-definition output you should
set the dimensions to 1920 × 1080. Be aware: this will produce a much larger
file – up to nine times larger.
Table 2.1: Common TV video sizes and frame rates

Width Height Frame Quality Name
Rate
320 240 30 70 VHS quality video
720 480 30 80 DVD quality video (NTSC)
720 576 25 80 DVD quality video (PAL)
1280 720 25 80 HD 720/25p quality video
1920 1080 30 85 Full HD 1080/30p quality
video
1280 720 60 85 HD 720/60p Blu Ray quality
video
3840 2160 60-120 85 UHD (4K) quality video

Notes: Table 2.2: Common computer video sizes and

recommended frame rates
Width Height Frame Quality Name
Rate
320 180 15 75 CGA as widescreen
320 200 15 75 CGA
640 360 25 80 VGA as widescreen
640 480 25 80 VGA
800 450 25 80 SVGA as widescreen
800 600 25 80 SVGA
1024 576 30 80 XGA as widescreen
1024 768 25 80 XGA
1280 720 30 85 SXGA as widescreen
1280 1024 25 85 SXGA
1366 768 30 85 HD
1680 1050 30 85 WSXGA+
1920 1080 30 85 FHD
1920 1200 30 85 WUXGA
3840 2160 60-120 85 UHD (4K)
Video codec and compression options
Video compression is a process that makes a video file small enough to be

manageable. Consider a four-minute full HD video: uncompressed it would be
nearly 42 GB (Gigabytes) in size*. Compressed, it will easily fit on a CD.
A video codec (coder-decoder) carries out the compression process. The co-
decs available to you will depend on your individual computer; be aware that
your video may not be playable on other computers if you render it using an
obscure codec.
For maximum compatibility with Micromine 32-bit choose Cinepak Codec by

Radius, which has been available on all Windows computers and media players
since 1993. For modern and higher-quality 64-bit alternatives consider Xvid,
or DivX, both of which may be downloaded free of charge. Although many
hardware devices support (and often come bundled with) these codecs, you
may need to install the required codec if your video does not play on the des-
tination machine.
Although listed here, MICROMINE does not warrant or endorse these products.
* 1920 × 1080 (pixels) × 3 (colours) × 30 (frames/sec) × 60 (secs/min) × 4 minutes =

44,789,760,000 bytes. Divided by 10243 = 41.7 GB.

In this lesson you learned to create, modify and render a fly-through ani-
mation. These are the topics that you’ve covered:
To create a fly-through animation:
Storyboard the key viewpoints beforehand, optionally saving them as

Display Limits form sets, then
Select Display | Flight Path | New from the menu, and
Visit each key viewpoint and click the Insert Viewpoint After
button to add it to the flight path.
To control the appearance and tension of the flight path spline:
Click the Flight Path Options button, and

Enable Display Spline, then
Set the spline properties
To edit a flight path directly on the string:
Adjust the view orientation so the edit will be applied in the plane of the
screen, then
Use the Select Tool to select to move a viewpoint, or
Ctrl+click a viewpoint to delete it, or
Use the Insert Points tool to add a viewpoint.
To interactively edit a flight path viewpoint:
To add a viewpoint, position the Flight Path Slider at the viewpoint

before it, adjust the view, and click Insert Viewpoint After , or
To delete a viewpoint, position the Flight Path Slider on that viewpoint
and click the Delete Current button, or
To change the location of a viewpoint, position the Flight Path Slider on
that viewpoint, adjust the view and click the Modify Current
button, or
To change the view direction of a viewpoint, position the Flight Path
Slider on that viewpoint, select the Rotate View Direction tool,
point the camera, and click the Modify Current button.
To render a flight path as a media file:
Turn off the Flight Path layer to hide the flight path, then
Click the Create Movie toolbar button, and
Enter the filename and choose the compression (codec), quality, size
and frame rate.

To choose a video codec:
Use a widely available codec such as Cinepak for maximum 32-bit

compatibility, or
Use a modern 64-bit compatible codec such as Xvid or DivX, and
If necessary, distribute the codec to the destination computer(s).
To choose a video size and frame rate:
Consider the video’s final use, and

Choose small dimensions and a low frame rate for online distribution, or
Choose full 4K for a high-impact boardroom presentation on 4K-capable
equipment.
Good Practice
Check the lighting and background beforehand. Ensure that all parts of your
data are adequately lit by adding lights where needed and use the Sky and
Ground background to add realism to the fly-through.
Plan a storyboard of the key viewpoints before you start editing, optionally
saving each viewpoint as a Display Limits form set. Having an idea of the order
in which you visit different parts of your project will make it easier to create
the flight path.
Always begin a flight path by recording the key viewpoints from your story-
board. This will give you visual control over the fly-through as you’ll literally be
able to see where you are going. The flight path string will be automatically
created as you go.
Display the spline so you can see the path that will be flown.
Whenever you need to move a viewpoint, change the view direction so that
the intended movement is in the plane of the screen.
Help Topics
Flight Paths Vizex > Display > Flight Path
Lighting Vizex > View > Vizex Lighting Options

Notes:
Lesson 3 – Stereoscopic 3D
In this lesson you’ll learn to create a real-time stereo 3D display that, when
viewed with stereoscopic glasses, will produce a true sense of 3D depth. After
this lesson you’ll be able to:
• Enable stereoscopic viewing

• Choose a stereo mode and the appropriate stereo settings.
Introduction
Nowadays many movies are released in 3D; a well-produced 3D movie draws
in the audience, making them feel as if they are part of the action. Creating a
stereo 3D view (or movie) in Micromine serves the same purpose for communi-
cating complex project data to non-technical audiences. Like a 3D cinema,
presenting your data in stereo 3D draws in your audience and makes them
feel more involved with the project.
3D Viewing
You perceive the world in 3D because you have two eyes that are separated
by a short distance (the interpupillary distance or eye separation). Your
left eye sees the world slightly differently from the right, and your brain sub-
consciously merges the two views into one.
Computer-generated imagery creates an illusion of 3D depth by producing sep-

arate left and right views and then allowing your brain to combine them. There
are many ways to combine the left and right views, using mirrors (a traditional
stereoscope), colours (e.g. red-cyan glasses), lenticular prints (3D postcard),
polarisation (3D cinema), or rapidly alternating views (native 3D). Micromine
supports most of these methods. In the next exercise you’ll change the view
you created in Lesson 2 to use stereoscopic mode.
Exercise 3.1: Create a stereoscopic 3D view
To create a stereoscopic 3D view:
1. From the menu, select View | Vizex 3D Stereo View | 3D View

Settings. Or, click the small arrow at right of the Toggle 3D View
toolbar button.
2. Click the Enable stereo check-box to enable 3D stereo mode.
3. Select Colour Anaglyph Red/Cyan from the stereo mode list.
4. Set the Parallax and Camera offset/Eye separation to about 20%.

Notes: 5. Click OK to apply the changes. Your display should look like this:
6. Once you have finished viewing in 3D, click the Toggle 3D View
toolbar button to disable the 3D stereo.
7. Keep the display open in preparation for the next lesson.
Configuring a Stereo 3D View

Stereo Mode
Micromine supports many stereoscopic modes, which depend on the available
hardware and the intended viewing environment. In all cases the mode must
match the available glasses. Some suggestions are:
• Use an anaglyph (two-colour) mode for a large audience.

Anaglyph displays are easy to produce but sacrifice some colour
perception for 3D depth. They are ideal for printed output and their
ready availability and low-cost glasses makes them easy to distribute.
Red/cyan is a popular combination. Supported modes include grey,
optimised, half-colour or colour. Red/cyan is best for predominantly
green views; consider grey anaglyph red/cyan mode if your data
produces poor depth or colour perception.
• Use native 3D for a small audience on 3D-enabled hardware.

Native 3D mode requires a 3D graphics card coupled to a 3D-enabled TV
or computer monitor, and a matched set(s) of 3D glasses. It is a no-

compromise configuration that produces full colour and depth percep- Notes:
tion. The audience size is limited by the available number of glasses,
which may be expensive.
• Use vertical split screen for printed output that matches a traditional
stereographic air-photo pair.
Printing the image at the same size as a pair of 9-inch x 9-inch air-
photos will allow it to be viewed under a traditional mirror stereoscope.
Some devices can combine the two images without mirrors.
Parallax
The difference between the left and right views is caused by parallax: the
slight shift in the position of foreground objects relative to the background as
seen by each eye. You control the zero-parallax distance, which is the distance
at which there is no difference between right and left views.
Setting the parallax to Front will place the zero-parallax distance at the front
of the data, creating a view that appears to extend behind the screen. Con-
versely, setting parallax to Back will put the zero-parallax distance at the rear
of the data, making the view appear to project in front of the screen.
For small audiences at a short viewing distance we recommend setting the

parallax at or near the front. A value of about 20% is ideal for desktop view-
ing. The Micromine window will appear to frame the data, almost as if the
screen were the front glass of an aquarium. Bring the parallax forwards if the
view causes discomfort.
Setting the parallax near the back is ideal for large audiences at longer viewing
distances. A value of 60% to 80% will make the view appear to float in the
space immediately in front of the screen in the style of a 3D cinema. Having
the parallax too far forward won’t cause discomfort at large viewing distances,
but it will reduce the 3D depth of the display.
Camera offset/Eye separation

The depth of a stereoscopic view depends on the area covered by the view
and the distance between the left and right cameras. You vary this distance in
Micromine by adjusting the camera offset/eye separation. Setting it to
Min will produce no depth at all, whereas setting it to Max will create an
exaggerated (and uncomfortable) sense of depth.
A view that covers a small area needs a greater offset than a view that covers
a large area. Similarly, a small audience at a short viewing distance needs a
smaller offset than a large audience at a long viewing distance.
We recommend starting with a relatively low camera offset of around 20%

and progressively increasing it until the desired depth is reached for the current
data and viewing distance.

In this lesson you learned to work with a stereoscopic 3D view. The topics that
you’ve covered are:
To create a stereoscopic 3D view:
Select View | Vizex 3D Stereo View, or

Click the Toggle 3D View toolbar button, and
Configure the stereoscopic settings.
Good Practice
Always test your stereoscopic settings for the current data and viewing dis-
tance. The settings you use for a small group gathered around a computer will
be very different from a large group viewing a projected image. It is better to
underwhelm your audience with conservative stereoscopic settings than it is
to nauseate them with aggressive settings.
The mouse pointer is always situated in the screen plane and is not part of the
3D scene. Seeing it amongst your data can produce conflicting depth cues,
which may cause discomfort, and in most situations, it is best kept out of the
way. If you must include it, keep the parallax near the front so that the data
always appears to be behind the pointer.
Help Topics
Stereoscopic viewing Vizex > View > 3D Stereo View

Lesson 4 – Saving and

Notes:
Creating Other Output

In this lesson you’ll learn to create plot, image, PDF and virtual reality output
of your view for use in other applications.
• Save and reload a Vizex view

• Create a plot of a Vizex view
• Generate a high-resolution screenshot for inclusion in a report or
presentation
• Export the view to a 3D PDF
• (Optional) Export the view to a virtual reality file that may be viewed in a
browser.
Introduction
The views that you created in the preceding lessons serve many communi-
cation purposes ranging from reports and presentations, posters and wall
charts, to interactive virtual reality files. Micromine provides many tools for
saving or exporting a view into a variety of formats that suit these and other
purposes.
Saving a View
You often need to save a view so that you can re-open it for later use. This is
easy to do in Vizex using the same Saved View concept you learned in
MM 102 – Displaying and Manipulating data. You simply choose View | Save
Vizex View from the menu. Alternatively, double-click the Saved View node
in the Vizex Form tree and then click the Save As button.
Exercise 4.1: Save the view
To save the view:
1. Select View | Save Vizex View from the menu.

2. Enter the Title DTM and drilling and click OK to save the view.
3. Select Edit | Remove All to remove the data from the display.

Notes:
Loading a Saved View
Loading a saved view gives you a quick way to reload your data.
Exercise 4.2: Load a Saved View
To load a previously saved view:
1. Expand the Saved View list in the Vizex Forms tree.

2. Drag the DTM and drilling saved view onto the graphic display.
Creating a Plot of a Vizex View

Any Vizex view may be printed by creating a Vizex Plot. These plots are cov-
ered in detail in MM 104 – Plotting 1 so this exercise will only give you a pre-
view of their capabilities. Vizex Plots remain interactive, even within the Plot
Editor, and will correctly render the texture and shading of views containing
wireframes, draped images, grid surfaces or block models.
Exercise 4.3: Create and interact with a Vizex Plot
To create a Vizex Plot:
1. Select Plot | Generate Vizex Plot from the main menu and then click
OK to accept the entries on the Generate Vizex Plot dialog.
2. Click once anywhere within the plot area to select the plot frame. Its
borders will be highlighted in red.
3. Select the Pan Data Within Frame button on the Plot Editor
toolbar.
4. Hold the Shift key and drag the mouse around within the plot. Note
how the view can be rotated as if you were still in Vizex.
5. Hold the Ctrl key and drag the mouse vertically within the plot. Note
how the view can also be zoomed as if you were still in Vizex.
6. Close the Plot Editor window by clicking the on the tab or upper right
corner of the window once you’re done. Answer No when prompted to
save changes.

Generating a Screenshot
Notes:
Screenshots are frequently used in reports and presentations, and the Vizex
Generate Screenshot option offers a major advantage over regular Windows
screen capture tools: you can adjust the resolution from 72 dpi to a maximum
of 600 dpi. To generate a Vizex screenshot, either click the Generate Screen-
shot toolbar button or select View | Generate Screenshot from the
main menu.
Exercise 4.4: Generate a high-resolution screenshot
To generate the screenshot:
1. Configure the view using the techniques you learned in Lesson 1.

2. Click the Generate Screenshot toolbar button. Alternatively, select
View | Generate Screenshot from the main menu.
3. Enter a Screenshot file name of Training_hires and set the Type to
JPEG (*.jpg).
4. Set the Background colour to white, and the Resolution to 150 DPI .
5. Disable Create georeference files and then click OK to create the
screenshot.
The Background colour is ignored if the Vizex background is set to

Gradient or Sky and Ground.
6. Redisplay File Explorer and then double-click the Training_hires.jpg file.

Windows will launch a picture viewer to display the image.
7. Display the image at 100% scale and note how it’s larger than the
original Micromine window.
8. Close the picture viewer when you’re done. However, keep File Explorer
open in preparation for the next exercise.
Micromine will optionally create 2D and 3D georeferencing files along with the
image whenever you enable Create georeference files. This means you can
reload the image in Vizex; it will appear exactly where the screen plane was
when you generated the screenshot.
Creating a 3D PDF
Sometimes sending a static screenshot to management, colleagues, or clients
is not enough to properly exhibit your project. With Micromine, you can save
a simple Vizex view as a 3D PDF file. An advantage of this format is that anyone
can view and interact with your data in 3D using Adobe Acrobat Reader. This
technique is excellent for sharing 3D models with remote site offices or head
offices where people may not have access to a Micromine licence.

Notes: A 3D PDF document resembles a plot layout, with the data contained within a
frame on a page. The 3D Tools toolbar includes options for navigating within
the data, making measurements, modifying the lighting, and generating cross
sections. It also includes a Model Tree control for showing or hiding individual
layers, in much the same way as Vizex.
The 3D PDF rendering framework is optimised for relatively simple views.

It cannot handle dense datasets that contain thousands of objects.
Exercise 4.5: Generate a 3D PDF
To generate the 3D PDF:
1. Select View | Export Vizex Scene to… | 3D PDF. Alternatively, click

the Export to 3D PDF toolbar button.
2. Enter the output name as DTM and drilling and enable Open file after
creating.
3. Enable Title and set the Text to DTM and drilling.
4. Click OK to create and display the PDF.
Adobe Acrobat Reader must be installed before you can view the file.
5. When the PDF window appears, enable 3D content and then click within
the view to see the data.
6. Experiment with the navigational tools within the 3D PDF.
Some navigation tools are the same as Micromine: to rotate, drag with the
left mouse button; to zoom, roll the mouse wheel. Others are different: to
pan, either Ctrl+drag or drag with both mouse buttons.
Producing a Virtual Reality File

Vizex allows you to export a view as a virtual reality file that you can send to
colleagues who have a standalone virtual reality viewer, or an Internet browser
equipped with a virtual reality plug-in. Your colleagues can then display the
view in much the same way as you displayed it in Vizex.
VRML (Virtual Reality Markup Language) and X3D (eXtensible 3D Graphics)

are standard virtual reality file formats. Micromine exports to both formats,
although fewer viewers support X3D.

Optional Exercise 4.6: Export a virtual reality file Notes:
To export a virtual reality file:
1. With the view displayed, select View | Export Vizex Scene to |

Virtual Reality File from the menu.
2. Enter an Output Name of Training and set the Type to WRL.
3. Click OK to create the virtual reality file.
4. Switch to File Explorer and then double-click the Training.WRL file.
A virtual reality viewer must be installed before you can view the file.
5. Inspect the tools provided by the viewer and use them to interact with
the view.
6. Once you’re done close the virtual reality viewer and File Explorer, and
then select Edit | Remove All from the Micromine menu.
Choosing a Virtual Reality Viewer

The right software needs to be installed in order to view a virtual reality file.
Many viewers are available for download; simply search for “VRML viewer”.
Refer to the lesson summary for some useful VRML-related links.
Two useful viewers are:
• instantreality InstantPlayer (free): Supports VRML and X3D formats.

Has Micromine-like navigation. Available from:
http://www.instantreality.org/downloads/.
• Bitmanagement Software BS Contact (commercial; free version
displays vendor’s logo): Supports VRML and X3D formats. Available
from: http://www.bitmanagement.com/en/download.
Although listed here, MICROMINE does not warrant or endorse these products.
Exercise 4.7: Restore the original lighting and

background
Before moving to the next part of the course it’s important to restore the light-
ing and background to their original settings:
1. Select View | Vizex Background Options and change the

background back to Simple.
2. Select View | Vizex Lighting Options and disable Enable Light 3.

In this lesson you learned to save and export a view in a variety of formats.
The topics that you’ve covered are:
To save a view:
Select View | Save Vizex View from the main menu.
To load a view:
Expand the Saved View list in the Vizex Forms tree, and
Drag a view into the graphic display.
To create a Vizex Plot:
Select Plot | Generate Vizex Plot from the main menu.
To generate a high-resolution screenshot:
Click the Generate Screenshot toolbar button, and

Enter a Screenshot file name and set the Type, and
Set the Background colour and Resolution.
To create a 3D PDF:
Click the Export to 3D PDF toolbar button , or select View | Export

Vizex Scene to | 3D PDF, then
Enter the Output Name and optionally the Title.
To export a virtual reality file:
Select View | Export Vizex Scene to | Virtual Reality File from the
main menu, and
Enter the Output Name and set the Type, then
Optionally, enable Include current viewpoint position.
Good Practice
Use Generate Screenshot instead of a Windows screen capture utility so

that you have better control over the resolution and output file format.
Vizex plots may be used in two ways: either directly from the current Vizex
view (the default), or referencing a saved view. The current Vizex view option
allows you to immediately place any Vizex view into a Vizex plot.
You can interact with the data in a Vizex plot as if you were still in Vizex, which
is useful for refining the plot before printing it. See MM 104 – Plotting 1 for
more information on Vizex plots.

Help Topics
Saving and loading Vizex > View > Save/Load Vizex View
a Vizex view
Vizex Plots Plot Editor > Generating a plot >

Generating a Vizex plot
Screenshots Vizex > View > Generate Screenshot
Virtual reality files Vizex > View > Export Vizex scene to
X3D standard http://www.web3d.org/x3d/what-x3d

(also lists viewers)
VRML standard http://www.web3d.org/x3d/vrml/

Notes:

.
Micromine 2018 Training MM 104 – Plotting 1
Table of Contents
LESSON 1 – THE PLOT EDITOR ...........................................................................................................1

INTRODUCTION ............................................................................................................................................ 1
THE PLOT EDITOR ........................................................................................................................................ 1
OPENING A PLOT LAYOUT ............................................................................................................................... 2
The Components of a Plot Layout ........................................................................................................... 2
CHANGING THE PAPER SIZE............................................................................................................................. 3
Changing other Plot Settings .................................................................................................................. 4
SCALING AND POSITIONING THE DATA ............................................................................................................... 4
Setting the Plot Scale............................................................................................................................. 4
Positioning the Data .............................................................................................................................. 5
CHANGING THE TITLE .................................................................................................................................... 5
On the Plot Layout ................................................................................................................................ 5
Using a Plot Form .................................................................................................................................. 6
SAVING A PLOT LAYOUT ................................................................................................................................. 7
Automatically Loading a Plot File into the Plot Editor ................................................................................ 8
PRINTING A PLOT LAYOUT .............................................................................................................................. 8
FRAME TYPES .............................................................................................................................................. 8
LESSON 2 – MODIFYING A PLOT LAYOUT ....................................................................................... 12
INTRODUCTION .......................................................................................................................................... 12
USING A TEMPLATE ..................................................................................................................................... 12
MODIFYING THE COORDINATE GRID ................................................................................................................ 14
ADDING A COMPANY LOGO............................................................................................................................ 16
LESSON 3 – VIZEX PLOTS ................................................................................................................ 19
INTRODUCTION .......................................................................................................................................... 19
CREATING A VIZEX PLOT LAYOUT ................................................................................................................... 19
INTERACTING WITH A VIZEX PLOT .................................................................................................................. 21
SAVING A VIZEX PLOT LAYOUT ....................................................................................................................... 21
USES FOR VIZEX PLOT LAYOUTS ..................................................................................................................... 22
Sidebars
Putting plot content ‘in the frame’ ................................................................................................................. 4

Vizex Plot templates supplied with Micromine .............................................................................................. 21
Tables
Table 1.1: Plot Editor frame types ................................................................................................................. 9

MM 104 – Plotting 1 Micromine 2018 Training
Table of Contents
Exercises
Exercise 1.1: Open a plot layout ................................................................................................................... 2

Exercise 1.2: Change the paper size .............................................................................................................. 3
Exercise 1.3: Set the plot scale ..................................................................................................................... 4
Exercise 1.4: Position the data ...................................................................................................................... 5
Exercise 1.5: Change the title on the plot layout ............................................................................................ 6
Exercise 1.6: Change the title using a plot form ............................................................................................. 7
Exercise 1.7: Save the plot layout ................................................................................................................. 7
Exercise 1.8: Print the plot layout ................................................................................................................. 8
Exercise 2.1: Display a plan view on the cross section .................................................................................. 13
Exercise 2.2: Modify the coordinate grid display ........................................................................................... 14
Exercise 2.3: Add a company logo .............................................................................................................. 16
Exercise 3.1: Create a Vizex Plot layout ....................................................................................................... 20
Exercise 3.2: Interact with the Vizex plot..................................................................................................... 21
Exercise 3.3: Save the Vizex Plot layout ...................................................................................................... 22

Notes:
Lesson 1 – The Plot Editor
In this lesson you’ll learn to open, modify and print a plot layout that you
created in MM 102 – Displaying and Manipulating Data. The result will be a
drillhole cross section with an automatic plot title. You’ll also print the layout
to PDF.
• Load a plot layout into the Plot Editor

• Change the paper size of the plot layout
• Change the scale and position of the plot data
• Enter title text
• Modify the title using a pre-existing plot form
• Print your layout to PDF, and
• Save your plot layout to a new file.
Introduction
The Plot Editor is where you create plot layouts of your project data and
then print them to a PDF file, plotter or other output device. Plot layouts may
be as simple or as complex as you need, with multiple frames incorporating
other plots, coordinate grids, legends, images and tables.
This lesson will teach you the basics of the Plot Editor. In later lessons you’ll
create a more advanced layout that displays a cross-section and plan on the
same layout.
The Plot Editor

You work within the Plot Editor window whenever you interact with a plot
layout. This window provides a separate interactive environment similar to
Vizex. Like Vizex, the Plot Editor window includes plotting-related toolbars and
a set of docking windows through which you interact with your plot data.
The Plot Editor toolbar contains essential tools for interacting with a plot
layout, the Layout toolbar provides the tools necessary to design a plot layout,
and the Annotation toolbar includes tools for marking-up a plot layout.
Docked at left of the Plot Editor window are the Plot Frames window, through
which you manage the frames on a layout, the Plot Forms window, which
contains definitions for ready-made plot frames, and the Properties window,
with which you edit the properties of any frame on the layout. You’ll explore
many of these tools and windows over next few lessons.

Notes:
Toolbars
Plot Frames
Plot Forms Tab
Properties
Opening a Plot Layout

You open a plot layout by selecting Plot | Open from the main menu, and in
the following exercise you’ll open one of the layouts that you created in
MM 102 – Displaying and Manipulating Data.
Exercise 1.1: Open a plot layout
To open a plot layout:
1. Select Plot | Open from the main menu. Or, click the Open button
on the Main Micromine toolbar.
2. Ensure the file type is set to Plot Document (*.PEX).
3. Select the file 15900mN.PEX and click Open. You screen will resemble
the screenshot on the following page.
The Components of a Plot Layout

A complete plot layout consists of two parts: a plot document (.PEX) file,
which determines the visible appearance of the printed page, and the plot
content, which supplies the data to be plotted. In turn, the plot content may
originate from a plot (.PEL) file or directly from a Vizex view.
Whenever you generate a plot file using Auto load, Micromine creates the
plot document and gives it the same name as the plot file. Although Auto load
is not compulsory it does make the two files easier to manage. The relationship
between them is explained in MG 204 – Plotting 2.

If you need to open a plot file without a matching plot document, just change Notes:
the file type to PLOT (*.PEL) when you use Plot | Open.
Micromine displays the newly opened plot layout using the default 2D layout
template, which was automatically applied when you created the file in
MM 102 – Displaying and Manipulating Data. You can see that much of the
configuration has already been done and only minor changes are needed.
Hide or close the Vizex docking windows to clear additional space for the
Plot Editor window.
Changing the Paper Size

Layouts are created by default on A3 (420 × 297mm) paper, so your first task
when working with a new layout is usually to change the paper size. This is
introduced in the following exercise, in which you’ll change the paper size to
A4 so that the layout can be added to a report.
Exercise 1.2: Change the paper size
To change the paper size:
1. Click the Page Setup button in the Plot Frames toolbar to open
the Page Setup dialog. Or, select Plot | Print | Page Setup from the
main menu.
2. On the Plot Settings dialog, click the Forms button and browse to the
Metric | Landscape | A4 Landscape form.

Notes: 3. Double-click the form set, or click Open, to apply it to the layout, and
then click OK.
4. Click the Zoom to Full Page button in the Plot Editor toolbar to
zoom the layout to the new paper size.
Changing other Plot Settings

The Plot Settings dialog also allows you to change the measurement units
and default substitutions. Substitutions are covered in MG 204.
Scaling and Positioning the Data

Now that the layout is on the right paper size you can turn your attention to
editing it to suit your requirements. Your first task is to correctly scale and
position the data within the plot frame.
Setting the Plot Scale

Scales in a metric layout are always expressed as a representative fraction, or
RF, such as 1:1000. Imperial layouts have typically use other scales, such as
inches-to-mile or foot-to-miles. Although the Plot Editor supports both meth-
ods you will concentrate on the metric representative fraction in the next
exercise.
Exercise 1.3: Set the plot scale
To set the plot scale:
1. Click within the plot frame (the box containing the plot data) to select it.
You’ll see its border highlighted in red.
2. The Properties window should be visible. If not, click the Properties
button in the Plot Editor toolbar to display it.
3. Select the X Scale value in the Properties window and change it to
1250.
4. Depending on the layout template, you may also need to change the Y
Scale. If it’s disabled, there is no need to set it.
Putting plot content ‘in the frame’
The rectangular boxes on a plot layout are called frames, and the plot
frame is simply the one containing the plot data. Depending on the lay-
out, other frames might contain title text, a scale bar, a legend or a com-
pany logo. Managing the frames on a plot layout is covered in MG 204.
You can edit anything listed in the Properties window using black text. Items
listed in grey text must be edited from the relevant dialog.

Now that the scale is correct you can position the data. Notes:
Positioning the Data

Positioning the data is an interactive process that involves dragging the con-
tents of a plot frame until they are correctly located within that frame.
Exercise 1.4: Position the data
To position the data within the plot frame:
1. With the plot frame selected (its border should be highlighted in red),
click the Pan Data Within Frame button in the Plot Editor
toolbar.
2. Drag the data until it is centred within the frame.
3. Note the changes to the X Centre and Y Centre values in the
Properties window.
Interactively rescaling a plot frame
You can also use Pan Data Within Frame to rescale the data by Ctrl+
dragging the mouse vertically in the frame. Once you know the approximate
scale, enter the nearest sensible value in the Properties window.
With the data configured it’s time to work on the marginalia – the information
around the margins of the plot frame.
Changing the Title

The new layout includes several frames containing title text, but they currently
display default placeholders. Your next task is to change the title text to some-
thing more appropriate.
There are two ways to supply title text for a layout: you can either enter it
yourself or you can use a plot form to quickly load predefined text. You’ll learn
both techniques in the next two exercises.
On the Plot Layout

To change the contents of a text frame (or any other frame) on a layout, just
double-click it to display its dialog.

Notes:
Exercise 1.5: Change the title on the plot layout
To change the title text on the layout:
1. Double-click the TITLE frame containing the text Plot Title / Description
of Plot Title to open the Text dialog. (You’ll also see the frame border
turn red.)
Hover your mouse over a frame to see its name in the status bar.
2. In the Free Text edit area, replace the existing text with Introduction to
Micromine / Training Plot. (The ‘/’ represents a line break. Press Enter
to create it.)
3. Click OK to apply the new title. Your TITLE frame should resemble this:
Using a Plot Form

Although it’s easy to manually enter your own text, many plot forms are
provided to give you a head start towards customising your layouts. You’ll use
a plot form to create automatic title text in the next exercise, and you’ll learn
to manage plot forms in MG 204.

Notes:
Exercise 1.6: Change the title using a plot form
In this exercise you’ll use a plot form to change the title text into an automatic
title that combines the project title and plot filename.
To change the title text using a plot form:
1. Double-click the TITLE frame to reopen the Text dialog.

2. At the right of the dialog, click the Forms button and browse to the Title
| Auto [+projtitle+plotfile] form set.
3. Double-click the form set or click the Open button to load it into the
dialog:
The text @projtitle is a predefined substitution that instructs Micromine to

display the project title (which appears in the Micromine title bar) on the lay-
out. Similarly, @plotfile displays the name of the plot file. You’ll learn about
substitutions in MG 204.
4. Click OK to apply the change to the layout. The title now contains text
automatically constructed from the project title and plot filename.
You change the contents and properties of any frame in a plot layout by
double-clicking it.
Saving a Plot Layout

To save a layout, select File | Save or File | Save As from the main menu.
Or you can click the Save button on the Plot Editor toolbar, or press
Ctrl+S.
Exercise 1.7: Save the plot layout
To save the plot layout:
1. Click the Save button in the Plot Editor toolbar, or select File |
Save from the main menu, or press Ctrl+S.
2. Leave the layout open in preparation for the next exercise.

Notes: Automatically Loading a Plot File into the Plot Editor

In MM 102 – Displaying and Manipulating Data you used Auto load to auto-
matically load a generated plot file into the Plot Editor. Be sure to select this
option whenever you use Plot | Generate Plot File. It saves time through
not having to manually open the layout and it also automatically creates and
names the plot document (.PEX) file.
Printing a Plot Layout

On the main menu, Plot | Print | Print Setup is where you choose the
printer and paper size. You must ensure that this paper size matches the one
used by the layout.
Plot | Print | Page Setup gives you an another way to configure the page.
It’s the same as clicking the Page Setup button on the Plot Editor toolbar.
To send the layout to the printer, select Plot | Print | Print. Or you can click
the Print button on the Plot Editor toolbar, or press Ctrl+P.
In the next exercise you’ll print the layout to PDF.
Exercise 1.8: Print the plot layout
To print the layout:
1. Select Plot | Print | Print Setup and choose an available PDF printer.
Alternatively, select the Windows 10 Microsoft Print to PDF.
2. On the Print Setup dialog, change the Paper Size to A4 and the
Orientation to Landscape, then click OK to return to the Plot Editor.
Microsoft Print to PDF is limited to a maximum size of A3.
3. Click the Print button on the Plot Editor toolbar and then click OK on
the Print Setup dialog to print the layout.
4. If prompted for a filename, navigate to your project folder, enter
15900mN and click OK or Save.
If a preview or PDF window appears, confirm that the layout was printed
correctly and then close the window once done.
Frame Types
In the preceding lessons you interacted with two different frame types: a 2D
Plot frame and a Text frame. The Plot Editor supports a variety of other frame
types, which are listed in Table 1.1.

Table 1.1: Plot Editor frame types Notes:
2D Plot: Displays a plot file. Can be Vizex Plot: Displays a Vizex View. Can
interactively zoomed and panned. be rotated, zoomed and panned.
Empty: Used for grouping other frames, Image: Supports many file formats.
such as a neat-line (border) or title block. Ideal for a company logo or site
photograph.
Legend: May be constructed manually Text: Any mixture of literal text and
or from colour, hatch, line or symbol predefined or user-defined substitution
sets. parameters.
North Arrow: Various north arrow Scale Bar: Shows reference plot scale.
symbols. Adjusts to changes in paper size or plot
scale. Different styles available.
Table: Any tabular Micromine file, with Document: Document, spreadsheet or

many formatting options. presentation from an office suite.

This lesson has introduced you to the Plot Editor and the process of editing a
layout. Here’s what you’ve learnt:
To open a plot layout:
Select Plot | Open from the main menu, and

Ensure the file type is set to Plot Document (*.PEX), then
Select the file and click Open.
To change the paper size of a layout:
Click the Page Setup button on the Plot Editor toolbar, or

Select Plot | Print | Page Setup from the main menu, then
Click the Forms button and choose a paper size, and
Double-click it to apply it to the layout.
To set the scale:
Select the plot frame, and

Enter the X (and optionally Y) Scale in the Properties window.
You can also use the Auto Scale option on the 2D Plot dialog.
To reposition the data in the layout:

Click the Pan Data Within Frame button, and
Drag the data to the correct location.
To rescale the data in the layout:

Click the Pan Data Within Frame button, and
Ctrl+drag the mouse to rescale the data, then
Enter the nearest sensible scale in the Properties window.
To change the text in a title frame:
Double-click the frame to open the Text dialog, and

Enter the Free Text.
To change text using a plot form:
Double-click the frame to open the Text dialog, and

Click the Forms button and select a plot form.

To save a plot layout:
Click the Save button in the Plot Editor toolbar, or

Select File | Save (or Save As) from the main menu, or
Press Ctrl+S.
To print a plot layout:
Select Plot | Print | Print Setup and choose the paper size and
printer, then
Click the Print button on the Plot Editor toolbar, or
Select Plot | Print | Print to print the layout.
Good Practice
Always enable Auto load whenever you use Plot | Generate Plot File .
This option saves time through not having to manually open the layout; it also
automatically creates and names the plot layout (.PEX) file.
An exception to this suggestion is when you are producing multiple plot files
from a macro and intend to print them using a master layout. In this situation,
which is introduced in MM 105 – Macros, you would typically disable Auto load.
It’s useful to plot your ongoing drill sections to PDF to create a human-readable
archive of all drilling in the project. Although Microsoft Print to PDF is available
on Windows 10 and onward, consider using pdfFactory Pro, which you can
evaluate free of charge from http://fineprint.com/pdfp/.
(Note, although listed here, Micromine does not warrant or otherwise endorse this
product.)
Help Topics
The Plot Editor Plot Editor > Getting started
Creating a layout Plot Editor > Generating a plot

Lesson 2 – Modifying a Plot

Notes:
Layout
In this part of the training you’ll learn to make simple modifications to a layout,
which are the first steps towards designing your own customised layout tem-
plate. The lesson covers two important techniques: using a layout template
to change the entire design and modifying a plot frame to change the con-
tents of a specific plot element.
• Apply a template to a layout to change its overall design

• Add a plot file to a 2D Plot frame
• Modify the contents of a coordinate Grid frame
• Add a company logo to an Image frame.
Introduction
A plot layout consists of any combination of plot frames containing plot con-
tent, and other frame types containing supporting information or marginalia.
Modifications to a layout can be as broad as applying a completely new tem-
plate or as subtle as changing the properties of a single plot frame.
To speed up both processes Micromine includes a variety of pre-defined lay-

out templates and plot forms (a plot form defines the properties for a plot
frame), and you’ll learn to use both in this lesson.
Using a Template
A common way of enhancing a drillhole cross section is to place a plan view of
the holes along one edge of the layout. The plan view is oriented parallel to
the section plane and matches the scale and location of the section. It shows
the location of the holes in relation to the section along with the thickness of
the clipping windows towards and away.
Micromine makes this process easy provided you’ve created a plan plot that
covers the entire project area. To incorporate the plan plot, apply a Section+
Plan layout template and then specify the name of the plan plot.
The following exercise demonstrates this process.

Notes:
Exercise 2.1: Display a plan view on the cross section
To display the plan view:
1. Ensure the Plot Frames window is visible. If it is not, click the Frames
tab to display it.
2. Right-click the 15900mN.PEX filename at the top of the tree.
3. Choose Apply Template from the pop-up menu:
4. Browse to the Layout Templates\Section+Plan folder.

5. Select Section+Plan Bottom.ptx and click Open to apply it.
Note how an empty plan window now appears at the top of the layout. The
grey text indicates that the frame is a 2D Plot frame called Plan Plot. The new
template has reformatted the entire layout.
Bottom refers to the location of the title frame, not the plan window.
6. Optionally, change the Paper Size back to A4 (use the paper size form
set, not the box on the dialog) and reselect the Auto title text.
7. Double-click within the Plan Plot frame to open the 2D Plot dialog.
8. Click the Plot file browse button and choose Example_Plan which
includes drillholes along with the information. Or, use the Plan plot file
you created earlier.
9. Click OK to apply the settings.
10. Your display should resemble the screenshot overleaf.
11. Using the Pan Data Within Frame button, drag the data within the
section view. Note how the plan view updates as you release the mouse.
Applying a template will remove the contents of any existing frames, so

be sure to choose the correct template before configuring the marginalia.

Notes:
By using a template, it was possible to add the plan plot with minimal effort.
The Layout Templates folder contains many other templates, and you’ll learn
to manage your own templates in MG 204 – Plotting 2.
Modifying the Coordinate Grid

A coordinate grid overlay, which is supported by a Grid frame, can be applied
to a 2D Plot or Vizex Plot frame. The coordinate grid supplied by the tem-
plate uses a combination of major and minor gridlines. However, it is easy to
format a coordinate grid overlay in a variety of different ways, which you’ll
learn in the next exercise by changing to a subtle dotted grid.
The Grid frame is subordinate to the Plot frame and is said to be a child of
the plot. There’s no direct way to modify the grid’s properties from the layout
so you must use the Plot Frames window to access it instead.
Exercise 2.2: Modify the coordinate grid display
To modify the coordinate grid display:
1. Ensure the Plot Frames window is visible. If it is not, click the Frames
tab to display it:

Notes:
2. Click the expand icon next to the Master Plot list to expand it. It
contains one child frame, the Master Plot Grid.
3. Double-click the Master Plot Grid frame to open the Grid dialog.
4. Click the Forms button at right of the Grid dialog and browse to the
Label Inside Border | Label=metres folder.
5. Choose Auto Spacing [DOTTED] from the list and click Open to apply it.
The spacing of the grid lines is currently automatic, but you’ll change it to a
fixed 100 m interval.
6. In the Line Settings group, enable Make all spacings the same and
change East Spacing to 100.
8. Optionally, repeat Steps 2 through 7 for the Plan Plot coordinate grid.
9. Your display should resemble this:

Notes: 10. Click the Save button on the Plot Editor toolbar to save your work.
Because a Grid frame is a child of its Plot frame you can only modify its
properties from the Plot Frames window.
Adding a Company Logo

Even if you’re happy to use the layouts provided by Micromine you’ll still need
to add your own company logo to the title area. The simplest way to add a
company logo is to save it in a popular image format like TIF, JPG or PNG.
Once it’s in that format it can be added to a layout using an Image frame,
which you’ll do in the next exercise.
Exercise 2.3: Add a company logo
To add a company logo:
1. Double-click the [Image “LOGO”] frame to display the Image dialog. Its
border will be highlighted in red.
2. Click the Image file browse button and choose Micromine_Logo.jpg.
3. Ensure that Maintain aspect ratio is enabled.
4. Click OK to apply the new logo. Your display should resemble this:
5. Save and Close the layout (click the on the 15900mN.PEX tab) once
you’re done.

This lesson has introduced the basic ways to modify a plot layout. Here’s what
you’ve learned:
To apply a template to a layout:
Ensure the Plot Frames window is visible, then

Right-click the layout filename at the top of the Plot Frames tree, and
Choose Apply Template from the pop-up menu, then
Select the template.
To modify a (Grid) plot frame that is a child of another frame:
Ensure the Plot Frames window is visible, then

Click the expand icon next to the parent frame’s list to expand it, and
Double-click the child frame to display its dialog, then
Modify the parameters on the dialog, or
Click the Forms button and select an existing plot form.
To load a plot file into a 2D Plot frame:
Double-click anywhere within the Plot frame to display the 2D Plot

dialog, then
Click the Plot file browse button and choose the plot file.
To add an image file reference to an Image frame:
Select the Image frame, then

Double-click Image frame to display the Image dialog, and
Click the Image file browse button and select the image file, and
Ensure that Maintain aspect ratio is enabled.
Good Practice
Use pre-existing templates and plot forms where possible to speed up the
process of creating a plot layout.

Creating a logo file
Micromine supports popular image formats like JPG, GIF, TIF or PNG. When
making a logo file it’s important to ensure the image is large enough to make
high quality hardcopy output.
The largest paper you’re likely to use might be A0 or ARCH E, which means
the LOGO frame might be around 185 mm × 65 mm (7.2 × 2.5 inches). The
image should be big enough to accommodate this. A simple rule is: if you view
the logo at 100% scale on your computer screen it should just about fill the
screen. If it’s only 65 mm high on your screen, it’ll be too small to print at
maximum quality.
Help Topics
The Plot Editor Plot Editor > Getting Started
Templates Plot Editor > Working with files and templates >
Creating a layout from a template
Plot Forms Plot Editor > Working with plot frames >
Managing frame form sets
Parent/child Plot Editor > Working with plot frames >

relationships Managing plot frames
Adding a plot to a Plot Editor > Working with plot frames >
2D Plot frame Adding a 2D Plot

Notes:
Lesson 3 – Vizex Plots
In this part of the training you’ll learn to use a Vizex Plot layout to create a
plot of a Vizex view.
• Create a Vizex Plot layout

• Manipulate the layout, including rotating the view into an inclined
orientation
• Save the layout, including updating the referenced Saved View
• Understand the alternative uses for Vizex Plot layouts.
Introduction
A Vizex Plot layout is a layout that contains a Vizex Plot frame, which differs
from a 2D Plot frame in three key areas:
• It gets its data directly from a Vizex View instead of a plot file.
• It handles the texturing and shading required to draw wireframes, block
models, draped images and 3D interpolated grids in 3D Shaded mode.
• It can be interactively rotated within the layout in addition to the inter-
active panning and zooming of a 2D Plot frame.
With a Vizex Plot layout you can interact with the view as if you were using
Vizex, and once it is positioned you can print the layout as normal.
Creating a Vizex Plot Layout

You create a Vizex Plot layout in a variety of ways. The quickest way is to
create it directly from Vizex using Plot | Generate Vizex Plot. There’s no
need for an Auto load option here since Vizex Plots are always loaded directly
into the Plot Editor. This method is best suited to layouts containing only one
Vizex Plot frame.
Or, you can create a layout containing one or more Vizex Plot frames and
then load a Vizex saved view into each frame. This method is best suited to
layouts containing multiple Vizex Plot frames or a combination of 2D and Vizex
Plot frames.
You’ll learn the Generate Vizex Plot option in the next exercise.

Notes:
Exercise 3.1: Create a Vizex Plot layout
To create the Vizex Plot layout:
1. If you completed MM 103 – 3D Presentation, expand the Vizex Saved

View list and reload the DTM and drilling saved view, then proceed
directly to Step 5.
2. If you did not complete MM 103, load the following Vizex form sets
instead:
• Wireframe > Topo DTM with airphoto
• Drillhole > Trace > Simple assay display
• Drillhole > Interval Hatch > Drillhole lithology
3. Click the Perspective Mode button on the Vizex View toolbar, and
then rotate the view into an inclined orientation.
4. Select View | Save Vizex View, or double-click the Saved View
node, and Save the view with the Title DTM and drilling.
5. Select View | Vizex Background Options and enable Sky and
Ground mode, then click OK.
6. Select Plot | Generate Vizex Plot from the main menu, and then
click OK to accept the settings on the Generate Vizex Plot dialog.
Micromine will automatically load the view into a default Vizex plot layout.
7. Your display should resemble this screenshot. (Vizex windows have been
closed for clarity):
In the workplace you’d work on the layout, filling out the frames in the title
area, or perhaps by applying a different layout template. For brevity you’ll
complete the next exercise using the default layout.

Vizex Plot templates supplied with Micromine Notes:
A range of Vizex Plot layout templates is provided in the Layout Tem-

plates\3D folder. In addition, applying any other template to a layout will
automatically convert it to a Vizex Plot layout.
Interacting with a Vizex Plot

One of the coolest features of a Vizex Plot is its support for interactive rotation
as if you were still using Vizex. Whenever you alter the appearance of a Vizex
Plot frame by panning, rotating or zooming, the new view parameters are au-
tomatically saved as Override Display Limits settings, making it easy to de-
couple the layout’s appearance from the original saved view. However, the plot
data is still obtained from Vizex.
Because the interaction in a Vizex Plot frame is applied to a frame within a

window, the Plot Editor uses different keyboard and mouse combinations than
Vizex. You’ll learn to use these keyboard/mouse combinations in the next
exercise.
Exercise 3.2: Interact with the Vizex plot
To modify the inclined view within the Vizex plot layout:
1. Click anywhere in the Vizex Plot frame to select it. Its border will be
highlighted in red.
2. Click the Pan Data Within Frame button in the Plot Editor
toolbar.
3. Drag the mouse within the frame to pan the data.
Because the view was created in perspective mode it appears as if you are
flying above the data rather than panning a map.
4. Hold the Shift key and drag the mouse to rotate the data.
5. Hold the Ctrl key and drag the mouse to zoom the data.
Saving a Vizex Plot Layout

When you first create a Vizex Plot layout Micromine gets its information from
the currently displayed live Vizex view. Saving a layout in this configuration
gives you the flexibility to re-open it using any displayed Vizex view. However,
before saving this layout you’ll make a simple change that will permanently
associate it with the original saved view.

Notes:
Exercise 3.3: Save the Vizex Plot layout
1. Double-click in the Master Plot frame to open the Vizex Plot dialog. The
frame border will be highlighted in red.
2. On the Vizex Plot tab, choose the Saved Vizex view option.
3. Click the Saved Vizex view form button and choose the DTM and
drilling saved view.
4. Inspect the contents of the Override Display Limits group, which
were created the instant you started interacting with the view.
5. Click OK to apply the change.
6. Click the Save button in the Plot Editor toolbar or select File |
Save from the main menu, or press Ctrl+S.
7. Ensure Save as type is set to Plot Document (*.PEX).
8. Enter the File name Inclined_View and click Save to save the file.
9. Click the on the Inclined_View.PEX tab to close the Plot Editor window
once you’re done.
10. Back in Vizex, select View | Vizex Background Options, change the
background back to Simple, and then click OK.
11. Select Edit | Remove All to clean up the display.
Uses for Vizex Plot Layouts

Vizex Plot layouts have the advantage of not using a plot file. Instead they
work directly from the current Vizex display or a Saved View, which are in-turn
derived directly from your data. You can use Vizex Plot layouts for plotting
regular data as well as inclined Vizex views, which offers a number of benefits:
1. Up-to-date information: Because Vizex Plots don’t use a plot file they
always display the most up-to-date information. Using a Vizex Plot layout
whenever your data is rapidly changing will ensure that the layout
always displays the most up-to-date information.
2. Quick plotting: It’s faster to create a Vizex Plot layout using an exist-
ing template than it is to create a plot file.
Simply generate a Vizex Plot, click OK to use the current template, and
then send it to your printer or PDF software.
3. Complex shading: Vizex Plots handle complex texturing and shading
more efficiently than 2D frames. Texturing and shading are required for
draped images, 3D shaded wireframes and 3D shaded interpolated grids.

This lesson introduced the Plot Editor’s Vizex Plot layouts. Here’s what you’ve
learned:
To create a Vizex Plot layout:
Create a Vizex view containing the data you wish to display, and
Consider enabling Sky and Ground mode and Perspective Mode for
a more realistic view, then
Select Plot | Generate Vizex Plot from the main menu.
To interact with a Vizex Plot layout:
Select the Vizex Plot frame, and

Click the Pan Data Within Frame button, then
Drag the mouse within the frame to pan the data, or
Shift+drag the mouse to rotate the data, or
Ctrl+drag the mouse to zoom the data.
To associate a Saved View with a Vizex Plot layout:
Double-click the Vizex Plot frame to display the Vizex Plot dialog, then
On the Vizex Plot tab, select the Saved Vizex view option, and
Choose the Saved View.
To save a Vizex Plot layout:
Ensure you have completed the Saved View steps above, then
Click the Save button in the Plot Editor toolbar, or
Select File | Save from the main menu, or
Press Ctrl+S.
Good Practice
Vizex Plot layouts work directly from the current Vizex display (or a Saved
View) and can handle complex shading and texturing. Use a Vizex Plot layout
for creating quick plots, communicating complex ideas to non-technical au-
diences, whenever your data is rapidly changing, or if you need to support
shading or texturing.
Help Topics
Saving a Vizex view Vizex > View > Save/Load Vizex View
Vizex Plot frames Plot Editor > Working with plot frames >
Adding a Vizex plot

Notes:

.
Micromine 2018 Training MM 105 – Macros
MM 105 – Macros
Table of Contents
LESSON 1 – INTRODUCTION ..............................................................................................................1

AUTOMATING MICROMINE .............................................................................................................................. 1
INTRODUCING MACROS .................................................................................................................................. 1
Why Write Macros? ............................................................................................................................... 2
LESSON 2 – WRITING A MACRO ........................................................................................................4
CREATING A MACRO ...................................................................................................................................... 4
Creating Form Sets ................................................................................................................................ 4
Managing Macro and Interactive Form Sets ............................................................................................. 4
Editing a Macro File ............................................................................................................................... 5
SPECIAL COMMANDS AND FIELDS ...................................................................................................................... 5
Catching Errors and Adding Comments ................................................................................................... 6
Plot File Field ........................................................................................................................................ 6
Other Macro Fields ................................................................................................................................ 6
RUNNING A MACRO ..................................................................................................................................... 11
LESSON 3 – PLOTTING VIA MACRO................................................................................................. 15
AUTOMATING THE PLOT EDITOR ..................................................................................................................... 15
USING REPLACEABLE PARAMETERS .................................................................................................................. 15
Defining Replaceable Parameters ......................................................................................................... 17
Adding Default Values ......................................................................................................................... 18
LESSON 4 – LAUNCHING AN EXTERNAL APPLICATION (OPTIONAL) ............................................. 25
INTRODUCTION .......................................................................................................................................... 25
LAUNCHING AN APPLICATION ......................................................................................................................... 25
Obtaining an Application File Path ........................................................................................................ 28
Limitations of Displaying PDF Files in a Macro ....................................................................................... 28
LESSON 5 – A TASTE OF PYTHON (OPTIONAL) ............................................................................... 30
INTRODUCTION .......................................................................................................................................... 30
The Python Language .......................................................................................................................... 30
THE EXAMPLE MACRO REVISITED ................................................................................................................... 31
CONCLUSION ............................................................................................................................................. 32
Sidebars
Obtaining a default filename ....................................................................................................................... 19

MM 105 – Macros Micromine 2018 Training
MM 105 – Macros
Table of Contents
Exercises
Exercise 1.1: Run an example macro ............................................................................................................ 2

Exercise 2.1: Create and test form sets ......................................................................................................... 7
Exercise 2.2: Create a macro file .................................................................................................................. 8
Exercise 2.3: Run a macro .......................................................................................................................... 12
Exercise 3.1: Preview an example macro that uses replaceable parameters ................................................... 16
Exercise 3.2: Set up and save a master plot layout ...................................................................................... 18
Exercise 3.3: Write and preview a plotting macro ........................................................................................ 20
Exercise 3.4: Run a plotting macro.............................................................................................................. 23
Exercise 4.1: Write a macro that exports data and opens the target application ............................................. 26
Exercise 5.1: Run an example Python script ................................................................................................ 32

Notes:
Lesson 1 – Introduction
This lesson will introduce the reasons for automating Micromine and give you
an opportunity to run an example macro that demonstrates one of Micromine’s
automation methods.
• Understand the reasons for writing a macro

• Run an example macro.
Automating Micromine
Micromine includes many individual tools and functions; in your daily activities
it’s normal to combine two or more of them into a workflow that produces an
end result. For example, adding the latest drilling results to a database might
require you to import, merge and then validate the data, with each step in this
workflow using a different Micromine function. You would then re-run this
workflow every time you wished to add new data.
Saving these steps as form sets avoids the need to re-enter the settings each
time, but you would still need to run them manually whenever you received
new data. Running anything manually increases the risk of human error, so a
much better alternative would be to somehow make them run automatically.
Micromine’s automation methods serve this purpose.
There are two ways to automate Micromine: macros and the Python pro-
gramming language. Although either method may be used to automate a
given workflow, macros are better suited to simple workflows and Python pro-
gramming is better suited to more complex workflows in workplaces where
maintainability and distribution are important.
This part of the training focuses on macros. Lesson 5 – A Taste of Python

provides a very brief introduction to Python programming, which is covered in
MM 331 – Python Scripting 1.
Introducing Macros
A macro is a file containing a list of instructions that Micromine performs in
sequence without further input. Each instruction is defined by its process
(menu) name, form set ID and optional parameters. Any function that
appears on the Micromine menu may be used as a macro instruction, and once
a macro is set up you can run it repeatedly without intervention.

Notes: Why Write Macros?

Although there are many reasons for writing macros, the main three are:
• Repetition: To perform the same operation many times without having

to sit at your computer. A geological example involves plotting many
cross sections at the end of a drilling programme. This macro would
redraw the drill data as many times as there were cross sections.
• Perform Complex Tasks: To perform a complex task via a sequence
of simple commands. For example, you might regularly extract assay
files from a database, perform a significant intersections grade
calculation and report the results. This macro would combine the simple
commands to automate this complex task.
• Auditability: To document your Micromine workflow by listing the form
sets, in order, in that workflow. Normally, you would not run this macro.
Before learning to write a macro, you’ll run a ready-made example in the next
exercise, so you can observe the result.
Exercise 1.1: Run an example macro
In this exercise you’ll run a macro that performs a task you carried out earlier
in the Introduction course: Removing everything from the Vizex window and
then loading a drillhole trace and a digital terrain model.
To run the macro:
1. Select Scripting | Run Macro from the menu. Or, click the Run
Macro toolbar button.
2. On the Run Macro dialog, click the Macro Name browse button and
choose Load Drillholes and DTM from the list.
3. Type (or copy and paste) the name Load Drillholes and DTM into the
Report File response at the bottom of the dialog.
If you give the report file the same name as the macro you’ll be able to
track which reports correspond to which macros.
4. Click the Run button and observe the result.
Anything loaded into Vizex will be removed, and the drillhole trace and digital
terrain model layers will then be loaded to replace them.
5. Micromine will return you to the Run Macro dialog once the macro is
finished. This gives you an opportunity to review the report file and
confirm that the macro was successful.
6. Close the Run Macro dialog and retain the view for the next lesson.
This simple example shows how quickly a task, such as loading display layers,
can be carried out using a macro. Whilst you would not typically use these
steps on their own as shown here, loading data into Vizex does form the be-
ginning of virtually every macro for plotting drillhole sections. You will reuse
this knowledge in an upcoming exercise.

This lesson has introduced the concept of macros and their purposes:
Macros serve many purposes, the main three being:
Repetition: performing the same operation many times;

Complexity: combining many simple steps to complete a complex task;
Auditability: documenting your workflow.
Micromine includes two automation methods:
Macros: best suited to simple workflows.

Python programming: best for complex workflows or where
maintainability and distribution are important.
Good Practice
Always consider automating any workflow that consists of more than two
steps, and that you need to run more than two or three times.
If you work in an environment where workflow documentation is important,

such as in resource estimation, consider writing a macro that lists the order in
which you carried out the individual steps. This macro is for documentation
only and there is generally no need to run it.
Help Topics
Macros Scripting and Macros > Macros >

Steps in running a macro
Python scripting Scripting and Macros > Scripting

Notes:
Lesson 2 – Writing a Macro
This lesson will teach you to write, test and run a macro, which you can use
to automate a variety of Micromine tasks.
• Understand the macro writing process

• Save dialogs as form sets in preparation for macro execution
• Write a macro file
• Run a macro.
Creating a Macro
Writing and using a macro is a three step process:
1. Create, test, and save all form sets that will be accessed by the macro.
2. Write the macro file, referencing the previously saved form sets.
3. Run the macro and check the result.
The following topics describe these steps using a section plotting example.
Creating Form Sets

It’s important that you understand how you would carry out the workflow man-
ually before attempting to create a macro, and the easiest way to create and
test form sets for a macro is to use Micromine in the normal way. In other
words, you choose a menu option, fill out the dialog, and run the function with
some trial data. You should continue to test the dialog until you’re satisfied
with the result.
Managing Macro and Interactive Form Sets

It’s normal for Micromine projects to contain dozens of form sets in any com-
bination of interactive and macro configurations. A systematic approach is es-
sential to distinguish the two types – the titles may make sense to you but will
probably be meaningless to your colleagues.
Saving macro form sets in a separate folder is an excellent way to separate

them from their interactive cousins. The folder structure will allow you to easily
identify the two types.

Editing a Macro File Notes:
Once you’ve defined the form sets that make up your workflow it’s time to
write the macro file. To create a new macro file, choose Scripting | New
Macro from the main menu. Or, choose File | New and set the Type to
MACRO. The macro structure is predefined so there’s no need to use a tem-
plate in either case.
Macro files are ordinary Micromine files and you can use standard data entry
shortcuts like Ctrl+A (add) or Ctrl+R (replicate) while you are editing
them. The macro PROCESS and Form fields incorporate permanently at-
tached lookup tables that assist with selecting a process and its corresponding
form set; the PROCESS lookup table reproduces the main Micromine menu (as
shown below) and the Form lookup table lists the saved form sets correspond-
ing to each process. Simply click the corresponding button to display either
lookup table.
Each line in a macro file represents an individual step or action, which usually
requires you to select values for both the PROCESS and Form fields:
1. The process corresponds to the menu item you would have chosen if
you were performing the same task manually.
2. The form corresponds to the matching saved form set.
Special Commands and Fields

Some functions can’t be saved as form sets in the normal way. However, you
can still use these special macro commands by selecting them from the Script-
ing or Macro menus. Most are found under the Scripting menu, including:
• Macro File Functions: A collection of tools for creating and managing

files via a macro.
• Macro Wireframe Functions: A similar collection of tools for creating
and managing wireframes.
• Macro Section Functions: Options for working with section control
files and the named sections within them.

Notes: • Macro Utilities: an option for choosing a printer without using the
standard Windows Print Setup dialog, along with options for creating
and using a macro substitution table.
Catching Errors and Adding Comments

Some important macro commands are found under the Macro menu in the
PROCESS list (not the main menu). They include:
• Abort: Typing YES into the PAR field (see below) will terminate the
macro if an error occurs. Otherwise the macro will ignore each error and
proceed to the next step as if nothing was wrong.
• Comment: Ignores all other text on that line, making it useful for
labelling the fields in a macro. You can also use an exclamation mark (!)
to comment out an existing macro line.
A well-written macro normally includes both commands, which are typically

placed at the beginning of the file, and comments may be added anywhere
the macro needs to be documented for other users to understand.
Plot File Field

Whenever you write a macro that creates plot files you must enter or select
the name of the output plot files into the Plot File field. This field has two
purposes:
• In any process that makes a plot file it reproduces the output Plot file
response of the Generate Plot File dialog, equivalent to manually
entering the name whenever you create a plot file.
• In the Plot Editor (PLOTPRINT) process it contains the name of the
plot document that controls the appearance of the plot. A lookup table
button (the Plot File button) will appear next to each PLOTPRINT
process, simplifying the task of choosing a plot document.
Other Macro Fields

The standard macro file structure also includes these fields, which are beyond
the scope of this training and are only listed here for reference:
• Append-ROP: Use to append a Report, Plot or Other output file.

• PAR: When using the ABORT command, the PAR field should contain
YES or NO to indicate whether or not the macro should abort.
You’ll write a new macro containing the Abort and Comment commands in the
next few exercises. Although the initial steps in this macro duplicate those of
the preceding example, recreating them will give you an opportunity to see
how the example was created.

Notes:
Exercise 2.1: Create and test form sets
Most of the form sets you will be using have already been created, but you do
need to create and test the form set that displays the first section. In Exercise
3.6 of MM 102 you interactively displayed the sections by opening a section
control file and selecting a named section from the Sections window.
You can alternatively display a section from the main menu by selecting
Scripting | Macro Section Functions | Go to Section by Name. You’ll
save this dialog as a form set for the macro.
This menu contains many other section control file functions.
Create the section control file form set
To set up the form set:
1. From the main menu select Scripting | Macro Section Functions |

Go to Section by Name.
2. Click the Section Control File browse button and select the
NVG_Sections file.
3. Click the Name Browse button and select 15760mN as shown here:
4. Click Forms followed by Save As and enter the Title Section 15760mN.
5. Click OK to save the form.
There’s no need to use form set folders here because this dialog has no
interactive equivalent.

Notes: 6. Click Run to test the form set by applying the change to Vizex.
Note how the view now displays section 15760mN as if you had selected it
from the Sections window. If it did not work then you should re-do the pre-
ceding steps and check the file and section names.
7. Close the dialog once you are done.
With the form sets created you can now turn your attention to the macro.
Exercise 2.2: Create a macro file
To write the macro:
1. Select Scripting | New Macro from the main menu.

2. On the New Macro File dialog, enter the File name Make_Dh_Sections
and enable Auto open file for editing.
3. Click OK to create and open the file.
You’ll see a blank macro file appear in the File Editor. Observe how the
PROCESS and Form fields have lookup table buttons.
This macro can be divided into four steps, which are detailed below:
a) Add the Abort command and comments for column headings

b) Clear the Vizex display and then load the new display layers
c) Refer to the cross sections using the section control file
d) Define the output plot filenames.
Add comments and catch errors (step a)
The first lines of any well-written macro should add the Abort command and
include comments that describe the field contents:
1. Click the PROCESS button and note how the popup menu reproduces
the main Micromine menu.
2. Select Macro | Comment from this menu. Note how the COMMENT
command now appears in the PROCESS field.
3. Enter Output plot file in the Plot File field and Stop on error in the PAR
field.
4. Double-click the right-hand borders of the headings to widen the
columns and display the full comment text.
These comments will explain the macro to other users.
5. Press Enter to create a new line in the macro.

6. Click the PROCESS button and select Macro | Abort from this menu.
Note the addition of the ABORT command to the macro.

7. Enter the word YES in the PAR field. Notes:
The abort command will stop the macro if it encounters an error.
Clear the display and load the display layers (step b)
If you were producing these cross-sections by hand you would begin by re-
moving any previous data and then loading the new display layers. You do the
same within the macro:

2. Click the PROCESS button and select Edit | Remove All from this
menu. When this process is run from the macro it will clean up the
display in preparation for loading the new data.
Now to load new display layers:
3. Press Enter to create a new line.

4. Click the PROCESS button on line 4 and select Display | Drillhole |
Trace. Note how VXTRACE now appears in the PROCESS field.
5. Click the Form button on line 4 and select Example drillhole lithology
from the list. Note the form set ID in the Form field.
6. Press Enter to create the next line.
7. Click the PROCESS button on line 5 and select Display | Drillhole |
Interval Label.
8. Click the Form button on line 5 and select Au Assay (deciles).
9. Repeat Steps 6 to 8 and select Lithology (coloured) from the list.
10. Create a new line and select the Display | Drillhole | Interval Hatch
process along with the Drillhole lithology form set.
11. Lastly, repeat Step 10 selecting Display | Wireframe along with the
DTM (2D slice) form set. Your macro should look like this:
12. You’ve just instructed the macro to load five individual display layers in
the same way as if you’d loaded them by hand.

Notes: Refer to the cross sections (step c)
1. Press Enter at the end of the file to create a new line.

2. Click the PROCESS button and select Scripting | Macro Section
Functions | Go to Section by Name.
3. Click the Form button and select Section 15760mN. This is the form set
you previously created and tested.
4. Press Enter at the end of the file to create a new line.
5. Click the PROCESS button and select Scripting | Macro Section
Functions | Go to Next Section in Control File.
This process does not have a form so there is nothing else to do.
6. Press Ctrl+R (or click the Replicate One button) eight times to add
the remaining sections (there are ten in the section control file and
you’ve already created processes for the first two).
Define the output plot filenames (step d)
If you were to run the macro now, Micromine would display every cross section
without creating the matching plot files. Your final task is to instruct it to create
a plot file for each section.
Every macro process that adjusts the Vizex view can be made to create a plot
file by simply entering the appropriate name in the Plot File field for that
process. To save time and prevent data entry errors you will copy the names
from the section control file.
1. Switch to the Vizex tab and display the Sections window.

2. Right-click the NVG_Sections section control file and choose Edit from
the pop-up menu.
3. Drag your mouse down the NAME field to select the named sections.
4. Press Ctrl+C, or right-click | Copy, or select Edit | Copy from the
menu, to copy the names from the section control file. Close the file
once you’re done.
5. Back on the Macro tab, place your typing cursor in the Plot File cell on
the NAME_IN_SCF process (line 9) and paste the names (Ctrl+V,
right-click | Paste, or Edit | Paste). It should now look like the
screenshot on the facing page.
6. Save the macro and close the editor. You’ve just written a macro
that will automatically make ten plot files.
Loading a Saved View vs. loading individual form sets
Creating a saved view containing several layers is a normal part of using Vizex,
and it’s easy to load a saved view via a macro. This may initially seem quicker
because the macro needs only one form set – the saved view – instead of a
separate form set for each layer.

Notes:
However, loading individual Vizex forms is usually better because you can con-
trol each one in a separate macro process. You can also add or remove layers
by adding or removing (or temporarily commenting out) lines in the macro
without having to recreate the saved view each time.
Running a Macro
To run a macro, select Scripting | Run Macro from the menu or click the
Run Macro toolbar button. Running a macro means executing the com-
mands stored in the macro file, which you do via the Run Macro dialog.
Micromine will step through the commands as if you were operating it.
You may include any number of macro files in one macro run. This allows you
to create smaller macros that are easier to develop and test, and then combine
them on the Run Macro dialog to perform complex operations. The dialog
may be saved as a form set to simplify the creation of macro libraries.
You add a macro to the form by selecting a Macro Name. Pressing Enter
within the Macro Grid will create a new line, allowing you to run multiple mac-
ros. They are run in the order you list them. To start from an intermediate
macro, click the Start At button next to the file where you’d like to begin. The
files before it will be ignored. Click the Delete Row(s) button to delete a line
and its corresponding macro. The right-click menu and Macro Grid toolbar
(on the Run Macro dialog) provide other options for managing multiple macros.
You must enter a compulsory Report file name. It’s essential that you check
this file after the macro has run because any pop-up messages that would
have been displayed during a manual run will be written to this file. At the very
least you should scan the report for errors, which are always highlighted with
blocks of hash ‘#’ symbols, like this:

Notes: Time: 08:48:48

#### ERROR IN COPY STRUCTURE ####
----------------------------
You’ll run your macro in the next exercise.
Exercise 2.3: Run a macro
Now you can check the result of your efforts:
1. Ensure the Sections window is visible, and expand the NVG_Sections

list to display the named sections.
2. Select Scripting | Run Macro from the menu, or click the Run Macro
toolbar button (located on the Main toolbar).
3. On the Run Macro dialog, click the Macro Name browse button and
choose Make_Dh_Sections from the list.
4. Type (or copy and paste) the name Make_Dh_Sections into the Report
file response.
If you give the report file the same name as the macro, you’ll be able to
track which reports correspond to which macros.
5. Run the macro and observe the Sections window as it runs.
As expected you’ll see Vizex loading the layers and then quickly stepping
through the named sections, as well as momentarily displaying each section in
the graphic display.
6. Right-click the Report file to view it.
Any messages that would have appeared as pop-up dialogs during interactive
use are written to the macro file instead. It’s important to check for warnings
such as these to ensure the macro behaved as intended.
7. Lastly, close the Run Macro dialog.

8. Finish this exercise by selecting Edit | Remove All.

This lesson has introduced the techniques for writing and running a macro.
The topics that you’ve covered so far are:
Writing a macro involves three steps:
1. Create and test the form sets.

2. Write the file.
3. Run it!
For each process in a macro file you must generally provide at least two items
of information:
The PROCESS (i.e. the menu you’d have manually chosen).

The Form (i.e. which form you’d have manually loaded).
To set up a form set:
Use Micromine as normal, then

Run the form, and
Save the form set.
To write a plot file from a macro process:
Enter a name in the Plot File field for that process.
Good Practice
Keep your macros short and limit them to achieving a single outcome when-
ever possible. Short macros are easier to develop and maintain, and you can
combine them in the Run Macro dialog to perform a more complex task.
Use a systematic approach for managing form sets saved for macros. Consider
prefixing their titles, for example with (M), or saving them in subfolders so
they are separated from other interactive form sets.
Well-written macros usually include the ABORT command and always include
comments.
Always view the report file after running a macro.
Giving report files the same names as the macros will allow you to track the
relationship between them.
If you’re writing a macro that incorporates a section control file, copy and paste
the section names from the control file into the Plot File field of the macro.

Help Topics
Macros Scripting and Macros > Macros >

Steps in running a macro
Macro functions Scripting and Macros > Macros > Macro functions
Macro processes Scripting and Macros > Macros > Macro processes

Notes:
Lesson 3 – Plotting Via Macro
This lesson will teach you to automate the Plot Editor using a macro. Auto-
mating the Plot Editor makes it easy to send multiple plots, such as drill sec-
tions at the end of a drilling programme, to an output device without having
to sit at your computer.
• Write a macro that plots multiple cross sections using replaceable

parameters (variables)
• Define replaceable parameters on a Plot Editor layout
• Output those cross sections to a print device (PDF).
Automating the Plot Editor

Making the plot files as you did in Lesson 2 is clearly only half of this story; the
plots must also be configured and sent to an output device via the Plot Editor.
You automate the Plot Editor using the same three-step technique you learned
in Lesson 2:
1. Create a master plot layout and save it with replaceable parameters. The
plot layout acts as the “form set” in a Plot Editor macro.
2. Write a macro file incorporating the Plot Editor.
3. Run the macro.
A Plot Editor-based macro is intended for sending plots to a device, and be-
cause it is tied to that device it can’t be run in preview mode. Instead, you
preview each individual plot by right-clicking its layout in the macro file.
Using Replaceable Parameters

The macro you wrote and ran in Lesson 2 created a plot file for each section.
However, it provided no options for automatically creating the corresponding
plot layouts. Although you might be tempted to individually load each plot file
into the Plot Editor, it would be time-consuming and error-prone, and not ‘au-
tomated’. You can overcome this limitation by creating a master layout and
then substituting the actual file name in the layout with a variable, known as
a replaceable parameter. You then print the plot files using the same mas-
ter layout by taking the individual file names from the macro, as shown on
Figure 3.1. Using a master layout avoids the need to create separate layouts
and guarantees that every plot will have the same design.

Notes:
Figure 3.1: Creating many plots using a master layout and macro
In the next exercise you’ll preview an example macro that shows how to create
multiple plots from a single plot layout with one replaceable parameter. In the
subsequent exercises you’ll then create, preview and run a more sophisticated
version of that macro that uses three replaceable parameters.
Exercise 3.1: Preview an example macro that uses

replaceable parameters
To preview the macro:
1. Select Scripting | Open Macro from the menu and open the Plot to
Device macro.
Process 1 in this macro, which is currently commented out, chooses the desti-
nation device. Processes 2 through 11 then repeatedly run PLOTPRINT, each
time referring to the same Example_Master_Plot_Layout. In turn, the plot lay-
out obtains the plot file names from the %1 column of the macro file.
2. Right-click in the (blank) Form column of any PLOTPRINT process and

observe the result.
Right-clicking the Form column in a macro lets you preview that form without
running the macro. In the case of a PLOTPRINT process, the preview shows
the plot layout referenced in the Plot File column. This is ideal for validating
the plots before sending them to a printer.
3. With the plot layout open, double-click anywhere within the master plot
frame, switch to the 2D Plot tab, and compare the Plot File response
with the plot filename shown in the layout’s Scale frame.
Although the Scale frame clearly includes an actual plot filename, the Plot File
response on the 2D Plot tab still shows “%1”. Whenever you preview a plot

layout, Micromine automatically replaces %1 with the current plot file name. Notes:
The same applies when you run the macro.
4. Close the layout and then repeat the preceding steps for other
PLOTPRINTs, noting the different plot filenames.
5. Close the layout(s) and Plot_to_Device macro once you are done.
To run this macro, uncomment the PRINTER line, modify the form set to suit
your output target device, and then run it via the Run Macro dialog.
Replaceable parameters are a key macro feature and may be used in any
macro to represent any value that changes from one process to the next.
Defining Replaceable Parameters

Once you’ve prepared a dialog for a macro you should consider which entries
on that dialog will change each time it’s run. For example, when you are plot-
ting cross sections you would expect the Plot file name to change each time
that function is run.
Once you’ve identified the entries whose values will change you then substitute
those values with replaceable parameters. These parameters are identified
by a % (percent) symbol followed by a number, for example %3, and will be
replaced with actual values when the macro is run. You can define replaceable
parameters %1 through to %99 (although only %1 to %30 are present in the
default macro structure), and the actual values must be held within the cor-
responding fields in the macro file.

Notes: If you refer to the Make_Dh_Sections macro it will be clear that not all form
sets need replaceable parameters. For example, form sets that load data into
Vizex don’t change from one run to the next and generally don’t need replace-
able parameters, whereas section numbers, view centre coordinates, and file
names usually do change and do need replaceable parameters. Thus the
choice of whether or not to use replaceable parameters will depend on your
preferences and the complexity of the macro.
Adding Default Values

Once a dialog has been set up using replaceable parameters it generally can’t
be used interactively (directly from the menu) because Micromine will assume
%1 is an actual input value. However, you can make it useable from the menu,
perhaps for further testing, by adding a default value to each replaceable
parameter using the notation in these examples:
For the Plot File: %1="15760mN"

For X Centre: %2="25000"
For Y Centre: %3="1500"
Default values (in the form of %x="value") are convenient for writing and
testing a new macro using real data. They will automatically be replaced with
parameter values at run-time. Default values aren’t compulsory, and, in some
situations, it may be safer to delete them once the macro is ready for regular
use. This usually applies wherever a default value is inappropriate or mislead-
ing; for example, your macro might require each step to use a different (and
unique) value. Clearly, a default value would increase the risk of duplicate
values. Or, you might require a process to fail if a compulsory value is missing,
which won’t happen when the macro can fall back to a default value.
You’ll create a master plot layout that includes replaceable parameters

(variables) with default values in the next exercise.
Exercise 3.2: Set up and save a master plot layout
In this exercise you’ll set up a master plot layout for a macro that sends your
cross sections to a PDF writer. You’ll add three replaceable parameters to the
plot layout, assign default values to two of them, and define the individual plot
file names in the macro.
First, set up a trial plot layout:
1. Select Plot | Open from the main menu. Alternatively, click the Open
button on the Main toolbar.
1. Browse to the 15900mN.PEX file you created in MM 104 – Plotting 1.
2. Ensure that the appearance of this layout is correct (scale, grid, etc.),
and confirm that the Title text uses the @projtitle and @plotfile
substitutions for ease of automation.
Your next task is to define the replaceable parameters:

3. Double-click anywhere within the Master Plot frame to display the 2D Notes:
Plot dialog.
4. On the 2D Plot tab, replace the Plot file value (currently 15900mN) with
the replaceable parameter %1.
Deliberately leaving out the default value forces the macro to supply each file-
name. Otherwise you could end up printing 10 copies of the same (default)
plot file. However, you will add default values to the X- and Y-centres:
Obtaining a default filename
A shortcut for obtaining a default filename is to enter %1 on its own and

then click the browse button to select 15900mN.PEL. Micromine will
automatically convert this into the correct %1="15900mN" notation.
5. Replace the X- and Y-Centre values with the replaceable parameters

%2="25000" and %3="1500".
6. On the 2D Plot tab, enable Maintain aspect ratio and Retain Scale
when loading new plot file. Your dialog should resemble this
screenshot, with replaceable parameters highlighted:
Now, save and close the layout:
7. Click OK to close the 2D Plot dialog.

Notes: 8. Select File | Save As from the main menu and save the layout as a
Plot Document (*.PEX) type file with the File name Macro_Master.
9. Close the layout.
Exercise 3.3: Write and preview a plotting macro
To create the new macro file:
1. Select Scripting | New Macro and name the file Plot_Dh_Sections.

Ensure Auto open file for editing is enabled and click OK to create
the file.
Set up the basics
2. Click the PROCESS button and select Macro | Comment.

3. Enter the following comments:
Field Comment
Plot File: Master plot layout
PAR: Stop on error
%1: Input plot file
%2: X-centre
%3: Y-centre
4. Press Enter to add a new line to the macro.

5. Click the PROCESS button and select Macro | Abort. Enter YES into
the PAR field.
Next, choose a printer:
6. Press Enter to add a new line.

7. Click the PROCESS button and select Plot | Print | Macro Select
Printer from that menu.
Any macro that incorporates the Plot Editor should always use this process.
8. Right-click the Form field (avoiding the lookup table button) to open the
Select Printer Parameters dialog.
9. Set up the dialog as shown on the facing page. Be sure to choose the
same paper size and orientation as those in your plot layout.

Prompt Setting Notes:
Mode: Plot Editor Printer

Printer name: Microsoft Print to PDF
Paper size: A4 or A3 (must match the layout paper size)
Orientation: Landscape
10. Click Forms, followed by Save As, to save these settings as a form set
with the Title PDF A4 (or A3) Landscape.
Omit Steps 6 to 10 if Microsoft Print to PDF is not available. If you’ve al-

ready completed them, close the Printer Parameters dialog and press
Ctrl+D to delete the PRINTER process from your macro. You can com-
plete the exercise without referencing a specific printer.
There’s no need to use form set folders because this dialog has no interactive
equivalent.
11. Close the Printer Parameters dialog. Note how Micromine has
automatically placed the new form set number in the Form field.
Add the master plot layout and output plot files
1. Press Enter to add a new line.

2. Click the Process button and select Plot | Print | Print.
3. Click the Plot File button and select Macro_Master.PEX from the list.
4. Instead of re-typing the input plot file names into the %1 field, copy
and paste them directly out of your earlier macro. To do this, select File
| Recent Files from the main menu and open Make_Dh_Sections.MCR.
5. In the Make_Dh_Sections editor window, drag highlight the list of Plot
File names, and then press Ctrl+C to copy the values (shown in the
screenshot overleaf). Close this window once you’re done.
6. In the Plot_Dh_Sections editor window, place the typing cursor in the
%1 field on the PLOTPRINT line (line 4) and press Ctrl+V to paste the
file names. Micromine will automatically create the extra rows.
7. Leave the values of %2 and %3 blank.
Because you added default values to %2 and %3 in the master plot layout,
you only need to enter values in the macro whenever you need to override the
defaults. Otherwise, simply leave them blank.

Notes:
Finish off the macro
1. Click the cursor onto the PLOTPRINT process and press Ctrl+Shift+R
to replicate it to the remaining rows.
2. Repeat for the Plot File Macro_Master. Your macro should look like this
(some column widths have been reduced to fit the page):
3. Right-click in the Form field (within the grey editor cell) for any
PLOTPRINT process to preview that section as it appears in the master
layout. This is useful for checking the layouts for errors before
committing them to the output device.
4. Optionally, refine the X- and Y-centres (in the %2 and %3 columns) for
any plots that don’t fit within the master layout.
5. Save and Close the macro.
With the macro written, the last remaining step is to run it.

Notes:
Exercise 3.4: Run a plotting macro
1. Select Scripting | Run Macro (or click the Run Macro toolbar
button), click the Macro Name select button and choose
Plot_Dh_Sections.
2. Change the Report File name to Plot_Dh_Sections.
3. Click Run to run the macro.
Depending on the installed printer software you may be prompted for an out-
put filename. If this is a problem, you might be able to find an option that
either auto-generates filenames or adds the plots to one file.
While the macro is running the Micromine window title will display [Executing
Macro Process X/Y from Plot_Dh_Sections, where X is the current process and
Y the total number of processes.
The process number corresponds to the line number in the macro, mak-
ing it easy to determine which one to correct.
4. Use the installed PDF viewer on your computer to view the file(s),
inspecting the location of each plot’s data with respect to the frame.
Sending the plots to PDF like you did here creates a human-readable copy of
the plot layouts that is still suitable for hardcopy plotting.

This lesson has shown you how to use a macro to automate the Plot Editor.
The topics covered are:
To configure a plot layout as a master layout for macro use:
Set the Plot file response on the plot layout to a replaceable

parameter, e.g. %1, and
Use a default value (e.g. %1="15900mN") to make the layout easier
to develop and maintain, but
Avoid default values whenever they are inappropriate or misleading.
To obtain a default filename:
Enter a % value (e.g. %1) on its own, and

Click the file browse button to select a filename.
Micromine will convert this into the correct %1="name" notation.
To control the choice of destination printer:
Make PRINTER the first PROCESS (Plot | Print | Macro Select

Printer), and
Create a Select Printer Parameters form set.
To preview the results before sending the plots to a physical printer:
Right-click the Form field for the plot you want to preview, and
Confirm, and correct if necessary, the layouts by inspecting the plots.
Good Practice
Plotting to PDF is useful even when the plot is destined for a physical hardcopy,
because it gives you a human-readable record of your data through time. Alt-
hough Microsoft Print to PDF is available on Windows 10 and onward, it is
limited to a maximum size of A3. Consider using pdfFactory Pro, which you
can evaluate free of charge from http://fineprint.com/pdfp/.
(Note, although listed here, Micromine does not warrant or otherwise endorse this
product.)
Help Topics
Macros Scripting and Macros > Macros
PRINTER process Scripting and Macros > Macro functions >

PRINTER (page topic)

Lesson 4 – Launching an
Notes:
External Application
(Optional)
This lesson will teach you to launch an external application from a macro,
which you can use to view the results of a macro outside of Micromine. After
this lesson you’ll be able to:
• Include the RUN command to launch an application from a macro

• Set up the RUN command so that Micromine launches the application
• Write a macro that exports topographic contours to a GIS format and
opens them in a GIS application.
Introduction
Often the purpose of a macro is to prepare and export Micromine data for use
in another application such as a GIS. Part of this workflow might involve auto-
matically launching the target application so that it can manipulate or display
the data without user intervention. To simplify this process some of Micro-
mine’s export functions include an Open file option to automatically launch
the target application, namely:
• File | Export | Excel (and the Export Excel button in the File Editor)
• File | Export | Google KML
This lesson will teach you to launch any application from Micromine without
relying on the open file option.
Launching an Application
You launch an application via the Run External Program option on the
Scripting menu. This function takes three groups of information, the most
important of which is the location and name of the program file (application)
that you wish to launch. You can optionally supply the path (location) of the
data if it is not held within the project folder, along with optional program
command arguments.
In some situations, Micromine will be locked until you close the external appli-
cation. This behaviour is normal and depends on how the application uses the
data. You should determine this behaviour in your workplace before relying on
the existence of the data elsewhere in the macro. Alternatively, you can force
this behaviour by enabling Wait until the program finishes on the Run
External Program dialog.

Notes: In the next exercise you’ll create a macro to export and display data in a GIS.
Exercise 4.1: Write a macro that exports data and

opens the target application
In this exercise you’ll write and run a short macro that exports a string file of
topographic contours to an Esri Shapefile, and then opens that file in QGIS.
(In your workplace you may substitute the program file name of your usual
GIS application.)
For brevity you’ll set up the form sets as you write the macro.
To write the macro:
1. Select Scripting | New Macro and name the file View_In_GIS.

Enable Auto open file for editing and click OK to create it.
2. Click the PROCESS button and select Macro | Comment.
3. Enter Input strings into %1 and Output shapefile into %2.
You may not know how to label the fields right now. If so, just add an
empty comment line and enter the labels once the macro is more mature.
To set up the Export GIS form set:
1. Press Enter to create a new line.

2. Click the PROCESS button and select File | Export | GIS.
3. Right-click in the Form field (avoiding the lookup table button) to open
the Export GIS dialog.
4. Enter the Input File name %1 and set the file Type to STRING.
5. Click the Input File browse button and select
Example_Topo_Contours from the list.
Observe how Micromine converts this to default value format and automatically
determines the input fieldnames.
6. Enable Export attributes.

7. Ensure that the Output is set to File and enter the File name %2.
There is no destination file, so you cannot use a default value here.
8. Set the output Type to Esri Shapefile, the Mode to 3D and the Feature
type to Polyline.
9. Click the Forms button followed by Save As and enter a Title of Export
strings to 3D polyline shapefile.
10. Copy the Example_Topo_Contours text from the dialog to simplify the
process of adding it to the macro.
11. Close (don’t run) the dialog and note the form set ID in the macro.
12. Back in the macro, paste the copied text into the %1 field.
13. Enter the text ExportedTopoContours.shp into the %2 field.

To set up the Run External File form set: Notes:

2. Click the PROCESS button and select Scripting | Run External
Program. Note the RUN command in the PROCESS field.
3. Right-click in the Form field (avoiding the lookup table button) to open
the Run External Program dialog.
4. Using the File browse ( ) button to locate the program file, fill out the
dialog as shown here for QGIS version 3:
Depending on how QGIS was installed, the program file path may be different
on your machine. Your trainer will provide the correct location. Or, you may
substitute the path and filename of another GIS. Refer to Obtaining an
Application File Path for information on finding the location of an application.
5. Click the Forms button followed by Save As and enter a Title of View
exported shapefile.
6. Close (don’t run) the dialog.
7. Replicate (press Ctrl+R) ExportedTopoContours.shp into the %2
field. Your macro should look like this (some fields hidden for clarity):
Lastly, to run the macro:
1. Select Scripting | Run Macro (or click the Run Macro toolbar
button), click the Macro Name select button and choose View_In_GIS.
2. Change the Report File name to View_In_GIS.
3. Click Run to run the macro.
4. Click OK to dismiss any QGIS dialogs and note the appearance of the
contours in QGIS.
5. Close QGIS once you’re done.

Notes: This simple example (most of the work was in setting up the Export GIS dialog)
shows how easily a Micromine file can be handed off to an external application.
It is possible to extend on this interoperability by using a more sophisticated
macro or Python scripting techniques.
Obtaining an Application File Path

You obtain the path to any application by right-clicking its desktop shortcut,
selecting Properties from the pop-up menu, and copying the text in the Tar-
get edit box. You then paste this text into the File response in the Run Exter-
nal Program dialog.
Limitations of Displaying PDF Files in a Macro

Most PDF printers require you to interactively supply the output file name(s)
at runtime, and some PDF printers release control back to Micromine before
the file is created, meaning it does not exist when the macro tries to open it.
These limitations may make it hard to incorporate a PDF writer in a macro.
You can force the application to retain control over the macro by enabling
Wait until the program finishes. Furthermore, some printing applications
can optionally be configured to generate the output filename from the input
data, making them suitable for use within a macro. You should consult your
printing application’s documentation to see if it supports this feature.

This lesson has taught you to launch an external application from a macro.
The topics covered are:
To launch an application:
Select Scripting | Run External Program, then

Provide the program File path, and
Optionally provide the data Path or command line Arguments.
To obtain a default filename:
Enter a % value (e.g. %1) on its own, and

Click the file browse button to select a filename.
Micromine will convert this into %1="x" notation.
When running a macro that launches an external application:
Micromine may be locked until you close the external application, or

Enforce this behaviour by enabling Wait until the program finishes.
To export a file to a GIS format:
Select File | Export | GIS, then

Provide the Input and Output file information, and
Optionally enable Export attributes.
Good Practice
Launching an external application as part of a macro is a powerful way to

automate the exchange of data between applications. However, you must test
such a macro carefully for unexpected side-effects, particularly the locking of
Micromine and the existence of created files.
Help Topics
Exporting to Excel Files and Fields > Files > Export > Excel
Exporting to Files and Fields > Files > Export > Google KML
Google Earth
Exporting to GIS Files and Fields > Files > Export > GIS
Run External Program Scripting and Macros > Run External Program

Lesson 5 – A Taste of Python

Notes:
(Optional)
This lesson will introduce Micromine’s second automation method, the Python
programming language, by comparing the load layers example macro with a
Python script version.
After this lesson you’ll:
• Know how the Python programming language is used within Micromine

• Understand the advantages and disadvantages of macros and Python
• Have an idea of which might be best for your automation needs.
Introduction
Python is a popular and widely used programming language, the core features
of which are embedded in Micromine 2013 and onward. It encourages ad-
vanced users to develop and share custom automation workflows in a much
more rigorous way than macros.
Programming with Python complements Micromine’s existing macros. Many

users, especially exploration or early resource estimation geologists, will either
use the Python scripts (programs) created by others or write simple macros
for basic automation tasks like section plotting. However, engineers and ad-
vanced resource geologists typically rely on extensive customisation and need
a formal programming language with which to develop it.
Python was initially created as a teaching tool, and although programming is

a complex topic, Python is one of the easiest programming languages to learn.
Many packages and libraries extend its capabilities in relevant fields like geo-
spatial, statistical, advanced graphing and user interface design, giving devel-
opers a wide variety of ready-to-use features for little effort.
The Python Language

The biggest advantage Python has over macros is that it is a programming
language. This means that instead of simply listing and calling a bunch of form
sets from a macro file, you describe the same Micromine actions using the
keywords, structure, syntax and data types of the Python language.
The facing page illustrates a code snippet from a Python script. The MMpy
object shown in bold is the connection (or binding) between Python and
Micromine. This snippet also illustrates comments in green, a for-loop,
which repeats a series of actions, and an if-else statement, which executes
different parts of the script based on a condition. Macros do not support these
essential programming features.

AppendFiles.set_field("SRCTYPE","2") Notes:
# Import each file

for i in range(len(files)):
ImportCadGis.set_field("GISFILE", filepath + files[i])

ImportCadGis.set_field("MM_FILE","ScriptTemp" + str(i))
ImportCadGis.run()
# Combine the temporary files to produce the final map
# Copy the first temporary file to seed the imported map

if i == 0:
MMpy.File.copy(("ScriptTemp" + str(i) + ".STR"),
"ImportedMap.STR")
# Append all other temporary files to form the final output

else:
AppendFiles.set_field("DEST","ImportedMap")
AppendFiles.set_field("SRC","ScriptTemp" + str(i))
AppendFiles.run()
# Delete the temporary files

FileDelete= MMpy.FormSet("MACFNS_DELETE")
FileDelete.set_field("FILE1","ScriptTemp" + str(i) + ".STR")
FileDelete.run()
# Restructure imported file by adding necessary fields, converting

# coordinates, generating elevations, and removing unwanted fields
# Rename geographic coordinate fields and add UTM coordinate fields

FileCreateModify1= MMpy.FormSet("MODPARMS")
A snippet from a Python script
Programming with Python isn’t for everyone, so don’t worry if the code snippet
scares you a little. Programming requires knowledge of (or a desire to learn)
concepts that are beyond the ability or interest level of many users. However,
having access to both simple and advanced automation tools gives you the
flexibility to choose between simplicity and power.
You can easily experiment with and learn about Python scripting by using
Micromine’s Record Script capability. Simply select Scripting | Record
Script from the main menu to begin recording, and then carry out your
task as normal. You can even run an existing macro. Once the task is finished
just reselect Scripting | Record Script to stop recording. Micromine will
prompt you to save the script as a Python (.py) file, which you can run and re-
run whenever you need to carry out that task.
The Example Macro Revisited

At the beginning of this session you ran an example macro that loaded some
display layers into Vizex. To give you a sense of the differences between
Micromine macros and Python scripts the next exercise will perform the same
action using a Python script. Displaying the macro and script editors side-by-
side will highlight the differences between the two methods. (The example
script is not the same as the snippet above.)

Notes:
Exercise 5.1: Run an example Python script
Before you run the script you’ll compare it with the original macro:
1. From the main menu, select Scripting | Open Macro and choose
Load Drillholes and DTM.MCR from the list.
2. Now select Scripting | Open Script and choose Load Layers into
Vizex.py from the list. For clarity you may prefer to dock the scripting
editor window against a side of the Micromine window.
3. Inspect the two files.
The files carry out similar actions (the Python version loads more layers than
the macro), and yet their appearance and functionality are very different.
4. Close the macro once you’re done, ensuring you leave the script open.
Now you can run the script:
5. Click the Run Script button (or press F5) to run the script. As
expected it produces essentially the same result as the macro.
6. Close the Scripting Editor once you are done.
At first glance the example script probably looked overly complex, but much
of that complexity arose from another advantage scripts have over macros:
they don’t need form sets. Instead, every parameter of every form is listed
(along with its value) in the script. For example, these two lines of Python:
WireframeForm.set_field("WFTYPE","Example_DTM") #Type: Example_DTM

WireframeForm.set_field("TRIANGULATION_FILE","TOPO") #Name: Topo
have the same meaning as these form set entries used by the macro:
Not relying on form sets makes it easy to share a script with other users with-
out having to worry about giving them the corresponding form sets.
Conclusion
This script could easily be shared with other users in your team who need to
display exactly the same data. Whether you choose to do so via a script or a
macro (like the one at the beginning of this session, along with its form sets)
is entirely up to you. However, if you see advantages in the script method then
we encourage you to attend the Python Scripting training course.

This lesson has introduced you to the Python programming language and
Python scripting within Micromine. The topics covered are:
About Python:
A popular and widely used programming language

Encourages the creation of custom automated workflows
Supported by many third-party libraries and packages
Originally created for teaching; among the easiest languages to learn
To record a Micromine task as a Python script:
Select Scripting | Record Script to begin recording, and

Carry out the steps to be automated, then
Select Scripting | Record Script to end the recording, and
Save the script as a .py file.
To run a Python script from the Script Editor:
Select Scripting | Open Script, then

Choose the script file, and
Click the Run Script toolbar button (or press Ctrl+F5).
To run a Python script without opening it:
Select Scripting | Run Script | From File, then

Choose the Python script, and
Click the Run button.
Good Practice
If your workflow is complex, consider automating it using Python scripting

instead of macros.
If all users in your team need access to the same custom automation, but
distributing form sets is a hassle, consider using Python scripting instead of
macros.
Help Topics
Scripting Scripting and Macros> Scripting
The Python language http://www.python.org/

Notes:

.
Micromine 2018 Training MM 106 – Wireframing 1
Table of Contents
INTRODUCTION ............................................................................................................................................ 1
LESSON 1 – GETTING STARTED..........................................................................................................2
THE BASIC WORKFLOW .................................................................................................................................. 2
LOADING THE INPUT DATA.............................................................................................................................. 3
DATA QUALITY CONTROL ............................................................................................................................... 4
Maintain Quality from the Start .............................................................................................................. 5
Additional reading: the difference between a DTM, a surface and a solid .................................................. 6
LESSON 2 – CONSTRUCTING THE WIREFRAME .................................................................................9
BUILDING THE WIREFRAME ............................................................................................................................. 9
Making a Wireframe the Active Layer .................................................................................................... 10
Building a Wireframe ........................................................................................................................... 10
VALIDATING THE WIREFRAME ........................................................................................................................ 12
FIXING VALIDATION ERRORS ......................................................................................................................... 15
Validating Multiple Wireframes ............................................................................................................. 15
Swapping Triangle Edges ..................................................................................................................... 16
Adding Tie Lines .................................................................................................................................. 16
CLOSING ENDS .......................................................................................................................................... 20
Creating Intermediate Sections ............................................................................................................ 20
LESSON 3 – SAVING YOUR WORK ................................................................................................... 26
SAVING THE WIREFRAME .............................................................................................................................. 26
SAVING TIE LINES ...................................................................................................................................... 27
SAVING MODIFIED INPUT STRINGS ................................................................................................................. 28
Sidebars
Keep the Select Tool active ........................................................................................................................... 5

Choosing a triangulation method ................................................................................................................. 10
Keep tie lines and input strings in separate files ........................................................................................... 16
Tables
Table 1.1: Kinds of wireframe ....................................................................................................................... 6

MM 106 – Wireframing 1 Micromine 2018 Training
Table of Contents
Exercises
Exercise 1.1: Load a string file for wireframing .............................................................................................. 3

Exercise 1.2: Perform a visual quality control check ....................................................................................... 5
Exercise 2.1: Build a solid ........................................................................................................................... 11
Exercise 2.2: Validate the wireframe ........................................................................................................... 14
Optional Exercise 2.3: Fix the validation errors and finish building the wireframe ........................................... 17
Exercise 2.4: Close the ends of the solid ..................................................................................................... 21
Exercise 3.1: Save the wireframe ................................................................................................................ 27
Exercise 3.2: Save the tie lines ................................................................................................................... 27
Exercise 3.3: Save the modified input strings ............................................................................................... 28

Notes:
Introduction
This session introduces the process of creating a wireframe solid that you can
use to model 3D shapes such as geological units or structures, ore grade en-
velopes or underground mine workings.
However, before you learn about wireframe solids it’s useful to revise the pro-
cess of carrying out a drillhole interpretation. Starting with a series of vertical
cross-sections, you correlate the object of interest (perhaps a mineralised vein)
between holes to produce essentially 2.5-dimensional interpretations on each
section.
A vertical cross-section showing drillholes

and the polygons interpreted from them.
Clearly the mineralised vein exists in three dimensions and the drillholes should
therefore be correlated in 3D. You do this in Micromine by linking a polygon
from one section to the matching polygon on the next, creating a three-dimen-
sional shape as you go. This process, called building a wireframe or simply
wireframing, produces a mesh of interconnected triangles that can represent
a surface (such as a fault plane or weathering horizon) or a solid (such as a
rock unit or ore grade envelope). Because wireframes are constructed from
triangles they are also known as triangulations.
A view of the same data after linking the sections

to form wireframe solids.
Additionally, you usually need a closed and validated wireframe solid of an

orebody before you can estimate its grade and tonnage, and because of this
requirement you should adopt a systematic approach to wireframing. Even if
you don’t need to calculate a grade/tonnage estimate you should still adopt
the workflow explained on the following pages.

Notes:
Lesson 1 – Getting Started
In this lesson you’ll learn about the overall wireframing process along with the
specific steps you should carry out before starting.
Building a wireframe requires the Micromine Wireframing module.
• Understand the wireframing workflow

• Load input strings in preparation for wireframing
• Perform visual quality control on the input strings
• Understand the difference between a DTM, a surface and a solid.
The Basic Workflow

Building a wireframe can be described by a simple workflow consisting of load-
ing and checking the input strings, constructing and closing the wireframe and
then saving the result. More formally, the steps are:
Load Quality
Build* Close Save
strings control
The basic wireframing workflow
The Build step, marked with an asterisk in the preceding diagram, is usually
the most time-consuming part of the procedure because it’s a recurring sub-
process. It can be further broken into three steps:
Build
Fix Validate
The Build step expanded into its recurring sub-steps

Much of the wireframing workflow is non-linear: you load and check your Notes:
strings once and then spend some time iterating through the build-validate-fix
cycle, periodically saving your work, until achieve a suitable result. Only then
will you have a closed and validated wireframe solid. Although the following
pages present these steps in a linear fashion, you’ll need to repeat some of
them often before you complete your wireframe.
This document assumes you’re building a solid. If you’re building a surface

such as a fault plane, you can substitute the word surface for the word solid
throughout the text. There is one exception: a surface is always open, and you
should not try to close it.
The differences between solids, surfaces and DTMs are explained in the
additional reading at the end of this lesson.
Loading the Input Data

You must load the input strings before you can begin wireframing. If you’re
building a solid these will generally come from a string file containing the
sections to be wireframed.
In the following exercise, which is revision of MM 102 – Displaying and

Manipulating Data, you’ll load a string file.
Exercise 1.1: Load a string file for wireframing
To load the input string file:
1. Display the Project Explorer pane by clicking the tab at the bottom of
the Vizex Forms pane.
2. Locate the Example_Qtz_Vein_Interp.STR file and drag it into Vizex.
3. Double-click the Untitled (Example_Qtz_Vein_Interp.STR) layer in the
Display pane and then switch to the Display tab.
4. Click the list ( ) button in the Colour field response and choose
STRING.
5. Click the Colour set form button and choose Orebody names.
6. Click Save As at right of the String dialog and enter a form set Title of
Qtz Vein interp. Click OK on the Save Current Values and String
dialogs to display the input strings.
7. With the Qtz Vein interp layer highlighted in the Display pane, click the
Colour Legend button to display the string colours. Make note of
the colours used for each mineralised zone.
8. Dock the floating dialog under the Display pane as shown overleaf.

Notes:
Data Quality Control

Once the strings are loaded you should visually inspect them before you begin
wireframing, by checking:
• Position: Display your strings and drillholes together and compare their
positions. Are they in the same coordinate space? Performing a
coordinate transformation on one dataset but not the other can produce
this problem. Correct any coordinate discrepancies before continuing.
• Snapping: Do your string vertices snap to the tops and bottoms of
drillhole intervals? If not, is it important for your project that they do?
You can snap un-snapped vertices by nudging each one with Snap
Mode turned on.
• Closure: Are your strings closed? Mistakenly including an open string in
a wireframe will produce a surface instead of a solid. To close an open
string, select the offending string and then right-click and choose Close
String from the pop-up menu.
• Viewpoint: Set the view orientation so you can easily see the front and
back of each section as well as separately seeing each section. It may
not be possible to find a single view that works for the entire project so
change it as often as needed. A confusing viewpoint with overlapping
strings will make it hard to know exactly what you’re linking.

Notes:
Maintain Quality from the Start
Although quality control is presented here as a part of the wireframing process,
a far better alternative is to keep quality in mind while you’re interpreting the
original strings. If you’re systematic about how you create the strings you
won’t need to run these checks as a separate step.
Once you’ve established the quality of the input data you’re ready to start
wireframing. Detailed quality control is beyond the scope of this manual and
is covered in MG 211 – Wireframing 2. At this stage you’ll assume the input
data is valid and will perform a simple visual check of the match between the
strings and drillholes.
Exercise 1.2: Perform a visual quality control check
To perform a visual quality-control check on the input strings, start by loading

the drillhole data:
1. Expand the Drillhole Trace list in the Vizex Forms pane by clicking
the expand icon to the left of the Trace form in the Drillhole folder.
2. Drag the Example drillhole lithology form set into the graphic display.
3. Vizex will display the drillhole data from which the interpretation was
created; even a casual glance will show that the strings are in the same
coordinate space as the drillholes.
4. Using the Pan Tool (drag with the middle mouse button), dynamic
zoom (roll the mouse wheel), and Rotate Tool , zoom in on each
section and slowly rock the view back and forth, inspecting the
interpreted strings and their relationships with the drillholes. Look for
incorrectly snapped points and any other obvious errors.
Gently rocking the view is a great way to understand the 3D relationship

between objects. Subtle differences in movement enhance the depth
cues sent to your brain, making the relationships much easier to see.
5. Once you’re done, click the check box next to the Example drillhole
lithology layer in the Display Pane to hide the drillholes.
6. Click the Plan View and View All buttons to reset the view.
You’re now ready to begin wireframing.
Keep the Select Tool active
Keeping the Select Tool active and using the middle mouse to pan
and zoom, and Shift+middle mouse to rotate, will enable you to quickly
switch between view manipulation and string selection without wasting
time moving the mouse to the toolbar area and back.

Notes:
Additional reading: the difference between a DTM, a
surface and a solid
In MM 102 you worked with a DTM, which is one kind of wireframe. In this
document you’re working with a solid, and you’ve read references to a third
kind of wireframe, a surface.
All three consist of networks of interconnected triangles, and Micromine uses

the following criteria to differentiate between them:
Is there a single Z value at any X-Y location?
In other words, how many times would a vertical hole drilled at a random X-Y
location intersect the wireframe? The wireframe is a DTM if the answer is al-
ways one no matter where the hole is drilled. If the drillhole ever intersects
the wireframe more than once it’s a surface or solid.
Is it open at the edges?
Does the wireframe have an outside edge, with some triangle edges not con-
nected to other triangles? It’s a DTM or surface if it does. Otherwise, it’s a
solid.
Does it enclose a volume?
Could a random point be considered to fall inside or outside the wireframe?

The wireframe is a solid if the answer is yes. Otherwise, it’s a surface or DTM.
The right tool for the job
There are many ways to build wireframes in Micromine and identifying the
right kind of wireframe will help determine the best tool for the job. As a guide
Table 1.1 summarises the various kinds of wireframe and lists the best way to
construct each kind.
Table 1.1: Kinds of wireframe
Kind of Single Open at Encloses a

Example
Wireframe Z value edges volume
DTM ✓ ✓  Topography
Recumbent
Surface  ✓  fold surface
Ore grade
Solid   ✓ envelope

Table 1.1: Kinds of wireframe (continued) Notes:
Kind of
Best Construction Method
Wireframe
Use DTM | Create Surface (menu) or the Create DTM

DTM button (Vizex Tools toolbar). See MM 102 – Displaying and
Manipulating Data for more information on creating DTMs.
Use the techniques described on the following pages with

Surface
open strings to create an open surface.
Use the techniques described on the following pages with

Solid
closed strings (polygons) to create a closed solid.

This lesson has covered the basic workflow of wireframing and has introduced
you to basic visual quality control.
Here’s what you’ve learned so far:
To load input strings:
Use the Project Explorer or Vizex String form to load a string file.
To perform visual data quality control:
Load the original drillholes along with the strings and check:
Position – are the drillholes and strings in the same coordinate space?
Snapping – do the string vertices snap to drillhole intervals?
Closure – are the strings closed?
Viewpoint – choose a view that gives you a clear view of the strings.
Good Practice
Perform your quality control checks right at the beginning by interpreting your
open or closed strings with wireframing already in mind. Ensure that you sys-
tematically check the naming, snapping and closure of each string before mov-
ing onto the next one. By doing this you’ll be less reliant on performing a
specific QC step before wireframing.
Keep the Select Tool active and use keyboard and mouse combinations
to switch between the Select Tool and view manipulation. With the Select Tool
enabled you can still pan and zoom using the middle mouse wheel and button,
and you can rotate by using Shift+middle mouse button.
Help Topics
Displaying drillholes Vizex > Display > Drillhole
Wireframe editing Vizex > Window > Toolbars > Wireframe Editing

Lesson 2 – Constructing the

Notes:
Wireframe
Lesson 1 introduced you to the basic wireframing workflow and briefly

described the build-validate-fix cycle:
Build
Fix Validate
This lesson will cover the build-validate-fix cycle in more detail. Once you’re
finished, you’ll be able to:
• Build a solid by linking each section to the next

• Optionally choose a triangulation method for optimal results
• Use select by condition and object visibility to control which strings are
displayed
• Visually and mathematically validate a solid
• Swap triangle edges to fix minor validation problems
• Use tie lines to control the triangulation process
• Create intermediate sections and close the ends of a solid.
Building the Wireframe

In Micromine you can build a solid in a variety of ways, each of which has
advantages and disadvantages. The methods are:
• Manually, by linking each section to the next in Build Wireframe

mode.
• Automatically, using the Auto Build Wireframe option.
• Semi-automatically, using the Point Cloud Outer Shell option.
• Automatically, using implicit modelling to build surfaces or solids from
various data types.

Notes: The manual method gives you complete control over the process, and you’ll
learn this method in the next few lessons. Automatically building a wireframe
is very fast but is based on mathematics and may not represent the reality
you’re trying to model. The implicit modelling workflow uses radial basis
functions (RBFs) to model surfaces or solids. Although it is heavily mathe-
matical, its many options give you a large amount of geological control.
Creating an implicit model requires the Micromine Implicit Modelling

module.
Making a Wireframe the Active Layer

The wireframing process begins by making a wireframe the Active Layer. How
you do this depends on your personal preference and the task at hand. There
are three alternatives:
• Allow Vizex to prompt you to choose an existing or create a new Active

Layer when you first activate either Build Wireframe option.
• Right-click an existing wireframe layer in the Display Pane and choose
Active Layer from the pop-up menu.
• Pull down the Active Layer list and choose [New] Wireframe.
The Active Layer is described at length in MM 102 – Displaying and

Manipulating Data.
Building a Wireframe
You use Build Wireframe mode to build a wireframe. This process involves
clicking a string on one section and then clicking the matching string on the
adjacent section. Vizex will link the two strings with a series of triangles. Con-
tinue by clicking the matching string on each following section.
The Build Wireframe button is a combination button offering a variety of

triangulation methods. Click the small triangle at right of the button to choose
from the list.
Choosing a triangulation method
In normal operation you should use the default Maximum Volume

triangulation method, which automatically selects the most suitable of the
remaining three methods and nearly always gives the best result.
If you refer to Lesson 1 you’ll recall that one of the quality control checks was
to choose the correct viewpoint. This is especially important when you’re
wireframing because you must be able to easily visually identify each string
before you click it. Take time to adjust the view, as a poor viewpoint that
obstructs your view of the strings will make wireframing more difficult.
In the following exercise you’ll build the MV2 wireframe, represented by the
green strings.

Notes:
Exercise 2.1: Build a solid
You’ll begin the wireframing process by creating a new wireframe to use as

the active layer. You’ll then hide any non-essential strings so that they don’t
obstruct the view.
To create the active layer:
1. Pull down the Select Active Layer list and choose [New] Wireframe
from the list. Vizex will create a new display layer called New Wireframe.
To hide the non-essential strings:
1. Click the Select by Condition button on the Select toolbar.
This tool interactively selects objects that match the conditions you specify. In
this exercise you will select all strings that are not MV2* (green) so that you
can use a visibility tool to hide them.
2. Fill out the Selection Condition dialog as shown here:
Prompt Setting
Method: New selection
Layer (1): Qtz Vein interp
Field (1): STRING
Operator (1): Not equal
Value (1): MV2* (note use of wildcard)
Numeric (1): Disabled
3. Click OK to apply the selection and inspect the result: everything but the
green strings is highlighted.
4. Click the Invisible button on the Vizex Object Visibility toolbar.
If you can’t see this toolbar, right-click a blank part of the toolbar area and
choose Vizex Object Visibility from the list of available toolbars. Alternatively,
select View | Toolbars | Customise from the menu.

Notes: Although they are still loaded in memory the non-essential strings are now
invisible.
Click the All Visible button to redisplay the hidden strings.
Now it’s time to set the viewpoint and build the wireframe:
1. Rotate the view until you can clearly see each string and can also clearly
see the front and back of each.
2. Click the Build Wireframe button to activate Build Wireframe mode.
Note how the cursor now shows an icon that matches the current
triangulation method.
3. Click the first (southern-most) string to select it.
4. Now click the string in the next section and observe the result: Vizex
links the two strings with triangles. Your screen should look like this:
5. Click the sections in sequence, progressively extending the solid to each

section. Your display should resemble the screenshot on the facing page
once you’re done.
Validating the Wireframe

Micromine automatically validates the wireframe each time you link a new sec-
tion, instantly alerting you to new problems. If your wireframe is simple this
level of validation may be enough.

Notes:
However, a mathematically valid wireframe may still be geologically invalid.

Additionally, the automatic validation only concentrates on the latest link and
ignores all previous links; because of this it won’t find errors caused by inter-
action between separate wireframe parts. Such unexpected interaction is often
the cause of triangulation errors.
Because of the risk of geological invalidity or unexpected errors you should

perform two types of validation over and above the automatic version:
• Visual validation, and

• Mathematical validation.
Visual validation is very important and simple to do: turn the wireframe
around and look at it from all directions. Does it make geological sense? Does
it accurately represent the shape you’re trying to create? Has it left out re-
quired volume or included unnecessary volume?
It’s easy to make a mathematically valid but visually invalid wireframe, so

perform this step regularly even if there are no other errors.
Mathematical validation checks the relationships between triangle facets,

edges and vertices throughout the wireframe. However, it knows nothing
about the shape you’re trying to create, which is why it’s also important to
perform visual validation.
If the wireframe is complex you may need to visually validate every link. On
the other hand, if the wireframing is simple you can link several sections before
validating. No matter how simple the wireframe, you should mathematically
validate it at least once at the end of the construction process, or more often
if there’s a risk of interaction between different wireframe parts.

Notes: Regular validation will alert you to potential problems before they
become too deeply entrenched.
In the following exercise you’ll validate the work you’ve completed so far.
Exercise 2.2: Validate the wireframe
Visual validation is simple and intuitive and is a sensible place to begin. To

perform a visual validation:
1. Rotate the view and inspect the solid. Look for sections where
volume may be lost or where the wireframe is geologically nonsensical.
A crease representing a small amount of missing volume appears between

sections 15790 and 15820. Although it is small enough to not warrant close
attention, it does serve as a convenient example.
Visual validation will reveal this small crease
You’ll also perform a mathematical validation:
2. Right-click in the graphic display and choose Validate Wireframe from

the pop-up menu. Alternatively, press Q or click the Validate
Wireframe toolbar button.
3. Assess the validation report.
4. Close the validation report and then inspect the Vizex view. Note how
the open ends have been highlighted with a heavy green line.

You can ignore the 2 open section(s) since they are normal for a solid whose Notes:
ends haven’t been closed yet. Your validation report should find no other er-
rors. Ultimately Micromine should find zero problems, proving that the solid is
closed and valid.
Configuring the validation options
As you’ve seen, Micromine highlights wireframe openings with a heavy green

line. It also highlights invalid triangles with a heavy magenta (purple) line. If
you don’t like these colours you can change them to something different via
Wireframe | Validate | Options.
Fixing Validation Errors

Whenever you need to fix an invalid wireframe you nearly always start by
removing the invalid link(s) that caused the problem. You do this in different
ways depending on where they occur within the wireframe:
• Undo: If the invalid link is the last one you created, undo it by pressing
Ctrl+Z, or right-click | Undo, or by clicking the Undo toolbar
button. This simple method works best when you validate often.
• Select Triangles by Construction String: If the invalid link is
surrounded by valid links and can be identified by the strings used to
create it, delete the offending triangles by selecting the two strings, then
right-clicking and choosing Select Triangles by Construction String
• Select Triangles by Line: If the geometry of the invalid link is complex
you can delete the offending triangles by clicking the Select Triangles
by Line button (or pressing K), dragging a line through the triangles
to highlight them, and then pressing Delete on the keyboard.
Once you’ve deleted the invalid links in a problem wireframe you must consider
how to replace them with valid links. There are many ways to correct a
wireframe, two of which are described below. Advanced remediation methods
are covered in MG 211 – Wireframing 2.
Validating Multiple Wireframes

You can also validate multiple wireframes using the Wireframe Manager,
via Wireframe | Manage | Wireframes. Wireframes are grouped by type;
expand the list to see the individual wireframes of each type. Right-click menu
options and buttons at right of the dialog provide tools for managing types,
wireframes, and many wireframe attributes and properties.
To validate multiple wireframes, simply select them from the wireframe man-
ager, and then click the Validate button. (Ctrl+click to select wireframes
across multiple types.) Alternatively, right-click a selected wireframe and
choose Validate from the pop-up menu.
The validation report includes a summary of the wireframes, grouped by type,

along with the individual validation results.

Notes:
Swapping Triangle Edges
Often a wireframe appears visually invalid because a pair of adjoining triangles
is connected in the wrong way. The Swap Triangle Edge tool provides a
simple way to flip the direction of the join. Simply select the tool and then
hover your mouse over the edge between the offending triangles. The cursor
will change to a circular arrow; click on the edge to flip it. Many times, this
simple repair is all that’s needed.
Adding Tie Lines

Tie lines are construction lines that control how the wireframe is linked from
one section to the next. Whenever Micromine finds a tie line it will position a
pair of triangle edges on that line, which means you can use tie lines to control
how points are connected between two sections.
Add tie lines sparingly. Creating too many tie lines not only wastes time but
can increase the number of problems instead of reducing them.
Some key points to consider when positioning tie lines are:
• Less is more: use the fewest tie lines needed to fix the problem.
• Pick the worst problem: focus on the most invalid parts first.
• Pick obvious vertices: focus on the sharpest corners.
You add tie lines with the New Tie Line button. When you first click this
button, you’ll be asked to Select Active Tie Lines. If you already have a tie
line file loaded choose that from the list. If not, choose [New] String and create
the file. Once you’ve chosen the tie line file Micromine will automatically switch
to string edit mode with Snap Mode enabled.
To build a tie line, click a vertex in one section and then click the matching
vertex in the next section. Micromine will join them with a line segment, which
constitutes a single tie line. To continue with this or any other tie line, click the
start and end vertices for each segment.
Keep tie lines and input strings in separate files
To preserve the integrity of the input data, always edit tie lines in a
separate layer. Don’t add them to the original input string file.
The input strings represent your interpretation based on drillhole or other

subsurface data. Each point in the interpretation is there because it’s
somehow related to the original data. On the other hand, tie lines extend
between sections and do not represent the original interpretation.
Logically they have no place in the original strings.

Optional Exercise 2.3: Fix the validation errors and Notes:

finish building the wireframe
The validation you carried out in Exercise 2.2 identified one minor problem: a
small amount of lost volume in the links between sections 15790 and 15820.
In this exercise you’ll use Swap Triangle Edge to fix the lost volume south
of 15820. You’ll then repair a fictional error north of 15820 by deleting triangles
and adding a tie line. You’ll finish by rebuilding the solid.
First, you’ll configure the view:
1. Reset the view by clicking the Plan View button followed by the
View All button.
2. Zoom and pan the display to focus on the region between sections
15790 and 15820.
Next, you’ll swap triangle edges:
3. Turn the view so you can clearly see the crease just south of 15820.
4. Click the Swap Triangle Edge button and position your mouse over
the edge that forms the crease. Make sure the cursor is a circular arrow:
5. Click the mouse once and observe the effect on the wireframe. The
crease has been removed (overleaf).

Notes:
Now you’ll delete triangles and add a tie line to fix a fictional error in the link
north of 15820:
6. Switch to the Select Tool and select the strings at 15820 and 15845
North. Hold the Ctrl key as you select the second string.
7. With the strings selected, right-click in the graphic display and choose
Select Triangles by Construction String from the pop-up menu, as
shown here:
8. Press the Delete key on your keyboard to delete the triangles.
Next, add two tie lines:
9. Right click and choose New Tie Line from the pop-up menu, or
alternatively click the New Tie Line toolbar button.
10. On the Select Active Tie Lines dialog, choose [New] String.

Notes:
Don’t choose the existing Qtz Vein interp layer!
11. Click OK. Micromine will create a new layer called Untitled (Untitled.STR)
and switch to string edit mode with Snap Mode enabled.
12. Rotate the view sideways slightly so you can clearly identify the
vertices that make up the top of the vein.
13. Click near a string vertex at the top left of the gap to start a tie line,
ensuring that the tie line snaps to the correct point.
14. Click near the matching vertex in the next section. Micromine will join
the two vertices with a tie line segment.
15. Repeat Steps 12 to 14 to add a tie line to the bottom of the vein. Your
display should look like this screenshot:
16. Press Esc or click the New Tie Line button to finish adding ties.
Lastly, replace the missing section of the solid:
17. Click the Build Wireframe button.

18. Click a string segment on each side of the opening to rebuild that link.
19. Validate the solid both visually and using Validate Wireframe ,
noting that the errors have been corrected.

Notes:
Closing Ends
A wireframe is not a solid until you close the ends. Otherwise, it is only a
complex surface that can’t be used for volume or grade/tonnage calculations.
It’s tempting to simply close the wireframes along the existing sections at ei-
ther end of the model. However, if your sections originated from a drillhole
interpretation this will close the wireframe straight down the drillhole traces
on the end sections and you’ll lose volume as a result. Additionally, you’ll liter-
ally split the affected drill intervals lengthwise and won’t know if they fall inside
or outside the wireframe.
Instead, extend the wireframe by half a drill line spacing beyond the end sec-
tions. This is a three-dimensional extension of how you normally terminate
polygons half way between two holes on a 2D vertical section.
2D close. The polygons are 3D close. The wireframe is extended

extended by half a drillhole by half a drill line spacing before
spacing before closing closing
The quickest way to extend a wireframe beyond the end sections is to create
intermediate sections. This technique is also essential for modelling splits or
bifurcations in a wireframe, which are covered in MG 211.
Closing the end of a wireframe is simple: you select the string that represents
the end, right-click in the graphic display, and choose Close End from the
pop-up menu. Alternatively, you can click the Close End toolbar button.
Or, use Close End to Point to create a conical end. This option does not
require an intermediate section.
Lastly, the Close Holes option is ideal for closing hard-to-find openings in
a large or complex wireframe.
Creating Intermediate Sections

Copy/Move Strings is a quick way to create an intermediate section from
existing strings. Just select the strings and press D, or click the Copy/Move
Strings button, or right-click in the graphic display and choose Copy/
Move Strings from the pop-up menu.

Copy/Move Strings may be used in three different ways: Notes:
• Move the strings.

• Make a copy of the selected strings.
• Replicate the strings a defined number of times.
All three options require a distance and direction, which may be specified in
terms of X, Y, Z offsets, azimuth / inclination / distance, or distance perpen-
dicular to the plane of the data or plane of the screen.
Whenever copy or replicate are used the original strings are left in place and
the actions are applied to the copies. The strings may optionally be resized
to a percentage of their original sizes. This is useful if you wish to taper the
wireframe to, say, 80% of its original size to represent your decreasing con-
fidence in its shape beyond the drilling.
In the following exercise you’ll use Copy/Move String to create intermediate

sections and close the wireframe.
Exercise 2.4: Close the ends of the solid
The average drill line spacing for this project is 30 m, so it’s logical to make
intermediate sections 15 m past the end sections. Because the intermediate
sections are not based on any real data you’ll also resize them to 80% of their
original size. Once the sections are created you’ll extend the solid to them and
then close ends.
First, close the southern end:
1. Switch to a Plan view and pan to the southern end of the solid.
2. Click the Select Tool and then click the string at the southern end of
the solid to select it.
3. Right-click in the graphic display and choose Copy/Move Strings
4. Fill out the Move String dialog as shown below to move the string 15 m
south and resize it to 80% of its original size.
Prompt Setting
Mode: Azimuth/Inclination/Distance
Azimuth: 220
Inclination: 0
Distance: 15
Copy: Selected
Resize: Enabled [80%]
5. Click OK to produce the new end string.

Notes: 6. Switch back to Build Wireframe mode and extend the solid to the
new string.
7. Right-click and choose Close End from the pop-up menu. Or, click the
Close End toolbar button.
8. Right-click | Validate (or press Q) to validate the change. This
also clears your selection, readying the wireframe for the next edit.
If you don’t deselect the current string when you move to a different part
of the solid, Micromine will (incorrectly) link the two parts.
Next, close the northern end:
9. Repeat Steps 3 through 8 at the northern end of the solid, using an

Azimuth value of 0.
10. Validate the solid. It’s only closed when the report shows zero
invalid connections, zero open sections, and zero intersecting triangles.
Placing intermediate sections
The Azimuth/Inclination/Distance option is best for geological data such

as an orebody or geological model. An easy way to determine the azimuth,
inclination and distance values is to use the Measure Tool to draw a line
from the existing section to where you think the new section should go. Make
note of the measurements in the Properties pane or status bar and use them
on the Move String dialog.
This lesson has introduced the basics of wireframing. Advanced wireframing is

covered in MG 211.

This lesson has extended the basic wireframing workflow to incorporate the
build–validate–fix cycle and has introduced a technique for creating inter-
mediate sections to close ends. Specifically, you’ve learned:
To make a wireframe the Active Layer:
Allow Vizex to prompt you when you first start wireframing, or

Right-click an existing wireframe in the Display Pane and choose
Active Layer from the pop-up menu, or
Pull down the Active Layer list and choose [New] Wireframe
To manually build a wireframe:
Click the Build Wireframe button, then

Click a string segment on one section to highlight it, and
Click the matching string segment on the adjacent section, then
Continue clicking the matching string on each subsequent section.
To validate a wireframe:
Rely on Micromine’s on-the-fly validation to check each link, and

Periodically rotate the model and inspect it from all sides to perform a
visual validation, then
Right-click the graphic display and choose Validate Wireframe from
the pop-up menu, or
Press Q or click the Validate Wireframe button.
To remove validation errors:
If the last link is invalid, press Ctrl+Z, or right-click | Undo, or click

the Undo button to undo it, or
If the errors are within the wireframe, click the strings on either side of
the offending triangles and use Select Triangles by Construction
String to highlight them, or
Click the Select Triangles by Line button and drag to select the
offending triangles, then
Press the Delete key to delete them.
To fix validation errors by swapping triangles:
Click the Swap Triangle Edge button, and

Move your mouse over a triangle edge so that the circular arrow cursor
is visible, and
Click to swap the edge.

To fix validation errors using tie lines:
Click the New Tie Line button, and

Select a new or existing tie line file, then
Click a vertex in one section and click the matching vertex in the next
section, and
Continue until all tie lines are added, then
Click the Build Wireframe button to rebuild the deleted triangles.
To determine the position of an intermediate section:
Use the Measure Tool to draw a line to the rough position of the
new section, matching the known strike and dip of the wireframe, then
Make note of the Length, Azimuth, and Inclination values in the
status bar or Properties window, and
Use those values in the steps below.
To produce an intermediate section:
Click the Select Tool , then

Select the nearest string (whether by proximity or shape), and
Press D, click the Copy/Move Strings button, or choose
Copy/Move Strings from the right-click menu.
To close the end of a solid:
Click the Select Tool , then

Select the string that represents the opening, then
Right-click in the graphic display, and
Choose Close End from the pop-up menu, or
Click the Close End toolbar button.
Alternatively, click Close End to Point to create a conical end.
Good Practice
If you’re dealing with multiple strings, use Select by Condition to display

just the relevant strings. This is more efficient than using a filter.
Validate often. It’s better to take a few seconds to validate than to spend days
building a wireframe only to discover it contains too many errors.
Keep data integrity in mind whenever you add tie lines or adjust the source
strings. Tie lines should always go in their own file.

Always deselect the last string of the current wireframe part if you plan to work
somewhere else, otherwise Micromine will try to join the two parts. This will
cause validation errors at worst and a visually invalid wireframe at best.
If you’re building a solid of a drillhole interpretation, never close the solid on

the end sections. You’ll lose volume and may not know if intervals at the edge
will fall inside or outside the solid.
Help Topics
Wireframes Wireframe
The Active Layer Vizex > Window > Toolbars > Vizex Layers >
Active layer (page topic)
Select by Condition Vizex > View > Select
Building Wireframes Wireframe > Edit > Wireframe Editing
Wireframe validation Wireframe > Edit > Validate
Tie lines Wireframe > Edit > Wireframe Editing >

Tie lines (page topic)
Close End Wireframe > Edit > Working with triangles > Close
the ends of wireframes (page topic)
Copy/Move Strings Strings > String Editor Tools > Copy, move or
replicate a string (page topic)

Notes:
Lesson 3 – Saving Your Work
Saving your work is simply a matter of saving each of the files with which
you’ve been working (wireframe, tie lines, input strings). However, some data
management and integrity decisions are needed, especially if your work will
be audited against modern reporting codes.
Although it’s possible to save all files at once it’s best to save them separately
so you can control the destination of each data element. You control which
layer is saved by selecting it in the Display pane before saving.
• Save a wireframe
• Save tie lines, using a name that relates them to the wireframe
• Save modified input strings without altering the original input data.
Saving the Wireframe

The finished wireframe is clearly the ultimate result of this process and saving
it is as simple as clicking the Save button. Your only major concern is
where to save the wireframe and what to name it.
As you learned in MM 102, Lesson 5, you group wireframes into wireframe

types, which provide a convenient way to classify wireframes. If you’re building
geological solids the Types you’re most likely to use are Ore, Rock Model or
Mineralisation.
However, you’re not restricted to just these types. Faults or shear zones can
be modelled as surfaces or solids that you can group under the Fault type.
Similarly, for solids of underground workings you might use the Stope type.
If none of supplied wireframe types suit your requirements, you can easily
create your own. Just select Wireframe | Types | Manage from the main
menu and click the New button on the Manage Wireframe Types dialog.
Whenever you create a new wireframe type you must also define the attributes
for that type. The simplest way is to use another type as a template. Or, disable
the template option to define your own attributes.
The wireframe Name can be anything meaningful. Consider including version

information if you plan to work through multiple iterations of a wireframe. For
example, Sth Lode v1 might be the first version of South Lode.
Always specify a default Colour when you create a new wireframe. If you
don’t the wireframe will be displayed in black and no texture will be visible.
In the following exercise you’ll save the wireframe with the Type Ore and the
Name MV2.

Exercise 3.1: Save the wireframe Notes:
To save the wireframe:
1. Right-click the Untitled (New Wireframe) layer in the Display pane (or
anywhere in the graphic display) and choose Save from the pop-up
menu.
You may alternatively select the layer and click the Save button on the
toolbar or press Ctrl+S to save it.
2. Click the Type browse button and choose Ore.tridb from the list.
3. Enter the Name MV2 and set the Colour to pale green.
4. Click OK to save the solid.
Saving Tie Lines

Tie lines are an essential part of wireframing and it’s important to save them
in a way that relates them to their associated wireframe. This is especially the
case if your wireframes take longer than one day to build, or if you’re producing
a reportable resource and need to justify your result.
In Optional Exercise 2.3 you learned about separating tie lines from the input
strings; when you save the tie line file you should name it in a way that relates
it to the wireframe. For example, if your wireframe is named Sth Lode v1, one
possible name for the tie line file might be Sth_Lode_v1_Ties. The tie line file
is still a string file, so although you’ve separated the tie lines from the input
strings you should still set the file Type to STRING when you save it.
In the following exercise you’ll save your tie lines as a string file with the Name
MV2_Ties.
Exercise 3.2: Save the tie lines
To save the tie lines:
1. Right-click the Untitled (Untitled.STR) layer in the Display pane and

choose Save from the pop-up menu. Or, use one of the alternative
methods described above.
2. Enter the File Name MV2_Ties. Naming the tie line file this way
indicates that it contains tie lines and relates it to the solid.
3. Click OK to save the file. Note how the display layer is now named
Untitled (MV2_Ties.STR).
To reload the tie line file (perhaps after shutting down Micromine for the even-
ing), load it as a String layer and then click the small triangle immediately to
the right of the New Tie Line button. Choose Select Active Tie Lines from
the button menu and select the tie line file from the list.

Saving Modified Input Strings

Notes:
The input strings you use for a wireframing project most probably represent a
series of sectional interpretations made by snapping to drillholes. However, if
you add end or intermediate sections to the string file, it no longer consists of
a pure sectional interpretation. This is because the new sections did not orig-
inate from actual drillholes and therefore no longer represent the raw drillhole
information.
Because of this change in data origin you should consider saving modified
strings to a new file instead of saving them to the original one.
This does not apply to error corrections, which you should save back into
the original file whenever possible.
In the following exercise you’ll save the modified input strings to a new file
called MV2_Interp, which relates it to the solid.
Exercise 3.3: Save the modified input strings
To save the modified input strings to a new file:
1. Right-click the Qtz Vein interp layer in the Display pane and choose
Save As from the pop-up menu.
2. Enter the File Name MV2_Interp. As you did with tie lines, naming the
file this way relates it to the wireframe.
3. Click OK to save the file.
4. Micromine will place the new file name (MV2_Interp) into the Qtz Vein
interp form set, protecting the original file from accidental modification.
5. To view the newly created wireframe in context, click the check box next
to the Example drillhole lithology layer in the Display Pane to show the
drillholes. You may wish to also expand the Wireframes form type and
load Topo DTM with Airphoto.

In this lesson you learned to save the various files that contribute to a built
wireframe. Topics covered are:
To save a modified wireframe or tie line file:
Right-click the layer in the Display pane and choose Save from the
pop-up menu, or
Click the Save button or press Ctrl+S, and
Name the file according to the wireframe it’s related to and, if necessary,
its version number.
To save modified input strings to a new file:
Right-click the layer in the Display pane and choose Save As from
the pop-up menu, or
Highlight the layer in the Display pane and select File | Save As from
the menu, and
Name the file according to the wireframe it’s related to and, if necessary,
its version number.
Good Practice
Don’t rely on the Save All option to save your files, as you may unin-
tentionally overwrite an existing file, particularly if you’ve modified the input
strings.
Consider adding version information to the name if you’ll be performing multi-

ple iterations of a wireframe. For example, Sth Lode v1 might represent the
first version of South Lode.
In addition to using Wireframe | Types | Manage to create a new type you

can also use the Wireframe Manager (Wireframe | Manage | Wireframes), or
create one while you’re saving the wireframe. To do this, right-click the Type
on the Wireframe dialog and choose New Type from the pop-up menu.
Help Topics
Wireframe types Wireframe > Types
Displaying drillholes Vizex > Display > Drillhole

Notes:

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Micromine 2018 Training MM 1000 – Introduction to Micromine

MICROMINE (Head Office)

Tel: +61 8 9423 9000

To find your local office, please visit: https://www.micromine.com/contact/.

This course requires Micromine 2018 or higher to be installed.

© Copyright MICROMINE 2018 i

ii © Copyright MICROMINE 2018

Before You Begin

The Scenario: Your Company is evaluating a prospect on which initial stream

• Use the Micromine user interface and its various tools

© Copyright MICROMINE 2018 iii

• Microsoft Windows essentials such as file and folder management, using

How to Use This Manual

MM 101 – Micromine Basics

Installing the Data

Help references are displayed as italic in the following format:

iv © Copyright MICROMINE 2018

Help Topic Topic Heading > Subheading > Content

Importing ODBC Files > Import > ODBC

To browse to a reference using the web help:

1. Select Help | Open Web Help from the Micromine menu.

Conventions Used in this Manual

Exercise. A series of steps that you can complete to help un-

Optional exercise. Additional practice for the current topic but

Sidebar. Additional text that amplifies the current topic. The

Module required. A particular Micromine module is required to

© Copyright MICROMINE 2018 v

Entries in Dialog Boxes and Files

vi © Copyright MICROMINE 2018

For Further Study

In addition to these optional tasks, in-house experts at MICROMINE have con-

Other Optional Applications

A VRML/X3D viewer should be installed in order to view a virtual reality file.

© Copyright MICROMINE 2018 vii

Printers and Plotters

Tools | Options | Default Language

Tools | Options | Form Sets

Compulsory prompt is set to Red.

Tools | Options | Editor

Text Viewer is set to Built-in.

Tools | Options | Vertical Exaggeration

Vertical exaggeration is disabled.

viii © Copyright MICROMINE 2018

MM 101 – Micromine Basics

LESSON 1 – PREPARING A MICROMINE PROJECT .............................................................................1

© Copyright MICROMINE 2018 Revision 2018-06

Defining more than One Filter Condition ............................................................................................... 59

Table 2.1: Binary field types, sizes, and ranges .............................................................................................. 9

Creating a new file directly from a dialog..................................................................................................... 13

Exercise 1.1: Attach an existing project ......................................................................................................... 3

Revision 2018-06 © Copyright MICROMINE 2018

After this lesson you’ll be able to:

• Attach an existing project

Working with Projects