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Estimation

To produce results of any use from the block model you must, at some stage, fill the model with data. This is achieved by estimating and assigning attribute values from sample data which has X Y Z coordinates and the attribute values of interest. These sample points are typically produced from a drilling and sampling program. The drill hole and sample data are typically stored in a Surpac geological database. Various compositing functions are used to create string files of sample values which are used as inputs to the various estimation functions.

It is also possible to use attribute data from another block model as source data for the estimation functions. This block model does not have to have the same geometry or resolution as the model in which the values are to be estimated because the coordinates of the block centroids are used to determine the position in space of the sample.

The following functions provide you with a variety of methods of estimating and assigning attribute values to the blocks within the model, that is filling the block model with data.

During the course of filling the model, the system will initially iterate through all USER-SIZE blocks in the model using the estimation method to assign a value to each block. This will cause every user-size block within the model, which complies with the estimation constraints to be created, provided of course that it is possible to estimate a value at the block using the estimating criteria. As the values are estimated, the aggregation process will act to merge together, where possible, as many blocks as possible to reduce the memory requirements.

If constraints are applied to the model while estimating values, then it is entirely possible that sub-blocks will be created for which estimates will also be made. The estimates for these sub-blocks however are simply assigned by estimating a value for the USER-SIZE block from which they were sub-blocked and then assigning the estimated value equally to each sub-block.

Therefore, when estimating values into the block model, the USER-SIZE block is the maximum resolution at which estimates can be made.