Default preferences

• Selected: Draws triangles with edges when a file is open in Graphics.
• Cleared: Draws triangles without edges.

• Selected: Draws block models with edges when a block model is displayed in Graphics.
• Cleared: Draws block modes without edges.

• Selected: Hidden surfaces are removed when creating a new Graphics viewport.
• Cleared: Hidden surfaces are not removed when creating a new Graphics viewport.

• Selected: When you use the WINDOW IN function, the zoom box is displayed underneath the surfaces that are displayed in Graphics.
• Cleared: When you use the WINDOW IN function, the zoom box is displayed underneath the surfaces that are displayed in Graphics.

• Performance. Makes Surpac render transparent objects faster but slightly less accurately. Surpac uses the depth peeling technique to render transparency in Graphics. If there is a lot of transparency in the scene, this setting can provide a large performance improvement.

You can also change the Depth layers setting to increase performance or increase the levels of transparency.

• Quality. The Quality setting is suitable when you are displaying transparent objects and require more accurate results. Surpac uses the z-sort method of rendering transparency which provides more accurate results, but is slower, and uses more memory.

Level-of-Detail (LOD) is an essential element of large model visualization. LOD functionality involves simplifying objects that have faceted representations so that they will be drawn using a smaller number of triangles. As a result, LOD can improve performance significantly while maintaining the visual integrity of the model.

The LOD implementation balances speed with accuracy, so that visual degradation of the model is minimized. The idea is to reduce image complexity by eliminating visually redundant triangles or block faces. Extreme LOD settings (for example high Level and low Ratio settings) may cause some visual confusion during triangle select and delete operations. If this happens choose less extreme LOD settings in the default preferences form.

• Selected: Applies LOD functionality to the surfaces or solid models that are currently displayed.
• Cleared: Does not apply LOD functionality to the surfaces or solids.

• Selected: Applies Level-of-Detail (LOD) functionality to the block model currently displayed.
• Cleared: Does not apply LOD functionality to the block model.

The size of the temporary markers.

If you change this value while working, markers you create before the change are not affected and will remain at the previous size. However, any new markers created will use the new setting.

The units for the temporary markers. Options are:

• pts: Use points if you want the markers to remain the same size regardless of the window size.
• sru: Use screen relative units if you want the markers to change scale with the window size.

• Selected: Locks Graphics to plan, section or long section views when 2D dynamic grid is in use.
• Cleared: Allows full rotation of Graphics when 2D dynamic grid is used. The grid will only be displayed in Graphics when in plan, section or long section view.

Options are:

• centre to corner: Allows you to define the centre of the region of interest and a box is displayed that expands from this centre point.
• corner to corner: Allows you to define a corner (lower left or upper right) and use the mouse to define the opposing corner and thus the region of interest.

• Selected: X, Y, and Z axes are displayed in Graphics.
• Cleared: No axes are displayed.

• Selected: Displays the cutting plane as a transparent circle in Graphics. This option gives you an idea of where the cutting plane is in space.
• Cleared: Does not display the cutting plane as a transparent circle in Graphics.

• Selected: Display the edges of the cutting plane so it can be seen from all angles.
• Cleared: Does not display the edges of the cutting plane. Without edges, if you look directly down on the cutting plane, it will be invisible.

• Selected: Changes how the object is displayed when you place the mouse pointer on an object in Graphics.
• Cleared: Does not change how the object appears when you place the mouse point over an object in Graphics.

The drafting tool's angular snapping increment. You can set Angle Snap to 0 if you do not need to snap to a specific angle but you do want to use drafting mode (for example to snap to a distance).

Automatically detects your hardware's capabilities the next time you start the application and sets the appropriate settings. Options are: None, Safe Mode, High Performance (GX9), High Performance (OpenGL), Best Performance.

Note: The next time you start the application, your screen may flicker briefly.

The type of hidden surface removal algorithm used. Options are:

• painters - An old and usually slow method of hidden surface removal. Use this only as a last resort.
• software z-buffer - This is the best method if your hardware does not support hidden surface removal. It uses more memory than painters, but the performance improvement is worth it.
• hardware z-buffer - By far the fastest method, and is nearly always available in modern graphics cards. You can use this setting in nearly all cases.

The graphics display driver to use. Options are:

• Software: This is safe and correct, however it is also slow because all calculations are done in software. This means the rendering performance of your system will be poor.
• OpenGL: The standard in graphics hardware. OpenGL is a fast driver that works with graphics adaptors that support OpenGL 1.1 and later versions. OpenGL is optimised for general stability, lines and text. Most of the optimisation is done on your graphics card in hardware, which is extremely quick. Nearly all modern graphics cards now support OpenGL and all its optimisations. This is a commonly-used setting. Use a different option only if this driver does not work.
• OpenGL2: OpenGL2 is likely to be a faster driver, for large data sets, than OpenGL. OpenGL2 is a shader-based driver which works with graphics adaptors that support OpenGL 2.0 and later versions. OpenGL2 is optimised for performance, and specifically for rendering triangulations.
• DX9: This is the Microsoft graphics hardware standard - DX9 is becoming more and more popular and provides some benefits over OpenGL for some data sets. DX9 is optimised for performance, and specifically for rendering triangulations.

Note: When you start Surpac for the first time, a graphics test runs with a sample data set, and the frame rate used by each of the Graphics display driver options is displayed in the Message window. Graphics display driver is then set to use the fastest driver. However you can change the setting if you wish.

Sets the display driver for external application windows, such as Plotting and Scheduling. Options are:

• fastest: The display driver setting is used.
• safest: The software driver is used. This is more stable than other drivers but might make performance slower.

Backface culling is useful for closed solids because it avoids rendering triangles that face away from the observer. This setting determines how to use backface culling. Options are:

• None: Does not use backface culling. Always draw both triangle faces.
• Closed Objects: Uses backface culling for closed, validated solids and block models.
• All Objects: Always uses backface culling. This option may cause strange visual effects - like surfaces disappearing.

Note: Strange visual effects can occur for closed objects when using cutting planes. To fix this problem, turn on Show cut faces.

Double buffering is a technique used to stop flickering when an image is refreshing. It makes rotating an image much smoother.

• Selected: Uses double buffering.
• Cleared: Does not use double buffering.

Note: When double buffering is enabled, rotational speed is slower but visual effects are much smoother.

This setting uses memory to improve performance in Graphics when Surpac is set to use hardware z-buffer and Open GL In most cases, the extra memory used will have no negative effect, but you can turn this setting off to test the performance if you wish.

• Selected: Internally, graphics are optimised using lists. Use this only when Surpac is set to use hardware z-buffer and Open GL.

Note: Only use this setting for Hardware Z-Buffer and OpenGL. Using it with other hardware settings will significantly reduce performance.

• Cleared: Lists are not used. Use this when Surpac is set to use an algorithm and driver other than hardware z-buffer and Open GL .

• Selected: Three dimensional mode is active. If you select this option, you need to exit and restart Surpac for the change to take effect.
• Cleared: Three dimensional mode is not active. If this option was selected, and you have cleared it, you need to exit and restart Surpac for the change to take effect.

• Selected: The three-dimensional depth adjusts automatically when you zoom in and out in Graphics.
• Cleared: The three-dimensional depth does not change automatically, you can change it manually using the 3D Depth slider.

On systems with multiple processors you can choose to run Surpac on a specific processor. Options are:

• Default: Starts the Surpac server so that it is locked to a single CPU, and then sets the Processor affinity back to All after the graphics driver is running.
• All: Allows the system to choose which processor to run on.
• 1: All Surpac processes and sub-processes are run on CPU 1.
• 2: All Surpac processes and sub-processes are run on CPU 2.

The units of angle measurement to use when creating points. Options are Degrees or Grads. The unit of measurement that you select is used in any Angle field when you are creating points, or inquiring about new points in Graphics, for example when you use LOCATE BEARING or BEARING AND DISTANCE.

Note: This setting is not used in the geological database. The azimuth and dip fields always use decimal degrees.

Determines the point scale factor. The surveying functions use this to adjust measured distances so that they are on the plane determined by the map projection being used and to adjust calculated distances so that they are on the spheroid. User entered distances are multiplied by the scale factor. Reported values, for setout notes for example, are divided by the scale factor.

A scale factor of 1.0 will have the effect of using no scale factor at all.

For geographically small operations, using a mean scale factor for the area in which surveys are performed is acceptable. For large operations, you might need to enter a different scale factor for each survey.

The polygon-shading method used to smooth the colour of the reflected light on the polygons. Options are:

• None: No shading is used. This setting is suitable for surfaces and solids that should show a distinct change of colour with a change in gradient. It is particularly useful for pit designs.
• Gouraud: This method interpolates the amount of illumination for each point between two vertices giving a smooth transition at the edge of polygons. Because it is most commonly used with games, many graphics adapters are optimised for this type of shading. In many cases, this shading will give you the fastest results.
• Phong: This method produces the most realistic results. In Phong shading, the normals of the polygons are interpolated between vertices and the shading of each point calculated given the new normal. This method of shading is by far the most computationally expensive. Many hardware devices do handle Phong shading, and can make it work well.

Tip: Use the Detect settings on next startup option and look at the Message Window to see if Phong shading is handled by your hardware.

Note: Because of the nature of the shading, using Phong shading while using a spot light will dramatically slow down your performance.

• Selected: Uses the current rendering method to shade triangle edges.
• Cleared: Displays triangles edges without any shading.

• Selected: Uses a camera relative spot light to illuminate models.
• Cleared: Does not use a spot light to illuminate models.

• Selected: Surpac uses one, two, or three directional lights to illuminate models. By default this option is selected.
• Cleared: Directional lights are not used.

Note: The position of the lights is defined as a vector rather than an absolute position. For example the vector of Y=0, X=0, and Z=1 defines illumination from directly above the data .

The default colour for text in Graphics when working in 3D mode.

Note: You use the rubberband tool when you use the WINDOW IN function.

The colour of the active plane in Graphics.

Note: To view the active plane, the 3D work area must be visible.

The font used by default for hardcopy output to windows printer devices.

Note: This may be important with some foreign language outputs which do not support all fonts.

There are two options for the program that Surpac uses to display plots, such as dwf files:

• DraftSight. DraftSight is an optional component you can install with Surpac. To use DraftSight with Surpac, you need the DraftSight Connector module. If you do not have DraftSight installed or licensed, Surpac uses the Plotting window to display plots.
• Plotting window. Surpac uses the Plotting window to open plots.

• Selected. When you open DraftSight from Surpac, a script runs that is designed to reduce the width of lines in plots. Use this option if you find that line widths are too wide on your plots when they appear in DraftSight.
• Cleared. When you open DraftSight from Surpac, no script runs, but DraftSight still opens.

• Selected: A confirmation message box appears when you delete a file from your computer.
• Cleared: A confirmation message box does not appear when you delete a file from your computer.

• Selected: A confirmation message box appears when you delete a file from the network.
• Cleared: A confirmation message box does not appear when you delete a file from the network.

• Selected: Permanently deletes the file from the system.
• Cleared: The deleted file is not permanently deleted (that is, in Windows, the file is moved to the Recycle Bin).

Note: This only affects local files. Remote files are always permanently deleted.

• Selected: Locks a file from other users when you have the file opened in Surpac.
• Cleared: Does not lock the file from other uses when you have the file opened in Surpac.

Note: You may experience problems using file locking if you are working with a heterogeneous network.

The action performed to a report file when it is created. Options are:

• View: The report is opened in a text editor.
• Print: The report is sent to the printer.
• Open: The report is opened in a text editor for editing.
• None: No action is performed.

The action performed to a report file when it is created during macro playback. Options are:

• View: The report is opened in a text editor.
• Print: The report is sent to the printer.
• Open: The report is opened in a text editor for editing.
• None: No action is performed.

The action to be performed when a log file is created. Options are:

• View: The log file is opened in a text editor.
• Print: The log file is sent to the printer.
• None: No action is performed.

The action to be performed when a log file is created during macro playback. Options are:

• View: The log file is opened in a text editor.
• Print: The log file is sent to the printer.
• None: No action is performed.

You can set this setting to define logicals which point to the same data area across platforms or disks .

The folder location of the system logical SSI_ETC.

Caution: If you choose an incorrect path for the SSI_ETC logical the Surpac will not be able to start.

The folder location of the system logical SSI_STYLES.

The folder location of the system logical SSI_PLOTTING.

The folder location of the system logical SSI_PROFILES.

The folder location of the system logical SSI_HMF.

The folder location of the system logical SSI_MESSAGES.

The folder location of the system logical SSI_REFMAN.

The folder location of the system logical SSI_RESOURCE.

The folder location of the system logical SSI_JAVA.

The folder location of the system logical SSI_WWWGUI.

The folder location of the system logical SSI_BIN.

The folder location of the system logical SSI_LIB.

The folder location of the system logical SSI_TUTORIALS.

The folder location of the system logical SSI_DEMO.

The folder location of the system logical PLANES. This is the location that is used to store the plane definitions used in the planes functions.

• Selected: The pdf output generated is compressed in file size.
• Cleared: The pdf output generated is standard.

The group style. Options are:

• gpstyle0: leading break, bold and underlined summary and headers.
• gpstyle1: trailing break, bold and underlined summary and headers.
• gpstyle2: drop table, summary cells are drop down cells.
• gpstyle3: summary and header cells have a shadow border.

• Selected: The Overwrite Confirm form opens when the macro is in playback mode.
• Cleared: The Overwrite Confirm form does not open when the macro is in playback mode.

Defines how often the application autosaves the block model. For example, if you set this to 3, the application will save the block model each time after you have used three functions that have modified the block model data. All block model functions that modify the data in the block model (for example, the fill functions) have the ability to autosave the model when the function completes.

Generally, a value of 1 is recommended (that is, the application autosaves the block model after every fill function) for safety. However, this can be time consuming. If you set this value higher, you can increase the speed of processing.

The number of operations that are maintained for the UNDO function in each Graphics layer. A value of zero (0) means no undo information is retained.

If you set this limit to a value less than zero (0) then all undo information is retained. This is not recommended.

Determines what undo information is retained in memory when recalling files.

• Selected: Destroys all undo information except for the data that existed immediately before using the RECALL FILE function.
• Cleared: Retains all previous undo information.

The type of formatting for the file ID numbers:

• 0 = round the ID number to one decimal place and truncate any high order digits to get length defined in the ID specifier
• 1 = format the ID according to the WID and DEC specifiers and remove leading spaces
• 2 = format the ID according to the WID and DEC specifiers and use a fixed length number with leading zeros.

The character that is to be replaced if found in a string file name. This character is replaced with the NCHR value. For example, some systems have problems with files that have more than one period "." This option will identify additional periods "." as the character that needs to be replaced.

A typical value for OCHR is the period character ".".

The character used to replace the specified OCHR character in a string file name. For example, some systems have problems with files that have more than one period "." This option will substitute the period "." in the file name with a different character.

A typical value for NCHR is the underscore character "_".

The pixel size at which the icons on your toolbars are displayed. This is set to Medium by default. Options are:

• Small: 16 x 16 pixels.
• Medium: 24 x 24 pixels.
• Large: 32 x 32 pixels.

• Selected: If Hub is not installed, the Start Using Hub menu command is displayed on the shortcut menu on the Navigator. If Hub is installed, the Start Using Hub menu command is not displayed, but other Hub commands, such as Set Hub Profile, are displayed.
• Cleared: The Start Using Hub menu command is hidden from the shortcut menu on the Navigator.

• Selected: If you are running Surpac 64-bit (and therefore using Tcl 8.5), the result of a floating point calculation is the same as it is in Surpac 32-bit.
• Cleared: If you are running Surpac 64-bit, the result of a floating point calculation might differ, in the least significant digits, from the result you would receive when using Surpac 32-bit. This can occur because 64-bit systems can store longer numbers (that is, more decimal places) than a 32-bit system, which has to truncate the least significant digits of a long floating point number.

Notes:

• If you are running Surpac 32-bit (and therefore using Tcl 8.3), and you select the Ensure TCL 8.3/8.5 floating point math consistency check box, it has no effect.
• The precision used by the Tcl expr command is not affected by this setting.