Save sections to string files
This function will save a range of drillhole sections, object sections, and block model sections that have been extracted by the Slicing Planes function to a range of string files that can be used for plotting data on a particular section. It is also possible to save any data that has been digitised on the section planes to string files.
To run this function: Choose Database > Sections > Save sections to string files, or...
Save sections to string files for plotting form
Drillhole section location
Specify the location where all the drillhole sections are to be saved. The drillhole information saved to these string files will correspond to the information that has been entered on the Draw Drillholes and Define Slicing Plane Width forms. The structure of the resultant string files will be the same as the string files produced by the Vertical sections for plotting function.
The following rules will apply when saving drillhole sections to string files:
Trace styles
Each drillhole that is inside or partially inside the section defined on the Define Slicing Plane Width form are saved to strings 1 to 4 of the resultant string file. String 1 contains the drillhole trace of any holes that are entirely within the slicing plane widths, string 2 represents holes that start outside the slicing plane widths but finish inside those widths, string 3 stores holes that start inside the slicing plane widths but finish outside those widths, and string 4 contains drillholes that start outside the section volume and finish outside the section volume.
String 6 is also be created that has a point for each drillhole that intersects the section plane. If a drillhole does not intersect the section plane (eg. vertical drillhole) then no point is stored for that hole.
Additionally, if the drillhole traces are coloured by a geology field in your database as specified on the Trace Styles tab of the Draw Drillholes form, this information is written to string 81 where each segment in the string represents a different geology code along a drillhole trace. The geology codes are stored in the first description field for each point along these segments. When plotting the trace, each segment can be coloured a particular colour to represent a particular code. This information is also saved to string 70 where each segment represents a drillhole trace and each pair of points along the segment represents a different geology code. The codes for these are stored in the first description field of the depth_to point for each pair of points. A geology box will also be created for these codes and will be stored in string 71.
If you have chosen to colour the trace by a sample field in your database, this information is written to strings 11 to 20. The grades are stored in the first description field at the end point of each sample interval in each classified string range. Sample intervals are represented as separate segments down the drillhole. Any null intervals are written to string 11. These segments do not have a grade value in the description field. If there are no null intervals string 11 is not created. If there are any values less than the first interval range, they will be written to string 12, otherwise the first range is written to string 12. Values in each range are written to each successive string until string 20 is reached. All intervals with grades higher than the interval range for string 19 will be placed in string 20.
For example, if you have an assay field with styles set up for values between -999 to -50, -50 to 0, 0 to 3, 3 to 6, 6 to 10, 10 to 30, 30 to 50, 50 to 60, 60 to 100, 100 to 120, and 120 to 9999999, and no interval has a value below -999, sample values within these ranges are represented by the following string numbers:
| Assay range | String |
| null | 11 |
| -999 - -50 | 12 |
| -50 - 0 | 13 |
| 0 - 3 | 14 |
| 3 - 6 | 15 |
| 6 - 10 | 16 |
| 10 - 30 | 17 |
| 30 - 50 | 18 |
| 50 - 60 | 19 |
| > 60 | 20 |
You can plot these strings in different colours and styles. You cannot plot missing sample intervals because they are not saved.
Collar styles
The only collar information that is available for plotting is the hole_id, depth, dip and azimuth values for each drillhole. These values are stored in the first four description fields of each point saved to string 5. Each drillhole is represented by a segment in this string that has at least two points; one for the top of the hole or the position where the hole enters the section and one at the bottom of the hole or the position where the hole leaves the section. Other points will be generated at the downhole survey depths for each hole.
Any collar labels displayed for optional fields entered on the Collar Styles tab of the Draw Drillholes form will not be saved to the resultant string file.
Geology patterns
Geology boxes will be saved to strings 71 to 80 of the section file for the first geology table specified on the Geology Patterns tab of the Draw Drillholes form. Each box drawn for this table will be ordered according to the offsets from the trace that have been specified on that tab pane. These geology boxes will not be offset by those amounts, only the ordering will be preserved. The code for each geology box is stored in the first description field of each point in the string representing that box.
If geology boxes have been displayed for other tables, these boxes will be saved to strings 171 to 180 for the second table, 271 to 280 for the third table and so on. A maximum of ten geology fields can be saved for any one table.
With each geology box saved to the resultant string file, the geology trace will be stored in strings 81 to 90 for the fields of the first table where each segment represents a particular geology code along the trace. Strings 181 to 190 will store the geology traces for the second table, and strings 281 to 290 will contain the geology traces for the third table, etc.
If the drillhole trace has been drawn coloured by geology, the geology boxes for these codes will always be stored in string 71. Subsequent boxes drawn for fields of this same table are stored in strings 72, 73, and so on. The above rules then apply for any additional geology boxes that have been drawn for other geology tables.
Labels
Sample labels are saved to the first description field of strings 11 to 20 for the first sample table specified on the Labels tab of the Draw Drillholes form. Each string represents a sample range specified in the styles table for that sample field. If labels have been drawn for several fields of this table, their values will be stored in the subsequent description fields for these strings. The order of the labels are determined by the offset distances from the trace that have been specified. Labels drawn for other tables will be stored in strings 111 to 120 for the second table, strings 211 to 220 for the third table and so on.
If the drillhole traces have been coloured by a sample field, the labels for this field are automatically saved to the first description field of strings 11 to 20 and any labels drawn for other fields of this same table will be stored in the subsequent description fields of these strings.
Geology labels are treated the same as geology patterns so if geology labels are drawn for a particular field, a geology box and trace will also be saved to the resultant string file for plotting purposes.
Graphs
Any bar or filled bar graphs that have been specified on the Graphs tab of the Draw Drillholes form are saved to strings 21 to 30 for the first sample table, 121 to 130 for the second table and so on. Each string in this range represents a graph for each sample field that has been drawn for that table. A maximum of ten bar graphs can be drawn for any one table and the graph with the closest offset to the drillhole trace will be placed in string 21 and the next closest in string 22 etc for that table. Note that any filled bar graphs will be saved as unfilled bar graphs in the resultant string file.
The same principle applies for the line graphs that are saved to string 51 to 60 for the first sample table, strings 151 to 160 for the second table and so on.
The order of the sample tables is determined by the order in which the sample labels have been specified. Hence if sample labels have been drawn for fields from tables assay1, assay2, and assay3, any bar and line graphs drawn for table assay1 are placed in strings 21 to 20 and 51 to 60 respectively, and any bar and line graphs drawn for table assay3 are stored in strings 221 to 230 and 251 to 260 respectively.
Depth markers
The interval for plotting depth markers is taken as the major tick distance value that is specified on the Depth Markers tab of the Draw Drillholes form. No other information from this tab pane is taken into consideration when creating the resultant string files. The down hole depths are stored in the first description field of the string that represents the drillhole trace the depth markers are for.
Apparent dip indicators
Dip indicators can be saved for only the FIRST dip and azimuth fields that are specified in the table on the Apparent Dip Indicators tab of the Draw Drillholes form. Line segments representing the dip and azimuth at the end of each sample interval (depth_to) will be saved to the same string number as the drillhole trace that the dip indicator belongs to. The length of these line segments will be determined by the length that has been entered on the Draw Drillholes form.
The Draw Drillholes function does not require a quality value field in the point or interval table to specify whether the dip and azimuth reading is 'a' for good or 'e' for poor as the Vertical sections for plotting function so by default, all readings are taken as being good.
Active graphic layer location
Any section data displayed in the active graphic layer will be saved to this location if one is specified. This layer can be used to store digitised outlines of a solid on each drillhole section to be saved.
Objects section location
Choose a location to save all the sections extracted through any objects that are displayed in graphics. This option will only be available if you have chosen to extract sections from objects on the Define slicing planes width form.
Block model section location
Specify a location to save any sections extracted through the currently loaded block model. This option will only be available if you have chosen to extract sections from the block model on the Define slicing planes width form.
Section range
Define the range of sections to extract. A file will be created for each section in the range for each of the file locations specified above. The default range for this field will be the same as the section range that is specified on the Define slicing planes width form.
Note: When the section is oblique, the system generates string 33 000.
This string contains a single point that defines the section line in its D fields. D1 and D2 are the Northing and Easting of the origin, D3 and D4 are the Northing and Easting of the other end of the section.
The PROCESS MAP function can use these coordinates to display where the oblique section crosses relevant Northing or Easting planes.
When displayed in plan view, string 33 000 is located at the South West extreme of the data.
Real world coords for oblique sections
If oblique sections are defined, then the output strings can be stored in real world coordinates or coordinates relative to the most western or southern point of the defined section plane, i.e. Y1,X1. In the latter case the easting in the string file will be relative to this point. The Y1,X1 point will have an easting of zero. The northing will be the distance from the first defined section as in the diagram above. The z coordinate will have the correct elevations.
Downhole datapoint interval
Enter the interval at which points will be generated for plotting of the drill hole trace. The default value is one point every metre.
Limitations
String files can only be produced for vertical and horizontal sections. Trying to support dipping sections would probably result in unforeseeable problems making it not worth while. The reason for this being that the drillhole data would need to be transformed to use a local coordinate system to the dipping section. This would make it difficult to plot any other data as it would also need to be on this dipping section. The only functions we have at the moment that can create dipping sections are SLICE OBJECT and BM SECTION and there is no guarantee that the origin of the local coordinate system would be consistent for plotting.
Another issue with plotting dipping sections is that it is very difficult to interpret the section data in relation to the real world because the coordinate system is local to the dipping section. Hence, the X values represent offsets in the horizontal direction of the plane and the Y values represent the direction perpendicular to this which is non-vertical and does not represent the elevation. A grid that shows elevations would be needed for plotting to aid interpretation however this grid would not be directly measurable from.