Map new
Any map is a plot of various features, for example boundaries, stockpile, or roads, which are represented in Surpac by strings. These are represented on the map by symbols that are defined in Surpac by entities. Each of these entities may be plotted with specific user-defined characteristics or attributes (e.g. a boundary may be plotted as a heavy line, or a surveyed line may be plotted as a light line with elevations angled at 45 degrees at each data point in the string).
To run this function: Choose Plotting > Map > New, or...
You are asked for the map definition in terms of entity names (defined as indicated in the previous section), and the specific strings and files to which the entities are to be applied.
A complete map definition may contain any number of entities and entity definitions. All map definitions are identified by a meaningful, user-supplied name. These definitions are held in a library. The entity and map definitions held in the library may be changed or deleted as required by selecting the appropriate menu buttons.
Note: All entities must be defined before they can be used in a map definition.
A new map may be defined by copying an existing map definition.
Fields on the Create a new map form.
Name of new map
The name of the map which is to be created must be entered here.
A warning is issued if a map already exists in the library with the same name entered. You must enter another name to continue. Complete the Create a New Map form and choose Apply to display the Define a Map form.
Define a map form
Entity
The name of the entity to be used must be entered. The entity must already exist in the plotting library. The entity may be selected from a list by using the browser to display a list of the available entity names.
Location and ID range
These two inputs define the files that are to be processed using the entity specified. String entities use string (.str) files, image entities use bitmap (.jpeg, .gif, .jpg, .tif, .png, .bmp) files, table entities use spreadsheet (.xlsx) files and note entities use note (.not) files. For a note or image entity it is only possible to plot a single file; however, with a string entity a range of files may be plotted.
For a table entity, the valid syntax for the ID range is:
<sheetName>!<from cell>:<to cell>#<header row> or
<sheetName>!<named range>#<header row>
<sheetName>! is optional. If the worksheet name is Sheet1, you do not have to specify the sheet name. If the worksheet name is not Sheet1, and you do not specify the sheet name, the cells will not appear in the plot.
#<header row> is optional. It means repeat the header row if data is split over multiple tiles.
You can specify multiple ranges, each separated by a comma.
<named range> is a named range defined in an Excel ™ spreadsheet.
Note: Each named range must contain only a single contiguous block of cells.
Some examples of valid table entity ID ranges are:
Sheet1!B6:D17#2- B6:D17
Sheet1!B6:D17,B20:D31mycells#1
String range
The string range which is to be plotted must be entered, this input is only required for string entities. If the string range is left blank this implies that all strings in the file will be plotted.
Segment range
The segment range which is to be drawn must be entered. This input is only required for string entities. If the segment range is left blank then all segments of the strings to be plotted with this entity will be plotted.
It is permissible to leave the string range blank but enter a non-blank range for the segments to be plotted so that specified segments for all strings will be plotted.
Entity Modifiers in Map Definitions
When specifying entities in a map definition, it is often desirable to be able to use the same basic entity for several different strings, simply changing the pen, or colour, in which the entity will be plotted for each string.
For example, when plotting assay values beside a borehole, you may be required to distinguish three different grade ranges of assays by plotting them in different colours. The entity to be used is identical in each case except for the pen to be used.
At map definition time, you may alter up to five attributes for any defined entity by appending modifiers to the defined entity name. The alterable attributes and their modifiers are:
Pen number /PNn
Priority /PRnnn
Text Angle /ANnn.n
Text Height /HTnn.n
Pattern scale /SCnnnn
Each modifier is immediately followed by the value to replace the corresponding attribute in the library definition of that entity. The changed value applies only to the files and strings specified for this modified entity.
For example, consider two defined entities with the following relevant attributes:
Line defined pen = 1 Notation defined pen = 1,text height = 2 mm,text angle = 0
To plot lines and notations with modified attributes, a map definition may look like the following:
Entity : LINE Location : STR Id Range : 100 String No Range : 1 Entity : LINE/PN2 Location : STR Id Range : 100 String No Range : 2 Entity : NOTATION/AN45/HT2.5 Location : ANN Id Range : 100 String No Range : 1 Entity : NOTATION/AN90/HT3/PN2 Location : ANN Id Range : 100 String No Range : 2
The above portion of a map definition will plot strings 1 and 2 from file STR100.STR as entity LINE in pens 1 and 2 respectively, string 1 in file ANN100.STR is plotted as NOTATION but at an angle of 45 degrees in characters 2.5 mm high, and string 2 from file ANN100.STR is plotted as NOTATION but at an angle of 90 degrees, character height 3 mm, and using pen 2.
The order of the modifiers on the entity name is irrelevant.
If an entity consists of more than one attribute (e.g. the entity may define a string attribute and a point attribute), then any modifier specified is applied to all attributes. For example, the /PN modifier will set the pen for all attributes within the entity to the specified pen number.
Complete the Define a Map form and choose Apply to save the map definition to the plot library.
The map definition is saved in the plot library.