Define Blocks

The first interactive step in the Scheduler is to define blocks. This enables you to perform the following tasks:

• define, design and check mining blocks
• edit and subsequently save to the same or new file any mining block string data
• intersect the mining blocks with the displayed orebody model to get a report of the materials as defined in the format file
• accumulate quantities and grade totals for the reported blocks
• enter new mining block data from a digitising tablet

Data will be displayed in the different styles according to the files you name as the orebody model and those you name as the mining blocks:

• the orebody is displayed as polygons in the colours defined by the styles file specified by the parameter 'ore body draw styles' in the file defaults.ssi
• mining blocks are displayed as unlabelled strings in the colours defined in the styles file specified by the parameter 'mining block draw styles' in the file defaults.ssi

When a file has been loaded into DEFINE BLOCKS you are working on a "copy" of that file. Any changes you make to the data displayed on the screen do not become permanent until you explicitly save the data to a disk file. A disk file may be the original file or it may be a new one.

Note:The DEFINE BLOCKS module is a collection of edit and design tools which work with string file data. It is not a CAD system and the presentation of data when using screen graphics is not necessarily the presentation available on hardcopy plots. However, hardcopy screen images can be saved in Postscript format.

Define Blocks Menu Hierarchy

The diagram below shows the DEFINE BLOCKS menu and a brief description of each menu item. A more detailed description of each of the functions in DEFINE BLOCKS follows in this chapter.

DEFINE BLOCKS
Select Bench	It is necessary to define a 'working bench' before any other functions can be used.
Settings	Functions which control the graphical layers and point mode settings.
Attributes	Functions which control the presentation style of the graphics.
Digitiser	Functions for the creation of new mining blocks by accepting input from a digitising device.
Edit	Functions for the editing of strings, segments and points.
Report Block	Report on the contents of a block.
Layers	Functions for the grouping of data.
File	Functions for the loading and saving of string files.
Draw/Erase	Functions for drawing and erasing strings and coordinate grids in various styles.
View	Functions which alter the view of the data. These include window in an out.
Inquire	Functions which provide information about the data displayed on the screen.
Strings	Geometrical functions which create strings of points.
Quadrants	Functions to change the default direction for North from Up to Left or Right or Down.
Window In	View selected portion of the screen by defining a box covering the area of interest. This function is also on the VIEW menu.
Window Out	Return to the view as it was immediately prior to the last window in. This function is also on the VIEW menu.
GIF Dump	Create a file of the screen image in GIF format.
User Menu	Displays the user defined menu SSI_ETC:defmenu.def if it has been created by using the MENU DESIGN function.

The DEFINE BLOCKS functions are listed in the following sections with a detailed description of how they are to be used and the possible results.

The functions are listed in menu order so that they are grouped together in the same manner as you encounter them.

The default function name is shown as ``Function: name'' immediately below the heading for each menu button. This may not necessarily be the name by which you may invoke the function. This is dependent upon whether function aliases have been defined for your installation.

Many of the menus contain buttons which lead to the DRAW, INQUIRE, ERASE, EDIT and VIEW menus. These menus and the functions available on them are explained only once in the section appropriate to the particular menu.

Using Define Blocks

There are some concepts which must be understood to enable you to get the most from the graphical edit and design tools.

The DEFINE BLOCKS menu button is located on the main menu. Choose this button to display the DEFINE BLOCKS menu and graphics window pane.

This is the control centre for DEFINE BLOCKS and you will find most of your activities centred on this menu. Many of the menu items have been repeated on various menus throughout to simplify the issues of navigating around the menu hierarchy.

Layers

DEFINE BLOCKS has the ability to recall files into a layer which is identified by a user specified name. This provides a facility similar to transparent overlays when doing drafting. The data from various layers can be seen together but only the data on the top layer - the active layer can be changed. The active layer can be changed and data can be copied from any layer into the active layer.

Multiple viewports

It is possible to view more than one set of data at once and also to display the same data rendered in different ways or from different viewing positions by making use of multiple viewports. Initially DEFINE BLOCKS starts with a single viewport but by using buttons on the viewport title bar it is possible to make copies of the current viewport.

When the same layer is visible in two separate viewports it is drawn the same, that is with the same colours and styles, however the viewing parameters (viewing position, viewing type, face visibility, etc) can be different between the two viewports. To view the same data with different drawing parameters (e.g. some strings drawn as markers in one viewport but polylines in the other) you simply need to load the same file into two different layers and make the appropriate layer visible in the appropriate viewport.

When more than one viewport is displayed only one will be considered the active viewport and it is that viewport which needs to be used for selecting or digitising points. It is not possible to select points in non-active viewports. To change a viewport to be the active viewport simply use the mouse to click in the viewport, or on the viewport title bar. A highlighted menu bar indicates the currently active viewport.

All interactions with the viewports are achieved via the viewport icons along the title bar at the top of the screen. The effects of these icons are:

• Solid diamond - creates a copy of the viewport with the same layers and settings.
• Solid downward triangle - splits the viewport in half horizontally.
• Solid rightward triangle - splits the viewport in half vertically.
• Open downward triangle - close the viewport to an icon.
• Open square - Maximise the viewport (that is, make it take up the whole region for viewports), or if it is already maximised return the viewport to its previous size and position.
• Crossed square - destroy the viewport. If only one viewport remains then it cannot be destroyed.

Dragging the title bar allows you to move viewports and a resize icon in each corner allows the viewport to be resized. The view bar along the bottom of the viewport area works in a similar to the task bar in Windows 95 and allows a quick means of selecting the active view or opening a closed viewport.

Whenever the "Function:" prompt is displayed it is possible to modify how the scene in any viewport is seen by using the mouse. This provides a simple means to rotate (left mouse button), roll (right mouse button), or dolly (middle mouse button, or left and right mouse buttons together on two button mice) by simply clicking and dragging the mouse in the viewport.

Point and Drag or Click and Drag

Some of the functions in DEFINE BLOCKS will display a prompt which reads something like, ``Point and drag ... (perform some action)''.

``Point'' means move the mouse to place the pointer over an item.

The ``action performed'' will relate to the function being used.

``drag'' means hold down the mouse button as you move the pointer:

1. depress a button on the mouse
2. without releasing the button move the mouse to a new position
3. when at the required position release the button on the mouse.

Graphical feed back will be displayed to help you see the result of your actions.

Point Selection

The Scheduler uses a sophisticated method for determining which point is selected when performing graphical selection operations. The selection method is based on the following:

• proximity to the piece of geometry, and
• proximity to the point within the selected geometry.

The term geometry in this context refers to something which has been drawn on the screen and is selectable, this includes:

• lines
• polygons
• triangles
• markers

The selection method for lines, polygons and markers means that you unambiguously select a point on a particular line by positioning the pointer near to the line and in such a position that it is closer to the point of interest on that line than any other point on that line. This is particularly useful when two or more lines have points with the same X, Y and Z values.

Point Modes

Many of the DEFINE BLOCKS functions have three possible results determined by the current point mode.

The point may be one of:

MODE Add	New points are added to the end of the last segment of the DESIGN String. The DESIGN String is the current string being used in the design process. MODE Add is the default mode.
MODE Change	The selected point or segment is changed to a new location.
MODE Insert	The new point or segment is inserted into the selected string at the point indicated by the user.

The point mode is selected by choosing Add, Change or Insert from the DEFINE BLOCKS SETTINGS menu. The point mode invoked is the current point mode until another point mode is selected. The default mode is MODE Add.

DEFINE BLOCKS functions affected by the point mode are those functions from the STRINGS menu.

The possible results of DEFINE BLOCKS functions affected by the point mode are described later in.Defaults