Validate object / trisolation

You use this function to validate a 3DM. You can also use NEIGHBOURS AND VALIDATE OBJECT to run autocorrect functions on the 3DM, and set the direction of the solid to solid or void.

To run this function: Choose Solids > Validation > Validate object/trisolation, or...

• In the Function Chooser, type NEIGHBOURS AND VALIDATE OBJECT, and press ENTER.

To validate the solid Surpac looks for the following errors:

• invalid edges - more than two triangles share an edge.

Note: If an object contains invalid edges, the error is reported and processing stops. To detect other problems, you need to correct the invalid edges and run NEIGHBOURS AND VALIDATE OBJECT again.

• duplicate triangles - two identical triangles exist in the solid
• intersecting triangles - two triangles that intersect each other
• reversed triangles - these occur because the order and direction of the triangles makes it difficult for Surpac to interpret which side is the inside or outside of the solid

Note: This can create a Mobius geometry, meaning that functions that traverse the entire solid might never find the end of the solid.

• holes - a space in the solid that is not 'filled' by triangles
• disconnected triangles - two distinct sets of triangles that share a trisolation number

You can generate a report for the errors encountered in your solid. This can be written as a .not, .csv or .pdf file. You can use the report to focus on the triangles with errors, by displaying only these triangles in Graphics. This can be useful when you have a large or complex solid.

Tip: To help you view the highlighted problem triangles, type FACES OFF followed by EDGES OFF in the Function Chooser . This will erase all the triangles from the screen. Then recall the triangles of interest back to the screen type EDGES ON followed by FACES ON.

The information provided by NEIGHBOURS AND VALIDATE OBJECT is important when you are using:

• Drill Hole Intersect Object,
• Object Report,
• 3DM constraints in BLOCK MODELLING
• the solids intersection functions

Fields on the Validate objects and trisolations form

Field	Description
Layer name	The name of the active layer.
Report file	The name, file extension, and file path for the validation report. The file extension you type determines the format of the report. If you do not want to generate a report, leave this field blank.
Object Range	The objects in the layer that you want to validate. To process all objects, leave this field blank.
Trisolation Range	The trisolations in the object that you want to validate. To process all trisolations, leave this field blank.
Attempt to autocorrect problems	Selected: The autocorrect functions remove, or change, trisolations to fix geometry problems. Cleared: The autocorrect functions do not run. Note: By default, this check box is cleared.
Set valid objects to	Solid: After the solid is confirmed as valid, it is set as direction = solid. Void: After the solid is confirmed as valid, it is set as direction = void.
Colours for highlighting invalid triangles	The colour that is used to highlight each type of triangulation error in Graphics.

Ouput

Any triangles that contain the errors listed above are highlighted in Graphics , in the colour you define, and the trisolation is evaluated as having validated as false.

If no triangles are found to satisfy the points listed above then the trisolation is evaluated as having validated as true.

You are advised by messages in the message window of the following information for each trisolation:

• the object and trisolation numbers
• an indication of the status, that is, open or closed
• messages to say whether any invalid edges, duplicate triangles and self-intersections have been found for that trisolation
• an indication of whether that trisolation is validated, that is, true or false

Note: The neighbours are removed for each trisolation that validated as false.

If you save the 3DM after applying this function, the header record of each trisolation in the object will contain information to indicate:

• whether the neighbour network has been created
• the status (open or closed)
• whether the trisolation is correctly validated (true or false)

Note: This information is automatically removed whenever triangles are added to or deleted from a trisolation.

An example of the header record is:

TRISOLATION, 1,name=substope,neighbours=yes,validated=true,closed=yes

If you entered a name for the report file, it is created in the format specified and contains lists of trisolation and triangle numbers for triangles with errors, divided by error type.

Troubleshooting

Note:

If you have defined a range of objects to be processed, or you are processing all the objects in the layer, and you have not input an Object 1 to the current layer, you may receive a warning that Object 1 does not contain any trisolations. This message can safely be ignored (Surpac will create Object 1 as a default object).

Message	Description
Corrupt triangle detected in input trisolation. 1st vertex: x = x1 y = y1 z = z1, 2nd vertex: x = x2 y = y2 z = z2, 3rd vertex: x = x3 y = y3 z = z3	This message informs you that a corrupt triangle has been found and gives the coordinates of the triangle vertices.
Cannot open Solids Modelling validation report file Cannot write to Solids Modelling validation report file	Check with your systems administrator to make sure you have file write privileges on your local network.