Using Statistical Interpolation to Build Block Models – Part I (Introduction to MineSight® and importing and creating surfaces) Using MineSight® ©2007 Dr. B. C. Paul revisions 2009 (Note – The Screenshots contained in this show are operating views of the MineSight® computer programs and the steps suggested for operating include ideas taken from Minetec operating manuals, courses, publications, or technical support advice)

What and Why of Block Models  Today’s mine planning software represents ore bodies as three dimensional digital models made of uniformly sized blocks Blocks have the grade and other characteristics average for the corresponding material believed to be in the field.  We need to use statistical techniques to project our sample information onto the Block Model

Leading Mine Planning Software Programs  MineSight® – (master of the open pit metal mine) Probably most overall advanced and complete  Vulcan  Gemcon/Mincom  Carlson Really an autocad add on for graphics and design

Where Do You Start With a Project  Probably have a set of topographic maps Probably autocad digitized and therefore importable to MineSight®  Probably have collections of drill hole data Again we’ll assume in computer form

Getting Started with MineSight® Pull up MineSight® on the Start / All Programs Look for MineSight® 3D

Don’t Panic that Billy Doesn’t Know Mintec (tell it to run)

Browse to Find Your Starting Folders (have topo and drill hole data in)

Commentary  Many of the 3D graphics features have a very windows like feel to them  Some of the routines run on data files run like old MSdos and unix batch files Distinctly non-point and click flavor  Very specialized software – lacks base for a Microsoft windows It will crash easier than some of the one size fits all programs you have encountered  Doesn’t hurt to periodically save your work  Program tries to save in a crash but don’t bet your sanity on it.  Routines can be quirky and demand exact sequences to avoid unexpected results.

Needs Project Dimensions to Begin (so it asks you for the info it needs) Needs to know whether you are in metric or imperial units Also needs to know what coordinate limits you Will be using.

Requires an Early Commitment on Block Size Please note your project limits should be evenly divisible by Your block size! Your Starter Set has the area and block size already input

This is Where Your Work on Equipment Sizes and Bench Heights Come In  The Z dimension is your planned bench height Needs to correspond to a mining height  X and Y dimensions are usually similar to yield a near cubical block  Enter your data and click ok  This creates a project control file that sets the parameters for your project.

What is MineSight®?  MineSight® is a suite of 3 programs A 3D graphics program called MineSight® A suite of operations that can be performed on data – called compass A suite of data analysis programs  MineSight® development started with first computer routines in the 1970’s and list has grown since Collection includes everything from old fortran routines to python program language routines

Getting Our First Good Look at MineSight®

Viewers are the Areas Where 3D Images and Views are displayed.

Data Manager is Sort of a Windows Exploring for your project folders and files

The First Task We Are Going to Do Is to Bring in our Topographic Map  When we make a block model we will have to be able to distinguish which blocks are air and which ones are rock We can’t do that without knowing where the surface is.  We remember our topography is in a common DXF autocad type file Most topo maps are now available in this format

Set Up to Import DXF File Point at the Main folder and Left click the mouse (it turns blue – Meaning it has been Picked)

Click File on the Menu in the Data Manager to Drop Down a menu

Tell the Program to Import a DXF file Point the Curser at Import – no Click required – A side menu Pops out. Move the curser Over DXF – It turns blue Now left click.

Choose the DXF File to Import This is a tough Choice since There is only one

The Layer Selection Box Opens DXF files follow The Autocad Convention of Putting different Things on Different overlying Layers (The menu here Also offers us Chances to Manipulate Coordinates which we are not concerned about here)

Pick the Layers to Load Point at the layers And left click – They will turn blue. (If you want to Select more than One hold control And left click Additional layers – Old windows trick) Then point and left Click load selected layers

Oh Cool – Look What Appeared in My Viewer Window!!! When I have The right Layers in (worked for me First try) then Left click the X to close the Layer selection Box.

The Import Procedure Created It’s Own File in Which to Place The Data It named The file After a layer In the DXF file

Actually We are about to see an inconsistency in MineSight  Sometimes MineSight routines require you to get files ready for the output  Sometimes MineSight creates them for you In this case MineSight created the file for us. Now lets work with one where it won’t

You Can Rotate and Turn the View by holding the Left and Right Mouse Button and Moving the Mouse If you hold down the Scroll knob and the Left key you can Zoom in and out If you hold down the Scroll knob and the Right Key you can Pan back and forth And up and down

3 D Modeling and Surfaces  I can use my topography to build a 3 D model for my surface It’s a nice visualization I will also use it as a basis later when I build my block model or design my optimum final pit.  I start by telling computer what to use to make the surface (my topography obviously)  I’ll tell the computer to lay out points on the topo lines and then triangulate a wire frame from them  I’ll convert the wireframe into solid surface

My Immediate Tasks  Create a new file for my surface  Put that surface file into edit mode so I can put my triangulated surface into it.

Select the Directory Where I Will Put My New File Point and Left click

Create My New Surface Object (nothing in it yet) Click file to drop The menu Point to new to Activate pop-out Menu. Point to Geometry object And left click.

I Named My new File / Object Topo Surface Left click ok after Naming the Object.

Getting Ready to Put My New Object into Edit Mode Left click my new Object (it turns blue)

Right Click to Pop-Up a Menu On the menu Point to and Left click edit to Put it in edit Mode.

Note that the Open Edit Box has now moved to Our Topo Surface (That’s where the stuff we do will go).

What Next?  Now I’m going to use the topo lines and create a wireframe triangulated surface.

Now Select The Topo to Create A Surface Highlight Topo (the file the imported Data went into) Right Click to Bring up Menu Choose Select On the side menu Choose all elements By left clicking.

The Stuff that has been selected to work with turns red!

Go to Surface on the Menu Tabs Point the Curser to Triangulate Surface (a side menu Pops out) Point to with Selection and Left click

A MineSight Mercy Box Pops Up Old versions of MineSight would send The results to the Open edit object (If you forgot to open The right object for Editing you sent your Results someplace You didn’t want them) Improved version Asks you to confirm Where you want the Work to go. – Lets You pick the right Object. Since I never make a mistake I’ll confirm my Open edit object as the destination and left click OK.

It Creates a Wire-Frame Surface

We Can Make A Regular Surface (Here is How!) Right Click Topo Surface To pull up a menu Pick Properties

Switch to a surface instead of wire- frame It starts out With the Radio button For Wire Frame Only Left click on The faces only Radio button Then click OK On the general tab

Now I See A Triangulated Surface Instead

Lets Consider some Clean Up  I probably don’t need to see the topo lines anymore Lets Turn them off  Lets Smooth out those triangulated faces a bit.

The Topo Lines are in the Topo File Click on the Save Edit Button (It is a very Strange looking Save button Compared to Windows) Another reason To do this is That our topo Lines are still Selected (they are red) If we try to Close our Selected lines we work with MineSight could be upset.

Now Highlight Topo and Right Click It to Bring up a Menu – Pick Close Note that this is a good reason for keeping objects is separate files so they can Be turned off and on with ease.

Woopy – Now They Are Gone

Now Lets Smooth That Surface Select the Topography object Right Click it for a Menu Select Properties

The Object Properties Window Comes Up Left click on the Tab at the top That says Surfaces

Note the Smooth Shading Option on the Surfaces Tab Screen Go ahead and check for smooth surfaces and then click Ok

Now Isn’t That Smooth Surface Impressive?

Ok – I Agree – Blue is a Strange Color for Mountains Highlight Topo Surface Right Click for A menu Choose Properties Go Back to Surface

Note We Have A Color Control Area and Pallet

This Color Pallet Works Like What You Are Familiar With I think I will go for a brown Click Ok

I Got My Color Change If I’m happy I will now ok My way out Of properties

And Now I Have My Surface in My Choice of Colors