Introduction to MineSight®

©2007 Dr. B.C. Paul {Note – The Name MineSight® and the Program described are property of Mintec Inc – Tucson, Arizona}

What is MineSight®?

  MineSight® is a suite of mining tuned computer programs – Heart is a 3D CAD graphics program called MineSight® – Has a wide array of mining calculations programs that link production planning to the graphics functions in the 3D CAD program MineSight® development started with first computer routines in the 1970’s and list has grown since – Collection includes everything from old fortran routines to modern python program language routines

MineSight’s ® Visually Linked Calculation Routines

 MineSight ® Compass – A windows like user interface built over a bunch of old Dos, Fortran and Unix Programs – Collection of over 400 routines – Have the feel of old mainframe batch programs  That’s because they are old mainframe routines and subroutines with a modern windows like graphical interface to feed them – Looks new but has you do some things to set up runs that are like old mainframe batch routines

New Kids on the Block

 Built a Suite of New Programs that run in Python visual language – Economic Planner     State of the Art Open Pit Metal Mining Optimization and integrated together – Activities Planner Microsoft Projects Gant Charts set up for Mining – Data Analyst Ore Reserves Statistics and Geostatistics – Interactive Planner Link between databases and 3D graphics for planning – Strategic Planner – Other procedures constantly being prepared

Editorial Commentary

   Lack of Consistency – A 40 year collection and operating systems have run in fundamentally different ways over the years – Made to look windows like but can’t always hide the architecture underneath Has bugs in it – Most bugs are triggered by assuming people will input in a certain way – and you don’t – Mining has lots of local terms in it so wording can encourage you to do unexpected things – Most bugs are operator “error” triggered but it is rather unforgiving – Very computer and graphically intensive  Pushes hardware and designs to the limit and a lot of hardware and system components misbehave when they are at their limit Its wonderful to have so much integrated power and routines all in one semi-coherent package

Specialized Software

    Mintec is about 9 full time programmers, 12 technical support and training people and a collection of dreamers, secretaries and administrators This is not a world wide Microsoft Operating system like windows Does provide 24/7 Tech support (and the program is powerful and quirky enough that you need it) – Ie – if you figure out how to steel the program and then go look for “MineSight for Dumbies” at 7-10 BookStore you are in for an unpleasant surprise.

This program updates in response to client needs and bug fixes and is much more fluid than Microsoft Word (and not as fluid as an anti-virus program)

One of a Limited Set of Programs

    MineSight® – (master of the open pit metal mine) – Probably most overall advanced and complete Vulcan – (very good 3D CAD for hardrock underground) Gemcon/Mincom Serve CAD / Carlson – Really an autocad add on for graphics and design – Quite popular with underground applications not demanding heavy 3D visualization and manipulation  Well liked in coal

Lets Start this Puppy Up!

If Used Often MineSight ® has an icon that says “MS3D” (ie MineSight ® 3 D)

Can Also Do A Menu Fishing Start

#3 Find MineSight® And Highlight it until A side menu pops out #4- Click on the MS3D icon (note you do have Icons for some of The other routines I mentioned).

#1 -Click Start #2- Pick All Programs

Look for the Desktop Icon for MS3D and Click on It

Ok – I Don’t Have One Cause I Don’t Start That way – but some people do.

As Program Starts Microsoft Says It Doesn’t Know Who Mintec Is

(Don’t Worry about Billy Boy not knowing everyone on the block)

Programs Front Icon Opens

Mines or designs Are kept as Projects – It can default Start where the Program lives Or be sent to Where you store A project If you have a Project or design Already you can Have it loaded And ready to go.

Operating the Starting Prompt

If you pull down the Menu it will show You were up to the Last 10 projects Worked on were Stored.

It has typical Windows Options for Oking or Canceling You can also Trigger a Windows Explorer style Pick using a Browse function.

The strange looking X symbol is MineSight’s ® Delete command.

MineSight Opens ® (sometimes it will prompt you to do something first)

Looks a little like An Autocad for Windows It has a 3D display Area similar to Autocad.

Data Manager is A two tiered Windows Exploring Down below it Has a message And info window

Two Tiered Windows Exploring

Has two Levels Top Level Shows You The Folders Bottom Level Shows You the Files in a folder (as a 3D geometry program Has a variety of different File types that support The program logic – no You probably won’t understand them on sight).

The little red X box closes Things.

You can close The “Windows Explorer” like Data Manager

The X Box

You can close the Whole program

You can close a 3D Visualization window

Driving Options

Uses the familiar Drop down menus Of a windows Program (some options do Appear on more than One drop down) Also has a huge Collection of icons (They are short-cuts To the most Popular functions.

You also will only Learn what these Funny symbols stand For by experience)

General Quirks and Observations

   MineSight ® does not have an “escape” key function – You right click to finish a function which gets you out of it (but might also finish a goof) MineSight® has a more enforced save structure – Some drawing functions will not let you move on until you save you last “group” of edits  It is not consistent in when this happens but if the program stops taking orders a right click to finish what ever it thinks your doing and then a save is a good guess.

MineSight® has limited “Undo” functionality – You can save the lest set of edits and then go back and undo it.

– It does not keep a step by step undo list that lets you go back and undo the last 20 things one at a time – Undo function often requires you to save before it becomes available – If you really goof it keeps back-up copies of everything and you can go in and fetch a back up copy of what you screwed up.

Some Rigidity in Menu and Icon Structure

  Microsoft Office allows you to pick groups of icons, call them toolbars and “dock” your favorites in a certain position – Vulcan has created some tool bar dockability – MineSight ® has not MineSight ® does allow you to right click and pull up an on the spot menu of recently used and custom chosen functions

So Why Should I Learn MineSight®

   CAD like mine design packages are rapidly becoming an industry standard – knowing one increases your marketability There is enough similarity in packages that knowing one will allow you to learn any other with greater ease (in case your employer didn’t make the same choice for basic package as we did – or if your employer changes his/her mind later).

We are using it in this class and you don’t want to even think about life without it.

Why Did We Pick MineSight

   The Alumni Connection and Free Educational Service Anytime one says one package is better than another will have get in fights – All packages have fans or someone would be out of business – A conservative industry – once someone learns something they resist change That said now I’ll tell you why MineSight ® is best

Comparison

 ServeCAD by Carlson Software is an AutoCad overlay – It has the advantage of a widely used CAD platform  Of course this can mean needing two software licenses  It also means other larger disciplines drafting needs will likely trump yours.

– AutoCad is a 2D drafting tool with some forced 3D functionality  MineSight and Vulcan are ground up 3D drafting tools  ServeCAD can work well on 3D objects that are usually drafted and visualized in 2D – Popular in coal mines were workings in a single seam can be represented 2D even when there is lots of 3D action.

 Ultimately ServeCAD is limiting over the range of the Mining Industry as a whole

The 3D Mining Models

   Gemcom just doesn’t have the tools or versatility of its competitors Vulcan is excellent 3D – Great underground capacity – Arguably better 3D underground drawing  Will loose out on surface drawing – especially in metal mining where MineSight ® was born MineSight® has an unmatched set of planning and design and calculation tools all in one package – Add ons allow one package to be used for support of more courses and functions