Transcript Using Statistical Interpolation to Build Block Models

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
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Today’s mine planning software
represents ore bodies as three
dimensional digital models made of
uniformly sized blocks
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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
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MineSight® – (master of the open
pit metal mine)
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Probably most overall advanced and
complete
Vulcan
Gemcon/Mincom
Carlson
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Really an autocad add on for graphics
and design
Where Do You Start With a Project
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Probably have a set of topographic
maps
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Probably autocad digitized and
therefore importable to MineSight®
Probably have collections of drill
hole data
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Again we’ll assume in computer form
Getting Started with MineSight®
Look for
MineSight®
3D
Pull up MineSight® on the Start / All Programs
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
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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
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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)
Also needs to know what coordinate limits you
Will be using.
Needs to know whether you are in metric or imperial units
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
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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®?
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MineSight® is a suite of 3 programs
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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

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We can’t do that without knowing
where the surface is.
We remember our topography is in
a common DXF autocad type file
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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
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Sometimes MineSight routines
require you to get files ready for the
output
Sometimes MineSight creates them
for you
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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
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I can use my topography to build a 3 D
model for my surface
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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
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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?
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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 wireframe
On the general tab
It starts out
With the
Radio button
For Wire Frame
Only
Left click on
The faces only
Radio button
Then click OK
Now I See A Triangulated Surface
Instead
Lets Consider some Clean Up

I probably don’t need to see the
topo lines anymore

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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
Click Ok
I think I will go for a brown
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