1 - Micromine Basic Module

Micromine Basic Module
Introduction and Refresher Training Guide
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Table of Contents
PART 1 ........................................................................................................................................................... 1
Lesson 1 – Preparing the Project Data .......................................................................................................... 1
Working with Projects............................................................................................................................... 1
Attaching an Existing Project .................................................................................................................... 2
Creating a New Project ............................................................................................................................. 4
Deleting a Project...................................................................................................................................... 7
Lesson 2 – Working with Data Files .............................................................................................................. 8
Working with Tabular Files ....................................................................................................................... 8
Files in MICROMINE .............................................................................................................................. 8
Creating a New Data File ..................................................................................................................... 10
Creating a New File Using a Template ................................................................................................ 11
Modifying a File‟s Structure ............................................................................................................... 12
Lesson 3 – Working with Dialogs and Form Sets ........................................................................................ 16
Dialogs and Form Sets ............................................................................................................................. 16
Dialogs ................................................................................................................................................. 16
Lesson 4 – Data Entry and File Processing .................................................................................................. 21
Getting Data into MICROMINE ............................................................................................................... 21
The Different Ways of Entering Tabular Data ..................................................................................... 21
Recognising Different Text File Types and Their Components ........................................................... 22
Importing CSV Text Files ......................................................................................................................... 23
Merging Assay Data ................................................................................................................................ 24
Defining the Key Field ......................................................................................................................... 25
Defining the Merge Fields ................................................................................................................... 25
Importing Graphical (CAD or GIS) Data ................................................................................................... 27
Create Wireframe Topo Surface ............................................................................................................. 28
Data Entry ............................................................................................................................................... 29
Lesson 5 – Validating Data .......................................................................................................................... 33
Validating Data in a Project..................................................................................................................... 33
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Validation ............................................................................................................................................ 33
Validating a Data File .............................................................................................................................. 33
Validating Drillhole Data ......................................................................................................................... 36
Lesson 6 – Filters ......................................................................................................................................... 38
Working with Filters ................................................................................................................................ 38
Setting up a Filter ................................................................................................................................ 38
The Filter Dialog .................................................................................................................................. 39
Matching Records ............................................................................................................................... 39
Multiple Filter Conditions ....................................................................................................................... 40
Using Boolean Algebra ........................................................................................................................ 41
Using Wildcards .................................................................................................................................. 42
PART 2 ......................................................................................................................................................... 44
Lesson 1 – Introducing the Vizex Graphic Environment ............................................................................. 44
Introducing Vizex .................................................................................................................................... 44
The User Interface................................................................................................................................... 46
Form Sets Pane ....................................................................................................................................... 46
Display Pane ............................................................................................................................................ 46
Manipulating the View................................................................................................................................ 51
Managing Multiple Vizex Windows ............................................................................................................ 53
Opening a New Window ......................................................................................................................... 53
Creating a New Vizex Document ............................................................................................................ 54
Lesson 2 – Creating a Preliminary Display .................................................................................................. 55
Making a Multi-layered Display .................................................................................................................. 55
Points: Displaying Total Depth information ............................................................................................ 55
Grid File: Anomaly Data .......................................................................................................................... 58
Creating a Plot File .................................................................................................................................. 61
Lesson 3 – Working with Drillholes ............................................................................................................. 62
Introduction ................................................................................................................................................ 62
The Drillhole Database ................................................................................................................................ 62
Creating a New Database........................................................................................................................ 64
Adding Event and Interval Files............................................................................................................... 65
Displaying Drillhole Data ............................................................................................................................. 67
Displaying Drillhole Traces ...................................................................................................................... 67
Refreshing a Database ............................................................................................................................ 70
Displaying Vertical Sections ........................................................................................................................ 70
Using the Display Limits Dialog ............................................................................................................... 71
Using the View Toolbar ........................................................................................................................... 73
Using the Section Tool ............................................................................................................................ 74
Adding Downhole Information ................................................................................................................... 77
Creating a Text Colour Set ...................................................................................................................... 79
Creating a Plot File .................................................................................................................................. 81
Lesson 4 – The String Editor ........................................................................................................................ 83
The User Interface....................................................................................................................................... 83
Using the String Editor ................................................................................................................................ 83
Elements of the String Editor .................................................................................................................. 84
Editing Features .......................................................................................................................................... 85
Edit Modes .............................................................................................................................................. 85
Part 3 ........................................................................................................................................................... 88
Lesson 1 – Introducing the Plot Editor ........................................................................................................ 88
Introduction ............................................................................................................................................ 88
Loading a Plot File ................................................................................................................................... 88
Output ..................................................................................................................................................... 90
Output File Formats ............................................................................................................................ 90
Style..................................................................................................................................................... 91
Configuring a Plot.................................................................................................................................... 91
Paper Size ............................................................................................................................................ 91
Plot Layout .............................................................................................................................................. 92
Plot Definition ......................................................................................................................................... 92
Coordinate Grid....................................................................................................................................... 93
Title Frames............................................................................................................................................. 94
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PART 1
Lesson 1 – Preparing the Project Data
In MICROMINE, the project is the primary place for storing and organising your data. This lesson introduces you to
projects and how you use them. After this lesson you‟ll be able to:
project;
Working with Projects
Projects
Normally you store the data from an area in a MICROMINE project. This includes surface samples, drilling data,
property boundaries, aerial surveys, photography, and any other related information. In addition to information
about the area, other information such as macros and form sets are also stored as part of a project.
Put simply, a MICROMINE project represents a real-world project.
To begin working with MICROMINE you must create at least one project. A project is a folder (or directory) where
you store files containing related information. Once more than one project has been created, you can select the
desired project from a list of all projects. When you select a project, all the files, macros and forms sets stored with
that project are made available to you.
When you‟re working in a project there‟s no need to enter a file path (i.e. C:\projects\tenement1\...) to create or
open files. The only time you “leave” the project is when you need to access external data.
To create a project, you enter a project name, a path, and a project title. You subsequently refer to that project by
its name. A project may be situated on the computer you‟re using, or on a network. In either case, Micromine
recommends that you place all projects under a single parent folder.
You must also set the units for a project to Metric or Imperial when you first create it. The default is Metric.
Imperial is used when rock densities are measured with a tonnage factor and plot scales like 1”:100‟ are required.
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When you create a new project, you can optionally use file structures, form sets and macros from a similar project.
This is a good approach because it means that you can re-use existing work and promote consistency between
projects. In fact, some MICROMINE users create a template project and save any re-usable file structures, macros
and form sets within it.
You can also rename, move, delete and attach projects. Renaming simply changes the project name. Moving a
project manages the entire process of moving all the project files from one location to another.
Because files from different projects are stored in different folders, you can use the same file names in each. For
example, the projects “Demo” and “Training” can both have files named collar.dat, survey.dat and assay.dat. By
default, MICROMINE will load the last project you were using.
Attaching an Existing Project
Because the data for this training course have already been prepared, you‟ll simply attach the project where the
data is stored. Attaching a project is a convenient way of working with existing projects and external data such as
old projects and data created using other applications. Once you‟ve attached a project, you can select it as though
you had created it.
Exercise 1.1: Attach an existing project
This exercise assumes the training data is in the folder C:\MmData\RHT_Train_Data. If your data is in a
different location, simply substitute the new location in the instructions that follow.
To attach an existing project:
1. Start MICROMINE by clicking on the icon on your desktop, or select the application name from the Start menu.
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2. Select File | Project | Attach from the main menu.
3. Enter the Project name. Generally, this is the name of the folder containing the project data. In this case, enter:
RHT
4. Click the Browse […] button next to the Project path response and navigate to the folder
C:\MmData\RHT_Train_Data. Click OK on the Browse dialog.
5. Enter Training DATA in the Project title.
6. Click OK to attach the project.
You‟re now attached to the Training project. Note how the MICROMINE window title bar (at the top of the screen)
displays the new project‟s name and title.
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When a project is created or attached, MICROMINE copies default template files to the new project (if they
don‟t already exist).
Creating a New Project
Although we‟re using an existing project for this training, you still need to know how to create a new project.
Creating – instead of attaching – a project allows you to set the units and optionally use an existing project as a
template.
Optional Exercise 1.2: Create a new project
In this exercise you‟ll create a new project that could potentially be used as a template for future projects. It‟s not
intended to store any real data, just the various file structures that might be re-used elsewhere.
To create a new project:
1. Select File | Project | New from the main menu.
2. Fill-in the dialog box as shown on the following page. To define the Project path, use the browse […] button to
navigate to the C:\MmData folder; once you‟ve done this, type the remaining \New Project text yourself.
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3. Click OK to create the project. MICROMINE will open in the new project, and the project name and title will
appear at the top of the MICROMINE window.
4. Switch back to the Training project by selecting File | Project | Open, or clicking the Open Project toolbar
button.
Under normal circumstances you‟d now begin creating template files within the project. When you next create a
project you can select Use existing project as template and then enter this project‟s name. You can then nominate
which items you want to re-use from the template project by selecting from the options shown in the group at the
bottom of the dialog box.
Additionally you can browse data on actived project in Micromine software by select File | Explore
Current Project
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Deleting a Project
Deleting a project means removing the reference to the project (the folder where the project data is located) from
a special MICROMINE file. There are two methods of deleting projects. The first method is to delete the link to the
project folder. This is like deleting a shortcut from your Windows Desktop. The reference to the folder is removed
but the folder and its contents remain untouched. The second method is to remove the link and delete the project
folder and all the files within it.
Generally, you‟ll only want to remove the link to the project.
Optional Exercise 1.3: Delete an existing project
To delete a project:
1. Select File | Project | Delete from the main menu.
2. Choose the Examples project from the list that appears.

3. Make sure Detach only is set (ticked).
4. Click OK.
From now on, the Examples project won‟t appear in the list when you select File | Project | Open from the main
menu. To delete a project and all the files it contains, follow the same procedure but clear Detach only (remove
the tick).
Note that this is a deliberate action. You can‟t accidentally delete the files in a project folder.
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Lesson 2 – Working with Data Files
Data files are the basic data container in MICROMINE. In this lesson you‟ll learn about the different types of data
files and how to create and work with them. After this lesson you‟ll be able to:
 Create a new file;

 Create a file using an existing file as a template;
 Modify a file‟s structure.
Working with Tabular Files
Files in MICROMINE
Most files you‟ll use as input to functions in MICROMINE have a tabular structure. If you‟re familiar with databases
you‟ll recognise this structure.
An example of a typical MICROMINE data file is shown below.
Each record of this file contains a sample number and Lithology, grade, etc. MICROMINE uses several types of
tabular file. The main input files are Data, Survey and String. These files are differentiated by file extension. The
data file has the extension DAT, the survey file SVY, and the string file STR, but in practice you refer to them by
type rather than by their extensions. There are no other fundamental differences between these types of file. In
fact a file with exactly the same structure could have any of these extensions.
The main reason for having the different extensions is so you can group like files in a project. For example,
geological data are often stored in DAT files while contour strings and other string type data are stored in STR files;
and survey information from total stations or theodolites is stored in SVY files.
The data in most MICROMINE files is stored in ASCII format. This means you can easily read the data with
simple text editors and viewers. While it‟s possible to edit a MICROMINE file with a text editor, Micromine
recommends that you don‟t do so because the file format may become corrupted.
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MICROMINE also uses many other non-tabular file types (for example, outlines and wireframes), however it
handles their creation and management on your behalf.
You, as the user, must create the tabular files needed for a project. To do this you give the new file a name and
then define its structure. That is, the names and characteristics of the fields and the order in which they will be
processed and displayed.
There are two field types in a tabular file: Character and Numeric. In most cases it‟s easy to decide which type you
should apply to a field:
Field and data types in MICROMINE
Numeric: Any numeric value. Statistical functions are available. Colour and hatch sets are defined using
numeric intervals (e.g. 0.5 to 1.0).
You can still store non-numeric data in numeric fields, for example, “NS” (not sampled) in an assay field.
Character: Any character value, with or without a numeric component. Statistical functions are not available.
Colour and hatch sets are defined using a list of text strings (e.g. “ANDS” or “A*”). Some examples of
common Character type fields are Hole Name, Sample Number, and Lithology Type.
Date: MICROMINE has no specific date field. However, you can store dates as numeric data in YYYYMMDD
format (e.g. 20070815 represents 15-Aug-2007). Take care when importing dates from databases, as often
you can‟t control the date format.
In general, MICROMINE processes data files to create output. You must tell a function (in MICROMINE) the name
of a file and the fields it should use from that file. The function then loads data, record by record, from the file and
perform its task. This is the fundamental operating paradigm of MICROMINE.
The main file preparation and processing tool is the File Editor. The File Editor has many features and data
processing tools that are useful to the earth scientist.
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One of MICROMINE‟s strengths is that you can copy the contents of a file or change its structure at anytime.
Such flexibility is very convenient. However, if you‟re not using a central database it‟s very easy to create
copies of master files and get into a situation where a colleague enters new data into the copy. To avoid this,
establish a convention that clearly defines your file-naming procedures. For example, to make working copies
of files easy to recognise, use a prefix like “#” or “!”. The length of the file name is not an issue. Similarly, with
master files, you can include “master” in the name of the file.
Creating a New Data File
Because you‟ll be using the data set supplied as part of this course you‟ll only need to create a couple of new data
files in later lessons. However, to reinforce the idea of the template project, this task will show you how to create a
collar file that could be used as a template.
Exercise 2.1: Create a new data file
To create a new collar file template:
1. Select File | New from the main menu. Alternatively, you can click the New toolbar button.
2. Enter the following values into the New File dialog box:
Prompt Setting
File COLLAR_TEMPLATE
Type DATA
Title Collar Template
3. Don‟t select Use template.

4. Click OK and the (New) file window will appear.
You create the file structure in this window. To do this you must define:
h field;
Defining file fields
FIELD NAME can be up to 10 characters. Try to avoid using spaces in field names. Best practice, unless
there‟s an overriding company standard, is to keep field names simple. For example, use Sample rather than
Sample No., Sample_No or Sample #.
TYPE can only be C (Character) or N (Numeric).
WIDTH can be up to 255 characters but should be kept as short as possible without compromising the data.
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DECIMALS should be enough for your data requirements, but no more. You‟ll gain nothing by specifying
more decimals than are needed. The decimal point is counted as one character, so be sure to allow for this
when you set the WIDTH.
5. Type the following values in the table:
Press the Tab key to move right from field to field and Shift+Tab to move to the left. You can also use the arrow
keys to move up and down, or just click on a cell with the mouse. Press Enter to create a new row, or press Ctrl+R
to replicate existing data onto a new row.
6. Once you‟ve entered these values, click Close on the menu in the (New) window.
7. Click Yes to confirm you want to create the file.
8. The new file will open into a File Editor window. You could start entering values immediately but for this
exercise you should leave the file empty.
9. Close the File Editor window, either by clicking the [X] at the top right of the window, or by clicking the Close
toolbar button.
The Relationship between WIDTH and DECIMALS
Consider a UTM northing, which might have a value like 6536302.34. The integer part of this number consists
of seven digits, and the DECIMAL part consists of an additional two digits. Allowing space for the decimal
point would require a total WIDTH of 10, that is 7 (integers) + 1 (decimal point) + 2 (decimals) = 10.
You would define this field in MICROMINE as TYPE = N, WIDTH = 10, DECIMALS = 2, or in shorthand notation
N 10 2.
Creating a New File Using a Template
Once you have suitable files in the current project (or a dedicated template project), you can use their structures
whenever you create new files.
Exercise 2.2: Create a new file using a template
To create a file using a template:
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1. Select File | New from the main menu. Alternatively, you can click the New toolbar button.
2. Enter the following values into the New File dialog:
Prompt Setting
File TEST_COLLAR
Type DATA
Title From Template
3. Select Use template.
4. Click the Templates… button to display the Templates dialog.
5. Ensure Current project is selected.

6. Double-click the File response and choose the COLLAR_TEMPLATE file, which is the one you created in Exercise
2.1.
7. Click Close to dismiss the Templates dialog, and then click OK in the New File dialog.
8. The New file window will open with a file structure identical to the one for the COLLAR_TEMPLATE file.
9. Select Close and click Yes when prompted. The new file will be created and immediately displayed in the File
Editor.
10. Select File | Close or press the ESC key to close the file editor.
You can see from this exercise how much time using templates can save, especially when you‟re creating files with
many fields. Additionally, using templates promotes consistent file structures both within and across projects.
Creating a new file directly from a dialog
An alternative way to create a new file is to use File | Create or Modify File. With this menu option you can
create a new file directly from the dialog, without needing a template, which is especially useful when you‟re
writing a macro.
Modifying a File‟s Structure
In MICROMINE you can add and delete fields from a file at any time. If a field contains data when you delete it, the
data will also be deleted. To add fields to a file or delete fields from a file, use the Modify function.
The Modify function is located in the File menu of the main MICROMINE window and the File Editor. You can also
right-click (F6) on a File field in a dialog box and select Modify from the menu that appears.
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The right-click file utility menu
Modify is one of several functions found on the right-click file utility menu. This menu is accessible from any
file or field name response on every MICROMINE dialog, and makes it possible to perform basic file functions
without having to close a partially completed dialog.
Exercise 2.3: Modify a file’s structure
This task shows you how to add new fields to a Assay file, containing sample coordinates and analytical results. The
new fields are needed for merging a broader suite of additional analytical results from the laboratory. To add the
new fields, do the following:
1. Select File | Open from the main menu.

2. Select RC Assay Train.DAT from the window that appears. If you can‟t see it, make sure that Files of type is set
to DATA.
3. Click OK to open the file in the File Editor.
4. Press F6 to modify the file, or alternatively, close the file, then select File | Modify from the File Editor menu,
and select RC Assay Train.DAT from the file list.
5. Position the cursor in the LITHO field and press Ctrl+I, or select Records | Insert Records from the menu.
6. Enter 1 in the Insert Records dialog, and then click OK.
7. Add Thickness field after TO field.
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8. Select Close once the modification is complete. You‟ll be prompted to Modify File? Select Yes.
9. MICROMINE automatically saves the modified file so there‟s no need to explicitly save it. Instead, select File |
Close or press the ESC key to close the file editor
If you add fields to a file using Modify, no data will be lost. However, if you delete a field that contains data,
the data will be lost.
10. Additionally we can also fill the new field thickness by calculating TO minus FROM direct from file
editor by selecting calculator toolbar on above file editor. While the dialog calculate appear put input 1
with TO field then on the function select minus then on input 2 with FROM field and the result field
select THICKNESS field that previously created. Click OK to start calculating thickness.
You can see the thickness field now has been filled with the thickness of each interval in RC assay Train
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Lesson 3 – Working with Dialogs and Form Sets
So far, we‟ve only seen the simplest of dialogs, but as we continue to learn MICROMINE we‟ll encounter
increasingly complex ones. Lesson 4 and onwards will rely extensively on your ability to work with MICROMINE‟s
dialogs, so now is a good time to learn about the process of entering parameters into the dialogs.
One of MICROMINE‟s greatest strengths lies in its ability to save dialog settings once you‟ve created them, and
recall those settings whenever they‟re needed in future. A simple analogy is using a form-management utility on
your web browser: every time you visit, say, your online banking website, the form manager automatically fills out
the form for you, saving you time and effort. MICROMINE‟s forms work in much the same way. After this lesson
you‟ll be able to:
use and keyboards to accelerate the process;
Dialogs and Form Sets
Dialogs
Some MICROMINE dialogs have over 50 individual controls arranged in numerous groups. The best way to fill out
such a complicated dialog is to work through it as if you were reading down the columns of a newspaper: top
down, from left to right. In the case of a tabbed dialog, you can extend the analogy to reading the pages of a
magazine. Adopting a systematic approach like this ensures that responses are made in the correct order, which is
important because other prompts on the dialog may change depending on your earlier choices.
Much of MICROMINE‟s user interface is geared towards maximising productivity whilst minimising effort. To help
achieve this, numerous dialog shortcuts are available. We‟ve already seen the right-click context menu, which is
one such shortcut. Another involves the way you specify file or field names: Whenever MICROMINE prompts you
for a file or field name, simply double-click it (or press F3) to select it from a pop-up list. You should never type a
file or field name, since it‟s very easy to mistype a name and produce an error.
Once you‟ve chosen a file name, MICROMINE will endeavour to automatically select all of the required field
names, so you may not have to do this yourself. If a numeric field is selected, MICROMINE will also automatically
calculate the minimum and maximum values of that field.
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An example of a more complex MICROMINE dialog. To fill out this dialog, start at the top of the left-hand column
and work down, then repeat for the right-hand column. Note – this is only an example; it‟s not used in the
following exercises.
Double-click it to pick it
In general, if a particular piece of information, such as a file name or a field name, already exists, you should
choose it by double-clicking instead of typing.
Some dialog prompts are highlighted in a different colour (usually red). These are compulsory prompts: You must
enter a value before proceeding. Other prompts can be left blank if they‟re not relevant.
Form Sets
MICROMINE provides an elegant way to save and re-use the parameters that you‟ve entered into a dialog: You
save them as a Form Set, which can be recalled for later reuse.
A Form Set simply represents the saved contents of a dialog.
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To save the contents of a dialog as a form set, you generally click the Forms, Save or Save As button located at the
right of the dialog. The exact layout will vary according to the context of the dialog, but in general MICROMINE
provides these ways to manage form sets:
Forms, Save, or Save As buttons depending on how

the dialog was opened, shown on illustrations (a) and (b). Vizex is fully described in Part 2 – Displaying and
Manipulating Data.
Save
and Close, Save As and Forms buttons, as shown on illustration (c).
-graphical dialogs that perform a calculation have the layout shown on illustration (d), using just a Forms
button. These dialogs also use Run instead of OK, which signifies that they run a data process instead of
contributing to a display.
Graphical dialogs that are not associated with Vizex, such as graphs, histograms, and plot frames, have no buttons.
Instead, form sets are accessed from the menu (e) or toolbar (f). However, these options will only appear when
relevant.
Once you‟ve clicked the appropriate forms button, MICROMINE will display the Forms dialog, which gives you the
opportunity to save the parameters with a Title of your choice. The title can be any descriptive text, since all that
MICROMINE needs to internally reference the form set is its Number, which must be unique. The Forms dialog also
allows you to recall a previously saved form set, and import or export form sets for sharing with other users.
Identifying saved form sets
Once you‟ve saved a dialog as a form set, the Title of that form set will appear at the top of the dialog itself.
If you don‟t see the name, you‟re not working with a saved form set!
MICROMINE automatically manages the form set Number so you‟ll rarely need to change it yourself,
although you can do so if you want to control the grouping of form sets.
Each MICROMINE function maintains its own independent list of form sets, so there‟s no risk of duplication. For
example, more than one function could have a form set Number 1, with the title “Testing”.
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Even if you forget to save a dialog as a form set, every MICROMINE dialog is automatically saved to a „default‟
form set. Simply re-opening a particular dialog will automatically recall the default set, so your previous settings
are always available, even after restarting the computer. As soon as you change a value, however, the previous
value will be lost.
In Vizex, default form sets are always marked as Untitled, so you can see at a glance whether or not you‟ve
saved them.
Exercise 3.1: Explore dialogs and form sets
In this exercise, we‟ll display some geochemical sample locations and save the display parameters as a form set.
1. From the main menu, select Display | Vizex | Points.
2. Ensure the Input Data tab is active (highlighted). Double-click the File response, and choose RC Collar Train from
the file list that appears.
3. Once you‟ve chosen the file, note how the coordinate fields below the file name have automatically been
chosen. MICROMINE always endeavours to complete as much of the form as it can on your behalf.
4. Click the Points tab to activate it, and then turn on the Show Points and Use Symbols options.
5. Double-click the small blank square next to the Default symbol prompt and choose the filled triangle (») symbol.
6. Click OK at the right of the dialog to display the points.
7. Inspect the Display window pane at the bottom left of the screen. Note how it now contains a single entry called
Untitled (RC Collar Train.DAT).
Assuming you‟re happy with how the sample locations are displayed, you can save the settings as a form set.
8. Double-click the Untitled (RC Collar Train.DAT) entry in the Display pane, at the bottom left of your screen, to
redisplay the Points dialog.
9. Click the Save As… button at the right of the dialog.
10. Inspect the Save Current Values dialog and note how the form set has automatically been given the Number 1.
11. Type in the Title RC Collar Train (overwriting the default Untitled title) and click OK. Note how the name RC
Collar Train now appears on the title bar at the top of the dialog.
12. Click OK on the Points dialog and note how the name in the Display pane has now changed RC Collar Train.
You can use the same process to make further changes to the form set: Double-click the form set in the Display
pane, make the changes on the dialog, click Save, and finally click OK. If you wanted to re-use those settings, you‟d
simply click the appropriate form set to select it, and then click Open to load the settings.
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You can use the same process to make further changes to the form set: Double-click the form set in the Display
pane, make the changes on the dialog, click Save, and finally click OK.
If you wanted to re-use those settings, you‟d simply click the appropriate form set to select it, and then click Open
to load the settings.
Why use form sets?
As a general rule, if you plan to use the settings on a particular dialog more than once, it‟s worth saving that
dialog as a form set.
Form sets are the main driving force of MICROMINE. They enable you to create libraries of display layers in
Vizex, consistently re-load settings for repetitive tasks without re-entering values, and automate MICROMINE
by writing macros. All of these techniques are covered in subsequent training.
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Lesson 4 – Data Entry and File Processing
The data that describes a prospect or mine can be collected and recorded in a variety of ways. They include survey
data from total stations, rock sample data from geologists‟ notebooks, drillhole data from portable data entry
equipment, compass traverse notes, data files from aerial surveys and aerial photography, along with existing data
in a variety of third-party formats. The challenge is to get all of this information in different formats into a project
and into a coherent and useful state. This lesson describes some of the processes that can be used to get data into
a MICROMINE project.
Getting Data into MICROMINE
The Different Ways of Entering Tabular Data
The File Editor is the primary tool you‟ll use to create and maintain tabular data files. While you can key-in data
into the File Editor, it would be tedious to have to re-type data already in spreadsheets, external databases or in
data files from assay laboratories. For this reason MICROMINE includes three ways to get large quantities of data
into a project with a minimum of effort. These are:
When you import data, all fields in the source file are included in the process. You can control which fields from
the source data are written to the MICROMINE target file.
To merge data, you select fields in a source file and merge them to the correct fields in the target file by matching
values in a key field. You can also append the data.
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Merge Lab data is designed to process SIF (Standard Interchange Format) files supplied by many assay laboratories.
Its flexible design means you can handle nearly any type of SIF file.
When you link to a database you use ODBC to connect to an external data source. Before you begin using these
techniques, it‟s worth reviewing the different types of text file that you‟ll meet when you undertake these
processes.
Recognising Different Text File Types and Their Components
There are a numerous types of text file but in general they fall into two groups: delimited and fixed width. A
delimited file contains rows of values separated by a separator or “delimiter”. Common delimited formats are
comma-delimited (using commas) and tab-delimited (using tabs). Each row is terminated with a CR (carriage
return) character and a LF (line feed) character. Fixed width files, sometimes known as column-delimited files,
contain values separated into columns made up of a fixed number of characters. Delimited files are generally more
space-efficient, but human operators can more easily read fixed width files.
Example: Fixed width file
Example: Comma delimited file
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Generally Import Text is only used to transfer independent data sets into a MICROMINE project. The Merge Text
function is used to re-establish relationships within data sets, for example, merging assay results with the
coordinates at which the samples were taken.
Before you continue...
Make sure you‟re using the built-in file viewer. To ensure this is the case, select Tools | Options | Editor from the
main menu and check that Built-in is selected in the Text Viewer group.
Importing CSV Text Files
CSV (comma separated values) is a simple and popular text format well suited to tabular data exchange. Most
applications can export and import the CSV format. A typical scenario might involve a geologist recording field data
using the built-in software on a notebook computer or PDA (personal digital assistant). On return to the office, he
or she would most likely upload the data to a MICROMINE project. CSV is an ideal format for this situation.
Exercise 4.1: Import assay data from a CSV file
In this exercise we‟ll import the new analytical data referred to in Lesson 2, in preparation for merging it into the
existing RC Assay Train. These data were received as a Microsoft Excel workbook and were exported from Excel in
CSV format. This exercise will also illustrate another productivity tool: You can create a new file virtually anywhere
within MICROMINE.
Choose the Text File
1. Select File | Import | Text from the main menu.

2. Click the browse […] button next to the Text file path response and navigate to the Import folder (within your
training project). Select the file sample_analysis.csv.
The .csv extension will be invisible if you have set Windows to Hide extensions for known file types.
3. Right-click the text file name to display it in the text viewer. Confirm that it‟s in comma-delimited format, and
note that the first row consists of column headers for Sample number and the six additional elements (Ba, Mo, Sb,
As, Hg, and Tl). Close the text viewer when you‟re done.
4. Set Lines to Ignore at the Start of file to 1. If you omit this step the column headers will be imported as if they
were data.
5. Set the Text file format to COMMA DELIMITED.
Although the next option on this dialog is to choose the delimited fields, we can‟t progress to this point because
the target file doesn‟t yet exist.
Create the Target File

Fortunately, you can create a new file right within most MICROMINE functions by using the right-click pop-up
menu:
6. Right-click on the Output File response and choose New from the pop-up menu.
7. Following the same procedure as you used in Exercise 2.2, create a new file with the following parameters:
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Prompt Setting
File NEW_ASSAY_RESULTS
Type DATA
Title (optional) Multi-element assays
8. Delete the unnecessary fields copied from the template file to create the following file structure:
Field Name Type Width Decimals
HOLE_ID C 8 0
SAMPLE_NO N 6 0
FROM N 6 2
TO N 6 2
GRADE N 6 2
SG N 6 2
9. Close the editor and answer Yes to save the file. Select File | Close or press the ESC key to close the file editor.
Note how MICROMINE automatically places the name of the newly created file into the Output File response.
Delimited Fields
MICROMINE allows you to easily control the order of the imported fields by setting the appropriate field order in
the Delimited Fields option. In this dialog, MICROMINE simply refers to each input field by number; in other words
Field #1 is literally the first field in the file (Sample in this exercise), Field #2 is the second (Ba), and so on. You map
these to the appropriate output fields by double-clicking and choosing the desired output field name. If the fields
in the source and output files are the same, you can simply leave this dialog blank.
10. Click the Delimited Fields… button to display the Delimited Fields dialog. Ensure that all entries are blank and
close the dialog.
11. Optional: if desired, you can double-click the Output Field response next to #1 and set it to HOLE_ID, then
repeat for #2 = SAMPLE_NO, #3 = FROM, #4 = GRADE , #5 = SG.
12. Click the Run button on the dialog box to run the function.
Once you‟ve imported the file, right-click on the Output file, select View from the pop-up menu, and confirm that
the data have imported correctly.
Merging Assay Data
In Exercise 4.1 we imported the additional data into a file called Sample_Analysis.
In this task we‟ll merge the new assay result data (Sample_Analysis - Grade & SG) into the existing RC Assay Train
file.
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To successfully merge the records in two files, there must be a field with the same values in both the target and
source files. This is known as a key field. If the key field in each file contains duplicate values, you must use two or
more fields in each file to differentiate each record.
The Merge function processes the target file record by record. It finds the key field in each record and reads the
value it contains. It then looks for the same value in the key field in the source file. When it finds an equivalent
value, it takes the data from the fields you‟ve nominated, and writes it to the corresponding fields in the target
file.
Exercise 4.2: Merge assay data from Exercise 4.1 into the sample locality file
In this exercise the sample identifiers are unique. This means you can use the fields containing sample identifiers in
each file as the key field in the merge. In cases where there are duplicates in the key field in the target file you
must use multiple fields to form the key. Do the following:
1. Select File | Merge | MM from the main menu.

2. Double-click the Source File response and choose Sample_Analysis (ensure the file Type is set to DATA).
3. Double-click in the Target File response and select RC Assay Train.
Defining the Key Field
We know that the Sample field is common to both files. And, because there are no duplicates in the Sample field in
either the source or target files, you can use Sample as the single key field. To define the key field:
4. Click the Key Fields… button. (If the button is disabled, select the Use key fields option lower down the dialog.)
5. Double-click the Source Field for Key # 1 and choose HOLE_ID . Note how MICROMINE automatically sets the
matching field name for the Target Field
6. Because the sample numbers consist of alphanumeric strings, set the Match to CHARACTER. If you omit this step
MICROMINE will ignore the letter prefix of each sample number. Close the Key Fields dialog when you‟re done.
We‟re only using a single key field so there‟s no need to proceed to the next row.
Defining the Merge Fields
You must now define the merge fields, which is very similar to defining the key field. MICROMINE does, however,
greatly simplify the process whenever the field names are the same in both the source and target file.
7. Click the Merge Fields… button.

8. Click the small Select Fields button near the top left of the dialog.
9. Select Grade and SG field by hold CTRL button, as shown on the following diagram. Click OK when you‟re done.
There‟s no need to select HOLE_ID, FROM, TO because it‟s already defined as the key field.
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10. Because the field names are the same in both files, MICROMINE will complete the form, automatically mapping
each source field to the matching target field.
11. Optional: You can map source to target fields on an individual basis by double-clicking and choosing a Source
field, then double-clicking and choosing the matching Target field.
12. Close the Merge Fields dialog once you‟re satisfied with the field mapping.
13. Set the Match to FIRST, which will only merge the first occurrence of each key field value.
14. Enter Unmerged in the Unmerged file response, Duplicate in the Duplicate file response, and Merge_stats in
the Report file response. These files will record the results of the merge process.
15. The final stage of the process is to run the merge. Do this by clicking the Run button on the dialog box.
When the process is complete, a report will appear describing the results of the process, which is also reproduced
in the Merge_stats file. You should also right-click the Unmerged and Duplicate files to check their contents, which
list any source sample numbers that were duplicated or not merged. In this example there are none and the files
are not created.
Checking the results of a function
A useful check on any function that processes files is to right-click on the output file (or files) and select View
from the pop-up menu. Any problems will become apparent and you can re-run the function after making the
necessary corrections. Report files are considered output and should also be checked. In the example above,
the non-existence of the Unmerged and Duplicate files is an indication of success, because they are only
created when unmerged or duplicate records exist.
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Importing Graphical (CAD or GIS) Data
In addition to tabular data such as sample locations, drillhole information, and geochemical results, MICROMINE
also supports numerous graphical formats from CAD (Computer Aided Drafting), GIS (Geographic Information
System), and general purpose mining applications.
Supported formats include:
Although it‟s possible to directly display many of these formats without conversion, in the following exercise you‟ll
import topographic contours from an ESRI ArcView ShapeFile and convert them to a MICROMINE string file. Direct
display is covered in Part 2 – Displaying and Manipulating Data.
Exercise 4.3: Import and display topographic contours from an DXF CAD file
1. Select File | Import | CAD/GIS from the main menu.

2. Double-click the CAD/GIS file response and browse to the Import folder (inside your project). Choose the
RHT_Contour file and click Open.
3. Set the Import attributes option.
4. Type RHT_Contour in the Output File name and set the Type to STRING.
5. Set the field names as shown here:
Prompt Setting
East field EAST

North field NORTH
RL field RL
Join field JOIN
String field STRING
Layer field LAYERS (Don‟t use LAYER – it‟s the name of an existing field in the
cad file)
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6. Click Run to import the contour data. Right-click | View the new string file to confirm the import, and then Close
the dialog once you‟re done.
7. Select Display | Vizex | Strings from the main menu, which will open the Strings dialog.
8. Ensuring the file Type is set to STRING, double-click the File response and choose the RHT_Contour file.
MICROMINE will fill out the remainder of this tab for you.
9. Click Save As… at the right of the dialog to save your settings. Ensure that the form set has been assigned the
Number 1, and set the Title to Topographic contours.
10. Click OK to apply the settings. Your display should now resemble the following diagram.
11. Conclude this exercise by selecting Edit | Remove All from the main menu to clean up the screen.
Create Wireframe Topo Surface
Creating DTM (Digital Terrain Model) or Wireframe Topo Surface could also use from imported Contour string.
DTM usually used while we are dealing with 2D section view or event 3D view. This DTM later will display in Vizex
under Wireframe object.
Exercise 4.4: Generate DTM
1. Select DTM | Create Surface from the main menu.

2. on Input file select RHT_Contour String file
3. Fill Z Field with RL then on the output select TYPE Field = DTM and type Topo on Name Field.
4. Click Run Button to generate DTM Topography
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Data Entry
MICROMINE‟s File Editor is an excellent data entry tool that‟s specifically designed to provide numerous tools for
the rapid entry of spatial and drillhole data. For example, by defining a series of rules, you can enter drillhole collar
coordinates and downhole sample data with a minimum of keystrokes.
Although many people use a spreadsheet application for data entry, you‟ll find that the File Editor provides a safer
and more rapid data entry environment.
The File Editor has a menu available under Edit | Tools that contains a collection of basic functions for importing,
exporting and merging data; sorting and validating files; and performing field-based calculations. Many of these
tools also have toolbar buttons.
MICROMINE files are presented on-screen in a familiar grid layout. You can navigate up and down through the file
by using the keyboard up and down arrow keys, as well as Pg Up and Pg Dn to go one page at a time. Of course,
you can scroll using the mouse, too. To move from one field to the next, press Tab or Shift+Tab, or click into the
desired field with the mouse. To create a new record, simply press Enter at the end of the file.
The File Editor supports standard Windows shortcuts for editing text, for example:
Ctrl+C (Copy)
Ctrl+X (Cut)
Ctrl+V (Paste)
Using these shortcuts, you can easily transfer blocks of data between MICROMINE and, say, MS Excel, in either
direction. However, the File Editor also provides many other unique shortcuts that are designed to automate
repetitive geological data entry tasks. You can access these shortcuts by opening the Records menu. Some of these
are summarised in Table 1 below:
Table 1: File Editor keyboard shortcuts

To… Keyboard Menu Button
Increment contents to the cell below Ctrl+A Records | Add | One
Set Increment value Ctrl+Shift+I Records | Increment
Copy contents to the cell below Ctrl+R Records | Replicate | One
Operate on multiple fields to record below Ctrl+T Records | Execute | One
Define Ctrl+T parameters (also available by Ctrl+Shift+P Records | Execute | Parameters
right-click – Xparms)
Delete records Ctrl+D Records | Delete
Insert blank records Ctrl+I Records | Insert
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Using the File Editor shortcuts on multiple records
The add (Ctrl+A), replicate (Ctrl+R) and execute (Ctrl+T) tools also operate on multiple records, by pressing
Ctrl+Shift+[Letter] instead of Ctrl+[Letter]. These standard shortcuts all have a matching toolbar button, so
feel free to access these if you prefer to use the mouse instead of the keyboard.
Exercise 4.5: Use the File Editor’s data entry tools
Let‟s put some of these tools to work. This exercise always refers to the keyboard shortcut for each function, but
please feel free to experiment with the menu or toolbar if you‟d prefer to use the mouse.
Data Entry Field-by-Field
1. From the main MICROMINE menu, select File | Open and open the RC Assay Train file. Alternatively, you can
click the Open File toolbar button.
2. Scroll to the bottom of the file and select (click) the last HOLE_ID value, which should read RA-23.
3. Press Ctrl+A. Observe how MICROMINE creates a new record, recognises that the existing text T17 contains a
numeric component, increments that component
by one, and places the new value into the new record.
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4. Now press Ctrl+R three or four times. Each time you choose this command it replicates the RA-24 value to the
record below.
5. Select (click) the first blank FROM value in your new RA-24 hole and type in a value of 0 (zero).
6. Press Ctrl+Shift+I and change the increment from 1 to 4. Click OK.

7. With the highlight still on the zero value, press Ctrl+Shift+A. The Increment Many dialog will appear. Just click
OK to accept the default values.
8. Observe how MICROMINE has applied the new increment value to all records below the selected cell.
9. Select the first blank TO value, type a 4 into that cell, and repeat the Ctrl+Shift+A function. Your file should now
resemble the following diagram:
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10. Close the file editor and make sure the RC Assay Train are NOT save. But if you did please open again RC Assay
Train file then manually remove the new entry that were filled on this exercise.
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Lesson 5 – Validating Data
Validation is an essential processing task, with two primary objectives:
Many companies use a centralised corporate database to store their corporate and scientific data. If your company
uses such a system, it places increased pressure on you to ensure that your data are valid and consistent before
uploading into your Database Management System (DBMS). Companies are also becoming increasingly aware of
the value of their data, which is also encouraging good validation processes. At a simpler level, some MICROMINE
functions may produce undefined results if they encounter invalid data.
Before you continue...

Make sure you‟ve completed Lesson 2 – Working with data files.
Validating Data in a Project
Validation
MICROMINE supports the validation of nearly all types of codified data (with the obvious exception of fields
containing random comments) and can also perform rigorous validation of drillhole data. There are three
validation functions in MICROMINE:
Validate in the Tools menu of the File Editor (File Editor: Edit | Tools | Validate)
Validate under the Fields item in the File menu (Main menu: File | Fields | Validate)
Validate in the Drillhole menu (Main menu: Drillhole | Validate | Drillhole)
The first two validation options are designed to validate the contents of fields in a file, whereas the last is designed
to validate drillhole data.
Validating a Data File
You have two choices for validating fields in a file: Either Edit | Tools | Validate or File | Fields | Validate. With
Edit | Tools | Validate, you can only validate one field at a time, but it‟s easy to use because you can validate at
the same time as you‟re editing the file.
File | Fields | Validate is a more powerful function because it can simultaneously validate up to ten fields, plus you
can set validation ranges on numeric fields. You‟ll use this function in this lesson.
The Validate function checks the specified fields in the target file for correct values. If it finds an incorrect value, it
will write an error message to a report file, along with the name of the field in which the error was found, and the
number of the record.
A check file is used to validate the contents of fields where there‟s a fixed set of possible values, which most
commonly applies to character fields. The Validate function determines whether the values are correct by
comparing them against the check file. If a value exists in the target file but doesn‟t exist in the check file, it‟s
considered an invalid entry. You must have previously created the check file.
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Although it‟s possible to use a check file to validate numeric fields (e.g. 1 = MINED, 0 = UNMINED), most numeric
validation is done by range checking. The Validate function determines which values are valid by testing if they fall
within the ranges that you specify. Range checking helps to eliminate typographical errors and other mistakes that
often occur in data entry.
Creating validation check files
There are many ways to create a check file. If your company uses a corporate database, you should be able to
create one by importing the relevant lookup table from the database. Otherwise, you can use File | Fields |
Extract Unique to list all codes – including errors – that exist in the main data table.
Exercise 5.1: Validate fields in a file
Validation is often used to check the consistency of lithology codes used to describe sample data. In this exercise,
you‟ll simultaneously perform numeric validation using range checking, to validate records in the RC Assay Train
Error file. (This file contains deliberate errors.) The numeric range checking will identify values that fall outside the
range of each field.
Field that will be check on this exercise such as :
Ox = Oxidation (0 : unoxidised, 1 : weakly, 2: moderately, 3 : strongly, 4 : completely) or Min = 0 & Max = 4

Alt = Alteration (1 : poor, 2 : medium, 3 : rich) ) or Min = 1 & Max = 3
Vein_Qt = Percentage of Vein in the interval or Min = 0 & Max = 100
To validate the file:
1. From the main menu, select File | Fields | Validate.
The Fields Validate dialog is split into two halves: The upper half allows you to set up the input, check, and report
files, whereas you define the various validation rules in the lower half.
2. Fill out the upper half of the Fields Validate dialog as listed:
Prompt Setting
Input File RC Assay Train Error
Type DATA
Data type GENERAL
Report file INVALID_LITH
3. Now, set up the lower half as shown:
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When you select Ignore Blanks, values in the file you‟re validating will pass the blank record in the validating fields
4. Click the Run button on the dialog to run the process.
5. The Fields Validate window will disappear, leaving the Report Viewer as a tab at the bottom of the window.
Hovering the mouse over the tab will expose part of the Report File. You can pin down the Report Viewer by
clicking the small thumb-tack icon near the viewer‟s top-right
6. Double-click a record in the Report File. This will automatically take you to the matching record in the Input File,
which you can correct if necessary.
7. Fix the Error code on OX, ALT_TO, ALT_SI, VEIN_QT with below record.
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Validating Drillhole Data
The drillhole validation function (Drillhole | Validate | Drillhole) will detect a large number of errors and
inconsistencies in Collar, Interval and Downhole Survey files. It detects:
FROM < previous TO Duplicate collar entry

FROM >= TO Dips or Azimuths change by more than x
FROM or TO missing Surveys beyond total depth
Collar missing or incorrect Missing hole in interval file
Record beyond total depth Compulsory field blank
Hole excluded by collar filter Total depth missing
Duplicate hole Rate of Deviation
Non-consecutive surveys Sample Interval Lengths
MICROMINE performs this validation by checking the relationship between the three files and the relevant fields,
as illustrated below. For example, it checks for missing holes by listing the hole ID‟s it finds in each file and then
checking to see if any are missing from any of the three files.
As you can see, the drillhole data undergoes comprehensive testing. You should always validate drillhole data to
ensure trouble free operation in later processes.
Interval files are drillhole or trench files containing From-To data. You must perform a separate validation run
for each interval file that you‟re checking, using the same collar and downhole survey file in each case. For
example, if you have interval files for assays, lithologies, and oxidation, you must perform three separate
runs of Drillhole | Validate | Drillhole, using a different interval file each time.
Exercise 5.2: Validate drillhole data
To validate the drillhole data, do the following:
1. Select Drillhole | Validate | Drillhole from the menu.
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2. Make the following entries on the DH Validation dialog
Prompt Setting
Collar file RC Collar Train
Type DATA (use for all files)
Interval file RC Assay Train Error
Survey file BLANK
Report file DH_VALID
3. Click Options and make the following settings:
Prompt Setting
Check for missing intervals Selected

Check for missing holes Selected
Check dips Unselected
Check azimuths Unselected
Check maximum deviation Unselected
Check sample Interval Unselected
Lengths
Valid dip change Blank
Valid azimuth change Blank
Max deviation Blank
Max interval Length Blank
Grade Field Blank
4. Click Run. You will receive a message saying, “Errors were detected”. These errors are written to the Report file;
when you click OK to dismiss the message box the report file will appear as a tab at the bottom of the window.
5. Hover the mouse pointer over the tab to expand the Report File. You can „pin‟ down the window by clicking the
thumb tack icon near its top right corner.
6. Inspect the report file and note the errors. Double-click first row to see the error directly in the dedicated error
file. You may continue to fix the error base on below record.
How did MICROMINE know the right field names?
You‟ve probably noticed that MICROMINE knew the names of the fields in the drillhole files. You can set the
field names that MICROMINE allocates to dialog prompts by selecting Options | Forms from the main menu.
Here you can enter the names you use for the fields at your site. However, it‟s still good practice to click each
of the Fields… buttons and check that the fields have been correctly allocated!
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Lesson 6 – Filters
Filters in MICROMINE allow you to subset data of interest from a larger dataset. This might prove useful, for
instance, if you only wanted to work with drillholes completed during 2007. Most MICROMINE functions have a
filter option, and the filters themselves can be saved as form sets. As we‟ve already seen, form sets allow us to re-
use previous settings.
Why should I save my filters as form sets?
Saving filters as form sets is an essential practice for macro writing, as it allows for conditional execution – in
other words, running a process only on the subset records. Macro writing is introduced in Part 5 – Macros 1.
Working with Filters
Setting up a Filter
If you‟d like to work with filtered records instead of a complete dataset, simply set (turn on) the filter option on
the appropriate dialog:
Once you‟ve activated the filter, you can edit the filter conditions by right clicking (or pressing F4) on the filter
number. In the illustration above, the filter number is currently blank, but after you‟ve saved the filter as a form
set, a number will appear in this response. To choose an existing filter, just double click (or press F3) the filter
number and choose the form set from the
Right-click to edit
Filters are a type of embedded form set – that is, a form set that‟s referenced from within another dialog.
Embedded form sets are always marked on the referencing dialog with the Forms icon, shown here: You edit
embedded form sets by right-clicking the form set number on the referencing dialog.
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The Filter Dialog
The Filter dialog is divided into two main areas: A variety of settings at the left and bottom of the dialog, and up to
10 filter conditions in the Filter Conditions group. If you open a filter from within another function, the filter will
automatically choose the correct file and place it into the appropriate response. The remainder is up to you.
The Records group allows you to subset by record numbers (say, records 0 to 100). It‟s very easy to accidentally
leave this option set, so please remember to clear it afterwards! In the event that a filter gives you exactly
everything you don‟t want, simply use the Reverse filter option to invert the filter result. To specify a particular
condition, you must provide three items of information for each Filter Condition line: A Field Name, an Operator,
and a Value. For example, consider these settings:
This filter condition will return the points whose easting is greater or equal to 4400. The field name is EAST (chosen
by double-clicking), the operator is >=, and the value is 4400 (entered by typing). Setting the Numeric switch
instructs MICROMINE to ignore any character values that may be in the field.
Matching Records
Once you‟ve set up a filter, you can immediately preview the results in the File Editor by right-clicking the file
name, or any of the referenced field names, and selecting View from the pop-up menu. The records on a white
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background are those that matched the filter conditions. These are the ones that will be used for further
calculations. The records on a grey background did not match the filter, and will be excluded from the calculation.
Multiple Filter Conditions
The Filter dialog allows you to define up to 10 filter conditions. If you‟re working with more than one condition,
you must choose a Boolean operator such as AND or OR. As soon as you define two or more conditions, the
Combine Lines group becomes active, which allows you to choose the desired Boolean operator.
Sometimes you might need to define a filter that‟s too complex for a simple AND/OR combination. Complex filters
such as this require that you use the Equation option instead. You write an equation by typing it into the Equation
response, referring to each filter condition by its line number. You then use a combination of character codes
(listed in Table 2) in conjunction with your line numbers.
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Let‟s use an example. Suppose you had defined the filter conditions illustrated in the screenshot earlier in this
section, but wanted to combine them using an equation. The conditions were:
To set up an equation relating these with the Boolean AND operator, you‟d type this into the Equation response:
If you wanted to use Boolean OR instead, you‟d type:
Table 2: Filter equation operators
Code Meaning
& AND
| (pipe) OR
() Set
precedence
Note: You type the pipe (|) symbol by pressing Shift+\ on the keyboard
You can construct quite complex filters using this technique, but in order to use it effectively you should have an
understanding of the underlying Boolean algebra.
Using Boolean Algebra
As we‟ve seen, you create a filter equation by using combinations of your filter conditions and the Boolean AND
and OR operators. It‟s therefore important to understand how each operator works.
Boolean AND is a “restrictive” operator. In other words, every condition you specify must be met in order to satisfy
the overall filter. For every new condition that you add, the filter becomes more difficult to satisfy.
On the other hand, Boolean OR is an “expansive” operator. Only one of the conditions needs to be met to satisfy
the overall filter. It doesn‟t matter which one. Therefore, for every new condition that you add, the filter becomes
easier to satisfy.
Area common to BOTH circles Area belonging to one, the other,

matches AND or both circles matches OR
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Imagine adding a third overlapping circle to each of the two diagrams above. In the AND diagram, left, the area
common to all three circles will be smaller than the shaded area currently common to the existing two. The
conditions are becoming harder to satisfy. On the other hand, adding a third overlapping circle to the OR diagram
simply increases the shaded area, making the conditions easier to satisfy.
Using Wildcards
In addition to using Boolean algebra to create a complex filter, you can also use wildcards to catch a variety of
different values. Wildcards supported by the filter are:
Table 3: Filter wildcards
Wildcard Meaning
? Any single character
* Any characters (including blanks)
+ Any characters (excluding blanks)
! Everything except the filter value (logical NOT)
$ Any string containing the filter value
Exercise 6.1: Create a multiple condition filter
Let‟s put a filter to work. We‟ll revisit the Topography Contour so that we can graphically illustrate the results of
our filters. Our first task is to create a filter to subset all Contours whose coordinates fall within the following
ranges:
9600 – 10400 N
4400 – 5400 E
First, we need to reload the Points display we created earlier. To do this:
1. From the Form Sets window pane at the top left of your screen, click the small plus [+] icon next to the Strings
object. You will see a single entry, Topography Contour, immediately below the String label.
2. Double-click the Topography Contour form set to open it. The Points display from Exercise 4.3 will appear.
Now let‟s modify the Topography Contour form set so it only includes the data falling within the specified
coordinate range:
3. Double-click Topography Contour in the Display pane near the bottom left of your screen. MICROMINE will re-
display the Strings dialog with the Label tab selected, which is where we last left it.
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4. Click the Input Data tab to select it, and click the Filter check box to activate the filter option.
5. Right-click (or press F4) the blank filter number to edit the filter. The Filter dialog will appear.
6. The filter dialog may still contain settings from a previous filter. Simply click the Clear Table button at the top
left of the filter dialog to remove any existing conditions before continuing.
7. Double-click the first Field Name response and choose EAST from the list.
8. Set the first Operator to >=.
9. Type 4400 into the first Value response and set the Numeric check box.
10. Repeat Steps 6 through 8 for the remaining filter conditions. Your filter should now look like this:
11. Set Combine Lines to And.

12. Preview the filter by right clicking on the File response and choosing View from the pop-up menu. Scroll
through the file and confirm that most of the records are on a grey background, with a small number of matching
records on a white background. If this isn‟t the case, you‟ll have to correct your filter.
13. Close the File Editor window and then click Save and Close to close the filter.
14. Click OK on the Points dialog to display the filtered data. Ignore save formset.
Your display should resemble the following diagram:
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PART 2
Lesson 1 – Introducing the Vizex Graphic Environment
Vizex is MICROMINE‟s graphic environment, and is what you see whenever you open MICROMINE. You use Vizex
to display, edit, and interact with all MICROMINE data types, as well as data from many CAD, GIS, and Image
Processing applications. MICROMINE data types include basic elements like points, strings, and polygons, and
compound information like downhole data, dynamic contours, wireframes, block models, and open pit or
underground mine designs. The broad range of editing tools includes snapping, smoothing, weeding, gradients,
curves, draping, and wireframing. Vizex also supports seamless transitions between 2D and 3D views.
After this lesson you‟ll be able to:
Introducing Vizex
The Visual Explorer (Vizex) provides a fully interactive display environment for all MICROMINE and many third-
party data types. You interact with these data types in two ways: using the Form Sets pane to load the desired
objects as layers in the display, and using the Display pane to change the properties of the displayed layers.
Editing is performed using the Vizex String Editor.
Vizex is a multiple-document and multiple-window environment. This means you can simultaneously view the
same data in different windows at different orientations, or completely different data in different windows. You
can set additional windows to be „overviews‟, which can be floating or docked, or as full-size windows that are
tabbed with the main window and are accessible with a single keystroke.
Any Vizex display can be saved as a Saved View, which can easily be recalled at a later stage. This gives you a
means of quickly restoring a view without having to rebuild it from scratch.
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Main Menu
View Toolbar
Main Toolbar
Formset Pane
Display Pane
Graphic Display Window
Exercise 1.1: Load a previously saved view
In this exercise you‟ll load a previously saved view containing some example Display layers.
1. Expand the Saved Views list by single-clicking the small plus [+] icon to the left of the Saved Views node. This
node is located at the top left of your screen, immediately under the menu and toolbar.
2. Double-click the Lesson One object to open it.

3. Vizex will load a number of different display layers into the window and change the window extents to match
those of the saved view.
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The User Interface
Vizex consists of three primary windows: the Graphic Display, which occupies the bulk of the screen, the Form Sets
pane, which normally docks at the left edge of the screen, and the Display pane, which also normally docks at the
left. If having these windows at the left is not your preference, you can easily dock them against any other window
edge, stack them over each other, or float them over the Graphic Display.
The Form Sets and Display panes can be auto-hidden, temporarily reducing them to a small tab at the docked edge
and consequently maximising the Graphic Display area. To restore them to the view, simply hover the mouse over
the appropriate tab.
You can also toggle the panes on and off by clicking the Form Sets Pane and Display Pane buttons on the main
toolbar . Alternatively, you can open these panes by selecting View | Display Pane or View | Form Sets
Pane from the menu. To close the panes, click the Close button at the top right-hand corner of each one. There are
numerous toolbars at the top of the screen, which provide a variety of tools for selecting and manipulating data,
and for manipulating the view. Depending on what specific menu options you select, Vizex may also display or
remove additional toolbars.
Form Sets Pane
You use the Form Sets pane to select the Form Set Objects you want to view in the Graphic Display. Before you
view a Form Set Object as a Display Layer, you can modify form set properties to control the way data will appear
in the display.
Displaying a Form Set Object
To display a Form Set Object, double-click the desired object type under the Vizex node (the folder icon) in
the Form Sets pane.
Alternatively, you can select from the Display | Vizex | … menu.
If you see no objects displayed under the Vizex node in the Form Sets pane, click on the plus [+] icon to its left to
expand the list.
You can load virtually all MICROMINE data types, and a variety of third party formats, into Vizex using the Form
Sets pane. You‟re not limited to one occurrence of each type, but can add as many as your computer will allow.
No matter what MICROMINE module configuration you have, you‟ll be able to display most data types
shown below, but you won‟t be able to graphically edit some of them without the appropriate module.
The currently supported Form Set Object types are illustrated in Table 1.
Display Pane
The Display pane lists the currently loaded Display Layers, and you use it to manage those layers. From here you
can temporarily hide or show a particular layer, permanently remove it from the display, or change its display
properties.
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Table 1: Supported data types
Points: Simple point data such as soil

samples or rock-chip samples,
classified by shape, colour, size, and
label. Graphically editable
Strings: Linear data such as roads,

rivers, or contours, classified by
colour, fill pattern, and numerous
labelling options. Graphically editable
Outlines: Polygonal data such as

geological units or property
boundaries, classified by pattern and
colour. Graphically editable.
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Contours: Labelled 3D contours
derived on-the-fly from wireframes,
grids, or strings. Classified by line,
label, and colour.
Profiles: Ordered two-dimensional

data such as geochemical or magnetic
sample lines.
Drillhole … : Drilling data with

numerous options for label, pattern,
and symbology.
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Pie Chart: Multi-variate point data
with each variable displayed as a pie
segment, classified by radius and
colour.
Image: Raster data such as aerial

photographs, from a variety of file
formats, and positioned in any 3D
orientation.
CAD/GIS: Data from many common

CAD and GIS formats, classified by
symbol, colour, and pattern.
Geographic data optionally projected
to UTM on-the-fly.
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Grid File: Interpolated surfaces
consisting of regular arrays of blocks
or cells, displayed in 2D or 3D.
Wireframes: 3D surfaces and solids

consisting of meshes of
interconnected triangles, with various
drawing styles. Graphically editable.
Block Model: Interpolated solids

consisting of arrays of 2D or 3D
blocks, classified by colour and label,
with various drawing styles.
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Design: Open pit and underground
mine design and ring/blasthole
designs. Graphically editable.
Temporarily hiding a layer is useful when you‟re displaying multiple data layers, since it gives you a clearer view of
the objects you‟re interested in. To hide a layer, simply uncheck the checkbox alongside it.
To show a previously hidden layer, check the checkbox alongside the layer and it will be re-drawn in the Graphic
Display. Whether it‟s visible or not will depend on whether it falls within the current display limits.
In comparison, when you remove a layer (by right-clicking it and choosing Remove from the pop-up menu, or by
clicking it and pressing the Del key), it‟s removed from both the Graphic Display and the Display pane. However,
the form set you used to load the display object is still available for selection in the Form Sets pane.
Changing the properties of a Display Layer
You change the properties of a layer in the current display by double-clicking it in the Display pane.
Alternatively, you can right-click it and choose Properties... from the pop-up menu.
The Display pane also allows you to control the order in which layers are drawn, as explained in the sidebar
Understanding the Vizex Drawing Order.
Manipulating the View
Vizex is fully interactive, providing you with a suite of tools that allow you to easily view and manipulate your data.
Many of these tools are dedicated towards manipulating the view itself, which is the focus of the next few topics.
The View Tools
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The View toolbar gives you access to numerous tools for zooming and panning, including a generous zoom undo
and redo memory.
There are many other buttons on the View toolbar, but these will be introduced in Lesson 3 – Working with
Drillholes.
Exercise 1.2: Use the view tools
This exercise will quickly introduce you to the basic view tools. First, let‟s look at the pan tools:
1. Click the Pan tool and drag the mouse in the display. Note how the view dynamically pans.
2. Click and drag with the middle mouse button (the wheel on a standard mouse also doubles as a button). This
shortcut gives you immediate access to Pan mode without having to select it from the toolbar.
And now, the zoom tools:
3. Click the Zoom tool and drag a medium-sized rectangle in the middle of the screen. When you release the
mouse, Vizex zooms to the extents of that rectangle.
4. Click the Undo Zoom button to return to the previous extents.
5. Click the Pan tool and hold the Ctrl key. Now drag the mouse vertically in the Graphic Display to activate the
Dynamic Zoom.
6. Roll the mouse wheel to invoke the Dynamic Zoom shortcut. In a similar way to the Pan shortcut, this gives you
immediate access to Zoom mode without having to specifically select it.
7. With the view zoomed-in, right-click on the Simple drillhole trace object in the Display pane and choose View
Selection from the pop-up menu. The view will adjust to fit the drillhole trace display into the screen. Note how
the drillholes are surrounded by a faint rectangle, which indicates the layer is selected.
Using the mouse wheel to pan (by dragging) and zoom (by rolling) is especially useful while you‟re graphically
editing because you can manipulate the display without closing the current editing tool.
Grid Settings
Vizex gives you very good control over the way your coordinate grid is displayed, and provides you with a variety of
2D and 3D grids. You can change the grid settings by selecting View | Grid | Grid Settings… from the menu or
clicking the Grid Settings button on the Grid toolbar.
Vizex automatically calculates the best grid spacing to keep an appropriate number of grid lines in the display,
using a spacing values that increase in a 1, 2, 5 sequence, multiplied by a factor of ten. However, you can switch to
the User-defined Line Spacing option and control the spacing yourself should you need a specific grid spacing.
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Grid settings can be saved as form sets, so you can save and recall specific grid settings as required.
Exercise 1.3: Set up a coordinate grid
This exercise will take you through the process of setting up a basic, “auto-everything” grid.
1. Click the Grid Settings button on the Grid toolbar. Alternatively, select View | Grid | Grid Settings from the
menu.
2. Ensure that the Configuration tab is selected, set the Grid type to FULL, and turn on Enable Auto Working
Plane.
3. Switch to the Display Options tab and turn on Display labels. Enter X, Y, and Z Label annotations of mE, mN,
and m, respectively.
4. Click Save As… to save the settings as a form set.
5. On the Save Current Values dialog, set the Title Basic auto grid and click OK to save the settings.
6. Click OK back on the Grid Settings dialog to apply the settings. Your display should look like the following
illustration.
7. If desired, you can toggle the grid on and off by clicking the Toggle Auto Working Plane button on the Grid
toolbar.
8. Once you‟re satisfied with the result, select Edit | Remove All to clean up the display in preparation for the next
exercise.
The grid remains displayed after you‟ve selected Edit | Remove All because it‟s a property of the view, not a
property of the data.
Managing Multiple Vizex Windows
Vizex supports multiple documents and multiple windows, allowing you to simultaneously view the same data in
different windows, which can be at different orientations, or completely different data in different windows.
You create additional windows in one of two different styles: full-size windows that are tabbed or tiled with the
main window, or variable-size „overviews‟ that can be either docked or floating.
Opening a New Window
There are three ways to open a new full-sized Vizex window containing the same data as the current window:
Open Additional Vizex Window toolbar button ;
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Right-click the tab at the top of the existing window and choose New Window from the pop-up menu. You can
subsequently tile the windows by right-clicking the tab and choosing New Horizontal Tab Group or New Vertical
Tab Group;
Window | New Window from the menu. From here you can either select Window | Tile Horizontally or
Window | Tile Vertically to display them side-by-side.
Similarly, there are three ways to create a new overview window:
New Overview Window toolbar button ;

existing window to a dockable window by right-clicking the tab at the top of the window and
choosing Dockable;
Window | Dockable from the menu.
The New Overview Window option creates an overview that may omit some layers to simplify the display.
You set which layers are displayed by clicking the Toggle Object Overview Window Visibility button in the
Display pane toolbar.
ou can also predefine which layer types appear in the overview window by selecting Tools | Options | Vizex,
switching to the Default Layer Options tab, and then selecting or de-selecting the desired Form Set Objects in
the Overview list.
The two window conversion options simply maintain the original window contents.
Whenever you‟ve opened multiple full-sized windows, you can use Ctrl+Tab to rapidly switch between them. This
does not, however, apply to Dockable windows, which are excluded from the Ctrl+Tab sequence.
Creating a New Vizex Document
In addition to opening multiple windows into the same data, you can also create an entirely new Vizex document
containing completely different data.
To create a new Vizex document, click the Open New Vizex Instance toolbar button . In addition to the new
window you‟ll also see an empty Vizex node in the Display pane, and you‟re free to choose the appropriate data.
The form sets must, however, originate from the same project as the original window.
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Lesson 2 – Creating a Preliminary Display
Once you‟ve acquired and validated the data for a project, the next step is to create a preliminary display. The
tasks in this lesson demonstrate how to create a multi-layer display in which all data sets in the project can be
shown.
Making a Multi-layered Display
The view you used in Lesson 1 contained several different Display Layers. The ability to simultaneously multiple
display data sets as layers helps you to form an overall idea of the area of interest. Vizex can display multiple layers
of information including binary files such as raster images and contour grid files. Vizex can also display drillholes in
plan, section, and 3D, although this functionality won‟t be introduced until Lesson 3.
The following topics introduce some of the Display Layer types supported by Vizex by setting up an example of
each.
Points: Displaying Total Depth information
Most surface geochemistry data can be displayed as points. Colouring and sizing the point symbols according to
their geochemical value increases the visual effectiveness of the geochemical display, in much the same way as
you would when using a GIS.
Varying the symbol colour
You add colour to any MICROMINE display by creating a Colour Set. Colour sets make it easy to differentiate
between values, regions and other objects in the display. MICROMINE provides you with numerous tools for
creating colour sets, and because colour sets can be saved as form sets you‟re able to use them anywhere in a
project and can even export them to other projects. This promotes consistency and saves time.
In this exercise you‟ll use a combination of colour and size to display Collar points according to their depth of
drillling. First we‟ll load the RC Collar Train form set we created in Part 1:
1. If the Points list is not already expanded in the Form Sets pane, click the [+] icon next to the Points Form Set
Object to expand it.
2. Double-click your RC Collar Train form set to display it. You‟ll see the original labelled black triangles in the
Graphic Display and the RC Collar Train layer name in the Display pane.
Next we‟ll open the Points dialog to change the properties of the Display Layer:
3. Double-click the RC Collar Train layer in the Display pane to open the Points dialog.
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4. Click the Points tab to activate it.
5. About half-way down the Points tab, double-click the Colour field response and select AU1 from the field list
that appears. The colour field is the one whose values will be used to determine the symbol colours.
Now it‟s time to create the colour set. First we get the numeric values:
6. Right-click the Colour set response. The Edit Colour Sets (Numeric) dialog will appear.
7. Click the Assign button near the bottom right corner to display the Assign dialog. Because you opened this
dialog an existing display the File and Value field responses will be automatically filled out.
8. Set Calculate mode to RANGES and enter 5 as the Number of ranges.
9. Click OK.
Five equal numeric ranges are calculated for the colour set. There‟s also provision for values above and below
these ranges, which means there‟s a total of seven entries in the dialog.
Adding numeric values to a colour set
There are three methods for assigning values to a numeric colour set: RANGES, which divides the data equally
between the min and max values, PERCENTILE, which splits the data into sorted groups containing the same
number of values, and STATISTICAL, which arranges the data by the mean and standard deviation.
Alternatively, you can simply type your own values into the Value column.
Next we allocate a colour to each numeric range, which we‟ll do in this exercise by creating a gradational colour
ramp between blue and red:
10. Double-click the colour box beside the first (top) entry in the table of ranges.
11. Select a dark blue colour and click OK, or double-click dark blue.
12. Move to the middle then select yellow continue to the last and do the same, this time selecting red.
13. Return to the first row and check the Ramp checkbox beside it.
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14. Do the same for the middle row. Note how MICROMINE automatically checks the intermediate values.
15. Click the Colour Ramp button at the right of the dialog. The intermediate ranges will receive colours that
gradually vary between blue to yellow and do the same by check Ramp checkbox on the middle and the last to
then click Colour Ramp continue yellow to red.
Now that the colour set is created it‟s time to save it:
16. Click the Save As button (on the Edit Colour Sets dialog).
17. Enter Collar Depth as the colour set Title. There‟s no need to change the number of the colour set;
MICROMINE automatically finds the next available number.
18. Click OK. Note how the title RC Collar Train now appears at the top of the Edit Colour Sets dialog.
The colours are completed, so we can shift our attention to Labelling the symbols:
19. Move to the next Tab on Label Tab. This will make 2 label on top right (HOLE_ID) and bottom right (DEPTH) on
each point as shown below paramaters:
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20. Click Save to overwriting previous configuration then clicks OK to display point with color coded and labelled.
Grid File: Anomaly Data
An alternative way of displaying the geochemical data is to generate and display an interpolated grid surface
through the raw data. This is a two-stage process: First you create the grid file by selecting Grid | Create or Grid |
Quick Contours, and then you display the resulting grid in Vizex.
Grid | Create is included in the Exploration module, so for the following exercise you‟ll use Grid | Quick
Contours, which is Core functionality and is found in all MICROMINE configurations.
Create and display an interpolated grid of the geochemical data based on Assay on 400m Level
To create the grid file:
1. Select Grid | Quick Contours from the main menu.

2. Double-click the File response and choose RC Assay Train from the list.
3. Double-click the Contour field response and choose GRADE. And activate filter to select sample grade on
395mRL – 405mRL, fill the filter condition as below: click save and close to assign the filter.
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4. Click the Display Limits… button and ensure the X Field is set to EAST and the Y Field is set to NORTH. Double-
click the minimum and maximum values to set them if required, and close the form.
5. Click the Contour Setup … button and set the Gridding Method to Inverse distance + Minimum curvature.
6. Type a Cell density of 400 and a Search radius of 100. Close the form when you‟re done.
7. Ensure that the Display mode option is set to LINES. There‟s no need to set any of the Lines… options so you
can skip this button.
8. Enter Grade_Anomaly_400mRL in the output File response and change the Type to GRID.
9. Click the Run button on the small toolbar at the top of the dialog to produce the grid. The grid file will be
created after a few moments.
Close the Contours windows once the grid is made.
The colour set you created for the Soil geochemistry Points display references the same underlying numeric values,
so it makes sense to use a modified version of that colour set when you display the grid in Vizex. To display the
new grid:
10. Double-click the Grid File Form Set Object on the Form Sets pane.
11. Ensure that the Input Data tab is active, double-click the File response and choose Grade_Anomaly_400mRL
from the list.
12. Set the Orientation to PLAN and the Section to 400.
13. Switch to the Display Options tab and set the Draw Style to 2D Shaded.
14. Right-click the Colour set response. The Edit Colour Sets (Numeric) dialog will appear.
15. Click the Assign button near the bottom right corner to display the Assign dialog. Because you opened this
dialog an existing display the File and Value field responses will be automatically filled out.
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16. Set Calculate mode to RANGES and enter 9 as the Number of ranges.
17. Click OK.

18. Click Select button under the palette display then select 11COLOUR color template
19. Colour set should be looking as below
20. Click Save and Close
16. Finally, drag the Transparency slider about two-thirds from minimum, to stop the grid from obscuring the
underlying data.
Now it‟s time to save the settings as a form set and display the grid:
17. Click Save As… on the Grid File dialog and save a form set with the Title Grade Anomaly 400mRL. Click OK on
the Save Current Values and Grid File dialogs to display the grid. Your display should resemble the following
diagram.
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Creating a Plot File
You‟ll now create a plot file of the display, to be later used in the Plotting exercises. All MICROMINE display
functions produce plot files in much the same manner.
Exercise: Create a plot file
To create a plot file:
1. Click the Generate Plotfile toolbar button . Or, select Plot | Generate from the menu.
2. Type the Plot file name . Don‟t change any of the other responses at this stage.
3. Click OK to make the plot file. A plot file will be written to your project even though nothing appears to happen
on-screen.
4. Finally, select Edit | Remove All from the menu to clean up the display.
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Lesson 3 – Working with Drillholes
Lessons 1 and 2 focussed on the basics of Vizex, and introduced you to various Form Set Object types. Drillholes
are an integral part of Vizex, and this lesson will teach you to manage and display drillhole data in 2D and 3D. Vizex
supports numerous down-the-hole object types, such as Values (labels), Hatch patterns, Graphs, Events, and
Structures. You construct your drillhole display simply by adding as many of these objects as required. When you
use these in conjunction with other object types, such as sectional geophysical images, DTMs of topography or
oxidation surface boundaries, and polygonal geological interpretations, you can produce a rich and informative
drillhole display. After this lesson you‟ll be able to:
-the-hole data;
tions, and in 3D;
Introduction
Vizex uses a highly efficient method for handling drillhole data, called the Drillhole Database. Using a drillhole
database, you can easily manage all drilling data that‟s relevant to a particular project. Once you‟ve created a
drillhole database, you use Vizex to display any combination of downhole information in any 2D or 3D orientation.
Vizex supports numerous types of downhole data, summarised in Table 2.
This lesson will introduce you to the drillhole database and teach you how to create and manage your drilling data.
You‟ll also learn to create and display a variety of downhole information.
The Drillhole Database

Before you can display drillhole data in Vizex you must construct a drillhole database. A drillhole database isn‟t a
database in the traditional sense because it doesn‟t store raw data (you can delete a drillhole database and not
lose the underlying data). Instead, it manages the relationship between individual tables containing different
drillhole data types.
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Table 2: Drillhole Data Types
Drillhole Trace: Trajectory of the holes, displayed as a

simple or colour coded line, with collar and end-of-hole
symbology and annotation.
Drillhole Values: Labelled FROM-TO data. Multiple

fields may be positioned either side of the drillhole
traces, individually coloured.
Drillhole Hatch: Rectangular bars positioned relative to

the drillhole trace, with various fill patterns.
Drillhole Graph: Various presentation techniques for

numeric downhole data such as recovery, magnetic
susceptibility, etc.
Drillhole Events: Downhole data that occurs at a set

DEPTH, with numerous symbology options including
rotation and scaling.
Drillhole Structures: Shows the true or apparent dip of

oriented diamond core data (alpha/beta).
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simple drillhole database could consist of only one table, but a typical drillhole database uses three or more tables,
the contents of which are related by the ID of each drillhole. The tables you‟re most likely to use are:
Collar (mandatory): Must contain 3D coordinates of the collar locations and the total depths of the holes. For
straight holes, may optionally contain the azimuth and inclination.
Downhole survey: For holes where deviation surveys have been completed, must contain the survey depths and
azimuth/inclination at those depths.
Events: Contains down-the-hole data where individual features are positioned at single DEPTHs. The database
may contain as many event files as needed, e.g. structures, groundwater horizons, oxidation state transitions, etc.
Intervals: Contains down-the-hole data where individual features are positioned between FROM and TO depths.
The database may contain as many interval files as needed, e.g. assays, lithologies, oxidation states, stratigraphic
horizons, etc.
Creating a New Database

You create a drillhole database from either the main menu (Drillhole | Database | Create), or from Vizex. To
create a new drillhole database within Vizex, double-click any Drillhole Form Set Object, then right-click the
Database response and select New Database from the pop-up menu. You start by specifying, at a minimum, a
Collar file. However, most modern drill data also contains downhole deviation survey data, so a Downhole Survey
file is usually present. Together these files determine the location and trajectory of each drillhole.
Behind the scenes: How does MICROMINE calculate drillhole trajectories?
Most drillholes describe a curved trajectory (known in MICROMINE as the trace). When you construct or
modify a drillhole database, MICROMINE mathematically renders each hole by linking successive downhole
surveys with a series of 3D spherical arcs. However, to simplify the trace display, MICROMINE approximates
those arcs with a series of straight-line segments. MICROMINE automatically varies the length of each
straight-line segment (the trace interval) on a hole-by-hole basis, always keeping the displayed trace location
within 5 cm of the mathematical location. Consequently, straight holes are always depicted with two points –
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one at the collar, and another at the end of hole. However, curved holes are given a trace interval that varies
according to the curvature of the hole; the more curved the hole, the shorter the trace interval and the more
points required to draw it.
Adding Event and Interval Files

Once the Collar and Survey files for a drillhole database are defined, you may optionally add as many Event or
Interval files as needed. As we‟ve already seen, Event and Interval files describe related downhole data, such as
rock unit names, assay values, groundwater horizons, or structures, that are relevant to a given drillhole database.
Vizex automatically tracks the relationship between Event and Interval files and the associated Collar and Survey
files, which means you don‟t have to do it yourself. The advantages of this system are:
names;
n‟t distracted by dozens of irrelevant files – instead, only the files you added to the database are
available.
Exercise 3.1: Create a new drillhole database
In this lesson, you‟ll learn to build a drillhole database. First, create the new database and specify the Collar and
Survey files:
1. Double-click the Drillhole Trace Form Set Object in the Form Sets pane. Alternatively, you could choose Display
| Vizex | Drillhole | Trace from the menu.
2. On the Drillhole Trace dialog, switch to the trace Input Data tab, right-click in the Database response and
choose New Database from the pop-up menu.
3. On the Create New Drillhole Database dialog, select the Drillhole database option, type in the name RHT_DHDB,
and click the Create button. The Drill Hole Database dialog will appear.
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4. Double-click the Collar file response and choose RC Collar Train from the file list. Vizex will automatically
complete the remaining responses in this group.
Just because this drillhole data contain vertical hole, in the collar file we could add Azimuth and Dip for each Hole
by filling Azimuth field with 0 (zero) and Dip field with -90. Turn off the Define Surveys group if you are not supply
with any downhole survey data. Usually on directional or incline drilling usually measured the directional for each
run while drilling commence.
5. on the attribute field 1 and 2 you may fill with other field which may usefull for while labelling or filtering the
Drillhole database.
Now it‟s time to add the related downhole files (Events and Intervals):
6. Now click the Interval files… button, followed by Add on the dialog that appears.
7. Double-click the Interval file response and choose RC Assay Training from the list. Click Close to add the file.
8. click OK to close the interval files dialog.
You‟ve now constructed a new drillhole database. The only remaining step is to have Vizex relate the files and
calculate the drillhole traces.
9. Click OK to build the database. Vizex will scan and validate the input files, and then calculate the drillhole traces.
Finally, Vizex will close the Drillhole Database dialog and return you to the Drillhole Trace dialog.
10. Turn on the Display Trace option, leaving the Default colour and Trace thickness options set to their default
values.
11. Click OK on the Drillhole Trace dialog to display the drillhole traces. Your display should resemble this:
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Although the drillholes are now visible in the Graphic Display, clearly there are still numerous improvements to be
made:
re completely anonymous, with no collar or end of hole labels, and no indication of what‟s
happening down-hole;
as a form set.
We‟ll make these improvements in the next exercise.
Revision: Saved vs. default form sets

Any Display Layer listed in the Display pane as Untitled (FILENAME) has not been saved as a form set. If you
plan to re-use a layer, save it as a form set first.
Displaying Drillhole Data

Displaying Drillhole Traces
The Drillhole Trace dialog has six tabs, which you can use to customise your drillhole trace display. Each tab
controls a particular aspect of the display. In the following exercise you‟ll use the first four tabs to set some basic
properties.
Exercise 3.2: Enhance the drillhole trace display
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Let‟s finish setting up the drillhole trace display by colouring the traces according to their assay values, displaying
the Hole ID at the top and bottom of each hole, and symbolising the collars. We‟ll use a previously calculated
statistical colour set to colour the traces. To set up the display:
1. Double-click the Untitled (RHT_DHDB) layer in the Display pane to open its dialog.
2. Ensure the Input Data is still active.
3. Turn on the Display Trace and Colour Coding options, and set the Trace thickness to MEDIUM.
4. Double-click the Interval file response. Note how only the two interval files we added to the database are
available for us to choose. Select the RC Assay Train.Dat file.
5. Double-click Colour field and set it to GRADE.
6. Double-click Colour set and select Grade Colour (statistical) from the list. When you return to the Drillhole Trace
dialog it should appear as shown on the following page.
7. Click the Hole Name tab and turn on the Show Hole Name option.
8. Set the Top Label Location to AUTO and the Bottom Location to CENTRE.
9. Optional: Double-click the Hole name font responses and change the font to Tahoma, 12 point regular.
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10. Click the Hole Depth tab and turn on the Show Hole Depth option.
11. Type a lower-case m into the Label suffix response. This letter will be appended to each end of hole depth, e.g.
102.3m, in the display.
12. Finally, click the Collar tab and turn on the Show Collar option. Double-click the blank Default symbol box
(about half way down the form) and choose the double concentric circle (¾) symbol.
These settings are worth re-using, so we‟ll save them as a form set:
13. Save these settings as a form set by clicking the Save As… button at the right of the dialog. Title the new form
set Simple assay display.
14. Lastly, click OK on the Save Current Values and Drillhole Trace dialogs to update the display, which should look
something like this:
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Refreshing a Database
Databases are dynamic objects, and the data they contain often undergoes regular updates: New drillholes are
added, corrections are made, and so on. Although Vizex doesn‟t automatically update the drillhole database after
you‟ve changed the underlying data, you fortunately don‟t have to go through the process of re-creating the
database every time you add a new drillhole. To refresh a drillhole database, simply choose Drillhole | Database |
Refresh from the main MICROMINE menu and select the appropriate database. MICROMINE will recognise that
the underlying data have changed and refresh the database accordingly. Alternatively, you can right-click the
Database response on any Vizex drillhole dialog and choose Refresh from the popup menu.
Refreshing a drillhole database containing ODBC or MDB links
Whenever you use ODBC or MDB links as source data for a drillhole database, you must be aware of the
correct sequence for refreshing the data. You must refresh the ODBC/MDB links before refreshing the
drillhole database. (Otherwise, if you refresh the drillhole database first, it won‟t see the updates to the
underlying ODBC/MDB links.)
Displaying Vertical Sections
The lessons we‟ve completed so far have only concentrated on 2-dimensional Vizex views, largely because we‟ve
only been using 2D data. Vizex is, however, a seamless 2D and 3D environment, and the drillhole database we‟ve
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just created contains true 3D data. Now is a good time to learn about creating displays in other orientations,
before we explore the more advanced drillhole displays.
By default, Vizex creates new views in Plan View orientation. However, a vertical section, which may be orthogonal
or oblique to the coordinate grid, is the standard method for displaying subsurface drillhole information. (Oblique
sections are known as transform sections in MICROMINE.) Setting up a vertical section requires three pieces of
information:
the section number). MICROMINE will draw the section by literally

positioning the screen at this location;
Orientation, location, thickness

Orientation, location, thickness is a useful mnemonic for remembering the parameters for producing a
vertical section.
MICROMINE provides three alternative ways to set the orientation, location, and thickness of a vertical section,
which are described in the topics below.
Using the Display Limits Dialog
One way to set up a vertical section is by using the Display Limits dialog, which you can access by clicking the
Display Limits toolbar button , right-clicking in the Graphic Display and choosing Display Limits from the pop-
up menu, or by choosing View | Viewpoint | Display Limits from the menu.
The Display Limits dialog has three tabs, two of which are relevant to vertical sections: Orthogonal, which allows
you to make sections orthogonal to your coordinate grid, and Transform, which allows you to make vertical
sections at an angle to your grid. You also define the thickness of section corridor on the Display Limits dialog. The
settings that Vizex applies will depend on which tab is active when you click the OK button.
Setting an orthogonal orientation
The Orthogonal tab consists of three main groups that allow you to vary the View Type, the view Limits, and the
clipping Window. The three groups are:
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View Type: controls the section orientation, allowing you to choose from six orthogonal Standard Views.
Limits: controls the section location. You set the section number by entering the desired value in the appropriate
Section response. The controls in this group automatically enable or disable according to the view type. There‟s no
need to enter Minimum and Maximum values; they‟re set by the view itself.
Window: controls the section corridor thickness, which is fully explained in Understanding Clipping.
MICROMINE automatically enables and disables the appropriate Section responses whenever you change
display orientation.
For example, for a Plan view, only the RL (elevation) Section response is enabled, and the value you enter will
set the Elevation of the display.
Similarly, for a Looking North view only the North Section response is enabled, so the number you enter will
set the Northing of the display, or, if you‟re Looking West, the Section you enter will set the Easting of the
display.
Setting an oblique (transform) orientation
The Transform tab allows you to define a cross section that isn‟t parallel to your coordinate grid, simultaneously
controlling orientation and location. You do this by entering the coordinates of the endpoints that define the
section into the Section group; Vizex will calculate the bearing and length of the section based on those numbers.
Vizex also provides you with a preview window so you can see how the section will relate to the real world.
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The Window group on the Transform tab is identical to the Orthogonal version.
Although this technique gives you very precise control of settings that can also be saved as a form set, the Section
Tool, described below, provides a much more rapid means of drawing a transform section.
Using the View Toolbar
Setting the orientation

The View toolbar provides an alternative method for controlling the view directly from the main MICROMINE
window. You can easily switch between six orthogonal and four isometric standard view orientations by clicking a
Standard View toolbar button. The shaded side of each cube indicates the viewing direction. If you hover the
mouse over a button, Vizex will display a „tool tip‟ indicating the purpose of that button.
Setting the location
Whenever the view is set to an orthogonal orientation such as Plan View or Looking North, the Section or
Elevation box, which is located immediately to the right of the standard view buttons, will be enabled. You use this
box to quickly change the location of the section by typing in a new value. You must press Enter for the new value
to be applied.
The Section or Elevation box remembers previous entries, so once a section number has been entered you can
quickly access it again using the pull-down list.
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If you inspect the cursor coordinate display at the right of the status bar after using the Section or Elevation box,
you‟ll notice that one of the coordinate values (depending on the view orientation) remains fixed at the value you
entered. This control is not available for oblique (transform) sections; instead you should use the Section Tool,
described below.
Controlling the thickness
You must initially set thickness of the section corridor using the Display Limits (see also Understanding Clipping for
more information). But, once the corridor has been defined you can switch clipping on and off by clicking the Clip
View toolbar button.
While the Clip View button is set, you can use the Previous Section and Next Section buttons to browse through
your data. The step size is equivalent to the total thickness of the section corridor.
Using the Section Tool

The Section Tool gives you a very rapid way to define a vertical section with any orientation. Simply click the
Section Tool button and drag a section across the display. When you release the mouse button, Vizex will
draw the requested cross section.
The Section Tool simultaneously controls the location and orientation of a vertical section; you set the thickness
using the same Clip View button described above. You can constrain the section to an orthogonal orientation by
holding the Ctrl key as you drag.
Displaying ‘Plane of the Vein’ with the Section Tool
You can use the Section Tool even when the view is already in a section orientation, making it extremely
useful for setting up a „plane of the vein‟ display. For example, to display a long section through a dipping
vein, start with a plan view and drag a section across the strike of the vein, followed by a second section
down the dip of the vein.
Understanding Clipping
As we‟ve seen, you define the orientation and location of a vertical section using toolbar buttons (such as the
Standard Views and the Section Tool) or the Display Limits dialog. However, you must also define the thickness of
the “slice” or section corridor that will be displayed. You do this by entering values in the Away and Towards
responses of the Window group.
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Whenever you enable Clip to window and enter values in the Away and Towards responses, only data falling
within the corridor defined by those values will be displayed. So, if only part of a drillhole falls within the data
corridor, only that part will be visible and the remainder will be excluded.
All of the data will be displayed, and will simply be projected against the section plane.
Exercise 3.3: Display data in cross section
In this lesson, you‟ll set up a Looking North cross section followed by a Transform section. First, load a ground
surface profile to give the display more context:
1. Double Click Wireframes Object and on Input DataTab fill the TYPE = DTM & NAME = TOPO. Continue move to
next tab to Display Option Tab, then Select 2D Slice and double click Box next to Hatch field and select Border color
and select Thick line then Click OK on fill pattern dialog. Continue click Ok to display DTM in 2D Slice mode.
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Now set up the section display using the Display Limits dialog:
2. Click the Display Limits toolbar button, or right-click the Graphic Display and choose Display Limits from the
pop-up menu.
3. Change the View Type to Looking North.
4. Enter a Section Northing of 5000.
5. Activate Clip to window and enter 10 for both Away and Towards.
6. Click OK to make the changes. Vizex will display the section.
Now that the section is set up, modify the display using the View toolbar and Section Tool:
7. Click the Next Section and Previous Section buttons to browse through the data.
The status bar displays the current 3D cursor coordinate (which incorporates the section number) at the
lower right corner of the screen.
8. Click the Plan View button to return to a plan view.

9. If necessary, reset the plan view by right-clicking in the Graphic Display and choosing View All from the pop-up
menu.
10. Click the Section Tool button and drag an oblique (transform) section at an angle to the drillholes. Note how
Vizex displays the section extents as you drag the mouse, as shown on the following page. When you release the
mouse, Vizex displays the transform section.
If you open the Display Limits dialog after you‟ve defined the transform section, you‟ll notice that the
contents of the Transform tab have been filled out for you.
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11. Click the Next Section and Previous Section buttons to browse the data. Note how the oblique orientation is
maintained as you browse.
12. Click the Plan View button to return to plan view and, if needed, right-click and choose View All to reset the
plan display.
Finally, restore the Looking North view

:
13. Click the Looking North Standard View button to return to a cross-section view. Note that the value in the
Section or Elevation box no longer reads 5000.
14. Enter 5000 in the Section or Elevation box and press Enter to apply the change.
Adding Downhole Information
With Vizex, you can add as much information to your drillhole traces as clarity, common sense, and your
computer‟s resources will allow. In the next few exercises, we‟ll explore some of the various drillhole object types.
Exercise 3.4: Add drillhole assay values to the trace display
Now that we‟ve set up a coloured trace display based on assay value, let‟s place some assay labels using the same
colour set:
1. Double-click the Drillhole Values Form Set Object.
2. In the Drillhole Values dialog, make sure the Input Data tab is active.
3. Double-click the Database response and choose your RHT_DHDB database.
4. Double-click the Interval file and choose RC Assay Train.Dat, then double-click the first Label field and choose
Grade, and finally double-click the Colour set and choose Grade Colour (statistical).
5. Leave Width, Decimals, and Justify set to their default values.
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If more than one Label Field is selected they will display in columns to the right or left of the drillhole
depending on which side you select.
6. Click the Display Options tab and set the label Side to RIGHT. Ignore all other options on this tab.
7. Click Save As… and save the form set with the Title Grade SnO2.
8. Click OK on both dialogs to load the labels.
Exercise 3.5: Add drillhole lithology labels to the display
1. Double-click the Drillhole Value Form Set Object a second time and activate the Input Data tab.
2. The name of your RHT_DHDB database already appears in the dialog, so go directly to the Interval file response.
3. Double-click the Interval file response and choose RC Assay Train.Dat, then double-click the first Label field and
choose LITHO. We have no lithological colour set at this stage, so blank out the existing Colour set and set the
default colour to BLACK.
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4. Click the Value Display tab and set the label side to LEFT.
5. Click Save As… and save the form set with the Title Litho.
6. Click OK on both dialogs to load the labels. You‟ll see black labels appear down the left hand side of each
drillhole trace.
Creating a Text Colour Set
So far, we‟ve created a numeric colour set, which assigned groups of numeric ranges to specific colours. We can
use a similar technique to create a text colour set.
Text colour sets work with unique character codes instead of numeric ranges. When you use the Assign button,
MICROMINE finds all unique values in the selected field.
To simplify your colour set, you can group similar values in one of two ways: Auto Group, which simply groups the
codes by the first n characters, or Manual grouping, where you decide what codes will be gathered together.
Auto grouping is best for hierarchical codes, such as standard Geological Survey codes, where there‟s a distinct
hierarchy in the code structure. Non-hierarchical codes are best handled using manual grouping. You‟ll use manual
grouping in the following exercise.
Exercise 3.7: Create a text colour set
1. Double-click the Litho (black) object in the Display pane to open its dialog, and activate the Input Data tab.
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2. Right-click the Colour set response to edit the colour set. The Edit Colour Sets (Text) dialog will appear. If there
are already values in this dialog, click the Clear Table button at the top left of the dialog to remove them.
3. Click the Assign button at the right of this dialog.
4. MICROMINE automatically identifies the file and field we‟re working on, so just click OK on the Assign dialog
when it appears.
5. A second Assign dialog will appear, containing two columns. The Found column contains all unique codes in the
file, and the Text column will contain our newly created groups. click the double right arrow to move the
remaining codes (HOLE,mst, qz, and ~) as separate entries. Your Assign dialog should look like this:
6 . Click OK to close the Assign dialog. Your newly created groups are transferred to the Colour Sets dialog.
Allocating colours and saving the colour set

7. Double-click each colour and choose a colour that you feel is appropriate for each code group. If you‟d like, you
can also type in a more descriptive Label for each. Once you‟re finished, your dialog should resemble the
following:
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8. Now, click Save As and save the colour set with the Title litho.
9. Once you‟ve saved the form set, click Save and Close to close the Colour Sets dialog and return to Vizex. Note
how your new form set number appears in the Colour set response of the Drillhole Values dialog.
Saving a new Drillhole Value form set
Let‟s save these settings as an alternative form set to the black labels we created earlier.
10. On the Drillhole Values dialog, click Save
11. Finally, click OK on the Drillhole Values dialog to accept the changes. Note how the labels on the drillholes are
no longer black, the layer name in the Display pane has changed to Lithology (coloured), and a new form set has
appeared under the Drillhole Values Form Set Object in the Form Sets pane.
Had you not saved the Drillhole Values settings as a new form set, Vizex would have displayed the layer name
in the Display pane with blue text, indicating it had been modified but not saved.
If you want to overwrite the old settings when you modify a Vizex form set, simply click Save before you click
OK.
Creating a Plot File
You‟ll now create a plot file of the cross section display, to be later used in the Plotting exercises in conjunction
with your earlier plot.
Exercise 3.9: Create a plot file
To create a plot file:
1. Click the Generate Plotfile toolbar button. Or, select Plot | Generate from the menu.
2. Enter a Plot file name of 5000mE. Don‟t change any of the other responses at this stage.
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3. Click OK to make the plot file. A plot file will be written to your project even though nothing appears to happen
on-screen.
4. Finally, select Edit | Remove All from the menu to clean up the display.
The lessons and exercises we‟ve covered so far have all been leading to Lesson 4 – The String Editor, where we‟ll
begin to interpret our data.
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Lesson 4 – The String Editor
Introduction
The String Editor provides you with a broad suite of tools for editing points, strings, and outlines. Using these tools,
you can create points, strings, and outlines; smooth and weed strings; define gradients and curves; drape a string
onto a wireframe; and snap to any other object in the display. You can also easily insert, move, and delete points,
as well as move, copy and delete entire strings.
The User Interface
You access the String Editor functions through the Vizex Layers, Edit Strings, and Vizex Tools toolbars; if you
regularly perform spatial editing you should always keep these toolbars visible. In addition to the toolbars, the
String Editor provides numerous context editing modes, where the exact function depends on the type of feature
under the mouse cursor. There‟s also a right-click context menu that provides additional tools.
Using the String Editor
Because the String Editor toolbars are always visible, there‟s no need to explicitly activate the editor; it simply
becomes active whenever you start using it. There are three ways to start using the String Editor, the choice of
which depends on your preferences and the task at hand. The three ways are:
Edit an existing feature
Activate the Select Tool, click the feature, and then make some changes to it. For example, you could move a
point;
Add a feature to an existing layer
Make the layer the Active Layer, either by using the Select Active Layer pull-down list, or by right-clicking the layer
in the Display pane and selecting Active Layer from the pop-up menu. For example, you could add a new polygon
to a geological interpretation;
Create a new layer and add features
Choose [New] (Layer type)... from the Select Active Layer list. The new layer will automatically become the Active
Layer. For example, you could create a new file for heads-up digitising over a scanned map.
Where do new features go?

New features are always added to the Active Layer. If you haven‟t nominated an Active Layer, or if it‟s the
wrong type (for example, you can‟t add a string to a wireframe), Vizex will prompt you to choose an Active
Layer.
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You can make changes to more than one layer at a time. Layers that you‟ve edited will be marked with an asterisk
(*) on the Display pane, but the files won‟t be saved until you specifically do so, or attempt to remove or refresh
them. MICROMINE provides three ways to save your edits, the choice of which is once again based on your
preferences and the task at hand.
The three ways to save files are:
Right-click an edited layer in the Display pane and choose Save or Save As... from the pop-up menu;
Display pane to highlight it, then choose File | Save or File | Save As... from the
menu, or press Ctrl+S;
File | Save All from the menu, or press Ctrl+Shift+S, to save all edited files.
There‟s actually a fourth way – if you attempt to remove or refresh an unsaved layer you‟ll be prompted to save
the edited file, but we recommend that you always explicitly save your work.
Elements of the String Editor

The String Editor‟s primary interface consists of three toolbars, the functions of which are described here for your
reference. However, for this lesson you‟ll concentrate on the Vizex Layers toolbar and the first five buttons of the
Edit Strings toolbar.
Vizex Layers
Select Active Layer pull-down list: Allows you to set an editable layer as the Active Layer, or to create a new
editable layer on-the-fly;
Active layer: Provides an alternative way to set an Active Layer.
Edit Strings
Snap Mode: Toggles snapping on and off, also allows you to set snapping to point, line, grid, or intersection;
New Points: Allows you to begin digitising new points;
New String: Allows you to begin digitising a new string, which may be open or closed;
New Polygon: Allows you to begin digitising a new closed string;
Insert Points: Toggles the insertion of points into existing strings;
Between Snap Tool: Toggles the creation of points by snapping between two selected points;
Follow String: Allows you to create new strings following an existing string, or to create copies of a string or a
section of a string;
Extend String: Adds points to the end of a string;
Split String: Splits a string into two separate strings at a position you nominate;
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Close String: Closes a string, connecting the start and end points with a new segment;
Curve: Extends a string by appending a curve to the end point;
Gradient: Sets the gradient for a string;
Bearing/Distance: Adds a point at the specified bearing and distance;
Enter Point From Keyboard: Allows you to add a new point to a string by typing its coordinates;
Use Digitiser: Toggles between a digitising tablet and the mouse.
Vizex Tools
Join Strings: Allows you to join two or more strings;

Expand String: Expands a string based on the Expansion distance defined in the Options dialog;
Create DTM: Generates a DTM (Digital Terrain Model) based on the selected strings;
Drape on Wireframe: Drapes a 2D string onto a wireframe, making it a 3D string;
Smooth: Inserts a regular spread of points and removes any unnecessary sharp corners in a string;
Simplify String: Reduces the number of points in a string;
Replicate String: Duplicates a string by making horizontal or vertical copies of it;

Fix Crossover: Detects and attempts to resolve loops in a string;
Polygon Boolean Operation: Performs spatial union, intersection or difference operations on overlapping or
adjacent polygons;
Clip Strings: Clips data falling inside or outside a selected string;
Cut Wireframe: Cuts a wireframe along a polyline you draw;
Interactive Wireframe Boolean: Performs spatial operations on intersecting wireframes, allowing you to save the
desired components;
Selection by Condition: Selects features in a group of layers according to the conditions you specify.
Editing Features
Edit Modes
During the editing process, Vizex alters the edit mode according to whether your mouse cursor is above a point or
a string, and whether that string is already selected. You can further control the edit mode by holding the Ctrl key.
Vizex gives you visual feedback on the selected editing mode by varying the shape of the mouse cursor.
Some edit modes, for example extending, closing, or reversing a string, are accessible from the right-click context
menu. Again, the available functionality will vary according to what you‟re doing at the time. Table 3 summarises
the context edit modes.
Many edit modes are only accessible after you activate the Select Tool, so it‟s a good idea to keep this tool
active while you‟re editing.
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Table 3: Context edit modes
Mouse Over… Key Editing Function (1) Cursor (2)
Nothing (New/Extend String None Freehand digitise

mode only)
String None Select; Drag to move selected string
String Ctrl Multi-select; Drag to copy selected string
Point None Drag to move point in selected string
Point Ctrl Delete point from selected string
You use three main tools to control the bulk of the editing process:
New Points/String/Polygon: Begin digitising new points, or a new string or polygon. To finish, press Esc after the
last point, or double-click the last point, or right-click | Close String;
Snap Mode: Turn snapping mode on and off. Alternatively, you can press the S key to toggle snapping from the
keyboard;
The Snap Mode button is a compound button, with a pull-down list that allows you to snap to points, lines,
coordinate gridlines, or the point of intersection between two lines. Click the small arrow at the right of the button
to select from the list.
Insert Points: Turn insert points mode on and off. Alternatively, you can toggle this mode by pressing the I key.
Exercise 4: Create and Edit String Interpretation
In this exercise, you‟ll load a several layers that you might use for a sectional drillhole interpretation. You‟ll then
explore the edit modes listed in Table 3, and the Snap and Insert modes.
First, load the view and select an object for editing:
1. Open Drillhole Trace + Drillhole Value (Litho)

2. Open Wireframe DTM TOPO
Start creating polygon string and do several section interpretation for lithological features on screen in 2D
Sectional View.
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Part 3
Lesson 1 – Introducing the Plot Editor
In this part of the training you‟ll learn to create a hardcopy plot incorporating the plan and cross section plot files
you created in Part 2 – Displaying and Manipulating Data. After this lesson you‟ll be able to:
on settings.
Introduction
The Plot Editor allows you to create complex plots with multiple frames incorporating other plots, grids, legends,
images and tables. It also gives you the ability to plot a section and plan in the same plot frame.
The Plot Editor provides you with multiple output options. You can send the plot to a connected plotter or printer
(including PDF), or save it in DXF, EMF or PRN (printer) formats. If you select a postscript printer driver and print to
a PRN file, the output file will be in postscript format.
Before sending the plot to an output device, you can create a title, include a legend, select a coordinate grid type
and include text or a logo. You can also insert variables to make automatic substitutions with predefined or user-
defined parameters. Most of these settings can be saved as part of a plot template, for later reuse.
You can preview a plot on the screen before producing a hardcopy. Facilities are then available allowing you to
zoom in on any part of the plot area or to apply a scaling factor to the complete plot or to labels and symbols.
Whilst in preview mode you can copy the display to the Windows clipboard (for use in another application) or save
it as a bitmap file.
Quick Plot vs. the Plot Editor
The Plot Editor is a separate MICROMINE module. You can still produce rudimentary plots even if you
haven‟t purchased the Plot Editor, by using the Quick Plot functionality provided in the Core module. Most of
the content described in this training document is common to both Quick Plot and the Plot Editor; any
differences between the two are highlighted in the text.
Loading a Plot File

When you work with a plot file, you normally load it into the Plot Editor, configure it to suit your requirements, and
then send it to an output device. The next few exercises will walk you through these steps.
Exercise 1.1: Load a plot file
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To create a plot:
1. Select Plot | Plot Editor from the main menu. Alternatively, you can click the Plotting toolbar button.
2. On the Plot Editor dialog, double-click the Plot file response and select 15900mN from the file list.
3. When you select the file, MICROMINE will display this dialog:
4. Click Yes to import the parameters.
At this point we‟ve already given the Plot Editor enough information to run a preliminary plot, so let‟s have a look
at what we‟ve produced so far.
5. Click Run on the Form toolbar, or select Display | Run from the menu, to run the plot. It should resemble
the following diagram.
6. Observe how the plot appears distorted, and the drillholes are probably off-centre relative to the plot.
7. Once you‟ve finished previewing the plot, close the graphic display window to re-display the Plot Editor
dialog.
Import Parameters
Whenever you load a plot into the Plot Editor, MICROMINE asks you to Import Parameters. Plot parameters define
the content and appearance of the plot, and include things like:
 X- and Y-scales;
 Paper size;
 Rotation;
 Grid line spacing.
When you select Yes, the parameters associated with the plot file are used. If you‟re loading the plot for the first
time, you‟ll get that plot‟s default parameters, but if you‟ve already loaded and configured the plot, MICROMINE
will use the latest parameters.
When you select No, the parameters currently shown in the Plot Editor are used. This is useful for those times
when you want to make several plots, all having the same appearance – just set up the first plot, and then load the
remaining plots, answering No in each case.
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Step 5: An initial look at the plot. Although it‟s essentially correct, many individual parameters need adjustment
before sending it to an output device.
Output
The Plot Editor has numerous Output modes. Most of the time you‟ll use PREVIEW mode, since this mode shows
the page layout as it will appear on the printed page. While you‟re previewing a plot, you can move, add, and
delete labels, as well as add other information (such as other plots, logos, tables, etc.) to the plot. You can take
additional control over how the preview is rendered by setting the Preview Options.
The Preview Options button requires the MICROMINE Plotting module and is not available in Quick Plot.
PRINTER mode simply sends the plot to the desired printer or plotter. You also use PRINTER mode to send the plot
to PDF.
By using one of the FILE modes, you can output the plot in a variety of file formats.
Output File Formats

Each output file format is suited to a particular task:
EMF: Use this to share plots with other Windows™ programs such as PowerPoint™;
DXF: Use this to share plots with drawing and GIS programs. You can output plots in real-world coordinates,
allowing them to be directly overlain with other GIS data;
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PRN: Produces a binary file in the chosen plotter‟s native language. If you choose a PostScript plotter driver, the
output file will be a PostScript file.
Style
All Style options require the MICROMINE Plotting module and are not available in Quick Plot.
The Plot Editor supports three different plot Styles. You‟ll make most of your plots using the SCALED style, which
literally allows you to plot to scale.
The STATISTICAL style is useful for plotting graphs or histograms, where the actual scale of the plot is irrelevant.
SECTION+PLAN allows you to plot cross-sections with a plan window. The plan window automatically tracks the
section settings and correctly positions itself so that holes on the cross section are also shown on the plan. To
make use of this option, create a separate plan plot that encompasses the entire project, and allow MICROMINE to
vary the plan plot‟s parameters to suit the currently chosen section.
Configuring a Plot
The Plot Editor dialog, illustrated following, allows you to configure a plot to your satisfaction. Settings can be as
simple as choosing a paper size, or as complex as creating a plot from multiple plot frames.
Paper Size
The Plot Editor supports numerous paper sizes. However, because paper sizes are stored as form sets, you can
easily define your own custom sizes in addition to the standard ones provided. To choose a paper size, simply
double-click the Paper size response (even though it‟s greyed out – this only means you can‟t directly type into it)
and choose from the list.
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Plot Layout
Plot Layouts are templates that define which frames will appear on a plot, their positions and their characteristics.
The Plot Editor provides numerous predefined layouts, but as with paper sizes it‟s also easy to create your own
and save them as form sets.
The predefined layouts define where the title frame will be positioned on the sheet of paper. To select a layout,
double click the Layout response on the main Plot Editor dialog.
The Bottom plot layout
We‟ll be using the Bottom Plot Layout for this lesson, which is illustrated on the preceding page. You can see that
the Master Plot Frame, which contains the actual plot data, occupies the bulk of the plot area. Beneath that is a
title area consisting of six small frames. We‟ll look at placing data into some of these frames (specifically NOTES,
TITLE, and CLIENT) in later exercises.
Plot Definition
You use the Plot Definition group to finely control parameters such as the Plot Area, X- and Y-Scale, and the real-
world plot extents.
These parameters all work together, and it‟s important to realise that whenever you change one, the others will
automatically update in response.
Traps for inexperienced users
Until you‟re experienced with using the Plot Editor, you should try to avoid changing some parameters,
because you might produce a situation where MICROMINE expects an impossible paper size. They are
Changed by scale, which should remain set to MIN/MAX, the Plot Area, which is dependent on (and set by)
the Paper size, and the Minimum / Maximum values, which are affected by nearly every other parameter.
The parameters that you‟ll change most often here are the two Scales, and the Centre coordinates. By modifying
these (and the Paper size), you can re-size and re-centre the plot data on the plot area. All of the remaining
parameters are dependent on these settings.
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Exercise 1.2: Set the plot definition parameters
As you can see in the Plot Definition group, the X- and Y-scales of our plot are different (and arbitrary), plus the
preview revealed that the plot contents are off-centre.
1. Set the Paper size to A4.

2. To accommodate this new paper size you‟ll now have to adjust the plot scale in the Plot Definition group.
3. Click the Auto Scale button (the left hand one, as shown below) to have MICROMINE pick a best-fit scale for the
current plot area and paper size.
4. Click Run on the Form toolbar to run the plot and check the fit of the data. If it‟s poor, close the graphic display
window and enter different X- and Y-Scales, then click Run on the Form toolbar to redisplay the plot.
5. Move the mouse cursor around on the graphic display window and observe the coordinate display at the lower
right of the screen. Position the mouse at what you perceive to be the centre of the data (not the centre of the
window!) and note down the coordinates.
6. Close the graphic display window and enter those coordinates into the X- and Y-Centre responses in the
Plot Definition. As you edit each value, observe how the Minimum and Maximum values automatically update.
7. Click Run on the Form toolbar to run the Plot Editor again. The section now appears about right.
8. Close the graphic display and return to the main Plot Editor dialog when you‟re done.
Coordinate Grid
Depending on the parameters you chose when you initially created the cross section, your plot might not display a
coordinate grid, or may display an inappropriate number of gridlines. However, it‟s easy to control the coordinate
grid display using the Plot Editor‟s Grid option.
Exercise 1.3: Set up a coordinate grid display
The Grid dialog has numerous settings on it, but for now we‟re only interested in setting up a basic coordinate
display.
1. On the Plot Editor dialog, set the Grid option and click More…
2. Fill out the lower part of the Grid dialog as shown here:
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3. Click the More… button at the top centre of the Grid dialog, and when the Grid Parameters dialog appears, set
the Font to Tahoma.
4. Close the dialogs and click Run on the Form toolbar to re-run the plot. A 100m coordinate grid now appears on
the plot.
5. Close the graphic display window once you‟re done viewing the plot.
Some advanced grid options, most notably the ability to place combined East/North grids on transform sections,
are not available in Quick Plot.
Title Frames
The Plot Editor uses a powerful method of managing plot titles: Each title is saved as an entry into a text file. When
a particular title is required for a plot, it‟s simply chosen from a list. This technique offers significant advantages
over typing the title text directly onto the plot or into a dialog, because it allows you to create a library of titles. To
access a title, you need to specify the name of the text file containing that title, and the Data Set that defines the
title itself. The following exercise explains how to use this technique.
Exercise 1.4: Set up title frames
To set up the TITLE frame:
1. Click the Title Frames… button on the main Plot Editor dialog.
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2. If you inspect the Text Edit (Title Frames) dialog, you‟ll notice that it contains form sets called NOTES-A, NOTES-
B, TITLE, and CLIENT. Because the Layout is set to BOTTOM, these are the available frames; different layouts may
contain different frames.
3. Double-click the Text File column in the TITLE row and choose TITLE from the file list. (Depending on your
computer‟s configuration the TITLE Text File may already have been selected.)
4. Right-click the TITLE file name to open the file.
5. Edit the values in the first two rows (TITLE-0). Make the first line read Introduction to MICROMINE, and the
second line .
You can auto-size the field by double-clicking the TEXT field heading.
6. Close the File Editor and answer Yes to save the file.
7. Back in the Text Edit dialog, double-click in the Data Set column of the TITLE row and select the data set you
edited - TITLE-0 in this case. (Depending on your computer‟s configuration, TITLE-0 may already have been
selected.)
Choosing a Data Set works like a filter, instructing the Plot Editor to “select only those lines whose DATA_SET
column contains the text TITLE-0”.
8. Close the Title dialog and return to the Plot Editor.

9. Run the Plot Editor again to check the results.
You can create any number of Data Sets in the TITLE.PED file, which can contain different title information (say, for
different projects). Simply select the appropriate Data Set when you‟re setting up your plot.
Why can’t I type my text straight into the box?
At first glance having to type the title text into a separate file seems a little complex. However, the technique
lends itself to extremely rapid plot automation, simply by allowing you to set up pre-configured title text in
advance. Once you‟ve set up your title text you can switch back and forth between alternative titles without
having to redefine them each time.
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In addition to providing you with a means for automating plot title text, you can also use Substitutions, which allow
you to place variable text in a title to make your title frames even more flexible. The following exercise introduces
you two to of MICROMINE‟s predefined substititions.
Automating plot titles
By ensuring your project title and plot filename are exactly as you‟d like them to appear on the plot, you can
use the predefined substitutions @projtitle and @plotfile to replace literal text in the title. This allows you to
set up and reuse perhaps three or four predefined titles – for plans, cross sections, long sections, 3D views,
and general views – for all of your plots. Such automation is a great time-saver. Refer to the
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Micromine Basic Module

Introduction and Refresher Training Guide

Lesson 1 – Preparing the Project Data

Working with Projects

Put simply, a MICROMINE project represents a real-world project.

Attaching an Existing Project

Exercise 1.1: Attach an existing project

To attach an existing project:

Creating a New Project

Optional Exercise 1.2: Create a new project

To create a new project:

1. Select File | Project | New from the main menu.

Generally, you‟ll only want to remove the link to the project.

Optional Exercise 1.3: Delete an existing project

1. Select File | Project | Delete from the main menu.

2. Choose the Examples project from the list that appears.

 Create a new file;

Working with Tabular Files

Field and data types in MICROMINE

Creating a New Data File

Exercise 2.1: Create a new data file

To create a new collar file template:

3. Don‟t select Use template.

Defining file fields

TYPE can only be C (Character) or N (Numeric).

5. Type the following values in the table:

The Relationship between WIDTH and DECIMALS

Creating a New File Using a Template

Exercise 2.2: Create a new file using a template

To create a file using a template:

3. Select Use template.

4. Click the Templates… button to display the Templates dialog.

5. Ensure Current project is selected.

Creating a new file directly from a dialog

Modifying a File‟s Structure

Exercise 2.3: Modify a file’s structure

1. Select File | Open from the main menu.

use and keyboards to accelerate the process;

Dialogs and Form Sets

A Form Set simply represents the saved contents of a dialog.

Forms, Save, or Save As buttons depending on how

Identifying saved form sets

Exercise 3.1: Explore dialogs and form sets

Why use form sets?

Getting Data into MICROMINE

The Different Ways of Entering Tabular Data

Recognising Different Text File Types and Their Components

Example: Fixed width file

Example: Comma delimited file

Before you continue...

Importing CSV Text Files

Exercise 4.1: Import assay data from a CSV file

Choose the Text File

1. Select File | Import | Text from the main menu.

Create the Target File

Field Name Type Width Decimals

Merging Assay Data

1. Select File | Merge | MM from the main menu.