Dealing With Surfaces in MineSight

2012 Dr. B. C. Paul Note This presentation contains many screenshots from the program MineSight by Mintec. Credit is given to Mintec for the program. Additionally topics covered in these slides are also covered in various training classes taught by Mintec. While these slides are not intended to directly copy these classes there is an overlap of subject material.

One Operation Likely Needed in a Mine Design

You will need to bring in topographic map information One of the more common file exchange formats for contour data is dxf
Often possible to get contour data off the internet in the form of a dxf file. Place the dxf file in your project directory

You already know how to create a geometry object and put it in edit mode to receive data

Set Up to Import DXF File

Highlight the Main folder

Click File

Choose Import

Pick DXF from The side menu

Choose the DXF File to Import

This is a tough Choice since There is only one

Tell it to Load All the Selected Layers

Oh Cool Look What Appeared in My Viewer Window!!!

Problems commonly encountered on Imported DXF

Many styles define shapes with a tightly spaced series of points
(rather than with wider spaced points and line directions) This can result in contour files with so much point data that they swamp the system and cause crashes.

Sloppy contour sources may define all contour lines to be a 0 elevation regardless of what elevation they represent
This is a result of sloppy file preparation But when you get someone elses files heaven alone knows what you will get

What Do You Do With Contour Lines that have no Elevation?

True Confessions
Other peoples sloppy work is a pain in the _ _ _ _ You end up having to take the contour lines one at a time a moving them to the proper elevation
This can be even more fun because you have to find out what the elevation is suppose to be by looking for the label on each contour line.

Activate the Point Editor under Utilities

Now Go to the Selection Menu to Make a New Selection

Note that the Point Editor is still Grayed out and not active

I Picked the 1700 Meter Line

Note it has Turned orange

I Right Click to Complete My Selection

Note the line Has now turned red

Now I Go to Element and Select Move

Tell it To Move the Entire Element

Reclick on the Line to Confirm Your Choice

Note the line has Turned yellow And the point Editor is now Active.

Check Off and Change the Z Coordinate

Click on Apply

Save Your Change

Your Done with That Line

Now you can Move on to the Next.

Now for the too dense contour

After selecting the contour line the common Is Polyline Thin

3 D Modeling and Surfaces

I can use my topography to build a 3 D model for my surface
Its a nice visualization I will also use it as a basis later when I build my block model or design my optimum final pit.

I start by telling computer what to use to make the surface (my topography obviously) Ill tell the computer to lay out points on the topo and then triangulate a wire frame from them Ill convert the wireframe into solid surface

Now Select The Topo to Create A Surface

Highlight Topo (the file the imported Data went into) Right Click to Bring up Menu Choose Select On the side menu Choose all elements (not they are in red now)

Go to Surface Under Surface Pick Triangulate Surface on side menu

pick with selection

Note I will Send my Results to topography

It Creates a Wire-Frame Surface

We Can Make A Regular Surface (Here is How!)

Right Click Topography To pull up a menu Pick Properties

Switch to a surface instead of wire-frame

Note wire-frame only Is highlighted in the Radio button Highlight the faces Only button instead

Now I See A Triangulated Surface Instead

Lets Consider some Clean Up

I probably dont need to see the topo lines anymore
Lets Turn them off

Lets Smooth out those triangulated faces a bit.

The Topo Lines are in the Topo File

Click on the Save Edit Button (It is a very Strange looking Save button Compared to Windows)

Now Highlight Topo and Right Click It to Bring up a Menu Pick Close

Note that this is a good reason for keeping objects is separate files so they can Be turned off and on with ease.

Woopy Now They Are Gone

Now Lets Smooth That Surface

Select the Topography object Right Click it for a Menu Select Properties

Note on the Properties menu there Is a surface tab

Note the Smooth Shading Option on the Surfaces Tab Screen

Go ahead and check for smooth surfaces and then click Ok

Now Isnt That Smooth Surface Impressive?

Ok I Agree Blue is a Strange Color for Mountains

Highlight Topography

Right Click for A menu

Choose Properties

Go Back to Surface

Note We Have A Color Control Area and Pallet

This Color Pallet Works Like What You Are Familiar With

I think I will go for a brown

And Now I Have My Surface in My Choice of Colors

If I Hate My Viewer Background Color I Can Change That Too

Click on the Viewer Properties Icon to Open the Viewer Properties Dialog Box.

Note There Is a Background Color and a Choice Pallet

Pick the New Color and Darkness

Click on Ok

Now Theres A Background Color You Dont See Every Day!

Now For Your Skills!

Assignment #2
Get the starter MineSight File and DXF file Copy the DXF file into your MineSight project Create a geometry object called topolines Import the DXF file into your topolines object. Turn on Topolines and take a screen shot

More of Assignment #2
Create a geometry object called Toposurface
Use Surface Triangulate to triangulate your topolines into Toposurface. Take a screen shot of your wireframe topo surface

Choose a good surface color and a good background color

Express the toposurface as a solid surface in the color of your choosing Reset the background color on the viewer Take a screenshot.