DIPS v7 -MANUAL

Note that a Contour Plot can be overlaid on Pole, Scatter or Major Planes plots, using
the Overlay Contours option.

The Contour Plot range, style, etc., can be customized in the Contour Options dialog.

4.6.2 Intersection Contours

Dips can plot the intersections of planes on the stereonet. The intersection of two
planes is a line in 3-dimensional space with Trend / Plunge orientation. An intersection line
is represented as a point on the stereonet. Intersections can be plotted as points or contours
on the stereonet

To plot intersection contours:

1. In the Sidebar plot options select the Contours checkbox.

2. Select the Contours > Intersection option.

Intersection contours are based on the intersection of all Grid Data Planes.

Intersection contours may be helpful for kinematic analysis of wedge sliding and direct
toppling since you can easily see the maximum concentrations of intersections on the
stereonet.

Note: if you have selected Contours > Intersection in the Sidebar, the Contour

Plot button in the toolbar will plot intersection contours, rather than pole or dip vector
contours.

4.6.3 General Data Contours

In addition to contouring pole densities on the stereonet, Dips 7.0 allows you to
contour values of any quantitative data column on the stereonet. For example, values of
principal stress magnitudes measured at known orientations, or any directional data with an
associated magnitude.

1. This is done through the Contour Options dialog:

 Select Contour Options from the View menu, OR
 Select Contour Options from the right-click menu, OR
 In the Sidebar Plot Options select Contour > Column and select the button to
access Contour Options.
2. In the Contour Options dialog, select the Contour Data > Data Column option and select a
column containing quantitative data (i.e. numeric) that you wish to contour on the
stereonet.
3. Select OK and the stereonet will contour the selected data column and the Legend will
indicate the contour values.

This option is intended for use with directional data which has an associated
magnitude.

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 Example

Open the Exampstr.dips7 file in the Examples folder installed with the program (File >
Recent Folders > Examples Folder).

This file contains principal stress data obtained from 20 CSIRO cells in an underground
research cavern. This file is meant to illustrate alternative uses for Dips (other than joint data)
and to illustrate the variation in magnitude and direction of stress data. NOTE that the Global
Orientation Format = Trend / Plunge for this file.

If you use the Data Column option to contour the Magnitude column in this file, you
will actually be contouring principal stress magnitudes on the stereonet. This is a typical
example.

The Data Column contour option is only applicable for quantitative data columns,
which vary with orientation such that you can contour the data on the stereonet. It is NOT
applicable for qualitative data columns (i.e. non-numeric) or for columns which have
numeric data which is not is not intended for contouring (e.g. ID column, or random data
with no directional pattern).

4.7 TERZAGHI WEIGHTING

The Terzaghi Weighting option can be applied to Contour and Rosette plots to account
for the sampling bias introduced by orientation data collection along Traverses.

To apply or remove the Terzaghi weighting:

 Select the Terzaghi weighting checkbox in the sidebar plot options, OR

 You can also select the Terzaghi Weighting option in the View menu. This will display a
dialog which also allows you to specify the Minimum Bias Angle (see below for details).

When orientation measurements are made, a bias is introduced in favor of those

features which are perpendicular to the direction of surveying. To illustrate this concept, three
joints of identical spacing along a scanline are shown below.

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Measurements along the scanline

record many more joints in Set A than in
Set C, which will bias the density
contour plot heavily in favor of Set A. To
compensate for this bias, a geometrical
weighting factor is calculated and
applied to each feature measured. This
weighting, W, can be applied
to contour and rosette plots in Dips,
and is also used in the weighted mean
vector calculations. The bias correction
should only be used for planar features,
and will not account properly for
measurement bias in linear features
such as acicular crystal fabric.

The geometric weighting factor, W, is calculated as follows:

a = minimum angle between plane and

traverse

D’ = apparent spacing along traverse

D = D’ sine = D’ (1/W) = true spacing of

discontinuity set

R’ = 1/D = 1/D’ sine = D’ cosecant= true

density of joint population

W = (1) cosecant = weighting applied to

individual pole before density
calculation

Since the weighting function tends to infinity as alpha (a) approaches zero, a maximum
limit for this weighting must be set to prevent unreasonable results. This maximum limit
corresponds to a minimum angle, which can be between 1° and 89.9°. However, the
recommended range is limited to 5° to 25°, and the default is set to 15°. The user can change
this limit with the Minimum Bias Angle option (see below).

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The effect of applying the Terzaghi weighting to some data distributions can be quite
severe. If you use weighted data plots for design or interpretation, be sure you understand the
weighting procedure.

The results of applying the weighting procedure to a sample data file are shown in the
following figure. In this case, there is a very important subnormal group of joints, which is
masked by abundant structural data collected on horizontal scanlines. In this case, the heavy
bias introduced by the horizontal data can be removed by weighting the data.

Illustration of Terzaghi weighting – unweighted (left) and weighted (right) contours

of sample data.

Note that the Terzaghi Weighting option is only enabled if you have defined Traverses in
your Dips file (i.e. if at least one traverse has been defined in the Traverse Information dialog).
If no traverses exist, then the Terzaghi Weighting option is not applicable and will not be
available.

 Minimum Bias Angle

When you select the Terzaghi Weighting option from the View menu, you will see a
dialog which allows you to apply the Terzaghi Weighting, and also to specify a Minimum Bias
Angle. The Minimum Bias Angle is actually a limit used by the Terzaghi correction, to prevent
the weighting factor from becoming excessively large. It is set to a default value of 15 degrees.
The maximum possible weighting factor corresponds to the Minimum Bias Angle. Any planes
which intersect a traverse orientation at an angle less than the Minimum Bias Angle, will be
limited to the maximum weighting factor.

4.8 MAJOR PLANES PLOT

The Major Planes Plot option in the toolbar or the View menu, allows you to view
PLANES ONLY on a clean stereonet, without poles or contours. In addition, the plane
orientations are displayed in the Legend for the Major Planes Plot, in the format governed by
the current Convention.

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The following PLANES are displayed on a Major Planes Plot:

 All ADDED planes created with the Add Plane option

 All MEAN planes for Sets created with the Add Set Window option

Only planes / poles toggled for Visibility in the Edit Planes and Edit Sets dialogs, will be
displayed on the Major Planes Plot.

 Show Planes

The Show Planes option is automatically ON for the Major Planes Plot, and cannot be
toggled off. (Show Planes is normally used to overlay planes on Pole, Scatter, Contour and
Rosette plots).

 Overlay Contours

A Contour Plot can be overlaid on a Major Planes Plot, using the Overlay
Contours option. However, the same effect can be achieved by toggling the Show Planes
option on a Contour Plot.

 Major Planes Legend

The Legend for the Major Planes Plot displays the orientations of planes in the format
governed by the Convention in effect (Trend / Plunge or Plane Vector). The Convention can be
conveniently toggled in the Status Bar, and will automatically update the planes Legend.

NOTE:

 The letter "m" beside a plane ID indicates an UNWEIGHTED MEAN PLANE for a Set
 The letter "w" beside a plane ID indicates a WEIGHTED MEAN PLANE for a Set
 A Plane ID with NO letter indicates an ADDED plane created with the Add Plane option.

4.9 INTERSECTION PLOT

The intersection of two planes is a line in 3-dimensional space with Trend / Plunge
orientation. An intersection line is represented as a point on the stereonet.

Intersections can be plotted as points or contours on the stereonet.

 Intersection Points

To plot intersection points:

1. In the Sidebar plot options select the Intersections checkbox.

2. Select the type of Intersection you would like to plot (e.g. Grid Data Planes, Set Planes, etc.).

For detailed information about the Intersection plotting options see the Intersections
Overview topic.

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 Intersection Contours

To plot intersection contours:

1. In the Sidebar plot options select the Contours checkbox.

2. Select the Contours > Intersection option.

Intersection contours are based on the intersection of all Grid Data Planes.

 Kinematic Analysis

Intersection plotting is required for the Wedge Sliding and Direct Toppling kinematic
analysis modes.

4.10 OVERLAY PLOT OPTIONS

Different plot types (e.g. pole, contour, intersection) can be easily overlaid by selecting
the desired Sidebar plot options, using the checkboxes and radio buttons.

For example, to overlay a pole plot and contour plot:

 Select Pole Vector Display > Pole

 Select Contours > Vector

and you will see both poles and pole contours on the same plot.

The desired Legends can be toggled on or off with the Legend checkboxes in the Sidebar.

Experiment with the Sidebar plot and display options to discover the many variations of
data display possibilities.

4.11 PLOT (STEREONET) LEGENDS

For stereonet plots various Legends can be displayed according to the data which is
currently being viewed.

 Legend Visibility

To show or hide all available legends select the main Legends checkbox in the Sidebar
plot options.

To show or hide individual legends (e.g. symbol, contour) use the individual checkboxes
underneath the main Legends checkbox.

The following Legends can be displayed.

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 Symbol

The Symbol Legend will display the legend for symbolic plots, basic pole or dip vector
plots intersection plots.

 Contour

The Contour Legend will display the legend for pole / dip vector contour plots, or
intersection contour plots.

 Major Planes

The Major Planes Legend will display the legend for user added planes and mean set
planes.

 Kinematic

The Kinematic Legend will display a summary of results for the current kinematic
analysis mode (e.g. planar sliding, wedge sliding, toppling).

 Properties

The Properties Legend displays the main file properties (e.g. number of poles) and
stereonet view settings (e.g. Projection, Hemisphere etc.).

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V. PLANES AND INTERSECTIONS
5.1 PLANES

5.1.1 Planes Overview

The primary use of Dips is for plotting and analyzing planar data on a stereonet. The
term "Planes" may refer to:

 Planar orientation data entered in the main Dips spreadsheet or Grid View (referred to
as Grid Data Planes).
 Planes added to the stereonet with the Add Plane option (referred to as User Planes or
Added Planes)
 Mean planes calculated from Sets

 Grid Data Planes

The Grid Data Planes are the planes defined by the planar orientation data in the first
two columns (Orientation Columns) of the main Dips spreadsheet or grid view. The data may
be entered in Dip/Dip Direction format, Strike/Dip format, or in the case of oriented core
(borehole traverse) alpha and beta angles measured on the core.

 User Planes

Additional planes can be added to the stereonet with the Add Plane option. These are
referred to as User Planes or Added Planes, and can represent any planar feature that you
wish to highlight on the stereonet (typically used to represent slope orientations or other
significant planar features). They can be added and edited graphically, and visibility settings
customized, independently of the Grid Data Planes in the main spreadsheet.

 Mean Planes

Mean Planes are the mean planar orientations calculated for Sets. Sets can be defined
using various Set Window options or from cluster analysis. Mean plane orientations cannot
be directly edited, since they are calculated from the poles contained in a set. The visibility
and display settings of mean planes can be customized independently of User Planes or Grid
Data planes.

 Major Planes

The term Major Planes refers to both Added Planes and Mean Planes from sets. Major
planes can be viewed on a clean stereonet with the Major Planes pre-set plot button in the
toolbar or the View menu.

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5.1.2 Add Plane

The Add Plane option allows you to graphically add a pole / plane to a stereonet plot
(Pole Scatter, Contour or Major Planes plots).

NOTE: planes created with the Add Plane option in Dips are referred to as USER
PLANES, to distinguish them from MEAN PLANES calculated from Sets.

To use Add Plane:

1. Select Add Plane from the toolbar or the Planes menu.

2. Move the cursor over the active view. When the cursor is INSIDE the stereonet, an arc or
"great circle" representing the plane corresponding to the cursor location (pole) will
appear. Note that various right-click options are available at this point (see below for
details).
3. The cursor coordinates are always visible in the status bar. When the plane / pole is at the
desired orientation, click the LEFT mouse button INSIDE the stereonet.
4. A dialog will appear, allowing you to modify the graphically entered orientation (if
necessary), and also provide ID, labeling and visibility information (see below for details).
5. Enter the necessary information, and select OK. The plane / pole will be displayed on the
plot, according to the visibility settings chosen.

 Plane ID

The Plane ID must be an integer greater than zero. Each Plane ID must be unique (i.e.
two USER PLANES cannot have the same ID).

 Plane Label

The Plane Label is an optional descriptive label, which can be made visible / invisible
with the checkbox provided.

 Plane Orientation

If the graphically entered orientation is not correct, then simply enter the correct
values in the dialog. NOTE: The format of the orientation coordinates in the Add Planes dialog
will depend on the current Convention in effect:

 If the Convention is Pole Vector, then you must enter Trend / Plunge coordinates of the
pole vector representing the plane.
 If the Convention is Plane Vector, then you must enter plane vector coordinates (e.g.
Dip / Dip Direction or Strike / Dip).

The Convention option can be quickly changed within the Add Plane dialog by
selecting the input convention button beside the orientation input edit boxes.

 Visibility

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With the Visibility checkboxes, you can display:

 Pole Vector only

 Plane only
 Pole Vector and Plane
 ID and / or text Label on pole / plane
 Daylight envelope corresponding to plane

NOTE: the visibility settings that you choose in the Add Plane dialog can be modified
AT ANY LATER TIME in the Edit Planes dialog.

 Right-click menu

While using Add Plane, the following interactive graphical options are available in the
right-click menu:

 Daylight Envelope – this will display a moving Daylight Envelope corresponding to the
moving plane.
 Pole Snap – this will "snap" the pole vector of the plane, to the pole nearest to the cursor
location. Only applicable on a Pole Plot.
 Line – this will display a moving line through the center of the stereonet, which follows
the cursor. Note that this line is NOT added to the plot when you add the plane, it is a
temporary graphical aid only. If you wish to add a line to the plot, use the Add Line
option.
 Cancel – this will escape from the Add Plane option. The Escape key can also be used.

5.1.3 Edit Planes

Planes which have been added with the Add Plane option can be edited with the Edit
Planes dialog. The plane orientation can also be edited graphically with the mouse, and in
the sidebar as described below.

 Edit Planes Dialog

The Edit Planes dialog allows you to modify the:

 visibility settings
 color
 labeling
 orientation

of planes added with the Add Plane option. You may also delete planes, and
display lineations on planes.

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To edit planes, first click on the desired plane(s) using the grid at the left of the dialog,
and edit the desired settings. Note that you can select multiple planes at once, by dragging
with the mouse, or by using the Shift and/or Control keys while selecting with the mouse.

NOTE: to edit MEAN planes from Sets, you must use the Edit Sets option, and NOT Edit
Planes.

 Edit Plane (Graphical Method)

You can graphically change the orientation of an added plane, or delete the plane, as
follows:

1. Click on a user plane with the mouse. The great circle will be highlighted with a dotted line,
and the pole will be highlighted by a "cross" symbol as shown below.
Cross icon displayed at pole location for interactive graphical orientation editing

2. If you hover the mouse pointer over the cross symbol at the pole, the mouse pointer will
change to a four-way arrow symbol, indicating that you may click and drag the pole to a
new location. NOTE:
 if you hover the mouse over the CENTER of the cross icon, you can drag the pole
anywhere on the stereonet (i.e. simultaneously adjust dip and/or dip direction of the
plane)
 if you hover the mouse over either of the two points of the cross aligned with the dip
vector of the plane, you can adjust the dip while keeping the dip direction constant
 if you hover the mouse over either of the two points of the cross aligned with the strike
of the plane, you can adjust the dip direction while keeping the dip constant
3. To exit the graphical editing mode, click the mouse anywhere in the stereonet or press
Escape.

To delete a user plane graphically:

1. Click on the plane with the mouse to select the plane.

2. Press the Delete key.

 Edit Plane (Sidebar)

You can also edit the properties of user planes in the sidebar:

1. Click on a user plane (or pole) with the mouse.

2. The properties of the selected plane will be displayed in the sidebar, allowing you to edit:
 color
 orientation
 plane visibility
 pole visibility
 line thickness

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 Lineations on Planes

Lines which occur on planes such as slickensides or fault striations, can be displayed
on User Planes as follows:

1. In the Edit Planes dialog, select a user plane.

2. Select the Lineations checkbox and select the Edit Lineations button.
3. You will see the Lineations dialog. Add a row for each desired Lineation you wish to define
4. Enter an angle which defines the angle of the lineation with respect to the dip vector of the
plane. The allowable range is -90 to +90 degrees.
5. You may also define an Up or Down direction to indicate a direction of slip movement.
6. Select OK in both dialogs, and the lineations will be displayed as a triangular symbol on the
great circle of the selected plane.

 Right Click Options

If you right-click the mouse on a user plane, the popup menu will display shortcuts to:

 Delete the plane

 Edit User Plane dialog

5.1.4 Daylight Envelope

Daylight envelopes corresponding to planes can be displayed using the checkboxes

provided in the Edit Planes or Edit Sets dialogs.

Daylight envelopes are used primarily in slope stability analysis work. It is kinematically
feasible for any poles that plot within a daylight envelope to slide. To determine the stability
of such poles, you must also consider the frictional strength of the planes. Friction cones can
be added to the stereonet using the Add Cone option.

 Interactive Daylight Envelope

A moving daylight envelope can be displayed while using the Add Plane option, by
selecting Daylight Envelope from the right-click menu.

 Derivation of the Daylight Envelope

The Daylight Envelope used in Dips is derived as follows:

 The area WITHIN the Daylight envelope contains the poles to planes which have dip
vectors OUTSIDE the slope (i.e. sliding is kinematically possible for these planes).
 The actual locus of the envelope represents the poles to all of the planes which have
their dip vectors exactly ON the slope plane (i.e. these planes have dip vectors parallel
to the slope plane).

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You can verify this graphically as follows:

1. Add a Plane representing a slope orientation, and display the daylight envelope.
2. Now select the Add Plane option again.
3. Place the cursor exactly ON the daylight envelope, at any location. Click the mouse and add
the plane.
4. Notice that the dip vector of the plane you have just added (i.e. the midpoint of the great
circle, marked by a "tick"), is exactly ON the original (slope) plane, for which the daylight
envelope is displayed.
5. Repeat step 3 and 4, for any number of planes, and you will see that the dip vectors of the
added planes, will all lie exactly on the great circle of the slope plane.
6. Also notice, if you add a plane with a pole INSIDE the daylight envelope, the dip vector of
the plane will be OUTSIDE of the slope great circle (i.e. the daylighting condition).
7. Conversely, any plane with a pole vector OUTSIDE of the daylight envelope, will have a dip
vector which is INSIDE of the slope great circle (i.e. plane does not daylight).

The daylight envelope in Dips represents a theoretical limiting boundary, within which
it is physically possible for planes to slide out of a slope.

5.1.5 Lineations on a Plane

Lines which occur on planes such as slickensides or fault striations, can be displayed
on User Planes as follows:

1. First add a user plane with the Add Plane option.

2. In the Edit Planes dialog, select a user plane.
3. Select the Lineations checkbox and select the Edit Lineations button.
4. You will see the Lineations dialog. Add a row for each desired Lineation you wish to define.
5. Enter an angle which defines the angle of the lineation with respect to the dip vector of the
plane. The allowable range is -90 to +90 degrees.
6. You may also define an Up or Down direction to indicate a direction of slip movement.
7. Select OK in both dialogs, and the lineations will be displayed as a triangular symbol on the
great circle of the selected plane.
8. Direction of movement is indicated by an up or down triangular symbol.

5.1.6 Show Grid Data Planes

To display ALL of the planes (great circles) corresponding to all of the data (poles) in
a Dips file:

 In the Sidebar Plot Options, select Planes > Grid Data Planes

Grid data planes displayed on pole plot

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On a Symbolic Plot the color of the planes displayed will correspond to the color of the
symbols used for the poles.

Grid data planes displayed on symbolic pole plot

5.1.7 Show Major Planes

To quickly show or hide all major planes (i.e. user planes and/or mean set planes):

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 In the Sidebar Plot Options, select Planes > Major Planes

This allows you to show or hide ALL planes / poles made VISIBLE with the Visibility
settings in the Edit Planes and Edit Sets dialogs. NOTE:

 The sidebar plot options DO NOT change the Visibility settings in the Edit Planes and Edit
Sets dialogs (i.e. hidden poles / planes will remain invisible).
 The Major Planes checkbox is automatically toggled on whenever planes (Add Plane) or
Sets (Add Set Window) are added, even if previously toggled off.

 Planes on a Rosette Plot

 On a Rosette Plot, planes are displayed as lines rather than arcs (i.e. only the Apparent
Strike of planes can be displayed on a Rosette Plot). Furthermore, only ADDED planes
within the Angular Limits will be plotted. MEAN planes are NOT shown on Rosette Plots.

2.1.8 Delete All Planes

Delete All Planes can be used to quickly delete ALL planes added with the Add
Plane option.

 Select Planes > Delete All Planes

To delete individual user planes, use the Edit Planes dialog or right-click on a user plane
and select Delete from the popup menu.

Delete All Planes will NOT delete MEAN planes from Sets. Sets (and their
corresponding mean planes) are deleted with the Edit Sets or Delete All Sets options.

5.2 INTERSECTIONS OVERVIEW

Dips can plot the intersections of planes on the stereonet. The intersection of two planes
is a line in 3-dimensional space with Trend / Plunge orientation. An intersection line is
represented as a point on the stereonet.

Intersections can be plotted as points or contours on the stereonet.

To plot intersection points:

1. In the Sidebar plot options select the Intersections checkbox.

2. Select the type of Intersection you would like to plot (e.g. Grid Data Planes, Set Planes,
etc.).

The intersection types are described below.

 Grid Data Planes

The term "grid data" refers to the planar data in the main Dips spreadsheet or Grid View.
The Intersection > Grid Data Planes option will plot the intersections of ALL of the planes in

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the main Dips spreadsheet or Grid View. That is, each plane in the file will be intersected
against every other plane in the file.

In general, this leads to a large (or very large) number of intersections. Depending on
the number of planes in your Dips file, the display of all grid data plane intersections may cover
most of the stereonet, obscuring other plot data. The maximum number of grid data plane
intersections which get displayed can be limited in the Preferences dialog, with the Maximum
Number of Intersections to Display option.

 All Set Planes

The Intersection > All Set Planes option will plot the intersections of ALL planes which
belong to sets. That is, each plane belonging to a joint set will be intersected against every
other plane belonging to a joint set. This option works for any number of sets (e.g. if you have
3 sets, the planes in all 3 sets will get intersected). Any planes not belonging to sets, are not
considered.

 Set vs Set Planes

The Intersection > Set vs Set Planes option allows you to plot the intersections of all
planes in any TWO sets. At least two sets must be defined. When you select the Set vs Set
Planes option, a small button will become enabled beside the option. If you select this
button, a dialog will appear, allowing you to select the two joint sets (A and B) to be
intersected.

 User and Mean Set Planes

The Intersection > User and Mean Set Planes option will plot all possible intersections
between all User Planes (Add User Plane option) and all mean set planes (computed from Sets).
User planes are also intersected with all other user planes, and mean set planes are intersected
with all other mean set planes.

 User Planes

The Intersection > User Planes option will plot all possible intersections of all User
Planes (Add User Plane option). That is, each User Plane will be intersected with all other User
Planes.

 Mean Set Planes

The Intersection > Mean Set Planes option will plot all possible intersections of all mean
set planes (computed from Sets). That is, each Mean Set Plane will be intersected with all other
Mean Set Planes. Note that weighted and unweighted mean set planes are considered
independently (i.e. weighted planes are NOT intersected with unweighted planes). The
applicable planes will depend on the selection of the Terzaghi weighting option. If Terzaghi
weighting is off, then only unweighted planes are considered. If Terzaghi weighting is applied,
then only weighted planes are considered.

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VI. 3D STEREOSPHERE
The 3D Stereosphere allows you to plot poles, planes and contours on a 3D hemisphere view,
which is the basis for generating a 2D stereonet. The 3D hemisphere can be rotated for viewing at
any angle. This allows you to see the raw orientation data, before projection onto 2D. This is a
valuable educational and analysis tool which provides an alternative to the traditional 2-
dimensional stereonet.

3D hemisphere showing contours, poles, mean planes, and 2D equal area projection

To view a 3D hemisphere plot:

1. Select the 3D Plot option from the toolbar or the View menu.
2. The 3D plot can be rotated for viewing at any angle by clicking and dragging with the left
mouse button. The North direction is indicated by an arrow on the circumference.
3. 3D plotting and display options are available in the sidebar as described below.

 Vector Display

The 3D sphere can display either pole vectors or dip vectors, according to the currently
selected Pole / Dip Vector Mode . The vector points are displayed as small spheres on the surface

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of the hemisphere. The display of the vector points can be toggled on or off by selecting the
checkbox for Pole Vector Display or Dip Vector Display in the sidebar Plot Options. The color of the
3D vector points can be customized with the Display Settings > Stereonet Colors > Pole Vectors
option in the sidebar.

 Contours

Contours can be displayed on the 3D hemisphere by selecting the Plot Options > Contours
checkbox and choosing a contour type: Vectors (pole vector or dip vector), Intersections, or
Column (quantitative data column, selected in the Contour Options dialog).

 Terzaghi Weighting

The Terzaghi Weighting checkbox will apply the bias correction weighting to vector contours,
and mean set planes on the 3D hemisphere.

 Planes

Planes are displayed inside the 3D hemisphere as semi-circular planes which intersect the
hemisphere at the plane orientation. You can plot Major Planes and / or Grid Data Planes.

 Major Planes

The Major Planes checkbox will display User Planes and/or Mean Set Planes on the 3D
hemisphere.

 Grid Data Planes

The Grid Data Planes checkbox will display the planes of ALL planar data in the main Dips
data grid. In general, the display of Grid Data Planes will fill the entire hemisphere with overlapping
planes. However, if you select Display Settings > 3D Display Options > 3D Stereonet > Hide, this will
hide the outer surface of the hemisphere, and the display of all planes viewed from outside the
sphere, gives an impression of the 3-dimensional rock mass jointing, as you rotate the sphere.

 Projection

In the 3D Plot View, the Stereonet > Projection option (Equal Angle or Equal Area)
determines the display of the 2D Stereonet which is displayed in the 3D Plot View. It also
determines the display of the Vector Projection and Plane Projection options. It does not affect the
display of data on the 3D hemisphere.

 3D Stereonet

The 3D Stereonet option has 3 settings: Wireframe, Fill, Hide. The Wireframe option is the
default, and will display the 3D hemisphere with a translucent surface which displays the contours
and poles, but allows you to see through the surface inside the hemisphere (e.g. to view planes,
vectors). The Fill option displays the 3D hemisphere with a solid outer surface which is not

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transparent. The Hide option will completely hide the 3D hemisphere surface, which is useful if you
only wish to view planes or other objects which are displayed inside the sphere.

 2D Stereonet

In the 3D Plot View, the 2D Stereonet option will display a 2D Stereonet within the 3D Plot
View. If the Projection = Equal Angle, the 2D Stereonet is displayed on top of the hemisphere. If the
Projection = Equal Area, the 2D Stereonet is displayed below the hemisphere. This is consistent with
the derivation of the Equal Angle and Equal Area projections, and the display of the projection
construction lines for each method. The 2D Stereonet will display contours, planes and vectors
according to the currently selected display options.

 Vector Lines

The Vector Lines option will display 3D vector lines from the center of the hemisphere,
corresponding to the currently displayed vectors (pole or dip) on the surface of the hemisphere.

 Vector Projection

The Vector Projection option will display the 3D projection lines used to project the vector
locations from the surface of the 3D hemisphere, onto the 2D stereonet. For Equal Angle Projection,
the vector projection lines are straight lines from the 3D surface to a point at the apex of the sphere.
For Equal Area Projection, the vector projection lines are circular arcs from the surface of the sphere
onto the 2D stereonet. This is a very useful option for demonstrating how 2D stereographic
projections are created.

 Plane Projection

The Plane Projection option will display the 3D projection lines used to create great circles
(planes) on the 2D stereonet from the 3D planes. The current Projection method (Equal Angle or
Equal Area) will apply.

 North Marker

The North Marker option allows you to choose the size of the arrow used to mark the
direction of north on the 3D Stereosphere.

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VII. ROSETTE PLOT

A Rosette Plot is generated by selecting the Rosette Plot option from the toolbar or
the View menu.

The conventional rosette plot begins with a horizontal plane (represented by the equatorial
(outer) circle of the stereonet). A radial histogram (with arc segments instead of bars) is overlain on
this circle, indicating the density of planes intersecting this horizontal surface. The radial orientation
limits (azimuth) of the arc segments correspond to the range of STRIKE of the plane or group of
planes being represented by the segment. In other words, the rosette diagram is a radial histogram
of strike density or frequency.

1. 3-D rock mass structure.

2. Equivalent pole density stereonet (contour plot).
3. Intersection of the joint planes with a horizontal section.
4. Radial histogram or rosette of the strike of the joint planes.

The rosette (figure 4) approximates the visual impression of the joint intersections with the
horizontal plane (figure 3).

NOTES:

1. Dips has removed the requirement that the base plane of the rosette be horizontal. The
plane can be oriented at any orientation in space – see the Sightline Normal to Rosette
topic for details. The ROSETTE then represents the apparent orientation of the lines of
intersection between the base plane of the ROSETTE and the planes in the data set.

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