Technical Note: Using the REBLOCK Process

Reference: TN00295

Created: 1st February 2017

Last modified: 6th February 2017

1. INTRODUCTION

The REBLOCK process allows you to change the size of the blocks of an existing block model by changing
the dimensions of X, Y, and Z. This command is useful in strategic planning because it allows the size of the
blocks to be adjusted so that they have a representative dimension in relation to the SMU.

2. HOW DO YOU USE REBLOCK?

The number of blocks in the X, Y, and Z directions (NX, NY, and NZ) will change if the input dimensions are
different from those in the X, Y, and Z blocks. model. The size of the blocks will be maintained if the X, Y,
and Z values are set to zero or are not set.

By default, the calculated values in the output model will be weighted by the mass if using the DENSITY
field or another field that represents the density. Other fields can also be used to do the weighting:

1) Volume Weighted - value by volume weighting;

2) Dominant by the dominant;
3) Additive - value by summation;
4) Select according to minimum value - value by minimum;
5) Selected according to maximum value.
The REBLOCK process can be considered an enhancement of the REGMOD process. REGMOD weighs
masses by volume by default, and only allows the use of numeric fields.

To regularize a block model (example: remove subcells) the parameter @FULLCELL = 1. Using
@FULLCELL = 0, the process works similarly to a SLIMOD, changing the prototype of the model to respect
given dimensions for the blocks..

Enter the "REBLOCK" command in the command line and press <ENTER> or click Reblock in the Model
ribbon.

Figure 1: the Studio Command Line

Figure 2: The Reblock command on the Model ribbon

Files:

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Figure 3: REBLOCK – Files Panel

In the "Files" tab the following entries can be observed, as shown in the figure above.

In the Input files group enter the block model in MODIN *. The input block model can be normal or rotated
containing blocks and / or sub-blocks.

In the Output files group, name a new output file or select an existing block template.

Note: If you select an existing template to be the output file, it will be replaced after the process.

Fields:

Figure 4: REBLOCK – Fields tab

DENSITY field:

The DENSITY number field is used to identify the density values in the input file. If the values are null the
DENSITY value in Parameters is used. Density values are used to weight the values in the mass-weight
calculation. The default field name is DENSITY.

FILLVOL and VOIDVOL fields:

When only parent cells are created in the output file (by setting @FULLCELL = 1), the * FILLVOL field
containing the sub-block fill ratio in relation to the input block model will be found in the output file. The
default field name is FILLVOL. If the * FILLVOL field already exists in the input file and only blocks are
created, then the values of this field will be overwritten in the output file.

The * VOIDVOL field contains the proportion of cells in the output model that were not filled by sub-
blocks in relation to the input model, that is, the ratio of "empty" to the regular block created. Logo:
VOIDVOL + FILLVOL = 1. The values of VOIDVOL and FILLVOL are always between 0 and 1.

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Volume Weighted fields:

By default, the field values in the output files are weight weighted. However, 15 fields are available for
volume weighting. These fields must be filled with numeric values.

Dominant fieds:

There are 10 key fields available by selecting * DOMFLD. These dominant fields can be numeric or alpha-
numeric. DOMINANT fields are very useful for attributes such as rock types where values need to be
copied from the input model to the output model. Establish the dominate value by mass setting
@DBYMASS =1, instead of volume using @DBYMASS=0.

Additive fields:

There are 10 additive fields available by selecting * ADDFLD.

Minimum and Maximum fields:

There are 5 maximum and minimum field fields specifying * MINFLD and * MAXFLD. Comparisons of
masses and volumes in these fields are not made.

The image below illustrates in a simplified way how the above parameters work with the possible output
values:

• The dimensions of the Input and Output models are respectively: 5x5x1 and 10x10x1. Where: d
= density, V = any numeric field, T = any alpha-numeric field
• Mass weighting: V = (2.6 * 25 + 2.7 * 25 + 2.6 * 25 + 2.6 * 25 + 2.6 * 25 + 2.8 * 2.0 * 25) = 2.29
• Volume weighting: Vw = (1.5 * 25 + 2.2 * 25 + 3.5 * 25 + 2.0 * 2.5) / (25 + 25 + 25 + 25)
• Additive V: Ad = 25 * (1.5 / 25) + 25 * (2.2 / 25) + 25 * (3.5 / 25) + 25 * (2.0 / 25) = 9.2
• Minimum V: Min = 1.5
• Maximum V: Max = 3.5
• Dominant Tv: T = max (25 * waste, 25 * ore + 25 * ore + 25 * ore) = Ore
• Tm: T = max (25 * 2.6 * waste, 25 * 2.7 * ore * 2.6 * ore + 25 * 2.8 * ore) = Ore
• Density (Vol weight): dn = (2.6 * 25 + 2.7 * 25 + 2.6 * 25 + 2.8 * 25) / (25 + 25 + 25 + 25) = 2.675

No new field is created in the output block model.

Parameters:

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Figure 5: REBLOCK - Parameters

XINC, YINC and ZINC:

The XINC, YINC, and ZINK fields are used to specify the dimensions of the blocks in the output template.
Dimensions need not be multiple of the input model. The model's origin does not change. The number of
cells in the output model are adjusted so that the output model extension is approximately the same as
the input model.

FULLCELL parameters:

If the FULLCELL parameter is set to 1, for every block of the output model there will be the FILLVOL and
VOIDVOL fields. These parameters have values between 0 and 1 as previously described.

DBYMASS parameter:

Set to 1 to determine mass weighted dominant values. Set to 0 the dominant values will be weighted by
the volume.

DENSITY:

The DENSITY parameter specifies the density value used for mass calculation if the DENSITY field does
not exist in the input file or if the input values are null/absent.

Results:

The progress of the REBLOCK process can be tracked in the command bar, as shown in figure 6.

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Figure 6: Command window results

Figure 7: model input

Figure 8: Block model with the resized blocks. Note that the FULLCELL parameter was set to 0, so the original shape was
maintained and sub-blocks were created.

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