MOB1000 Introduction To Micromine Origin & Beyond

Introduction to Micromine
Origin & Beyond 2022

MOB1000 – Introduction to Micromine Origin & Beyond Micromine 2022 Training
MICROMINE (Head Office)

Level 6, 251 St George’s Terrace
Perth WA 6000
Australia
Tel: +61 8 9423 9000

Fax: +61 8 9423 9001
Email: training@micromine.com
WWW: http://www.micromine.com
To find your local office, please visit: http://www.micromine.com.au/contact
Licence Agreement
The use of the software described in this manual is subject to a licence agreement with Micromine. The software
may only be used or copied in accordance with the terms and conditions of that agreement.
This course requires 2021 or higher to be installed.
Disclaimer
Micromine Pty Ltd and its subsidiaries will not accept any liability whatsoever for any loss or damage arising from
the use of the software or any other software product mentioned in this manual; nor for any technical or editorial
errors or omissions made in this manual.
The mention of any other computer software product within this manual does not imply any endorsement of such
product by Micromine.
Copyright
Micromine is the owner of the software, and of all icons and logos within the software, together with all soft- and
hard-copy documentation. This manual contains information protected by copyright. No part of this manual may
be photocopied or reproduced in any form without prior written consent from Micromine.
© Copyright 1999, 2001 –2021 by Micromine Pty Ltd and its subsidiaries. All rights reserved.
Editor: Authors:
Frank Bilki David Bartlett
Frank Bilki
Trademark Acknowledgment
Micromine Origin, Micromine Beyond, Micromine Origin & Beyond, Micromine Pitram, Micromine Geobank, Micromine Spry and Micromine
Alastri are trademarks of Micromine Pty Ltd and its subsidiaries. Other brands and product names mentioned in this manual are trademarks
or registered trademarks of their respective owners.
i © Copyright Micromine 2021

Micromine 2022 Training MOB1000 - Introduction to Micromine Origin & Beyond
Before You Begin

Course Duration: 16 hours
For: New Users of Micromine Origin & Beyond
© Copyright Micromine 2021 ii

Introduction
This course is designed to show you how to start using Micromine Origin & Beyond and to introduce some of the
program’s key features. To make it as realistic as possible it’s based on a scenario that will be familiar to many
users of Micromine Origin & Beyond.
The Scenario: Your Company is executing advanced exploration on a prospect on which initial stream sediment
sampling indicated an anomalous area. This is followed by a geochemical sampling program over the area of
interest. The sample locations are recorded using a GPS and the data co-ordinates recorded in Lat/Longs. Lastly,
the detected anomaly is investigated with trenching and a subsequent two-phase drilling program. The satellite
imagery of the area has also been acquired.
Purpose
Phase 1 of the drilling program indicated a substantial resource. Your task is to integrate and process the original
data in order to evaluate the prospect with a view to designing the Phase 2 drilling program. The purpose of the
new drilling program will be to provide in-fill data to enable the classification of the resource as inferred, indicated
or measured. The lessons that follow describe the tasks you’ll need to undertake to achieve your objective.
Objectives
As a result of this course, you’ll have learnt to:
• Use the advanced Vizex Pie Chart and Contour objects

• Merge laboratory assay data from a SIF (standard interchange file) source
• Validate data using lookup tables and colour sets
• Create advanced filters
• Create interpolated grids and contours
• Calculate drilling statistics and extract summarised downhole data
• Composite drillhole data and perform other drillhole calculations
• Create drillhole logs
• Work with oriented drillhole structural data
• Plan drillholes with a fixed collar, a known target, or both
• Construct an oxidation surface DT (digital terrain model) from drillhole data
• Create and use a topographic DTM to generate elevations in other data
• Automate a task by writing a macro incorporating advanced macro features
• Understand the statistical concepts of mean, mode, median, standard deviation, and variance, and use
these to describe a data set
• Use a histogram and probability plot to describe and statistically decompose a data set.
• Create a colour set from a statistical decomposition and use this to apply colour in both graphical and
tabular views
Approach
This course will be predominantly hands-on. Each new topic will begin with a brief introduction followed by a
practical exercise. A small training database will be used for all exercises.
Trainee Prerequisites
The following skills are essential for obtaining the maximum benefit from this course:
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• Microsoft WindowsTM essentials such as file and folder management, using the mouse, and understanding
menus, dialog boxes and icons.
How to Use This Manual

Course Content
The two-day Introduction to Micromine Origin & Beyond course is divided into parts, each of which is a self-
contained document. They are:
MOB1101 – Micromine Basics

MOB1102 – Displaying and Manipulating Data
MOB1103 – Wireframing 1
MOB1104 – Plotting 1
MOB1105 – Macros
Because each part is self-contained, the page, lesson, and exercise numbers reset to 1 at the beginning of each
document. Your trainer will introduce each part to you at the appropriate time.
Installing the Data
Your trainer will supply the data for this course and instruct you on how to install it. The data must be present
before you can commence the training. You’ll need at least 50 MB of free space on the hard disk drive where the
data is installed.
Getting Help
Where appropriate, references to topics in the help system of Micromine Origin & Beyond are included. These
references provide further information about the current task as well as topics that are related to that task. They
also give you an opportunity to become familiar with the help system.
Help references are displayed as italic in the following format:
Help Topic Topic Heading > Subheading > Content
For example:
Importing ODBC Files > Import > ODBC
To browse to a reference using the web help:
1. Select Help | Open (Web) Help from the Micromine Origin & Beyond menu.
2. Your web browser will display the Help window click the heading on the top left to make Contents
available.
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3. Click on Contents. In the above example, the topic heading is Files and the subheading is Import. From
there you can select ODBC to find the content ODBC Import.
4. Alternatively, you can use the Index pane, enter a keyword, for example ODBC, and select a topic from
the index list. If there’s only one topic with that keyword it will be displayed as soon as you click it. If the
keyword is used in more than one topic, click once to expand the list, and a second time to open the
relevant topic.
Micromine Origin & Beyond also includes an offline help system, which is accessible via Help | Offline Help.
We recommend using the web help when you are connected to the internet and the offline help when ever you
are in the field.
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Conventions Used in this Manual

Visual Indicators
This document uses a combination of visual and text indicators to make it easier for you to identify different
sections of the text. Visual indicators use a combination of icon and colour:
Icon Meaning
Exercise. A series of steps that you can complete to help understand the current topic.
Optional exercise. Additional practice for the current topic but not needed to complete the basic
training. The title is printed on a shaded background.
Sidebar. Additional text that amplifies the current topic. The text is printed on a shaded
background.
Module required. A particular Micromine Origin & Beyond module is required to complete this
task. The title is printed on a shaded background.
Exercises
For exercises, the text uses a combination of bold and italic type to indicate the correct response:
Style Denotes
Bold type The names of menu items, dialog boxes and
prompts that invoke or contribute to the primary
process being undertaken.
Italic type Entries you must type, or items you select from a
list, in dialog box responses and table fields.
Entries in Dialog Boxes and Files
In many exercises you’ll need to make entries in dialog boxes or data files (tables). In this manual, the text or
values you need to enter as part of the exercises will be illustrated in one of two ways:
• A screenshot of the relevant form or dialog box with the correct entries.
• A tabular display. The first column contains the name of the dialog prompt and the second column contains
the text or value to be entered.
For example, this screenshot of a dialog box (form) contains parameters you might need to enter:
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The same information could also be presented within the text as a table:
Prompt Setting
Name Templates
Location C:\MmData\
Create folder for project Enabled
Title File Template Location
Units METRIC
Use existing project as Disabled
template
For Further Study
Whilst the main purpose of this course is to introduce you to the key features of Micromine Origin & Beyond,
optional material is included to expose you to more advanced features of the application.
In addition to these optional tasks, in-house experts at Micromine have contributed their ideas on how to get the
most from the application. You’ll find these ideas at the end of each lesson under the heading Good Practice.
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System Prerequisites
Licensing
You must have a valid Micromine Origin & Beyond licence to complete the exercises in this training manual. If
you don’t have a licence, your trainer may supply you with a temporary training licence for the duration of the
course.
If you have been issued a temporary training licence, you must return the security key (dongle) and delete the
licence file at the end of the course.
Other Optional Applications
An up-to-date copy of Adobe Acrobat Reader should be installed in order to view a 3D PDF file.
A GIS application such as QGIS should be installed in order to view a GIS file.
Printers and Plotters
There is no need to use a printer or plotter during this course. However, a PDF or XPS printer should be installed
in order to complete the exercises in MOB1104 – Plotting 1.
Micromine Origin & Beyond Options
Micromine automatically applies the relevant options when it is installed. If you share your Micromine Origin &
Beyond licence with another person, confirm the following options before you begin the course. Check that in:
Tools | Options | Default Language
English is selected.
Tools | Options | Form Sets
Compulsory prompt is set to Red.
Tools | Options | Editor
Text Viewer is set to Built-in.
Tools | Options | Vertical Exaggeration
Vertical exaggeration is disabled.
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MOB1101
Micromine Basics
MOB1000 Introduction to Micromine Origin & Beyond MOB1101 - Micromine Basics
MOB1101 – Micromine Basics

Table of Contents
LESSON 1 – THE PROJECT ..................................................................................................................1

USING PROJECTS.......................................................................................................................................... 1
Projects ................................................................................................................................................ 1
Attaching an Existing Project .................................................................................................................. 2
Creating a New Project .......................................................................................................................... 3
Creating a Project Folder Outside of Micromine ....................................................................................... 4
Managing Projects ................................................................................................................................. 4
LESSON 2 – DATA FILES .....................................................................................................................7
USING TABULAR FILES ................................................................................................................................... 7
Files in Micromine .................................................................................................................................. 7
Field Types ........................................................................................................................................... 7
File Processing ...................................................................................................................................... 9
Creating a New Data File ..................................................................................................................... 10
Creating a New File Using a Template................................................................................................... 12
Modifying a File’s Structure .................................................................................................................. 13
LESSON 3 – DIALOGS AND FORMS .................................................................................................. 16
DIALOGS .................................................................................................................................................. 16
FORM SETS ............................................................................................................................................... 17
Managing and Sharing a Project’s Form Sets ......................................................................................... 20
LESSON 4 – ACQUIRING DATA ........................................................................................................ 22
GETTING DATA INTO MICROMINE ................................................................................................................... 22
The Different Ways to Obtain Tabular Data ........................................................................................... 22
IMPORTING TABULAR DATA ........................................................................................................................... 23
From Microsoft Excel ........................................................................................................................... 24
From a Text File .................................................................................................................................. 25
MERGING ASSAY DATA ................................................................................................................................ 26
Merging: Possible Data Loss ................................................................................................................. 29
IMPORTING GIS DATA ................................................................................................................................. 31
IMPORTING OR LINKING DATABASE DATA USING ODBC ....................................................................................... 32
Controlling the Structure of the Imported File ....................................................................................... 35
MANUALLY ENTERING DATA .......................................................................................................................... 35
Calculator ........................................................................................................................................... 39
LESSON 5 – VALIDATING DATA ....................................................................................................... 44
VALIDATING DATA IN A PROJECT .................................................................................................................... 44
Validating a Data File ........................................................................................................................... 45
Validating Drillhole Data....................................................................................................................... 47
Drillholes: Validating Deviation ............................................................................................................. 48
Drillholes: Validating Multiple Downhole Files ........................................................................................ 48
LESSON 6 – FILTERS........................................................................................................................ 52
WORKING WITH FILTERS .............................................................................................................................. 52
Defining more than One Filter Condition ............................................................................................... 54
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MOB1101 - Micromine Basics MOB1000 Introduction to Micromine Origin & Beyond
Using Wildcards .................................................................................................................................. 54

Filtering date values ............................................................................................................................ 56
Tables
Table 2.1: Binary field types, sizes, and ranges .............................................................................................. 8

Table 4.1: File Editor keyboard shortcuts ..................................................................................................... 35
Table 6.1: Filter wildcards .......................................................................................................................... 54
Sidebars
Creating a new file directly from a dialog..................................................................................................... 12

The right-click file utility menu .................................................................................................................... 13
Click it to pick it ......................................................................................................................................... 17
Identifying saved form sets ....................................................................................................................... 18
Why use form sets? .................................................................................................................................. 20
Checking the results of a task ..................................................................................................................... 29
Using the File Editor shortcuts on multiple records ....................................................................................... 36
Creating a validation check file ................................................................................................................... 45
Data type: GENERAL vs. DRILL HOLE ......................................................................................................... 46
How did Micromine know the right field names? ......................................................................................... 50
Why save filters as form sets? ................................................................................................................... 52
Right-click to edit ....................................................................................................................................... 53
Exercises
Exercise 1.1 Attach an existing project ......................................................................................................... 3

Exercise 1.2 (Optional) Create a new project ................................................................................................ 3
Exercise 1.3 (Optional) Detach an existing project ........................................................................................ 5
Exercise 2.1 Create a new data file ............................................................................................................ 10
Exercise 2.2 Create a new file using a template .......................................................................................... 12
Exercise 2.3 Add fields to a file’s structure .................................................................................................. 13
Exercise 3.1 Explore dialogs and form sets ................................................................................................. 19
Alternative Exercise 4.1 Import assay data from a Microsoft Excel workbook ................................................ 24
Alternative Exercise 4.2 Import assay data from a CSV file .......................................................................... 25
Exercise 4.3 Merge assay data into the soil geochemistry file....................................................................... 27
Exercise 4.4 Move and redefine fields in a file ............................................................................................. 29
Exercise 4.5 Label the sample locality file ................................................................................................... 29
Exercise 4.6 Import and display topographic contours from an Esri Shapefile ............................................... 31
Exercise 4.7 Create an ODBC data source .................................................................................................. 34
Exercise 4.8 Import Data from an Access Database .................................................................................... 34
Exercise 4.9 Use the File Editor’s data entry tools ....................................................................................... 36
Exercise 4.10 Use the File Editor Calculator ................................................................................................ 40
Exercise 5.1 Validate fields in a file ............................................................................................................ 45
Exercise 5.2 Validate drillhole data ............................................................................................................. 49
Exercise 6.1 Create a filter with multiple conditions ..................................................................................... 55
Revision 2021-11 Copyright © Micromine 2021

Lesson 1 – The Project

Duration: 20 minutes
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:
• Attach an existing project

• Create a new project
• Delete a project, and
• Delete a project without deleting the associated data.
Using 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 scripts, macros and form sets, are also stored as part of a project.
A Micromine project represents a real-world project.
You must create at least one project to begin working with Micromine. 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 a project from a list of all projects. When you select
a project, the files, macros and form 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 work outside the project is when you need to access external data.
To create a project, you enter a path, a project name, and a project title. You subsequently refer to that project
by its name. A project may be located on the computer you’re using or on a network. In either case, we
recommend 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 only used when rock densities are measured with a tonnage factor.
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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 you can reuse existing work and promote consistency between projects.
Some Micromine users create a template project and save any reusable file structures, macros and form sets
within it.
Micromine does several different things when you create or attach a project: it creates a corresponding project
(.PRO) file in your Micromine user profile, it optionally creates the new project folder, and it adds default template
files to the folder if they don’t already exist.
You can rename, move, delete and attach projects. Renaming simply changes the project name, whereas moving
a project manages the entire process of moving the project files from one location to another.
Because files from different projects are stored in different folders, you can use the same filenames in each. For
example, the projects “Demo” and “Training” can both have files named Collar.dat, Survey.dat and Assay.dat.
By default, when you open Micromine it will automatically load the last project you were using.
Attaching an Existing Project

Because the data for this training course has already been prepared, you’ll just 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.
Before you begin this lesson
Make sure the training data is installed on your PC or some location on your network. You’ll need this data
throughout this training course. See Installing the data set for details.
The following exercises assume the training data is in this folder:
C:\MmData\Training
If your data is in a different location, substitute that location in the instructions that follow.
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Exercise 1.1 Attach an existing project

To attach an existing project:
1. Start Micromine by double-clicking the icon on your desktop or selecting the application name from the
Start page or menu.
2. Select Project | Attach from the menu.
3. Click the browse button in the Project path edit box and navigate to the folder C:\MmData\Training.
Click the Select Folder button to select the folder.
4. Enter the Project name. Generally, this is the name of the folder containing the project data. In this case,
enter: Training
5. Enter Micromine Training in the Project title.
6. Click OK to attach the project.
You have just attached and opened the Training project. Note how the Micromine title bar at the top of the screen
displays the new project’s name and title, along with Micromine’s version and build number.
Lastly, confirm that Micromine is attached to the correct folder:
7. From the Vizex Layer Types pane near the top left of your screen, click the expand icon next to the
Saved Layers form type. You should see three entries, Introducing Vizex, String Editor, and Geological
interpretation immediately below the Saved Layers label:
8. If you don’t see the entries shown here, check with your instructor before proceeding.
Creating a New Project

Although this course uses existing project data, 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.
Exercise 1.2 (Optional) 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 Project | New | New Project from the menu.

2. Fill-in the dialog box as shown below. To define the Project path, use the browse button to navigate
to the C:\MmData folder.
3. Ensure Create folder for project is enabled (ticked).
4. Click OK to create the project. Micromine will open the new project and display its name and title at the
top of the Micromine window.
5. Switch back to the Training project by selecting Project and selecting and double click in the Training
Project
Under normal circumstances you’d begin creating template files within the Templates project. When you next
create a project, you can enable Use existing project as template and then enter this project’s name. You
can then choose 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.
Creating a Project Folder Outside of Micromine

Project| New Project | New Project usually creates the folder for you. If you previously created the folder
in Windows, disable the Create folder for project option. Micromine will still add the necessary files to the
folder.
Managing Projects
Micromine’s project management options are located on the Project page and are essential for anyone who uses
different Micromine projects. For example, you might be a consultant with many clients, or a worker at a mine
with several satellite operations.
This page gathers the tools for managing projects. With it you can open, create, attach, detach, delete, move,
and rename projects. You can also view extended metadata on each project, including its location or path on
your file system and the time you last used it. Metadata columns are sortable; to keep the last-used project at
the top of the list simply sort the Date opened column in descending order.
The associated More option includes many of these tasks, along with direct access to Windows/File Explorer, and
special browse tools that step forward or backward through the project list.

Detaching or deleting a project
In the next exercise you’ll detach a Micromine project. This involves deleting the project (.PRO) file, which
contains the reference to the project folder. It is rather like deleting a shortcut from your Windows desktop; you
remove the reference to the folder but keep the folder and its contents intact.
Alternatively, you may wish to delete a project. This method deletes the .PRO file along with the project folder
and its contents. By default, deleted files are sent to the recycle bin.
Generally, you only want to detach a project.
Exercise 1.3 (Optional) Detach an existing project

To detach a project:
1. Select the Templates project from the list that appears.

2. Click on … More and select Detach.
3. Click Yes to confirm you want to detach the project.
4. Click the back button to return the training project.
From now on, the Templates project won’t appear in the list when you select Project from the menu.
To delete a project and the files it contains, follow the same procedure but click the Delete button instead.
Lesson 1 Summary
These are the key points of this lesson:
• The project is the fundamental structure for organising data in Micromine.

• To start working with Micromine you must create at least one project.
• Projects store files, macros, scripts, form sets and other project data.
• You can set the project units to metric or imperial when you create it.
• When you create a new project, you can use the file structures, form sets and macros from a similar
project as a template.
To attach a project:
Select Project | Attach, then

Browse to the project’s folder location (Path).
Enter a new Name and Title, and
To create a new project:
Select Project | New | New Project and enter the necessary settings.
To manage your projects:

Select Project and choose the project

Click on the …More option to manage your project.
Good Practice
If you created the project folder in Windows, disable the Create folder for project option when you use Project
|New | Project New.
Consider using an existing project as a template whenever you create a new project. Doing so will:
• Encourage consistency in the way you store and process your data, and in the appearance of output.
• Reduce set-up time because you won’t have to re-create data file structures, colour sets, macro files and
form sets.

Lesson 2 – 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.
Using Tabular Files

Files in Micromine
Most of the files you work with in Micromine have a tabular structure, which you’ll recognise if you’re already
familiar with spreadsheets or databases.
An example of a typical Micromine data file is shown above. Each record of this file contains a sample number
and the associated gold, silver, and copper, amongst other assay values.
Micromine uses several types of tabular files. The main types 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 the same structure could have any of these extensions.
The main reason for having the different extensions is so you can group similar files in a project. For example,
geological data is often stored in data files; contour strings and other string type data is stored in string files; and
survey information from total stations or theodolites is stored in survey files. You can also arrange files into project
subfolders for greater clarity.
Micromine also uses some non-tabular file types, for example, grid surfaces, annotations, and wireframes,
however it handles their creation and management for you.
You 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 in the file and the order in which they are
stored.
Field Types
Micromine supports four different field types: Character, Numeric, Binary number, and Formatted. The content
of your data will determine the field type, for example:

• Alphabetic (letters only) and alphanumeric (letters and numbers) are generally held in a Character field.
• Data that’s essentially numerical with occasional special characters such as laboratory codes should be held
in a Numeric field.
• Data that is exclusively numerical should be in a Binary number field.
• Dates, times, and colours should be in a Formatted field.
Binary number fields
Binary and numeric fields both hold numerical data. A Binary number field stores a number using binary zeroes
and ones that are not human readable, whereas a Numeric field stores readable text that represents that number.
Binary number fields usually have better numerical accuracy, may reduce file size and may produce noticeable
speed improvements over Numeric fields. Micromine supports the following binary number types:
• Real
• Float
• Long integer
• Short integer
Real and Float fields may optionally be formatted using significant digits instead of decimals, which is useful for
data whose magnitude can vary by several orders of magnitude.
Ideally, all numerical data should be stored in a Binary number field. However, binary numbers cannot contain
the character codes e.g. “LNR”) and below detection values e.g. “< 0.05” used by assay laboratories. These codes
are known as numeric exceptions. The following rules will be applied if you add data containing numeric
exceptions to a Binary number field:
• Blanks stay as blanks.

• Character codes e.g. “LNR” become blanks.
• Below detection values e.g. < 0.05) are automatically multiplied by 0.5 and that value is stored instead.
• Above detection values e.g. > 10000) are multiplied by 1.01 and that value is stored instead.
The data will not be altered in any way if it is held in a Numeric field, making this field type ideal for assay
information.
Binary data ranges
Micromine supports several binary number field types, and it is important to choose the right type for numerical
data. This decision has two parts:
• Does the data contain decimal values?

• How many digits of precision does it need?
Table 2.1 summarises the properties of binary field types. Real and Float fields can handle decimal values. The
ranges listed in the table are not relevant; what is important is the number of significant figures or digits) of
precision; Real fields have around twice the precision of Float fields. Using the wrong type won’t affect the overall
scale of a number but will affect its level of accuracy.
Table 2.1: Binary field types, sizes, and ranges

Size Significant
Type Code Range
(bytes) Figures
Real R 8 ±3.4 x 10±308 15

Float F 4 ±1.7 x 10±37 7

-2,147,483,647 to
Long Integer L 4
2,147,483,647
Short Integer S 2 -32,767 to 32,767
Long and Short Integer are integral types that cannot handle decimals. They do not use significant figures; instead
they have very specific limits on the size of numbers that can be stored, also listed in Table 2.1. Using the wrong
type can be a problem with integer fields because a Short Integer will simply ignore data beyond its limiting value
of ±32,767. When in doubt you should always use a larger field type.
Binary precision
Binary fields are not precision-limited. For example, consider a Numeric field defined with three decimals. When
you perform a calculation, the result is stored with exactly three decimals. All other decimals are discarded. The
same calculation carried out on a Real field stores the full 15 decimals of precision in the file, even if only three
decimals are displayed.
To avoid loss of precision we recommend that you make Binary duplicates of any Numeric assay fields if you
intend to derive data from them, for example for resource estimation. Using the Binary version will maintain
precision, whilst retaining the Numeric version will allow you to inspect the original detection limits and laboratory
codes.
Backward compatibility
Binary field-enabled files can only be used in Micromine 2011 and later. However, these files are easily exported
to earlier Micromine versions by using File | Convert | Convert to Text Format.
File Processing
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 from the file and performs its task.
This is a fundamental operating concept of Micromine.
The main file preparation and processing tool is the File Editor, which provides many useful features and data
processing tools.

One of Micromine’s strengths is that you can copy the contents of a file or change its structure at any time. 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 mistakenly enter new data into the copy instead of the original. To avoid this, be sure to establish
a convention that clearly defines your file naming procedures. A better alternative is to store your master data in
a geological database management system such as MICROMINE’s Geobank.
Creating a New Data File

You create a new file in Micromine using the File | New ribbon option, the New File ribbon button or the
Ctrl+N keyboard shortcut.
Options on the New File dialog give you control over the level of automation:
• For full control over the file’s structure and contents, enable Auto open file for editing.
• For complete automation, select the drop down below New and select New from Template submenu,
choose a template File, and then disable Modify new file structure and Auto open file for editing.
Creating a file involves two steps. Firstly, you define the file's name and type, such as data or string, and
secondly you define the name, type, format and width of each field column contained within it.
Defining file fields
Field Name can be up to 255 characters. Although spaces are permitted in field names you should try to avoid
using them. Best practice, unless there’s an overriding company standard, is to keep field names simple. For
example, use Sample instead of Sample No., Sample_No or Sample #.
Type can be Character, Numeric, Real, Float, Long, Short, Date, Date/Time, or Colour. Bold characters indicate
the corresponding keyboard shortcuts.
Width can be up to 255 for character or numeric fields but should be kept as short as possible without
compromising the data. Binary fields have fixed widths as listed in Table 2.1.
Decimals in numeric fields should be enough for your requirements; you gain nothing by choosing more decimals
than needed. The decimal point is counted as one character in a Numeric field, so be sure to allow for this when
you set its width. Formatting and decimals in binary numbers are only used for display.
Because you’ll be using the data set supplied as part of this course you 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

Before you begin this exercise make sure that you are in the Training project. The Micromine title bar at the top
of the screen should display Training – Micromine Training. If it doesn’t, select Project and open the Training
project that you attached earlier by clicking on the training Project and selecting Open.
To create a new collar file template:
1. Select File | New or press Ctrl+N on the keyboard.

2. Enter the following values in the top portion of the New File dialog box:

Prompt Setting
File Collar_Template
Type DATA
Title Collar Template
Auto open file for editing Enabled
Multi language content Disabled
In the workplace you’d typically disable the Auto open option unless you wanted to immediately start entering
data. However, you’ll leave it enabled for this exercise so that you can see the newly created file.
You define the file structure in the lower part of the dialog. To do this you must supply:
• The names of the fields

• The type of each field
• Optional formatting for binary number and formatted fields
• The width of each field, if not a binary number field
• For numeric, real, and float fields, the number of decimal places.
3. Enter 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, and
press Ctrl+R to replicate existing data onto the row below.
4. Click OK to create the file.
The new file will open into a File Editor window. You could now start entering values, but for this exercise you’ll
leave the file empty and close it instead.
5. Close the File Editor window by clicking the Close [ ] in the file Editor Ribbon:

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:
1. Select File then select the drop down below New. Select New from Template from the drop down
menu.
2. Enter the following values into the top half of the New File dialog:
Prompt Setting
File Test_Collar
Type DATA
Title From Template
3. Enable Current project.

4. Click the browse button in the File edit box and choose the Collar_Template file you created in Exercise
2.1.
5. Disable Modify new file structure.
6. Enable Auto open file for editing.
7. Click OK to create the new file.
Because you enabled Auto open and disabled Modify new, Micromine silently created the file instead of
requesting further input. You should only enable Modify new file structure if you wish to control the structure
of the to-be-created file.
8. Inspect the content of this new file and note that it’s the same as the original template.
9. Close the File Editor once you’re done.
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 within and across projects. In
the workplace you’d normally keep template files in a separate project, such as the one you created in Exercise
1.2.
Creating a new file directly from a dialog
An alternative way to create a new file is to use File |New (dropdown) New\Modify File. This ribbon
option creates a new file directly from the dialog without needing a template, which is especially useful
when you’re writing a macro or script. Macros are explained in more detail in MM 104 – Macros.

Modifying a File’s Structure

In Micromine you can add, delete, and change file fields at any time. If a field contains data when you delete it,
the data will also be deleted. To add fields, change their properties, or delete fields from a file, use the Modify
File function.
The Modify File Structure function is on the File Ribbon and on the File Editor Ribbon. You can also right-
click on a file field in a dialog box, as shown above, and select Modify from the menu that appears.
If you add fields to a file using Modify File, no data will be lost. However, if you delete a field that contains data,
the data will be lost.
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 func-
tions without having to close a partially completed dialog.
Exercise 2.3 Add fields to a file’s structure

This task shows you how to add new fields to a soil geochemistry file, which currently contains sample coordinates
along with analytical results for gold and silver. The new fields are needed for merging a new suite of base-metal
analyses recently received from the laboratory.
To add the new fields, do the following:
1. Select File | Open from the ribbon.

2. Select NVG_Geochem from the window that appears. If you can’t see it, make sure that Files of type is
set to DATA.
3. Click Open to open the file in the File Editor.
4. Select Modify File Structure from the File Editor Ribbon, or press F6, to display the Modify Structure
dialog.
5. Position the typing cursor in the EAST_LOCAL field and press Ctrl+I three times. Alternatively, drag a
selection from EAST_LOCAL to EAST_UTM, covering the three field names, and click the Insert
Row button on the ribbon.

6. Add the following fields to the file:
Field Name Type Decimals

Cu Float 0
Pb Float 0
Zn Float 0
7. The file structure should look like this once you have finished editing:
8. Click OK to finish the modification.

9. Micromine automatically saves the modified file so there’s no need to explicitly save it. Instead, simply
Close the file editor.
Exercise 4.4 includes an example of modifying a file by changing the properties of existing fields.
Lesson 2 Summary
This lesson has illustrated the following points:
• Most data in Micromine is stored in files with a table structure.

• When creating a file, you must give the file a name and type, and then define field names, types, lengths
and number of decimal places.
• You can use existing files as templates when creating new files. Templates can be in the current project,
another project, or a folder on a local or shared drive. Templates promote consistency and avoid having to
repeat work.

To create a new data file from scratch:
Select File | New and enter the file’s name and type, then
Optionally, enable Auto open file for editing, and
Define the structure by specifying each field’s name, type, format, width, and number of decimals.
To create a new data file using a template without your intervention:
Select File | New (dropdown) | New from Template, enter the file’s name and type, then choose
the template File.
Disable Modify new file structure.
Disable Auto open file for editing, and
Enable Use template and, and
To modify the structure of an existing file:
Select File | Modify File Structure, or

Press F6 when the file is open or
Right-click a filename on a form and select Modify from the pop-up menu, then
Change the file’s structure.
To create a new data file directly from a form:
Select File | New (dropdown) | New\Modify File, then

Type the new file’s name, and
ADD each new field name, type, width and decimals.
Good Practice
Wherever possible, use templates or form sets to create new file structures. Form sets are introduced in Lesson
3. Two options are:
• Create a set of template files and store them in a folder that has been set aside for that purpose. When
you create a file using File | New, retrieve a suitable template and use it to define the file structure.
• Create a series of file definitions using File | New (dropdown) | New\Modify File, saving each one as
a form set. When you create a file using File | New (dropdown) | New\Modify File, simply open the
appropriate form set and use it to define the file structure.

Lesson 3 – Dialogs and Forms

So far, you’ve only seen the simplest of dialogs, but as you continue to learn Micromine they will become
increasingly complex. Lesson 4 and onwards rely on your ability to work with Micromine’s dialogs, so now is a
good time to learn about the process of entering parameters.
One of Micromine’s greatest strengths is 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 AutoComplete or Autofill on your web
browser: every time you visit, say, your online banking website this utility automatically fills out the form for you,
saving you time and effort. Micromine’s forms work in much the same way.
• Systematically fill out a dialog (form)

• Use the various mouse and keyboard shortcuts to speed up the process
• Save dialog entries as form sets and recall them whenever needed.
Dialogs
Although Micromine is generally very easy to use, some advanced dialogs may contain dozens of controls arranged
in different groups. The best way to fill out such a dialog is to work through it as if you were reading down the
columns of a newspaper: from the top down, working left-to-right. In a tabbed dialog you can treat the tabs as
if they were pages of a magazine. Using this systematic approach ensures that your responses are made in the
right order, which is important because other prompts on the dialog may change depending on your earlier
choices.
Micromine includes many dialog shortcuts that maximise productivity whilst minimising effort. You’ve already seen
the right-click context menu, which is one such shortcut. Another involves the way you choose filenames,
fieldnames or embedded form set titles: whenever Micromine prompts you for a name, click the browse button
at right of the box, double-click within the box, or press F3 to select from a pop-up list. With the obvious
exception of creating a new file you should never re-enter an existing name, since it’s very easy to mistype and
produce an error.
Once you choose a filename Micromine will try to select the required fieldnames, so you may not have to do this
yourself. If a numeric or binary field is selected, Micromine will also automatically calculate the minimum and
maximum values of that field.

Fill out a complex dialog by starting at the top of the left-hand column and working down and repeating for the
right-hand column.
Use Ctrl+Z and Ctrl+Y undo and redo changes.
Click it to pick it
If a filename, fieldname or form set title already exists, you should choose it by clicking the browse
button, or double-clicking in the box, instead of typing. If you prefer to use the keyboard, use the F3
shortcut.
Some dialog prompts are highlighted in a different colour, usually red. These prompts are compulsory: you must
enter a value before continuing. Other prompts may be left blank if they’re not relevant.
Form Sets
Micromine provides an elegant way to reuse dialog entries: You save them as a form set, which you can easily
recall for later reuse.
A form set contains the saved contents of a dialog. It does not include any data.

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 varies according to the context of the dialog, but in general Micromine
provides these ways to manage form sets:
• Vizex Dialogs have a combination of Forms, Save, or Save As buttons depending on how the dialog was
opened, shown on illustrations (a) and (b). Vizex is introduced in MM 102 – Displaying and Manipulating
Data.
• Filters, colour sets, and other embedded dialogs (dialogs within dialogs) use a layout consisting of Save
and Close, Save As and Forms buttons, as shown on illustration (c).
• Non-graphical dialogs that perform a calculation use the layout shown on illustration (d), with just a Forms
button. These dialogs also use Run instead of OK to indicate their non-graphical purpose.
(a) (b) (c) (d)
• Graphical windows that are not part of Vizex, such as graphs and charts, have no buttons. Instead, form
sets are accessed from the toolbar (e). The chart toolbar only appears where relevant.
(e)
Clicking the Forms button will display the Forms dialog, allowing you to save your entries with a Title of your
choice. The title can be any descriptive text, since Micromine only needs the form set’s ID Number, which must
be unique. Micromine automatically manages this number, which rarely needs changing, although you may do so
if you wish to control the ordering of form sets.
Each function keeps an independent list of form sets, avoiding duplication. For example, more than one function
could have a form set Number 1 with the title “Testing”.
Clicking the small arrow at right of the Forms button will display a small utility menu with options for managing
previously saved form sets and saving or clearing the current form.
Even if you forget to save a form set, every Micromine dialog is automatically saved to a default form set. Re-
opening a dialog will recall the default set; your entries are always available even after restarting the computer.
As soon as you change a value, however, the previous entry will be lost.
Identifying saved form sets
Once you save a dialog as a form set, its Title will appear at the top of the dialog. If you don’t see the
title, you’re not working with a saved form set! In Vizex, default or unsaved form sets are always marked
as Untitled, so you can see at a glance whether you’ve saved them.

Exercise 3.1 Explore dialogs and form sets

In this exercise you’ll display some geochemical sample locations and save the display parameters as a form set.
1. From the ribbon, select Home | Display Layers | Point.

2. Ensure the Input Data tab is active. Click the browse button in the File response and choose
NVG_Geochem 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 tries to complete as much of the form on your behalf as it can.
4. Click the Points tab to activate it, and then enable the Show Points and Use Symbols options.
5. Double-click the small blank square next to the Default symbol prompt and choose the small filled circle
 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 (NVG_Geochem.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 (NVG_Geochem.DAT) entry in the Vizex Layer Display pane, near the bottom
left of your screen, to redisplay the Point dialog.
9. Click the Save As button at the right of the dialog.
You can also right-click the Untitled (NVG_Geochem.DAT) entry in the Vizex Layer Display pane and
choose Save Form As from the pop-up menu.
10. Inspect the Save Current Values dialog and note how the form set has automatically been given the
Number 1.
11. Enter the Title Soil geochemistry, overwriting the default Untitled title, and click OK. Note how the name
Soil geochemistry now appears on the title bar at the top of the dialog.
12. Click OK on the Point dialog and note how the name in the Vizex Layer Display pane has now changed
to Soil geochemistry.

You use the same process to make additional changes to the form set: Double-click the form set in the Vizex
Layer Display pane, make the changes on the dialog, click Save, and lastly click OK.
To reuse a form set, redisplay the original dialog, click the Forms button at right, and then Open the form set.
Why use form sets?
If you plan to use the entries on a dialog more than once, you should save that dialog as a form set. The
small effort of initially creating a form set is more than compensated by the time saved in reusing it.
Form sets enable you to create libraries of Vizex display layers, consistently reuse settings for repetitive
tasks without re-entering values, and automate Micromine by writing macros. These Are all covered in
subsequent lessons or courses).
Managing and Sharing a Project’s Form Sets

Managing form sets is an important task in a mature project, and Micromine includes several tools for this purpose,
accessible via Home | Form Set Manager on the ribbon. From here you can manage, import, export,
restore form sets from a backup, and set basic form set options. The Form Set Manager (Tools | Form
Sets | Manage) gathers all project and system form sets into one location, allowing you to search for, delete,
rename and export form sets, and lock or unlock form sets to protect them from accidental changes.
For convenience you can also create form set folders to group related form sets. Form set folders are essential
in any complex project containing many form sets and are introduced in MM 102 – Displaying and Manipulating
Data.
Most of these options may also be accessed via the Forms button and its utility menu at right of any Micromine
dialog.
Lesson 3 Summary
The key points of this lesson are:
• Form sets represent the saved contents of Micromine dialogs, and are essential for speed, consistency, and
automation of repetitive tasks.
• Form sets allow you to automate the entry of settings within Micromine, much like an AutoComplete utility
on a web browser would do.
• The Form Set Manager is essential for managing form sets in a large project.
• There are numerous form shortcuts, such as the right-click menu and click it to pick it.
• Compulsory prompts are highlighted in red; you must provide a value for these before using the form. You
can change the colour under Home | Form Set Manager | Options

To fill out a Micromine dialog:
Work through the settings as if you were reading columns in a newspaper, filling out the compulsory and
optional prompts as you go.
To speed up filling out a dialog, most information is available from a list. In other words, don’t type but
click it (the browse button) to pick it.
To save a dialog as a form set:
Click Forms, followed by Save As.
To save a Vizex dialog as a form set:
Click the Save As button.
To recall a previously saved form set:
Open the relevant dialog, then

Click Forms, then locate the desired form set and click Open.
Good Practice
Anything worth doing more than once is worth saving as a form set.
For example, to import text files that all have the same format, create a form set containing the import
parameters. This will save you re-entering the import parameters every time you need to import data in the same
format.

Lesson 4 – Acquiring data

The data that describes a prospect or mine can be collected and recorded in a variety of ways. These include
survey data from GPS’s and total stations, rock sample data from geologists’ notebooks, drillhole logging data,
compass traverse notes, data files from aerial surveys and aerial photography, along with digital data in a variety
of third-party formats.
Getting this information from different formats into a project and into a coherent and useful state can be
challenging. This lesson describes some of the processes that can be used to get data into a Micromine project.
• Import a Microsoft Excel workbook and a text file into Micromine

• Merge assay results from a lab with their associated coordinates
• Import data from a GIS format (Esri Shapefile)
• Import or link to data from a database table using ODBC
• Spatially preview imported data in Vizex
• Enter tabular data using the File Editor
• Navigate records and fields in the File Editor.
Getting Data into Micromine

A person working on an exploration or mining project will typically encounter four different data sources:
• Tabular data exported from a third-party application as a Microsoft Excel® workbook or text file.
• Spatial data in a CAD, GIS or GNSS format.
• A relational database such as Microsoft Access®, SQL Server®, or Oracle®. Data within these databases
is normally managed by a geologically aware system such as MICROMINE’s Geobank.
• Non-digital data such as paper field maps or printed logs and reports.
Examples of these data types are explored in the following topics.
The Different Ways to Obtain Tabular Data

Micromine includes three different ways to get large quantities of tabular data into a project with a minimum of
effort. They are:
• Importing
• Linking
• Merging
When you import tabular data, you create a Micromine version of the source data as it existed at that moment.
The source data may be any supported tabular format, and you control which fields are written to the Micromine
target file. The data must be re-imported if the source version changes.

When you link data, you create a permanent connection to the source data, which may only originate from an
ODBC data source or Microsoft Access database. Linked data is easily refreshed to stay up-to-date whenever the
source version changes.
When you merge tabular 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 data. The source data may be a text or Micromine file.
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.
If you use Geobank Mobile to collect field data, you can exchange files in native Micromine format.
Geobank Mobile and the Micromine File Editor contain many data entry and processing functions created
specifically for geoscience data. It’s usually cheaper and more efficient to buy Geobank Mobile or use the
Micromine File Editor than to customise a non-geological spreadsheet or database application.
Importing Tabular Data

Text files and Microsoft Excel workbooks are frequently used as tabular data exchange formats within the mineral
industry, each of which has advantages and disadvantages.
The next two alternative exercises will teach you to import the analytical data briefly mentioned in Exercise 2.3,
in preparation for merging it into the existing soil geochemistry file. Alternative Exercise 4.1 uses an Excel
workbook and Alternative Exercise 4.2 a text file. They create the same target file; the best source file will depend
on your preferences or workplace scenario. Your instructor will help you to choose a method.

In Exercise 4.3 you’ll merge the imported data into the geochemistry file.
From Microsoft Excel

Although Microsoft Excel is intended for calculations it is often used for data exchange. It does have the advantage
of being understood by everyone and being installed on virtually every computer. However, because it generally
lacks type-checking or validation it is important to always validate the imported data.
Micromine treats the data in each worksheet as if it was a database table, and it must therefore be correctly
formatted. Each worksheet must contain a simple header followed by columns of consistent data, with each
column containing the same data type from top to bottom. The worst possible data is a workbook formatted to
look like a traditional paper log, with a collar description, downhole survey data, and geological logging on a
single worksheet.
The next exercise will teach you to import data from Excel.
Alternative Exercise 4.1 Import assay data from a Microsoft Excel workbook
In this exercise you’ll import the new analytical data from a Microsoft Excel workbook. To import the data:
1. Select File | Import | Microsoft Excel from the menu.

2. Click the browse button in the Source File response and navigate to the Import folder within your
training project. Select the New_Assay_Results.xlsx file and click Open.
The .xlsx extension will not be visible if Windows is set to hide extensions for known file types.
3. Click the browse ( ) button in the Sheet response and choose New_Assay_Results from the list.
4. Enter the Output File name New_Assay_Results and ensure the Type is set to DATA.
5. Enable Auto open file for editing.
6. Enable Import all fields at the top of the Fields to Import group to import all fields.
Import all fields is usually the best option unless you want to import specific fields.
7. Click Import to import the data.

8. Close the dialog and inspect the imported file and structure (F6).
9. Click Cancel to close the Modify Structure dialog once you are done.
Most elements are imported as Longs or Reals. Mo and Sb are Characters because they contain numeric
exceptions; this is normal. For safety, data containing numeric exceptions is imported as Character. In the
workplace you would Modify Mo and Sb to be Numeric fields structured to suit the data. (Remember, only Numeric
fields can retain exceptions in numerical data.)
Importing from Excel is simple and straightforward, provided the data is correctly formatted. Excel data is
imported as-is, with no validation.

From a Text File

Text files are used to transfer data in a software-independent format, and generally fall into two groups: delimited
and fixed width. A delimited file contains rows of values separated by a separator or delimiter, with each row
representing a single record. Common delimited formats are comma delimited (using commas) and tab-delimited
(using tabs). Comma-delimited files are often called comma separated values (CSV) files.
Most applications can export and import CSV files, making it a popular exchange format. A typical scenario might
involve recording field data using the built-in software on a laptop or tablet. On return to the office it would most
likely be uploaded to a Micromine project. CSV is ideal for this situation.
Fixed width files, sometimes known as column-delimited files, contain values separated into columns made up
of a fixed number of characters. Although human operators can read fixed width files more easily than delimited
files, they are generally less space-efficient than delimited files.
Importing a Text File
You import text using File | Import | Text, and the easiest way to do so is to automatically define the output
file structure. You do this by choosing Determine from Input file in the Output File Structure group, and
then using the Scan Rows or Scan File buttons to determine the structure.
The next exercise will teach you to import a text file.
Before you continue
Make sure you’re using the built-in file viewer. To ensure this is the case, select Project | Options | Editor
from the ribbon and check that Built-in is selected in the Text Viewer group.
Alternative Exercise 4.2 Import assay data from a CSV file

In this exercise you’ll import the new analytical data from a CSV file. To import the text file:
1. Select File | Import | Text from the menu.

2. Click the browse button in the Input File response and navigate to the Import folder within your
training project. Select the New_Assay_Results.CSV file.
The .csv extension will not be visible if Windows is set 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 is a column header for Sample number and the nine additional elements, Cu,
Pb, Zn, Ba, Mo, Sb, As, Hg, and Tl. Close the text viewer once you’re done.
4. Set the Format to COMMA DELIMITED.
5. Enable Field Name Header and choose One row.
This file contains no rows to ignore so there’s no need to apply any Rows To Ignore options. You can use these
options to ignore metadata, internal headings or footers in a more complex file.

Define the structure of the output file
6. Set the Output File Structure to Determine from Input file.

7. Enter the Output File name New_Assay_Results and ensure the Type is set to DATA.
8. Enter the Report file name Assay_Import.
9. Enable Auto open for editing.
10. Click the Scan File button to scan the input file and automatically determine the structure of the output
file.
Mo, Sb, and Hg will be imported as Reals, and the others as Shorts. Mo and Sb contain numeric exceptions, which
will be converted to one-half of their value on import, which is normal. In the workplace you would preserve the
original below-detection values by using the Preview option to change Mo and Sb into Numeric fields structured
to suit the data.
11. Click Run to import the data. Micromine will report hundreds of errors.
12. Dismiss the warning.
13. Right-click the Report file and select View from the pop-up menu to inspect its contents. Close the report
once you are done.
The errors are of the type Input value missing. The reason will become clear when you view the output file.
14. Right-click the Output File and select View from the pop-up menu to verify the file contents. Most of the
missing values originate from the Tl (Thallium) column.
15. Close the dialog once you are done.
Importing from a text file requires a small amount of effort to determine the file structure and configure the
import options. However, as you saw in the exercise it does offer a reasonable level of validation.
MM 102 introduces methods for exporting data from Micromine, and MM 103 covers some additional export
options.
Merging Assay Data

You added fields to the NVG_Geochem file in Exercise 2.3 to prepare that file for the merging process. It currently
contains a sample number, coordinates describing where the sample was taken, the existing precious metal
geochemical results, and new, empty fields for the new base metal suite.
In the preceding alternative exercises, you imported the additional elements into a file called New_Assay_Results.
In this task you’ll merge the new geochemical data into the existing soil geochemistry file (NVG_Geochem).
You may have noticed that the New_Assay_Results file contains another six fields for elements associated with
hydrothermal sulphide alteration. You’ll learn to handle these fields in the following exercise.
Successfully merging the records in the two files requires 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 either:
• Eliminate the duplicates, or

• Combine two or three fields in each file to form a unique key that differentiates 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 chosen and writes it to the corresponding fields in the target file.
The source and corresponding target field names must both be defined when you set up the merge operation.
However, Micromine will automatically create the target fields if they don’t already exist.
You may alternatively use File | Merge | Text to merge fixed-width text data instead of importing the text
beforehand. This method is not suitable for the CSV format and is not covered in this course.
Exercise 4.3 Merge assay data into the soil geochemistry file
In this exercise you’ll merge the new assay data into the soil geochemistry file. The sample identifiers in both
files are unique, which means you can use the field containing the sample IDs in each file as the key field for the
merge.
To merge the data:
1. Select File | Merge | Micromine from the menu.

2. Click the browse button in the Source File response and choose New_Assay_Results, ensuring the file
Type is set to DATA.
3. Repeat for the Target File response and select NVG_Geochem.
Defining the Key Field
You 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:
1. Click the Key Fields button. If the button is disabled, select the Use key fields option lower down the
dialog.
2. Click the list ( ) button for Source Field for Key # 1 and choose SAMPLE. Micromine will automatically
find the matching Target Field name.
3. Because the sample numbers consist of alphanumeric values, set the Match to CHARACTER. Close the
Key Fields dialog once you’re done.
Micromine will ignore the letter prefix of each sample number if you omit the preceding step. You only need one
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. However, Micromine
simplifies the process whenever the field names are the same in both the source and target file.
1. Click the Merge Fields button.
2. Click the small Autofill Grid button near the top right of the dialog.
3. Drag the mouse down the field list, starting with Cu and ending on Tl, to highlight the nine geochemical
fields, as shown in this screenshot. Click Select once you’re done.
Don’t select Sample; it’s already defined as the key field.
Alternatively, you can map individual source/target field pairs by clicking the list ( ) button and choosing a
Source field, then clicking and choosing the matching Target field.
Because the base-metal field names are the same in both files, Micromine automatically mapped each source
field to its target field. Later in the exercise you will see how it handled the unmapped fields.
4. Close the Merge Fields dialog.

5. Set the Match to FIRST, which will only merge the first occurrence of each key field value.
6. 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.
Running and validating the merge
1. The final stage of the process is to run the merge. Do this by clicking the Run button on the dialog box.
2. Micromine will display a report describing the results of the process. Inspect the numbers and then click
Close to dismiss it.
3. Right-click | View the three output files.
The Merge_stats file reproduces the report window, and the Unmerged and Duplicate files list any source sample
numbers that were duplicated or not merged. In this exercise there are none.
4. Right-click | Edit the NVG_Geochem file, noting the position and appearance of the new fields. Keep it
open for the next exercise.

Although the merge succeeded, the hydrothermal alteration suite is out of sequence at the end of the file, and
some of the imported fields may have been allocated the wrong data type. You’ll fix these problems in the next
exercise, which builds on Exercise 2.3.
Checking the results of a task
A useful check on any task that processes files is to right-click | View the output file or files. Any
problems will become obvious and you can re-run the task after making the necessary corrections. Report
files are considered output and should also be checked.
Exercise 4.4 Move and redefine fields in a file

In this exercise you’ll tidy up the soil geochemistry file. To do so:
1. Select File | Modify File Structure from the File Editor menu, or press F6 to modify the file.
2. Select the rows from Ba to Tl (hint: drag your mouse down the row headings at left of the file).
3. Click the Move Row(s) Up button until Ba is immediately below Zn.
4. Optionally, change the newly added fields to Floats.
5. Click OK to close the structure editor.
6. To realign the cell boundaries, click the top-left corner cell of the editor window to highlight the whole file,
and double click the cell boundary between Sample and AUAVE.
7. Close the File Editor and Merge Files dialog once you are done.
Merging: Possible Data Loss

Micromine may occasionally warn you about possible data loss during a merge. This usually happens when some
of the source fields are of a larger data type than the matching target fields. Click Continue to ignore the
message or Cancel to return to the dialog. From there you can modify the target file structure or merge
parameters.
You can sometimes ignore the warning. For example, assay results usually need fewer than seven digits of
precision; converting a REAL to a FLOAT during a merge won’t unduly affect the data. Always make this choice
with care, and when in doubt always use a larger data type.
Exercise 4.5 Label the sample locality file

Now that you know a little more about the soil geochemical data you’ll add labels for the Au1 geochemical data
to the display:
1. Open the Soil geochemistry form set by double-clicking it in the Vizex Layer Display pane near the
bottom left of your screen.

2. The Point dialog will open back on the Points tab, which is where you last left it. Switch to the Label tab
and complete it as shown here:
Prompt Setting
Show labels Enabled
Labels (first row) Enabled
Text field (first row) AU1 (click the list button)
Position Right (double-click and choose
option 13)
Angle 45 (enter the number)
Decimals 0
Text properties Calibri, Scaled, 8 Grid units
(double-click the AaBbYyZz text)
You can quickly choose the Calibri font in the Text Properties dialog by typing the letter ‘c’. Micromine will jump
directly to fonts beginning with that letter.

3. Click OK to close the Text Properties.

4. Click the Save button at the right of the Point dialog to save the changes, and then click OK to redraw
the labelled points. Your display should look like this screenshot:
Importing GIS Data

In addition to tabular data such as sample locations, drillhole information, and geochemical results, Micromine
supports numerous spatial formats from GIS (Geographic Information System), GNSS (Global Positioning System),
general-purpose mining applications and CAD (Computer Aided Drafting).
Supported formats include:
• GIS: Mapinfo TAB and MIF; Esri Shapefile, Personal and File Geodatabase; SpatiaLite; and MapGIS
• GNSS: GPS eXchange (GPX); GPS TrackMaker (GTM)
• Google Earth (KML).
• Mining: Surpac and Datamine strings
• CAD: AutoCAD DXF and DWG; Microstation DGN
Although it’s possible to display most of these formats in Vizex without conversion, in the following exercise you’ll
import topographic contours from an Esri Shapefile and convert them to a Micromine string file. Displaying GIS
data in Vizex is covered in MM 102 – Displaying and Manipulating Data.
Exercise 4.6 Import and display topographic contours from an Esri Shapefile
In this exercise you’ll import and visually verify an Esri shapefile. Although this importer has an auto-load option,
you will manually load the imported data:
1. Select File | Import | Vector (GIS/GPS) from the ribbon.

2. Ensure the Input is set to File.
3. Click the browse button in the File response and browse to the Import folder inside your project.
Choose the nvg_topo_contours.shp file and click Open.

The input Layer option only applies to multi-geometry spatial databases. It is not relevant to simple-geometry
formats like Shapefiles and native TAB files.
4. Enter NVG_Topo_Contours in the Output File name and set the Type to STRING.
5. Ensure Auto load is disabled.
Micromine will automatically fill out most of the output field names for you.
6. In the Import Attributes group, set the mode to Select and then click the Scan Attributes button.
Select both layers.
You can do this in one step by setting the mode to All.
7. Click Run to import the contour data.

8. Right-click | View the new contour file to confirm the import.
9. Close the file editor and Import Vector dialog once you’re done.
To verify the process, you’ll display the imported contours in Vizex:
1. Select Vizex | Display Layers| String from the ribbon to display the String dialog.
2. Ensure that the Input Data tab is active and the file Type is set to STRING.
3. Click the browse button in the File response and choose the NVG_Topo_Contours file. Micromine will fill
out the rest of this tab.
4. On the Display tab, set the Default colour to light brown.
5. Click the Save As button at the right of the dialog to save your settings as a form set with the Title
Topographic contours.
6. Click OK to apply the settings. Your display should now resemble the screenshot overleaf.
7. Conclude this exercise by selecting Vizex | Display Layers | Remove All from the ribbon and closing
any open files.
The last two exercises have briefly introduced Vizex, which is fully explained in MM 102 – Displaying and
Manipulating Data.
Importing or Linking Database Data Using ODBC

ODBC is an acronym for Open Database Connectivity. It’s an industry standard interface that provides access to
a variety of database applications. ODBC isn’t limited to a particular operating system or database program, but
instead allows you to see your data in the same way irrespective of the underlying software. You’re able to link
to the database of your choice simply by installing the database drivers on your computer.
Database drivers are usually installed whenever you install a database product. If your organisation uses
Micromine 64-bit, you should obtain 64-bit drivers to avoid compatibility problems. Alternatively, you can
temporarily switch to Micromine 32-bit to import data from an ODBC source without a 64-bit driver.
Setting up a new ODBC connection involves creating a Data Source Name (DSN). There are three types of DSN
and choosing between them may seem complex at first. However, they differ only in their degree of visibility to
the rest of the users on your computer or network. You need only create the DSN once; from then on you re-use
it each time you reference the database.

The three types of DSNs are:
• User, which is local to your computer and is accessible only to you.
User DSN: One user on one com-

puter. Not available to other users.
• System, which is local to a computer and is shared by all users of that computer.
System DSN: Available to all users

on one computer.
• File, which is shared among all users on a network. It’s neither user-dedicated nor local to an individual
computer.
File DSN: Available to

all users on a
network.
On most computers, the User and System DSN’s are grouped under the category Machine Data Source.
In Micromine you can use an ODBC connection in two ways: you either import the data or link to the database.
When you import, Micromine creates a snapshot of the data. The files created in the Micromine project are
ordinary data files, the same as those you might create yourself. Because of this the newly created files are
independent of the database and can be used even if the connection to the database is lost. However, you must
re-import the data if anything in the database changes.
When you link to an ODBC database, Micromine maintains a connection to that database. This means that if
anything changes within the database you can refresh your link by right clicking its name on any dialog that
references it and choosing Reload Link from the pop-up menu. If you rely on multiple ODBC links, you can use
File | Link | ODBC Link Update to refresh them all. However, your access to the data will be lost if the
connection to the database fails. Additionally, the underlying database controls the structure of linked data, so
you can’t modify or edit the linked version.
You’ll connect to an Access database and import an example table in the next two exercises. In the workplace
you would usually create an ODBC link via File | Link | ODBC so that Micromine always has access to up-to-
date data from your company’s database. However, because you may need to edit this file later, you’ll import the
data instead.

Exercise 4.7 Create an ODBC data source

In this exercise you’ll create a user DSN to connect to the training Access database, which contains drilling data.
This step only needs to be done once; from here onwards, you can simply reuse the data source when needed.
This exercise will fail if you don’t have the right database drivers installed. However, the imported data is
optional and may be safely omitted.
1. Enter odbc in the Windows search box.

2. Choose the ODBC Data Sources option that matches the database driver’s architecture (64-bit).
3. On the User DSN tab, click Add...
4. Select Microsoft Access Driver (*.mdb, *.accdb) and click Finish.
5. On the ODBC Setup dialog, enter Training as the Data Source Name.
6. Click the Select button and navigate to C:\MmData\Training\Import.
7. Select MMI_Drillhole_Data.mdb and click OK three times.
Exercise 4.8 Import Data from an Access Database
You’re now ready to import the table(s), which you must do every time you update your Micromine data from the
source database.
1. In Micromine, select File | Import | ODBC and click the Select Data Source button.
2. Switch to the Machine Data Source tab, choose the Training database, and click OK.
3. The Select Table dialog lists the available tables; select the Collar table and click OK.
4. Fill-out the remaining prompts on the dialog as shown below:
Prompt Setting
Target File NVG_Collar_Import
Determine structure Selected
Fields to Import > Select all Enabled
Preview Enabled
5. Click Import. The contents of the Collar table will be previewed. If you need to change the structure of
the target file you can do so here.
6. Click OK. Micromine will import the contents of the Collar table from the MS Access database, reporting the
total number of records.
7. Dismiss the message box, and then confirm the import by right-clicking the Target file and choosing
View from the pop-up menu.
8. Close the file and Import ODBC dialog once you’re done.

In the workplace, your database administrators would normally manage your data sources and, as a user, you
would rarely need to create one yourself.
Controlling the Structure of the Imported File

There are three ways to control the structure of the imported database table. In the preceding exercise you
selected Determine Structure, and Micromine scanned the contents of the table to determine the optimal data
structure for the new file. Alternatively, if you select Use Database Structure Micromine will use the structure
of the table to create the new file. And lastly if you select Use Current Structure Micromine will force the data
to fit into the existing target file.
Manually Entering Data

Micromine’s File Editor is an excellent data entry tool that provides many tools for quickly entering spatial and
drillhole data. For example, by defining a series of rules you can enter drillhole collar coordinates and downhole
sample data with just a few 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 ribbon has a collection of basic functions for importing, exporting and merging data, sorting and validating
files, and performing field-based calculations.
Micromine files are displayed in a familiar grid layout. You navigate up and down through the file by using the
keyboard up and down arrow keys, as well as Page Up and Page 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
field with the mouse. To create a new record, press Enter at the end of the file.
The File Editor supports standard Windows shortcuts for editing text:
• Ctrl+C (Copy)
• Ctrl+X (Cut)
• Ctrl+V (Paste)
By using these shortcuts, you can easily transfer blocks of data between Micromine and a spreadsheet application
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 which are summarised in Table 4.1. Refer to the lesson summary for a complete list of shortcuts.
Table 4.1: File Editor keyboard shortcuts
To… Keyboard Menu Button

Increment contents Records |
Ctrl+A
to the cell below Increment | One
Set Increment value Ctrl+Shift+I Records | Increment =

Increment last Records | Increment last

numeric component numeric component
Copy contents to the Records |
Ctrl+R
cell below Replicate | One
Operate on multiple
Ctrl+T Records | Execute | One
fields to record below
Define execution Records |
Ctrl+Shift+P
parameters Execute | Parameters
Records |
Delete records Ctrl+D
Delete Records
Insert blank records Ctrl+I Records | Insert Records
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
ribbon button if you prefer to use the mouse instead of the keyboard.
Exercise 4.9 Use the File Editor’s data entry tools

You’ll put some of these tools to work. This exercise always refers to the keyboard shortcut for each function, but
you can also use the ribbon if you prefer to use the mouse. The corresponding button icon is always shown. Refer
to Table 4.1 or the lesson summary to convert between keyboard shortcuts and ribbon buttons.
Enter data into a single field
1. From the main Micromine menu, select File | Open and open the Example_Assay file. Alternatively, click
the Open button.
2. Scroll to the bottom of the file and select (click) the last HOLE value, which should read T17.

3. Press Ctrl+A ( ). Observe how Micromine creates a new record, recognises that the text T17 contains a
numeric part, increments that part by one, and places the new value into the new record.
4. Now press Ctrl+R ( ) four or five times. Each time you choose this command it replicates the T18 value
to the record below.
5. Select (click) the first blank FROM value in your new T18 hole and enter 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 this:
That was quick, but it would be better if you could perform all actions at once. Fortunately, there is a way.
Enter data into multiple fields
1. Press Ctrl+Shift+P ( ) to display the Execute Parameters dialog. You use this dialog to define a
separate action for each field in the file. Once they’re defined, you can apply them all at once.
2. The HOLE field on the Execute Parameters dialog should already be selected, but if it isn’t, click it to select
it.
3. Click the Replicate button. Note how Micromine changes the Action for the HOLE field from IGNORE to
REPLICATE.
4. The SAMPLE field is now automatically selected, so just click the Increment button. When the Increment
dialog appears, leave the value set to 1 and click OK.
5. The FROM field now becomes the selected field. Although it’s tempting to set an increment value here,
there’s a much smarter way to handle this field: click the Copy button instead.
6. When the Copy Field dialog appears, select TO from the list and click OK. This will take the TO value from
the previous record and copy it into the FROM field in the current record.
Copying the previous TO value into the FROM field is an excellent way to ensure that your interval data
has no gaps or overlaps. Even if you manually edit a TO value, the next FROM value will always be
correct.
7. With the TO field selected, click the Increment button and set the increment value to 4. Your Execute
Parameters dialog should now look like this:

8. Click OK to close the Execute Parameters dialog.

9. Select the last T18 value in the HOLE field and press Ctrl+A ( ). This will start a new hole.
10. Manually enter a SAMPLE number of S00001, a FROM of 0 and a TO of 4. Your file should now look
something like this:
Before you can use the execution parameters you must always have a starting record containing actual
values. The cursor must also be somewhere in this record before creating any new data.
11. Press Ctrl+T ( ) and observe the result: the rules are all applied at once. Press Ctrl+T a few more times
to add more records. Your file should now look like this:
If you know how many records you need to add (you might be drilling a series of 100 m Reverse
Circulation holes, for instance), you can scroll to the end of the file, press Ctrl+Shift+T, and type the
number of new records into the Execute Many dialog.
Calculator
You use the Calculator, via the two following options, to quickly perform calculations ranging from simple algebra
to complex data manipulation:

• File | Fields | Calculate (Expression) for macro automation

• The Calculations (expression) button on the File Editor ribbon
for interactive calculations.
To define a calculation, choose a file and then write the calculation. Expressions are like equations that use
natural language to define a relationship between one or more file fields, constants, functions and operators. In
other words, you would write the expression 1+2 to calculate one plus two.
The result can be written to a new or existing field. Each expression in a calculation occupies a separate row in
the dialog, and a toolbar provides options for adding, removing, and moving calculation steps:
The following exercises introduce some simple expressions; for more information, including a getting started
guide, please refer to the online help.
Exercise 4.10 Use the File Editor Calculator

In this exercise you’ll calculate the INTERVAL lengths of the records you just added to the Example_Assay file.
You’ll also overwrite the interval lengths for the existing records.
1. Click the Calculations (Expression) button near the right-hand end of the File ribbon.
2. Right-click in the Input row and choose Edit Expression from the pop-up menu.
3. In the Variables group, expand the Fields list and double-click the [TO] field. Note how it now appears in
the Expression Editor.
4. Click once within the expression editor and press the minus (-) key.
5. Back in the Fields list, double-click the [FROM] field. Your expression should now read:
[TO]-[FROM]
6. Click the Check button at right of the dialog, followed by OK, to add it to the calculation.
7. Click the Result list ( ) button and select the INTERVAL field. The dialog should resemble this screenshot:
8. Enable Overwrite result field.

9. Click Run to perform the calculation.
10. Keeping the Expression Calculate dialog open, move it to one side so you can see the interval lengths.
Exercise 4.10 Calculate sample midpoint depths

Now you’ll calculate the mid-point of each interval to illustrate a slightly more complex calculation. The mid-point
is simply the average of TO and FROM.

1. Right-click in the Input row and choose Edit Expression.

2. Modify the expression so that it reads:
([TO]+[FROM])/2
This expression combines an addition and a division in one statement that reads naturally: add TO and FROM,
and then divide the result by two.
3. Click the Check button, followed by OK, to add it to the calculation.

4. Enter a new Result field name: MIDPOINT.
5. Click Run to perform the calculation. You’ll be prompted to create the new field; answer Yes to create it.
Inspect the result.
6. Optionally, use the Decrease Decimals button on the File Editor ribbon to show 2 decimals.
7. Close the File Editor once you’re satisfied with the changes, answering Yes when prompted to save them.
Lesson 4 Summary
The key points of this lesson are:
• Source data for Micromine may originate from tabular data such as spreadsheet files, text files, database
tables and third-party formats, or spatial data such as GNSS data, CAD drawings or GIS layers.
• There are several ways to get tabular data into Micromine, namely linking, importing, and merging. More
than one method may suit a data type – for example, text files may be imported or merged, whereas
database tables may be imported or linked.
• You can merge analytical laboratory data into an existing Micromine file by importing the data to a
temporary Micromine file and then merging that into the destination file. An alternative technique uses the
File | Merge | Lab Data function, which is described in MG 202 – Drillholes 1.
• The File Editor understands the relationship between Hole ID’s and From-To intervals and can be much
more efficient than a spreadsheet application for entering tabular data.
• Use Calculate (Expression) to perform a calculation on a Micromine file.
To import a Microsoft Excel workbook:
Select File | Import | Microsoft Excel from the menu, then

Select the input File, and input Sheet, then
Enter an output File name, and
Choose the Fields to Import.
To import a text file:
Select File | Import | Text from the menu, then

Select the Input File and Format, and
Enable Field Name Header and choose a row option, and
Select Determine from Input file, then
Enter the Output File name and Type, and
Click the Scan File button.

To merge data from one Micromine file into another:
Select File | Merge | Micromine, then

Set the Source and Target file names, and
Define Key Fields and Merge Fields.
To calculate a value for a field:
Select File | Calculate| Calculate (Expression, then

Define the Inputs and select a Function, and
Choose a Result field or a temporary variable.
To import GIS data:
Select File | Import | Vector (CAD/GIS/GPS) Data, then

Select the input GIS file and optional Layer(s), and
Enter the output File name and field names, then
Choose an Import attributes mode and scan for the required attributes.
To import or link data via an ODBC connection:
Create or select a Data Source Name (DSN), then

Select File | Import | ODBC or File | Link | ODBC, then
Select the Table(s) and type a Target File name, and
Use the Preview option to assess the imported structure.
To install 64-bit drivers when 32-bit Microsoft Access is installed:
Refer to Microsoft Access compatibility in the System Requirements on the Micromine website.
Good Practice
If you’re importing text files that all have the same format, create a form set containing the import parameters.
This will save you re-entering parameters every time you need to import data in the same format.
Whenever you import tabular data that did not originate in Micromine, right-click and view the input file before
importing it. After importing, right-click and view the newly created Micromine file to ensure it’s correct. If not,
you can change settings and re-import without closing and re-opening the dialog.

Important File Editor shortcuts
To… Keyboard Menu Button
Cut values Ctrl+X Edit | Cut
Copy values Ctrl+C Edit | Copy
Paste values Ctrl+V Edit | Paste
Insert records Ctrl+I Records | Insert
Delete records Ctrl+D Records | Delete
Set Increment value Ctrl+Shift+I Records | Increment =
Increment last Records | Increment last

numeric component numeric component
Increment value to Records |

Ctrl+A
the cell below Increment | One
Increment value in Records |

Ctrl+Shift+A
following records Increment | Many
Copy value to the cell Records |

Ctrl+R
below Replicate | One
Copy value to Records |

Ctrl+Shift+R
following records Replicate | Many
Define execution Records |

Ctrl+Shift+P
parameters Execute | Parameters
Operate on multiple Records |

Ctrl+T
fields to record below Execute | One
Operate on multiple
Records |
fields to following Ctrl+Shift+T
Execute | Many
records

Lesson 5 – Validating Data

Validation is an essential processing task, serving two main purposes:
• To eliminate incorrect values from a file

• To enhance the consistency of the data.
Many companies use a centralised database management system (DBMS) 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 is valid
and consistent before being uploaded. In addition, the value of a resource project ultimately depends on the
quality of its data, and statutory reporting standards like JORC or NI 43-101 place a strong emphasis on properly
validated data. This requires good validation workflows. Lastly, some Micromine functions may produce undefined
results if they encounter invalid data.
• Validate fields in a data file

• Validate drillhole data comprising collar, survey and interval files.
Before you continue...
Make sure you’ve completed Lesson 2 – Working with data files.
Validating Data in a Project

Micromine supports the validation of nearly all types of codified data (with the obvious exception of fields
containing freehand comments) and performs rigorous validation of drillhole data. There are five validation
functions in Micromine:
• Validate in the Tools section of the File Editor ribbon.
• Validate under the Fields item in the File ribbon.

File | Fields | Validate from the menu
• Validation in the Drillhole menu
Drillhole | Validation | … from the menu
o Validate Drillhole
o Validate Trench
o Validate Drillhole Database
The first two options are designed to validate the contents of fields in a file, whereas the last three are designed
to validate drillhole and trench data.
Drillhole database validation is covered in MM 102 – Displaying and Manipulating Data.

Validating a Data File

You have two choices for validating fields in a file: Either File Editor | Validate or File | Fields | Validate.
With File Editor | Validate, you can only validate one field at a time, but it’s easy to use because you can
validate while you’re editing the file.
File | Fields | Validate is more powerful because it can validate any number of fields in one pass and 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 and the number of the record in
which the error was found.
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.
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 a validation check file
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 or pick list from the database. Otherwise you can
use File | Fields | Extract Unique to list all codes – including errors – that exist in the main data table.
Clearly you must correct the errors in the extracted data before using it as a check file.
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 perform character validation using a check file and numeric validation using range checking, to validate
records in the NVG_Lith_with_Error file. This file contains deliberate errors. The numeric range checking will
identify values that fall outside the range of 0 (zero) to 75.
To validate the file:
1. From the menu, select File | Fields | Validate.
The Fields Validate dialog is split into two parts: The left-hand portion controls the input, check, and report
files, and you define the validation rules in the Fields to Validate list on the right.
2. Fill in the left-hand column of the Fields Validate dialog as listed:
Prompt Setting

Input File NVG_Lith_with_Error

Type DATA
Data type DRILL HOLE
Check file NVG_Valid_Lith
Type DATA
Report file Invalid_Lith
3. Right-click the Check file NVG_Valid_Lith and inspect its contents.
The listed codes are all confirmed as being valid; therefore, any codes in NVG_Lith_with_Error that are absent
from the check file will be recorded as invalid. Description and frequency are not needed here.
Data type: GENERAL vs. DRILL HOLE
Both data types validate in the same way; only the way in which errors are reported changes. If you use
the GENERAL data type, errors are reported as being on LINE x of the input file. If you use DRILL HOLE,
errors are reported as being on LINE x, HOLE y, FROM a TO b.
4. Now, set up the Fields to Validate list as shown here; press Enter to create the second row:
When you enable Case Sensitive, values in the file you’re validating must match the case of your check file or
they’ll be recorded as invalid. For example, ANDS would be different to ands or Ands.
5. Click the Run button on the dialog to run the process, and dismiss the Errors were detected message box.
6. The Fields Validate window will disappear, leaving the Report Viewer docked at the bottom of the
window.
7. Double-click a record in the Report Viewer. This will take you to the matching record in the Input File,
which you can correct if necessary:

8. Close the file and Report Viewer window once you are done.
Validating Drillhole Data

The drillhole validation function (Drillhole | Validation | Validate Drillhole) detects many different errors
and inconsistencies in collar, downhole survey, interval and event files, which are assigned a severity level to
indicate the seriousness of each error. 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 files and the relevant fields, as
illustrated below. For example, it checks for missing holes by listing the hole IDs it finds in each file and then
checking to see if any are missing from any of the other files.
Hole ID Collar
Coordinates
Total Depth File
Hole ID Survey
Survey Depth
Azimuth/Inclination File
Hole ID Interval Event

From/To or Depth File(s) File(s)
Drillholes: Validating Deviation

When you validate drillhole deviation, Micromine compares consecutive survey orientations, flagging any
differences that exceed the valid change threshold as potential errors. You can define this threshold in two
different ways:
• By independently checking the inclination and apparent azimuth

• By validating the normalised deviation in 3D
Check inclination and azimuth independently is easy to understand and apply. Changes in the apparent
azimuth are influenced by the inclination and become smaller as the hole gets steeper, reaching zero when
the hole is vertical. This eliminates errors caused by spurious azimuth changes in near-vertical holes. Because the
valid change threshold is applied equally, irrespective of the distance between successive surveys, this method is
best used when your surveys are at regular intervals.
Check deviation in 3D accounts for the distance between consecutive surveys, adjusting the threshold to suit
the survey interval, making it more robust with unevenly spaced surveys. It assesses the combined
inclination/azimuth change as a true 3D angle.
Max 3D deviation is measured in degrees per unit of length. For example, suppose you surveyed a diamond
drillhole at 30 metre intervals, and the drillers guaranteed a maximum deviation between surveys of 1.5°. Then
the max 3D deviation is 1.5 divided by 30, or 0.05 degrees per metre.
Drillholes: Validating Multiple Downhole Files

You must perform a separate validation run for each interval or event file using the same collar and downhole
survey file in each case. For example, if you have interval files for assay, lithology, and oxidation, you must do
three separate validation runs, using a different file each time.
Alternatively, you can validate all files in one pass using Drillhole | Validate | Drillhole Database. Creating
and validating a drillhole database is explained in MM 102 – Displaying and Manipulating Data.

As you can see, drillhole data undergoes comprehensive testing. You should always validate drillhole data to
ensure trouble-free use in later processes.
Exercise 5.2 Validate drillhole data

To validate the drillhole data, do the following:
1. Select Drillhole | Validation | Validate Drillhole from the ribbon.

2. Ensure the Collar File tab is active and make the following entries:
Prompt Setting
File NVG_Collar
Type DATA
Hole field [Automatic]
Easting, Northing, Z field [Automatic]
Total depth field [Automatic]
3. Switch to the Survey File tab and make the following entries:
Prompt Setting
Use Survey File Enabled
File NVG_Survey
Type DATA
All other fields... [Automatic]
Azimuth correction [Blank]
Apply to 1st azimuth Disabled
4. Enter the following on the Interval File tab:
Prompt Setting
Use Interval File Enabled
File NVG_Assay_with_Error
Type DATA
All other fields... [Automatic]
5. There are no event files to validate, so skip the Event File tab.

6. Lastly, set the following options on the Report tab:
Prompt Setting
File DH_Valid
Check for missing intervals Enabled
Allow zero length intervals Disabled
Check for holes missing from survey file Enabled
Check for holes missing from interval file Enabled
Check for holes missing from event file Disabled
Check collar locations Disabled
Check deviation in 3D Not selected
Check maximum deviation Not available
Check inclination and azimuth Selected
Check inclinations/apparent azimuths Enabled
Check sample interval lengths Disabled
Valid inclination/azimuth change 5/5
Max 3D deviation (deg/m) Not available
Max interval length Not available
Grade field Not available
7. Click OK. You’ll receive a message saying, There were X errors found. These errors are written to the
Report File and will be shown in the Report Viewer when you click OK to dismiss the message box.
8. Inspect the report file and note the errors, along with their severity (STATUS). The file begins with some
downhole survey errors caused by consecutive surveys deviating by more than 5°.
These errors could consist of valid data and it’s entirely up to you to determine whether corrections are required.
For this exercise you’ll assume they’re valid.
9. Scroll to the bottom of the file and double-click the last record.
You’ll be taken to the matching record in the NVG_Assay_with_Error file, where you can see the offending interval.
If this were a real project, you’d insert the missing data, but for the remainder of the training you’ll use an
alternative file, NVG_Assay, that contains no errors.
10. Close the file and Report Viewer in preparation for the next exercise.
How did Micromine know the right field names?
You probably noticed that Micromine knew the names of the fields in the drillhole files. You can set the
fieldnames that Micromine allocates to dialog prompts by selecting Project | Options | Form Sets from
the back page and switching to the Defaults tab. Here you can enter the fieldnames you use at your site.

Lesson 5 Summary
• To ensure consistent results you must validate data before using it.
• Validation is important for data that will be stored in a central database.
• The value of a resource project may depend on the validity of its data.
• Validation processes can be automated on sites with consistent codes.
• Drillhole data should be validated before using it in other drillhole processes.
To validate the contents of a file:
Select File | Fields | Validate, and

Select the File to be validated and the Check file, then
Define the validation rules.
To validate drillhole data:
Select Drillhole | Validation | Validate Drillhole, and

Select the Collar, downhole Survey, Interval and Event files, then
Select the desired reporting options.
Good Practice
• If you’re processing many files containing similar codes, create validation files and re-use them.
• You should always validate any new drilling data, or after importing or reading data from other systems.
Most drillhole-related problems are caused by data errors that Validate will easily identify.
• If you use multiple interval files like separate assay and lithology files, or multiple event files, you must do
a separate validation for each interval file using the same collar and downhole survey file.
• Use Drillhole | Validation | Validate Drillhole Database to simultaneously validate all files in a
drillhole database.

Lesson 6 – Filters
Micromine filters allow you to subset data of interest from a larger dataset based on a condition that you specify.
This might be useful if, for instance, you only wanted to work with drillholes completed during 2018. Most
functions have a filter option, and filters can be saved as form sets. As you’ve already seen, form sets allow you
to re-use previous settings.
After this lesson, you’ll be able to:
• Set up a filter from within a Micromine function

• Preview the filter result in the File Editor.
Why save filters as form sets?
Saving filters as form sets is essential for automation, since it permits conditional execution – in other
words, running a process only on the subset records. Automation is introduced in MM 105 – Macros.
Working with Filters

Filters are a kind of embedded form set – a form set within another dialog. Embedded form sets are always
marked on the referencing dialog with the form button. To work with filtered records instead of a complete
dataset, begin by enabling the filter option on the main dialog:
Once you enable the filter, you then edit the conditions by right-clicking or pressing F4 on the filter number.
The number is blank in the screenshot above but will appear here once you save the filter as a form set. To
choose an existing filter, click the form button at right of the filter number or press F3 and choose the form
set from the list.

Right-click to edit
You edit embedded form sets by right-clicking the form set number on the parent dialog.
The Filter Dialog
The Filter dialog is divided into three areas: groups of settings at the top and bottom of the dialog and a list of
conditions in the Filter Conditions grid. If you open a filter from within another function the filter will
automatically choose the correct filename. The rest 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 enabled, so please remember to disable it afterwards! If a filter gives you exactly everything you
don’t want, enable the Reverse filter option to invert the filter result. You should also remember to clear this
option afterwards.
Each filter condition needs three pieces of information: A Field Name, an Operator, and a Value. For example,
consider these settings:
This filter condition only accepts records with a local easting greater than or equal to 24900 and rejects records
with an easting less than 24900. The field name is EAST_LOCAL, chosen by clicking the list button, the operator
is Greater than or equal, and the value is 24900, entered by typing. Enabling the Numeric checkbox against a
binary field instructs Micromine to compare the coordinates at the full precision of the field, ignoring the displayed
decimals.
Matching Records
You preview the results of a filter by right-clicking the filename, or any fieldname, and selecting View from the
pop-up menu. Records on a white or striped background have passed the filter conditions and will be used in the

current operation, like a calculation or display. Records on a grey background did not pass the filter and will be
excluded from the operation.
You can simplify a large or complex filter result by enabling Hide Unfiltered Records from the file editor’s
Filter menu or via the pulldown menu on the Use Filtered Records button. With this option enabled,
records that do not pass the filter will be hidden altogether.
Defining more than One Filter Condition

The filter dialog allows you to define any number of filter conditions. Whenever you use 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:
You must use a filter equation or expression if a filter is too complex for a simple AND/OR combination, which is
covered in MG 201 – Surface Geology.
Using Wildcards
In addition to using Boolean operators to combine filter conditions you can also use these wildcards to catch a
variety of different values:
Table 6.1: 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 filter with multiple conditions

You’ll put a filter to work in this exercise by revisiting the geochemical point display from Exercise 4.5 and
graphically illustrating the filtered results. Your task is to create a filter to subset all geochemical samples whose
coordinates fall within the following ranges:
• 24900 – 25000E
• 15900 – 16000N
First, you need to reload the Point display you created earlier. To do this:
1. From the Vizex Layer Type pane at the top left of your screen, click the expand icon next to the
Point form set type. You’ll see a single entry, Soil geochemistry, immediately below the Point label.
2. Right-click the Soil geochemistry form set and select Edit Form from the pop-up menu. This will allow
you to edit the form before displaying it.
Now you’ll modify it to only show data falling within the coordinate ranges:
3. Switch to the Input Data tab and enable the Filter check box.
4. Right-click (or press F4) the blank filter number to edit it. The Filter dialog will appear.
5. Click the list ( ) button in the first Field Name cell and choose EAST_LOCAL from the list.
6. Set the Operator to Greater than or equal.
7. Enter 24900 into the Value cell and enable the Numeric check box.
8. Press Enter to create a new row, then repeat Steps 5 through 7 for the remaining filter conditions. Your
filter should look like the screenshot on the facing page.

HINT: Use the replicate shortcut (Ctrl+R) to copy to the cell below.
9. Set Combine Lines to And.

10. Preview the filter by right clicking the File response and choosing View from the pop-up menu. Confirm
that a small number of records are on a white or striped background. If not, then correct your filter.
11. Close the File Editor and then click Save and Close to close the filter.
12. Click OK on the Point dialog to display the filtered data:
13. Select Home | Display Layers | Remove All in preparation for the next lesson.
Filtering date values

Dates may be filtered as easily as other data, provided they are held in a proper DATE field. For example, a filter
to extract all records from the 2018 calendar year in ISO format would look like this:
DATE >= 2018-01-01 (value as text)

DATE <= 2018-12-31 (value as text)
Combine Lines = And
Be sure to write the filter conditions using the same date format as your data.
Lesson 6 Summary
• Filters are an extremely versatile way to subset only the data of interest from a larger dataset.

• Most Micromine functions have a filter option.

• Filters can be saved as form sets, allowing them to be re-used.
• Multiple filter conditions must be combined using a Boolean operator.
To create or edit a filter:
Enable the Filter option on the dialog, then

Right-click the filter number to edit it.
To define a filter condition:
Specify a Field Name, an Operator, and a Value.
To preview the filter result:
Right-click the File response and choose View from the pop-up menu, then
Observe the relationship between records on white (accepted) and grey (rejected) backgrounds.
To combine multiple filter conditions:
Set Combine Lines as desired.
Good Practice
• Saving frequently-used filters as form sets allows you to re-use them throughout your project.

MOB1102
Displaying & Manipulating
Data
MOB1000 Introduction to Micromine Origin & Beyond MOB1102 - Displaying and Manipulating Data

Table of Contents
LESSON 1 – VIZEX ..............................................................................................................................1

INTRODUCTION ............................................................................................................................................ 1
THE USER INTERFACE .................................................................................................................................... 2
Vizex Layer Types Pane ......................................................................................................................... 3
Project Explorer Pane ............................................................................................................................ 3
Vizex Layer Display Pane ....................................................................................................................... 4
The Vizex drawing order (depth testing) ................................................................................................. 4
MANIPULATING THE VIEW ............................................................................................................................... 6
Coordinate grid Settings ........................................................................................................................ 7
MANAGING MULTIPLE VIZEX WINDOWS.............................................................................................................. 8
Opening a New Window......................................................................................................................... 8
Creating a New Vizex Document ............................................................................................................. 9
RESTORING THE VIZEX WINDOW ...................................................................................................................... 9
LESSON 2 – DISPLAYING DATA ....................................................................................................... 15
ADDING LAYERS TO THE VIZEX DISPLAY ........................................................................................................... 15
Symbolising Data................................................................................................................................. 15
Point: Displaying Geochemical Samples ................................................................................................ 15
Revision: Using the Vizex Layer Types and Vizex Layer Display panes..................................................... 16
String: Displaying Property Boundaries ................................................................................................. 19
Image: Displaying an Aerial Photograph ............................................................................................... 21
Revision: The Vizex Drawing Order (Depth Testing) .............................................................................. 22
Supported Image File Formats ............................................................................................................. 23
Compressing Very Large Images .......................................................................................................... 23
GIS: Displaying Geological Polygons ..................................................................................................... 23
Completing the Picture ........................................................................................................................ 24
CREATING A PLOT FILE ................................................................................................................................ 25
SAVED VIEWS AND LAYER GROUPS .................................................................................................................. 25
Vizex Layer Groups .............................................................................................................................. 26
LESSON 3 – DRILLHOLES ................................................................................................................ 28
INTRODUCTION .......................................................................................................................................... 28
THE DRILLHOLE DATABASE ........................................................................................................................... 28
Creating a New Database..................................................................................................................... 29
Behind the Scenes: Drillhole Trajectories .............................................................................................. 29
Adding Event and Interval Files ............................................................................................................ 29
REFRESHING A DRILLHOLE DATABASE .............................................................................................................. 31
VALIDATING A DRILLHOLE DATABASE............................................................................................................... 32
Automatic Validation ............................................................................................................................ 32
Manual Validation ................................................................................................................................ 32
DISPLAYING DRILLHOLE DATA ....................................................................................................................... 33
Displaying Drillhole Traces ................................................................................................................... 33
DISPLAYING VERTICAL SECTIONS.................................................................................................................... 35
The Vizex Sections Ribbon and Sections Window ................................................................................... 36

MOB1102 - Displaying and Manipulating Data MOB1000 Introduction to Micromine Origin & Beyond
Understanding Clipping........................................................................................................................ 38
The Floating Toolbar ........................................................................................................................... 39
The Display Limits Dialog ..................................................................................................................... 39
DISPLAYING AN INCLINED VIEW ..................................................................................................................... 43
The Rotate Tool .................................................................................................................................. 43
Understanding Rotation ....................................................................................................................... 43
The Display Limits Dialog ..................................................................................................................... 44
SECTION CONTROL FILES ............................................................................................................................. 45
ADDING DOWNHOLE INFORMATION................................................................................................................. 46
Creating a Text Colour Set ................................................................................................................... 48
Creating an Interval Hatch Display ....................................................................................................... 51
CREATING A PLOT FILE ................................................................................................................................ 54
LESSON 4 – SPATIAL EDITING ........................................................................................................ 60
INTRODUCTION.......................................................................................................................................... 60
The user Interface .............................................................................................................................. 60
Using the Editing Tools ........................................................................................................................ 60
The Design Ribbon .............................................................................................................................. 61
Editing Strings .................................................................................................................................... 62
Creating New Strings (or Points or Polygons) ........................................................................................ 64
Snapping ............................................................................................................................................ 65
CREATING NEW FILES ................................................................................................................................. 67
Controlling the File Structure ............................................................................................................... 67
INTERPRETING GEOLOGICAL SOLIDS ............................................................................................................... 68
Naming the Interpreted Strings ............................................................................................................ 68
Interpretation Steps ............................................................................................................................ 71
LESSON 5 – DTMS ............................................................................................................................ 76
CREATING A DIGITAL TERRAIN MODEL............................................................................................................. 76
Draping Images onto DTMs ................................................................................................................. 78
Tables
Table 1.1: Gallery of Vizex Layer Types ......................................................................................................... 9

Table 3.1: Gallery of Vizex Drillhole forms ................................................................................................... 55
Table 4.1: Context edit modes .................................................................................................................... 62


Table of Contents
Sidebars
Displaying a Vizex form as a new layer .......................................................................................................... 3

Changing the properties of a display layer ..................................................................................................... 4
Form sets: untitled and unsaved? .............................................................................................................. 19
Save your form sets! ................................................................................................................................. 27
Orientation, location, thickness ................................................................................................................... 36
Displaying ‘Plane of the Vein’ with the Section Tool ...................................................................................... 37
Constrained rotation ................................................................................................................................... 43
Perspective Mode and Depth Testing ........................................................................................................... 45
Hatch field vs. Colour Control ...................................................................................................................... 53
Where do new objects go? ........................................................................................................................ 61
Need a reminder to set properties? ............................................................................................................ 65
Setting the default snap status ................................................................................................................... 65
Save a mouse click: Keep the Properties window visible ............................................................................... 66
Plotting views containing wireframes ........................................................................................................... 79
Exercises
Exercise 1.1 Load a previously saved layer. .................................................................................................. 1

Exercise 1.2 Drag a file into Vizex ................................................................................................................ 3
Exercise 1.3 Use the Vizex Layer Display pane to manage the display ............................................................ 5
Exercise 1.4 Use the view tools .................................................................................................................... 6
Exercise 1.5 Set up a coordinate grid ........................................................................................................... 7
Exercise 2.1 Symbolise the geochemical points ........................................................................................... 16
Exercise 2.2 Display property boundaries .................................................................................................... 20
Exercise 2.3 Display an aerial photograph ................................................................................................... 22
Exercise 2.4 Display a geological map in GIS format .................................................................................... 23
Exercise 2.5 (Optional) Save, remove, and then reload the display ............................................................... 24
Exercise 2.6 Create a plot file .................................................................................................................... 25
Exercise 3.1 Create a new drillhole database .............................................................................................. 29
Exercise 3.2 Manually validate a drillhole database ...................................................................................... 32
Exercise 3.3 Set up a drillhole trace display ................................................................................................ 33
Exercise 3.4 Display data in cross section ................................................................................................... 41
Exercise 3.5: View drillholes in an inclined view ........................................................................................... 44
Exercise 3.6 Use a section control file ......................................................................................................... 46
Exercise 3.7 Add drillhole assay values to the trace display .......................................................................... 46
Exercise 3.8 Add drillhole lithology labels to the display ............................................................................... 47
Exercise 3.9 Create a text colour set .......................................................................................................... 48
Exercise 3.10 Add a hatch pattern to the display ......................................................................................... 51
Exercise 3.11 Create a plot file ................................................................................................................... 55
Exercise 4.1 Edit strings ............................................................................................................................ 63

Exercise 4.2 Snap to objects ...................................................................................................................... 66

Exercise 4.3 (Optional) Set up a new string file ........................................................................................... 69
Exercise 4.4 Interpret the quartz veins, making use of all available data ...................................................... 72
Exercise 5.1 Create a topographic DTM ...................................................................................................... 77
Exercise 5.2 Drape an air photo onto the DTM ............................................................................................ 78

Lesson 1 – Vizex
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 mining, CAD,
GIS, GPS 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 and draping, along with CAD and wireframing tools. Vizex also supports seamless transitions
between plans, sections and inclined views.
• Work with the Vizex user interface

• Manage Vizex Layer Types and Vizex Layer Displays
• Manipulate the view by using the zoom and pan tools.
Introduction
The Visual Explorer (Vizex) is an interactive viewing environment for all Micromine and many third-party data
types. You add data to Vizex in a few different ways: by dragging-and-dropping it, by using the Vizex Layer
Types pane to configure its appearance before loading it, or by using the Vizex Layers Display pane to change
the properties of the visible layers.
Interactive spatial editing tasks such as sectional interpretation, mine design or wireframe construction are
performed within Vizex.
Vizex has a multiple-document and multiple-window interface, which means you can simultaneously view the
same data in different windows from different directions, 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 Layers, which can easily be recalled at a later stage. This gives you
a way to quickly restore Layers without rebuilding it from scratch. Vizex display layers can be exported or plotted
to a variety of formats including 3D PDF, simplifying the process of sharing 3D data with colleagues who may not
have access to Micromine.
You’ll explore the Vizex user interface in the next exercise.
Exercise 1.1 Load a previously saved layer.

In this exercise you’ll load previously saved layers containing some example display layers.

1. Expand the Saved Layers list by clicking the expand icon to the left of the Saved Layers node. This
node is located at the top left of your screen, immediately under the ribbon.
2. Drag the Introducing Vizex saved view into the graphic display to load it.
You can read about saved layers and layer groups in Saved Views and Layer Groups at the end of Lesson 2.
3. Vizex will load a few different layers into the window and change the window extents to match those of the
saved view:
Vizex Layer
Types pane Ribbon Area
Graphic Display
Vizex Layer
Display pane
Figure 1.1: The Vizex workspace
The User Interface

Vizex consists of three main windows (Figure 1.1): the graphic display, which covers most of the screen, the
Vizex Layer Types pane, which normally docks at the left edge of the screen, and the Vizex Layer 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, float them over the graphic display,
or drag them onto a second monitor.
The Project Explorer, Properties and Sections windows appear as tabs underneath the Vizex Layer Types
pane. You’ll explore these in later lessons.

The Vizex Layer Types and Vizex Layer Display panes may be auto-hidden by clicking the Auto Hide
button at their top right-hand corners, temporarily reducing them to a small tab at the docked edge and
maximising the graphic display area. Hover the mouse over a tab to restore it to the view.
You toggle the panes by clicking the Vizex Layer Types Pane and Vizex Layer Display Pane buttons on the
windows ribbon. To close the panes, click the Close button at the top right-hand corner of each one.
There are numerous ribbons at the top of the screen, which provide a variety of tools for selecting and
manipulating data, and manipulating the view. Depending on the specific options you select, Vizex will display
different ribbon with various tools.
Vizex Layer Types Pane

You use the Vizex Layer Types pane to create or select Vizex layers to view in the graphic display. Before you
load a layer, you can modify its properties to control how it will appear in the display. Table 1.1 at the end of the
lesson illustrates the available Vizex layer types, each of which handles a specific kind of data, including virtually
all Micromine data types and many third-party file formats. You can view most of the types shown in the table
with any module configuration, but you won’t be able to spatially edit some of them without the indicated
module(s).
Displaying a Vizex form as a new layer
To display a Vizex layer type as a new layer, double-click that type in the Vizex Layer Types pane. Or,
select it from the Vizex | Display Layers Ribbon. It becomes a display layer once it is loaded.
Project Explorer Pane

The Project Explorer provides direct access to project files from within Micromine. It is almost like having an
embedded Windows Explorer and is ideal for dealing with an unfamiliar project or a project with no existing form
sets. Simply drag-and-drop files from the Project Explorer into Vizex to automatically display them with default
settings.
You can also drag supported files directly into Micromine from Windows/File Explorer, an email client, or a
compressed file archive, and drop them into the Vizex Layer Types pane, the Vizex Layer Display pane, the File
Editor, or the Script Editor. Certain file types will prompt you to choose from a collection of items, and others may
display a dialog for importing data that can’t be displayed in its native format.
Exercise 1.2 Drag a file into Vizex

In this exercise you’ll drag a Micromine file containing topographic contours into Vizex:
1. Display the Project Explorer pane by clicking the tab at the bottom of the Vizex Layer Type pane.
2. Locate the Example_Topo_Contours.STR file.
3. Using the left mouse button, drag the file into Vizex.
Vizex Display Layers versus Project Explorer

Although the Vizex Layer Types pane and the Project Explorer pane will both display data in Vizex, they have
different purposes and workflows. The Project Explorer is a convenient tool for displaying data without having
to configure it beforehand. But if you load the same data tomorrow you will lose any display settings that you
configured today. The Project Explorer can also target other windows like the File Editor and Plot Editor.
In comparison, the Vizex Layer Types pane has a more formal workflow that relies on creating, saving, and
reusing form sets. Once you save a form set, you can redisplay it at any time and instantly see your display
settings. Unlike the Project Explorer, the Vizex Layer Types pane only targets Vizex.
We recommend using the Project Explorer to display data you’re seeing for the first time or only intend to use
once, and the Vizex Layer Types pane to display data you intend to reuse on an ongoing basis. In either case you
can always save a form set for any data you decide to reuse.
Vizex Layer Display Pane

The Vizex Layer Display pane lists the currently loaded display layers, and you use it to manage those layers.
From here you can hide or show a layer, remove it, change its properties, or save it.
To show or hide a layer, simply click the checkbox alongside it. When you remove a layer by right-clicking it
and choosing Remove from the pop-up menu, or by clicking it and pressing the Delete key, it’s removed from
the graphic display and the Vizex layer Display pane. However, the form set you used to load the layer is still
available for selection in the Vizex Layer Types 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 Vizex Layer
Display pane. Alternatively, you can right-click it and choose Edit Form from the pop-up menu.
The Vizex drawing order (depth testing)

The Vizex Layer Display pane also gives you control over the order in which layers are drawn. Vizex organises
layered data in two different ways:
• In layer order, objects are drawn in order from the bottom of the Vizex Layer Display pane upwards, like
sheets of paper on a traditional light table.
• In 3D order, objects are drawn in 3D sequence from the most distant to the closest, irrespective of their
order in the Vizex Layer Display pane.

In layer order you modify the display by dragging the layers into the desired order. The bottom layer is drawn
first, the one above that is drawn next, and so on. Conversely, in 3D order the distance from each individual
object to your viewpoint determines the drawing sequence; closer objects are always drawn in front of more
distant ones.
Vizex always defaults to 3D order, but you can switch between the two modes by clicking the Toggle Depth
Testing button near the top of the Vizex Layer Display pane. The next exercise will introduce the Display
plane and the drawing order.
Exercise 1.3 Use the Vizex Layer Display pane to manage the display
This exercise will show you how to manage the graphic display using the Vizex Layer Display pane. First, you’ll
edit and save a layer’s properties:
1. Double-click the Untitled (Example_Topo_Contours.STR) layer name (or icon) to open the String dialog.
2. Switch to the Display tab and click the list ( ) button in the Colour field response, about halfway down.
Choose RL from the list.
3. Click the form button in the Colour set response and choose set number 3, which is titled NVG_TOPO
DTM Colours.
4. Click Save As, enter the Title Example Topo contours, and click OK twice to save and apply the changes.
You’ll learn more about saving and using form sets throughout the course. Now you’ll show a hidden a layer:
5. Click the check box next to the Aeromag data layer to show it. Make sure it’s visible before proceeding to
the next step.
The aeromag surface hides the other data because its values are so much larger than the topographic elevation.
You’ll fix this by changing the drawing order:
6. Right-click the Aeromag data layer in the Vizex Layer Display pane and choose Move to Bottom from
the pop-up menu. Alternatively, drag it to the bottom of the list.
Because Vizex is in 3D order, lowering the Aeromag data layer has no effect on the display! In 3D order the
spatial location of the data, not its position in the layer list, controls its appearance. You can fix this by switching
the display to layer order instead.
7. Click a blank part of the Vizex Layer Display pane, below the listed layers, to ensure there are no
selected layers. Alternatively, click the Vizex node at the top of the layer list.
8. Click the Toggle Depth Testing button near the top of the Vizex Layer Display pane to disable
depth testing.

Now everything else is visible, and the Aeromag data appears below the other layers because it’s below them in
the Vizex Layer Display pane.
And, lastly, you’ll remove a layer:
9. Select the Aeromag data layer in the Vizex Layer Display pane and press the Delete key on the keyboard
to remove it. Or, right-click and choose Remove from the pop-up menu.
10. Leave the view open in preparation for the next exercise.
Manipulating the View

Vizex provides you with a suite of interactive tools for easily viewing and manipulating your data. Many of these
tools are dedicated to manipulating the view itself, which is the focus of the next few topics.
The View Tools
The Vizex ribbon includes several tools for zooming and panning, including a zoom undo and redo memory. The
remaining buttons are introduced in Lesson 3 – Drillholes.
Exercise 1.4 Use the view tools

This exercise will introduce you to the basic view tools. First, you’ll learn to use the middle mouse button:
1. Drag with the middle mouse button to use pan mode.

2. Roll the mouse wheel to use dynamic zoom mode.
These middle-mouse-button shortcuts are always available no matter which tool is active. This is invaluable when
you’re spatially editing because you can manipulate the view without closing the current editing tool.
And now, the pan and zoom tools:
3. Click the Pan Tool and drag the mouse in the display.

4. 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.
5. Click the Previous View button to return to the previous extents.
6. Click the Pan Tool and hold the Ctrl key. Now drag the mouse vertically in the graphic display to
activate an alternative zoom.
7. With the view zoomed-in, right-click on the Example drillhole trace layer in the Vizex Layer Display pane
and choose View Selection from the pop-up menu. The view will adjust to fit the drillhole trace layer into
the screen. Note how the drillholes are surrounded by a blue rectangle, which indicates the layer is
selected.
8. Lastly, click the View All button to restore the original view.
Coordinate grid Settings

Vizex includes a variety of coordinate grid overlays. You load or change a coordinate overlay by selecting Vizex
| Grid Settings on the ribbon
Vizex normally calculates the best grid spacing to present a reasonable number of grid lines using spacing values
that increase in a 1-2-5-10 sequence. However, you can enable User-defined Line Spacing to control the
spacing yourself should you need a specific grid spacing.
Micromine ships with a variety of predefined coordinate grid settings form sets. Alternatively, you can define your
own settings as required. You’ll explore these in the next exercise. The Coordinate Grid ribbon area also
provides control over other decorations including a scale bar and orientation axes.
Exercise 1.5 Set up a coordinate grid

This exercise will take you through the process of loading a predefined coordinate grid using auto-spaced gridlines
with mE, mN, and mRL labels.
1. Click the Vizex | Grid Settings button on the Coordinate Grid ribbon.
2. Click the Forms button at right of the Coordinate Grid Settings dialog, and double-click the Dots [mE, mN,
mRL labels] form set to apply it to the dialog.
3. Inspect the contents of the Grid Settings dialog, paying attention to the Active Grids, Display Labels,
and Line Settings groups.
4. Click OK to apply the grid. Your display should look like the screenshot on the facing page.
5. Toggle the grid by clicking the Toggle Auto Working Plane button on the Vizex | Auto Grid
ribbon.
6. Select Vizex | Display Layers | Remove All to clean up in preparation for the next exercise.
7. Answer Yes if prompted to save any changes.

The grid stays visible after you select Vizex | Display Layers | Remove All because it’s a property of
the view, not 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 either be docked or floating.
Opening a New Window

There are two ways to open a new full-sized Vizex window containing the same data as the current window:
• Click the New Window on the Vizex ribbon.

• Right-click the tab at the top of the existing window and choose New Window from the pop-up menu.
Tile the windows by right-clicking the tab and choosing New Horizontal Tab Group or New Vertical
Tab Group.
Similarly, there are two ways to create a new overview window:
• Click the Overview Window on the Vizex ribbon.

• Convert an existing window to an overview window by right-clicking the tab at the top of the window and
choosing Float.
The Overview Window option creates an overview that may omit some layers to simplify the overview. You
set which layers are visible by clicking the Toggle Object Overview Window Visibility button in the Vizex
Layer Display pane toolbar.
The two window conversion options maintain the original window contents.

You predefine which layer types appear in the overview window by selecting Project | Options | Vizex,
switching to the Layer Defaults tab, and then selecting or de-selecting the desired Vizex form sets in the
Overview list.
Whenever you open multiple full-sized windows, you can use Ctrl+Tab to rapidly switch between them. This
does not apply to floating windows, which are excluded from the tab sequence.
Creating a New Vizex Document

Along with 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 Vizex | New Vizex Instance button. In addition to the new
window, you’ll also see an empty Vizex node in the Vizex Layer Display pane. You’re free to choose data for that
window. Saved Vizex form sets must, however, originate from the same project as the original window.
Restoring the Vizex window

Vizex normally opens a single window whenever you start Micromine. However, if you’ve been switching between
multiple windows it’s possible to close them all and be left with a blank Micromine screen. If this happens, you
can easily restore Vizex using one of these options:
• Click the Vizex | New Vizex Instance button. You can also use this to create a completely new Vizex
document
• Load any form set or saved view from the Vizex Layers Types pane, or
• Load any form set or saved view from the Vizex Layers Display menu.
Table 1.1: Gallery of Vizex Layer Types
Point: Point data classified by shape, colour, size and

String: Linework classified by line, colour, fill and label.
label.
Spatially editable
Spatially editable

Contour: Drawn directly from wireframes, grids or Drillhole: Drill data with many label, pattern and symbol
strings. Classified by line, label and colour. options.
Exploration module. Drillhole solids and seam correlation in Exploration module.
Pie Chart: Multivariate point data displayed as a pie

Image: Data from many source formats.
segments, classified by radius and colour.
May be aligned to any 3D orientation
Exploration module
GIS: Vector data classified by line, symbol, CAD: Drawings, polygon

colour, fill and label. Optional on-the-fly geographic-to- meshes, and 3D meshes. Source file determines
UTM conversion. appearance.
2D Seismic: With automatic gain control, vertical velocity Grid Surface: Raster data classified by colour and
adjustment and wiggle colouring. displayed in 2D or 3D.
Exploration module Display in Core. Creation in Exploration module

Wireframe: Triangulated 3D surfaces and solids with 3D Model:Mesh data from 3D modelling applications.
many display styles. Spatially editable. Source file determines appearance.
Display in Core. Creation in Wireframing & Exploration modules Surveying & Mining modules
Search Ellipsoid: Interactive 3D data search ellipsoid. Structural Trend Model: Visualisation of anisotropic
Spatially Editable. direction and 2D strength for implicit modelling.
Exploration & Resource Estimation modules. Resource Estimation & IM modules
Block Model: 3D blocks, classified by colour and label; Annotation: Labels, dimensions and callouts.
many display styles. Spatially editable.
Display in Core. Creation in Resource Estimation module. Basic in Core; advanced in Mining module
Pit Design: Benches/berms, ramps, and roads Blasthole Design: Blast patterns and holes, firing
Spatially editable. sequence, charging.
Mining module. Spatially editable. Mining module

Underground Design: Sidewalls, centrelines, ramps, Ring Design: Stope boundaries, rig placement, blasthole
declines, shafts. design, charging & stemming, blast energy.
Spatially editable. Mining module. Mining module
Polygonal Model: Alternative modelling method using 3D Volume Model: Interactively view large 3D regular
flattened 2D drillholes and sections. block models. Optional isosurface creation.
Resource Estimation module. Exploration module
Lesson 1 Summary
This lesson has covered the fundamentals of Vizex and has shown you how to work within it. Here’s what you’ve
learnt so far:
To load a saved view:
Expand the Saved View list by clicking the expand icon to the left of the Saved Views node in the
Vizex Layer Types pane, and
Double-click or drag the saved view into the graphic display, or
Right-click | Load the saved view.
To save a view:
Set up the display, then

Select Vizex | Saved Layers | Save Vizex layers from the ribbon, or
Double-click the Saved View node and choose Save from the dialog.
To display a Vizex form as a new layer:
Double-click the form type in the Vizex Layer Types pane, then
Set up the dialog and click OK to display the data.

To display a previously saved Vizex form set:
Expand the form set list by clicking the expand icon to the left of its type in the Vizex Layer Types
pane, then
Drag the form set into the graphic display, or
Double-click the desired form set to load it.
To quickly load a supported file using default settings:
Drag it into Vizex from the Project Explorer, Windows/File Explorer, an email client, or a compressed file
archive.
To hide or show a layer:
Enable or disable its checkbox in the Vizex Layer Display pane.
To change the properties of a layer:
Double-click the layer in the Vizex Layer Display pane to open its dialog, or
Right-click it and choose Properties from the pop-up menu, then
Make the necessary changes.
To save an Untitled layer as a form set:
Double-click the layer in the Vizex Layer Display pane to open its dialog, or
Right-click it and choose Properties from the pop-up menu, then
Click Save As, enter a Title, and click OK.
To remove a layer from the display:
Click the layer in the Vizex Layer Display pane and then press the Delete key, or
Right-click the layer in the Vizex Layer Display pane and choose Remove from the pop-up menu.
To switch between Layer order and 3D order:
Deselect all layers by clicking a blank part of the Vizex Layer Display pane below the listed layers, or by
clicking the Vizex node, and
Click the Toggle Depth Testing button.
To modify the display order of layers (only applies to layer order mode):
Drag the layers in the Display pane into the desired order, from the bottom up, or
Right-click a layer and choose Move to Top or Move to Bottom.
To use the middle-button mouse shortcuts:
Drag with the middle button to pan, or

Roll the mouse wheel to zoom.

To use the alternative dynamic zoom:
Select the Pan Tool and hold the Ctrl key whilst dragging vertically.
To set up a coordinate grid:
Select Vizex | Grid Settings from the menu,

Click Forms followed by Open to load a form set, or
Enter the grid parameters.
To display a new full-sized window:
Click the Windows | New Window on the ribbon, or

Right-click the tab at the top of an existing window and choose New Window from the pop-up menu, or
To display a new overview window:
Click the Windows | Overview Window button, or

Right-click the tab at the top of an existing window and choose Float from the pop-up menu, or
To create a new Vizex document:
Click the Windows | New Vizex Instance button, and

Load Vizex forms into the new window.
Good Practice
Always load Vizex forms from the Vizex Layer Types pane and change the properties of layers from the
Vizex Layer Display pane. If you try to change the properties of an Untitled layer from the Vizex Forms pane,
you risk duplicating the layer instead of changing its properties.
Use the Project Explorer to display data you’re seeing for the first time or only intend to use once, and the Vizex
Forms pane to display data you intend to configure and reuse on an ongoing basis.
Display layers that haven’t been saved as form sets appear in the Display pane as Untitled layers, whereas those
that have been saved are listed by title. You should only leave temporary, once-off layers Untitled.
Any layer worth viewing more than once is worth saving as a form set.

Lesson 2 – Displaying Data

Once you acquire and validate the data for a project, the next step is to combine the different data sets into a
multilayered display. The tasks in this lesson demonstrate how to create a display in which all data sets in the
project can be integrated.
• Classify surface geochemistry using size and colour in proportion to the values of the underlying data
• Display property boundaries as labelled polygons
• Display an aerial photograph of the area
• Create a colour set and save it as a form set
• Combine these layers into an integrated view of the project area.
Adding Layers to the Vizex Display

The view you used in Lesson 1 contained several display layers. Being able to view multiple data sets as layers
allows you to identify trends and relationships between layers and helps you to form an overall idea of the area
of interest. It will be familiar to anyone who uses a GIS (Geographic Information System). Unlike a GIS, Vizex
also displays 3D data such as drillholes in section and inclined views, although we won’t introduce that
functionality until Lesson 3.
Symbolising Data
Vizex Layer Types include many symbology options, like foreground and background colour, symbol (marker),
size (scaling), line style and pattern. Several forms support compound symbology, such as combining colour,
marker and scaling using three different attribute fields. In most cases you create a specific form set, such as a
colour set or symbol set, to define each component of your symbology. However, there are exceptions: colour
can also be read directly from a field containing appropriately formatted RGB values, and scaling is defined using
ranges or a simple equation.
The following topics and exercises introduce some of the Vizex form types and their associated symbology by
setting up an example of each. Because of Micromine’s consistent design, you’ll be able to apply the techniques
you learn here on other Vizex Layer Types.
Point: Displaying Geochemical Samples

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.
Varying the symbol colour

A colour set makes it easy to differentiate between values, regions and other objects in the display. Micromine
has many tools for creating colour sets, and because they are saved as form sets you can use them anywhere in
a project. You can even export them to other projects. This promotes consistency and saves time.

There are two types of colour sets: numeric and text. You use numeric colour sets with numerical data and text
colour sets with character data. In this lesson you’ll create a numeric colour set.
Refer to the help for information on displaying colour directly from a file field.
Varying the symbol size
Point symbol sizes in Vizex may either be fixed or scaled. Fixed symbol sizes are stated in points. They always
stay the same size regardless of the zoom level; zooming in or out therefore changes the visual relationships
between neighbouring symbols.
Scaled symbol sizes are stated in real-world units (e.g. metres). They grow larger when you zoom in and
smaller when you zoom out, preserving the visual relationships between them. This method generally produces
a better display.
Vizex has two methods for varying the size of each symbol in a Point layer: factor, which adjusts the size of
each symbol based on the values in the scaling field, and ranges, which limits the symbols to the sizes you
specify. The factor method works by multiplying the symbol sizes, either fixed or scaled by the corresponding
values in the scaling field. It takes some optional parameters (base value, minimum radius and maximum radius),
which may be needed if the original symbol is fixed-size. These are described in the help.
A natural log transform may optionally be applied, which varies the symbol sizes in proportion to the logarithms
of the original values. It is generally only needed for data with a strong positive skew, such as the assay values
of many precious metals.
Now is a good time to recap the ways to manage Vizex form sets and layers, before you begin the next exercise.
Revision: Using the Vizex Layer Types and Vizex Layer Display panes
You use the Vizex Layer Types pane to display and save Vizex forms, and the Vizex Layer Display pane to
configure or remove layers. Depending on your exact task, you do so in one of three ways:
To display a new Vizex form, double-click the required form type in the Vizex Layer Types pane. For example,
to display new strings, double-click the String type. Alternatively, select the type from the Vizex Display Layer
menu.
To display a previously saved form set, click the expand icon next to the matching form type in the Vizex
Layer Types pane to expand its list, and then drag the desired form set into the graphic display. For example,
to load the Topographic contours form set, click the next to the String type, and then drag Topographic
contours into the display.
Alternatively, you can double-click the saved form set to load it.
To change the properties of a layer already in the display, double-click it in the Vizex Layer Display pane.
Alternatively, you can right-click it in the Vizex Layer Display pane and choose Properties from the pop-up
menu.
Exercise 2.1 Symbolise the geochemical points

In this exercise you’ll use a combination of colour and size to symbolise (classify) the geochemical points according
to their gold grades.

First, you’ll reload the Soil geochemistry form set you created in MM 101:
1. If the Point list is not already expanded in the Vizex Layer Types pane, click the expand icon next
to the Point form to expand it.
2. Drag the Soil geochemistry form set into the graphic display. You’ll see the original labelled black circles in
the graphic display and the Soil geochemistry layer name in the Vizex Layer Display pane.
Next, you’ll open the Point dialog to change the properties of the layer:
3. Double-click the Soil geochemistry layer in the Vizex Layer Display pane to open the Point dialog.
4. Click the Points tab to activate it.
5. About half-way down the Points tab, click the list ( ) button in the Colour field response and select Au1
from the list that appears.
The colour field is the one whose values will determine the symbol colours. Now it’s time to create the colour set.
First you get the numerical values:
Add numerical values to a colour set
There are three ways to assign 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 its mean and standard deviation. Alternatively, you can
enter your own values into the Value column.
You’ll use RANGES mode for this exercise.
6. Right-click the Colour set response. The Edit Colour Sets (Numeric) dialog will appear.
7. Change the Decimals at the top right of the dialog to 2.
8. Click the Assign button at right to open the Assign dialog.
Because you opened this dialog from an existing form the File and Value field responses are automatically filled
in.
9. Set Calculate mode to RANGES and the Number of ranges to 5.

10. Click OK. Your dialog should look like this:

Five equal ranges are calculated. There’s also provision for values above and below these ranges, which means
the colour table contains seven entries.
Apply colours to a colour set
There are three ways to apply colours to a colour set. You can choose a palette, manually select specific colours
by double-clicking each colour swatch, or create a colour ramp. To create a colour ramp, assign colours to
specific pivot values e.g. min, median, and max), then right-click > Colour Ramp All. Micromine will smoothly
blend the colours between pivot values.
For this exercise you’ll choose a predefined palette:
1. Click the Select button in the Palette group and navigate to ColorBrewer > Divergent.
2. Locate the 07 Spectral palette and click Select.
With the colour set created, it’s time to save it:
3. Click the Save As button on the Edit Colour Sets dialog.

4. Enter Soil geochem Au1 as the colour set Title. There’s no need to change the number of the colour set;
Micromine automatically finds the next available number.
5. Click OK. Note how the title Soil geochem Au1 now appears at the top of the Edit Colour Sets dialog.
6. Return to the Point dialog by clicking Save and Close. The number allocated to the colour set will appear
in the Colour set response.
Scale the symbols
The colours are completed, so now you can scale the symbols. Begin by configuring the original symbol to use a
scaled size:
1. Double-click the Default symbol (the ) to redisplay the Select Symbol dialog.
2. Change the Size to Scaled and enter a size of 4 grid units. You may need to experiment with this number.
3. Set the symbol’s Border to Black.
4. Click OK to apply the changes.
5. Back on the Point dialog, enable the Scale group.
6. Set up the Scale options as shown here:
Prompt Setting
Default size factor [Blank]
Scaling field AU1 (click the list button)
Natural log transform Enabled
Method Factor
7. Click the Factor Values button and inspect the options on the dialog. They are not needed for this display,
so simply close the dialog once you are done.
Now that the Point layer is completed, it makes sense to save the changes for later re-use:

8. Click the Save button on the Point dialog. Micromine will save the new settings, overwriting the previous
version.
9. Click OK to close the Point dialog.
10. Lastly, select the Soil geochemistry layer in the Vizex Layer Display pane and click the Colour Legend
button to display the point colours. Your display should now resemble the screenshot overleaf.
11. Close the floating Soil geochem Au1 window once you’re done.
Form sets: untitled and unsaved?
It’s important to save form sets if you plan to use them more than once, but how do you know if they’ve
been saved? Micromine gives you three indicators:
The Title of a saved form set appears at the top of the dialog. If you don’t see the name, you’re not
working with a saved form set.
In Vizex, new and unsaved form sets are marked in the Vizex Layer Display pane as Untitled, so you can
see at a glance if you’ve saved them.
If you’ve modified a layer but haven’t saved it, the layer name will be shown in blue instead of black text.
String: Displaying Property Boundaries

Exploration and mining activities take place within properties held by the operator, with boundaries that comprise
polygonal regions of varying shapes and sizes. When drawn on a map, mineral properties are customarily labelled

with the property name, which is usually placed at the centre of each property. Linework such as this is typically
displayed using a string file.
You’ll learn to display and label property boundaries in the next exercise.
Exercise 2.2 Display property boundaries

In this exercise you’ll display a string file containing property boundaries. First, select the data and set the display
options:
1. Double-click the String form type in the Vizex Layer Type pane to open the String dialog. Or, select
Vizex |Display Layers | String from the ribbon.
2. Ensure that the Input Data tab is active, and the file Type is set to STRING.
3. Click the browse button in the File response and choose Properties.STR from the list.
Note how Micromine automatically found the right coordinate fields.
4. Switch to the Display tab and set these Line Style options:
Prompt Setting
Line field: SURVEYED (list button)
Property survey status
Line set:
(form button)
Line type: Solid
Line width: 0.13 mm (THIN)
5. Remove any Colour field and Colour set entries and set the Default colour to dark green.
6. Switch to the Polyline Labels tab and set the following options:
Prompt Setting
Label Polylines Enabled
Only display labels for
Enabled
polygons
Label Field (1) PROPERTY (list button)
Calibri Scaled 20 Grid units
Text properties
(double-click AaBbYyZz text)
Now you’ll save these settings as a form set:

7. Back on the String dialog, click the Save As button and set the Title to Property boundaries.
8. Click OK to save the form set. Note how its title now appears at the top of the String dialog.
9. Click OK on the String dialog to return to Vizex and update your display.
10. To view the boundaries in full, right-click the Property boundaries layer in the Vizex Layer Display pane
and select View Selection from the pop-up menu.
Most people use a GIS to manage their property boundaries and although you used a string file in this exercise,
in the workplace you should use the original GIS file. You’ll learn about displaying GIS data later in this lesson.
Image: Displaying an Aerial Photograph

Micromine supports a wide range of image formats from the graphics, remote sensing, GIS and CAD communities.
The next layer you’ll add to the Vizex display is an aerial photograph of the project area.
Before an image can be viewed with other Micromine data it must be georeferenced. When an image is
georeferenced it has a spatial reference that relates pixel coordinates within the image to real-world coordinates.
Minimal georeferencing information comprises the real-world X and Y pixel dimensions and the real-world X- and
Y-coordinates of the top left pixel. (Some systems use the top left corner of this pixel, whereas others use the
centroid. Micromine handles both standards.)
Figure 2.1: Parameters for manual georeferencing
There are three ways to georeference an image:
• Using existing data (preferred). Virtually all commercial and government image data is georeferenced,
and Micromine supports most georeferencing formats. This is simplest approach.
• Interactively. Identify control points in the image and enter the X, Y, and optionally, Z coordinates of
each. Micromine shows the RMS errors of each point and allows you to disable points where the error is
high.
The interactive technique allows you to georeference an image in any orientation. It will be given a
Micromine GRF file along with standard World and TAB files. Because World and TAB files cannot handle
3D georeferencing the image will appear as if projected into a plan orientation whenever one of these files
is used. 2D and 3D georeferencing are detailed in MG 201 – Surface Geology.
• Manually. Select Custom 2D from the Georeference Source list and enter the coordinates at the top-left
corner of the image, along with the X and Y pixel sizes. These parameters are illustrated in Figure 2.1.

In the next exercise you’ll use an ER Mapper ECW image with georeferencing data supplied in Micromine’s GRF
format.
Exercise 2.3 Display an aerial photograph

In this exercise you’ll drag the image into Vizex, and then configure the layer and save it as a form set:
1. Switch to the Project Explorer and double-click the Import folder.

2. Locate the MMI_Image.ecw file and drag it into Vizex.
3. Double-click the Untitled (MMI_Image.ecw) layer to display its form.
Micromine automatically loads image georeferencing information and displays the selected header in the
Georeference group, and automatically shows the Source as Micromine (GRF).
4. Inspect the contents of the Source list and note how it reports multiple available header formats.
In addition to horizontally referencing the image, this GRF file also sets its elevation to 1600 metres, which is the
average elevation of the surface topography in that area.
5. Switch to the Display tab and drag the Transparency slider to around 20%. This will stop the image
overpowering the other information in the display.
6. Ensure Interpolation is set to BILINEAR.
Bilinear interpolation ensures the image is presented smoothly even when zoomed in beyond 1:1 pixel scale.
Now, save the new layer’s settings as a form set:
7. Click Save As to save a form set with the Title Air photo. Click OK on the Save Current Values and Image
dialogs to return to Vizex.
8. Observe the result. Some of the property boundaries and geochemical samples have disappeared!
However, if you look carefully, you’ll see they are still there – they’re faintly visible below the image.
This is a plan view, essentially in 2D, so you can solve this problem by switching from 3D order to layer order:
9. Click the Vizex node in the Vizex Layer Display pane to deselect all layers. Alternatively, click a blank
part of the Vizex Layer Display pane, below the layers.
10. Click the Toggle Depth Testing button to put Vizex in layer order. Now everything is faintly visible,
below the image.
11. Right-click the Air photo layer and choose Move to Bottom from the pop-up menu. Alternatively, you
can drag it to the bottom of the layer list. The photo is now below the other layers.
Revision: The Vizex Drawing Order (Depth Testing)

In Layer order, layers are drawn in sequence from the bottom of the Vizex Layer Display pane upwards, like
sheets of paper on a traditional light table. You modify the display by moving the layers into the desired sequence
in the Vizex Layer Display pane. You normally use layer order when working on a plan or cross section.

In 3D order, objects are drawn in 3D sequence from the most distant to the closest, irrespective of their order
in the Vizex Layer Display pane. You normally use 3D order when you’re working in an inclined view.
Supported Image File Formats

Micromine supports common image formats including JP2, JPG, TIF, ECW, SID, and others. If you have an image
in an unsupported format, use a GIS application to convert it into a compatible format.
Compressing Very Large Images

Micromine handles very large images by instantly presenting a low-resolution preview and then progressively
adding detail. However, if your image is large (more than 1 GB uncompressed), converting it to JPEG 2000 (JP2)
format will allow Micromine to add detail more quickly. You perform this conversion by selecting File | Image |
Compress from the ribbon.
Compression may be lossy or lossless. Lossy compression sacrifices some image quality in exchange for a greater
reduction in file size. Ratios of 20:1 to 50:1 are common for colour images, and ratios of 10:1 to 15:1 are common
for greyscale images.
Lossless compression does not alter the image quality. However, the resulting file may be larger than for lossy
conversion. Additionally, compressing images from another compressed format like JPEG may increase the file
size, depending on the original compression settings.
GIS: Displaying Geological Polygons

Micromine supports GIS and GPS formats including Esri shapefiles and file geodatabases; MS SQL and SpatiaLite
databases; Mapinfo tables and interchange files; Google KML; GPS Exchange; and MapGIS. You can even turn
2D data into 3D data by supplying an orientation and 3rd coordinate value.
In the next exercise you’ll display geological polygons in shapefile format.
Exercise 2.4 Display a geological map in GIS format

First, set up the GIS dialog:
1. Switch back to the Vizex Layer Types pane and then double-click the GIS form type.
2. Switch to the Input Data tab and click the browse button in the File response.
3. Navigate to the Import directory and choose nvg_geology.shp.
The Layer option applies to spatial databases, which typically include multiple layer and geometry types. It is not
relevant to single-geometry data formats like ArcGIS shapefiles and MapInfo Tab files.
4. Disable Ignore attributes.

5. Ensure Orientation is set to PLAN and enter a Z value of 1600.

This will set the elevation of the data to the average topographic elevation.
6. Switch to the Polygons tab and enable Use hatch field.

7. Click the Hatch field pull-down arrow and select GEOL_CODE.
8. Click the form button in the Hatch set response and choose ArcGIS surface geology map from the list.
9. Set the Transparency to about 70%.
10. Set the Polygon Labelling Display field to GEOL_CODE.
11. Set the Text Properties to Calibri Scaled 8 Grid units italic.
12. Back on the GIS dialog, set the Label Position Method to Optimised.
Next, save the form set:
13. Click the Save As button to save a form set with the Title Surface geology.
14. Click OK on the Save Current Values and GIS dialogs to display the geology map.
Lastly, set the drawing order:
15. The geology map appears above the geochemical points and property boundaries, so drag the Surface
geology layer between the Soil geochemistry and Air photo layers.
Completing the Picture

This view is now complete, and if you inspect the Vizex Layer Types pane you’ll notice that the Point, String,
Image, and GIS form types all have an expand icon next to them, meaning they contain at least one saved
form set. Because you’ve saved these layers as form sets you can quickly reload them any time you wish to reuse
them.
You can demonstrate this by creating and then reloading a saved view.
Exercise 2.5 (Optional) Save, remove, and then reload the display
First, create a saved view:
1. Select View | Saved Layers | Save Vizex Layers from the ribbon or double click the Saved Layers
node in the Vizex Layer Types pane and select Save As.
2. Enter the Title Regional plan and click OK to save the view.
Next, remove the display layers:
3. Select Vizex | Display Layers | Remove All from the ribbon.
Lastly, reconstruct your view:
4. Expand the Saved View list in the Vizex Layer Types pane by clicking the expand icon to the left of
the Saved View node.
5. Drag the Regional plan saved view onto the graphic display, or double-click it, to open it.

Vizex has reconstructed your layers, achieving the same result as if you had individually loaded each one by
hand.
Creating a Plot File

The final step of this lesson is to create a plot file of the display, to be used in the plotting exercises later in the
course. Plot files provide a snapshot of the data as it existed at that time and are one of the methods Micromine
uses to create printed output.
Exercise 2.6 Create a plot file

To create a plot file:
1. Hide the Air photo layer to simplify the plot.
2. Click the Home | Generate | Generate Plot File button.

3. Enter the Plot file name Plan.
4. Enable Auto load and ignore the remaining responses.
5. Click OK to make the plot file.
Micromine will create a plot file and open a plot layout containing the plot data. You’ll learn more about plotting
in MM 104 – Plotting 1.
6. Close the Plot Editor window by clicking the Close button on the Plan.PEX tab.
7. Lastly, select Vizex |Display Layers | Remove All to clean up the display.
Saved Views and Layer Groups

Exercise 2.5 illustrated a typical way to use a saved view: to quickly redisplay existing layers. To get the most
from your saved views it’s best to limit each one to a specific project area or collection of related layers. For
example, you might save different views for Pit 1 and Pit 2, each showing only the data for the relevant pit, or
different views for the layers that make up your geological base map (geological polygons, faults and structural
symbols) and topographic overlay (contours, tracks and imagery). You can easily combine different views by
dragging them into Vizex or right-clicking and choosing Add from the pop-up menu.
Although you might be tempted to save a single view containing all data from every project area, and then toggle
the individual layers as needed, it’s not a good way to work. Each layer consumes memory, even when it’s hidden
or outside the current view, and loading many unused layers simply burdens your computer for no real benefit.
Saving a handful of different views gives you the same convenience without wasting your computer’s resources.
To produce a series of drillhole cross-sections that share the same data, save one view that contains the data
for all sections within the project area, and then define a series of named sections in a section control file,
as described in the next lesson. Don’t save different views for each section; although saved views do store view
orientation parameters, it’s not their main purpose.
There are two ways to save a view, by select Vizex | Saver Layers | Save Vizex View from the ribbon, or by
double-clicking the Saved View node and choosing Save As from the dialog. Whenever you save a view you
also save edit locking, snap status, depth testing, perspective, and overview visibility.

Similarly, there are several ways to load a saved view; by dragging it into Vizex, by double-clicking it, via
right-click | Load, or via right-click | Add as Group.
Vizex Layer Groups

Vizex layer groups provide another way to organise your display layers. A layer group gathers multiple layers
into a single item in the Vizex Layer Display pane, which you can then expand or contract, show or hide, or move
up and down the layer list as if it were a single layer. This is especially useful when you need to temporarily hide
multiple layers while keeping other layers visible. If you create a saved view containing layer groups, those groups
will be redisplayed when you reopen the view.
There are several ways to create a layer group, which involve right-clicking multiple selected items in the Vizex
Layer Types pane or Vizex Layer Display pane; hold the Ctrl key to select them, and then choosing an option from
the menu. The Vizex Layer Types pane includes options to Display as Group.
The right-click options in the Vizex Layer Display pane comprise Create Group, with a corresponding Ungroup.
Lesson 2 Summary
This lesson has taught you to construct a basic Vizex display, as well as create and modify colour sets. Here’s
what you’ve learnt so far:
To display a Vizex form as a new layer:
Double-click the desired form type in the Vizex Layer Types pane, or
Select the form type from the Vizex | Display Layer menu, then
Set up the display parameters and click OK.
To display a previously saved form set as a layer:
Click the expand icon next to the appropriate form type in the Vizex Layer Types pane to expand
its list, then
Drag the form set into the graphic display, or
Double-click the form set.
To change the properties of a displayed layer:
Double-click the layer in the Vizex Layer Display pane, or

Right-click the layer and choose Properties from the pop-up menu, then
Make the changes, and
Click Save, followed by OK to apply the changes.
To recognise an unsaved layer:
Inspect the layer name in the Vizex Layer Display pane, and
If it’s listed as Untitled (FILENAME) it’s never been saved, or
If it’s listed in blue text it has unsaved modifications.
To save a layer as a form set:

Right-click the layer in the Vizex Layer Display pane and choose Save Form As, or
Double-click the layer in the Vizex Layer Display pane to open its form, then
Click Save As to create a new form set or Save to overwrite an existing form set.
To create a numeric colour set:
Right-click the Colour set response on the dialog, then

Set the numerical ranges by typing or using Assign, and
Set the colours by double-clicking, selecting a palette, or by creating a ramp.
To switch between layer order and 3D order:
Deselect all layers: click a blank part of the Vizex Layer Display pane below the listed layers, or click the
Vizex node at the top of the Display pane, and
Click the Toggle Depth Testing button.
To modify the display order of layers (only applies to layer order mode):
Drag the layers in the Vizex Layer Display pane into the desired order, from the bottom up, or
Right-click a layer and choose Move to Top or Move to Bottom from the pop-up menu.
To plot a Vizex display:

Select Vizex | Generate | Generate Plot File from the menu, or
Enter the Plot file name, and
Optionally, enable Auto load.
To save a view:

Select Vizex | Save Vizex View from the menu, or
Double click the Saved View node and choose Save on the Forms dialog.
Good Practice
Because Vizex form sets are so simple to create, it’s easy to create multiple versions of the same information. For
example, you could create a String form set for topographic contours coloured by elevation, and another with the
same contour data coloured according to whether they’re index or intermediate contours.
Save your form sets!
Saving Display Layers as form sets is one of the key concepts for efficiently using Vizex. Doing this allows
you to very quickly rebuild a complex display without redefining each layer.
A simple rule is: Any layer worth displaying more than once is worth saving as a form set.

Lesson 3 – Drillholes
Lessons 1 and 2 focused on the basics of Vizex and introduced a few Vizex Layer types. Drillholes are an integral
part of Vizex and this lesson will teach you to manage drillhole data and display the holes in plan, section and
inclined views.
Vizex supports many types of down-the-hole information such as labels, hatch patterns, graphs, events, and
structures. You construct a drillhole display by adding whatever types are required. When you combine these
with other information, such as geophysical images, DTMs of topography or oxidation surface boundaries, and
polygonal geological interpretations you produce a rich and informative drillhole display.
• Create and manage a drillhole database

• Display drillhole traces and their associated down-the-hole data
• View drillholes in plan, orthogonal or oblique (transform) cross sections, and inclined views
• Work with display limits form sets and section control files
• Create a text colour set and a text hatch set.
Introduction
Micromine uses an efficient method called a drillhole database to handle the underlying data, allowing you to
easily manage all drilling data related to your project. Once you’ve created the database, simply use Vizex to
display any combination of downhole information in any view orientation. Table 3.1, at the end of the lesson,
illustrates the available Vizex drillhole forms.
This lesson will introduce 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 view 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 files containing different
components of the drillhole data.
A simple drillhole database could consist of only one data file, but a typical drillhole database uses three or more
data files related to one another by the ID of each drillhole. The files 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: Where deviation surveys have been completed, must contain survey depths and
matching azimuths/inclinations.
• Events: Contains down-the-hole data where individual records are positioned at single DEPTHs. The
database may contain as many event files as needed, e.g. structure, groundwater, oxidation, etc.

• Intervals: Contains down-the-hole data where individual records are positioned between FROM and TO
depths. The database may contain as many interval files as needed, e.g. assay, lithology, oxidation state,
stratigraphic horizon, etc.
Creating a New Database

You create a drillhole database from the ribbon (Drillhole | New | New Drillhole Database), or from Vizex.
To create a new drillhole database within Vizex, display any Drillhole form, then right-click the Database
response and select New Database from the pop-up menu.
Begin by specifying a collar file. Most modern drill data includes downhole deviation survey data, so a downhole
survey file is also needed. Together these files control the location and trajectory of each drillhole.
Behind the Scenes: Drillhole Trajectories

Most drillholes describe a curved trajectory (known in Micromine as the trace). When you construct or modify a
drillhole database, Micromine internally defines each hole by linking successive downhole surveys with a series of
3D spherical arcs (also known as the minimum curvature method). Micromine then approximates the arcs with
straight-line segments.
Micromine automatically varies the length of each straight-line segment (the trace interval) on a hole-by-hole
basis, keeping the displayed trace location within 5 cm of the true location.
Consequently, straight holes only need two points – at the collar and the end of hole. 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 you’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 the 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:
• You can refer to the drillhole database by one name instead of remembering three or more individual file
names.
• You aren’t distracted by dozens of irrelevant files – instead, only the files you added to the database are
available.
You’ll set up a drillhole database in the next exercise.
Exercise 3.1 Create a new drillhole database

In this exercise you’ll learn to build a drillhole database. The database has some errors, which you’ll manage in
the next exercise.
First, create the new database and specify the collar and survey files:

1. Select Drillhole | New| New Drillhole Database from the ribbon.

2. On the Collar File tab, click the browse button in the Collar file response and choose NVG_Collar
from the file list. Vizex will automatically fill out the rest of the compulsory prompts on this tab.
3. On the Collar Attributes tab, click the list ( ) button in Attribute field 1 and choose HOLEREF.
4. Repeat for Attribute fields 2 through 4, setting them to SECTION, DATE, and PROPERTY.
Collar attribute fields are used for labelling and filtering drillholes. You’ll learn to label drillholes in the next exercise
and to filter them in MG 202 – Drillholes 1.
5. On the Survey File tab, enable Downhole surveys.

6. Click the browse button in the survey File response and choose NVG_Survey from the list. Vizex will fill
out the remaining fields, as shown on the facing page.
The survey file contains LOCAL and UTM azimuth fields, which is normal for a resource project that uses a local
grid. Clearly you must choose the right one when creating the database. Alternatively, you can use the Azimuth
correction to convert between different north orientations without relying on duplicate fields.
Now it’s time to add the related downhole files (events and intervals):
7. Click the Event Files tab and then click the Add button.
8. A new dialog will appear; select the Event File NVG_Structures. As before, Vizex will automatically fill out
the compulsory fields.
9. Click OK. Vizex will add the file NVG_Structures.DAT to the database.

10. Now click the Interval Files tab, followed by Add.

11. Select the Interval file NVG_Assay and click OK to add it.
12. Click Add a second time and add the NVG_Lith file to the database.
You’ve now set up the files for the new drillhole database. The last step is to have Vizex validate and relate them
and then build the database.
13. Click on the Output Database tab, Enter the name Training.
14. Click OK to build the database. Vizex will scan and validate the input files, calculate the drillhole traces and
then create the database.
Refreshing a Drillhole Database

Most drillhole databases are regularly updated through the addition of new holes, merging of new assay and
downhole survey data, and correction of errors. To keep Micromine up to date you must refresh the drillhole
database whenever you change the underlying data.
To refresh a drillhole database, choose Drillhole | Refresh | Refresh from the ribbon and select the database.
Micromine will recognise that the underlying data has changed and refresh the database to match. Alternatively,
you can right-click a Vizex drillhole layer in the Vizex Layer Display pane and choose Refresh DHDB from
the popup menu.
Whenever the source data for a drillhole database includes underlying ODBC or Access links Micromine will
automatically refresh the links along with the drillhole database, ensuring the drillholes are fully updated. See
MM 101 – Micromine Basics),
If your project contains multiple drillhole databases, you can use Drillhole | Refresh | Refresh Databases to
refresh them all.

Validating a Drillhole Database

You learned to validate drillhole data back in MM 101 – Micromine Basics, where you used Drillhole | Validation
| Validate Drillhole to relate the collar and downhole survey files to one interval file, allowing you to validate
the data at that moment in time. However, drillhole databases are dynamic and each update introduces the risk
of invalidating the data.
Validation should always be an integrated part of your drillhole database update cycle, using one or both of the
following options.
Automatic Validation
Micromine provides an auto-validation option that addresses the dynamic nature of most drillhole databases,
which is accessible via Drillhole | Validation | Auto-Validate Options. This function automatically performs
the default validations you learned about in MM 101. However, you can also optionally check for missing holes
and missing intervals, as shown in this screenshot:
Manual Validation
Along with the auto-validation option Micromine provides a manual version, accessible from the ribbon via
Drillhole | Validation | Drillhole Database. This version is different from the validation you performed in
MM 101 because it validates the entire drillhole database in one pass, instead of validating individual files in
multiple passes. Think of it as a time-saving shortcut, especially for an existing database containing multiple
interval or event files.
You’ll set up drillhole database validation in the next exercise.
Exercise 3.2 Manually validate a drillhole database

To manually validate the newly created drillhole database:
1. Select Drillhole | Validation | Validate Drillhole Database from the ribbon.

2. Fill out the Drillhole Database Validation dialog as shown in this screenshot. The options are identical
to those you used in MM 101:

3. Click OK to run the validation; close the Report Viewer once done.
As with previous validation runs, Micromine opens the Report Viewer. For the most part the errors are identical
to those of the original validation; however, you’ve also discovered an unexpected error in the NVG_Structures
event file. A hole with no event file records isn’t a critical error and can be safely ignored, but you would not have
discovered it without performing this step.
Displaying Drillhole Data

Vizex displays drillhole data in the ways listed in Table 3.1 at the end of this lesson. Over the next few exercises
you’ll learn to set up a drillhole trace, along with drillhole interval labels and a drillhole interval hatch.
You’ll begin with the drillhole trace, which represents the trajectory of the drillholes.
Displaying Drillhole Traces

To display drillhole traces in Vizex, either load a Drillhole Trace form on the Vizex Layer Types pane or select
Vizex| Display Layers | Trace from the ribbon. The Trace dialog has seven tabs that you use to customise
your drillhole traces. Each tab controls one aspect of the display.
In the following exercise you’ll use the first four tabs to set some basic drillhole trace properties.
Exercise 3.3 Set up a drillhole trace display

To set up the trace display:

1. Click the expand icon next to the Drillhole folder on the Vizex Layer Types pane, and then double-
click the Trace form type. Or, choose Vizex | Display Layers | Trace from the ribbon.
2. On the Trace dialog, switch to the Input Data tab.
3. Click the browse button in the Database response and choose Training.dhdb.
4. Enable Display Trace.
With the database selected and the trace enabled you can now set some visual properties of the traces. You’ll
colour them according to their assay values, display the Hole ID at the top and drill date at the bottom of each
hole, and symbolise the collars. You’ll use a previously calculated colour set to colour the traces.
5. Set the Trace thickness to 0.60 mm (MEDIUM).

6. Enable Colour Coding and then click the browse button in the Interval file response. Note how only
the two interval files you added to the database are listed. Select NVG_Assay.DAT.
7. Click the list ( ) button in the Colour field and choose AU1 PLOT.
8. Click the form button in the Colour set and select Drillhole Au1 (deciles) from the list.
Your Trace dialog should resemble this:
9. Switch to the Hole Name tab and enable Show Hole Name.
10. Fill out the Top Label and Bottom Label groups as listed here:

Prompt Setting
Top Label > Location AUTO
Top Label > Label HOLE
Top Label > Text Properties Calibri Scaled 4 Grid units
Bottom Label > Location CENTRE
Bottom Label > Label DATE
Bottom Label > Text Properties Calibri Scaled 2 Grid units
11. Switch to the Depth tab and enable Show Hole Depth.
12. Type a space followed by a lower-case m into the Label suffix response. The text will be appended to
each end of hole depth, e.g. 102.3 m, in the display.
13. Set the Location to CENTRE.
14. Set the Text properties to Calibri Scaled 3 Grid units.
15. Switch to the Collar tab and enable Show Collar.
16. Double-click the blank Default symbol box about half way down the form, choose the large circle-dot 
symbol, and set its size to scaled 3 grid units. Click OK to apply the change.
These settings are worth reusing so you’ll save them as a form set:
17. Click the Save As button at right of the dialog and Title the new form set Simple assay display.
18. Lastly, click OK on the Save Current Values and Trace dialogs to load the traces, which should look
something like this:
Displaying Vertical Sections

The lessons you’ve completed so far have concentrated on plan views in Vizex, largely because you’ve been using
what is effectively 2D data. However, the drillhole database you just created contains true 3D data. Now is a
good time to learn about working with other view orientations before you explore the more advanced drillhole
displays.

Vizex creates each new view in plan orientation. However, a vertical section, which may be orthogonal or oblique
to the coordinate grid, is the usual way to view subsurface drillhole information. Oblique sections are also known
as transform sections in Micromine.
Setting up a vertical section requires three parameters:
• Section orientation: orthogonal or oblique, and at what azimuth.

• Location of the section plane: often called the section number. Micromine will draw the section by placing
the screen at this location.
• Thickness of the section corridor: data falling outside this corridor will be excluded from the section.
Orientation, location, thickness
Orientation, location, thickness is a useful aid for remembering the parameters for producing a vertical
section.
Micromine provides three ways to set the orientation, location and thickness of a vertical section: the Vizex |
Sections of the ribbon and associated Sections, the Vizex (Viewpoint) |Display Limits button, and via a
Section Control File.
The Vizex Sections Ribbon and Sections Window

The Vizex Sections ribbon, which is visible when you create a section contains tools for setting up and browsing
vertical sections in any orientation:
With this ribbon you can:
• Use the Define Section Tool to draw a section in any orientation (setting both the location and
orientation of the section), or
• Use the Section or Elevation box to enter the location of an orthogonal section. You use the Sections
window to set its orientation, explained below.
• Use the Move Plane tool to move the section plane smoothly through your data.
In all cases you also:
• Use the Towards Distance and Away Distance boxes to control the section thickness.
• Optionally, use the Step to define a custom step distance between sections.
• Use the Enable Clipping button to enable or disable section clipping.
The Sections window, shown overleaf, contains other tools for working with sections. It provides direct access
to the Display Limits dialog and any previously saved Display Limits form sets, and a short-cut to Standard
Sections such as PLAN or LOOKING NORTH.
The following topics explain the two main ways to use the Vizex Sections ribbon and Sections window. The
remaining tools in the Sections window are dedicated to section control files, which are introduced later in this
lesson.

Defining a section in any orientation with the Section Tool
The Section Tool gives you a quick way to define a vertical section in any orientation. Simply click the Define
Section button and drag a section line across the display. Alternatively, click the section’s start and end
points. You can optionally restrict the line to multiples of 30° or 45° by holding the Ctrl key as you drag.
When you release the mouse, Vizex will draw the section defined by the line. This tool also clips the view using
the current towards and away distances. See Controlling the thickness and Understanding Clipping for more
information on clipping.
Displaying ‘Plane of the Vein’ with the Section Tool
You can use the Define Section even when the view is already a section, making it very useful for
setting up a ‘plane of the vein’ display.
For example, to view a long section through a dipping vein, start with a plan view and drag a section
parallel to the dip direction of the vein, followed by a second section down-dip. Lastly, change the Roll to
zero via the Display Limits to correctly orientate the view.
Defining an orthogonal section with the Sections Window
To set an orthogonal orientation with the Sections window, begin by double-clicking a Standard Section such
as PLAN or LOOKING NORTH. Vizex will align the view to that orientation and automatically clip the view using
the current section location and towards and away distances.
Section (or Elevation) is enabled whenever an orthogonal view is set. Use this box to quickly change the
location of the section by typing in a new value. The box remembers previous entries, and once a section number
has been entered you can quickly access it again using the pull-down list as shown on the facing page.

If you inspect the status bar cursor coordinate after using Section (or Elevation), you’ll notice that one of the
coordinate values remains fixed based on the value you entered.
This control is not available for oblique or transform sections; you should use the Define Section tool instead.
Controlling the thickness
You set thickness of the section corridor in any view orientation with the Towards Distance and Away Distance
boxes, which remember previous settings in the same way as the Section or Elevation box. By optionally enabling
Shadow Sections , you can extend the corridor by faintly displaying the sections either side of the current
section. For safety, shadowed data cannot be edited. Once the corridor has been defined you can switch clipping
on and off by clicking the Enable Clipping button.
When Clip View is enabled you can use the Previous Section and Next Section buttons to browse through
your data:
The default step size applied by the Previous and Next buttons is equal to the total thickness of the section
corridor, which is the sum of the towards and away distances. It’s shown on the ribbon as a number in square
brackets, as illustrated above. You can use a custom step size by entering a different value in the Step box,
which will be shown without the square brackets. Delete the custom step size or re-enter the default value to
restore the default step size.
Understanding Clipping
As you’ve seen, there are many ways to define the orientation and location of a vertical section. However, you
always use the towards and away distances to define the thickness of the slice or corridor that will be displayed,
by entering values in the Towards Distance and Away Distance boxes. These values represent the thickness
of the corridor either side of the section plane, as illustrated in Figure 3.1.
Whenever you enable Enable Clipping , only the data falling within the corridor defined by the distance
values will be visible. So, if only part of a drillhole falls within the data corridor, only that part will be visible, and
the remainder of the hole will be excluded.

Figure 3.1: Clipping parameters
On the other hand, no corridor is defined if Enable Clipping is not enabled. In this case everything will be
visible and will appear as if projected against the section plane.
The Floating Toolbar

The Floating Toolbar provides another way to switch between view orientations without using the Sections
window:
You can use the dropdown to access standard views. Their function differs from the corresponding standard
sections in the Sections window because they don’t automatically apply Clip View when they are used. Instead
they take whatever default clipping settings were applied beforehand. The Plan standard view is useful for
returning to a plan view after having displayed a section.
You will need to go to the vizex ribbon to access the isometric buttons for quickly setting up an oblique and
inclined view
The Display Limits Dialog

The second way to set up a vertical section is by using the Home | Display Limits dialog, which you can access
by:

• Clicking the Display Limits button on the Home ribbon.

• Double-clicking the Display Limits node in the Sections window.
• Right-clicking in the graphic display and choosing Display Limits from the pop-up menu.
• Clicking the Display Limits on the Sections ribbon
The Display Limits dialog has three tabs, two of which are relevant to vertical sections: Orthogonal and
Transform (oblique). You can also define the thickness of section corridor on the Display Limits dialog. The
settings that are applied will depend on which tab is active when you click the OK button.
Defining an orthogonal section
The Orthogonal tab contains three main groups that allow you to vary the View Type, view Limits, and clipping
Window. The three groups are:
• 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 a value in the appropriate
Section response. The controls in this group will automatically enable or disable based on the view type.
The Minimum and Maximum values are usually set by the view itself.
• Window: controls the section corridor thickness and, optionally, the step size.
Micromine automatically enables and disables the Section responses whenever you change view
orientation.
For example, for a Plan view, only the Z Section response is enabled and the value you enter will set the
screen elevation. Similarly, for a Looking North view only the North Section response is enabled and the
number you enter will set the screen northing, or, if you’re Looking West, the Section you enter will set
the easting.

Defining an oblique (transform) section
The Transform tab allows you to define an oblique cross section, controlling orientation and location together.
You do this by entering the endpoint coordinates that define the section into the Section group; Vizex calculates
the bearing and length of the section based on those numbers. Vizex also provides a preview window so you can
see how the section will relate to the real world.
The Window group 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 Define
Section tool is a faster way to draw a transform section.
You’ll explore the section drawing tools in the next exercise.
Exercise 3.4 Display data in cross section

In this exercise you’ll set up a Looking North cross section at 15900mN, followed by a Transform section, then
return to the looking north section.
First, load a ground surface profile to provide some context for the drillholes:
1. Click the expand icon next to the Wireframe form in the Vizex Layer Types pane to expand its list
and drag the DTM (2D slice) form set into the graphic display.
Next, set up the section display using the Sections Window and Vizex Sections ribbon:
2. Click the Sections tab underneath the Vizex Layer Types pane to reveal the Sections Window.
3. Click the expand icon next to the Standard Sections node to expand the list of standard sections and
double-click LOOKING NORTH.

Vizex will switch the view to looking north orientation and apply clipping. However, the section number and
towards and away distances are set to default values that are not what you need for this display.
4. Enter the value 15900 into the Section (Elevation) box on the Sections ribbon.
5. Enter 15 for both Towards Distance and Away Distance. Micromine will apply each change as you
move off the box.
Now that the section is set up you can browse through the data:
6. Click the Next Section and Previous Section buttons to browse between sections.
Note how the value in the Section or Elevation box automatically updates each time you change section. Moreover,
the status bar at the lower right corner of the screen shows the current 3D cursor coordinate, which incorporates
the section number when the view is orthogonal.
7. Click the Plan View button on the Vizex ribbon to return to a plan view.
8. If necessary, reset the plan view by right-clicking the Simple assay display layer in the Vizex Layer
Display pane and choosing View Selection from the pop-up menu.
Lastly, create an oblique section:
9. Click the Define Section button on the Vizex ribbon and drag an oblique (transform) section at an
angle to the drillholes.
Observe how Vizex shows the section extents as you drag the mouse, as shown overleaf. When you release the
mouse, Vizex displays the transform section.
10. Click the Display Limits button under on the Sections ribbon to open the Display Limits dialog.
11. Note how the contents of the Transform tab have been filled out, and then close the Display Limits
dialog.
12. Click the Next and Previous Section buttons to browse the data. Observe how the oblique
orientation is maintained as you go.
13. Click the Move Section Plane button and drag the mouse vertically within the graphic display.

Observe how this tool allows you to smoothly move the section plane through your data instead of jumping in
regular steps.
14. Click the Plan View on the floating toolbar to return to a plan view (you may need to click in the Vizex
window to see the floating toolbar). Right-click the Simple assay display layer and choose View Selection.
Lastly, restore the Looking North view:
15. Double-click the LOOKING NORTH Standard Section to return to a cross-section view. Note that the value
in the Section (Elevation) box no longer reads 15900.
16. Click the pull-down button next to the Section (Elevation) box and choose 15900 from the list.
17. Leave the view open in preparation for the next exercise.
Displaying an Inclined View

In addition to the standard orthogonal and transform sections, you can seamlessly rotate your view to any inclined
orientation. Clipping is still available if you need it, and all editing tools are also available.
The Rotate Tool

The quickest way to view your data from any direction is to select the Vizex | Rotate Tool and drag the
view with the mouse.
If you’re in a clipped section view while rotating, the section corridor will rotate with the data, allowing you to
view your section from different angles.
To return to a standard view, just click a standard view button.
Understanding Rotation
Although the visible objects appear to move when you use the Rotate Tool , your viewing location, the camera
position) is moving around the stationary objects. It pivots around an imaginary viewpoint, which is situated near
the centre of the screen.
Most people want to rotate the view sideways or towards and away. To carry out these to actions, either drag
your mouse horizontally through the centre of the screen to rotate the view sideways, or vertically through
the centre of the screen to rotate it towards or away. The view will twist diagonally if you drag from a corner.
Constrained rotation
Pressing the X, Y, or Z key whilst rotating the view will limit the rotation to the corresponding real-world
axis. For example, pressing the Z key will rotate the data about the Z (elevation) axis.
Pressing the U, V, or W key will have a similar effect, limiting the rotation to the X, Y, and Z axes of the
screen, respectively.

The Display Limits Dialog

You normally rotate the view using the Rotate Tool . However, the 3D View tab on the Display Limits dialog
allows you precisely control the rotation parameters and then save them as a form set.
Most of the controls are beyond the scope of this training and should be left at their current values, but you may
alter the Inclination, Azimuth, and Roll values if you’d like to view your data from a specific direction. Vizex
will automatically calculate the other parameters based on your changes.
You’ll learn about inclined views in the next exercise.
Exercise 3.5: View drillholes in an inclined view

In this exercise you’ll view your drillholes in an inclined view orientation:
1. Click the Vizex | Enable Clipping button to disable clipping.
2. Select the Rotate Tool and drag the mouse in the graphic display. Observe how the view rotates
around the data.
3. Select Home | Display Limits to open the Display Limits dialog and note how the contents of the 3D
View tab have been filled out.
4. Once you finish viewing the inclined view, double-click the LOOKING NORTH Standard Section to return to
a cross-section view.
5. Click the pull-down button next to the Section (Elevation) box and choose 15900 from the list.

A useful feature of Micromine’s rotation is its ability to rotate the section corridor along with the data. With clipping
enabled, simply rotate the view and the section corridor will follow. This is very useful for checking the relationship
between drillholes and the section corridor, especially while you’re interpreting data. Interpretation is covered in
Lesson 4.
You’ll demonstrate that now:
6. Select the Vizex | Rotate Tool and drag the mouse in the graphic display.
7. As you rotate from the looking north view, observe how the section corridor, defined by a blue box, rotates
with the data. Also note how the section is highlighted as a pale blue plane.
8. Once you’ve completed viewing the section, click the Vizex | Previous View button until you return
to the looking north view on a northing of 15900. Alternatively, double-click the LOOKING NORTH standard
section and then choose 15900 from the Section (Elevation) box.
9. Leave the display open in preparation for the next exercise.
Perspective Mode and Depth Testing
Micromine’s view tools allow you to construct Vizex views in a variety of ways. Some combinations that
you might consider are:
Depth Testing : enabled for inclined views; disabled for plans and
vertical sections.
Perspective Mode : Enable to enhance inclined views using

vanishing-point perspective; disable for plans and vertical sections,
especially if you are interpreting cross-sections. Perspective mode is explained in MM 103 – Showcasing
Your Project.
Section Control Files

A section control file (SCF) provides a way to save section parameters in a standard Micromine file without
needing numerous display limits form sets. Although a detailed explanation is beyond the scope of this
introductory training, we’ll introduce some basic concepts here since they complete the selection of tools that can
be used with drillhole and related data.
The Vizex Sections window discussed above provides the tools for creating and managing section control files
and named sections:
An SCF defines the orientation, location and thickness of a section by storing those parameters within the file.
When you first save an SCF it is automatically placed within the SECTIONS subfolder within your project, which
is created if it doesn’t exist. You can create and edit SCFs in a variety of ways, either from strings, visually or
using the File Editor, offering clear advantages over the Display Limits workflow.
Sections within an SCF are known as named sections. You can use an SCF to instantly move to any named
section or browse through the sections, regardless of their orientation and thickness.
Sections in an SCF may be defined in any view orientation.

You’ll use an existing SCF in the next exercise and learn to create a section control file in MG 202 – Drillholes 1,
which is part of the Exploration course.
Exercise 3.6 Use a section control file

This exercise shows how a section control file simplifies choosing a section.
1. Ensure that the Sections window is visible.
2. Locate the NVG_Sections file and click the expand icon to reveal the list of named sections.
Alternatively, double-click it.
3. Double-click any named section to go immediately to that section.
4. Use the Previous and Next Section buttons on the Section | Ribbon to browse the sections.
5. Double-click 15900mN in the named sections list to return to that section.
6. Leave the display open in preparation for the next exercise.
This example should give you an idea of the versatility of section control files. There are many other tools for
working with SCFs, which are described in more detail in MG 202 – Drillholes 1.
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. You’ll explore some drillhole form set types in the next few exercises.
Exercise 3.7 Add drillhole assay values to the trace display

Now that you’ve set up a coloured trace display based on assay value; you’ll place some assay labels using the
same colour set:
1. Click the Vizex Layer Types tab underneath the Sections window to redisplay the Vizex Layer Types
pane.
2. Double-click the Drillhole > Interval Label form type.
3. In the Interval Label dialog, switch to the Input Data tab.
4. Click the browse button in the Database response and choose your Training database.
5. Click the browse button in the Interval file and choose NVG_Assay.DAT.
6. Click the list ( ) button in the first Label field and choose AU1 PLOT.
7. Click the form button in the Colour set and choose Drillhole Au1 (deciles).

8. Leave Width, Decimals, and Justify set to their default values:
If more than one Label Field is selected, they will appear in columns to the right or left of the drillhole
depending on the side you select.
9. Switch to the Display tab and set the label Side to RIGHT.
10. Set the Text Properties to Calibri Scaled 1 Grid unit.
11. Click Save As and save the form set with the Title Au Assay (deciles).
12. Click OK on both dialogs to load the labels.
Because the average interval length of the drillhole data is one metre, scaling the text to that height reduces the
potential for clashes with the preceding and following labels. If the text is too small, simply zoom in to enlarge it.
Exercise 3.8 Add drillhole lithology labels to the display

With the assays labelled you’ll repeat the exercise to display lithology labels.
1. Double-click the Interval Label form type a second time and switch to the Input Data tab.
2. The name of your Training database already appears in the dialog, so go directly to the Interval file
response.
3. Click the browse button in the Interval file response and choose NVG_Lith.DAT.
4. Click the list ( ) button in the first Label field and choose LITH. You have no lithological colour set at this
stage, so blank out the existing Colour set and ensure the default colour is BLACK:

5. Switch to the Display tab and set the label side to LEFT.
6. Set the Text Properties to Calibri Scaled 2 Grid units.
7. Click Save As and save the form set with the Title Lithology (black).
8. 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, you’ve created a numeric colour set that assigned numerical ranges to specific colours. You use a similar
technique to create a text colour set, which uses character codes instead of numerical 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 groups the
codes by the first n characters, or manual grouping, where you decide which codes will be gathered together.
Auto grouping is best for hierarchical codes, such as standard Geological Survey codes, where there is 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 3.9 Create a text colour set

In this exercise, you’ll create a text colour set, grouping related codes to simplify the colours. To save time, you’ll
start with the existing form.
1. Double-click the Lithology (black) layer in the Vizex Layer Display pane to open its form, and switch to
the Input Data tab.
2. Right-click the LITH Colour set response to create the colour set. The Edit Colour Sets (Text) dialog
will appear.
3. Click the Assign button at the right of this dialog.
4. Micromine automatically identifies the file and field you’re working on, so just click OK on the Assign
dialog after it appears.

Grouping and assigning codes
1. 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 your newly created groups.
2. Enable Add selected items to group.
3. Hold down the Ctrl key on your keyboard and click to select the ANDS and DACT codes from the Found
column.
4. Click the right single arrow button. Observe how the two codes now appear on a single line in the Text
column.
5. Click once anywhere below the ANDS | DACT entry in the Text column to deselect it.
6. Repeat Steps 3 through 5, this time with the FAUL and FBX codes.
7. Lastly, disable Add selected items to group and click the double right arrow to move the remaining
codes (NC, SED, and VEIN) as separate entries. Your Assign dialog should look like this:

8. Click OK to close the Assign dialog. Your newly created groups will be transferred to the Edit Colour Sets
(Text) dialog.
Choosing colours and saving the colour set
With the codes created you can now turn your attention to the colours.
1. Double-click each colour and choose a colour to represent each code group. You may optionally type in a
more descriptive Label for each group. Your finished colour set should look like this:
2. Click Save As and save the colour set with the Title Basic lithology.
3. Click Save and Close to return to Vizex. Note how the form set ID appears in the Colour set response of
the Drillhole Values dialog.
4. Do NOT click OK on the Interval Label dialog!
Creating a new form set from an existing form
You’ll use these Drillhole Value settings to create an alternative colour version of the black labels form set you
created earlier.
1. On the Interval Label dialog, click Save As.

2. In the Save Current Values dialog, observe how Vizex allocated a new form set ID and changed the title
to Copy of Lithology (black).
3. Change the Title to Lithology (coloured) and click OK.
4. Lastly, click OK on the Interval Label dialog to accept the changes.

Note how the labels on the drillholes are no longer black, the layer name in the Vizex Layer Display pane is
now Lithology (coloured), and a new form set appears under the Interval Label form type in the Vizex Layer
Types pane.
Had you not saved the Interval Label settings as a new form set, Vizex would have listed the layer name
in the Vizex Layer Display pane using 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, click Save before you click
OK.
Creating an Interval Hatch Display

The drillhole display is becoming informative, although the very narrow drillhole traces are difficult to see. You
can improve the appearance of the drillholes by placing an interval hatch along the drillhole trace.
Hatch sets allow you to place a fill pattern into any enclosed region. There are three main uses for hatch sets:
• Downhole interval hatches: lithology, oxide, etc.

• Downhole graphs: assay, recovery, etc.
• Other polygonal areas: strings containing geological interpretations, property boundaries, etc.
Micromine includes large number of hatch patterns. However, you can use any TrueType or OpenType font if you
require additional patterns.
When you set up a hatch set you independently control the pattern, foreground and background colours, symbol
size and outline of each pattern. Additionally, many Micromine functions allow you to independently control or
override the foreground and background colours.
With the Exploration module you can alternatively create a Solid Trace, which draws the drillholes as 3D cylinders
and is ideal for an inclined view or use the Drillhole Imaging form to display cylindrically-wrapped images.
Controlling the hatch width
In a drillhole interval hatch, the filled regions are rectangles extending between each FROM-TO interval, with
widths specified in real-world units. So, a hatch pattern with a width of four in a metric project is literally four
metres wide. Plotting it at 1:1,000-scale would produce a hatch width of 4 mm on the paper. You can optionally
use the contents of a numeric field to vary the hatch width.
You’ll create a drillhole hatch in the next exercise.
Exercise 3.10 Add a hatch pattern to the display

In this exercise you’ll add a geological hatch pattern to each drillhole trace, building on an existing hatch set that
has some missing patterns.
Setting up the fill patterns
First, set up the Interval Hatch dialog:
1. Double-click the Interval Hatch Vizex form type and ensure the Input Data tab is active.

2. Click the Database browse button and choose Training.

3. Click the Interval file browse button and choose NVG_Lith.DAT.
Ignore the Colour Control group – it is not needed for this exercise.
4. Switch to the Hatching tab and enable Use hatch field.

5. Click the list ( ) button in the Hatch field and choose LITH.
6. Click the Hatch set form button and select Sample downhole lithology from the list. When you return to
the Interval Hatch dialog, you’ll see the number of this hatch set in the Hatch set response.
Next, edit the hatch set and define the missing patterns:
7. Right-click the Hatch set number and choose Edit from the menu.
8. You’ll see the partially completed hatch set with code groups that were Assigned using the same
procedure as Exercise 3.9.
9. Double-click the empty hatch pattern for the NC (No core) entry to open the Fill Pattern dialog. Create a
fill using a combination of pattern and foreground, background, and border colours.
10. Repeat for the SED (Sedimentary Rocks) entry. Your hatch set should resemble this. The labels are
optional:
Lastly, save the changes as a new hatch set:
11. Click Save As to save the hatch set with the Title Basic lithology.
12. Click the New button next to the form set Number to pick up the first available number (4) instead of 51.
13. Click OK followed by Save and Close.

Hatch field vs. Colour Control
The Colour Control option allows you to override the foreground and background colours of a hatch set
and is best used whenever your categories are too simple or too complex to use a hatch set.
A typical too-simple scenario arises when you want to display values with different colours using the same
hatch pattern. Here you would use a single Hatch along with a Foreground colour set.
A too-complex scenario might arise when many rock types are subjected to many alterations. Instead of
creating a hatch set containing all possible rock/alteration combinations, create a rock type Hatch set and
use a Foreground colour set to overprint the alterations.
Choosing a size and position for the hatch display
If you inspect the Side list, you’ll see that Vizex only provides options for LEFT and RIGHT. Fortunately, there is
an easy way to centre the hatch.
1. Leave the Side set to LEFT.

2. Set Offset distance to –2, Hatch width to 4, and Border to 4 SIDES.
3. Enable Draw at right-angles to trace.
Lastly, save as a form set and then display the Interval Hatch settings:
4. Click Save As on the Interval Hatch dialog and save a form set with the Title Drillhole lithology.
5. Click OK to return to Vizex. Your display should look like this:
Offsetting the value labels
If you zoom in on a drillhole you’ll notice some unfortunate side-effects of the hatch layer: it overlaps the interval
values and the drill trace is still visible in the middle of it. To improve the display, you need to make two more
changes:
• Offset the two interval label layers so that they aren’t overlapped by the hatch pattern.

• Switch the display to layer order mode.
First, offset the interval labels:
1. Double-click the Au assay (deciles) layer to open its dialog, and switch to the Display tab.
2. Enter an Offset distance of 2 for the Labels group.
3. Enter an Offset distance of 2 for the Ticks group.
4. Click Save followed by OK to save the form set and update the display.
5. Repeat the Steps 1 through 4 for the Lithology (coloured) layer.
Now, switch the display to layer order:
6. Click the Vizex node in the Vizex Layer Display pane to deselect all layers. Alternatively, click a blank
part of the Vizex Layer Display pane, below all listed layers.
7. Click the Toggle Depth Testing button to put the display into layer order mode.
Note how the drill traces, which were originally visible down the centre of the hatch, have disappeared as shown
here:
8. Zoom in on a drillhole and observe how the label ticks stop exactly at the edge of the hatch polygons.
9. Restore the view by right clicking the Drillhole lithology layer in the Vizex Layer Display pane and
choosing View Selection from the popup menu.
10. Keep the display open in preparation for the next exercise.
Creating a Plot File

The final step in your work with drillholes is to create a plot file of the cross section, to be later used in the plotting
exercises along with your plan plot.

Exercise 3.11 Create a plot file

1. Click the Vizex | Generate | Generate Plot File button.

2. Enter a Plot file name of 15900mN. Don’t change any of the other responses.
3. Click OK to make the plot file.
4. Micromine will create a plot file and open a plot layout of the plot data.
Naming the plot file with label text, such as 15900mN, will make it easier to automate the plot title, which
you’ll learn in MM 104 – Plotting 1.
5. Close the Plot Editor by clicking Close on the 15900mN.PEX tab.

6. Lastly, select Vizex | Display Layers | Remove All from the ribbon to clean up the display.
The lessons and exercises you’ve covered so far are a preamble to sectional geological interpretation, which is
covered in Lesson 4.
Table 3.1: Gallery of Vizex Drillhole forms
Trace: Trajectory of the holes, displayed as simple Solid Trace: Cylindrical solids along the hole trace,
or colour-coded line, with collar and end-of-hole with colour and scaling options.
symbology and labels. Exploration module.
Interval Hatch: Rectangular bars positioned Event: Downhole data at set DEPTHs, with
relative to the hole trace, with various patterns and symbology options including rotation and scaling.
widths

Interval Label: Labelled FROM-TO data.

Graph: Various presentation techniques for
Multiple fields may be placed either side of the
numerical downhole data such as recovery,
hole trace, individually coloured.
mag sus, etc.
Seam Correlation: Links seams between holes.

Oriented Structure: Shows true/ app. dip from
Also used for fence diagrams.
oriented diamond core (alpha/beta). Stratigraphic Modelling module.
Exploration module.
Imaging: Cylindrical solids along the hole trace,

with wrapped imagery.
Exploration & Mining modules.
Lesson 3 Summary
This lesson has taught you to manage and display drillhole data. You’ve worked with various kinds of downhole
data, such as interval labels and hatch patterns. Additionally, you’ve seen how to view data in cross section and
inclined view orientations, and how to set up text colour and hatch sets.
To create a drillhole database:
Select Drillhole | New | New Drillhole Database from the ribbon, or

Open a Drillhole Vizex form, then

Right-click the Database response and choose New Database from the popup menu, and
Enter the database name, and
Select the file names.
To refresh a drillhole database:
Select Drillhole | Refresh | Refresh from the menu, or

Right-click the Database response on a Drillhole dialog and choose Refresh Database from the popup
menu, or
Select Drillhole | Refresh | Refresh All to refresh multiple databases.
To validate a drillhole database:
Select Drillhole | Validation | Auto-validate options and enable the necessary auto-validation
options, or
Select Drillhole | Validation | Validate Drillhole Database or Drillhole | Validation | Validate
Drillhole \Trench to manually validate it.
To display a Drillhole form type:
Double-click the Trace form type in the Vizex Layer Types pane, then
Select the Database and
Set up the display parameters.
To view an orthogonal section using the Sections window and toolbar:
Select the Standard Section from the Sections Window to set the orientation, then
Enter the Section (Elevation), Towards Distance, and Away Distance on the Section ribbon to set
the location and thickness, and
Optionally set the Step value.
To view a transform (oblique) section using the Section Tool:
Use the Vizex | Define Section to drag an interactive section, which will simultaneously set the
orientation and location, whilst
Optionally holding the Ctrl key to limit the section orientation to multiples of 30° or 45°, then
Enter the Towards and Away Distances to set the thickness, and
To view an orthogonal section using Display Limits:
Open the Vizex | Display Limits dialog, then

Choose a View Type to set the orientation, then
Enter the Section number to set the location, then
Enter the Towards and Away values to set the thickness, and

To change view orientations:
Click a Vizex | View Point to set the orientation.
To create an inclined view:
Select the Rotate Tool , and

Rotate the view into an inclined orientation.
To return to a standard view:
Click a Vizex | View Point to set the orientation
To add downhole data to a drillhole display:
Double-click a Label, Hatch, Graph, Event, or Structure form type in the Vizex Layer Types pane, then
Select the Database, and
Set up the display parameters.
To create a text colour or hatch set:
Right-click the Colour set or Hatch set response, then

Use the Assign button to list the available codes, then
Set the colours or patterns.
To centre a hatch pattern along a drillhole trace:
Set the Offset to minus one-half of the Hatch width.

Select Vizex | Generate | Generate Plot File from the ribbon
Name the Plot file in a way that could be used as literal label text, and
Optionally, enable Auto load.
Good Practice
The standard views on the View Vizex ribbon are different from the standard sections on the Sections Window.
Choosing a standard view only changes the view orientation, taking whatever default clipping and towards/away
distances were set beforehand, whereas choosing a standard section always applies clipping. Use View Vizex
ribbon, particularly Plan, to reset the view without applying clipping, and use the standard sections to view a
new section orientation.

Use drillhole hatches to emphasise downhole variations. You can add as many hatches as needed, for example
for lithology, groundwater, oxidation state, each of which would be offset from the others for clarity, to produce
an informative 3D graphic log. Optionally, use a numeric field to control the hatch width.
It’s common for Micromine projects to contain many plot files. You can automate the process of titling plots if
you name the files with text that could appear on the plot title, for example a file name of 15900mN representing
the section at 15900mN. This technique is covered in MM 104 – Plotting 1.

Lesson 4 – Spatial Editing

Much of the information in a mineral project is spatial data that you create through the process of spatial editing.
Geological examples include heads-up air-photo or geophysical interpretations and sectional drillhole
interpretations. In engineering spatial editing is most often used for planning and design.
• Use the Vizex Layers and the design tools

• Move and copy a string
• Insert, delete, and snap points
• Create a new string file for a sectional interpretation
• Create and name polygons within that string file
• Interpret geological shapes using both fact and interpretation.
Introduction
Vizex contains a suite of tools for editing many form types. With these tools you can create points, lines, and
polygons; smooth and simplify strings; define gradients and curves; drape strings 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. A range of CAD tools provides advanced editing options.
The user Interface

You access the spatial editing tools through the Design ribbon. In addition to the ribbon, Vizex provides many
context-editing modes where the exact function depends on the object under the mouse cursor. There is also a
right-click context menu that contains additional tools.
Using the Editing Tools

There are three ways to begin editing, which depend on your preferences and the task at hand. They are:
• Edit an existing object
Activate the Select Tool , click the object, and then make some changes to it. For example, you could
move a point.
• Add something 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 Vizex Layer 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 something to it

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 objects go?
New objects are always added to the active layer. If you haven’t chosen 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.
You can change more than one layer at a time. Edited layers are marked with an asterisk (*) in the Vizex Layer
Display pane, but the files aren’t saved until you save or attempt to remove or refresh them. Micromine provides
a few ways to save your edits, which also depend on your preferences and the task at hand.
The different ways to save files are:
• Right-click an edited layer in the Vizex Layer Display pane and choose Save or Save As from the pop-
up menu.
• Click an edited layer in the Vizex Layer Display pane to highlight it, then choose File | Save or File
| Save As from the ribbon, or press Ctrl+S.
• Select File | | Save | Save All from the ribbon, or press Ctrl+Shift+S, to save all edited files.
If you forget to save your work, you’ll be prompted to save when you remove or refresh an unsaved layer.
However, we recommend that you always explicitly save each file.
The Design Ribbon

The Vizex spatial editing tools are all available on the Design ribbon. For information on the various tools, consult
the help links in the lesson summary.
Vizex Layers
• Select Active Layer pull-down list: Allows you to set an editable layer as the active layer or create a new
editable layer on-the-fly.
• Active layer: Provides an alternative way to set an active layer.
Design Ribbon (create, selection and edit mode)
• Enable Snapping: Toggle snapping on and off; set snapping to object, point, line, grid or intersection.
• Between Tool: Toggle the creation of points between two mouse clicks. Use with Snap Mode to snap
between two points.
• Insert Mode | Insert Points: Toggle the insertion of points into existing strings.
• New Points: Draw new points.
• New String: Draw a new string, which may be open or closed.
• New Polygon: Draw a new closed string.

Editing Strings
During a spatial editing session, the edit mode changes according to whether your mouse pointer is above a point
or a string, and whether that string is already selected. You also control the edit mode by holding the Ctrl key.
Vizex gives you visual feedback on the selected editing mode by changing the shape of the mouse pointer.
Table 4.1: Context edit modes
(1) (2)
Mouse Over… Key Editing Function Cursor
Nothing (New/Extend None New/extend
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
(1) Italicised editing functions apply when string is not yet selected; the remaining functions apply to selected strings.
(2) Cursors are only shown for editing modes. Selection modes (italicised) use the standard Windows cursor.
Some edit modes, for example extending, closing or reversing a string, are available from the right-click context
menu. Like the context editing modes, the functionality changes according to what you’re doing at the time. Table
4.1 summarises the mouse context edit modes.
Many edit modes are only accessible when the Select Tool is active.
You use three main tools to control most of the editing process:
• New Points/String/Polygon: Begins 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.
• Enable Snapping (Snap Mode): Enables and disables Snap Mode. Press the S key to toggle snapping
from the keyboard.

The Enable Snapping pull-down list allows you to snap to points, lines, surfaces, coordinate gridlines, the
intersection between two lines, or perpendicular to a line. Click the small arrow at the right of the button to
select from the list. Or, press Shift+S to cycle through the snap modes.
• Insert Mode | Insert Points: Enables and disables Insert Mode. Toggle this mode by pressing the I key.
You’ll learn to use and combine these modes in the next exercise.
Exercise 4.1 Edit strings

In this exercise, you’ll load a saved view containing several layers that you might use for a sectional drillhole
interpretation. You’ll then explore the edit modes listed in Table 4.1, along with snap and insert modes.
First, load the view and select a layer for editing:
1. Expand the Saved View list by clicking its expand icon in the Vizex Layer Types pane.
2. Drag the String Editor saved view into the graphic display.
Vizex will load four layers, with only the Geological Section layer shown.
3. Ensure the Design | Select Tool is active.

4. Click any polygon in the display to select it. Vizex will highlight the points that define the polygon, as shown
below. You’re now ready to edit it.
Now you can explore the basic edit modes:
5. Place the mouse pointer over a string segment and drag to move the entire string.
6. Hold the Ctrl key, place the mouse pointer over a string segment, and drag to create a copy of the string.
7. Release the Ctrl key, place the mouse pointer over a point and drag to move it.
8. Hold the Ctrl key and click on a point to delete it.
Next, try snap mode:
9. Click the Enable Snapping button and ensure that it’s set to Snap to Object . Alternatively press the
S key to activate Snap Mode.
10. Click on a point and drag to move it. Note how Vizex snaps to other points and string segments as you
drag.

Snap mode only applies within a certain tolerance; move closer to an obvious polygon corner if you don’t see any
snapping.
Zoom in using the mouse wheel if you need a smaller snap tolerance.
Lastly, switch to insert points mode:
11. Click the Snap Mode button to deactivate it and then click the Insert Mode | Insert Points button
to activate insert points mode. Or, press the S key to deactivate Snap Mode and the I key to activate
Insert Points.
12. Click on a string segment to insert a point.
13. Inspect the Geological Section 15900mN layer in the Vizex Layer Display pane and note that it has an
asterisk next to it indicating it’s been edited.
Now you’ll refresh the layer to restore it to its previous condition:
14. Right-click the Geological Section 15900mN layer in the Vizex Layer Display pane and choose Refresh
from the pop-up menu. Answer No when prompted to save your edits. The layer will revert to its unedited
state.
Creating New Strings (or Points or Polygons)

So far, you’ve edited existing strings in the Geological Section layer. To create a new object, such as a string,
begin by making the target layer the Active Layer. You do this by right-clicking the layer in the Vizex Layer
Display pane and choosing Active Layer from the pop-up menu. There can only be one active layer at any
time, which is listed in bold text in the Properties window, although you can modify any number of layers).
To draw the new object, click the New Points , New String or New Polygon button based on the
object type you wish to create. (Only New Points will be available for a point file.) Or, right-click anywhere in the
graphic display and choose New String or New Polygon from the pop-up menu. Vizex will change the mouse
pointer to a precise crosshair cursor to indicate the change of mode. You can now add points as required.
You finish a new string in several different ways, depending on whether you want to leave it open or closed. To
finish the string and leave it open:
• Right-click after adding the last point.

• Press the Esc key after adding the last point.
• Double-click to add the last point.
Vizex will change the mouse pointer back to the Select Tool to indicate the new string is finished. To close the
string:
• Choose New Polygon when you create it and use one of the above methods to finish it. The string will
automatically close.
• Digitise the last point over the first. Provided you’re reasonably accurate Vizex will automatically snap the
two points.
• If you used New String , create an open string as above and then right-click and choose Close
String from the pop-up menu.
Closing a string automatically finishes it and changes the mouse pointer back to the Select Tool.

To set the properties of a string, select it and switch to the Properties window, tabbed with the Vizex Layer
Types and Sections panes. You can edit any property that is not shown in grey text. Use the Window |
Property Window button to reopen the Properties window if you can’t see it.
Need a reminder to set properties?
You can optionally configure Vizex to prompt you for the properties every time you create a new string. To
enable this option, select Project | Options | Vizex (per project) from the back page and switch to
the String Editor tab on the Vizex Options dialog. Enable Prompt to edit properties on adding a
new string to activate this option.
Snapping
Most on-screen digitising incorporates pre-existing data. For example, you would typically interpret cross-sections
from existing drillhole information or draw a geological map over satellite imagery or geophysics. With Vizex you
can snap to virtually any visible object; thus, you can improve the accuracy of a cross-section interpretation by
snapping to true 3D drillhole intervals.
Although snapping works for nearly every layer type, it is not appropriate, and isn’t enabled for types like images
and grids. Additionally, you might want to display a layer but intentionally avoid snapping to it. You control the
snap status of a layer by selecting it in the Vizex Layer Display pane and clicking the Toggle Snap Status
button. When this button is down the layer can be snapped-to; when the button is up it can’t.
To snap to a point, activate Snap Mode and move the mouse near that point. You’ll see a small square, the
snap cursor, following your mouse pointer. Once the snap cursor is in the right place, click the mouse to snap
to that point. Don’t move your mouse pointer over the point as it will hide the snap cursor and make it harder to
tell which point is being snapped.
Snap Mode works in two ways: you either click the mouse to a snap single point or you drag the mouse to follow
a string. Vizex always displays a snap cursor showing the currently-snapped point and highlights the currently-
followed string segments with a dashed line.
Setting the default snap status
You control the default snap status on a layer type-by-type basis by selecting Project | Options | Vizex
and switching to the Default Layer Options tab. Here you can set the default snap status for each new
layer type that you might load.

Exercise 4.2 Snap to objects

In this exercise you’ll create a couple of new polygons and experiment with Snap Mode and following a string.
1. Show the hidden layers in the Vizex Layer Display pane.

2. Make the Geological Section 15900mN layer the Active Layer by right-clicking it in the Vizex Layer
Display pane and choosing Active Layer from the pop-up menu. Or, select Geological Section 15900mN
from the Select the Active Layer list on the Vizex Layers Display toolbar.
3. Enable Design | Snap Mode and disable Insert Mode .
4. Click the New Polygon button to create a new polygon in the string file. Vizex will change the mouse
pointer from the selection cursor to the precise cursor, indicating that you’re now ready to digitise.
5. Move the mouse pointer around the graphic display and note how the snap cursor jumps to points and
lines from all visible layers.
A dark green rock unit has been logged at the western side of the drilling, and now you’ll produce a simple
interpretation of this unit.
6. Move the mouse onto a drillhole until the snap cursor finds one of the dark green contacts, taking care to
not hide it with your mouse pointer. Click to add a point.
7. Repeat for the remaining five points that define the green unit – but don’t try extending the interpretation
beyond the drillholes at this stage.
8. Once you’ve digitised the sixth point, without closing the polygon, Right-click the mouse. Vizex will
automatically close the polygon.
9. Switch to the Properties window and set the String value to ANDS. Your display should resemble this:
Save a mouse click: Keep the Properties window visible
The Properties window is a dockable window that behaves like the Vizex Layer Type and Vizex Layer
Display panes. Keep it visible if you’re doing a lot of editing. Then, you need only select an object to
change its properties.

Optionally, the next part of this exercise will briefly show you how to follow a string. This action is discussed in
detail in MG 201 – Surface Geology.
10. Click the Design | New Polygon button to create another new polygon.
11. Click and drag the mouse down the western side of HW1 (the red polygon). As you proceed, you’ll see a
faint line appear along that edge. When you’ reach the bottom of HW1, release the mouse. Vizex will
immediately draw the shared line.
12. Experiment with following other boundaries or lines.
13. Once you’re satisfied with your digitising, press Ctrl+S to save the edits.
14. Leave the display in preparation for the next exercise.
Creating New Files

You often need to create new files for editing within Vizex, for example to start a new sectional drillhole
interpretation, an air-photo interpretation, or heads-up digitising over a scanned paper map.
Creating new point or string files in Vizex is straightforward: pull down the Select Active Layer list on the Vizex
Layers Display toolbar and choose [New] (Layer type) from the list. For example, you create a new string file
by pulling down the list and choosing [New] String.
Once you’ve made the selection Vizex will place a new layer in the Vizex Layer Display pane, named Untitled
(Untitled.EXT) and automatically set as the active layer. (EXT varies according to the layer type you requested
– DAT for points and STR for strings.) Untitled appears twice because the form set and the underlying file both
have no title.
Controlling the File Structure

Vizex uses a default structure whenever you use Select Active Layer to create a point or string file. Advanced
users may wish to use one of these alternative methods to create a file with a custom structure:

• Create a layer using Select Active Layer. As soon as it’s created, right-click it in the Vizex Layer Display
pane and choose Open Input File from the pop-up menu. Then modify the file using the method you
learned in MM 101.
• Open the Vizex Point or String dialog (as required). Right-click the File response in the Input Data tab
and choose New from the pop-up menu. Enter the file name, choose the file type, then manually define
the structure.
A minimal string file should contain these five fields:
• EASTING, NORTHING, and RL (ELEVATION): Real fields with display precisions appropriate for your
coordinate system.
• STRING: A character field with a width of at least 10 characters. Use this field to label each string, as a
road, fence, boundary, fault, etc.
• JOIN: A numeric field with a width of about 8 characters and zero decimals. Vizex will automatically place
values into this field and will use them to identify where one string ends and another begins.
A minimal point file should contain the 3D coordinate fields described above.
Both file types may contain as many additional fields as needed. Consider creating a template to simplify the
process if you regularly use this method. Although we recommend naming the fields as listed you may use any
field names that suit the purpose. For example, it’s common to use a LABEL field as a string field.
Interpreting Geological Solids

One of the main reasons for displaying drillhole data is for geological interpretation: you view your drillholes in a
vertical section along with supporting data such as faults and oxidation surface boundaries, and then carry out
an on-screen interpretation.
Before you start the interpretation exercise, we need to summarise the prerequisites and conventions that you
should use.
You must have already:
• Validated your drillhole data (see MM 101 – Micromine Basics).

• Loaded the supporting data (assay, lithology, existing wireframes or interpretations, block models or pit
shells) into the display. You use these layers as snapping targets while digitising.
• Set the view to the correct orientation, location, and thickness.
You can set the view to any orientation, including oblique/inclined, for interpretation. Additionally, you can
simultaneously edit in multiple windows, such as in plan and cross section.
Naming the Interpreted Strings

Within a given file you should name each string according to the real-world object it represents. If you’re digitising
Number Four Lode, then give it a name like NO4. As you proceed to the next section, if it’s the same lode, keep
giving it the same name.

Give each object a unique name wherever there’s more than one object in a section. For example, if a lode is
bifurcated or splayed by a fault use a suffix e.g. NO4_F for Number Four Lode Footwall to keep the names unique,
as shown in the three example sections overleaf.
NO4 NO4 NO4 NO4_F
Although you don’t have to name the strings this way, your workflow will go more smoothly if you do. It will also
simplify the wireframing stage.
Exercise 4.3 (Optional) Set up a new string file

In Exercise 4.1 you edited an existing string file. In this exercise, you’ll create a new string file, which will comprise
a simple bounding box that defines the limits of the to-be-created geological model.
1. Right-click the Geological Interpretation saved view in the Vizex Layer Types pane and select Load
from the pop-up menu. Answer No when prompted.
Right-click | Loading a saved view automatically removes the previous view. The new view contains the same
data you saw earlier, on section 15900mN, but with clipping disabled so that you can see all of it at once.
2. Pull down the Select Active Layer list in the Vizex Layers Display toolbar and choose [New] String
from the list. Note how Vizex places a new layer called Untitled (Untitled.STR) in the Vizex Layer Display
pane.

3. Go to Design | Rectangle | 2-Point Rectangle . Disable Snap Mode if necessary.

4. Click two diagonally opposite points to define a rectangle that comfortably contains the drilling. Ignore the
outer limits of the topographic DTM.
5. In the Rectangle Properties dialog, optionally round the East and Z coordinates to the nearest 10
metres, Previewing the result:
6. Right-click the Untitled (Untitled.STR) layer in the Vizex Layer Display pane and choose Save As
from the pop-up menu.
7. Enter the File Name Interp_Limit and set the File Type to STRING. Click OK to save the polygon.
In the next exercise you’ll continue the quartz vein geological interpretation.

Interpretation Steps
At this point it’s tempting to just jump in and start drawing the geology, but as with most tasks a systematic
approach will produce a better result. Generally, you should use a two-stage workflow for a geological
interpretation.
Figure 4.1: Draw facts by snapping
• First, digitise the Facts by Snapping to the available data, as shown on Figure 4.1.
• Then, digitise the Interpretation using Design | Insert Mode | Insert Points with Enable
Snapping disabled (Figure 4.2).
Figure 4.2: Interpret by inserting points
You need this approach because drillholes are rarely, if ever, located exactly on the plane of the section. The
slight mismatch between the holes and the section plane means some intervals will fall slightly off the section.

Initially concentrating on the facts by snapping to existing points creates a 3D coordinate framework for your new
string. By inserting the interpreted points into this framework, you allow Vizex to interpolate their 3D locations
from the surrounding data, which produces a more accurate result. If you had started freehand digitising, Vizex
would always put the new points exactly on the plane of the section instead of the drillholes.
Exercise 4.4 Interpret the quartz veins, making use of all available data
In this exercise you’ll complete the quartz vein interpretation, working northwards and southwards from section
15900mN. The aim here is to understand how to carry out an interpretation using the tools and techniques you’ve
learnt so far, so don’t worry if your new polygons look a little … creative.
1. Right-click the Quartz vein interpretation and make it the Active Layer.
2. Switch to the Sections window tabbed against the Vizex Layer Types pane and expand the NVG_Sections
list.
3. Double-click the section 15925mN.
4. Click the Design | New Polygon button to start drawing a new polygon.
Digitise the facts
1. Click the Design | Enable Snapping button or press S to enable Snap Mode.
2. Digitise a polygon around the red drillhole intervals to produce a basic quartz vein shape, observing the
location of the snap cursor as you go. Don’t extend it beyond the drillhole data at this point.
3. Right-click to finish and close the polygon.
4. With the polygon selected, switch to the Properties window and enter a STRING value that matches the
vein in the previous section.
Draw the interpretation
1. Click the Insert Mode button or press I to activate Insert Points.
2. Click the Enable Snapping button or press S to disable Snap Mode.

3. Insert points by clicking on a string segment and, in the same action, dragging each newly created point to
its final location.
4. Repeat the fact/interpretation steps for the other veins on this section.
5. Your screen should resemble this screenshot:

Optional: Continue the interpretation
Now you can move to the next section:
1. Move to the next section by clicking the Section | Next Section button on the Section ribbon or
pressing Shift+Page Down.
2. Repeat the fact/interpretation steps for the veins on the new section.
Save your work
1. Once you’ve completed the interpretation, right-click the Quartz vein interpretation layer in the Vizex
Layer Display pane and choose Save from the pop-up menu.
2. Select Vizex | Display Layers | Remove All from the ribbon to clean up the display in preparation for
the next exercise.
Lesson 4 Summary
In this lesson you learned to do spatial editing in Vizex using various editing modes, editing tools and context
menus. You also learned to perform a sectional interpretation.
To start editing:
Make changes to an editable layer, or

Set a layer as the active layer using the Select Active Layer list, or
Set a layer as the active layer by right-clicking it and choosing Active Layer from the pop-up menu, or
Create a new editable layer by choosing [New] (Layer type) from the Select Active Layer list.
To save changes to a layer:

Right-click the layer in the Vizex Layer Display pane and choose Save or Save As from the
pop-up menu, or
Highlight the edited layer in the Vizex Layer Display pane and choose File | Save or File | Save As
from the menu, or press Ctrl+S, or
Select File | Save | Save All from the menu, or press Ctrl+Shift+S.
To create a new file:
Create a new editable layer choosing [New] (Layer type) from the Select Active Layer list, or
Double-click the Vizex form in the Vizex, then right-click the File response and select New from the
pop-up menu.
To create a new point, string or polygon:
Click the Design | New Points, New String or New Polygon button, or
To finish a new object:
Right-click, or
Press Esc, or
Double-click the last point, or
Close the string by clicking the last point over the first.
To move a point or string:
Click the point or string and drag it to its new location
Lesson 4 Summary
To copy a string:
Hold the Ctrl key, then click and drag the string to produce a copy.
To delete a point:
Hold the Ctrl key and click the point.
To delete a string:
Select the string and then press the Delete key, or

Right-click and choose Delete String from the pop-up menu.
To toggle Insert Points mode:
Click the Design | Insert Mode | Insert Points button or press the I key.

To toggle Snap Mode:
Click the Design | Snap Mode button or press the S key.
To select a snapping method:
Select Snap to Object, Snap to Point, Snap to Line, Snap to Surface, Snap to Grid, Snap to Intersection or
Snap Perpendicular from the pull-down menu at the right of the Snap Mode button, or
Press Shift+S to cycle through the snap modes, or
Display the Design ribbon for quick access to snapping methods.
To follow a string:
With snap mode enabled, drag the mouse along the object boundary.
To interpret a new geological shape:
Digitise the facts using Design | Snap Mode , and then
Digitise the interpretation using Design | Insert Points mode.
To name a new object in a file:
Display the Properties window.

Name it according to the real-world object it represents.
If it’s the same object from section to section, give it the same name.
Use a suffix to name bifurcations and splays.
To be prompted to set properties whenever you create a new object:
Select Project | Options | Vizex, and

Activate the String Editor tab, then
Set Prompt to edit properties on adding a new string.
Good Practice
Become familiar with the keyboard and right-click shortcuts so you can speed up the editing process. For example,
it’s quicker to toggle snap mode and insert points mode by pressing S and I than it is to move the mouse to the
toolbar each time.
A useful way to systemise the sectional interpretation process is to break it down to a few lines:
• Same object, same name

• Facts by snapping (Snap Mode on)
• Interpretation by inserting (Insert Points mode on)

Lesson 5 – DTMs
A DTM (Digital Terrain Model) is a way to represent a surface using a network of connected triangles. DTMs, also
known as DEMs (Digital Elevation Models) or TINs (Triangulated Irregular Networks), are usually used to represent
real physical surfaces like topography, open pits and waste dumps.
• Build a DTM from a string file of topographic contours

• Apply a colour set to a DTM
• Drape an image on a DTM
• Adjust the transparency of a DTM.
Creating a Digital Terrain Model

With Vizex you can generate a DTM directly from strings or points in the display, which is useful if you’ve just
finished a pit design and want to produce a pit shell, or if you’ve edited some photogrammetric data and want to
produce a topographic surface.
Creating a DTM requires the Exploration, Wireframing or Surveying module.
There are three ways to create a DTM, depending on your preferences:
• Interactively select the points and strings from the display and select Grid/DTM | Interactive New DTM
.
• Select Grid/DTM | Interactive New DTM and then follow the instructions in the Selection Assistant.
• Select Grid/DTM | New DTM from the ribbon. This option takes place outside of Vizex and is ideal for
process automation.
When you use an interactive method, the Selection Assistant will prompt you to optionally use another string to
restrict the extents of the DTM and will then open the Build DTM dialog. You must supply the output wireframe’s
Type, Name and Colour. The wireframe Type gives you a convenient way to group similar wireframes; for
example, you might have DTMs of pre- and post-mining topography, which could be placed in the DTM wireframe
type. The Name is any name you specify. Enabling the Auto load option will immediately display the newly
created DTM in Vizex.
Create DTM automatically treats the input strings as breaklines, producing a DTM that exactly honours the input
data.
The Options tab provides many advanced construction options. Use Define Projection Plane to build the DTM
in a direction other than PLAN. Use Generate Terrain Features to build a DTM from topographic contours:
Simple mode prevents contour lines from being self-connected, minimising flat triangles, while Advanced mode
creates topographic relief in otherwise flat areas. Disabling Generate Terrain Features (the default setting) allows
the creation of flat triangles for pit designs with haul roads.

Wireframe, triangulation, DTM, DEM, DSM, surface, TIN, solid – what’s with all the names?
These names are generally interchangeable, and represent shapes made from triangles. Micromine uses
Wireframe as a generic word for any shape made of triangles. A DTM, DEM or TIN cannot enclose a volume or
fold back over themselves, whereas a surface and solid can be any shape.
Exercise 5.1 Create a topographic DTM

In this exercise you’ll use the topographic contours you imported from ArcGIS to produce a topographic DTM.
First, create the view and select the Create DTM option:
1. Expand the String form by clicking its icon in the Vizex Layer Types pane.
2. Drag the Topographic contours form set into the graphic display. Vizex will load the contours you created
earlier.
3. Click the Interactive New DTM button on the Grid/DTM ribbon to reveal the Selection Assistant.
Step 1 of the Selection Assistant is highlighted, asking you to select the strings from which to create the DTM. It
has also automatically activated the Select Tool. You’re now ready to select the contour lines:
4. Drag a rectangle that encloses the contour lines. The selected lines will be highlighted when you release
the mouse. Drag a larger rectangle if you didn’t select them all. You can repeat this step as often as
needed to get the right selection.
5. Right-click the mouse or click the Accept Selection button to go to Step 2, which asks you to
specify an optional restriction string.
6. Right-click or Accept Selection ) to skip the restriction string.
7. Ensure the Output Wireframe tab is visible, then click the Type browse button and choose DTM.tridb
from the list
8. Enter the Name Topo and change the Colour from black to green.
Although this dialog includes an auto-load option, you need to learn about manually loading a wireframe, so we
won’t use it here.
9. Ensure Auto load is disabled.

10. Switch to the Options tab and enable Generate Terrain Features. Leave it set to Simple mode.
11. Click OK to build the DTM.
Now you can load the newly created DTM:

1. Double-click the Wireframe form type in the Vizex Layer Types pane.
2. Ensure that the Input Data tab is active, and the Wireframe group is set to Single.
3. Click the Type browse button and choose DTM.tridb from the list. If you see Example wireframes, go
up one folder level.
4. Click the Name list ( ) button and choose Topo from the list.
Micromine automatically chooses the name when the tridb file only contains one wireframe.
5. Switch to the Display tab and set Draw Style to 3D Shaded (Hollow).
6. Enable 3D Colour coding and click the Colour set form button.
7. Choose NVG_TOPO DTM Colours from the list of available colour sets.
8. At this point the DTM is worth seeing, so click OK to display it. Your display should look like this
screenshot:
Draping Images onto DTMs

Using a DTM together with a georeferenced air photo makes it possible to display a semi-realistic view of a
topographic surface. The technique of placing an image on a 3D surface is known as draping.
Exercise 5.2 Drape an air photo onto the DTM

In this exercise you’ll drape an air photo onto the DTM. Begin by reopening the Wireframe dialog and choosing
the image file:
1. Double-click the Untitled (DTM Topo) layer in the Vizex Layer Display pane. The form will open back on
the Display tab, which is where you last left it.

2. Switch to the Draping tab and choose Image.

3. Click the Image file browse button and navigate to the Import folder. Select the MMI_Image.ecw file.
4. Ensure the Georeference option is selected.
Vizex will automatically choose Micromine (GRF) georeferencing from the Source list.
Now save the settings as a form set:
5. Click the Save As button and save a form set with the Title Topo DTM with airphoto.
6. Click OK on the Save Current Values dialog and Wireframe form to display the modified DTM.
Your display should resemble this screenshot:
Optional: Change the transparency of the DTM via the Advanced tab.
7. Double-click the Topo DTM with airphoto layer in the Vizex Layer Display pane to reopen the form.
8. Switch to the Advanced tab and drag the Transparency slider to about 20%. Click OK to apply the
changes without saving them to the form set.
9. Once you’re finished experimenting with the transparency, select Vizex Display Layers| Remove All
from the ribbon to clean up the display, answering No when prompted to save changes.
Plotting views containing wireframes
To plot a view containing an image draped on a wireframe, first save the view as a Saved View and then
select Vizex | Generate | Generate Vizex Plot from the ribbon. A Vizex Plot is drawn directly from a
Vizex view and will correctly handle the draping, texturing and shading of a wireframe.
If you generate a regular plot file the Plot Editor won’t be able to correctly interpret the wireframe and it
may be drawn poorly, if at all.
More information on plotting is in MM 104 – Plotting 1.

Lesson 5 Summary
In this lesson you learned to create and work with DTMs.
To create a DTM:
Select the input strings and points from the display and click the Grid/DTM | Interactive New DTM
button, or
Click the Grid/DTM | Interactive New DTM button and then follow the Selection Assistant, or
Select Grid/DTM | Interactive New DTM from the ribbon.
To load a DTM:
Double-click the Wireframe form type in the Vizex Forms pane, and
Set up the Wireframe form.
To drape an image on a DTM:
Switch to the Draping tab on the Wireframe form, then

Select Image mode, and
Browse to the Image file, then
Choose a Georeferencing option.
Good Practice
Always choose a default colour when you create a new DTM. If you don’t it will be displayed in solid black and
no texture will be visible when you view it.
You should not use a colour set to change the default colour of a DTM. Instead, right-click its name on any dialog
that references it and change the colour on the Wireframe Properties dialog. Or, use the Wireframe Manager
(Wireframe | Manage Wireframes| Wireframes Manager) to change colours.
Use 3D Shaded (Hollow) display mode to view a DTM in an inclined view, particularly if you want to drape an
image on it. However, switch to 2D Slice mode whenever the DTM needs to appear as a profile in a vertical
section. You can change the draw style of a wireframe at any time by right-clicking the layer in the Vizex Layer
Display pane and choosing Draw Style from the pop-up menu.
Auto draw style automatically switches between 3D Shaded (Hollow) mode in a plan view and 2D Slice mode in
a section view.

MOB1103
Wireframing 1
MOB1000 Introduction to Micromine Origin & Beyond MOB1103 - Wireframing 1
Table of Contents
INTRODUCTION ............................................................................................................................................ 1
LESSON 1 – GETTING STARTED..........................................................................................................2
THE BASIC WORKFLOW.................................................................................................................................. 2
LOADING THE INPUT DATA.............................................................................................................................. 3
DATA QUALITY CONTROL ............................................................................................................................... 4
Maintain Quality from the Start .............................................................................................................. 4
Additional reading: the difference between a DTM, a surface and a solid .................................................. 5
LESSON 2 – CONSTRUCTING THE WIREFRAME .................................................................................8
BUILDING THE WIREFRAME ............................................................................................................................. 8
Making a Wireframe the Active Layer ...................................................................................................... 9
Building a Wireframe ............................................................................................................................. 9
VALIDATING THE WIREFRAME ........................................................................................................................ 11
FIXING VALIDATION ERRORS ......................................................................................................................... 13
Validating Multiple Wireframes ............................................................................................................. 13
Swapping Triangle Edges ..................................................................................................................... 14
Adding Tie Lines .................................................................................................................................. 14
CLOSING ENDS .......................................................................................................................................... 18
Creating Intermediate Sections ............................................................................................................ 18
LESSON 3 – SAVING YOUR WORK ................................................................................................... 23
SAVING THE WIREFRAME .............................................................................................................................. 23
SAVING TIE LINES ...................................................................................................................................... 24
SAVING MODIFIED INPUT STRINGS ................................................................................................................. 24
Sidebars
Keep the Select Tool active ........................................................................................................................... 5

Choosing a triangulation method ................................................................................................................... 9
Keep tie lines and input strings in separate files ........................................................................................... 14
Tables
Table 1.1: Kinds of wireframe ....................................................................................................................... 5

MOB1103 - Wireframing 1 MOB1000 Introduction to Micromine Origin & Beyond
Table of Contents
Exercises
Exercise 1.1: Load a string file for wireframing .............................................................................................. 3

Exercise 1.2 Perform a visual quality control check ....................................................................................... 4
Exercise 2.1 Build a solid ............................................................................................................................. 9
Exercise 2.2 Validate the wireframe ........................................................................................................... 12
Exercise 2.3 (Optional) Fix the validation errors and finish building the wireframe ........................................ 15
Exercise 2.4 Close the ends of the solid ...................................................................................................... 19
Exercise 3.1 Save the wireframe ............................................................................................................... 23
Exercise 3.2 Save the tie lines ................................................................................................................... 24
Exercise 3.3 Save the modified input strings ............................................................................................... 25

Introduction
This session introduces the process of creating a wireframe solid that you can use to model 3D shapes such as
geological units or structures, ore grade envelopes or underground mine workings.
However, before you learn about wireframe solids, it’s useful to revise the process of carrying out a drillhole
interpretation. Starting with a series of vertical cross-sections, you correlate the object of interest, perhaps a
mineralised vein, between holes to produce essentially 2.5-dimensional interpretations on each section.
A vertical cross-section showing drillholes

and the polygons interpreted from them.
Clearly the mineralised vein exists in three dimensions and the drillholes should therefore be correlated in 3D.
You do this in Micromine by linking a polygon from one section to the matching polygon on the next, creating a
three-dimensional shape as you go. This process, called building a wireframe or simply wireframing, produces a
mesh of interconnected triangles that can represent a surface like a fault plane or weathering horizon, or a solid
like a rock unit or ore grade envelope. Because wireframes are constructed from triangles they are also known
as triangulations.
A view of the same data after linking the sections

to form wireframe solids.
Additionally, you usually need a closed and validated wireframe solid of an orebody before you can estimate its
grade and tonnage. Because of this requirement, you should adopt a systematic approach to wireframing. Even
if you don’t need to calculate a grade/tonnage estimate you should still adopt the workflow explained on the
following pages.

Lesson 1 – Getting Started

In this lesson you’ll learn about the overall wireframing process along with the specific steps you should carry out
before starting.
Building a wireframe requires the Micromine Wireframing module.
• Understand the wireframing workflow

• Load input strings in preparation for wireframing
• Perform visual quality control on the input strings
• Understand the difference between a DTM, a surface and a solid.
The Basic Workflow

Building a wireframe can be described by a simple workflow consisting of loading and checking the input strings,
constructing and closing the wireframe, then saving the result. More formally, the steps are:
Load Quality
Build* Close Save
strings control
The basic wireframing workflow
The Build step, marked with an asterisk in the preceding diagram, is usually the most time-consuming part of
the procedure because it’s a recurring sub-process. It can be further broken into three steps:
Build
Fix Validate
The Build step expanded into its recurring sub-steps
Much of the wireframing workflow is non-linear: you load and check your strings once and then spend some time
iterating through the build-validate-fix cycle, periodically saving your work, until achieve a suitable result. Only
then will you have a closed and validated wireframe solid. Although the following pages present these steps in a
linear fashion, you’ll need to repeat some of them often before you complete your wireframe.

This document assumes you’re building a solid. If you’re building a surface such as a fault plane, you can
substitute the word surface for the word solid throughout the text. There is one exception: a surface is always
open, and you should not try to close it.
The differences between solids, surfaces and DTMs are explained in the additional reading at the end of this
lesson.
Loading the Input Data

You must load the input strings before you can begin wireframing. If you’re building a solid, these will generally
come from a string file containing the sections to be wireframed.
In the following exercise, which is revision of MM 102 – Displaying and Manipulating Data, you’ll load a string file.
Exercise 1.1 Load a string file for wireframing

To load the input string file:
1. Display the Project Explorer pane by clicking the tab at the bottom of the Vizex layer Type pane.
2. Locate the Example_Qtz_Vein_Interp.STR file and drag it into Vizex.
3. Double-click the Untitled (Example_Qtz_Vein_Interp.STR) layer in the Vizex Layer Display pane and then
switch to the Display tab.
4. Click the list ( ) button in the Colour field response and choose STRING.
5. Click the Colour set form button and choose Orebody names.
6. Click Save As at right of the String dialog and enter a form set Title of Qtz Vein interp. Click OK on the
Save Current Values and String dialogs to display the input strings.
7. With the Qtz Vein interp layer highlighted in the Vizex Layer Display pane, click the Colour Legend
button to display the string colours. Make note of the colours used for each mineralised zone.
8. Dock the floating dialog under the Vizex Layer Display pane as shown overleaf.

Data Quality Control

Once the strings are loaded you should visually inspect them before you begin wireframing, by checking:
• Position: Display your strings and drillholes together and compare their positions. Are they in the same
coordinate space? Performing a coordinate transformation on one dataset but not the other can produce
this problem. Correct any coordinate discrepancies before continuing.
• Snapping: Do your string vertices snap to the tops and bottoms of drillhole intervals? If not, is it
important for your project that they do? You can snap un-snapped vertices by nudging each one with Snap
Mode enabled.
• Closure: Are your strings closed? Mistakenly including an open string in a wireframe will produce a surface
instead of a solid. To close an open string, select the offending string and then right-click and choose
Close String from the pop-up menu.
• Viewpoint: Set the view orientation so you can easily see the front and back of each section as well as
separately seeing each section. It may not be possible to find a single view that works for the entire project
so change it as often as needed. A confusing viewpoint with overlapping strings will make it hard to know
exactly what you’re linking.
Maintain Quality from the Start

Although quality control is presented here as a part of the wireframing process, a far better alternative is to keep
quality in mind while you’re interpreting the original strings. If you’re systematic about how you create the strings
you won’t need to run these checks as a separate step.
Once you’ve established the quality of the input data, you’re ready to start wireframing. Detailed quality control
is beyond the scope of this manual and is covered in MG 211 – Wireframing 2. At this stage you’ll assume the
input data is valid and will perform a simple visual check of the match between the strings and drillholes.
Exercise 1.2 Perform a visual quality control check

To perform a visual quality-control check on the input strings, start by loading the drillhole data:
1. Expand the Drillhole Trace list in the Vizex Layer Types pane by clicking the expand icon to the left
of the Trace form in the Drillhole folder.
2. Drag the Example drillhole lithology form set into the graphic display.
3. Vizex will display the drillhole data from which the interpretation was created; even a casual glance will
show that the strings are in the same coordinate space as the drillholes.
4. Using the Vizex |Pan Tool , (drag with the middle mouse button), dynamic zoom (roll the mouse
wheel), and Vizex | Rotate Tool , zoom in on each section and slowly rock the view back and forth,
inspecting the interpreted strings and their relationships with the drillholes. Look for incorrectly snapped
points and any other obvious errors.
Gently rocking the view is a great way to understand the 3D relationship between objects. Subtle
differences in movement enhance the depth cues sent to your brain, making the relationships much easier
to see.
5. Once you’re done, click the check box next to the Example drillhole lithology layer in the Vizex Layer
Display Pane to hide the drillholes.

6. Click the Plan View and View All buttons, on the floating tools bar to reset the view.
You’re now ready to begin wireframing.
Keep the Select Tool active
Keeping the Select Tool active and using the middle mouse to pan and zoom, and Shift+middle
mouse to rotate, will enable you to quickly switch between view manipulation and string selection without
wasting time moving the mouse to the ribbon area and back.
Additional reading: the difference between a DTM, a surface and a solid

In MM 102 you worked with a DTM, which is one kind of wireframe. In this document you’re working with a solid,
and you’ve read references to a third kind of wireframe, a surface.
All three consist of networks of interconnected triangles, and Micromine uses the following criteria to differentiate
between them:
Is there a single Z value at any X-Y location?
In other words, how many times would a vertical hole drilled at a random X-Y location intersect the wireframe?
The wireframe is a DTM if the answer is always one no matter where the hole is drilled. If the drillhole ever
intersects the wireframe more than once it’s a surface or solid.
Is it open at the edges?
Does the wireframe have an outside edge with some triangle edges not connected to other triangles? It’s a DTM
or surface if it does. Otherwise, it’s a solid.
Does it enclose a volume?
Could a random point be considered to fall inside or outside the wireframe? The wireframe is a solid if the answer
is yes. Otherwise, it’s a surface or DTM.
The right tool for the job
There are many ways to build wireframes in Micromine and identifying the right kind of wireframe will help
determine the best tool for the job. As a guide Table 1.1 summarises the various kinds of wireframe and lists the
best way to construct each kind.
Table 1.1: Kinds of wireframe
Kind of Single Encloses a

Open at edges Example
Wireframe Z value volume
DTM ✓ ✓  Topography

Recumbent fold
Surface  ✓  surface
Solid   ✓ Ore grade envelope
Table 1.1: Kinds of wireframe (continued)
Kind of
Best Construction Method
Wireframe
Use Grid / DTM | New DTM or the Grid / DTM | Interactive New DTM. See
DTM
MM 102 – Displaying and Manipulating Data for more information on creating DTMs.
Use the techniques described on the following pages with open strings to create an
Surface
open surface.
Use the techniques described on the following pages with closed strings (polygons) to
Solid
create a closed solid.
Lesson 1 Summary
This lesson has covered the basic workflow of wireframing and has introduced you to basic visual quality control.
Here’s what you’ve learned so far:
To load input strings:
Use the Project Explorer or Vizex String form to load a string file.
To perform visual data quality control:
Load the original drillholes along with the strings and check:
Position – are the drillholes and strings in the same coordinate space?
Snapping – do the string vertices snap to drillhole intervals?
Closure – are the strings closed?
Viewpoint – choose a view that gives you a clear view of the strings.
Good Practice
Perform your quality control checks right at the beginning by interpreting your open or closed strings with
wireframing already in mind. Ensure that you systematically check the naming, snapping and closure of each
string before moving onto the next one. By doing this you’ll be less reliant on performing a specific QC step before
wireframing.

Keep the Select Tool active and use keyboard and mouse combinations to switch between the Select Tool
and view manipulation. With the Select Tool enabled you can still pan and zoom using the middle mouse wheel
and button, and you can rotate by using Shift+middle mouse button.

Lesson 2 – Constructing the Wireframe

Lesson 1 introduced you to the basic wireframing workflow and briefly described the build-validate-fix cycle:
Build
Fix Validate
This lesson will cover the build-validate-fix cycle in more detail. Once you’re finished, you’ll be able to:
• Build a solid by linking each section to the next

• Optionally choose a triangulation method for optimal results
• Use select by condition and object visibility to control which strings are displayed
• Visually and mathematically validate a solid
• Swap triangle edges to fix minor validation problems
• Use tie lines to control the triangulation process
• Create intermediate sections and close the ends of a solid.
Building the Wireframe

In Micromine you can build a solid in a variety of ways, each of which has advantages and disadvantages. The
methods are:
• Manually, by linking each section to the next in Build Wireframe (Wireframe | Build) mode.
• Automatically, using the Wireframe | Auto Build option.
• Semi-automatically, using the Wireframe | Generate Shell | Point Cloud Outer Shell option.
• Automatically, using Implicit modelling to build surfaces or solids from various data types.
The manual method gives you complete control over the process, and you’ll learn this method in the next few
lessons. Automatically building a wireframe is very fast but is based on mathematics and may not represent
the reality you’re trying to model. The implicit modelling workflow uses radial basis functions (RBFs) to model
surfaces or solids. Although it is heavily mathematical, its many options give you a large amount of geological
control.
Creating an implicit model requires the Micromine Implicit Modelling module.

Making a Wireframe the Active Layer

The wireframing process begins by making a wireframe the Active Layer. How you do this depends on your
personal preference and the task at hand. There are three alternatives:
• Allow Vizex to prompt you to choose an existing or create a new Active Layer when you first activate either
Wireframe | New option.
• Right-click an existing wireframe layer in the Vizex Layer Display Pane and choose Active Layer from the
pop-up menu.
• Pull down the Select Active Layer list and choose [New] Wireframe.
The Active Layer is described at length in MM 102 – Displaying and Manipulating Data.
Building a Wireframe
You use Wireframe | New (build Wireframe) mode to build a wireframe. This process involves clicking a
string on one section and then clicking the matching string on the adjacent section. Vizex will link the two strings
with a series of triangles. Continue by clicking the matching string on each following section.
The Wireframe | New button is a combination button offering a variety of triangulation methods. Click the
small triangle below the button to choose from the list.
Choosing a triangulation method
In normal operation you should use the default Maximum Volume triangulation method, which
automatically selects the most suitable of the remaining three methods and nearly always gives the best
result.
If you refer to Lesson 1, you’ll recall that one of the quality control checks was to choose the correct viewpoint.
This is especially important when you’re wireframing because you must be able to easily visually identify each
string before you click it. Take time to adjust the view, as a poor viewpoint that obstructs your view of the strings
will make wireframing more difficult.
In the following exercise you’ll build the MV2 wireframe, represented by the green strings.
Exercise 2.1 Build a solid

You’ll begin the wireframing process by creating a new wireframe to use as the active layer. You’ll then hide any
non-essential strings so that they don’t obstruct the view.
To create the active layer:
1. Pull down the Select Active Layer list and choose [New] Wireframe from the list. Vizex will create a new
display layer called New Wireframe.

To hide the non-essential strings:
1. Click the Vizex | Select by Condition button.
This tool interactively selects objects that match the conditions you specify. In this exercise you will select all
strings that are not MV2* (green) so that you can use a visibility tool to hide them.
2. Fill out the Selection Condition dialog as shown here:
Prompt Setting
Method: New selection
Layer (1): Qtz Vein interp
Field (1): STRING
Operator (1): Not equal
Value (1): MV2* (note use of wildcard)
Numeric (1): Disabled
3. Click OK to apply the selection and inspect the result: everything but the green strings are highlighted.
4. Click the Vizex | Invisible button on the Vizex ribbon.
Although they are still loaded in memory the non-essential strings are now invisible.
Click the Vizex | All Visible button to redisplay the hidden strings.
Now it’s time to set the viewpoint and build the wireframe:
1. Rotate the view until you can clearly see each string and can also clearly see the front and back of each.
2. Click the Wireframing | New button to activate Build Wireframe mode. Note how the cursor now
shows an icon that matches the current triangulation method.
3. Click the first (southern-most) string to select it.
4. Now click the string in the next section and observe the result: Vizex links the two strings with triangles.
Your screen should look like this:

5. Click the sections in sequence, progressively extending the solid to each section. Your display should
resemble the screenshot below.
Validating the Wireframe

Micromine automatically validates the wireframe each time you link a new section, instantly alerting you to new
problems. If your wireframe is simple this level of validation may be enough.
However, a mathematically valid wireframe may still be geologically invalid. Additionally, the automatic validation
only concentrates on the latest link and ignores all previous links; because of this, it won’t find errors caused by
interaction between separate wireframe parts. Such unexpected interaction is often the cause of triangulation
errors.
Because of the risk of geological invalidity or unexpected errors you should perform two types of validation over
and above the automatic version:
• Visual validation, and

• Mathematical validation.

Visual validation is very important and simple to do. Turn the wireframe around and look at it from all directions.
Does it make geological sense? Does it accurately represent the shape you’re trying to create? Has it left out
required volume or included unnecessary volume?
It’s easy to make a mathematically valid but visually invalid wireframe, so perform this step regularly even
if there are no other errors.
Mathematical validation checks the relationships between triangle facets, edges and vertices throughout the
wireframe. However, it knows nothing about the shape you’re trying to create, which is why it’s also important
to perform visual validation.
If the wireframe is complex, you may need to visually validate every link. On the other hand, if the wireframing
is simple you can link several sections before validating. No matter how simple the wireframe, you should
mathematically validate it at least once at the end of the construction process, or more often if there’s a risk of
interaction between different wireframe parts.
Regular validation will alert you to potential problems before they become too deeply entrenched.
In the following exercise you’ll validate the work you’ve completed so far.
Exercise 2.2 Validate the wireframe

Visual validation is simple and intuitive and is a sensible place to begin. To perform a visual validation:
1. Rotate the view and inspect the solid. Look for sections where volume may be lost or where the
wireframe is geologically nonsensical.
A crease representing a small amount of missing volume appears between sections 15790 and 15820. Although
it is small enough to not warrant close attention, it does serve as a convenient example.
Visual validation will reveal this small crease
You’ll also perform a mathematical validation:
2. Right-click in the graphic display and choose Validate Wireframe from the pop-up menu. Alternatively,
press Q or click the Wireframe | Validate Wireframe in the ribbon.
3. Assess the validation report.
4. Close the validation report and then inspect the Vizex view. Note how the open ends have been highlighted
with a heavy green line.

You can ignore the 2 open section(s) since they are normal for a solid whose ends haven’t been closed yet.
Your validation report should find no other errors. Ultimately, Micromine should find zero problems, proving that
the solid is closed and valid.
Configuring the validation options
As you’ve seen, Micromine highlights wireframe openings with a heavy green line. It also highlights invalid
triangles with a heavy magenta (purple) line. If you don’t like these colours you can change them to something
different via Wireframe | Validate Wireframe (dropdown)| Options.
Fixing Validation Errors

Whenever you need to fix an invalid wireframe, you nearly always start by removing the invalid link(s) that caused
the problem. You do this in different ways depending on where they occur within the wireframe:
• Undo: If the invalid link is the last one you created, undo it by pressing Ctrl+Z, or right-click | Undo,
or by clicking the Undo Quick access Toolbar button. This simple method works best when you
validate often.
• Select Triangles by Construction String: If the invalid link is surrounded by valid links and can be
identified by the strings used to create it, delete the offending triangles by selecting the two strings, then
right-clicking and choosing Select Triangles by Construction String from the pop-up menu.
• Select Triangles by Line: If the geometry of the invalid link is complex, you can delete the offending
triangles by right-clicking and choosing Select Triangles by Line button or pressing K, dragging a line
through the triangles to highlight them, and then pressing Delete on the keyboard.
Once you’ve deleted the invalid links in a problem wireframe, you must consider how to replace them with valid
links. There are many ways to correct a wireframe, two of which are described below. Advanced remediation
methods are covered in MG 211 – Wireframing 2.
Validating Multiple Wireframes

You can also validate multiple wireframes using the Wireframe Manager, via Wireframe | Manage
Wireframes. Wireframes are grouped by type; expand the list to see the individual wireframes of each type.
Right-click menu options and buttons at right of the dialog provide tools for managing types, wireframes, and
many wireframe attributes and properties.
To validate multiple wireframes, simply select them from the wireframe manager, and then click the Validate
button. Ctrl+click to select wireframes across multiple types. Alternatively, right-click a selected wireframe and
choose Validate from the pop-up menu.

The validation report includes a summary of the wireframes, grouped by type, along with the individual validation
results.
Swapping Triangle Edges

Often a wireframe appears visually invalid because a pair of adjoining triangles is connected in the wrong way.
The Wireframing | Swap Triangle Edge tool provides a simple way to flip the direction of the join. Simply
select the tool and then hover your mouse over the edge between the offending triangles. The cursor will change
to a circular arrow; click on the edge to flip it. Many times, this simple repair is all that’s needed.
Adding Tie Lines

Tie lines are construction lines that control how the wireframe is linked from one section to the next. Whenever
Micromine finds a tie line it will position a pair of triangle edges on that line, which means you can use tie lines
to control how points are connected between two sections.
Add tie lines sparingly. Creating too many tie lines not only wastes time but can increase the number of problems
instead of reducing them.
Some key points to consider when positioning tie lines are:
• Less is more: use the fewest tie lines needed to fix the problem.
• Pick the worst problem: focus on the most invalid parts first.
• Pick obvious vertices: focus on the sharpest corners.
You add tie lines with the Wireframe| New Tie Line button. When you first click this button, you’ll be asked
to Select Active Tie Lines. If you already have a tie line file loaded choose that from the list. If not, choose
[New] String and create the file. Once you’ve chosen the tie line file Micromine will automatically switch to string
edit mode with Vizex | Enable Snapping enabled.
To build a tie line, click a vertex in one section and then click the matching vertex in the next section. Micromine
will join them with a line segment, which constitutes a single tie line. To continue with this or any other tie line,
click the start and end vertices for each segment.
Keep tie lines and input strings in separate files
To preserve the integrity of the input data, always edit tie lines in a separate layer. Don’t add them to the
original input string file.
The input strings represent your interpretation based on drillhole or other subsurface data. Each point in
the interpretation is there because it’s somehow related to the original data. On the other hand, tie lines
extend between sections and do not represent the original interpretation. Logically they have no place in
the original strings.

Exercise 2.3 (Optional) Fix the validation errors and finish building the
wireframe
The validation you carried out in Exercise 2.2 identified one minor problem: a small amount of lost volume in the
links between sections 15790 and 15820. In this exercise, you’ll use Swap Triangle Edge to fix the lost volume
south of 15820. You’ll then repair a fictional error north of 15820 by deleting triangles and adding a tie line. You’ll
finish by rebuilding the solid.
First, you’ll configure the view:
1. Reset the view by clicking the Plan View button followed by the View All button.
2. Zoom and pan the display to focus on the region between sections 15820 and 15850.
Next, you’ll swap triangle edges:
3. Turn the view so you can clearly see the crease just south of 15850.
4. Click the Wireframing | Swap Triangle Edge button and position your mouse over the edge that
forms the crease. Make sure the cursor is a circular arrow:
5. Click the mouse once and observe the effect on the wireframe. The crease has been removed, overleaf.

Now you’ll delete triangles and add a tie line to fix a fictional error in the link north of 15820:
6. Switch to the Select Tool and select the strings at 15820 and 15850 North. Hold the Ctrl key as you
select the second string.
7. With the strings selected, right-click in the graphic display and choose Select Triangles by Construction
String from the pop-up menu, as shown here:
8. Press the Delete key on your keyboard to delete the triangles.
Next, add two tie lines:
9. Right click and choose New Tie Line from the pop-up menu, or alternatively click the New Tie Line
button.

10. On the Select Active Tie Lines dialog, choose [New] String.
Don’t choose the existing Qtz Vein interp layer!
11. Click OK. Micromine will create a new layer called Untitled (Untitled.STR) and switch to string edit mode
with Snap Mode enabled.
12. Rotate the view sideways slightly so you can clearly identify the vertices that make up the top of the
vein.
13. Click near a string vertex at the top left of the gap to start a tie line, ensuring that the tie line snaps to the
correct point.
14. Click near the matching vertex in the next section. Micromine will join the two vertices with a tie line
segment.
15. Repeat Steps 12 to 14 to add a tie line to the bottom of the vein. Your display should look like this
screenshot:
16. Press Esc or click the New Tie Line button to finish adding ties.
Lastly, replace the missing section of the solid:
17. Click the Wireframe | New button.

18. Click a string segment on each side of the opening to rebuild that link.
19. Validate the solid both visually and using Validate Wireframe , noting that the errors have been
corrected.

Closing Ends
A wireframe is not a solid until you close the ends. Otherwise, it is only a complex surface that can’t be used for
volume or grade/tonnage calculations.
It’s tempting to simply close the wireframes along the existing sections at either end of the model. However, if
your sections originated from a drillhole interpretation, this will close the wireframe straight down the drillhole
traces on the end sections and you’ll lose volume as a result. Additionally, you’ll literally split the affected drill
intervals lengthwise and won’t know if they fall inside or outside the wireframe.
Instead, extend the wireframe by half a drill line spacing beyond the end sections. This is a three-dimensional
extension of how you normally terminate polygons halfway between two holes on a 2D vertical section.
2D close. The polygons are 3D close. The wireframe is extended

extended by half a drillhole spacing by half a drill line spacing before
before closing closing
The quickest way to extend a wireframe beyond the end sections is to create intermediate sections. This technique
is also essential for modelling splits or bifurcations in a wireframe, which are covered in MG 211.
Closing the end of a wireframe is simple: you select the string that represents the end, right-click in the graphic
display, and choose Close End from the pop-up menu. Alternatively, you can click the Close End button on
the Wireframe ribbon or use Close End to Point to create a conical end. This option does not require an
intermediate section.
Lastly, the Wireframe | Close Holes option is ideal for closing hard-to-find openings in a large or complex
wireframe.
Creating Intermediate Sections

Design | Copy/Move Strings is a quick way to create an intermediate section from existing strings. Just select
the strings and press D or click the Design | Copy/Move Strings button, or right-click in the graphic display
and choose Copy/ Move Strings from the pop-up menu.
Copy/Move Strings may be used in three different ways:
• Move the strings.

• Make a copy of the selected strings.

• Replicate the strings a defined number of times.
All three options require a distance and direction, which may be specified in terms of X, Y, Z offsets,
azimuth / inclination / distance, or distance perpendicular to the plane of the data or plane of the screen.
Whenever copy or replicate are used, the original strings are left in place and the actions are applied to the
copies. The strings may optionally be resized to a percentage of their original sizes. This is useful if you wish to
taper the wireframe to, say, 80% of its original size to represent your decreasing confidence in its shape beyond
the drilling.
In the following exercise you’ll use Copy/Move String to create intermediate sections and close the wireframe.
Exercise 2.4 Close the ends of the solid

The average drill line spacing for this project is 30 m, so it’s logical to make intermediate sections 15 m past the
end sections. Because the intermediate sections are not based on any real data, you’ll also resize them to 80%
of their original size. Once the sections are created, you’ll extend the solid to them and then close ends.
First, close the southern end:
1. Switch to a Plan view from the floating tool bar and pan to the southern end of the solid.
2. Click the Select Tool and then click the string at the southern end of the solid to select it.
3. Right-click in the graphic display and choose Copy/Move Strings from the pop-up menu.
4. Fill out the Move String dialog as shown below to move the string 15 m south and resize it to 80% of its
original size.
Prompt Setting
Mode: Azimuth/Inclination/Distance
Azimuth: 220
Inclination: 0
Distance: 15
Copy: Selected
Resize: Enabled [80%]
5. Click OK to produce the new end string.

6. Switch back to Wireframe | New and extend the solid to the new string.
7. Right-click and choose Close End from the pop-up menu or click the Close End button.
8. Right-click | Validate Wireframe or press Q to validate the change. This also clears your selection,
readying the wireframe for the next edit.
If you don’t deselect the current string when you move to a different part of the solid, Micromine will
incorrectly link the two parts.
Next, close the northern end:

9. Repeat Steps 3 through 8 at the northern end of the solid, using an Azimuth value of 0.
10. Right Click and Validate Wireframe to ensure the solid is valid. It’s only closed when the report
shows zero invalid connections, zero open sections, and zero intersecting triangles.
Placing intermediate sections
The Azimuth/Inclination/Distance option is best for geological data such as an orebody or geological model.
An easy way to determine the azimuth, inclination and distance values is to use the Vizex | Measure Tool
to draw a line from the existing section to where you think the new section should go. Make note of the
measurements in the Properties pane or status bar and use them on the Move String dialog.
This lesson has introduced the basics of wireframing. Advanced wireframing is covered in MG 211.
Lesson 2 Summary
This lesson has extended the basic wireframing workflow to incorporate the build–validate–fix cycle and has
introduced a technique for creating intermediate sections to close ends. Specifically, you’ve learned:
To make a wireframe the Active Layer:
Allow Vizex to prompt you when you first start wireframing, or

Right-click an existing wireframe in the Vizex Layer Display Pane and choose Active Layer from the
pop-up menu, or
Pull down the Active Layer list and choose [New] Wireframe
To manually build a wireframe:
Click the Wireframe| New button, then

Click a string segment on one section to highlight it, and
Click the matching string segment on the adjacent section, then
Continue clicking the matching string on each subsequent section.
To validate a wireframe:
Rely on Micromine’s on-the-fly validation to check each link, and

Periodically rotate the model and inspect it from all sides to perform a visual validation, then
Right-click the graphic display and choose Validate Wireframe from the pop-up menu, or
Press Q or click the Wireframe | Validate Wireframe button.
To remove validation errors:
If the last link is invalid, press Ctrl+Z, or right-click | Undo, or click the Undo on the quick access
toolbar to undo it, or
If the errors are within the wireframe, click the strings on either side of the offending triangles and use
Wireframing | Select Triangles by Line to highlight them
Press the Delete key to delete them.
To fix validation errors by swapping triangles:
Click the Wireframing | Swap Triangle Edge button, and

Move your mouse over a triangle edge so that the circular arrow cursor is visible, and
Click to swap the edge.
To fix validation errors using tie lines:
Click the Wireframing | New Tie Line button, and

Select a new or existing tie line file, then
Click a vertex in one section and click the matching vertex in the next section, and
Continue until all tie lines are added, then
Click the Build Wireframe button to rebuild the deleted triangles.
To determine the position of an intermediate section:
Use the Vizex | Measure Tool to draw a line to the rough position of the new section, matching the
known strike and dip of the wireframe, then
Make note of the Length, Azimuth, and Inclination values in the status bar or Properties window, and
Use those values in the steps below.
To produce an intermediate section:
Click the Vizex | Select Tool , then

Select the nearest string by proximity or shape, and
Press D, click the Design | Copy/Move Strings button, or choose Copy/Move Strings from the
right-click menu.
To close the end of a solid:
Click the Vizex | Select Tool , then

Select the string that represents the opening, then
Right-click in the graphic display, and

Choose Close End from the pop-up menu, or

Click the Wireframing | Close End toolbar button.
Alternatively, click Wireframing | Close End to Point to create a conical end.
Good Practice
If you’re dealing with multiple strings, use Vizex | Select by Condition to display just the relevant strings.
This is more efficient than using a filter.
Validate often. It’s better to take a few seconds to validate than to spend days building a wireframe only to
discover it contains too many errors.
Keep data integrity in mind whenever you add tie lines or adjust the source strings. Tie lines should always go in
their own file.
Always deselect the last string of the current wireframe part if you plan to work somewhere else, otherwise
Micromine will try to join the two parts. This will cause validation errors at worst and a visually invalid wireframe
at best.
If you’re building a solid of a drillhole interpretation, never close the solid on the end sections. You’ll lose volume
and may not know if intervals at the edge will fall inside or outside the solid.

Lesson 3 – Saving Your Work

Saving your work is simply a matter of saving each of the files with which you’ve been working (wireframe, tie
lines, input strings). However, some data management and integrity decisions are needed, especially if your work
will be audited against modern reporting codes.
Although it’s possible to save all files at once, it’s best to save them separately so you can control the destination
of each data element. You control which layer is saved by selecting it in the Vizex Layer Display pane before
saving.
• Save a wireframe
• Save tie lines, using a name that relates them to the wireframe
• Save modified input strings without altering the original input data.
Saving the Wireframe

The finished wireframe is clearly the ultimate result of this process and saving it is as simple as clicking the Home
| Save button. Your only major concern is where to save the wireframe and what to name it.
As you learned in MM 102, Lesson 5, you group wireframes into wireframe types, which provide a convenient
way to classify wireframes. If you’re building geological solids the Types, you’re most likely to use are Ore, Rock
Model or Mineralisation.
However, you’re not restricted to just these types. Faults or shear zones can be modelled as surfaces or solids
that you can group under the Fault type. Similarly, for solids of underground workings you might use the Stope
type.
If none of the supplied wireframe types suit your requirements, you can easily create your own. Just select
Wireframe | Manage Wireframes from the ribbon and click the New Type button on the Manage
Wireframe dialog. Whenever you create a new wireframe type you must also define the attributes for that type.
The simplest way is to use another type as a template or disable the template option to define your own attributes.
The wireframe Name can be anything meaningful. Consider including version information if you plan to work
through multiple iterations of a wireframe. For example, Sth Lode v1 might be the first version of South Lode.
Always specify a default Colour when you create a new wireframe. If you don’t, the wireframe will be displayed
in black and no texture will be visible.
In the following exercise you’ll save the wireframe with the Type Ore and the Name MV2.
Exercise 3.1 Save the wireframe

To save the wireframe:

1. Right-click the Untitled (New Wireframe) layer in the Vizex Layer Display pane or anywhere in the
graphic display and choose Save from the pop-up menu.
You may alternatively select the layer and click the Home | Save button on the ribbon or press Ctrl+S to
save it.
2. Click the Type browse button and choose Ore.tridb from the list.
3. Enter the Name MV2 and set the Colour to pale green.
4. Click OK to save the solid.
Saving Tie Lines

Tie lines are an essential part of wireframing and it’s important to save them in a way that relates them to their
associated wireframe. This is especially the case if your wireframes take longer than one day to build, or if you’re
producing a reportable resource and need to justify your result.
In Exercise 2.3 you learned about separating tie lines from the input strings; when you save the tie line file you
should name it in a way that relates it to the wireframe. For example, if your wireframe is named Sth Lode v1,
one possible name for the tie line file might be Sth_Lode_v1_Ties. The tie line file is still a string file, so although
you’ve separated the tie lines from the input strings you should still set the file Type to STRING when you save
it.
In the following exercise you’ll save your tie lines as a string file with the Name MV2_Ties.
Exercise 3.2 Save the tie lines

To save the tie lines:
1. Right-click the Untitled (Untitled.STR) layer in the Vizex Layers Display pane and choose Save
from the pop-up menu or use one of the alternative methods described above.
2. Enter the File Name MV2_Ties. Naming the tie line file this way indicates that it contains tie lines and
relates it to the solid.
3. Click OK to save the file. Note how the display layer is now named Untitled (MV2_Ties.STR).
To reload the tie line file, perhaps after shutting down Micromine for the evening, load it as a String layer and
then go to Wireframe | New Tie Line and select the small triangle immediately to the right of the New Tie
Line button. Choose Select Active Tie Lines from the button menu and select the tie line file from the list.
Saving Modified Input Strings

The input strings you use for a wireframing project most probably represent a series of sectional interpretations
made by snapping to drillholes. However, if you add end or intermediate sections to the string file, it no longer
consists of a pure sectional interpretation. This is because the new sections did not originate from actual drillholes
and therefore no longer represent the raw drillhole information.

Because of this change in data origin you should consider saving modified strings to a new file instead of saving
them to the original one.
This does not apply to error corrections, which you should save back into the original file whenever
possible.
In the following exercise you’ll save the modified input strings to a new file called MV2_Interp, which relates it to
the solid.
Exercise 3.3 Save the modified input strings

To save the modified input strings to a new file:
1. Right-click the Qtz Vein interp layer in the Vizex Layer Display pane and choose Save As from the
pop-up menu.
2. Enter the File Name MV2_Interp. As you did with tie lines, naming the file this way relates it to the
wireframe.
3. Click OK to save the file.
4. Micromine will place the new file name (MV2_Interp) into the Qtz Vein interp form set, protecting the
original file from accidental modification.
5. To view the newly created wireframe in context, click the check box next to the Example drillhole lithology
layer in the Vizex Layer Display Pane to show the drillholes. You may wish to also expand the
Wireframes form type and load Topo DTM with Airphoto.
Lesson 3 Summary
In this lesson you learned to save the various files that contribute to a built wireframe. Topics covered are:
To save a modified wireframe or tie line file:
Right-click the layer in the Vizex Layer Display pane and choose Save from the pop-up menu, or
Click the Save button or press Ctrl+S, and

Name the file according to the wireframe it’s related to and, if necessary, its version number.
To save modified input strings to a new file:
Right-click the layer in the Vizex Layer Display pane and choose Save As from the pop-up menu,
or
Highlight the layer in the Vizex Layer Display pane and select File | Save As from the menu, and
Name the file according to the wireframe it’s related to and, if necessary, its version number.
Good Practice
Don’t rely on the Save All option to save your files, as you may unintentionally overwrite an existing file,
particularly if you’ve modified the input strings.

Consider adding version information to the name if you’ll be performing multiple iterations of a wireframe. For
example, Sth Lode v1 might represent the first version of South Lode.
In addition to using Wireframe | Manage Types to create a new type, you can also use the Wireframe Manager
(Wireframe | Manage Wireframes) or create one while you’re saving the wireframe. To do this, right-click
the Type on the Wireframe dialog and choose New Type from the pop-up menu.

MOB1104
Plotting 1
MOB1000 Introduction to Micromine Origin & Beyond MOB1104 - Plotting 1
MOB1104 – Plotting 1
Table of Contents
LESSON 1 – THE PLOT EDITOR ...........................................................................................................1
INTRODUCTION ............................................................................................................................................ 1
THE PLOT EDITOR ........................................................................................................................................ 1
OPENING A PLOT LAYOUT ............................................................................................................................... 2
The Components of a Plot Layout ........................................................................................................... 2
CHANGING THE PAPER SIZE............................................................................................................................. 3
Changing other Plot Settings .................................................................................................................. 4
SCALING AND POSITIONING THE DATA ............................................................................................................... 4
Setting the Plot Scale............................................................................................................................. 4
Positioning the Data .............................................................................................................................. 4
CHANGING THE TITLE .................................................................................................................................... 5
On the Plot Layout ................................................................................................................................ 5
Using a Plot Form .................................................................................................................................. 6
SAVING A PLOT LAYOUT ................................................................................................................................. 7
Automatically Loading a Plot File into the Plot Editor ................................................................................ 7
PRINTING A PLOT LAYOUT .............................................................................................................................. 7
FRAME TYPES .............................................................................................................................................. 8
LESSON 2 – MODIFYING A PLOT LAYOUT ....................................................................................... 12
INTRODUCTION .......................................................................................................................................... 12
USING A TEMPLATE ..................................................................................................................................... 12
MODIFYING THE COORDINATE GRID ................................................................................................................ 14
ADDING A COMPANY LOGO............................................................................................................................ 16
LESSON 3 – VIZEX PLOTS ................................................................................................................ 18
INTRODUCTION .......................................................................................................................................... 18
CREATING A VIZEX PLOT LAYOUT ................................................................................................................... 18
INTERACTING WITH A VIZEX PLOT .................................................................................................................. 20
SAVING A VIZEX PLOT LAYOUT ....................................................................................................................... 20
USES FOR VIZEX PLOT LAYOUTS ..................................................................................................................... 21
Sidebars
Putting plot content ‘in the frame’ ................................................................................................................. 4
Vizex Plot templates supplied with Micromine .............................................................................................. 19
Tables
Table 1.1: Plot Editor frame types ................................................................................................................. 8

MOB1104 - Plotting 1 MOB1000 Introduction to Micromine Origin & Beyond
MM 104 – Plotting 1
Table of Contents
Exercises
Exercise 1.1 Open a plot layout ................................................................................................................... 2
Exercise 1.2 Change the paper size .............................................................................................................. 3
Exercise 1.3 Set the plot scale ..................................................................................................................... 4
Exercise 1.4 Position the data ...................................................................................................................... 5
Exercise 1.5 Change the title on the plot layout ............................................................................................ 5
Exercise 1.6 Change the title using a plot form ............................................................................................. 6
Exercise 1.7 Save the plot layout ................................................................................................................. 7
Exercise 1.8 Print the plot layout ................................................................................................................. 7
Exercise 2.1 Display a plan view on the cross section .................................................................................. 12
Exercise 2.2 Modify the coordinate grid display ........................................................................................... 14
Exercise 2.3 Add a company logo .............................................................................................................. 16
Exercise 3.1 Create a Vizex Plot layout ....................................................................................................... 18
Exercise 3.2 Interact with the Vizex plot ..................................................................................................... 20
Exercise 3.3 Save the Vizex Plot layout....................................................................................................... 20

Lesson 1 – The Plot Editor

In this lesson you’ll learn to open, modify and print a plot layout that you created in MM 102 – Displaying and
Manipulating Data. The result will be a drillhole cross section with an automatic plot title. You’ll also print the
layout to PDF.
• Load a plot layout into the Plot Editor

• Change the paper size of the plot layout
• Change the scale and position of the plot data
• Enter title text
• Modify the title using a pre-existing plot form
• Print your layout to PDF, and
• Save your plot layout to a new file.
Introduction
The Plot Editor is where you create plot layouts of your project data and then print them to a PDF file, plotter
or other output device. Plot layouts may be as simple or as complex as you need, with multiple frames
incorporating other plots, coordinate grids, legends, images and tables.
This lesson will teach you the basics of the Plot Editor. In later lessons you’ll create a more advanced layout that
displays a cross-section and plan on the same layout.
The Plot Editor

You work within the Plot Editor window whenever you interact with a plot layout. This window provides a separate
interactive environment, similar to Vizex. Like Vizex, the Plot Editor window includes a plotting-related ribbon and
a set of docking windows through which you interact with your plot data.
The Plot Editor ribbon contains essential tools for interacting with a plot layout, the Layout section of the ribbon
provides the tools necessary to design a plot layout, and the Annotation section includes tools for marking-up
a plot layout. Docked at left of the Plot Editor window are the Plot Frames window, where you manage the
frames on a layout, the Plot Forms window, which contains definitions for ready-made plot frames, and the
Properties window, with which you edit the properties of any frame on the layout. You’ll explore many of these
tools and windows over next few lessons.

Plot Editor
Ribbon
Plot Frames
Plot Forms Tab
Properties
Opening a Plot Layout

You open a plot layout by selecting Vizex | Open (plot) | Open from the ribbon. In the following exercise,
you’ll open one of the layouts that you created in MM 102 – Displaying and Manipulating Data.
Exercise 1.1 Open a plot layout

To open a plot layout:
1. Select Vizex | Open (plot) | Open from the ribbon.

2. Ensure the file type is set to Plot Document (*.PEX).
3. Select the file 15900mN.PEX and click Open. You screen will resemble the screenshot on the following
page.
The Components of a Plot Layout

A complete plot layout consists of two parts: a plot document (.PEX) file, which determines the visible
appearance of the printed page, and the plot content, which supplies the data to be plotted. In turn, the plot
content may originate from a plot (.PEL) file or directly from a Vizex view.
Whenever you generate a plot file using Auto load, Micromine creates the plot document and gives it the same
name as the plot file. Although Auto load is not compulsory, it does make the two files easier to manage. The
relationship between them is explained in MG 204 – Plotting 2.
If you need to open a plot file without a matching plot document, just change the file type to PLOT (*.PEL) when
you use Plot | Open.

Micromine displays the newly opened plot layout using the default 2D layout template, which was automatically
applied when you created the file in MM 102 – Displaying and Manipulating Data. You can see that much of the
configuration has already been done and only minor changes are needed.
Hide or close the Vizex docking windows to clear additional space for the Plot Editor window.
Changing the Paper Size

Layouts are created by default on A3 (420 × 297mm) paper, so your first task when working with a new layout
is usually to change the paper size. This is introduced in the following exercise, where you’ll change the paper
size to A4 so that the layout can be added to a report.
Exercise 1.2 Change the paper size

To change the paper size:
1. Click the Plot Editor | Print | Page Setup button on the Plot Editor Ribbon to open the Page Setup
dialog.
2. On the Plot Settings dialog, click the Forms button and browse to the Metric | Landscape | A4 Landscape
form.
3. Double-click the form set, or click Open, to apply it to the layout, and then click OK.
4. Select the Plot Editor | (Zoom) One Page button to zoom the layout to the new paper size.

Changing other Plot Settings

The Plot Settings dialog also allows you to change the measurement units and default substitutions.
Substitutions are covered in MG 204.
Scaling and Positioning the Data

Now that the layout is on the right paper size, you can turn your attention to editing it to suit your requirements.
Your first task is to correctly scale and position the data within the plot frame.
Setting the Plot Scale

Scales in a metric layout are always expressed as a representative fraction, or RF, such as 1:1000. Imperial
layouts have typically use other scales, such as inches-to-mile or foot-to-miles. Although the Plot Editor supports
both methods you will concentrate on the metric representative fraction in the next exercise.
Exercise 1.3 Set the plot scale

To set the plot scale:
1. Click within the plot frame (the box containing the plot data) to select it. You’ll see its border highlighted in
red.
2. The Properties window should be visible. If not, click the Properties button in the Plot Editor ribbon
to display it.
3. Select the X Scale value in the Properties window and change it to 1250.
4. Depending on the layout template, you may also need to change the Y Scale. If it’s disabled, there is no
need to set it.
Putting plot content ‘in the frame’
The rectangular boxes on a plot layout are called frames, and the plot frame is simply the one containing
the plot data. Depending on the layout, other frames might contain title text, a scale bar, a legend or a
company logo. Managing the frames on a plot layout is covered in MG 204.
You can edit anything listed in the Properties window using black text. Items listed in grey text must be edited
from the relevant dialog.
Now that the scale is correct, you can position the data.
Positioning the Data

Positioning the data is an interactive process that involves dragging the contents of a plot frame until they are
correctly located within that frame.

Exercise 1.4 Position the data

To position the data within the plot frame:
1. With the plot frame selected (its border should be highlighted in red), click the Pan Data Within Frame
button on the Plot Editor Ribbon.
2. Drag the data until it is centred within the frame.
3. Note the changes to the X Centre and Y Centre values in the Properties window.
Interactively rescaling a plot frame

You can also use Pan Data Within Frame to rescale the data by Ctrl+ dragging the mouse vertically in
the frame. Once you know the approximate scale, enter the nearest sensible value in the Properties window.
With the data configured, it’s time to work on the marginalia – the information around the margins of the plot
frame.
Changing the Title

The new layout includes several frames containing title text, but they currently display default placeholders. Your
next task is to change the title text to something more appropriate.
There are two ways to supply title text for a layout: you can either enter it yourself or you can use a plot form to
quickly load predefined text. You’ll learn both techniques in the next two exercises.
On the Plot Layout

To change the contents of a text frame (or any other frame) on a layout, just double-click it to display its dialog.
Exercise 1.5 Change the title on the plot layout

To change the title text on the layout:
1. Double-click the TITLE frame containing the text Plot Title / Description of Plot Title to open the Text
dialog. (You’ll also see the frame border turn red.)
Hover your mouse over a frame to see its name in the status bar.
2. In the Free Text edit area, replace the existing text with Introduction to Micromine / Training Plot. (The ‘/’
represents a line break. Press Enter to create it.)
3. Click OK to apply the new title. Your TITLE frame should resemble this:

Using a Plot Form

Although it’s easy to manually enter your own text, many plot forms are provided to give you a head start
towards customising your layouts. You’ll use a plot form to create automatic title text in the next exercise, and
you’ll learn to manage plot forms in MG 204.
Exercise 1.6 Change the title using a plot form

In this exercise, you’ll use a plot form to change the title text into an automatic title that combines the project
title and plot filename.
To change the title text using a plot form:
1. Double-click the TITLE frame to reopen the Text dialog.

2. At the right of the dialog, click the Forms button and browse to the Title | Auto [+projtitle+plotfile] form
set.
3. Double-click the form set or click the Open button to load it into the dialog:
The text @projtitle is a predefined substitution that instructs Micromine to display the project title (which
appears in the Micromine title bar) on the layout. Similarly, @plotfile displays the name of the plot file. You’ll learn
about substitutions in MG 204.

4. Click OK to apply the change to the layout. The title now contains text automatically constructed from the
project title and plot filename.
You change the contents and properties of any frame in a plot layout by double-clicking it.
Saving a Plot Layout

To save a layout, select Home | Save or Home | Save As from the ribbon. Or you can click the Save
button on the Plot Editor ribbon, or press Ctrl+S.
Exercise 1.7 Save the plot layout

To save the plot layout:
1. Click the Save button in the Plot Editor ribbon, select Home | Save, or press Ctrl+S.
2. Leave the layout open in preparation for the next exercise.
Automatically Loading a Plot File into the Plot Editor

In MM 102 – Displaying and Manipulating Data you used Auto load to automatically load a generated plot file
into the Plot Editor. Be sure to select this option whenever you use Vizex | Generate | Generate Plot File. It
saves time through not having to manually open the layout and it also automatically creates and names the plot
document (.PEX) file.
Printing a Plot Layout

On the ribbon, Plot Editor| Print | Print Setup is where you choose the printer and paper size. You must
ensure that this paper size matches the one used by the layout.
To send the layout to the printer, select Plot Editor| Print | Print, or press Ctrl+P.
In the next exercise you’ll print the layout to PDF.
Exercise 1.8 Print the plot layout

To print the layout:
1. Select Plot Editor| Print | Print Setup and choose an available PDF printer. Alternatively, select the
Windows 10 Microsoft Print to PDF.
2. On the Print Setup dialog, change the Paper Size to A4 and the Orientation to Landscape, then click
OK to return to the Plot Editor.

Microsoft Print to PDF is limited to a maximum size of A3.
3. Click the Print button on the Plot Editor ribbon and then click OK on the Print Setup dialog to print
the layout.
4. If prompted for a file name, navigate to your project folder, enter 15900mN and click OK or Save.
If a preview or PDF window appears, confirm that the layout was printed correctly and then close the window
once done.
You can also use Plot Editor| Save to PDF to save a PDF directly.
Frame Types
In the preceding lessons you interacted with two different frame types: a 2D Plot frame and a Text frame. The
Plot Editor supports a variety of other frame types, which are listed in Table 1.1.
Table 1.1: Plot Editor frame types
2D Plot: Displays a plot file. Can be interactively Vizex Plot: Displays a Vizex View. Can be rotated,
zoomed and panned. zoomed and panned.
Empty: Used for grouping other frames, such as a Image: Supports many file formats. Ideal for a
neat-line (border) or title block. company logo or site photograph.

Legend: May be constructed manually or from Text: Any mixture of literal text and predefined or
colour, hatch, line or symbol sets. user-defined substitution parameters.
Scale Bar: Shows reference plot scale. Adjusts to

North Arrow: Various north arrow symbols. changes in paper size or plot scale.
Different styles available.
Table: Any tabular Micromine file, with many Document: Document, spreadsheet or presentation
formatting options. from an office suite.
Lesson 1 Summary
This lesson has introduced you to the Plot Editor and the process of editing a layout. Here’s what you’ve learnt:
To open a plot layout:
Select Open| Open from the menu, and

Ensure the file type is set to Plot Document (*.PEX), then
Select the file and click Open.
To change the paper size of a layout:

Click the Page Setup button on the Plot Editor toolbar, or

Select Plot Editor | Print | Page Setup from the menu, then
Click the Forms button and choose a paper size, and
Double-click it to apply it to the layout.
To set the scale:
Select the plot frame, and

Enter the X (and optionally Y) Scale in the Properties window.
You can also use the Auto Scale option on the 2D Plot dialog.
To reposition the data in the layout:
Click the Pan Data in Frame button, and

Drag the data to the correct location.
To rescale the data in the layout:
Click the Pan Data in Frame button, and

Ctrl+drag the mouse to rescale the data, then
Enter the nearest sensible scale in the Properties window.
To change the text in a title frame:
Double-click the frame to open the Text dialog, and

Enter the Free Text.
To change text using a plot form:
Double-click the frame to open the Text dialog, and

Click the Forms button and select a plot form.
To save a plot layout:
Click the Plot Editor | Save button, or

Select File | Save (or Save As) from the menu, or
Press Ctrl+S.
To print a plot layout:
Select Plot Editor | Print | Print Setup and choose the paper size and printer, then
Click the Plot Editor | Print button on the Plot Editor toolbar, or

Good Practice
Always enable Auto load whenever you use Vizex | Generate | Generate Vizex Plot . This option saves
time through not having to manually open the layout; it also automatically creates and names the plot layout
(.PEX) file.
An exception to this suggestion is when you are producing multiple plot files from a macro and intend to print
them using a master layout. In this situation, which is introduced in MM 105 – Macros, you would typically disable
Auto load.

Lesson 2 – Modifying a Plot Layout

In this part of the training, you’ll learn to make simple modifications to a layout, which are the first steps towards
designing your own customised layout template. The lesson covers two important techniques: using a layout
template to change the entire design and modifying a plot frame to change the contents of a specific plot
element.
• Apply a template to a layout to change its overall design

• Add a plot file to a 2D Plot frame
• Modify the contents of a coordinate Grid frame
• Add a company logo to an Image frame.
Introduction
A plot layout consists of any combination of plot frames containing plot content, and other frame types containing
supporting information or marginalia. Modifications to a layout can be as broad as applying a completely new
template or as subtle as changing the properties of a single plot frame.
To speed up both processes, Micromine includes a variety of pre-defined layout templates and plot forms (a
plot form defines the properties for a plot frame), and you’ll learn to use both in this lesson.
Using a Template
A common way of enhancing a drillhole cross section is to place a plan view of the holes along one edge of the
layout. The plan view is oriented parallel to the section plane and matches the scale and location of the section.
It shows the location of the holes in relation to the section along with the thickness of the clipping windows
towards and away.
Micromine makes this process easy provided you’ve created a plan plot that covers the entire project area. To
incorporate the plan plot, apply a Section+ Plan layout template and then specify the name of the plan plot.
The following exercise demonstrates this process.
Exercise 2.1 Display a plan view on the cross section

To display the plan view:
1. Ensure the Plot Frames window is visible. If it is not, click the Frames tab to display it.
2. Right-click the 15900mN.PEX filename at the top of the tree.
3. Choose Apply Template from the pop-up menu:

4. Browse to the Layout Templates\Section+Plan folder.

5. Select Section+Plan Bottom.ptx and click Open to apply it.
Note how an empty plan window now appears at the top of the layout. The grey text indicates that the frame is
a 2D Plot frame called Plan Plot. The new template has reformatted the entire layout.
Bottom refers to the location of the title frame, not the plan window.
6. Optionally, change the Paper Size back to A4 (use the paper size form set, not the box on the dialog) and
reselect the Auto title text.
7. Double-click within the Plan Plot frame to open the 2D Plot dialog.
8. Click the Plot file browse button and choose Example_Plan which includes drillholes along with the
information. Or, use the Plan plot file you created earlier.
9. Click OK to apply the settings.
10. Your display should resemble the screenshot overleaf.
11. Using the Pan Data Within Frame button, drag the data within the section view. Note how the plan
view updates as you release the mouse.
Applying a template will remove the contents of any existing frames, so be sure to choose the correct
template before configuring the marginalia.

By using a template, it was possible to add the plan plot with minimal effort. The Layout Templates folder contains
many other templates, and you’ll learn to manage your own templates in MG 204 – Plotting 2.
Modifying the Coordinate Grid

A coordinate grid overlay, which is supported by a Grid frame, can be applied to a 2D Plot or Vizex Plot frame.
The coordinate grid supplied by the template uses a combination of major and minor gridlines. However, it is
easy to format a coordinate grid overlay in a variety of different ways, which you’ll learn in the next exercise by
changing to a subtle dotted grid.
The Grid frame is subordinate to the Plot frame and is said to be a child of the plot. There’s no direct way to
modify the grid’s properties from the layout so you must use the Plot Frames window to access it instead.
Exercise 2.2 Modify the coordinate grid display

To modify the coordinate grid display:
1. Ensure the Plot Frames window is visible. If it is not, click the Frames tab to display it:

2. Click the expand icon next to the Master Plot list to expand it. It contains one child frame, the Master
Plot Grid.
3. Double-click the Master Plot Grid frame to open the Grid dialog.
4. Click the Forms button at right of the Grid dialog and browse to the Label Inside Border | Label=metres
folder.
5. Choose Auto Spacing [DOTTED] from the list and click Open to apply it.
The spacing of the grid lines is currently automatic, but you’ll change it to a fixed 100 m interval.
6. In the Line Settings group, enable Make all spacings the same and change East Spacing to 100.
7. Click OK to apply the changes.
8. Optionally, repeat Steps 2 through 7 for the Plan Plot coordinate grid.
9. Your display should resemble this:
10. Click the Save button on the Plot Editor ribbon to save your work.
Because a Grid frame is a child of its Plot frame, you can only modify its properties from the Plot Frames
window.

Adding a Company Logo

Even if you’re happy to use the layouts provided by Micromine, you’ll still need to add your own company logo to
the title area. The simplest way to add a company logo is to save it in a popular image format like TIF, JPG or
PNG. Once it’s in that format it can be added to a layout using an Image frame, which you’ll do in the next
exercise.
Exercise 2.3 Add a company logo

To add a company logo:
1. Double-click the [Image “LOGO”] frame to display the Image dialog. Its border will be highlighted in red.
2. Click the Image file browse button and choose Micromine_Logo.jpg.

3. Ensure that Maintain aspect ratio is enabled.
4. Click OK to apply the new logo. Your display should resemble this:
5. Save and Close the layout (click the on the 15900mN.PEX tab) once you’re done.
Lesson 2 Summary
This lesson has introduced the basic ways to modify a plot layout. Here’s what you’ve learned:
To apply a template to a layout:
Ensure the Plot Frames window is visible, then

Right-click the layout filename at the top of the Plot Frames tree, and
Choose Apply Template from the pop-up menu, then
Select the template.

To modify a (Grid) plot frame that is a child of another frame:
Ensure the Plot Frames window is visible, then

Click the expand icon next to the parent frame’s list to expand it, and
Double-click the child frame to display its dialog, then
Modify the parameters on the dialog, or
Click the Forms button and select an existing plot form.
To load a plot file into a 2D Plot frame:
Double-click anywhere within the Plot frame to display the 2D Plot dialog, then
Click the Plot file browse button and choose the plot file.
To add an image file reference to an Image frame:
Select the Image frame, then

Double-click Image frame to display the Image dialog, and
Click the Image file browse button and select the image file, and
Ensure that Maintain aspect ratio is enabled.
Creating a logo file

Micromine supports popular image formats like JPG, GIF, TIF or PNG. When making a logo file it’s important to
ensure the image is large enough to make high quality hardcopy output.
The largest paper you’re likely to use might be A0 or ARCH E, which means the LOGO frame might be around
185 mm × 65 mm (7.2 × 2.5 inches). The image should be big enough to accommodate this. A simple rule is: if
you view the logo at 100% scale on your computer screen it should just about fill the screen. If it’s only 65 mm
high on your screen, it’ll be too small to print at maximum quality.
Good Practice
Use pre-existing templates and plot forms where possible to speed up the process of creating a plot layout.

Lesson 3 – Vizex Plots

In this part of the training, you’ll learn to use a Vizex Plot layout to create a plot of a Vizex view.
• Create a Vizex Plot layout

• Manipulate the layout, including rotating the view into an inclined orientation
• Save the layout, including updating the referenced Saved View
• Understand the alternative uses for Vizex Plot layouts.
Introduction
A Vizex Plot layout is a layout that contains a Vizex Plot frame, which differs from a 2D Plot frame in three key
areas:
• It gets its data directly from a Vizex View instead of a plot file.
• It handles the texturing and shading required to draw wireframes, block models, draped images and 3D
interpolated grids in 3D Shaded mode.
• It can be interactively rotated within the layout in addition to the interactive panning and zooming of a 2D
Plot frame.
With a Vizex Plot layout you can interact with the view as if you were using Vizex, and once it is positioned you
can print the layout as normal.
Creating a Vizex Plot Layout

You create a Vizex Plot layout in a variety of ways. The quickest way is to create it directly from Vizex using Vizex
| Generate | Generate Vizex Plot. There’s no need for an Auto load option here since Vizex Plots are always
loaded directly into the Plot Editor. This method is best suited to layouts containing only one Vizex Plot frame.
Alternatively, you can create a layout containing one or more Vizex Plot frames and then load a Vizex saved
view into each frame. This method is best suited to layouts containing multiple Vizex Plot frames or a combination
of 2D and Vizex Plot frames.
You’ll learn the Generate Vizex Plot option in the next exercise.
Exercise 3.1 Create a Vizex Plot layout

To create the Vizex Plot layout:
1. If you completed 3D Presentation, expand the Vizex Layer Types Saved View list and reload the DTM
and drilling saved view, then proceed directly to Step 5.

2. If you did not complete 3D Presentation, load the following Vizex Layer Types instead:
• Wireframe > Topo DTM with airphoto
• Drillhole > Trace > Simple assay display
• Drillhole > Interval Hatch > Drillhole lithology
3. Click the Perspective Mode button on the Vizex ribbon, and then rotate the view into an inclined
orientation.
4. Select Vizex | Saved Layers| Save Vizex Layers, or double-click the Saved Layers node, and Save the view
with the Title DTM and drilling.
5. Select Vizex| Vizex Background Options and enable Sky and Ground mode, then click OK.
6. Select Vizex | Generate | Generate Vizex Plot from the ribbon, and then click OK to accept the
settings on the Generate Vizex Plot dialog.
7. Click within the Vizex plot frame (the box containing the plot data) to select it. You’ll see its border
highlighted in red.
8. Double-click within the [Vizex Plot] frame to display the Vizex Plot dialog.
9. Switch to the Frame tab and change the Fill colour to null colour.
Micromine will automatically load the view into a default Vizex plot layout.
10. Your display should resemble this screenshot. (Vizex windows have been closed for clarity):
In the workplace, you’d work on the layout, filling out the frames in the title area, or perhaps by applying a
different layout template. For brevity here, you’ll complete the next exercise using the default layout.
Vizex Plot templates supplied with Micromine
A range of Vizex Plot layout templates is provided in the Layout Templates\3D folder. In addition, applying
any other template to a layout will automatically convert it to a Vizex Plot layout.

Interacting with a Vizex Plot

One of the coolest features of a Vizex Plot is its support for interactive rotation as if you were still using Vizex.
Whenever you alter the appearance of a Vizex Plot frame by panning, rotating or zooming, the new view
parameters are automatically saved as Override Display Limits settings, making it easy to decouple the layout’s
appearance from the original saved view. However, the plot data is still obtained from Vizex.
Because the interaction in a Vizex Plot frame is applied to a frame within a window, the Plot Editor uses different
keyboard and mouse combinations than Vizex. You’ll learn to use these keyboard/mouse combinations in the next
exercise.
Exercise 3.2 Interact with the Vizex plot

To modify the inclined view within the Vizex plot layout:
1. Click anywhere in the Vizex Plot frame to select it. Its border will be highlighted in red.
2. Click the Pan Data in Frame button on the Plot Editor ribbon.
3. Drag the mouse within the frame to pan the data.
Because the view was created in perspective mode it appears as if you are flying above the data rather than
panning a map.
4. Hold the Shift key and drag the mouse to rotate the data.
5. Hold the Ctrl key and drag the mouse to zoom the data.
Saving a Vizex Plot Layout

When you first create a Vizex Plot layout, Micromine gets its information from the currently displayed live Vizex
view. Saving a layout in this configuration gives you the flexibility to re-open it using any displayed Vizex view.
However, before saving this layout, you’ll make a simple change that will permanently associate it with the original
saved view.
Exercise 3.3 Save the Vizex Plot layout

1. Double-click in the Master Plot frame to open the Vizex Plot dialog. The frame border will be highlighted
in red.
2. On the Vizex Plot tab, choose the Saved Vizex view option.
3. Click the Saved Vizex view form button and choose the DTM and drilling saved view.
4. Inspect the contents of the Override Display Limits group, which were created the instant you started
interacting with the view.
5. Click OK to apply the change.
6. Click the Save button in the Plot Editor ribbon or select Home | Save from the ribbon, or press
Ctrl+S.

7. Ensure Save as type is set to Plot Document (*.PEX).

8. Enter the File name Inclined_View and click Save to save the file.
9. Click the on the Inclined_View.PEX tab to close the Plot Editor window once you’re done.
10. Back in Vizex, select Vizex| Vizex Background Options, change the background back to Simple, and
then click OK.
11. Select Edit | Remove All to clean up the display.
Uses for Vizex Plot Layouts

Vizex Plot layouts have the advantage of not using a plot file. Instead, they work directly from the current Vizex
display or a Saved View, which are in-turn derived directly from your data. You can use Vizex Plot layouts for
plotting regular data as well as inclined Vizex views, which offers several benefits:
1. Up-to-date information: Because Vizex Plots don’t use a plot file, they always display the most up-to-
date information. Using a Vizex Plot layout whenever your data is rapidly changing will ensure that the
layout always displays the most up-to-date information.
2. Quick plotting: It’s faster to create a Vizex Plot layout using an existing template than it is to create a
plot file.
Simply generate a Vizex Plot, click OK to use the current template, and then send it to your printer or PDF
software.
3. Complex shading: Vizex Plots handle complex texturing and shading more efficiently than 2D frames.
Texturing and shading are required for draped images, 3D shaded wireframes and 3D shaded interpolated
grids.
Lesson 3 Summary
This lesson introduced the Plot Editor’s Vizex Plot layouts. Here’s what you’ve learned:
To create a Vizex Plot layout:
Create a Vizex view containing the data you wish to display, and
Consider enabling Vizex | Vizex Background Options | Sky and Ground mode and Vizex
|Perspective Mode for a more realistic view, then
Select Plot | Generate Vizex Plot from the ribbon.
To interact with a Vizex Plot layout:
Select the Vizex Plot frame, and
Click the Pan Data Within Frame button, then

Drag the mouse within the frame to pan the data, or
Shift+drag the mouse to rotate the data, or
Ctrl+drag the mouse to zoom the data.
To associate a Saved View with a Vizex Plot layout:
Double-click the Vizex Plot frame to display the Vizex Plot dialog, then

On the Vizex Plot tab, select the Saved Vizex view option, and
Choose the Saved View.
To save a Vizex Plot layout:
Ensure you have completed the Saved View steps above, then
Click the Save button in the Plot Editor ribbon, or

Select File | Save from the ribbon, or
Press Ctrl+S.
Good Practice
Vizex Plot layouts work directly from the current Vizex display (or a Saved View) and can handle complex shading
and texturing. Use a Vizex Plot layout for creating quick plots, communicating complex ideas to non-technical
audiences, whenever your data is rapidly changing, or if you need to support shading or texturing.

MOB1105
Macros
MOB1000 Introduction to Micromine Origin & Beyond MOB1105 - Macros
MOB1105 – Macros
Table of Contents
LESSON 1 – INTRODUCTION ..............................................................................................................1
AUTOMATING MICROMINE .............................................................................................................................. 1
INTRODUCING MACROS .................................................................................................................................. 1
Why Write Macros? ............................................................................................................................... 1
LESSON 2 – WRITING A MACRO ........................................................................................................4
CREATING A MACRO ...................................................................................................................................... 4
Creating Form Sets ................................................................................................................................ 4
Managing Macro and Interactive Form Sets ............................................................................................. 4
Editing a Macro File ............................................................................................................................... 4
SPECIAL COMMANDS AND FIELDS ...................................................................................................................... 5
Catching Errors and Adding Comments ................................................................................................... 5
Plot File Field ........................................................................................................................................ 6
Other Macro Fields ................................................................................................................................ 6
RUNNING A MACRO ..................................................................................................................................... 10
LESSON 3 – PLOTTING VIA MACRO................................................................................................. 13
AUTOMATING THE PLOT EDITOR ..................................................................................................................... 13
USING REPLACEABLE PARAMETERS .................................................................................................................. 13
Defining Replaceable Parameters ......................................................................................................... 15
Adding Default Values ......................................................................................................................... 15
LESSON 4 – EXTERNAL APPLICATIONS (OPTIONAL) ...................................................................... 22
INTRODUCTION .......................................................................................................................................... 22
LAUNCHING AN APPLICATION ......................................................................................................................... 22
Obtaining an Application File Path ........................................................................................................ 24
Limitations of Displaying PDF Files in a Macro ....................................................................................... 25
LESSON 5 – A TASTE OF PYTHON (OPTIONAL) ............................................................................... 26
INTRODUCTION .......................................................................................................................................... 26
The Python Language .......................................................................................................................... 26
THE EXAMPLE MACRO REVISITED ................................................................................................................... 27
CONCLUSION ............................................................................................................................................. 28

MOB1105 - Macros MOB1000 Introduction to Micromine Origin & Beyond
MOB1105 – Macros
Table of Contents
Exercises
Exercise 1.1 Run an example macro ............................................................................................................. 2
Exercise 2.1 Create and test form sets ......................................................................................................... 6
Exercise 2.2 Create a macro file ................................................................................................................... 7
Exercise 2.3 Run a macro .......................................................................................................................... 11
Exercise 3.1 Preview an example macro that uses replaceable parameters ................................................... 14
Exercise 3.2 Set up and save a master plot layout ...................................................................................... 16
Exercise 3.3 Write and preview a plotting macro ......................................................................................... 17
Exercise 3.4 Run a plotting macro .............................................................................................................. 20
Exercise 4.1 Write a macro that exports data and opens the target application ............................................. 22
Exercise 5.1 Run an example Python script ................................................................................................. 27

Lesson 1 – Introduction
This lesson will introduce the reasons for automating Micromine and will give you an opportunity to run an
example macro that demonstrates one of Micromine’s automation methods.
• Understand the reasons for writing a macro

• Run an example macro.
Automating Micromine
Micromine includes many individual tools and functions; in your daily activities it’s normal to combine two or more
of them into a workflow that produces an end result. For example, adding the latest drilling results to a database
might require you to import, merge and then validate the data, with each step in this workflow using a different
Micromine function. You would then re-run this workflow every time you wished to add new data.
Saving these steps as form sets avoids the need to re-enter the settings each time, but you would still need to
run them manually whenever you received new data. Running anything manually increases the risk of human
error, so a much better alternative would be to somehow make them run automatically. Micromine’s automation
methods serve this purpose.
There are two ways to automate Micromine: macros and the Python programming language. Although either
method may be used to automate a given workflow, macros are better suited to simple workflows and Python
programming is better suited to more complex workflows in workplaces where maintainability and distribution are
important.
This part of the training focuses on macros. Lesson 5 – A Taste of Python provides a very brief introduction to
Python programming, which is covered in MM 331 – Python Scripting 1.
Introducing Macros
A macro is a file containing a list of instructions that Micromine performs in sequence without further input. Each
instruction is defined by its process (menu) name, form set ID and optional parameters. Any function that
appears on the Micromine ribbon may be used as a macro instruction, and once a macro is set up you can run it
repeatedly without intervention.
Why Write Macros?

Although there are many reasons for writing macros, the main three are:
• Repetition: To perform the same operation many times without having to sit at your computer. A
geological example involves plotting many cross sections at the end of a drilling programme. This macro
would redraw the drill data as many times as there were cross sections.
• Perform Complex Tasks: To perform a complex task via a sequence of simple commands. For example,
you might regularly extract assay files from a database, perform a significant intersections grade calculation
and report the results. This macro would combine the simple commands to automate this complex task.

• Auditability: To document your Micromine workflow by listing the form sets, in order, in that workflow.
Normally, you would not run this macro.
Before learning to write a macro, you’ll run a ready-made example in the next exercise, so you can observe the
result.
Exercise 1.1 Run an example macro

In this exercise you’ll run a macro that performs a task you carried out earlier in the Introduction course: Removing
everything from the Vizex window and then loading a drillhole trace and a digital terrain model.
To run the macro:
1. Select Script| Run Macro from the ribbon.

2. On the Run Macro dialog, click the Macro Name browse button and choose Load Drillholes and DTM
from the list.
3. Type (or copy and paste) the name Load Drillholes and DTM into the Report File response at the bottom
of the dialog.
If you give the report file the same name as the macro, you’ll be able to track which reports correspond to
which macros.
4. Click the Run button and observe the result.
Anything loaded into Vizex will be removed and the drillhole trace and digital terrain model layers will then be
loaded to replace them.
5. Micromine will return you to the Run Macro dialog once the macro is finished. This gives you an
opportunity to review the report file and confirm that the macro was successful.
6. Close the Run Macro dialog and retain the view for the next lesson.
This simple example shows how quickly a task, such as loading display layers, can be carried out using a macro.
Whilst you would not typically use these steps on their own as shown here, loading data into Vizex does form the
beginning of virtually every macro for plotting drillhole sections. You will reuse this knowledge in an upcoming
exercise.
Lesson 1 Summary
This lesson has introduced the concept of macros and their purposes:
Macros serve many purposes, the main three being:
Repetition: performing the same operation many times

Complexity: combining many simple steps to complete a complex task
Auditability: documenting your workflow.
Micromine includes two automation methods:
Macros: best suited to simple workflows.

Python programming: best for complex workflows or where maintainability and distribution are
important.
Good Practice
Always consider automating any workflow that consists of more than two steps, and that you need to run more
than two or three times.
If you work in an environment where workflow documentation is important, such as in resource estimation,
consider writing a macro that lists the order in which you carried out the individual steps. This macro is for
documentation only and there is generally no need to run it.

Lesson 2 – Writing a Macro

This lesson will teach you to write, test and run a macro, which you can use to automate a variety of Micromine
tasks.
• Understand the macro writing process

• Save dialogs as form sets in preparation for macro execution
• Write a macro file
• Run a macro.
Creating a Macro
Writing and using a macro is a three step process:
1. Create, test, and save all form sets that will be accessed by the macro.
2. Write the macro file, referencing the previously saved form sets.
3. Run the macro and check the result.
The following topics describe these steps using a section plotting example.
Creating Form Sets

It’s important that you understand how you would carry out the workflow manually before attempting to create
a macro. The easiest way to create and test form sets for a macro is to use Micromine normally. In other words,
you choose a ribbon option, fill out the dialog, and run the function with some trial data. You should continue to
test the dialog until you’re satisfied with the result.
Managing Macro and Interactive Form Sets

It’s normal for Micromine projects to contain dozens of form sets in any combination of interactive and macro
configurations. A systematic approach is essential to distinguish the two types – the titles may make sense to you
but will probably be meaningless to your colleagues.
Saving macro form sets in a separate folder is an excellent way to separate them from their interactive cousins.
The folder structure will allow you to easily identify the two types.
Editing a Macro File

Once you’ve defined the form sets that make up your workflow, it’s time to write the macro file. To create a new
macro file, choose Script | New Macro from the ribbon, or choose Home | New | New Macro. The macro
structure is predefined so there’s no need to use a template in either case.

Macro files are ordinary Micromine files, so you can use standard data entry shortcuts like Ctrl+A (add) or
Ctrl+R (replicate) while you are editing them. The macro PROCESS and Form fields incorporate permanently
attached lookup tables that assist with selecting a process and its corresponding form set; the PROCESS lookup
table reproduces the main Micromine ribbon (as shown below) and the Form lookup table lists the saved form
sets corresponding to each process. Simply click the corresponding button to display either lookup table.
Each line in a macro file represents an individual step or action, which usually requires you to select values for
both the PROCESS and Form fields:
1. The process corresponds to the ribbon item you would have chosen if you were performing the same task
manually.
2. The form corresponds to the matching saved form set.
Special Commands and Fields

Some functions can’t be saved as form sets in the normal way. However, you can still use these special macro
commands by selecting them from the Script Ribbon:
• Script | File: A collection of tools for creating and managing files via a macro.
• Script | Wireframe: A similar collection of tools for creating and managing wireframes.
• Script | Section: Options for working with section control files and the named sections within them.
• Script |Utilities: an option for choosing a printer without using the standard Windows Print Setup dialog,
along with options for creating and using a macro substitution table.
Catching Errors and Adding Comments

Some important macro commands are found under the Macro menu in the PROCESS list (not the menu). They
include:
• Abort: Typing YES into the PAR field (see below) will terminate the macro if an error occurs. Otherwise,
the macro will ignore each error and proceed to the next step as if nothing is wrong.

• Comment: Ignores all other text on that line, making it useful for labelling the fields in a macro. You can
also use an exclamation mark (!) to comment out an existing macro line.
A well-written macro normally includes both commands, which are typically placed at the beginning of the file,
and comments may be added anywhere the macro needs to be documented for other users to understand.
Plot File Field

Whenever you write a macro that creates plot files you must enter or select the name of the output plot files into
the Plot File field. This field has two purposes:
• In any process that makes a plot file it reproduces the output Plot file response of the Generate Plot
File dialog, equivalent to manually entering the name whenever you create a plot file.
• In the Plot Editor (PLOTPRINT) process it contains the name of the plot document that controls the
appearance of the plot. A lookup table button (the Plot File button) will appear next to each PLOTPRINT
process, simplifying the task of choosing a plot document.
Other Macro Fields

The standard macro file structure also includes these fields, which are beyond the scope of this training and are
only listed here for reference:
• Append-ROP: Use to append a Report, Plot or Other output file.

• PAR: When using the ABORT command, the PAR field should contain YES or NO to indicate whether or not
the macro should abort.
You’ll write a new macro containing the Abort and Comment commands in the next few exercises. Although the
initial steps in this macro duplicate those of the preceding example, recreating them will give you an opportunity
to see how the example was created.
Exercise 2.1 Create and test form sets

Most of the form sets you will be using have already been created, but you do need to create and test the form
set that displays the first section. In Exercise 3.6 of MM 102 you interactively displayed the sections by opening
a section control file and selecting a named section from the Sections window.

You can alternatively display a section from the ribbon by selecting Script | Sections | Go to Section by
Name. You’ll save this dialog as a form set for the macro.
This contains many other section control file functions.
Create the section control file form set

To set up the form set:
1. From the ribbon select Script | Sections | Go to Section by Name.
2. Click the Section Control File browse button and select the NVG_Sections file.
3. Click the Name Browse button and select 15760mN as shown here:
4. Click Forms followed by Save As and enter the Title Section 15760mN.
5. Click OK to save the form.
There’s no need to use form set folders here because this dialog has no interactive equivalent.
6. Click Run to test the form set by applying the change to Vizex.
Note how the view now displays section 15760mN as if you had selected it from the Sections window. If it did
not work, then you should re-do the preceding steps and check the file and section names.
7. Close the dialog once you are done.
With the form sets created you can now turn your attention to the macro.
Exercise 2.2 Create a macro file

To write the macro:
1. Select Script | New Macro from the ribbon.

2. On the New Macro File dialog, enter the File name Make_Dh_Sections and enable Auto open file for
editing.
3. Click OK to create and open the file.
You’ll see a blank macro file appear in the File Editor. Observe how the PROCESS and Form fields have lookup
table buttons.

This macro can be divided into four steps, which are detailed below:
a) Add the Abort command and comments for column headings

b) Clear the Vizex display and then load the new display layers
c) Refer to the cross sections using the section control file
d) Define the output plot filenames.
Add comments and catch errors (step a)

The first lines of any well-written macro should add the Abort command and include comments that describe the
field contents:
1. Click the PROCESS button and note how the popup menu reproduces the main Micromine menu.
2. Select Macro | Comment from this menu. Note how the COMMENT command now appears in the
PROCESS field.
3. Enter Output plot file in the Plot File field and Stop on error in the PAR field.
4. Double-click the right-hand borders of the headings to widen the columns and display the full comment
text.
These comments will explain the macro to other users.
5. Press Enter to create a new line in the macro.

6. Click the PROCESS button and select Macro | Abort from this menu. Note the addition of the ABORT
command to the macro.
7. Enter the word YES in the PAR field.
The abort command will stop the macro if it encounters an error.
Clear the display and load the display layers (step b)

If you were producing these cross-sections by hand you would begin by removing any previous data and then
loading the new display layers. You do the same within the macro:

2. Click the PROCESS button and select Vizex | Layers | Remove All from this menu. When this process
is run from the macro it will clean up the display in preparation for loading the new data.
Now to load new display layers:
3. Press Enter to create a new line.

4. Click the PROCESS button on line 4 and select Vizex | Layers | Trace. Note how VXTRACE now
appears in the PROCESS field.
5. Click the Form button on line 4 and select Example drillhole lithology from the list. Note the form set ID in
the Form field.
6. Press Enter to create the next line.
7. Click the PROCESS button on line 5 and select Vizex | Layers| Interval Label.

8. Click the Form button on line 5 and select Au Assay (deciles).

9. Repeat Steps 6 to 8 and select Lithology (coloured) from the list.
10. Create a new line and select the Vizex | Layers| Interval Hatch process along with the Drillhole
lithology form set.
11. Lastly, repeat Step 10 selecting Vizex | Layers| | Wireframe along with the DTM (2D slice) form set.
Your macro should look like this:
12. You’ve just instructed the macro to load five individual display layers in the same way as if you’d loaded
them by hand.
Refer to the cross sections (step c)

1. Press Enter at the end of the file to create a new line.
2. Click the PROCESS button and select Script | Macro Commands | Go to Section by Name.
3. Click the Form button and select Section 15760mN. This is the form set you previously created and tested.
4. Press Enter at the end of the file to create a new line.
5. Click the PROCESS button and select Script | Macro Commands | Go to Next Section in Control
Files.
This process does not have a form so there is nothing else to do.
6. Press Ctrl+R (or click the Replicate One button) eight times to add the remaining sections (there are
ten in the section control file and you’ve already created processes for the first two).
Define the output plot filenames (step d)

If you were to run the macro now, Micromine would display every cross section without creating the matching
plot files. Your final task is to instruct it to create a plot file for each section.
Every macro process that adjusts the Vizex view can be made to create a plot file by simply entering the
appropriate name in the Plot File field for that process. To save time and prevent data entry errors you will copy
the names from the section control file.
1. Switch to the Vizex tab and display the Sections window.

2. Right-click the NVG_Sections section control file and choose Edit from the pop-up menu.
3. Drag your mouse down the NAME field to select the named sections.
4. Press Ctrl+C, or right-click | Copy, to copy the names from the section control file. Close the file once
you’re done.

5. Back on the Macro tab, place your typing cursor in the Plot File cell on the NAME_IN_SCF process (line
9) and paste the names (Ctrl+V or right-click | Paste). It should now look like the screenshot on the
facing page.
6. Save the macro and close the editor. You’ve just written a macro that will automatically make ten plot
files.
Loading a Saved View vs. loading individual form sets

Creating a saved view containing several layers is a normal part of using Vizex, and it’s easy to load a saved view
via a macro. This may initially seem quicker because the macro needs only one form set – the saved view –
instead of a separate form set for each layer.
However, loading individual Vizex forms is usually better because you can control each one in a separate macro
process. You can also add or remove layers by adding or removing (or temporarily commenting out) lines in the
macro without having to recreate the saved view each time.
Running a Macro
To run a macro, select Script| Run Macro from the ribbon. Running a macro means executing the commands
stored in the macro file, which you do via the Run Macro dialog. Micromine will step through the commands as
if you were operating it.
You may include any number of macro files in one macro run. This allows you to create smaller macros that are
easier to develop and test, and then combine them on the Run Macro dialog to perform complex operations.
The dialog may be saved as a form set to simplify the creation of macro libraries.
You add a macro to the form by selecting a Macro Name. Pressing Enter within the Macro Grid will create a
new line, allowing you to run multiple macros. They are run in the order you list them. To start from an
intermediate macro, click the Start At button next to the file where you’d like to begin. The files before it will be
ignored. Click the Delete Row(s) button to delete a line and its corresponding macro. The right-click menu
and Macro Grid toolbar (on the Run Macro dialog) provide other options for managing multiple macros.
You must enter a compulsory Report file name. It’s essential that you check this file after the macro has run
because any pop-up messages that would have been displayed during a manual run will be written to this file. At

the very least you should scan the report for errors, which are always highlighted with blocks of hash ‘#’ symbols,
like this:
Time: 08:48:48
#### ERROR IN COPY STRUCTURE ####
----------------------------
You’ll run your macro in the next exercise.
Exercise 2.3 Run a macro

Now you can check the result of your efforts:
1. Ensure the Sections window is visible and expand the NVG_Sections list to display the named sections.
2. Select Script | Run Macro from the ribbon.
3. On the Run Macro dialog, click the Macro Name browse button and choose Make_Dh_Sections from
the list.
4. Type (or copy and paste) the name Make_Dh_Sections into the Report file response.
If you give the report file the same name as the macro, you’ll be able to track which reports correspond to
which macros.
5. Run the macro and observe the Sections window as it runs.
As expected, you’ll see Vizex loading the layers and then quickly stepping through the named sections, as well as
momentarily displaying each section in the graphic display.
6. Right-click the Report file to view it.
Any messages that would have appeared as pop-up dialogs during interactive use are written to the macro file
instead. It’s important to check for warnings such as these to ensure the macro behaved as intended.
7. Lastly, close the Run Macro dialog.

8. Finish this exercise by selecting Vizex | Display Layers | Remove All.
Lesson 2 Summary
This lesson has introduced the techniques for writing and running a macro. The topics that you’ve covered so far
are:
Writing a macro involves three steps:
1. Create and test the form sets.

2. Write the file.
3. Run it!
For each process in a macro file you must generally provide at least two items of information:

The PROCESS (i.e. the menu you’d have manually chosen).

The Form (i.e. which form you’d have manually loaded).
To set up a form set:
Use Micromine as normal, then

Run the form, and
Save the form set.
To write a plot file from a macro process:
Enter a name in the Plot File field for that process.
Good Practice
Keep your macros short and limit them to achieving a single outcome whenever possible. Short macros are easier
to develop and maintain, and you can combine them in the Run Macro dialog to perform a more complex task.
Use a systematic approach for managing form sets saved for macros. Consider prefixing their titles, for example
with (M), or saving them in subfolders so they are separated from other interactive form sets.
Well-written macros usually include the ABORT command and always include comments.
Always view the report file after running a macro.
Giving report files the same names as the macros will allow you to track the relationship between them.
If you’re writing a macro that incorporates a section control file, copy and paste the section names from the
control file into the Plot File field of the macro.

Lesson 3 – Plotting Via Macro

This lesson will teach you to automate the Plot Editor using a macro. Automating the Plot Editor makes it easy to
send multiple plots, such as drill sections at the end of a drilling programme, to an output device without having
to sit at your computer.
• Write a macro that plots multiple cross sections using replaceable parameters (variables)
• Define replaceable parameters on a Plot Editor layout
• Output those cross sections to a print device (PDF).
Automating the Plot Editor

Making the plot files as you did in Lesson 2 is clearly only half of this story; the plots must also be configured and
sent to an output device via the Plot Editor. You automate the Plot Editor using the same three-step technique
you learned in Lesson 2:
1. Create a master plot layout and save it with replaceable parameters. The plot layout acts as the “form set”
in a Plot Editor macro.
2. Write a macro file incorporating the Plot Editor.
3. Run the macro.
A Plot Editor-based macro is intended for sending plots to a device, and because it is tied to that device it can’t
be run in preview mode. Instead, you preview each individual plot by right-clicking its layout in the macro file.
Using Replaceable Parameters

The macro you wrote and ran in Lesson 2 created a plot file for each section. However, it provided no options for
automatically creating the corresponding plot layouts. Although you might be tempted to individually load each
plot file into the Plot Editor, it would be time-consuming and error-prone, and not ‘automated’. You can overcome
this limitation by creating a master layout and then substituting the actual file name in the layout with a variable,
known as a replaceable parameter. You then print the plot files using the same master layout by taking the
individual file names from the macro, as shown on Figure 3.1. Using a master layout avoids the need to create
separate layouts and guarantees that every plot will have the same design.

Figure 3.1: Creating many plots using a master layout and macro
In the next exercise you’ll preview an example macro that shows how to create multiple plots from a single plot
layout with one replaceable parameter. In the subsequent exercises you’ll then create, preview and run a more
sophisticated version of that macro that uses three replaceable parameters.
Exercise 3.1 Preview an example macro that uses replaceable

parameters
To preview the macro:
1. Select Script | Open from the ribbon and open the Plot to Device macro.
Process 1 in this macro, which is currently commented out, chooses the destination device. Processes 2 through
11 then repeatedly run PLOTPRINT, each time referring to the same Example_Master_Plot_Layout. In turn, the
plot layout obtains the plot file names from the %1 column of the macro file.
2. Right-click in the (blank) Form column of any PLOTPRINT process and observe the result.
Right-clicking the Form column in a macro lets you preview that form without running the macro. In the case of
a PLOTPRINT process, the preview shows the plot layout referenced in the Plot File column. This is ideal for
validating the plots before sending them to a printer.
3. With the plot layout open, double-click anywhere within the master plot frame, switch to the 2D Plot tab,
and compare the Plot File response with the plot filename shown in the layout’s Scale frame.
Although the Scale frame clearly includes an actual plot filename, the Plot File response on the 2D Plot tab still
shows “%1”. Whenever you preview a plot layout, Micromine automatically replaces %1 with the current plot file
name. The same applies when you run the macro.
4. Close the layout and then repeat the preceding steps for other PLOTPRINTs, noting the different plot
filenames.
5. Close the layout(s) and Plot_to_Device macro once you are done.

To run this macro, uncomment the PRINTER line, modify the form set to suit your output target device, and then
run it via the Run Macro dialog.
Replaceable parameters are a key macro feature and may be used in any macro to represent any value that
changes from one process to the next.
Defining Replaceable Parameters

Once you’ve prepared a dialog for a macro you should consider which entries on that dialog will change each
time it’s run. For example, when you are plotting cross sections you would expect the Plot file name to change
each time that function is run.
Once you’ve identified the entries whose values will change you then substitute those values with replaceable
parameters. These parameters are identified by a % (percent) symbol followed by a number, for example %3,
and will be replaced with actual values when the macro is run. You can define replaceable parameters %1 through
to %99 (although only %1 to %30 are present in the default macro structure), and the actual values must be
held within the corresponding fields in the macro file.
If you refer to the Make_Dh_Sections macro, it will be clear that not all form sets need replaceable parameters.
For example, form sets that load data into Vizex don’t change from one run to the next and generally don’t need
replaceable parameters, whereas section numbers, view centre coordinates, and file names usually do change
and do need replaceable parameters. Thus, the choice of whether to use replaceable parameters will depend on
your preferences and the complexity of the macro.
Adding Default Values

Once a dialog has been set up using replaceable parameters, it generally can’t be used interactively (directly from
the ribbon) because Micromine will assume %1 is an actual input value. However, you can make it useable from

the ribbon, perhaps for further testing, by adding a default value to each replaceable parameter using the
notation in these examples:
For the Plot File: %1="15760mN"

For X Centre: %2="25000"
For Y Centre: %3="1500"
Default values (in the form of %x="value") are convenient for writing and testing a new macro using real data.
They will automatically be replaced with parameter values at run-time. Default values aren’t compulsory, and, in
some situations, it may be safer to delete them once the macro is ready for regular use. This usually applies
wherever a default value is inappropriate or misleading; for example, your macro might require each step to use
a different (and unique) value. Clearly, a default value would increase the risk of duplicate values. Or, you might
require a process to fail if a compulsory value is missing, which won’t happen when the macro can fall back to a
default value.
You’ll create a master plot layout that includes replaceable parameters (variables) with default values in the next
exercise.
Exercise 3.2 Set up and save a master plot layout

In this exercise you’ll set up a master plot layout for a macro that sends your cross sections to a PDF writer. You’ll
add three replaceable parameters to the plot layout, assign default values to two of them, and define the individual
plot file names in the macro.
First, set up a trial plot layout:
1. Select Vizex | Open from the ribbon.

2. Browse to the 15900mN.PEX file you created in MM 104 – Plotting 1.
3. Ensure that the appearance of this layout is correct (scale, grid, etc.), and confirm that the Title text uses
the @projtitle and @plotfile substitutions for ease of automation.
Your next task is to define the replaceable parameters:
4. Double-click anywhere within the Master Plot frame to display the 2D Plot dialog.
5. On the 2D Plot tab, replace the Plot file value (currently 15900mN) with the replaceable parameter %1.
Deliberately leaving out the default value forces the macro to supply each filename. Otherwise, you could end up
printing 10 copies of the same (default) plot file. However, you will add default values to the X- and Y-centres:
Obtaining a default filename
A shortcut for obtaining a default filename is to enter %1 on its own and then click the browse button
to select 15900mN.PEL. Micromine will automatically convert this into the correct %1="15900mN"
notation.
6. Replace the X- and Y-Centre values with the replaceable parameters %2="25000" and %3="1500".
7. On the 2D Plot tab, enable Maintain aspect ratio and Retain Scale when loading new plot file. Your
dialog should resemble this screenshot, with replaceable parameters highlighted:

Now, save and close the layout:
8. Click OK to close the 2D Plot dialog.
9. Select Home | Save As from the ribbon and save the layout as a Plot Document (*.PEX) type file with
the File name Macro_Master.
10. Close the layout.
Exercise 3.3 Write and preview a plotting macro

To create the new macro file:
1. Select Script | Open and name the file Plot_Dh_Sections. Ensure Auto open file for editing is
enabled and click OK to create the file.
Set up the basics

2. Click the PROCESS button and select Macro | Comment.
3. Enter the following comments:

Field Comment
Plot File: Master plot layout
PAR: Stop on error
%1: Input plot file
%2: X-centre
%3: Y-centre
4. Press Enter to add a new line to the macro.

5. Click the PROCESS button and select Macro | Abort. Enter YES into the PAR field.
Next, choose a printer:
6. Press Enter to add a new line.

7. Click the PROCESS button and select Script | Macro Commands | Select Printer from that menu.
Any macro that incorporates the Plot Editor should always use this process.
8. Right-click the Form field (avoiding the lookup table button) to open the Select Printer Parameters
dialog.
9. Set up the dialog as shown on the facing page. Be sure to choose the same paper size and orientation as
those in your plot layout.
Prompt Setting
Mode: Plot Editor Printer
Printer name: Microsoft Print to PDF
Paper size: A4 or A3 (must match the layout paper size)
Orientation: Landscape
10. Click Forms, followed by Save As, to save these settings as a form set with the Title PDF A4 (or A3)
Landscape.
Omit Steps 6 to 10 if Microsoft Print to PDF is not available. If you’ve already completed them, close the
Printer Parameters dialog and press Ctrl+D to delete the PRINTER process from your macro. You can
complete the exercise without referencing a specific printer.
There’s no need to use form set folders because this dialog has no interactive equivalent.
11. Close the Printer Parameters dialog. Note how Micromine has automatically placed the new form set
number in the Form field.
Add the master plot layout and output plot files

1. Press Enter to add a new line.
2. Click the Process button and select Plot |Plot Editor | Print | Print.
3. Click the Plot File button and select Macro_Master.PEX from the list.

4. Instead of re-typing the input plot file names into the %1 field, copy and paste them directly out of your
earlier macro. To do this, select File | Open from the ribbon and open Make_Dh_Sections.MCR.
5. In the Make_Dh_Sections editor window, drag highlight the list of Plot File names, and then press Ctrl+C
to copy the values (shown in the screenshot overleaf). Close this window once you’re done.
6. In the Plot_Dh_Sections editor window, place the typing cursor in the %1 field on the PLOTPRINT line
(line 4) and press Ctrl+V to paste the file names. Micromine will automatically create the extra rows.
7. Leave the values of %2 and %3 blank.
Because you added default values to %2 and %3 in the master plot layout, you only need to enter values in the
macro whenever you need to override the defaults. Otherwise, simply leave them blank.
Finish off the macro

1. Click the cursor onto the PLOTPRINT process and press Ctrl+Shift+R to replicate it to the remaining
rows.
2. Repeat for the Plot File Macro_Master. Your macro should look like this (some column widths have been
reduced to fit the page):

3. Right-click in the Form field (within the grey editor cell) for any PLOTPRINT process to preview that
section as it appears in the master layout. This is useful for checking the layouts for errors before
committing them to the output device.
4. Optionally, refine the X- and Y-centres (in the %2 and %3 columns) for any plots that don’t fit within the
master layout.
5. Save and Close the macro.
With the macro written, the last remaining step is to run it.
Exercise 3.4 Run a plotting macro

1. Select Script | Run Macro, click the Macro Name select button and choose Plot_Dh_Sections.
2. Change the Report File name to Plot_Dh_Sections.
3. Click Run to run the macro.
While the macro is running, the Micromine window title will display [Executing Macro Process X/Y from
Plot_Dh_Sections, where X is the current process and Y the total number of processes.
The process number corresponds to the line number in the macro, making it easy to determine which one
to correct.
4. Use the installed PDF viewer on your computer to view the file(s), inspecting the location of each plot’s
data with respect to the frame.
Sending the plots to PDF like you did here creates a human-readable copy of the plot layouts that is still suitable
for hardcopy plotting.
Lesson 3 Summary
This lesson has shown you how to use a macro to automate the Plot Editor. The topics covered are:
To configure a plot layout as a master layout for macro use:
Set the Plot file response on the plot layout to a replaceable parameter, e.g. %1, and

Use a default value (e.g. %1="15900mN") to make the layout easier to develop and maintain, but
Avoid default values whenever they are inappropriate or misleading.
To obtain a default filename:
Enter a % value (e.g. %1) on its own, and
Click the file browse button to select a filename.

Micromine will convert this into the correct %1="name" notation.
To control the choice of destination printer:
Make PRINTER the first PROCESS (Script | Macro Commands | Select Printer), and
Create a Select Printer form set.
To preview the results before sending the plots to a physical printer:
Right-click the Form field for the plot you want to preview, and
Confirm, and correct if necessary, the layouts by inspecting the plots.
Good Practice
Plotting to PDF is useful even when the plot is destined for a physical hardcopy, because it gives you a human-
readable record of your data through time. Although Microsoft Print to PDF is available on Windows 10 and
onward, it is limited to a maximum size of A3. Consider using pdfFactory Pro, which you can evaluate free of
charge from http://fineprint.com/pdfp/.
(Note, although listed here, Micromine does not warrant or otherwise endorse this product.)

Lesson 4 – External Applications (Optional)

This lesson will teach you to launch an external application from a macro, which you can use to view the results
of a macro outside of Micromine. After this lesson you’ll be able to:
• Include the RUN command to launch an application from a macro

• Set up the RUN command so that Micromine launches the application
Write a macro that exports topographic contours to a GIS format and opens them in a GIS application.
Introduction
Often the purpose of a macro is to prepare and export Micromine data for use in another application such as a
GIS. Part of this workflow might involve automatically launching the target application so that it can manipulate
or display the data without user intervention. To simplify this process some of Micromine’s export functions include
an Open file option to automatically launch the target application, namely:
• File | Export | Microsoft Excel (and the Export Excel button in the File Editor)
• File | Export | Google KML
This lesson will teach you to launch any application from Micromine without relying on the open file option.
Launching an Application
You launch an application via the Run External Program option on the Script | Utilities ribbon. This function
takes three groups of information, the most important of which is the location and name of the program file
(application) that you wish to launch. You can optionally supply the path (location) of the data if it is not held
within the project folder, along with optional program command arguments.
In some situations, Micromine will be locked until you close the external application. This behaviour is normal and
depends on how the application uses the data. You should determine this behaviour in your workplace before
relying on the existence of the data elsewhere in the macro. Alternatively, you can force this behaviour by enabling
Wait until the program finishes on the Run External Program dialog.
In the next exercise you’ll create a macro to export and display data in a GIS.
Exercise 4.1 Write a macro that exports data and opens the target
application
In this exercise you’ll write and run a short macro that exports a string file of topographic contours to an Esri
Shapefile, and then opens that file in QGIS. (In your workplace you may substitute the program file name of your
usual GIS application.)
For brevity you’ll set up the form sets as you write the macro.

To write the macro:
1. Select Script | New Macro and name the file View_In_GIS. Enable Auto open file for editing and
click OK to create it.
2. Click the PROCESS button and select Macro | Comment.
3. Enter Input strings into %1 and Output shapefile into %2.
You may not know how to label the fields right now. If so, just add an empty comment line and enter the
labels once the macro is more mature.
To set up the Export GIS form set:
1. Press Enter to create a new line.

2. Click the PROCESS button and select File | Export | GIS.
3. Right-click in the Form field (avoiding the lookup table button) to open the Export GIS dialog.
4. Enter the Input File name %1 and set the file Type to STRING.
5. Click the Input File browse button and select Example_Topo_Contours from the list.
Observe how Micromine converts this to default value format and automatically determines the input fieldnames.
6. Enable Export attributes.

7. Ensure that the Output is set to File and enter the File name %2. There is no destination file, so you
cannot use a default value here.
8. Set the output Type to Esri Shapefile, the Mode to 3D and the Feature type to Polyline.
9. Click the Forms button followed by Save As and enter a Title of Export strings to 3D polyline shapefile.
10. Copy the Example_Topo_Contours text from the dialog to simplify the process of adding it to the macro.
11. Close (don’t run) the dialog and note the form set ID in the macro.
12. Back in the macro, paste the copied text into the %1 field.
13. Enter the text ExportedTopoContours.shp into the %2 field.
To set up the Run External File form set:

2. Click the PROCESS button and select Script | Macro Command | Run External Program. Note the
RUN command in the PROCESS field.
3. Right-click in the Form field (avoiding the lookup table button) to open the Run External Program
dialog.
4. Using the File browse ( ) button to locate the program file, fill out the dialog as shown here for QGIS
version 3:

Depending on how QGIS was installed, the program file path may be different on your machine. Your trainer will
provide the correct location or you may substitute the path and filename of another GIS. Refer to Obtaining an
Application File Path for information on finding the location of an application.
5. Click the Forms button followed by Save As and enter a Title of View exported shapefile.
6. Close (don’t run) the dialog.
7. Replicate (press Ctrl+R) ExportedTopoContours.shp into the %2 field. Your macro should look like this
(some fields hidden for clarity):
Lastly, to run the macro:
1. Select Script | Run Macro (or click the Run Macro on the Macro Editor ribbon), click the Macro
Name select button and choose View_In_GIS.
2. Change the Report File name to View_In_GIS.
3. Click Run to run the macro.
4. Click OK to dismiss any QGIS dialogs and note the appearance of the contours in QGIS.
5. Close QGIS once you’re done.
This simple example (most of the work was in setting up the Export GIS dialog) shows how easily a Micromine
file can be handed off to an external application. It is possible to extend on this interoperability by using a more
sophisticated macro or Python scripting techniques.
Obtaining an Application File Path

You obtain the path to any application by right-clicking its desktop shortcut, selecting Properties from the pop-
up menu, and copying the text in the Target edit box. You then paste this text into the File response in the Run
External Program dialog.

Limitations of Displaying PDF Files in a Macro

Most PDF printers require you to interactively supply the output file name(s) at runtime, and some PDF printers
release control back to Micromine before the file is created, meaning it does not exist when the macro tries to
open it. These limitations may make it hard to incorporate a PDF writer in a macro.
You can force the application to retain control over the macro by enabling Wait until the program finishes.
Furthermore, some printing applications can optionally be configured to generate the output filename from the
input data, making them suitable for use within a macro. You should consult your printing application’s
documentation to see if it supports this feature.
Lesson 4 Summary
This lesson has taught you to launch an external application from a macro. The topics covered are:
To launch an application:
Select Script | Utilities| Run External Program, then

Provide the program File path, and
Optionally provide the data Path or command line Arguments.
To obtain a default filename:
Enter a % value (e.g. %1) on its own, and
Click the file browse button to select a filename.

Micromine will convert this into %1="x" notation.
When running a macro that launches an external application:
Micromine may be locked until you close the external application, or

Enforce this behaviour by enabling Wait until the program finishes.
To export a file to a GIS format:
Select File | Export | GIS, then

Provide the Input and Output file information, and
Optionally enable Export attributes.
Good Practice
Launching an external application as part of a macro is a powerful way to automate the exchange of data between
applications. However, you must test such a macro carefully for unexpected side-effects, particularly the locking
of Micromine and the existence of created files.

Lesson 5 – A Taste of Python (Optional)

This lesson will introduce Micromine’s second automation method, the Python programming language, by
comparing the load layers example macro with a Python script version.
After this lesson you’ll:
• Know how the Python programming language is used within Micromine

• Understand the advantages and disadvantages of macros and Python
• Have an idea of which might be best for your automation needs.
Introduction
Python is a popular and widely used programming language, the core features of which are embedded in
Micromine 2013 and onward. It encourages advanced users to develop and share custom automation workflows
in a much more rigorous way than macros.
Programming with Python complements Micromine’s existing macros. Many users, especially exploration or early
resource estimation geologists, will either use the Python scripts (programs) created by others or write simple
macros for basic automation tasks like section plotting. However, engineers and advanced resource geologists
typically rely on extensive customisation and need a formal programming language with which to develop it.
Python was initially created as a teaching tool, and although programming is a complex topic, Python is one of
the easiest programming languages to learn. Many packages and libraries extend its capabilities in relevant fields
like geospatial, statistical, advanced graphing and user interface design, giving developers a wide variety of ready-
to-use features for little effort.
The Python Language

The biggest advantage Python has over macros is that it is a programming language. This means that instead of
simply listing and calling a bunch of form sets from a macro file, you describe the same Micromine actions using
the keywords, structure, syntax and data types of the Python language.
The facing page illustrates a code snippet from a Python script. The MMpy object shown in bold is the connection
(or binding) between Python and Micromine. This snippet also illustrates comments in green, a for-loop, which
repeats a series of actions, and an if-else statement, which executes different parts of the script based on a
condition. Macros do not support these essential programming features.
AppendFiles.set_field("SRCTYPE","2")
# Import each file

for i in range(len(files)):
ImportCadGis.set_field("GISFILE", filepath + files[i])

ImportCadGis.set_field("MM_FILE","ScriptTemp" + str(i))
ImportCadGis.run()
# Combine the temporary files to produce the final map

# Copy the first temporary file to seed the imported map

if i == 0:
MMpy.File.copy(("ScriptTemp" + str(i) + ".STR"),
"ImportedMap.STR")
# Append all other temporary files to form the final output

else:
AppendFiles.set_field("DEST","ImportedMap")
AppendFiles.set_field("SRC","ScriptTemp" + str(i))
AppendFiles.run()
# Delete the temporary files

FileDelete= MMpy.FormSet("MACFNS_DELETE")
FileDelete.set_field("FILE1","ScriptTemp" + str(i) + ".STR")
FileDelete.run()
# Restructure imported file by adding necessary fields, converting

# coordinates, generating elevations, and removing unwanted fields
# Rename geographic coordinate fields and add UTM coordinate fields

FileCreateModify1= MMpy.FormSet("MODPARMS")
A snippet from a Python script
Programming with Python isn’t for everyone, so don’t worry if the code snippet scares you a little. Programming
requires knowledge of (or a desire to learn) concepts that are beyond the ability or interest level of many users.
However, having access to both simple and advanced automation tools gives you the flexibility to choose between
simplicity and power.
You can easily experiment with and learn about Python scripting by using Micromine’s Record Script capability.
Simply select Script | Record from the ribbon to begin recording, and then carry out your task as normal.
You can even run an existing macro. Once the task is finished just reselect Script | Record to stop recording.
Micromine will prompt you to save the script as a Python (.py) file, which you can run and re-run whenever you
need to carry out that task.
The Example Macro Revisited

At the beginning of this session you ran an example macro that loaded some display layers into Vizex. To give
you a sense of the differences between Micromine macros and Python scripts the next exercise will perform the
same action using a Python script. Displaying the macro and script editors side-by-side will highlight the
differences between the two methods. (The example script is not the same as the snippet above.)
Exercise 5.1 Run an example Python script

Before you run the script you’ll compare it with the original macro:
1. From the ribbon, select Script | Open (Script) and choose Load Drillholes and DTM.MCR from the
list.
2. Now select Script | Open (Script) and choose Load Layers into Vizex.py from the list. For clarity you
may prefer to dock the scripting editor window against a side of the Micromine window.

3. Inspect the two files.
The files carry out similar actions (the Python version loads more layers than the macro), and yet their appearance
and functionality are very different.
4. Close the macro once you’re done, ensuring you leave the script open.
Now you can run the script:
5. Click the Run Script button (or press F5) to run the script. As expected it produces essentially the
same result as the macro.
6. Close the Scripting Editor once you are done.
At first glance the example script probably looked overly complex, but much of that complexity arose from another
advantage scripts have over macros: they don’t need form sets. Instead, every parameter of every form is listed
(along with its value) in the script. For example, these two lines of Python:
WireframeForm.set_field("WFTYPE","Example_DTM") #Type: Example_DTM

WireframeForm.set_field("TRIANGULATION_FILE","TOPO") #Name: Topo
have the same meaning as these form set entries used by the macro:
Not relying on form sets makes it easy to share a script with other users without having to worry about giving
them the corresponding form sets.
Conclusion
This script could easily be shared with other users in your team who need to display exactly the same data.
Whether you choose to do so via a script or a macro (like the one at the beginning of this session, along with its
form sets) is entirely up to you. However, if you see advantages in the script method then we encourage you to
attend the Python Scripting training course.
Lesson 5 Summary
This lesson has introduced you to the Python programming language and Python scripting within Micromine. The
topics covered are:
About Python:
A popular and widely used programming language

Encourages the creation of custom automated workflows
Supported by many third-party libraries and packages

Originally created for teaching; among the easiest languages to learn
To record a Micromine task as a Python script:
Select Script | Record Script to begin recording, and

Carry out the steps to be automated, then
Select Script | Record Script to end the recording, and

Save the script as a .py file.
To run a Python script from the Script Editor:
Select Script | Open (Script), then

Choose the script file, and
Click the Run Script toolbar button (or press Ctrl+F5).
To run a Python script without opening it:
Select Script | Run Script, then

Choose the Python script, and
Click the Run button.
Good Practice
If your workflow is complex, consider automating it using Python scripting instead of macros.
If all users in your team need access to the same custom automation, but distributing form sets is a hassle,
consider using Python scripting instead of macros.

MOB1000 Introduction To Micromine Origin & Beyond

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Introduction to Micromine

Origin & Beyond 2022

MICROMINE (Head Office)

Tel: +61 8 9423 9000

To find your local office, please visit: http://www.micromine.com.au/contact

This course requires 2021 or higher to be installed.

i © Copyright Micromine 2021

Before You Begin

For: New Users of Micromine Origin & Beyond

© Copyright Micromine 2021 ii

As a result of this course, you’ll have learnt to:

• Use the advanced Vizex Pie Chart and Contour objects

iii © Copyright Micromine 2021

How to Use This Manual

MOB1101 – Micromine Basics

Installing the Data

Help references are displayed as italic in the following format:

Help Topic Topic Heading > Subheading > Content

Importing ODBC Files > Import > ODBC

To browse to a reference using the web help:

© Copyright Micromine 2021 iv

v © Copyright Micromine 2021

Conventions Used in this Manual

Entries in Dialog Boxes and Files

© Copyright Micromine 2021 vi

For Further Study

vii © Copyright Micromine 2021

Other Optional Applications

Printers and Plotters

Micromine Origin & Beyond Options

Tools | Options | Default Language

Tools | Options | Form Sets

Compulsory prompt is set to Red.

Tools | Options | Editor

Text Viewer is set to Built-in.

Tools | Options | Vertical Exaggeration

Vertical exaggeration is disabled.

© Copyright Micromine 2021 viii

MOB1101 – Micromine Basics

LESSON 1 – THE PROJECT ..................................................................................................................1

Copyright © Micromine 2021 Revision 2021-11

Using Wildcards .................................................................................................................................. 54

Table 2.1: Binary field types, sizes, and ranges .............................................................................................. 8

Creating a new file directly from a dialog..................................................................................................... 12

Exercise 1.1 Attach an existing project ......................................................................................................... 3

Revision 2021-11 Copyright © Micromine 2021

Lesson 1 – The Project

After this lesson you’ll be able to:

• Attach an existing project

A Micromine project represents a real-world project.

Copyright © Micromine 2021 1

Attaching an Existing Project

Before you begin this lesson

The following exercises assume the training data is in this folder:

2 Copyright © Micromine 2021

Exercise 1.1 Attach an existing project

Lastly, confirm that Micromine is attached to the correct folder:

Creating a New Project

Exercise 1.2 (Optional) Create a new project

To create a new project:

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

Copyright © Micromine 2021 3

Creating a Project Folder Outside of Micromine