Introduction To Surpac PDF

Introduction to
SURPAC
May 2007
www.gemcomsoftware.com
Copyright © 2007 Surpac Minex Group Pty Ltd (A Gemcom Company). All rights
reserved.
This software and documentation is proprietary to Surpac Minex Group Pty Ltd.
Surpac Minex Group Pty Ltd publishes this documentation for the sole use of Surpac licenses.
Without written permission you may not sell, reproduce, store in a retrieval system, or transmit
any part of the documentation. For such permission, or to obtain extra copies please contact
your local Surpac Minex Group Office.
Surpac Minex Group Pty Ltd

Level 8 190 St Georges Terrace
Perth, Western Australia 6000
Telephone: (08) 94201383
Fax: (08) 94201350
While every precaution has been taken in the preparation of this manual, we assume no
responsibility for errors or omissions. Neither is any liability assumed for damage resulting
from the use of the information contained herein.
All brand and product names are trademarks or registered trademarks of their respective
companies.
About This Manual
This manual has been designed to provide a practical guide to the many uses of the software.
The applications contained within this manual are by no means exhaustive as the possible
uses of the software are only limited by the user’s imagination. However, it will give new users
a starting point and existing users a good overview by demonstrating how to use many of the
functions in Surpac. If you have any difficulties or questions while working through this
manual feel free to contact your local Surpac Minex Group Office.
Contributors
Rowdy Bristol
Phil Jackson
James Willoughby
Surpac Minex Group

Perth, Western Australia
Product
Surpac 6
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Table of Contents
About This Document ............................................................................................................. 1

Overview ................................................................................................................................ 1
Requirements......................................................................................................................... 1
Objectives .............................................................................................................................. 1
Document Conventions.......................................................................................................... 2
Getting Started......................................................................................................................... 5
Installing Surpac from a CD ................................................................................................... 5
Starting Surpac ...................................................................................................................... 6
Licencing Surpac.................................................................................................................... 7
Setting the Work Directory ..................................................................................................... 8
Exiting Surpac ........................................................................................................................ 9
Modifying the Surpac Desktop Icon ....................................................................................... 9
Surpac Concepts ................................................................................................................... 11
Surpac Data Types .............................................................................................................. 11
Function-centric vs Data-centric Operations........................................................................ 12
The Surpac Interface ............................................................................................................. 14
Menus .................................................................................................................................. 15
Toolbars ............................................................................................................................... 16
Navigator.............................................................................................................................. 16
Preview Pane ....................................................................................................................... 17
Legend Pane........................................................................................................................ 18
Graphics............................................................................................................................... 18
Properties Pane ................................................................................................................... 19
Layers Pane ......................................................................................................................... 19
Status Bar ............................................................................................................................ 19
Message Window................................................................................................................. 20
Getting Help ........................................................................................................................... 21
Field Help and Form Help .................................................................................................... 21
Online Help .......................................................................................................................... 23
Tutorials ............................................................................................................................... 27
Support................................................................................................................................. 28
Strings .................................................................................................................................... 32
String Data Hierarchy........................................................................................................... 32
Types of Strings ................................................................................................................... 33
Description Fields................................................................................................................. 33
Data Numbering ................................................................................................................... 33
Data Ranges ........................................................................................................................ 33
String File Names................................................................................................................. 34
String Directions................................................................................................................... 35
Viewing String Data.............................................................................................................. 35
String File Structure ............................................................................................................. 37
Viewing and Saving Data ...................................................................................................... 40
Multiple Viewports ................................................................................................................ 40
Attributes and Styles Files ................................................................................................... 44
Saving Data.......................................................................................................................... 54
Editing Data............................................................................................................................ 56
Orbit Mode ........................................................................................................................... 56
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Selection Modes................................................................................................................... 56
The Move Tool ..................................................................................................................... 69
Creating Data ......................................................................................................................... 75
Create a Simple Pit Design.................................................................................................. 75
Managing Data in Layers ...................................................................................................... 86
Layers and the Surpac Work Area....................................................................................... 86
Creating Layers.................................................................................................................... 86
Appending Data to a Layer .................................................................................................. 92
Replacing Data in a Layer.................................................................................................... 97
Saving Workspace Settings ............................................................................................... 101
Triangulated Surfaces ......................................................................................................... 105
Overview ............................................................................................................................ 105
Naming Conventions.......................................................................................................... 105
DTM Conventions .............................................................................................................. 105
Viewing a DTM Surface ..................................................................................................... 106
Creating a DTM Surface .................................................................................................... 106
Creating a Boundary String Between Two DTM Surfaces................................................. 110
File-based Method ............................................................................................................. 110
Graphics-based Method..................................................................................................... 112
Calculating a Cut and Fill Volume Using DTM Surfaces ................................................... 113
Viewing a Solid Model........................................................................................................ 114
Creating and Validating a Solid Model............................................................................... 115
Calculating a Volume Using a Solid Model ........................................................................ 122
File Tools .............................................................................................................................. 124
String Maths ....................................................................................................................... 124
Applying a Boundary String ............................................................................................... 130
Classifying Strings.............................................................................................................. 132
2D Transformations............................................................................................................ 134
Polygon Intersection........................................................................................................... 137
Advanced Interface Operations ......................................................................................... 142
Menu Bars, Menus and Commands .................................................................................. 142
Displaying and Customising Menu Bars ............................................................................ 143
Customising Toolbars and Buttons .................................................................................... 146
Using and Creating Profiles ............................................................................................... 149
Using the Function Chooser .............................................................................................. 151
Working with Forms ........................................................................................................... 152
Configuring windows and panes in the Interface ............................................................... 153
More Surpac Functions....................................................................................................... 156
Drillhole Database.............................................................................................................. 156
Block Models...................................................................................................................... 161
Plotting with Autoplot.......................................................................................................... 168
iii
About This Document
Overview
This document is designed to help new or prospective users install Surpac and start using the
software. More detailed training information is available within the software and from your
local support office.
Visit http://www.surpac.com to locate your nearest support office.
Requirements
Before proceeding with this tutorial, ensure you have the following items:
1. A copy of Surpac 6 for installation.
This is usually installed from a CD, but you can download the software from the
http://www.surpac.com Web site.
2. A suitable computer with a CD ROM drive.
Minimum Recommended
Windows XP Professional XP Professional
RAM 512 Mbytes 1-4 Gbytes
Processor P4 >1.75 gigahertz (GHz) P4 Duo >2.5 GHz
Graphics card A graphics adapter with An NVIDIA or ATI graphics
256 MB memory, from a card, separate from the
major manufacturer such motherboard, with 512 MB
as NVIDIA or ATI. memory.
Objectives
By working through this tutorial, you should be able to:
• Install and licence Surpac.

• Understand Surpac data types and concepts.
• Understand the basic components of the user interface.
• Get assistance from the various sources of Surpac help.
• View and save various types of Surpac data.
• Understand Surpac selection modes and use them to edit data in Surpac.
• Create data by digitising.
• Understand the use of layers in Surpac.
• Understand the concepts of DTM surfaces and solids.
• Use file tools to work with strings.
• Customise the interface and work with forms.
• Display drillhole databases and block models.
• Plot simple files using Autoplot.
1
Document Conventions
Typographical Conventions
Some text in this manual has special formatting to identify it as a particular element of
information. The following list describes the different formats and their meanings:
Text Format Meaning

<Bold Italic> Text or data that varies with each input is shown in italic font and enclosed in
angle brackets. Some examples are installation directories, dates, names and
passwords. When you substitute the text for the variable, do not include the
brackets. For example: <password> requires you to substitute a password in
place of ‘<password>’.
Italics A word or phrase to which the author wants to give emphasis. For example: you
must select an item from the list to continue.
Bold This typeface indicates one of the following:
• A file name, path or URL.
• Strongly emphasized text. For example, “It is very important to save the
data […]”.
• Text that a procedure has instructed you to type.
• A menu option, tab, button, check box, list, option button, text box or icon.
For example: Drag and drop the file pit1.str into graphics.
Keyboard Conventions
Key Combination Meaning
<key>+<key> Press and hold down the first key, then press the second key. For
example: CTRL+Z means hold the CTRL key down, then press Z.
Menu Conventions
In this documentation, the following example demonstrates the syntax used for menus and
submenus:
From the File menu, select Open, and then Block model.
This means click the File menu, move the cursor over the Open command and then select
Block model on the submenu.
2
Mouse Conventions
Action Description
Click Quickly press and release the left mouse button without moving the
mouse.
Right-click Press and release the right mouse button without moving the mouse.
Double-click Without moving the mouse, click the left button twice rapidly.
Drag and drop <an With the cursor over the object, press and hold down the left mouse button
object> to select the object. Move the mouse until the cursor is in the position you
want and then release the mouse button.
Drag Press and hold down the left mouse button. Then move the mouse in the
direction that the text specifies.
Right drag Press and hold down the right mouse button. Then move the mouse in the
direction that the text specifies.
Rotate Use your finger to make the wheel button roll. Move it forward, that is in a
clockwise direction, or backward, that is in an anticlockwise direction.
Forms
Forms contain several components that you will use to provide information to Surpac:
1. Title 4. Combo box or Drop-down 7. Help

list
2. Tab 5. Radio button or Option 8. Check box
button
3. Text box 6. Label 9. Button
3
Elements of Forms
As shown on the previous page, forms can contain the following elements:
Element Description Example
1. Title Title of the dialog box.
2. Tab Labelled group of options used for many

similar kinds of settings.
3. Text box Rectangular box in which you can type

text. If the box already contains text, you
can select that text and edit it.
4. Combo box Closed version of a list box with an arrow
or Drop-down next to it. Clicking the arrow opens the list.
list
5. Radio Round button you can use to select one of
button or a group of mutually exclusive options.
Option button
6. Label Text attached to any option, box, button, or
to any other element of a window or dialog
box.
7. Help Context sensitive help button.
8. Check box Square box that you select or clear to turn

an option on or off.
9. Button Rectangular or square button that initiates

an action. Buttons have text labels to
indicate their purpose.
4
Getting Started
Overview
In this chapter you will learn about:
• Installing Surpac from a CD.

• Starting Surpac.
• Licencing Surpac.
• Setting the work directory.
• Exiting Surpac.
• Modifying the Surpac desktop icon.
Installing Surpac from a CD

Task: Install Surpac
1. Insert the CD into your computer’s CD-ROM drive and the installation menu will appear.
Note: If the installation menu does not appear, use Windows Explorer to navigate to the CD
and double-click Autorun.exe. You will see the following page:
2. Click Install.
You are prompted to choose which software product to install.
5
3. Click Surpac.
The windows installer starts up. During the install process, you will see information
about how to proceed.
4. When you are prompted to click Next, do so.
5. When you are prompted to accept the licence agreement, click Accept, and then click
Next.
Note: You must accept the terms of the license agreement or the installation will not
continue.
6. When prompted to choose an installation directory, select the default installation

directory.
Note: Although you can use the Change… option to select another destination folder
for the program, it is recommended that you use the default location.
Caution: Do not install the software in any folder within C:\Program Files or in any folder
whose name contains spaces. If you do, Surpac might not perform in the way
you expect and need.
7. When prompted to enter a product, ensure that Surpac is selected, and click Next.
8. Click Install, and then click Finish when the Finish button becomes available.
Starting Surpac
Task: Start Surpac
• Start Surpac, using either of these methods:
• Double-click the Surpac icon on your desktop.
• Click Start, select All Programs, and then Surpac Minex Group, and then the
command for Surpac 6.
6
Licencing Surpac
The instructions below are for installing a single user licence. In order to proceed, you will
need:
• Surpac 6 installed, as previously described.

• A USB or parallel sentinel.
• A valid token number.
If you do not have all of these, please contact your local support office.
Task: Licence Surpac

1. Insert the sentinel into a USB or parallel port as appropriate.
2. Start Surpac.
If the Surpac interface is displayed, you already have a valid licence. Proceed to step
6.
If you see the form below, a valid licence does not exist.
3. Select local, and then click Apply.
7
4. In the Token field, enter the token number, and click Validate.
5. Click Apply.
Note: Refer to the Installation Manual for troubleshooting and for details about network
licences.
6. To review licence details, or enter a new token number:
a. From the File menu, select Licencing, and then Change/Inspect licence.
b. After reviewing or updating the licence, click Apply.
Setting the Work Directory
A work directory is the default directory for saving Surpac files. Files used in this tutorial are
stored in the folder:
<installation directory>\demo_data\tutorials\introduction
where <installation directory> is the directory in which Surpac was installed.
8
Task: Set the Work Directory
1. In the Surpac Navigator, right-click the introduction folder.
2. Select Set as work directory.
The name of the work directory is displayed in the title bar of the Surpac window.
Exiting Surpac
Task: Exit Surpac
• Exit Surpac, using either of these two methods:
• From the File menu, select Exit.
• Click the button at the top right corner of the Surpac window.
Modifying the Surpac Desktop Icon
All of the files in this tutorial are stored in a specific directory. Each time you start Surpac, you
will need to have the working directory set to that folder. The following steps describe how to
create an icon that automatically sets the working directory when you start Surpac.
Tip: You can create multiple Surpac desktop icons with different properties.
Task: Modify the Surpac Icon so that the Work Directory is Set Automatically
1. Move the cursor over the Surpac icon on your desktop.
2. Hold down the right mouse button, drag and release.
9
3. From the popup menu, select Copy Here.
A copy of the original icon is created:
4. Right-click the new Surpac icon, and select Properties.
5. In the Start in field on the Shortcut tab, enter

<install_directory>\demo_data\tutorials\introduction
where <install_directory> is the folder where Surpac is installed.
6. Click OK.
7. Right-click the icon you have just modified and select Rename. Alternatively, the F2
key can be used as a shortcut.
8. Type: Surpac Introduction and press ENTER.

The icon will appear with the new name:
9. Double-click this icon to start Surpac.
Notice that the work directory is automatically set when Surpac starts up.
10
Surpac Concepts
Overview
In this chapter, you will learn about:
• Surpac data types.

• Function-centric vs data-centric operations.
Surpac Data Types
Surpac uses many different file types. Each file type is represented by a unique icon in the
Navigator. Following is a list of the most common file types used in Surpac:
File type Example Description

String pit1.str A string is a sequence of three-dimensional coordinates
representing some physical feature.
DTM pit1.dtm Digital Terrain Mode (DTM) files are generated from .str files and
can represent surfaces or solids. A DTM surface is a set of
triangles that represent a surface such as topography or a pit
design. A solid model is a set of triangles that represents a 3D
shape, such as an ore zone or an underground mine design.
Geological surpac.ddb Drillhole database (DDB) files are used to connect to relational
database drillhole databases. It is a text file that tells Surpac which tables
and fields to read from the database.
Survey Survey database (SDB) files are used to connect to relational
database ug_mine.sdb survey databases. It is a text file that tells Surpac which tables and
fields to read from the database.
Block block.mdl A Block Model is a form of spatially-referenced database that
model provides a means for modelling a 3D body from point and interval
data such as drillhole sample data. It provides a method for
estimating volume, tonnage, and average grade of a 3D body from
sparse drillhole data.
Plot files pit_str.dwf The files output from the Plotting module are in DWF format. You
can open and edit them in the Surpac plotting window or send
them to a plot device such as a Plotter.
Macros macro.tcl Macros are custom programs, created to perform a set of repetitive
tasks or functionality specific to an operation. You can easily
record and edit TCL scripts in Surpac.
Plugins topo2.dxf This icon identifies a type of file that you can import directly into
Surpac. For example, you can import any file that has one of the
following extensions: .dxf, .dwg, .dgn, .dm, .shp, .dgd.
Styles file styles.ssi Surpac styles files contain information such as drawing styles,
colour settings for strings and DTMs, or default Surpac settings.
11
Function-centric vs Data-centric Operations
Many graphical operations in Surpac can be performed quicker via a data-centric approach -
by selecting the data first, then specifying an operation to be performed on the data.
Function-centric
When you invoke a function first, and then specify the data you want to use, you are
performing a function-centric operation.
For example, when you click the icon to Open a file , Surpac displays a form. Then you
select the file to be opened.
You can perform nearly all operations using the function-centric approach. For non-graphical
operations, this is often the only option.
For example, to calculate volumes between two DTM surfaces, you must use the function-
centric approach, such as by selecting Cut and Fill between DTMs from the Volumes menu.
Data-centric
When you select data first, and then specify the function to be applied to the data, you are
performing a data-centric operation.
12
For example, when you right-click a file, a popup menu is displayed. You then choose the
operation to be performed – such as Open.
Many graphical operations are quicker and easier to perform using the data-centric approach.
For example, you can select data in a string file, and then right-click to display functions that
Surpac can perform on the data.
13
The Surpac Interface
So that you can see the Surpac interface with some data files in the Navigator, ensure that
you have started Surpac and set the work directory as described in the Getting Started
chapter.
Overview
The Surpac interface consists of 10 different areas:
1. Menus
2. Toolbars
3. Navigator
4. Preview pane
5. Legend pane
6. Graphics
7. Properties pane
8. Layers pane
9. Status bar
10. Message window
14
Menus
The menus group functions from a particular module, such as the Block Model module.
Task: Open a File Using the Menu
1. From the File menu, select Open, and then String/DTM file.
2. Fill in the form as shown in the following image, and click Apply.
The file pit1.str is displayed in graphics.
15
Toolbars
A toolbar is a collection of icons that have related functions. Toolbars allow you to access
commonly used functions directly, without the need to search through the menus.
Task: Use the Reset Graphics Button from the Toolbar
1. Open the file pit1.str in graphics.
2. Click the Reset graphics icon .

This function removes all the data that is displayed in graphics.
If data has been modified, Surpac will display a form to allow you to save the file. This
is described in detail in the chapter Viewing and Saving Data.
Navigator
The Navigator works like Windows Explorer. Using the Navigator, you can manage your files
and directories by creating new folders, cutting, copying, pasting, and deleting files and
folders.
Task: Open a File from the Navigator
1. Right-click the file pit1.str in the Navigator.
2. From the menu, select Open.
The file pit1.str is displayed in graphics.
16
Preview Pane
The Preview pane displays string data without the need to load it into graphics.
Task: Display a String File in the Preview Pane
1. If the Preview pane is not displayed, click the Preview button at the top of the
Navigator.
2. Click the file pit1.str in the Navigator.
3. Click and drag in the Preview pane to rotate the data, as shown below:
4. Click the Preview button again to close the Preview pane.
17
Legend Pane
This is the area where you can see the legends for data in graphics.
Graphics
Known as the graphics area, or simply graphics, this is the area where you perform most of
the work in Surpac. The graphics area is a three-dimensional work area. Any file loaded into
graphics has Y, X, and Z coordinates.
Task: Display and View Data in Graphics
2. Drag and drop the file pit_design.str into graphics.

The file is displayed in graphics:
3. Perform the following steps:
• Use the left mouse button to rotate the image.

• Use the right mouse button to zoom in and out based on the centre of the image.
• Use the wheel button, or both mouse buttons, to pan the image.
• Use the wheel button to zoom in or out in relation to the current location of the
cursor.
18
Properties Pane
This is the area where you see:
• The properties of your file data when the Navigator is active.

• Information about graphics data when Surpac is in select mode and you have data
selected.
Layers Pane
This is the area where you manage your data in layers. This is described in detail in the
chapter Managing Data in Layers.
Status Bar
The Status bar shows the coordinate position of the mouse cursor as well as the string
number and design gradient. The Status bar also shows whether a database or blockmodel is
loaded into memory.
Task: View Changes to the Status Area
1. Drag and drop surpac.ddb (a geological database) into graphics.
2. Drag and drop block_model.mdl (a block model) into graphics.

Notice that two buttons have been added to the status area, indicating that a database
named surpac and a block model named block_model are loaded:
19
3. Move the mouse within the graphics area.
Notice that the coordinates shown in the status area are updated as you move the
mouse.
4. In the Status bar, click the surpac button, and select Close.
5. Click the block_model button, and select Close.
Message Window
The Message window shows the information, warnings, and error messages that Surpac
produces while it is executing functions.
Tip: Sometimes the message window also contains information such as coordinates of
selected points. You can copy this information and paste it into text files or documents.
Task: Clear the Message Window
1. Right-click in the Message window to display a menu.
2. Select Clear in the menu.
20
Getting Help
Overview
There are a number of resources to assist you whether you are trying to solve a problem, to
understand how a function works, or to enter data into a form.
• Field help and Form help.

• Online help.
• Tutorials.
• Support.
Field Help and Form Help
When Surpac prompts you to enter information, it displays a form. The components on the
form where you enter information are known as fields.
You can get helpful information about each field by accessing Field help. Helpful information
about the entire form, and concepts related to the function, are available by accessing Form
help.
Task: Access Field Help and Form Help
1. Click the Reset Graphics icon .
2. From the File menu, select Open, and then String/DTM file.
3. Click the Location field, and then right-click to display a popup menu.
21
4. From the popup menu, select Field help.
A window appears with help that is specific to the field selected.
5. Press TAB several times.

Notice that the help text changes as the cursor moves to different fields. This happens
because the Enable auto help box is selected.
6. Click the Enable auto help box so that it is cleared.
7. Press TAB several times.

Notice that the help text does not change.
8. Click the Enable auto help box so that it is selected.
9. Click the X button in the top right corner of the help window to close it.
10. Click and then right-click in a field to display the following menu.
11. From the menu, select Form Help.

Form help provides information about the function Open file.
22
Online Help
Online help contains more detailed information than form help and field help, as well as
examples and troubleshooting assistance.
Task: Access Online Help from a Form
1. From the Display menu, select 2D Grid.
2. Click the button at the lower left corner of the form.
The online help for the 2D Grid function appears:
23
3. Close the help window.
Task: Access Help from the Help Menu.
1. In Surpac, from the Help menu, select Table of contents.
2. In the table of contents, expand SSILM, and then Surpac Software Licence Manager
(SSILM).
3. Select Overview.
24
Task: Use the Index to Search for Information.
The Index is another good way to locate help.
2. In the lower left corner, click the Index tab.
3. In the text box at the top, slowly type each letter of the word autoplot.
After you type each letter, the help system selects the index entry that is the closest
match.
4. Press ENTER.
Task: Search the Online help.
2. In the lower left corner, click the Search tab.
3. Type the words clip DTM, and click Search.

This search returns all the help topics that contain both the words “clip” and “DTM”. The
topics that contain the most occurrences of these words are ranked higher in the list.
4. Click the topic that is ranked 1 at the top of the list, DTM Maths.
25
This topic contains a large number of occurrences of “DTM” and only one occurrence of
“clip”. It does not contain the phrase “clip DTM” anywhere in the help topic.
You can also do a phrase search by enclosing your search in quotes.
5. Type “clip DTM” in the Search box, and then click Search.
The search will find only the exact phrase “clip DTM”.
6. Click the top row, DTM Clip.
7. Scroll down in the help topic so that you can see the text “clip DTM” highlighted.
26
Tutorials
Tutorials are designed to teach you how specific functions work within a practical, task-based
environment, by working through exercises using a specific dataset.
Surpac tutorials are available via the tutorials profile. When you install the software from the
CD, the tutorials are installed into directories under:
<installation directory>\demo_data\tutorials
where <installation directory> is the folder where Surpac is installed.
Each directory contains a tutorial in PDF format, as well as a data directory that contains the
files required to perform the exercises outlined in the tutorial.
Task: Access the Tutorials profile.
1. Right-click in the blank area on the right of the main menus.
2. From the popup menu, select Profiles, and then tutorials as shown below:
27
You will see a set of menus for the tutorials as shown in the image below:
To view the tutorials or run the macros for the tutorial, you must first click on the menu item to
change the directory to your chosen tutorial.
You can then either view the tutorial document as a PDF or run the macros that appear in the
tutorial.
Internet download
You can also download individual tutorials from http://www.surpac.com.
• From the main page, select Support, then Tutorials.
Tip: The tutorials offered on this page may be more recent than those from the CD
installation.
Support
The final type of help is where you contact your local Support office, either by email or by
phone.
28
Task: Log a help request.
1. From the Help menu, select Log a request.
2. Fill in a detailed description of your problem.
3. Click Contact Info….
29
4. Enter your personal details, and then click OK.
5. Click Computer Info…
6. Click Capture Config to automatically get the details of your PC.
7. Enter as much detail as possible, and then click OK.
30
8. If you have data to demonstrate your problem, click Attach File…
9. Navigate to the data file that you want to attach, and then click Open.
10. Click Save.

11. Give your output file a meaningful name.
12. Navigate to the folder where you wish to store the file, and then click Save.
13. Email the .sbg file to: bugs@surpac.com
31
Strings
Overview
The most common file format used for storing information in Surpac is a string file. A string file
contains coordinate information for one or more points, as well as optional descriptive
information for each point. It is important to understand how Surpac organises and uses data
stored within a string file; this will enable you to work more efficiently with strings.
String Data Hierarchy
Data in a string file is classified into:
• Points.
• Segments.
• Strings.
All points in a string file are grouped into segments, which are further grouped into strings.
The example below shows conceptually how a string file contains strings, which contain
segments, which contain points.
String File
String 1 String 2 String 99
Segment 1 Segment 1 Segment 1
Point 1 Point 6 Point 14

Point 4 Point 9
Point 10
Point 11
Point 12 Segment 2
Segment 2 Point 13
Point 17
Point 5
Segment 3
Point 18
Point 19
32
Types of Strings
There are three types of strings:
• Open.
• Closed.
• Spot Height.
The table below explains these terms.
Surpac Term Common Term Example

Open string Line Drill hole trace
Closed string Polygon Property boundary
Spot height string Points not associated with a Blast hole collar locations
line or polygon
Description Fields
Points, strings, and segments can have one or more pieces of descriptive information
associated with them. This information is stored in a description field. Description fields are
named according to the order they appear. Description fields are named in the format
D<incremental number>, such as D1, D2, D3.
For example, a closed segment representing an ore zone could have the gold grade, silver
grade, and specific gravity stored in separate description fields. If the information is stored in
that order, they could be assigned as follows:
D1: gold grade

D2: silver grade
D3: specific gravity
Data Numbering
Strings, segments, and points are identified by unique numbers. You can assign string
numbers to represent particular features, such as string 1 for toes in a pit, string 2 for crests,
and string 99 for spot heights. Surpac automatically assigns segment numbers and point
numbers.
Data Ranges
You can use a range to refer to groups of data numbers, such as strings, segments, and
points.
The comma ( , ) is used for a range which includes a start, an end, and optionally an
increment. You use the following format to specify such a range in Surpac:
<start>,<end>,<increment>
Note: When the increment is 1, you can use <start>,<end> without specifying the increment.
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The semicolon ( ; ) is used to identify unique values, or to separate multiple comma ranges.
Here are some examples:
Data values Range Description

12345678 1,8 from 1 to 8, at an increment of 1 (implied)
1357 1,7,2 from 1 to 7, at an increment of 2
2000 2200 2400 2000,2400,200 from 2000 to 2400, at an increment of 200
16 1;6 1 and 6
269 2;6;9 2 and 6 and 9
234569 2,6;9 from 2 to 6 at an increment of 1 (implied) and 9
25 50 60 70 80 90 25;50,90,10 25 and from 50 to 90 at an increment of 10
3 6 9 12 15 20 30 3,15,3;20;30 from 3 to 15, at an increment of 3 and 20 and 30
5 10 15 20 40 50 60 5,20,5;40,60,10 from 5 to 20, at an increment of 5 and from 40
to 60, at an increment of 10
String File Names
Surpac string file names have the following components:
Component Description Required?

Location Any combination of characters and numbers Required
ID Numbers only Optional
Extension Always .str Required
Here are some examples of file names:
File name Location ID Extension

pit.str pit .str
bench105.str bench 105 .str
2007design.str 2007design .str
2007design2.str 2007design 2 .str
grade_control135.str grade_control 135 .str
dhcomp2_50.str dhcomp2_ 50 .str
level-300.str level -300 .str
Spaces in file names are not recommended. In some situations, Surpac will not work correctly
when you are using a file that has a space in the file name.
You can use ranges to refer to the ID of filenames. For example, you can refer to the files:
geo130.str, geo140.str, geo150.str, geo160.str, geo170.str
using the following syntax:
Location: geo
ID: 130,170,10
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String Directions
When you view closed strings in the XY plane, the points have an order that is either
clockwise or anticlockwise. This direction is important when calculating areas and volumes.
• Clockwise strings represent an area of inclusion.

• Anticlockwise strings represent an area of exclusion.
Viewing String Data
Here is an example which demonstrates the previous concepts.
Task: View String Data
2. Drag and drop the file bench105.str into graphics.
3. From the Display menu, select Strings, then With string and segment numbers.
4. Enter the following information, and then click Apply.
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The data in this file represents a horizontal view, also known as a plan view, of a pit
design, the survey stations, and the geology for one level in a pit.
The data is organised as follows:
String Segment Data Type D1 D2 D3

number number
1 1 Low grade ore Closed Gold (g/t) Silver (g/t) SG

2 1 Medium grade ore Closed Gold (g/t) Silver (g/t) SG
3 1 High grade ore Closed Gold (g/t) Silver (g/t) SG
8 1 Footwall trace Open footwall
8 2 Hangingwall trace Open hangingwall
30005 30005 Pit design toe Closed
30008 30008 Survey stations Spot height Station name
5. From the Display menu, select Point, then Numbers.
6. Enter a value of 1 for the String range, and then click Apply.
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Notice that the order of points for string 1 is clockwise in the XY plane.
String File Structure
Sometimes it is helpful to view the contents of a string file in a text editor.
Task: View string data in a text editor

1. From the Navigator, right click bench105.str, and then select Edit.
The file opens in a text editor, as shown below:
bench105,10-Apr-07,,SSI_STYLES:styles.ssi ÍHeader record

0, 0.000, 0.000, 0.000, 0.000, 0.000, 0.000 ÍAxis record
1, 7258.380, 1605.719, 105.000, 1.23,14.23,2.7 ÍFirst point of string 1
1, 7263.140, 1606.580, 105.000, 1.23,14.23,2.7 ÍSecond point of string 1
1, 7274.228, 1614.057, 105.000, 1.23,14.23,2.7
… … … … … …
1, 7248.565, 1603.880, 105.000, 1.23,14.23,2.7
1, 7258.380, 1605.719, 105.000, 1.23,14.23,2.7 ÍLast point of string 1
0, 0.000, 0.000, 0.000, ÍNull record
2, 7466.432, 1830.163, 105.000, 2.46,24.67,2.62 ÍFirst point of string 2
2, 7457.474, 1821.080, 105.000, 2.46,24.67,2.62
2, 7451.982, 1813.469, 105.000, 2.46,24.67,2.62
… … … … … …
2, 7484.708, 1836.230, 105.000, 2.46,24.67,2.62
2, 7466.432, 1830.163, 105.000, 2.46,24.67,2.62 ÍLast point of string 2
0, 0.000, 0.000, 0.000, ÍNull record
… … … … … …
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• The first line is known as the header record, and contains these items: file name, date
modified, purpose (which is empty in this example), styles file.
bench105,10-Apr-07,,SSI_STYLES:styles.ssi
• The second line contains the axis record. This is a two-point line used in some
sectioning functions. For many string files this is not required; when it is not required,
values of zero are used for all coordinates. The Y, X, and Z values of each of the two
end points of the axis are stored in the following order:
0, Y1, X1, Z1, Y2, X2, Z2
0, 0.000, 0.000, 0.000, 0.000, 0.000, 0.000
• The third line is the start of string data, and is stored as:
String number, Y, X, Z, D1, D2, D3, … D100
1, 7258.380, 1605.719, 105.000, 1.23,14.23,2.7
• A null record indicates the end of a segment.

• String 1 is closed, because the first point and the last point are the same.
• When the file was created, the following values were chosen: D1 = gold (g/t), D2 =
silver (g/t), and D3 = SG. String 1 outines an area of low grade ore with:
• a gold value of 1.23 grams/tonne.
• a silver value of 14.23 grams/tonne.
• a specific gravity of 2.7.
2. Scroll down to see the data shown below.
… … … … … …
0, 0.000, 0.000, 0.000,
8, 7199.895, 1630.789, 105.000, footwall Ístart of string 8
8, 7346.360, 1727.625, 105.000, footwall
8, 7503.229, 1878.935, 105.000, footwall Íend of string 8, segment 1
0, 0.000, 0.000, 0.000,
8, 7227.920, 1565.439, 105.000, hangingwall Ístart of string 8, segment2
8, 7387.427, 1686.744, 105.000, hangingwall
8, 7532.455, 1837.632, 105.000, hangingwall Íend of string 8, segment2
0, 0.000, 0.000, 0.000,
30005, 7356.295, 1801.489, 105.000, Ístart of string 30005
30005, 7355.173, 1800.666, 105.000,
… … … … … …
30005, 7356.295, 1801.489, 105.000, Íend of string 30005

0, 0.000, 0.000, 0.000,
30008, 7253.261, 1749.263, 105.798, STATION_105A Ístart of string 30008
30008, 7283.412, 1776.295, 105.561, STATION_105B
30008, 7411.188, 1690.666, 105.561, STATION_105D
30008, 7508.075, 1829.604, 105.561, STATION_105E Íend of string 30008
0, 0.000, 0.000, 0.000,
0, 0.000, 0.000, 0.000, END Íend of file
• String 8 is open, since the first and last points are different.
• String 8 consists of two segments.
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• String 30005 is closed, since the first and last points are the same.
• String 30008 is a spot height string with the survey station name in the D1 field.
3. Exit the editor without saving changes.
Note: Manually editing string files is not recommended. If the format becomes corrupted,
Surpac might not work correctly when using the file.
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Viewing and Saving Data
Overview
• Multiple viewports.
• Attributes and styles files.
• Saving data.
Multiple Viewports
You can view data in different ways using multiple viewports.
Task: Work with Multiple Viewports

1. Drag and drop pit_design.str into graphics.
2. Right-click in graphics to display a popup menu.
3. From the popup menu, select Viewport, then Copy view.
A maximised copy of the current view appears on a tab called View 2.
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4. Right-click the View 2 tab and select Close to close this viewport.
5. Right-click in graphics, select Viewport, then Split vertically.
Each viewport contains the same data.
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6. Right-click the left viewport, select Viewport, then Split horizontally.
7. Right-click the right viewport, select Viewport, then Split horizontally.
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8. Click and drag in the top left viewport to rotate the data.
The data is now in an oblique view.
9. Click in the bottom left viewport.
10. Click the icon to view the data in the XZ plane.
11. Click in the top right viewport.
12. Click the icon to view the data in the YZ plane.
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Attributes and Styles Files
Styles files control how strings, digital terrain models and solid models (DTM files) are
displayed. You can change them to suit your needs.
With styles files, you can specify many attributes, such as line colour, marker size and
drawing method (lines, markers, attributes, values).
Every time you save a string file, the associated styles file is also saved so that when the
string file is next opened, it will automatically use the correct styles.
Task: Change Display Style

The dataset in this task represents a soil sampling study that measured the arsenic
concentrations at various locations. In this task you will change the display style for the points
to make it easier to see where the concentrations of arsenic are highest.
1. Open the file samp_classified1.str.

This file contains a series of points that show the concentration of arsenic in the soil.
The default style settings display the string as coloured lines as shown in the following
image. Representing the data in this way does not help you see where the arsenic
concentration is high or low.
The points have been classified into four levels of concentration, each represented by a
separate string.
A point whose arsenic concentration is 350 parts per million (ppm), for example, forms
part of string 3.
In this task, we will display the strings as spot heights to show the areas that have the
highest concentration of arsenic.
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2. Click the Legend tab to show the Legend pane.
3. In the Legend pane, click on the + sign next to Strings under the file
samp_classified.str
The legend shows that string 1 is, string 2 is blue, string 3 is blue-green, and string 4 is
green.
4. In the Legend, double-click string 1.

The Set Drawing Styles form is displayed.
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5. Edit the form as shown in the following image to select the drawing method, colour,
marker type and text properties for displaying the four spot height strings.
Specifically, do the following steps for each of the Custom Styles rows 1 to 4:
a. Type marker,d1 in the Drawing Method cell.
Note: marker,d1 instructs Surpac to draw a marker for each point, using the d1 field
as a label.
b. Select the line colour by clicking the line in the line cell and selecting Properties.
c. Click Edit.
d. Select the colour — blue, green, orange and red for each of the four rows
respectively.
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Note: You can use any of the four colour tabs shown below to select the colour of the
markers and the d1 field labels.
This tab… allows you to choose a colour by …

Swatches clicking in a box on the display.
HSB specifying its Hue, Saturation and Brightness.
RGB specifying its Red, Green and Blue values
Crayola selecting the name of the colour from a standard list of colour names.
e. Click OK to finish the colour selection.
f. Click the Markers cell, select Properties and then select the marker type.
For this row… Select this marker type…

1
2
g. Click in the Text cell, select Properties, and then enter oru for the Units and 8.5
for the size.
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h. Click Apply.
With object relative units (oru), the size of the text is set to the same units as the object.
In our example, the text size for range 1 is set to 8.5 oru. The text size will be
equivalent to an object that is 8.5 metres high and so will appear larger when you zoom
in and smaller when you zoom out.
For more information on choosing text sizes, see the Online Reference Manual.
6. Click the check box in the lower left part of the form and in the Filename text box, type
ssi_styles:marker.ssi.
7. Click Apply.
The styles are now stored in the file marker.ssi in the styles directory.
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The Set Drawing Styles form should now look like the following image.
The result is shown below. By looking at the colours, you can quickly see the areas of
lowest arsenic concentration (blue), intermediate concentration (green and orange) and
highest concentration (red).
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8. Zoom in and you will see numbers like these:
9. Click the Save icon on the toolbar .
10. Click Apply in the Save File form.
The file samp_classified1.str is associated with the styles file marker.ssi. This means that
when samp_classified1.str is next opened, this styles file will also load.
In this way it is possible to have a collection of styles files suitable for a range of display
purposes.
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Task: View Point Properties
The Point properties function displays point attribute information including string, segment
and point numbers, y,x,z coordinates, and description fields.
2. Open the file lev1665.str by dragging it from the Navigator into graphics.
3. Click Select Point/Triangle using the select tool.
4. Select any four points by holding down the CTRL key and clicking on the points.
5. From the Inquire menu, select Point properties.

The Message window displays the point properties for all of the selected points.
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Task: View Segment Properties
2. Open the file lev1665.str by dragging it into graphics.
3. Select the segment as shown in the following image.
The segment properties are displayed in the Properties pane.
Task: Determine Bearing and Distance Between Two Points
2. Open the file lev1665.str.
3. From the Inquire menu, select Bearing and distance between 2 points.
Notice the prompt to select the setup point.
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4. Click on any point.
Notice the prompt to select the foresight point.
5. Select another point.

The Message window displays the bearing, distance and gradient between the two
points in the order in which they were selected.
6. Press ESC to terminate the function.
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Saving Data
There are two ways to save a file: text or binary.
In most cases you will save strings as text files. However, if the text string files are very large
(more than 5 MB), it may be worth saving them as binary files to reduce the time it takes to
load the data into graphics.
Typically, you can expect a saving of up to 15% in the size of the string file and up to 30% in
the time to load the data into graphics.
Task: Save a File

1. Reset graphics.
2. Open the file lev1665.str.
3. Use the Select tool to select a point in the string.
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4. Right-click and select Delete from the menu.
5. From the File menu, select Save, and then String/DTM.
6. In the Filename field, type lev1665_modified, and click Apply.
The Save function saves the contents of the active layer to a file.
Tip: An alternative method to show the Save File form is to click the icon in the toolbar.
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Editing Data
Overview
• Orbit mode.
• Selection modes.
• The Move tool.
Orbit Mode
Orbit mode is the default graphics mode, where you can rotate data in three dimensions.
When you are using the orbit tool, Surpac operates in function-centric mode.
Task: Use Orbit Mode to Rotate Data
2. Drag and drop survey1665.str into graphics.
3. From the Tools toolbar , click the Orbit tool icon .
4. Click and drag in the Graphics Viewport.
The data rotates in three dimensions.
Selection Modes
There are several ways of selecting data:
• Select mode.
• Point/Triangle mode.
• Segment/Trisolation mode.
• String/Object mode.
• Box selection.
When any of theses selection tools are used, Surpac will operate in data centric mode.
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Task: Change Selection Modes
1. From the Tools toolbar , click the drop-down triangle on the Select
tool icon .
2. Click Select Point/Triangle.
The Select tool icon, now displays the Point/Triangle selection mode: .
3. Click the Select tool icon (not the drop-down triangle ).
The icon now displays Segment/Trisolation selection mode: .
4. Click the Select tool icon again.
The icon now displays String/Object selection mode: .
5. Click the Select tool icon again.
The icon now displays Select selection mode: .
6. From the Tools toolbar , click the Box selection icon .
The Tools toolbar now displays Box selection mode: .
7. Right-click anywhere in the Graphics Viewport to display a popup menu.
8. At the bottom of the menu, click the Selection tool icon.
Notice that the Tools toolbar now displays Select selection mode: .
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10. At the bottom of the popup menu, click the Orbit view tool icon.
Notice that the Tools toolbar now displays Orbit view mode: .
11. From the Tools toolbar, click the Select tool icon .
The Tools toolbar now displays Select selection mode: .
12. Press the ESC key.

The Tools toolbar now displays the Orbit view mode: .
Task: Use Point/Triangle Mode to Delete Points
2. Drag and drop survey1665.str into graphics.
3. From the Selection drop-down menu on the Tools toolbar, click Select Point/Triangle.
4. Click the point as shown.
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6. From the popup menu, select Delete.
The point is deleted.
7. Hold down the CTRL key, and then click the points as shown.
8. Press DELETE on your keyboard.
The points are deleted.
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Task: Use Segment/Trisolation Mode to Reverse Segments
1. From the Selection drop-down menu on the Tools toolbar, click Select
Segment/Trisolation.
2. Hold down the CTRL key, and then click the segments as shown in the following image.
4. From the popup menu, select Reverse.
Notice that the new segment directions are displayed in the message window:
String 2 Segment 1 is now Anti-clockwise

String 2 Segment 3 is now Anti-clockwise
Task: Use Select Mode to Break, Join, and Renumber Segments

With select mode, you can select either points or segments. This mode allows you to perform
many string editing tasks very quickly.
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2. Leave the form as is and click Apply.
You will see the point numbers displayed for all data points.
Note: It is not necessary to display point numbers. This is only done here to clearly
identify points which you will select in the following steps.
3. From the Selection drop-down menu on the Tools toolbar, click Select.
4. Hold down CTRL, and then click points 11 and 14.
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6. From the menu, select Break segments at selected points.
7. Click at a location between two points on the segment to be deleted, as shown in the
following image.
8. Right-click and select Delete from the popup menu.
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9. Hold the CTRL key down, and select two points to be joined (105 and 216) as shown.
Note: If two segments of different string numbers are connected, the string number of
the first point selected is used for the result. In the preceding example, if point
105 is selected first, then the resulting string number will be 1. If point 216 was
selected first, the resulting string number will be 2.
10. Right-click and select Connect points from the popup menu.
11. Hold the CTRL key down, and select two points to be joined (130 and 25) as shown.
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12. Right-click and select Connect points from the menu.
The final result should look like this:
13. Repeat steps 4 to 12 for other locations, until the final result is as shown.
14. From the Display menu, select Strings, then With string numbers.
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15. Leave the form as is and click Apply.
Next, you will use the select tool to select and renumber all segments of string 2 to
string 1.
16. Click at a location between two points on a segment that you will renumber.
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17. Right-click and select Select strings from the popup menu.
Notice that all segments of the string are selected.
18. From the Edit menu, select Strings, then Renumber.
19. Enter a value of 1 in the to string field, and click Apply.
Task: Use String/Object Mode to Delete and Clean Strings
1. From the Selection drop-down menu on the Tools toolbar, click Select String/Object.
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2. Click string 30008, as shown in the following image.
3. Right-click and then select Delete from the popup menu.
4. Click string 1, as shown.
5. Right-click and then select Clean from the popup menu.
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6. Enter data as shown in the following image, and then click Apply.
7. From the File menu, select Save as.
8. Enter data as shown, and then click Apply.
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The Move Tool
Once you have selected data, you can use the Move Tool to move it:
• Constrained along an axis.

• Constrained in a plane.
• Unconstrained.
Task: Move Data Along an Axis
2. Drag and drop lev1665.str into graphics.
3. From the Selection drop-down menu on the Tools toolbar, click Select Point/Triangle.
4. Hold the CTRL key down and click two points as shown below:
5. From the Tools toolbar, click the Move Tool .
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6. Click and drag the X axis, as shown:
Before After
Notice that the status bar displays coordinate values as well as the movement.
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Task: Move Data in a Plane
2. Make sure that the Reset graphics option is selected, and then click Apply to reset
graphics without saving your changes.
3. Drag and drop ore1.str into graphics.
4. From the Selection drop-down menu on the Tools toolbar, click Select
Segment/Trisolation.
5. Rotate the data and then click the segment shown.
6. From the Tools toolbar, click the Move Tool .
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7. Click and drag the red and blue corner to constrain the movement to the XZ plane.
Before After
Notice that only the X and Z values in the status bar change as you move the segment.
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Task: Move Data in Three Dimensions
2. Drag and drop und1.str into graphics.
3. Drag and drop und_layout.str into graphics.
4. Click and drag in graphics to rotate the data as shown:
5. From the Selection drop-down menu on the Tools toolbar, click Select String/Object.
6. Click the string in und_layout.str.
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7. Right-click and then select the Move Tool from the popup menu.
8. Click inside the yellow square at the intersection of the three axes and move the string
as shown.
Notice that all three coordinates in the status bar change as you move the string.
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Creating Data
Overview
• Creating a simple pit design.
Create a Simple Pit Design

You will design a pit base around an ore zone at an elevation of 150, and then extend it up to
an elevation of 250 at a 45 degree pit wall angle.
Task: Create a Simple Pit Design
2. Drag and drop ore150.str into graphics.
This file represents a horizontal slice of ore zones at an elevation of 100.
3. From the Create menu, select Digitise, then Properties.
4. Enter the data as shown in the following image, and then click Apply.
5. From the Create menu, select Digitise, then Digitise new point at mouse location.
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6. Click in graphics to create points 1, 2, and 3 as shown in the following image.
Note: Do not press ESC. You have not finished creating the string.
Note: You will not see the numbers 1, 2 and 3 in graphics. They are shown on the
following image so you know the order in which to create the points.
7. From the Create menu, select Digitise, then New point by selection.
8. Click three points at the northern end of the segment, as shown in the following image,
to create points 4, 5, and 6.
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9. From the Create menu, select Digitise, then By following a segment.
10. Click and hold down the left mouse button at point 7, then drag to point 8 and release.
11. Click and hold down the left mouse button at point 9, then drag to point 10 and release.
12. From the Create menu, select Digitise, then Close current segment.
The segment will be closed, as shown in the following image:
Note: When you create closed segments in the XY plane (plan view), you will usually
create them in a clockwise direction. Clockwise segments are regarded as an
area of inclusion, and give expected results when you intersect them with other
clockwise segments.
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13. From the File menu, select Save, then string/DTM.
14. Enter the data as shown below, and then click Apply.
16. Drag and drop pit150.str into graphics.
18. Enter the following data, and then click Apply.
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You will see something similar to the following image.
Next, you will delete some points to make the outline more convex.
19. Set the selection mode to Select Point/Triangle.
20. Hold the CTRL key down and click several points as shown below.
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21. Right click to display a menu, and then select Delete.
You will see something similar to the following image.
Next, you will set the slope wall angle to 45 degrees.
22. From the Status Bar at the bottom of the Surpac window, click the Design grade
button.
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The Design grade button will now display the current design gradient.
Next, you will set the string number for the top of the pit. This is an optional step.
24. From the Status Bar at the bottom of the Surpac window, click the Design string
button.
The Design string button displays the current design string number.
Next, you will expand the segment horizontally by a distance of 100. At an angle of 45
degrees, this will create a pit crest 100 meters above the base, at an elevation of 250.
26. From the Edit menu, select Segment, then Expand/Contract.
27. Click anywhere in graphics to select the segment for expanding.
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29. Press ESC to finish expanding.
You will see the pit crest, similar to the following image.
30. Hold down the right mouse key and drag down or to the left to zoom out.
You will now see the limits of the data in the X and Y dimensions.
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This procedure can be useful for determining the limits of a block model.
Next, you will create a DTM from this data.
33. From the Surfaces menu, select Create DTM from Layer.
35. If you see a break line error and some lines that cross in the pit crest, delete some
points where the lines cross:
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a. Click the Select tool and click Select Point/Triangle.
b. Select a point to delete.
c. Right-click and click Delete.
d. From the Surfaces menu, select Create DTM from Layer, and click Apply.
38. Click and drag in graphics to rotate the data.
You will now see the pit as a DTM surface.
Next, you will save the DTM file.
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39. From the File menu, select Save, then string/DTM File.
41. In the following form, click Yes.
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Managing Data in Layers
Overview
Many computer-aided design (CAD) packages use the term “layer” to define a set of
information contained within one file. In this sense, a Surpac string number is the same as a
CAD package “layer”. However, in Surpac, a layer is an area in memory which contains data
displayed in graphics. Layers can contain strings from one or more string files. In this sense,
you can append data from different files into one layer, and create a new file. All layers are
contained within the Surpac Work Area (SWA).
• Layers and the Surpac Work Area.

• Creating layers.
• Appending data to a layer.
• Replacing data in a layer.
• Saving Workspace settings.
Layers and the Surpac Work Area
When Surpac starts, it creates an area in memory called the Surpac Work Area (SWA). All
data that is displayed in graphics is stored within one or more layers, which are located within
the SWA. Before you have displayed any data in graphics, the SWA contains one layer,
called the “main graphics layer”.
Surpac Work Area
Layer: main graphics layer
Data: none
All layers in the SWA are displayed in the Layers panel, at the lower left corner of the Surpac
window:
Creating Layers
By dragging a file from the Navigator to graphics, you create a new layer with the same name
as the file. You can also create a new layer using the New button on the Layer panel.
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Task: Creating Layers
2. Drag and drop the file pit1.str into graphics from the Navigator.
Notice that the Layers panel now shows two layers, the main graphics layer and a
new layer called pit1.str which becomes the active layer.
This symbol… indicates that the layer is…

active.
visible.
selectable.
The SWA now contains:
Surpac Work Area
Data: none
Layer: pit1.str
Data:
All strings from pit1.str
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3. Drag and drop the file map1.str into graphics from the Navigator.
Notice that the Layers Panel now shows three layers, and map1.str is the active layer.
Surpac Work Area
Data: none
Layer: pit1.str
Data:
Layer: map1.str
Data:
All strings from map1.str
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Next, you will create a circular area delineating the boundary of a waste dump, and
save the data to a separate file. As part of this process, you will create a new layer
where the data will be stored.
4. On the Layers panel, click the button.
5. Type waste dump in the text box, and then click Apply.
Notice that the new layer is now the active layer.
6. From the Create menu, select Circle by drag.
7. Click the centre of the circle, then drag to the location shown in the following image,
and then release the mouse button.
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9. Press ESC to finish using the function.
Notice that the waste dump layer is now displayed in red, and it is preceded by an
asterisk (*).This occurs when you have changed data in a layer, but you have not yet
saved it.
Notice that the waste dump layer is now displayed in black.
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Surpac Work Area
Data: none
Layer: pit1.str
Data:
Layer: map1.str
Data:
Layer: waste dump
Data:
String 1 (the circle) stored in

dump_boundary.str
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Appending Data to a Layer
You can append data to a layer by holding down the CTRL key when dragging and dropping
a file into graphics. Also, the Open File form contains an option to append data in a layer.
You can combine data from different files by appending them into one layer, and then saving
the file.
Task: Appending Data to a Layer with the Navigator
2. Hold the CTRL key down, then drag and drop the file pit1.str into graphics from the
Navigator.
Notice that while you drag a file into graphics with the CTRL key pressed, the cursor is
displayed with a plus sign ( + ):
After releasing the mouse, notice that the Layers Panel still only shows one layer, the
main graphics layer.
Surpac Work Area
Data:
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3. Hold the CTRL key down, then drag and drop the file map1.str into graphics from the
Navigator.
After releasing the mouse, notice that the Layers Panel still only shows one layer, the
Surpac Work Area
Data:

Next, you will save the data from both files to a new file.
5. Enter the data as shown, and then click Apply.
The file map_and_pit.str contains all data from pit1.str as well as all data from map1.str.
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Task: Appending Data to a Layer with the Open File Command
2. From the File menu, select Open, then string/DTM.
3. Enter the data as shown, and then click Apply.
Notice that by setting String Range to 2, only string 2 from pit1.str is opened in the
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Notice that by setting String Range to 2;12;52, only those strings have been opened.
Also, because Replace current data was not selected, the data is appended to the
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Surpac Work Area
Data:
String 2 from pit1.str

Strings 2;12, and 52 from map1.str
The file pit_and_buildings.str now contains string 2 from pit1.str as well as string 2,
string 12, and string 52 from map1.str.
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Replacing Data in a Layer
You can replace data in a layer with the SHIFT key modifier when dragging and dropping a
file into graphics. Also, the Open File form contains an option to replace data in a layer.
Task: Replacing Data in a Layer with the Navigator
2. Drag and drop the file map1.str into graphics from the Navigator.
Notice that the Layers panel shows the two layers:
Surpac Work Area
Data: none
Layer: map1.str
Data:
3. Click pit1.str so that it is the only file selected in the Navigator.
4. Hold the SHIFT key down, then drag and drop the file pit1.str into graphics from the
Navigator.
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Notice that while you drag a file into graphics with the SHIFT key pressed, the cursor is
displayed with an X.
After releasing the mouse button, notice that the Layers panel still shows both layers:
However, the contents of the map1.str layer have been replaced by the data in the file
pit1.str:
Surpac Work Area
Data: none
Layer: map1.str
Data:
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Task: Replacing Data in a Layer Using the Open File Command
Notice that all the data in pit1.str is open in the main graphics layer.
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Notice that all data in the main graphics layer is replaced by the data in map1.str
because Replace current data was selected.
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Saving Workspace Settings
You can save all the data, layers, and settings in a Surpac Work Area (SWA) file. You can
restore all this information by opening the SWA file.
Task: Saving a Workspace
2. Drag and drop the file ore1.dtm into graphics from the Navigator.
3. From the View menu, select Surface view options, then Lighting options.
5. Drag and drop the file pit_design.str into graphics from the Navigator.
6. Drag and drop the file topo1.str into graphics from the Navigator.
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7. Click in graphics and drag to rotate the data as shown in the following image.
Notice that four layers exist in the Layers Panel.
8. From the File menu, select Save, then Graphics workspace.
9. Enter ore_pit_topo, and then click Apply.
The file ore_pit_topo.swa is created.
Note: The terms “Graphics workspace” and “SWA” both refer to the “Surpac Work
Area”. When you save a workspace, you create a file with a .swa extension.
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11. Enter data as shown, and then click Apply.
Notice that all the layers are deleted except the default main graphics layer.
13. Drag and drop the file ore_pit_topo.swa into graphics from the Navigator.
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Notice that you have restored the layers in the Layers panel, and the lighting settings
and the view direction.
Note: SWA files are text files which store information about other files. If you want to
open an SWA file on another computer, you must ensure that the files that the
SWA file references are available using the same directory structure.
15. Enter the following data, and then click Apply to reset your lighting to its original state.
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Triangulated Surfaces
Overview
Surpac supports two types of triangulated surfaces: DTM surfaces and three-dimensional
solid models (3DMs). A DTM surface is a set of triangles which represent a surface, such as
topography or a pit design. A solid model is a set of triangles which represents a three-
dimensional shape, such as an ore zone or an underground mine design.
The following concepts are presented in this chapter:
• Naming Conventions.
• DTM Conventions.
• Viewing a DTM surface.
• Creating a DTM surface.
• Creating a boundary string between two DTM surfaces.
• Calculating a cut and fill volume using DTM surfaces.
• Viewing a solid model.
• Creating and validating a solid model.
• Calculating a volume using a solid model.
Naming Conventions
The objects you create in Surpac are numbered by a system analogous to that of string and
string segment numbers:
String Æ Object
Segment Æ Trisolation
Point Æ Triangle
When you define an object, you explicitly assign it both an object number and a trisolation
number. Surpac refers to the object by the object and trisolation number that you assigned.
The object number must be an integer in the range of 1 to 32000. The trisolation number
must be a positive integer.
DTM Conventions
• DTMs cannot model overhangs or vertical surfaces.

• DTMs must be identified as Object 1, Trisolation 1.
• When creating a DTM, strings identified as spot heights are interpreted differently to
strings identified as breaklines.
This chapter describes using strings to act as break lines. A Breakline string is a string that
represents physical features you can see in the real world, such as a crest of a pit, a fault in a
geological model, or a contour in a pit.
Spot height strings contain random points which, when connected by a string line, do not
represent any physical feature for example randomly surveyed points, or borehole collars.
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Viewing a DTM Surface
Task: View a DTM in Graphics
1. Click the Reset graphics icon to clear the graphics area.
2. Drag and drop the file waste_dump.dtm into graphics.
You should see something like the following image, which represents a waste dump.
3. Use your cursor to view the data from different angles.
Creating a DTM Surface
Overview
It is important to understand how a string file relates to a DTM. In order for a DTM file to
remain valid, the string file from which it was created must remain unchanged from the time
that you created the DTM. Therefore, if you modify the string data, you will also need to
recreate the DTM.
Task: Create a DTM — Graphics based Method
1. Open the file topo1.str in graphics.
2. From the Surfaces menu, select Create DTM from layer.
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3. Click Apply on the form to create a DTM surface.
4. From the File menu, select Save, then String/DTM to save the DTM file.
6. Click Yes.
7. Drag and drop the file topo1.dtm into graphics.
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Task: Create a DTM — File based Method
You will now create a DTM from the string file pit_design.str using the file based DTM
creation option. You will use this function to demonstrate the impact of using strings as
breaklines.
1. From the Surfaces menu, select DTM File functions, then Create DTM from string
file.
2. Fill in the form as shown in the following image, and then click Apply.
Note: The Strings to act as break lines box is not ticked.
3. Open the file pit_design.dtm in graphics.
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Notice that there are several triangles in the DTM that do not reflect the results we
desire. You will now repeat the procedure, but using the Strings to act as breaklines
option.
4. From the Surfaces menu, select DTM File functions, then Create DTM from string
file.
This time ensure that the Strings to act as break lines box is selected.
The message window informs you of the processing as the DTM is created. When
processing is finished, a new window displays a log file, which is a small report
containing information about your DTM.
6. Close the log file window.
The DTM file is saved automatically as pit_design.dtm.
7. Open the file pit_design.dtm.
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Creating a Boundary String Between Two DTM Surfaces
Task: Create a Boundary String by Intersecting Two DTMs
You will now create a boundary string where the pit to be used in volume calculations
intersects the topography.
A boundary string file is used for:
• delineating cut and fill material for calculating volumes.

• finding the intersection of a fault plane with a surface.
• finding where a pit design breaks the natural surface.
There are two methods of creating the boundary string in Surpac: a file-based method and a
graphics based method. In the file-based method, there is no need to display the DTMs, and
the boundary string is automatically saved to the nominated file.
In the graphics-based method, the DTMs must be displayed in graphics and the boundary
string is not automatically saved but is simply displayed in its own graphics layer. You must
save your boundary string to a file after it is generated.
File-based Method
Firstly, you will examine the file-based method. In this example, you will show only the DTMs
for clarity.
2. Open the files pit_design.dtm and topo1.dtm in graphics.
Notice that the pit extends past the natural topography. To determine the volume of the
pit, you need to define the boundary where the topography cuts the pit design. You do
this by creating a boundary string of the intersection between both DTMs.
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3. From the Surfaces menu, select DTM File functions, then Line of intersection
between two DTMs.
4. In the following form:

a. Fill in the names of the DTM files you wish to intersect.
b. Specify the output string.
c. Click Apply.
5. Drag and drop intersection1.str into graphics.
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Graphics-based Method
You can also complete this process graphically. Using this method, the DTMs must be
displayed in graphics because the function uses graphics layers to determine its input and
output.
1. Open topo1.dtm and pit_design.dtm in graphics.
2. From the Surfaces menu, select Clip or intersect DTMs, then Line of intersection
between two DTMs.
3. Complete the form as shown in the following image, and then click Apply.
This outputs the same result as the file-based function, but you can select the fields
graphically. In the graphics-based method, you must save the string in the intersection
layer to a string file.
After applying this form, the result is displayed in graphics and should look something
like the following image:
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Calculating a Cut and Fill Volume Using DTM Surfaces
Task: Calculate Cut and Fill Volumes Between Two DTMs
One of the most common uses of DTMs is to calculate volumes. You can use the DTM
Volumes function to compute the volume between two DTM surfaces, contained within a
boundary string.
1. From the Volumes menu, select Cut and fill between DTMs.
2. Fill in the form as shown below, and click Apply.
You should see a report like the following:
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Viewing a Solid Model
Task: Viewing a Solid Model
1. Drag and drop solid_model.dtm into graphics.
This image shows a solid that represents an ore body.
2. Use the cursor to view the ore body from different angles.
Notice that the 3DM or solid is a closed shape that represents a closed structure.
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Creating and Validating a Solid Model
Task: Create and Validate a Solid Model
1. Drag and drop the file ore1.str into graphics.
2. From the Display menu, select Strings, then With string and segment numbers.
3. Fill in the form as shown below and click Apply.
Note: Triangulation will occur using segment numbers. This means that segment 1 will
triangulate to segment 2, segment 2 will triangulate to segment 3, and so on.
4. Click Box Select Points on the Tools toolbar.
5. Select View, then Zoom, then Out.
6. Click and drag a box that contains all segments.
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7. Right-click in graphics and choose Select segments.
8. Right-click in graphics and select Triangulate.
The solid is displayed.
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9. Hold the ALT key down, then click and drag in graphics to rotate the data to the view
shown below.
Notice that the solid is not closed.
10. Move the cursor near the end segment and click so that one point is selected.
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The solid is now closed at the end segment.
13. Hold the ALT key down, then click and drag in graphics to rotate the data to expose the
other end of the object, as shown below.
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14. Move the cursor near the end segment and click so that one point is selected.
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The solid is now closed at the end segment.
17. Right-click in graphics and select Validate solids.
18. Fill in the form as shown in the following image, and then click Apply.
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The validation status is written to the Message window.
The results are also written to the file valid1.not as shown in the following image.
From the File menu, select Save, then string/DTM and click Apply.
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Calculating a Volume Using a Solid Model
Task: Calculate a Volume for a Solid Model
2. Drag and drop ore_solid1.dtm into graphics.
3. From the View menu, select Data view options, then Long section view.
You should see an image like the following:
5. Click Apply.
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6. From the View menu, select Zoom, then Out.
7. From the Solids menu, select Solids tools, and then Report volume of solids.
8. Enter the information as shown below, and click Apply.
The report appears similar to the following:
SOLID MODELLING OBJECT REPORT

Layer Name: ore_solid1.dtm
Object: 1
Trisolation: 1
Validated = true
Status = solid
Trisolation Extents
X Minimum: 1441.416 X Maximum: 1960.408
Y Minimum: 7119.489 Y Maximum: 7600.000
Z Minimum: -1.119 Z Maximum: 244.029
Surface area: 275999
Volume : 2527231
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File Tools
Overview
The File tools module is a collection of functions for manipulating and creating string files.
These functions give you a high level of flexibility when using Surpac.
This section gives you a broad overview of:
• String maths.
• Applying a boundary string.
• Classifying strings.
• 2D transformations.
• Polygon intersection.
Objectives
By working through this document, you should be able to apply the functions in File tools.
String Maths
String maths allows you to manipulate string file data mathematically.
Some of the uses of this function are:
• Interchanging Y,X,Z and description fields.

• Applying various mathematical functions to individual fields.
• Setting individual fields to a constant or to the value of another field.
• Scaling Y,X,Z values about a given datum value.
• Calculating areas, lengths and directions of segments.
Next, you will convert some geological ore zone interpretations from section coordinates to
plan (real-world) coordinates.
Task: Convert Geological Ore Zone Interpretations from Section Coordinates to Plan
(Real-World) Coordinates
1. Click Reset graphics .
2. Open ore_section1.str by dragging it into graphics.
3. From the Display menu, select 2D grid.
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4. Enter a grid size of 50 x 50, and then click Apply.
Your image will look like the following:
Next, you will convert this data to plan view, also known as “real world” coordinates.
5. From the File tools menu, select String maths.
6. Enter the following parameters on the String Maths form, and then click Apply.
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7. Open ore_plan1.str.
Your data is now in plan view and appears similar to the image below. This view of the
data shows you cross sections of an ore body.
The next example uses string maths to increase the Y value of pit1.str by 200 metres.
You might do this, for example, if the coordinates of a reference survey station are
incorrect by 200 metres in the north-south plane.
Task: Move a Pit 200 Metres North to Correct Survey Station Error
1. Clear graphics.
2. Open the file pit_design.str in graphics.
4. Enter the following parameters, and click Apply.
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5. Open the files pit_new.str and pit_design.str in graphics and move the images
around to see the difference between them.
The new pit has moved 200 metres in the Y direction from the original pit.
In the next example, you will place the accumulated 2D distance of a ramp along a string in
the D1 field, and the total length of the ramp along the string in the D2 field. Information such
as this can be a factor in extraction costs or in the economic viability of a mining operation.
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Task: Calculate the Cumulative Length of a String
2. Fill in the form as shown below and click Apply.
Note: For detailed information about expressions, see the Surpac help.
4. Drag and drop ramp_cl_2dlength.str into graphics.
5. From the Display menu, select Point and then Attributes.
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6. Fill in the form as shown below, and then click Apply.
The string is displayed with the cumulative distance at each point. The total length of
the string, therefore, is 1016.92 metres.
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Applying a Boundary String
An example of when you might use the Apply boundary string function is when the extents
of your data are greater than your survey boundaries. The Apply boundary string function
works in the same way as a pastry cutter — it keeps that which is inside a boundary and
excludes everything outside.
For Surpac to correctly interpret which data is inside or outside a boundary, the boundary
string must be a closed string that is clockwise in direction.
It is important when using this function to distinguish between spot height strings and strings
which represent open or closed features because Surpac treats each one differently. When
you apply a boundary string to spot heights, only those points which lie inside or on the
boundary are saved. For strings that are not explicitly defined as spot height strings, new
points are created where the string intersects the boundary. This is to ensure the strings are
neatly clipped to the boundary.
In this example, you will use the Apply boundary string function to cut a soil sampling file to
a boundary string.
Task: Applying a Boundary String to a Soil Sampling File

1. Clear graphics.
2. Open the string file soil1.str by dragging it into graphics.

This file shows soil sampling data over a large area. There are strings that show
contours at 100 ppm intervals for arsenic and string 30003 which shows the point
locations where the samples were recorded.
3. Open bdy100.str in graphics.

You will use this string to cut the data to a boundary.
The boundary line is in a separate layer to soil1.str. The preceding image gives you a
good view of the files that you will be processing with the Apply boundary strings
function.
Note: Because this function is a File tools function, you do not have to show the files in
graphics for Surpac to process the data. However, by showing the files in
graphics, it might help you understand what is happening.
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4. From the File tools menu, select Apply boundary string.
5. Complete the form as shown in the following image, and then click Apply.
6. Click Reset Graphics .
7. View the file soil2.str and the boundary string bdy100.str by dragging them into
graphics.
The new soil data is constrained within the defined boundary.
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Classifying Strings
It is often useful to classify the strings in a file, based on the value contained in a specific field.
This value may be an elevation, or a numeric attribute, for example an assay grade value.
You can classify strings based on the Y, X, Z fields or the description fields D1 to D100.
By classifiying the data, you will create a separate string, which you can then plot with
different attributes such as different colours or line thicknesses.
The following example uses the Classify strings by numbers function to classify the file
samp1.str based on the value in the D1 field which represents arsenic concentrations in ppm.
Task: Display Soil Samples using String Classification
1. Open the file samp1.str which contains soil sample data.
2. From the Display menu, select Point, and then Attributes, and then click Apply.
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3. From the File tools menu, select Classify strings by numbers.
4. Complete the form as shown in the following image.
Note: Press TAB to create a new row in the Classification table.
5. Click Apply.
7. Open the file samp_classified1.str.
8. From the Display menu, select Hide everything.
9. From the Display menu, select Point, then Markers, and click Apply.
10. From the Display menu, select Point, then Attributes, and click Apply.
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The points are coloured according to the classification that you specified.
2D Transformations
2D transformations are useful when you have to transform coordinates from one coordinate
system to another, for example from the Map Grid of Australia (MGA) system to a local grid.
One example of where this can occur is where survey data has been entered using an
incorrect backsight. You can then correct the data by transforming the coordinate system onto
the backsight that was originally used.
Another example is when oblique sections have been taken through a DTM or string file using
an axis. In this case, the resultant section string files have coordinates relating to the axis
used. You can transform them back to real-world coordinates using the 2D Transformation
function.
In the following task you will transform pit1.str into the same coordinate system as pit2.str
using 2D transformation. Although the two pits are geographically close, they are in different
local grids. You will convert them to the same grid system.
Task: Transform a Pit to a Different Coordinate System

1. Clear graphics.
2. Open the file pit1.str by dragging it into the graphics area.
3. From the Inquire menu, select Report layer extents to show the coordinate extents in
the Message window.
4. Open the file pit2.str and determine the coordinate extents.
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5. Click Zoom to extents to see the distance between the two pits.
6. From the File tools menu, select Transformations, then 2D transformation of string
file.
Note: Old points are the coordinates in the mine coordinate system; New points are
the coordinates in the national coordinate system.
Note: You have entered a Z correction of -750 here because pit2 is 750 meters below
pit1.
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8. Verify that the transformation parameters are correct.
If the grids are plane metric grids, the scale factor should be 1.0. Any variation
represents an error. In our example, we have an error of 5 mm in 10 metres.
Note: By default the rotation is displayed in DDD.MMSS format.
Shift Y is the difference between Y1 (old) and Y1 (new) as entered on the first form.
Shift X is the difference in easting between X1 (old) and X1 (new).
In other words, the shifts are the difference in northing and easting between the
coordinates of the first point in the two systems.
9. Click Accept these adjustments and click Apply.
10. Reset graphics by clicking .
11. View the result of the transformation:

a. Open the files pit1.str, transformed_pit1.str and pit2.str in graphics.
b. Zoom to the data extents by clicking .
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At the top of the screen you can now see both pits in the same coordinate system. Notice
both the shift and rotation for transformed_pit1.str.
Polygon Intersection
In Surpac, you can use the Intersect polygons function to calculate the area of an ore zone
within, or outside of, a pit boundary.
This function creates a new closed shape from two existing closed shapes by performing an
intersection, outersection, or union operation.
Operation Example of Usage

Intersection Determining the area which is common to two closed strings. By intersecting
two closed strings you produce a string which has one or more segments
which represent the area common to the two strings.
Outersection Determining the material which might remain after an excavation is completed,
for example the excavation of an open pit.
Union Joining two strings together to represent the total area of both strings, for
example to represent the shape which will remain after two intersecting pits
are excavated.
In the polygon intersection process, one of the closed strings is the intersecting string and the
other is the intersected string. In outersection operations, the order in which you specify the
strings affects the resultant string.
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Task: Intersect Polygons to Calculate the Area of an Ore Body within a Pit Boundary
When you know the area of an ore body in a bench you can do other useful calculations, such
as an ore volume calculation.
1. Clear graphics.
2. Open bench105.str.
3. From the Display menu, select Strings, and then With string numbers.
4. From the File Tools menu, select Intersect polygons.
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Note: By filling in the form as shown above, you have identified string 30005 as the
intersecting polygon and strings 1, 2 and 3 as the intersected polygons.
Surpac creates a new file, int_bench105.str, which shows the areas of the pit bodies
that are within the pit.
6. Clear graphics.
7. Open int_bench105.str.
8. For each ore body, select the segment that represents it in graphics.
The area is shown in the Properties pane.
The next example involves using the polygon intersection function to determine which parts of
an ore block are inside an open pit.
Task: Clip Ore Blocks Inside a Pit
1. Clear graphics.
2. Open kbb135.str.
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This file shows the ore blocks at the 135 elevation of an open pit.
3. Hold down CTRL and drag the file con135.str into graphics to append it to the same
layer.
This file is the outline contour of the open pit at the 135 elevation. Notice that some of
the ore blocks are outside the pit boundary.
4. From the File tools menu, select Intersect polygons.
Note: String range 1,5 specifies that the pit boundary will intersect with all strings
numbered from 1 to 5 (there are 5 strings in kbb135.str that collectively
represent the ore blocks).
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7. Open kbi135.str to show the ore blocks that are inside the pit and open con135.str to
see the pit boundary.
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Advanced Interface Operations
Overview
The following concepts are presented in this chapter:
• Displaying and customising menus.

• Customising toolbars and buttons.
• Using and creating profiles.
• Using the function chooser.
• Working with forms.
• Configuring windows and panes in the interface.
Menu Bars, Menus and Commands

If you do not understand the meaning of the terms menu bar, menu and command, you could
easily become confused when you try to create a customised menu bar.
The following image shows the Main (Short) menu bar. It contains several menus: File, Edit,
Create, Display, View, Inquire, File tools, Surfaces, Volumes, Plotting, Customise and
Help.
Each menu contains commands (or menu items, which means the same thing). The
commands are located on the menu or on a submenu. For example, the Plotting menu
contains the Autoplot, Plotting window, Plotting sheet setup window and Print plot file
commands, and it also contains the Entity, Map, Process, and Plotting contours submenus.
Each submenu contains more commands.
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Displaying and Customising Menu Bars
You can activate most Surpac functions using the menu system.
A black triangle on the right side of a menu item indicates that you can select it to display a
submenu.
To see the list of menu bars and toolbars you can view, right-click in empty space on the
menu bar or in the toolbar region.
The preceding image indicates that the Blast design menu bar and the Main (Short) menu
bar are currently displayed.
Click on a menu bar to switch between displaying it and hiding it.
In Surpac you can also create your own customised menu bars or toolbars to group together
the functions that you use frequently, or to group together all the functions that you need to
use to do a specific task.
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Task: Create a Customised Menu Bar
1. From the Customise menu, select Customise menus/toolbars.
2. To create a new menu bar, right-click on Menubars under User Menus/Toolbars and
select New from the list.
3. To rename the menu bar:

a. Right-click MenuBar_1.
b. Select Edit from the list.
c. Type pit_design.
d. Press ENTER.
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4. Select the menus to place in the menu bar:
a. Expand the Surface design menu bar.
b. Hold down CTRL and select the Pit Design, Expand segment and Expand
string folders.
c. Click Copy.
d. Select the new pit_design menu bar.
e. Click Paste.
f. Click Apply.
The pit_design menu bar “floats” above the Surpac window.
5. Drag the pit_design menu bar to a location where there is some space at the top of
the Surpac window.
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Customising Toolbars and Buttons
Task: Display Toolbars and Create a Customised Toolbar
You might find that you only are using only a small number of the digitising functions, for
example, Start new string, Start new segment, Digitise New Point at Mouse Location,
New midpoint and Close current segment.
You could create a toolbar that has only the functions that you need by taking a copy of the
Digitise toolbar, removing some of the functions from it and adding the New Midpoint
function to it.
1. Right-click in some empty space anywhere in the menu bar or toolbar region.
2. Select Toolbars to see which toolbars are currently displayed.
4. To create a new toolbar, right-click on the Toolbars folder (under User

Menus/Toolbars) and select New from the list.
This will create a new menu, called Toolbar1.
5. Right-click on Toolbar1 and select Edit.
6. Type pit_design and press ENTER.
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7. Under Surpac Menus/Toolbars, expand the Surface design toolbar.
8. Hold down CTRL and select several of the surface design commands.
9. Click Copy.
10. Select the new pit_design toolbar and click Paste.
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Task: Creating a Custom Button to Put on a Toolbar
2. In the Modify menus and toolbars dialog box, select your toolbar and click New.
3. Fill in the form as shown in the following image and click Apply to create a new button
on the designated toolbar.
Note: To fill in the Command field you will have to click the Ellipsis button and
navigate to a TCL file. Similarly, to fill in the Image field, you must click the
adjacent Ellipsis button and navigate to an icon file in the icons folder.
4. Click Apply in the Modify menus and toolbars dialog box.
5. Right-click in an empty area near the toolbars.
6. From the Toolbars menu, select pit_design.
7. Drag the pit_design toolbar to a location where you can clearly see it.
8. Move the cursor over the icon on the right of the toolbar to see its ToolTip.
148
Using and Creating Profiles
A profile is a set of menus and toolbars grouped together into modules. The profiles are
available by right-clicking in the empty space and selecting from the available profiles.
Task: Select the geology_database Profile
1. Right-click in the empty space at the top of the Surpac interface.
2. Select Profiles, and then geology_database.
The top of the Surpac window appears similar to the following image.
The interface now contains a new set of menus and toolbars that cover the functionality for
processing data from a geological database.
Profiles also allow you easy access to all of your customisations.
149
Task: Saving your Customisations to a Profile
If you are an experienced Surpac user, you might wish to create your own profile to get faster
access to the toolbars, menus and commands that you need for your work.
1. Make sure that Surpac is displaying the menu bars and toolbars that you use frequently
and that the menu bars and toolbars that you do not need are hidden.
2. Right-click in the empty space at the top of the Surpac window.
3. From the Profiles menu, click Save.
4. Enter a name for your profile, and then click Apply.
When you open Surpac in the future, you can choose your profile which will reload your
customised settings for menus, toolbars and buttons and automatically configure your
workspace.
Task: Restoring the Default Profile
1. Right-click the empty space beside the toolbars at the top of the Surpac window.
2. Click Restore.
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Using the Function Chooser
The fastest way for you to run a function is to use the function chooser. You can type an
“alias” into the function chooser to run a function. An alias is an abbreviation of the function
name.
Task: Run Two Functions from the Function Chooser
1. Drag and drop the file pit_design.str into graphics.
2. Type CS (for Clear Screen) directly into the function chooser at the lower part of the
Surpac window.
3. Press ENTER to run the function.

Running the Clear Screen function makes the graphics area empty but, unlike the
Reset graphics command, it leaves the data in the layer.
4. Type the alias DRWS (for Draw Strings) into the function chooser.
5. Fill in the form for the function Draw Strings as shown in the following image, and click
Apply.
The pit is shown in graphics again.
Note: You can find a complete list of aliases in the files SSI_ETC:short.ssi and
SSI_ETC:Surpac.mst.
151
Working with Forms
You control how a function works by entering parameters into a form. The terms form and
dialog box mean the same thing. The Open File form and its components is a typical form.
By clicking a field on a form, and then right clicking, you see options to help you fill in the form.
Last value if blank

Selecting this command causes the field to keep the last value you entered when the
application does not supply a value. For example, if you select Last value if blank for the
Layer field of the Open File form, the text in the Layer field does not change, but if you select
Last value if blank for the Location field, the last file name is shown.
Last value
Selecting this item causes the field to keep the last value regardless of the value that Surpac
inserts. For example, if you select Last value in the Layer field of the Open File form, the
Layer field displays the name of the layer that you used on the last occasion you used this
form.
Constant...
Selecting this item allows you to enter a value to use for this field every time you use the form.
Application
Selecting this item causes the field to display the value supplied by Surpac. This is the way
that Surpac worked in previous versions.
152
Configuring windows and panes in the Interface
You can modify panes in the interface using the three buttons on the top right side of the pane:
• Toggle floating.
• Toggle auto-hide.
• Close.
Toggle floating
The Toggle floating button enables you to “dock” or “undock” the pane. When the pane is
docked it is fixed to an area of the Surpac window, when it is undocked it floats so you can
move it to any part of the Surpac window. You can also dock the pane by moving it to one of
the edges of the screen, or to an existing pane.
To restore the pane to its original position, click again on the Toggle floating button or right-
click on the top part of the pane and click Floating.
153
Toggle auto-hide
The Toggle auto-hide button enables you to hide the pane so that you have more workspace
for other panes.
When you click Toggle auto-hide, the pane is minimised and attached to the side of the
Surpac window. The following image shows the Properties pane attached to the side of the
Surpac window.
To show the pane when it is minimised, move the cursor over the minimised pane. To restore
the pane to its original position, click Toggle auto-hide again.
Close
To close a pane, click the x button in the top right corner.
154
To restore a pane that you have closed, select View, then Dockable windows and click on
the pane that you want to restore.
In the example below, the Tools properties pane was closed, so it is not selected as a
dockable window. By clicking on Tool properties, you can restore the pane to its original
position.
To restore the whole interface to its original state, right-click an empty area in the toolbar
region, and click Restore. Then click Apply.
155
More Surpac Functions
Overview
This chapter presents the following concepts:
• Drillhole Database.
• Block Models.
• Plotting with Autoplot.
Drillhole Database
You can display drillhole data in Surpac to help you see where there are high concentrations
of ore in a section. This can help you create input for the block model.
In the following task, the drillhole data is stored in a relational database, specifically an MS
Access database called surpac.mdb.
Task: Open a Database, Display the Drill Holes and Create Sections
1. Click Reset graphics to clear the graphics window.
2. Open the surpac.ddb file by dragging it into the graphics area.

A new icon appears on the Status bar which indicates that the drillhole database is now
ready to be used.
Note: Surpac.ddb connects Surpac to the Surpac.mdb database.
3. Click the surpac icon on the Status bar and select Display drillholes.
156
4. Click the Labels tab, select the sample table and select the gold field.
Note: Because you filled in the table as shown in the previous image, the drill holes will
be displayed with labels for gold levels. The labels will appear on the right side of
the drill holes, with the formatting that you have specified here.
5. Click Apply.
6. In the empty Define Query Constraints form, click Apply.
Note: No constraints apply to the query so all the drillholes in the database are shown.
157
8. Enter a grid line interval of 40 and 40 in the X and Y directions, and click Apply.
Next, you will show a section of drillholes from 7260N to 7300N.
9. From the Database menu, select Sections and then Define.
158
10. On the Section Method tab, enter the data as shown below, and click Apply.
159
11. From the View menu, select Zoom and then In.
Different sample values are displayed using different colours. These colours are
controlled by a styles table in the database.
12. Click the Surpac icon at the bottom of the screen, and then click Drillhole display
styles.
13. Expand the tree to see the display attributes for gold.
160
Block Models
The block model is a powerful dataset that contains 3D spatial information such as grade
values, geological units, geophysical attributes, geotechnical information, optimisation values,
design data, scheduling information, and haulage distances.
The data is stored in blocks of a pre-defined size and spatial area. The number of attributes
included in a block model is unlimited, and the type of information stored is diverse.
Task: Display, Constrain, and Report a Block Model
1. Click Reset graphics to clear the graphics window.
2. Open the block_model.mdl file by dragging it into graphics.

The block_model icon appears in the Status bar. You can now display and report
information in the block model.
3. Click the block_model icon, and then select Display.
4. Fill the form in as shown in the following image, and click Apply.
161
The entire block model is displayed in graphics.
Next, you will remove the outer blocks from view to show only the ore body.
5. Click the Block model icon, and then select New constraint.
Constraints are a powerful way to define related parts of a block model, such as blocks
inside an ore zone. Constraints can help you visualise ore bodies and produce reports
and resource estimates.
6. Select constraint type BLOCK and then fill in the three input boxes below so that the
constraint is “gold > 0”.
162
7. Click Add to add the constraint, and then click Apply.
The model displays only those blocks that contain gold. Next, you will colour the blocks
by their gold values.
8. Click the Block model icon, and then select Colour by attribute.
9. Select gold for the Attribute to colour by.
10. Select the Apply transition when scanning box.
11. Click Scan to load a palette of default colours that Surpac will use to colour the block.
163
12. Click Apply.
13. From the Block Model menu, select Display, then Edge and face visibility.
14. Clear Display block edges, and click Apply.
164
The model is displayed without block edges.
15. From the Block Model menu, select Attributes, then View attribute for one block.
16. Click a block to see the values contained within it.
17. Click Cancel to close the Block Attributes dialog box.

Next, you will create a report of the volume, tonnes, and average gold grade.
18. From the Block model menu, select Block Model, and then Report.
Note: We have chosen CSV output because you can easily import a CSV file into a
spreadsheet for further processing.
165
Note: To add a new report attribute row, right-click below the row and select Add.
The report format you have specified is now stored in the rformat1.bmr file so you can
easily produce future reports of this type.
This report shows a gold by Average measurement (g/t) and also a gold by
Aggregate measurement that shows total grams contained.
166
A report is produced that shows the volume, tonnes and gold values for each grade range.
Surpac Minex Group Jul 27 2006
Block Model Report

My first block model report
Constraints Used
a. > BLOCK gold 0
Keep blocks partially in the constraint : False
Gold Volume Tonnes Gold Gold

0.0 -> 1.0 1177375 3446795 0.4 1367051
1.0 -> 2.5 1057750 3054470 1.62 4955674
2.5 -> 5.0 218375 646390 3.16 2044325
5.0 -> 999.0 76375 226070 6.79 1536046
Grand Total 2529875 7373725 1.34 9903096
167
Plotting with Autoplot
There are two modules for plotting in Surpac.
• Autoplot is a module that produces plot files from information displayed in graphics.
• The Advanced plotting module allows you to produce more complex plots or batch plots.
This section of this document describes Autoplot only.
Task: Produce a Plot of a Pit Using Autoplot
1. Click the icon.
2. Open the file pit_design.str by dragging the file into the graphics window.
3. From the Plotting menu, select Autoplot.
4. Enter the values as shown below, and click Apply.

Note: Make sure you select the box to Lock X/Y scale.
168
5. On the following form, enter the title block text, and click Apply.
A box representing the page size appears around the data in graphics.
6. Drag this box so that the pit is in the centre.
7. Press F2 when the page borders are in the location you want.
169
8. Enter the grid type and grid spacing required for the plot as shown in the following
image, and then click Apply.
The plot is displayed in the plot preview window. You can now edit or add information to the
plot using the Edit and Create menus.
170

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Introduction to

Surpac Minex Group Pty Ltd

About This Manual

Surpac Minex Group

About This Document ............................................................................................................. 1

Visit http://www.surpac.com to locate your nearest support office.

1. A copy of Surpac 6 for installation.

2. A suitable computer with a CD ROM drive.

• Install and licence Surpac.

Text Format Meaning

1. Title 4. Combo box or Drop-down 7. Help

Element Description Example

1. Title Title of the dialog box.

2. Tab Labelled group of options used for many

3. Text box Rectangular box in which you can type

8. Check box Square box that you select or clear to turn

9. Button Rectangular or square button that initiates

In this chapter you will learn about:

• Installing Surpac from a CD.

Installing Surpac from a CD

4. When you are prompted to click Next, do so.

6. When prompted to choose an installation directory, select the default installation

• Double-click the Surpac icon on your desktop.

• Surpac 6 installed, as previously described.

Task: Licence Surpac

3. Select local, and then click Apply.

6. To review licence details, or enter a new token number:

b. After reviewing or updating the licence, click Apply.

Setting the Work Directory

where <installation directory> is the directory in which Surpac was installed.

1. In the Surpac Navigator, right-click the introduction folder.

2. Select Set as work directory.

• From the File menu, select Exit.

Modifying the Surpac Desktop Icon

1. Move the cursor over the Surpac icon on your desktop.

2. Hold down the right mouse button, drag and release.

A copy of the original icon is created:

4. Right-click the new Surpac icon, and select Properties.

5. In the Start in field on the Shortcut tab, enter

8. Type: Surpac Introduction and press ENTER.

9. Double-click this icon to start Surpac.

In this chapter, you will learn about:

• Surpac data types.

Surpac Data Types

File type Example Description

The Surpac interface consists of 10 different areas:

Task: Open a File Using the Menu

The file pit1.str is displayed in graphics.

Task: Use the Reset Graphics Button from the Toolbar

1. Open the file pit1.str in graphics.

2. Click the Reset graphics icon .

Task: Open a File from the Navigator

1. Right-click the file pit1.str in the Navigator.

2. From the menu, select Open.

The file pit1.str is displayed in graphics.

Task: Display a String File in the Preview Pane

2. Click the file pit1.str in the Navigator.

4. Click the Preview button again to close the Preview pane.

Task: Display and View Data in Graphics

1. Click the Reset graphics icon .

2. Drag and drop the file pit_design.str into graphics.

3. Perform the following steps:

• Use the left mouse button to rotate the image.