Using A Large Gridded Object for Maintaining Large Sufaces

Using A Large Gridded Object for Maintaining Large

Surfaces
The Large Gridded Object (LGO) is a gridded surface file that is independent of the PCF. It
can have up to 2 billion by 2 billion grid nodes in each direction (virtually unlimited) and
can also be rotated. It is a very efficient tool for managing large surfaces and maintaining
a series of as-built and mined out surfaces. This workshop will cover the setup, import,
viewing, maintenance, and usage of surfaces using the LGO.

Initializing and Setup

An LGO is setup by using File | Create LGO and specifying the easting and northing origin,
grid size, number of grids, and the optional rotation angle (see example in Figure 1). A
horizontal rotation is generally recommended if the MineSight® project is rotated. The LGO
can also be setup as an inclined grid by ticking the Inclined Grid… option and specifying a
start elevation and a strike and dip.

Figure 1. Sample of LGO initialization.

The LGO setup information can also be imported directly from another LGO or from a
Mintec, Inc.
PCF using the Edit dropdown on the Create LGO grid dialog.
Global
Mining Once the setup parameters are input, the LGO is saved using File | Save and a file on disk
Software is created with an lgo extension. The initial file is very small as the LGO has a very good
Solutions compression algorithm that only uses space for actual data. The data for each surface is
stored by rows, each row of data is compressed, and only rows that have data for any
Since
given surface are stored. The LGO will continue to increase in size as more grid nodes are
1970 assigned values and surfaces are added and deleted. The LGO has a compaction option to
reclaim previously used space.
Once the LGO has been saved, a view can be created to it from the Data Manager by
clicking with the right mouse button on the appropriate folder and doing a New | Create
LGO View. A name is then assigned to the view and the LGO file is selected. It is good

Page 1
Using A Large Gridded Object for Maintaining Large Sufaces

practice to use the name of the LGO in the view. Multiple views can be setup to the same
LGO with different bounds and thinning options for more efficient use with the other MS3D
CAD tools.
Upon creating a new LGO View, the LGO View Properties can be accessed in the usual
object properties manner. The dialog has a number of tabs for the various LGO functions.
The dialog in Figure 2 shows the Display tab of the LGO View Properties. It is important
to set the initial Max Memory Usage per Surface before hitting the first Apply. Changing
the maximum memory after applying can cause problems. The elevation for displaying
the grid area should be set to an elevation above the highest surface so it is always visible
when limiting extents. The example in Figure 2 shows a setup where the entire LGO is to be
viewed as a Surface (as compared to a series of row polylines) without any thinning.

Figure 2. Display tab of the LGO

properties dialog.

Importing/Updating
The LGO is now ready to receive data. The data to import can be from a free format 3D Mintec, Inc.
points Ascii file, an existing MS3D triangulated mesh (DTM) or solid, or another LGO. The Global
importing/updating is done from the Import tab. Figure 3 shows an example of an import Mining
from a 3D points file.
Software
Solutions
Since
1970

Page 2
 Using A Large Gridded Object for Maintaining Large Sufaces

Figure 3. Example of importing from a

3D points file with points at LGO grid
spacing.

The Figure 3 example uses the Assign nearest grid point option. This option should be
used when the input data has a density that is at least as tight as the LGO grid size spacing.
The import will then assign the closest point to the grid center but only use points that fall
within the grid cell. If there isn’t at least one point within any given grid node, then that grid
is not assigned a value.
If the data is sparser than the grid size and the goal is to fill in all grids, then the
Nearest neighbor or Octant interpolation option should be used. Generally, the octant
interpolation generates a better surface as an actual interpolation is done. When the nearest
neighbor is used, a single point can be used to fill a group of grids creating flat spots. Figure
4a and 4b show a portion of the same LGO surface with the two options. Figure 4a is with
nearest neighbor and 4b is with an octant limiting power of 1.0. The rational for the power
of 1.0 in this case is to try to simulate the linear interpolation of a triangulation. Each user
should do their own analysis of which parameters work best for their cases.
Mintec, Inc. When doing an octant limiting interpolation, the closest point in each octant is used. If four
Global consecutive octants do not contain at least one point, then that grid node will not be assigned.
Mining
Software
Solutions
Since
1970

Page 3
Using A Large Gridded Object for Maintaining Large Sufaces

Figure 4a. Import of random data using nearest neighbor. Figure 4b. Import using octant limiting.

All Ascii import options have the option to skip any number of header lines and the ability
to read the 3D coordinates in any order (see Figure 3 for Coordinate Order and Skip xx
Lines options).
All the import options allow for the data to be imported to a new surface or to replace/
update an existing surface. The name of the surface can also be user controlled. In the
Figure 3 example, the Do not use Default name tick box is checked which means that a
user specified name can be assigned for a new surface, or an existing surface can be selected
for updating. For this example, the Store to a new surface option is being used. If this
option isn’t used, then the dropdown list of existing surfaces is activated and the user can
pick which surface to be updated. When doing an update, the Reset Value to undefined…
controls whether the import surface will completely replace the original surface or whether
it will just be patched in, leaving any untouched areas intact. This is the method used for
updating an as-built surface with a new survey pickup. That is, the data is imported to an
existing surface and the Reset... tick box is left unchecked. This results in only the grids
within the survey area being updated and all others are left as they initially were.
If the Do not use Default name tick box is not checked, then the surface will be named
the same as the import filename for Ascii imports, the name of the geometry object for
geometry imports, or the name of the LGO surface for LGO imports.
All import options also allow the limiting of the import data to within a user specified
boundary with the Limit by boundary option.
Mintec, Inc.
Data can be imported from existing MS3D geometry, either from a triangulated surface or
from a solid. The import can be done a geometry object at a time from the viewer or through Global
the OCB, or from an entire folder. Figure 4 shows an example of importing all geometry Mining
objects from an existing folder. There is also an option for importing only open objects Software
within the folder. Solutions
Since
When geometry is imported, the elevations are assigned based upon where the grid
center pierces the geometry. If it is a solid, then either the lowest or highest pierce point is 1970
assigned. This means that recumbent/over-turned solids will lose some of the detail on the
footwall (lowest) or hangingwall (highest).

Page 4
 Using A Large Gridded Object for Maintaining Large Sufaces

Figure 5. Example of importing geometry

from an entire folder.

Multiple surfaces can also be imported from an existing LGO. If the grid size is the same,
the exact values are copied over. If the grid size is different, then the originating LGO is
dynamically converted to a DTM and re-gridded. Importing from one surface to another
within the same LGO is the same as a COPY function.

Viewing Surfaces
The viewing of LGO surfaces is controlled using the Display and Surfaces tabs of the
LGO View Properties. The Display tab (as shown in Figure 2) controls the 2D and 3D
viewing areas and the optional grid thinning. Displaying fewer grids decreases the viewing
resolution but it also decreases the viewing overhead. If the Use 3D Display limits/thinning
for MS3D CAD tools option is used, the accuracy may be reduced, but the run times
decrease because the surface being processed is smaller. This is the single most important
concept when using the LGO for managing/maintaining large surfaces. The LGO can be
used to manage very large master surfaces at a small grid size and then multiple LGO Views
Mintec, Inc. can be setup for the different mine areas with the appropriate point thinning. There is really
Global no need to thin for the filtered/2D views.
Mining The Display tab also controls whether the surface is shown as polylines along the row or as
Software a regular triangulated mesh surface. When viewing the LGO as a surface and when using
Solutions it in any CAD functions, MS3D dynamically creates a triangulated mesh using the grid
Since centers. (same idea as with the Gridded Surface File).
1970 Figure 6 shows the Surfaces | Properties tab for controlling which surfaces are open in the
viewer, which colors are used for the surfaces, and the surface properties (faces, lines, nodes,
etc). Surfaces can be opened and closed by selecting them from the Surfaces list, clicking
on open (left icon in red box) or close (right icon), and hitting the Apply button (required for
each dialog update). Open surfaces are bolded in the Surfaces list.

Page 5
Using A Large Gridded Object for Maintaining Large Sufaces

Similarly, the surface color can be set by selecting the surfaces from the list and clicking on
the color by a single color icon (left icon within the blue box) or the color by spectrum icon
(right icon within the blue box). The object properties for the individual LGO View can be
set using the Object Properties button. Default properties for all LGO Views can be set
using the LGO View material type.

Figure 6. LGO View | Surfaces Properties tab.

The Surfaces | Properties tab is also used for deleting, renaming, or adding a new surface.
The Compact LGO file and the Compute Boundaries are also accessed from this tab. The
LGO does not automatically reclaim space when surfaces are deleted so the Compact LGO
option needs to be used to force this. The Compute Boundaries is used to recompute the
bounding boxes for all the surfaces in the LGO View. Bounding boxes are displayed when
the surface is queried from the viewer or highlighted from the OCB.

Calculation Tools
Mintec, Inc.
The Surfaces | Min/Max function allows a new surface to be created or an existing surface
Global
to be updated, using either the minimum or maximum of a group of existing surfaces. The
minimum is one of the key tools for maintaining the mined out surface. The methodology Mining
involves starting at original ground and making two copies, one for the as-built and one for Software
the mined out. As each survey is done, the pickup DTM is imported to the as-built surface Solutions
with the Reset values to undefined tick box unchecked. This patches the new survey into Since
the as-built. The Min/Max function is then used to take the minimum of the new as-built and 1970
the previous mined out and store it back to the mined out as shown in Figure 7. This should
be done with every pickup and ensures that the mined out is always as up to date as possible.

Page 6
 Using A Large Gridded Object for Maintaining Large Sufaces

Figure 7. Example of updating mined out

surface as Minimum of current as-built
and previous mined out.

The Min/Max can be limited to within a boundary and/or within the 3D display limits
including the thinning.
Another calculation tool is the Thickness tool from the Calculation tab. It allows the
difference (thickness) between any two LGO surfaces to be stored back to the LGO. Quite
often, the goal is to get a set of cut and fill contours and the Surfaces | Isopach tool
generally offers a more convenient method of obtaining the contours.

Using the LGO with MS3D CAD Tools

Any LGO surface can be used in any MS3D surface tool either by opening and selecting it in
the viewer, or by selecting it through the OCB. Figure 8 shows an example of using the OCB.
The icon in the red box is the LGO View icon. Once the appropriate LGO View is chosen, all
the surfaces appear in the Object Contents list and the appropriate surface can be selected.
NOTE: the area and thinning limits are only used if the Use 3D Display limits/thinning
for MS3D CAD tools tick box is checked (see Figure 2). Otherwise, the full LGO is used. As
Mintec, Inc.
mentioned earlier, this is the main key point for successful management and usage of very
Global large surfaces. Multiple views can be set up to the same LGO for the different mine areas
Mining and for the different resolutions required for the work being done.
Software
Solutions
Since
1970

Page 7
Using A Large Gridded Object for Maintaining Large Sufaces

Figure 8. Example of using the OCB for accessing an LGO surface.

Exporting
Any LGO surface(s) can be exported to an MS3D geometry object using the Surfaces | To
Geometry tab as shown in Figure 9. A group of surfaces can be exported to either a folder
or an individual object. The latter is obviously not recommended as it will result in multiple
surfaces in the same geometry object. If exporting to a geometry object, then the surfaces
should be exported one at a time to their own object or as a group to a folder.

Mintec, Inc.
Global
Mining
Software
Solutions
Since
1970

Figure 9. Example of exporting a group of

LGO surfaces to a folder.

Page 8
 Using A Large Gridded Object for Maintaining Large Sufaces

The export can be limited to within a boundary and/or within the 3D display limits
including the thinning.
The export function generally isn’t needed as all the MS3D CAD tools have direct OCB
access. The main function that still needs a geometry object is for gridding using a model
view (e.g., gridding the latest as-built to TOPOG in the Gridded Surface File). This is on the
enhancement list.

Conclusion
The LGO is an excellent tool for managing surfaces including very large ones. It is easy to
setup and use and is very efficient.

Mintec, Inc.
Global
Mining
Software
Solutions
Since
1970

Page 9