Intelligent Mining Software “Solutions” IMS - Model Menu Options

Copyright © 2013 by William Seldon Mart and Geoff Markey. All rights reserved.

Table of Contents

Introduction

Menu Items

<Model<Definition…>

<Model<Examine Cells>

<Model<Delete Cells…>

<Model<Block Model Operation<Build Empty Block Model…>

<Model<Block Model Operation<Generate Cells…>

<Model<Block Model Operation<Split Cells…>

<Model<Block Model Operation<Raise Topography…>

<Model<Block Model Operation<Dilute Assays…>

<Model<Block Model Operation<Dump As Vertical Drillholes…>

<Model<Block Model Operation<Dump As Horizontal Drillholes…>

<Model<Block Model Operation<Adjust Cells With a Constant…>

<Model<Block Model Operation<Mine Cells…>

<Model<Laminar Model Operations<Build Surface Files…>

<Model<Laminar Model Operations<Merge Surface Files…>

<Model<Laminar Model Operations<Modify Surface Files…>

<Model<Laminar Model Operations<View/Edit Surface Files…>

<Model<Laminar Model Operations<View/Edit Triangle Files…>

<Model<Laminar Model Operations<Export to Block Model…>

<Model<Update Cells<Setup…>

1.All samples, length weighted, triangles weighted by area

2.Samples in polygons, length weighted, triangles weighted by area

3.Samples in polygons, length weighted, triangles weighted by volume

4.Samples in polygons, unweighted length, triangles weighted by area

<Model<Update Cells<Update>

<Model<Semi-Variograms…>

<Model<Histograms…>

<Model<Import/Export Cells<Import…>

<Model<Import/Export Cells<Export…>

<Model<Import/Export Cells<Export to Datamine…>

<Model<Batch Transform Grid Systems…>

<Model<Merge Models…>

<Model<Display Options…>

<Model<Display Rows/Columns<Display Next Rows>

<Model<Display Rows/Columns<Display Previous Rows>

<Model<Display Rows/Columns<Display Next Columns>

<Model<Display Rows/Columns<Display Previous Columns>

<Model<Show Model>

<Model<Lerch-Grossman Pit Optimization…>

<Model<Stope Optimization…>

<Model<Grade Tonnage Reporting…>

Introduction

IMS model files are binary files that store information about model cells. These files are used in conjunction with IMSDrillhole files and CAD files to calculate grades, etc.

Menu Items

<Model<Definition…

In IMS, a model is stored in a proprietary binary file that contains a model definition section and a data section. A model definitionis used in IMS to identify models, regions, stratigraphic lists, algorithms, and drillhole data files.

See the Model Definitionsmanual for more details.

<Model<Examine Cells

Although you can display model cells coloured by an assay value, there may be times when you need to view the cell properties. This menu item is used to display a property sheet containing the attributes of a cell (Figure 1).

Figure 1: Model cell properties

To examine cells:

  1. Load the required model file to the 3D View Pane and set the stratigraphy and colour parameters in the Model Display Options property sheet so that the model cells are visible.
  1. Select this menu item to enable the cell selection mode.
  1. Click on any cell in the 3D View Pane to display the model cell property sheet.
  1. Press the <OK> button to close the property sheet.
  1. Repeat steps 3 and 4 for all required cells.
  1. To finish examining cells simply reselect this menu item or press the Esc key.

<Model<Delete Cells…

This menu item is used to delete all the cells from the currently loaded model file. This removes the data portion of the files leaving only the model definition.

To delete model cells:

  1. Load the required model.
  1. Select this menu item to display the warning shown in Figure 2.

Figure 2: Deleting model cells

  1. Press the <Yes> button to delete the cells.

<Model<Block Model Operation<Build Empty Block Model…

This menu item is used to add an empty data section to a block model model definition.

See the Block Model Operationsmanual for more details.

<Model<Block Model Operation<Generate Cells…

This menu item is used to generate the assay and quality values defined in the block model. A grade value is calculated (using the drillhole data and algorithm selected for the model) and stored for each model cell that is inside a selected wire frame.

See the Block Model Operationsmanual for more details.

<Model<Block Model Operation<Split Cells…

This menu item is used to split each cell in the loaded model to create smaller cells and writes those cells to a new file. The loaded model remains unchanged.

See the Block Model Operationsmanual for more details.

<Model<Block Model Operation<Raise Topography…

This menu item is used reset the areas of model surfaces that that have been mined off. This is useful for volume reporting.

See the Block Model Operationsmanual for more details.

<Model<Block Model Operation<Dilute Assays…

This menu item is used to modify the values of assays in a cell by diluting the values with a proportion of the values in adjacent cells which are within given extents. The cell size of the model does not change so the number of ore and waste cells remains constant.

See the Block Model Operationsmanual for more details.

<Model<Block Model Operation<Dump As Vertical Drillholes…

This menu item is used to export the model as quasi drillhole data to an IMSdrillhole file. The cells located at each row and column are treated as vertical drillhole samples with a sample spacing that is the same as the cell dimensions.

See the Block Model Operationsmanual for more details.

<Model<Block Model Operation<Dump As Horizontal Drillholes…

This menu item is used to export the model as quasi drillhole data to an IMS drillhole file. All the cells in each row are treated as horizontal drillhole samples with a sample spacing that is the same as the cell dimensions.

See the Block Model Operationsmanual for more details.

<Model<Block Model Operation<Adjust Cells With a Constant…

This menu item is used to adjust the assay values in the block model by operating on the values with a constant.

See the Block Model Operationsmanual for more details.

<Model<Block Model Operation<Mine Cells…

This menu item is used to “mine” cells in the model by either:

  1. adjusting the surface of a model using a triangulation, or
  2. removing model cells that pass the criteria for a nominated assay.

See the Block Model Operationsmanual for more details.

<Model<Laminar Model Operations<Build Surface Files…

This menu item is used to generate ‘Surface files’ for the currently loaded laminar model definition.

See the Generating and Merging Seams In Laminar Modelsmanual for more details.

<Model<Laminar Model Operations<Merge Surface Files…

Thismenu itemis used to merge surface files and create the data for a laminar model. It should only be used when no further alterations to the surface filesare necessary and you wish to create a new model from thesurface files.

See the Generating and Merging Seams In Laminar Modelsmanual for more details.

<Model<Laminar Model Operations<Modify Surface Files…

This menu itemis used toglobally modifythe qualities (structural properties such as roof elevation, floor elevation and thickness, or assay values) of a seam related to laminar modelling with respect to an IMS CAD layer and/or basic mathematical formulae incorporated with regional boundary limitations.

See the Working With Seams In Laminar Modelsmanual for more details.

<Model<Laminar Model Operations<View/Edit Surface Files…

This menu item is used to view or edit individual cell qualities of surface files.

See the Working With Seams In Laminar Modelsmanual for more details.

<Model<Laminar Model Operations<View/Edit Triangle Files…

This menu itemis used to edit the laminar model triangulation files before they are re-used. The files are then used to rebuild the surface file from which a laminar model is compiled.

See the Stratigraphy Triangulation Editormanual for more details.

<Model<Laminar Model Operations<Export to Block Model…

While IMS works with both block and laminar models the Lerch-Grossman Pit Optimization plug-in can only operate on block models. To overcome this limitation this menu item is used to convert laminar models into equivalent block models.

See the Convert a Laminar Model to a Block Modelmanual for more details.

<Model<Update Cells<Setup…

This menu item is used to edit the parameters which apply to model updating.

To change model update parameters:

  1. Load the required model file, drillhole file and IMS CAD file. The model file must contain a model data section.
  1. If required, use a viewing slice to restrict the view to the desired grade polygons and drillhole samples.
  1. Select this menu item to display the Parameters property page of the Model Update Parameters property sheet (Figure 3).

Figure 3: Entering parameters for model updates

  1. Select the check boxes next to the required stratigraphies.

NOTE: In plan-view, you can only update one stratigraphy unit at a time but in section view, you can update a single stratigraphy unit, multiple stratigraphy units or even all stratigraphy units in one operation.

  1. Select the either the model or surface files as the update target.
  1. Select the required quality/assay from the Update Quality dropdown box. Only one assay can be updated at a time.
  1. If the update is peerormed in section view then enter values for the Update distance and Strike angle.
  1. If a report file is required then enter the name of the file, otherwise leave blank.
  1. Select the Method tab to display the Method property page (Figure 4).

NOTE: If no drillhole file is loaded then the Method property page will not appear and IMS assumes that the model is updated using the polygon value.

Figure 4: Selecting input data for model updates

  1. Select the required Update the model using option.
  1. the polygons current value

The polygon's value is assigned to each cell or a grade is calculated for each cell from the current drillhole data.

  1. drillhole data

A grade is calculated for each cell from the current drillhole data.

  1. Select the drillhole assay that corresponds to the previously selected model assay.
  1. Select the required grade calculation method.

1.All samples, length weighted, triangles weighted by area

All samples displayed on screen are considered in the calculation regardless of whether they lie inside a polygon or not. The grade of each sample is length weighted and area weighting is applied to the intermediate results.

2.Samples in polygons, length weighted, triangles weighted by area

Only samples displayed on screen that lie within the current polygon are considered in calculating the grade for that polygon. The grade of each sample is length weighted and area weighting is applied to the intermediate results.

3.Samples in polygons, length weighted, triangles weighted by volume

Only samples displayed on screen that lie within the current polygon are considered in calculating the grade for that polygon. The grade of each sample is length weighted and volume weighting () is applied to the intermediate results.

4.Samples in polygons, unweighted length, triangles weighted by area

Only samples displayed on screen that lie within the current polygon are considered in calculating the grade for that polygon. The grade of each sample is given equal weighting regardless of length and area weighting is applied to the intermediate results.

  1. Press the <OK> button to store the parameters and exit the property sheet.

<Model<Update Cells<Update>

This menu item is used to update all model cells within a polygon. The polygon's value can be assigned to each cell or a grade can be calculated for each cell from the current drillhole data. Either method can be used without a region to use a single polygon, or with a region to use multiple polygons.

To update model cells with no region active:

  1. Load the required model file, drillhole file and IMS CAD file. The model file must contain a data section.
  1. If required, use a viewing slice to restrict the view to the desired grade polygons and drillhole samples.
  1. Select this menu item (the parameters should have been set previously via the <Model<Update Cells<Setup menu item).
  1. Select a polygon from the 3D View Pane.
  1. Repeat step 3 for all required polygons.
  1. To finish updating simply select a new option from the menu or press the Esc key.

To update model cells in a region:

  1. Load the required model file, drillhole file and IMS CAD file. The model file must contain a data section.
  1. If required, use a viewing slice to restrict the view to the desired grade polygons and drillhole samples.
  1. Make sure the required region is active (see The <Regions> Menu).
  1. Select this menu item (the parameters should have been set previously via the <Model<Update Cells<Setup menu item).

<Model<Semi-Variograms…

This menu item is used to start the Variogram Editorwhich generates experimental semi-variograms from samples read from anIMSdrillhole file. An experimentalsemi-variogram can be generated for each defined direction, for each model stratigraphic unit, and for each model assay (or quality).These experimental semi-variograms are then used to determine the parameters(sill, nugget and range) for the theoretical semi-variograms used in the model building phase. A theoreticalsemi-variogram is requiredfor each of the nominated directions.

See the Variogram Editormanual for more details.

<Model<Histograms…

This menu item is used to start the histogram module which performs statistical analyses on model cells. It calculates the distribution of the values of selected parameters, considered with respect to the total model or a portion of the model or a specified plan file. Any stratigraphic unit type (i.e. stratigraphic units present in the seam or benches present in the model) may be used with or without weighting for thickness.

See the Model Histogramsmanual for more details.

<Model<Import/Export Cells<Import…

This menu itemis used to import model cell data from an ASCII text file into an existing IMS model. In most situations the model should be empty initially although small changes can be made to a pre-existing model.

See the Importing Modelsmanual for more details.

<Model<Import/Export Cells<Export…

This menu itemis used to export a model to an ASCII file so that it can be imported into other systems. E.g. the ASCII file can be imported into a spreadsheet or database where various algorithms and selection criteria can be applied to massage model quality values.The resulting file can then be imported back into the same model.

See the Exporting Modelsmanual for more details.

<Model<Import/Export Cells<Export to Datamine…

This menu item is used to export a model to a Datamine model format.

See the Exporting Modelsmanual for more details.

<Model<Batch Transform Grid Systems…

This menu item is used to transform a model from one grid system to another.

To batch transform the model grid system:

  1. Select this menu item to display the Transform Model Grid dialog box (Figure 5).

Figure 5: Selecting models and grid systems to transform

  1. Press the <Browse for models… button to select the required models.
  1. Select the required transformation from the Transformation column dropdown box for each selected model. The selected transformation parameters and grid conversion formula are displayed in the Properties section.
  1. If the required transformation is not available then:
  1. Press the <New transformbutton to display New Grid Transformation dialog box (Figure 6).

Figure 6: Entering user defined grid parameters

  1. If the new transformation is similar to an existing transformation then select the existing transformation from the drop down box.
  1. Edit the coordinates of the current and new grid system so that the required transformation equation is generated.
  1. Enter the name of the new transformation.
  1. Press the <OK> button to save the transformation.
  1. Press the <OK> button to transform the grid.

<Model<Merge Models…

This menu item is used to merge a primary model with one or more secondary models resulting in a new output model. The cell dimensions of the secondary models can be different from the primary model since IMS calculates the appropriate locations during the merge.

To merge models:

  1. Select this menu item to display the Models To Merge property page (Figure 7).