This section describes the conventions used throughout PolyMap. PolyMap uses standard terminology as often as possible. Volume I, Section 7, of the User Guide contains a glossary of PolyMap terminology. In addition to this information, each program contains on-line help for each button or input field to further assist the user and avoid repeated reference to these documents.
The Project Information File must be created before any other programs can be accessed. This file contains the basic information PolyMap will need to perform most tasks within the system. Until this file is created, no other programs in the system can be accessed.
The PolyMap project area is defined using world coordinate limits. These limits are defined in the same manner as those for the MicroMODEL software program. This allows ease of overlaying maps created with PolyMap onto maps created with MicroMODEL. The user must enter the coordinates for the model origin, the rotation angle, and the block parameters. Refer to MicroMODEL documentation for details. The user selects either FEET or METERS for units of measurement. The units of measurement simply dictate which type of scale factor is entered when displaying maps (Feet/inch or Meters/Meter). The user should note that the project limits can be changed at any time, since they merely act as default map extent limits for map generation.
The user should note that there is a button which allows the project limits from a current MicroMODEL project to be transferred into the PolyMap project (AutoScan MicroMODEL). Use this feature to automatically set the PolyMap project up with exactly the same coordinate limits as MicroMODEL, without the need for re-entering all of the values by hand.
When PolyMap is being used in conjunction with MicroMODEL for purposes of open pit design, it is mandatory that the minimum elevation, bench height, and number of benches is the same in the project setup files for both systems. The project extents in plan, i.e., the northing and easting limits, do not need to be the same.
For PolyMap to be used in digitizing geologic information, one or more layers need to be defined. You may think of a layer as a transparent sheet -- several layers, each with different lines and colors, are used to draw one map. A layer is simply a convenient grouping of quality information. Up to five different layers of information can defined. Typical examples of layers are geologic rock type, oxidation zones, and grade zones. Each layer is given its own unique sixteen character name.
Each layer contains one or more TRACES (POLYLINES), or line types, that act as boundary limits between different zone types within the layer. In addition, for each zone type, a LOCATION, or area, name must be defined. TRACES can appear in more than one layer, but LOCATIONS must be unique and may only appear in one layer.
A good example of a TRACE which appears in more than one layer is a fault line. The fault can act as a boundary line in the layer for geologic rock zones, and it can also appear in the layer for grade zoning (assuming the fault acts as a limit for grade deposition). The advantage of having TRACES that can appear in more than one layer is that these lines need only be digitized once.
A good analogy to further explain TRACES and AREAS is to think of a geologist's interpretation of a geologic section. The boundary lines that he draws would be TRACES, and the different areas that he shades with colored pencils would be AREAS.
Each layer can have up to one hundred different TRACE names. A TRACE name is a unique 16-character name assigned by the user to each kind of digitized line or trace type with the set of traces composing each layer. Examples of valid TRACE names are as follows:
BORDER TOPOLINE GB NE-FAULT ??? WATER_TABLE
Each layer can have up to one hundred different AREA names. An AREA name is a unique 16-character label assigned to the zones within TRACE boundaries. Each area name must be unique not only within a layer, but also within the entire project. In other words, the same area name cannot be used in two separate layers Examples of valid AREA names are as follows:
ORE WASTE BRECCIA QMP AIR
Two names are reserved for internal use by PolyMap and cannot be used for TRACE names or AREA names. Do not use these names under any circumstances:
UNASSGND (blank)
In PolyMap, digitized information is stored in one or more maps. Maps are a representation of a rectangular plane in 3-Dimensional space. Geologic maps within PolyMap represent a flat planar area, while topography and pit maps represent a series of elevations within a specified horizontal area.
Each map must be given a unique name of up to 64-characters for identification purposes. For ease of definition, maps are described as one of six different types. These types are shown below:
Plan maps are horizontal rectangular planes that are oriented with world North at the top. For geologic plans, the elevation of the plane must be entered. It is suggested that, for geologic plan maps which represent a single bench in an open pit mine, the mid-bench elevation be entered. For topography and pits, the elevation is left as 0.0, since it is not significant.
North-South Sections Looking East are rectangular vertical sections oriented at a constant Easting and looking towards the East. Map limits are entered as left- and right-hand Northing, Easting, and minimum and maximum elevation.
North-South Sections Looking West are rectangular vertical sections oriented at a constant Easting and looking towards the West. Map limits are entered as left- and right-hand Northing, Easting, and minimum and maximum elevation.
East-West Sections Looking North are rectangular vertical sections oriented at a constant Northing and looking towards the North. Map limits are entered as left- and right-hand Easting, Northing, and minimum and maximum elevation.
East-West Sections Looking South are rectangular vertical sections oriented at a constant Northing and looking towards the South. Map limits are entered as left- and right-hand Easting, Northing, and minimum and maximum elevation.
Angled Sections are rectangular vertical sections oriented such that they do not run at either a constant Northing or Easting. Map limits are entered as the Easting and Northing at the left-hand side, Easting and Northing at the right-hand side, and minimum and maximum elevation.
Include sets are simply groupings of maps of a similar orientation. For example, one include set may be defined as all plan maps. Another include set may be defined as all N-S sections. Finally, an include set may be defined as all E-W sections.
Include sets are used by certain programs that need to access and display certain subsets of the total map names data base.