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This document outlines the key enhancements and new features made since the inception of Studio 3.
Please note that this is not an exhaustive list. Detailed information regarding the upgrade from Datamine
Studio 2 to Studio 3 is available via the Studio 3 Migration Course please contact your local Datamine
representative for more information.
Contents
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Introduction
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ESTIMATE
POLYDC Process
Grid-from-DTMs Design Command
Link-Multiple-Strings Design Command
Dynamic Anisotropy Processes and Interface
Dynamic Evaluation Reports
VR Window Update Design Commands
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Sirovision Window
VR Window Enhancements
Data Display Templates
3D Grids
Mining Power Pack
Quick Legends
OLE Plot Items
Images in Log Views
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Wireframe-Split command
Wireframe-Section
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EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
Studio 3 is Datamines premier resource / reserve modelling and engineering solution. Its
object oriented data model and support for distributed file systems allow mining professionals
improved flexibility and greater control of data. Combined with the ability to view and format
data independently in multiple views, Studio is the ideal environment for enhanced
visualisation and verification of ore body models and mine designs. Studio 3 provides
corporations with a secure governance framework through Enterprise level solutions.
The incorporation of industry standard scripting tools provides a powerful scripting capability,
allowing work flow procedures to be designed into solutions and repetitive tasks to be
automated. Studio also includes an integrated virtual reality (VR) environment ideal for safety
reviews, training, operational planning and general collaboration activities.
One of Datamines key strengths lies in our comprehensive coverage of software for the
entire mine planning cycle. As you can see from our Solution Footprint above, this isnt just
Studio but covers a lot of other software as well.
We are continuing to develop our Solution Footprint and have invested significant resource in
the development of Studio 3, which represents a major contribution to this effort. Although
Studios traditional area of usage was steeped in the Geological Interpretation area, Studio
now covers the full range of activities in the mine planning cycle from Exploration and Data
Collection to Operational Mine Planning. Studio 3 not only
encompasses the Geological Interpretation but also significantly
expands coverage in other areas including In Touch and
Datamine Enterprise.
Studio 3 has been subject to a continual development program
since its release in 2006. Regular releases, resulting from
market feedback has meant that our flagship title is now the
most intensely developed, tested and documented package of its
type in the market today. Offering a multitude of new features
and enhancements, implementing Studio 3 within your business
is a natural choice for anyone serious about thriving in the mining industry.
This document represents a reference list of all significant features and enhancements added
since Studio 3s inception in 2006. It is not an exhaustive list and represents a relatively
small subset of the total efforts that have gone into maintaining Studio 3s position as the
application of choice for all mining professionals.
If you have any specific questions about how Studio 3 can improve your business, contact
your local Datamine representative, details of which can be found at www.datamine.co.uk.
INTRODUCTION
Setup, Startup and Installation: features and enhancements that directly affect
the installation or initial configuration of Studio 3, including associated applications.
Data Transfer and Management: program changes that relate to the import or
export of data, and the handling of files and projects during a Studio 3 session.
Data Presentation: Studio 3s Plots and VR windows have also been subject to
significant improvements.
For information about the latest version of Studio 3, please contact your local Datamine
representative for details specific to your area.
Profiles contain a wealth of information about your Studio 3 interface, including the following:
Data windows in view, and their visible state (minimized, maximized, tiled etc.)
Toolbars in view and their visible state (position, floating, docked etc.)
Control bars in view, and their visible state (position, floating, docked etc.)
A key advantage of using profiles is that they allow you to create interface layouts that suit a
particular purpose. For example, you may have a particular set up that is sympathetic
towards data presentation, and another for mine design, or VR window work. There is no
limit to the amount of profiles you can store, and providing they are named sensibly, you will
be able to retrieve a setup that suits any working scenario in Studio 3.
versions is unsurpassed, ensuring you can access your most valuable corporate data within
our market-leading systems.
object attributes and apply data filters . Import and export options are also available.
This dialog is also available in Downhole Explorer, Present and NPV Scheduler.
throughout all of the Studio 3 tutorials, and is also shared by other products within the
Datamine solution footprint.
Studio 3 Design Commands, such as make-the-dtm, linksingle-outline, circle-from-edge-to-edge etc. are all
accessible from Studio 3 interface menus, or accessed
directly using the Command line, in the Command output
window. These commands act on currently loaded (into
memory) data, optionally with additional parameters
supplied using further dialogs. Many of these design
commands will also have an associated quick-key
combination for rapid instigation during a Studio session.
Studio 3 Processes, such as HOLES3D, ESTIMA, PERFIL etc. are similar to commands, in
that they can also be accessed using the menu or command line, but instead of activating a
function directly, they provide an interface to allow you to specify parameters required to
complete the process. Commonly, a process will result on the specification of an input file,
parameters to control the process and an output file, although sometimes, the most
important result of a process will be the output to the Command window, for example,
reporting summary statistics of an input geological model file.
All design commands and processed are fully-documented in Studio 3, with this information
provided as both a standalone Help file, and an in-dialog reference panel.
The following enhancements have been introduced relating to design commands and
processes. Please note that this does not represent an exhaustive list of changes:
ESTIMATE
ESTIMATE uses the ESTIMA process to estimate grades in a block
model. Estimate offers all the functionality of ESTIMA and INDEST
(excluding unfolding), plus more, through a tailored dialog. It includes
the ability to save and restore search volume, estimation type and
variogram model information through the use of parameter files.
The ESTIMATE dialog is broken up into a series of tabs, which follow the process of grade
estimation from left to right. Each tab may contain controls and fields, or additional sub-tabs.
There are a large range of commands and settings on offer, with each main tab accessing a
dedicated context-sensitive Help topic.
POLYDC Process
A new declustering super-process has been written for Studio 3.
It is common practice to take more samples in high grade areas in order
to improve the level of confidence in the estimation. However when
data are not on a regular grid then using the full data set with equal
weights for all samples will give a biased estimate of the mean, variance and histogram.
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The declustered weights take account of the proximity of neighbouring samples and thus lead
to a better estimate of the statistical parameters, histograms, probability plots, QQ and PP
plots, etc.
The new POLYDC process calculates a set of declustered weights for a set of sample data
using the 3D polyhedra method which is the 3D equivalent of 2D polygonal declustering.
The existing DECLUST process also calculates declustered weights, but uses the rectangular
grid method. The POLYDC process has several advantages over DECLUST, with the main
one being the fact that weights are calculated for individual samples rather than all samples
in a grid rectangle being assigned the same value.
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Sheet Templates
Sheet templates are an efficient way of introducing standard content to
your plot or log views. They can be used to minimize the work required
in generating a framework presentation project which can be re-used in
the future.
Applicable to both Plot and Log views, templates are stored in a
proprietary format (.dmtpl) which can be read in Studio 3, Downhole Explorer or Present
applications.
Sirovision Window
Studio 3s Sirovision window is an excellent example of the integration
of a new technology. Datamine Sirovision is a new technology that
combines the power of digital photography with advanced mathematics
to create value for the Mining industry.
Sirovision produces rapid, accurate 3D structural models of mine features using affordable
digital cameras.
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Sirovision has been designed to support rapid mapping of mine features with a
minimum of expertise in Photogrammetry. Using Sirovision, you can build accurate
three-dimensional models from sections as small as 2 square meters up to 40,000
square meters in minutes. Using this system you can also create multiple 3D images
in order to build an extended panoramic image.
For more information on the Studio 3 licensed Sirovision option, please contact your local
Datamine Representative.
VR Window Enhancements
The VR window is new to Studio 3, and is an embedded version of
Datamines powerful InTouch technology. This visualization facility
represents the Mining Industrys first truly-integrated virtual reality
solution. Data that is used during resource/reserve analysis, mine
design, scheduling and reporting is the same as that used to present
your virtual scenes in a memorable and unequivocal way. Since its inception, several
enhancements have been made to the VR window (and its standalone InTouch equivalent):
Block Model Visualization: new controls have been added to the VR window to
show block model data in a variety of formats, and with full playback of sequenced
geological model animations.
Visualizer File Support: Visualizer (.gvp) file support has been added to the VR
window, allowing you to import and navigate exported Visualizer files, with or without
sequence animation support.
View Sections in VR: a new Sections item type has been added to the VR window.
These sections represent single planes, which can be used for digitising onto, for
clipping with, or simply displayed for reference purposes. Sections can be infinite
planes, or can have a plane width and height defined. Section planes may also be
accompanied by extents, which may have their own display settings, and can be used
for creating a clipping range.
VR Planes from Strings: Studio 3's VR window can now use strings digitised onto
wireframes to specify key planes, for example for joint space analysis. As part of this,
a variety of new tools and visualisation methods have been added to help with their
generation and interpretation. These new commands are available under the new
SiroJoint licensing module - contact your Datamine Representative for more details on
how to acquire this powerful tool set.
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View VR Surfaces as Intersections: You can now view VR surface or block model
data as an intersection. Block model sections can also show sub-celling (only full cells
are displayed using the standard block model section control dialog). This intersection
can be defined according to any section currently in memory.
3D Grids
The concept of grid overlays has been vastly extended in Studio 3. Grids
are no longer restricted to simple 2D planes, but are now able to display
contextual dimension data in 3 dimensions, and if required, snapped to
an individual object.
Grids are used to indicate the overall dimensions along any of the view axes (XYZ). One of
the limitations of a standard flat grid is that it is often difficult to sense or interpret the extent
of a 3D data object in a direction that is not orthogonal to the view. In the past, this
conundrum has been resolved by allowing non-orthogonal grids to be viewed in the Design
and Plots windows, and this type of measure is a very useful aid for denoting a measurement
that is perpendicular to the viewing direction.
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Quick Legends
Studio 3s Quick Legend facility is used to produce number-based
legends (i.e. legends that interpret the numeric data of an underlying
object when it is associated with an overlay of that object). Using a cutdown single-screen version of the Legend Wizard, you can rapidly
generate ranged legends based on underlying object table contents.
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This has driven Datamine to invest much effort in ensuring that Studio 3
sits comfortably within your IT environment, and continuous code
optimization projects ensure that the code that sits behind your application is as efficient as it
can be. The mining industry traditionally deals with high-resolution data sets, particularly in
the area of geological analysis, and our developers are focussed on delivering the most
effective solutions for todays hardware. On- and off-disk technologies are used to their full
potential.
The following enhancements have been introduced relating to system performance and
usability:
Clip-to-Perimeter Improvement
The clip-to-perimeter command has been optimized and now shows a
significant speed gain.
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techniques
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The following enhancements have been made to Studio 3s wireframing functions. All of the
functions listed below are described at both context and concept levels within your Studio 3
online Help.
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Link-Multiple-Strings command
Creating a bifurcated wireframe has been a traditionally difficult
process for CAD engineers. Studio 3 has now resolved the
infamous 'trouser-leg' problem without the need for complicated
guide string constructions by implementing a new 3D Solid
string linking method.
Wireframe-Split command
Splits a solid wireframe into two parts using a plane which can
be the view plane, a plane (specified by azimuth, inclination and
a reference point), or a plane picked using the pointer.
Wireframe-Section
The previous multiple-wireframe-slice command has now been
superseded by a more versatile version of the command.
Wireframe-Section creates a string where a defined plane cuts
through a wireframe object, using the new Wireframe Section
Dialog.
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Documentation is not a replacement for face-to-face training, and we are keen to encourage
the continued increase in uptake for our training courses. All of Studio 3s documentation has
been written to complement our world-beating training, and provides an invaluable reference
for any Studio 3 user.
Help delivery is an important aspect of your application, and Datamine take it very seriously.
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Tutorials
Datamine training courses offer tailored solutions for both new
and current customers. Every release of Studio 3 is assisted by a
set of tutorials that cover all aspects of your system, and have
been written to be commensurate with Datamines seminal
training methodology. Referencing demonstration data (installed
automatically), these tutorials are an important part of your
system.
Tutorials are available for the following subjects:
Open Pit Design Tutorial: this tutorial covers the stages involved in creating an
ultimate pit design.
Underground Design Tutorial: this tutorial introduces you to the key Studio 3
features used for the creation of a strategic mine design which would typically form
part of a feasibility study or a long term plan of a mine planning cycle. It includes the
design of workings for an ex-pit decline, footwall development and a Cut and Fill
mining method.
Data Presentation Tutorial: this tutorial introduces you to the key Studio 3
features used for presenting the electronic data that you would typically create in the
geological modeling, grade estimation, mine design and mine planning stages of a
Mine Planning Cycle.
Grade Estimation Tutorial: This tutorial introduces you to the key Studio 3 features
used for grade estimation. Typically 'grades' are estimated into the cells of a
geological block model in order to generate a resource block model, which would
typically be used as input into a feasibility study or a short-medium-long term plan of
a mine planning cycle. Alternatively, 'grades' can estimated using panel outlines and
results saved to a results table, without creating a block model.
Scripting Tutorial: this tutorial will raise your awareness of the potential of
automating some of your business processes using the wide variety of tools and
components on offer, and provide a solid basis for learning more about this powerful
aspect of Studio 3.
Macro Writing Tutorial: This tutorial aims to introduce you to the basic tools and
techniques used to write effective macros in Studio 3.
Legends Tutorial: a series of exercises is available to take you through some of the
key processes involved in managing the display of your Studio 3 data.
Mining Power Pack Tutorial: understand and use Mining Power Pack from an
informed perspective by following this tutorial.
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operational,
From more
3 Scripting
| Scripting
Tutorial.
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