Business Benefits | View Types | User Interface | Filtering of Data | Wireframing | Drillhole Handling | Grade Estimation
VR Window, Visualisation and Replay Files | New Table Editor | Scripting | The Project File | Using Other Project Files

At the strategic level Studio 3 is the first mining system in the world with Virtual Reality capability. It also has a professional plotting system that produces report-ready hardcopy and this release sees the introduction of one touch data archiving and versioning.

At a tactical level we have made detailed improvements like new 3D data object handling techniques in the graphics window and new Boolean operations for wireframing.

But, the greatest thing about Studio 3 is the value that it represents for everyone! New customers can purchase Studio 3 at the same price as the previous version while existing customers with Studio systems under maintenance contract receive Studio 3 as a maintenance upgrade at no additional cost. Great value!

Talk to a technical consultant in your local Datamine office about Studio 3.

View Types

Studio 3 incorporates five main views of loaded data, which will be familiar to users of our other products. The five view types are:

• Design – As in Studio Version 2.
• Plotting – As in Downhole Explorer (includes all Present functions and many new plot features).
• Log Views – As in Downhole Explorer.
• Table – As in Downhole Explorer.
• Virtual Reality and Visualization – Many of the features of InTouch.

Changes made to the data in any view are automatically reflected in all views.

User Interface

The user interface has been upgraded to include more customization facilities, sliding windows and property bars, view sensitive menus and toolbars.

Filtering of Data

Loaded data objects can be filtered independently. The object filter is applied to the data in all views. The filter dialog in the design view has changed; it now stores the last few entries made and has an optional filter expression builder.

Wireframing

Most of the wireframing manipulation functions have been replaced with more reliable and faster algorithms and now work on individual objects. Wireframe creation is the same as in Version 2, with the exception that there is now greater control over the object within which the wireframe is being created. New wireframe commands retain the source wireframes and create an additional, new one. They do not just overwrite the existing models.

Drillhole Handling

Studio 3 handles two distinct types of drillhole data;Datamine desurveyed drillholes, which are stored in a single Datamine file, and dynamic drillhole data, which is built and merged 'on the fly'. Studio 3 contains modifications to ensure consistency of formatting of drillholes between the Design and Plot views.

Grade Estimation

The user interface to Datamine’s main grade estimation process (ESTIMA) has been rewritten to be more user friendly and accessible to a wider group of users.

The VR Window, Visualization and Replay Files

The VR Window provides an intuitive way to look at your geological and mining information using Virtual Reality modeling with connections to external data sources to provide a realistic and simple visual method of examining and navigating through all your data. Uses include:

• Geological data immersion - Display fault planes, geological interpretations, structural surface models, grade surface models, drillholes and terrain surfaces.
• Real world data connection - every object in the virtual world can be linked to other documents and programs accessible on the local network, company intranet or worldwide internet. You can click on say a drillhole to display a drill log or section plot, or on a blast markup line to report the tonnes and grades.
• Terrain navigation - 'sit' inside any vehicle and take it for a drive up the road, across country, or down the mine. Take a visitor or a company director on a virtual tour of your exploration project or minesite. Change the transparency of the terrain surface and look down to see the orebody and mine design.
• Fly-thru's - drape an aerial photo over your terrain surface and 'fly' over the site. Swing down into the pit then dive below ground and 'fly' right inside the orebody.
• Simulations - define haulage routes, then add trucks, shovels, draglines, drill rigs and service vehicles and watch the mine come to life.

There is also a version of VR to replay archived data files. This is a replacement for GVP and has a much richer user interface and greater functionality.

New Table Editor

Studio3 has a new table editor which is an intuitive and easy to use application ,that enables the user to view, edit and modify Datamine Files. All modifications are verified against user/system defined validation rules. The Table Editor is installed as a Stand-Alone Application, so that .dm files can be edited without starting Studio3. All data in the Table Editor can be printed via the Windows Printer Drivers. Numerous Table Editor windows can be simultaneously opened to view and compare data within different data files.

Scripting

Studio 3 has a complete application scripting interface. This will enable Datamine Enterprise applications to be more specifically tailored to processes and individual requirements than in the current version of Studio.

The Project File

Studio Version 1 introduced the concept of a project within which the user could select and manage various types of data. Although the data was always in the Datamine binary format (.dm file), the original source may have come from a range of different formats. One of the purposes of the project file, was to manage this type of data and allow control over how and when this data was refreshed from its corporate data source. The project file for Studio 3 is now compatible with other Datamine applications such as Downhole Explorer, InTouch and Studio Version 2. It is now possible to link in several different data categories giving more flexibility on how the software is used.

Use of Other Project Files

In addition to understanding Studio Project files, Studio 3 can also open and understand project files (or documents) from other applications within the Datamine solution footprint, such as Present, Downhole Explorer and InTouch. In addition, Studio 3 documents can be loaded into these other programs. This means it is easy for different people in an organization to use the appropriate piece of software and be sure of using the correct project and data.