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Answers to frequently asked questions relating to Studio 3 can be found below. Either browse the full list, or use one of the links below to view all entries in a specific category:
How can I find out more about Studio 3 Products?
Visit our website at www.datamine.co.uk for more information on our extensive range of products comprising the Datamine Solution Footprint.
There is much made of the integration of Downhole Explorer into Studio. Does this extend to Downhole Explorer being able open Studio 3 projects (.dmproj)?
Yes it does. Downhole Explorer can open Studio 3 projects, but with limited functionality.
Will the Table Editor run if I do not have Studio 3 installed?
Yes it will run without problems, but without Studio 3 it is unlicensed and some features, those that fill cells using formulae, are disabled.
After installation, a lot of setup files seem to remain in the assigned TEMP directory. Should they be deleted?
No, these files are retained on the system so that in the event of an installation needing repair, they can be retrieved and utilised. These files will be removed, however, if an installation is uninstalled.
What are the minimum hardware requirements for running Studio 3?
A full minimum hardware specification can be found in your release notes, and your online Help.
In the “C:\Windows\Downloaded Installations” folder there is a “Datamine Studio 3.msi” for every installation of Studio 3 I have ever done. Can I delete them?
The information is used when you uninstall. Therefore you can delete all but the one corresponding to your current installation.
I am considering buying a second monitor. Does Studio 3 work with dual monitors?
Yes it does, and it is a recommended way of working. Whilst it is up to the user precisely how the system is set up and the windows arranged, a good starting point is to have the main "view" windows on one monitor and the control bars on the second monitor.
I tried to start Studio 3 but it crashed immediately. Why?
This may happen if the user settings in the registry have been corrupted by incorrect shut down of the computer or a system crash while the Studio was still running. The workaround is to remove these settings and allow the program to reinitialise itself. To do this, delete the following entry using regedit. "HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\datamine\Studio3"
When I installed Studio 3 I saw a message asking whether I wished to install the Microsoft .NET Framework. I installed it, what does it do?
The .NET Framework is necessary for running the Studio 3 script converter.
The online Help refers to 'Objects', 'Tables' and 'Files' used in Studio 3. What's the difference between them?
The term "File" refers to data that are stored on a physical device such as a disk, which can be accessed and manipulated as a single named unit. When data is loaded into memory it becomes an object which can be either a "Table" or a "3D object". A "Table" is a collection of data in rows and columns which has no spatial context. A "3D object" can also be viewed as a table but it also has a spatial context (X, Y, Z coordinates). Examples are: points, strings, drillholes, wireframes and block models.
What is an 'overlay'?
An overlay, in Studio 3, can be thought of as 'a view of something'. It is easier to think of overlays as layers of information that can be controlled independently, for example, to switch on or off particular types of object (e.g. a Plot Item) in a viewing window.
What is a 'plot item'?
A plot item is an item of data viewable in the Plots window of Studio 3.
What is the difference between a 'filter' and a 'legend'?
A filter is used to filter incoming data. In other words, what aspects of a particular file are to be loaded or imported. This differs from a legend in that a legend is used to control how currently loaded data is interpreted, for example, how it is drawn to the screen.
Static Drillholes? Dynamic Drillholes?
The terms 'Static' and 'Dynamic' are used throughout Studio 3 to define the structure of displayed drillhole data. A static desurveyed file maintains the sample lengths and centre points as specified in the raw drillhole data. Static drillholes are derived from physical database files. Dynamic drillholes are calculated 'on-the-fly' in Studio 3 by desurveying. This process differs from the way in which static drillholes are managed in that the in-memory coordinate data ensures that hole segments are drawn that meet exactly at their ends, and that the hole starts at exactly the collar position. For more information, refer to your online Help.
Studio 3 uses an 'Object-oriented' approach. What is this?
The idea behind Object-oriented programming is that a computer program may be seen as composed of a collection of individual units, or 'objects', that act in tandem with each other, as opposed to a traditional view in which a program may be seen as a collection of disparate functions or procedures, or simply as a list of sequential instructions. Each object may be capable of retrieving data from other objects, processing data from itself or other data sources (including other objects), and sending messages to other objects. Objects can also contain, and access, object-based functions (that return a value to the calling routine) and procedures (that operate on data but to not return a value to the calling routine).
So, why is Studio 3's 'Object-oriented' approach better for users?
Data that is encapsulated as 'objects' can be re-used in other commands and functions, and Studio 3 projects are comprised of a combination of standalone objects representing standalone structures, as well as other, more generic data objects that can be used by a multitude of other objects and projects. For example, a Digital Terrain Model object could be utilized by two different projects, representing variations of open pit design.
When should I use dynamic drillholes and when should I use static drillholes? Why?
The dynamic drillhole desurveying process was designed for use in geological interpretation. It uses data in memory and it produces a continuous drillhole trace which emulates the appearance of the real hole very closely. It also produces "downhole columns" which are a graphical representation of the sample data down the hole. These features together make dynamic desurveying ideal for geological interpretation and for presentation. Static drillhole data adheres to the statistical requirements of the grade estimation and interpolation processes of Studio, which require the sample lengths to be correct (for weighting purposes) and the sample center points to be correct. You should use static drillholes for grade estimation but not for presentation as there may be gaps between the sample end points and the collar location may be displaced.
What is the difference between a "control bar" and a browser?
In many cases, nothing. Some of Studio 3's control bars behave as browsers; The Project Files control bar provides a browser view of all the files in the current project; the Loaded Data control bar provides a list of all the data currently loaded into memory; the Sheets control bar lets you browse for all the overlay representations of loaded objects; and the Holes control bar lists all the dynamic drillholes in memory. Control bars do, as their name suggests, provide access to relevant commands and actions. Other control bars are used for altering settings and properties.
What is a current object and why do I need to know about it?
It is possible to have many objects loaded into memory of the same type e.g. strings or wireframes. If you edit the data by, for instance, digitizing a string you may need to know which of the strings, you currently have in memory, the newly digitized string will be part of. The rule is that data is always added to the current object of its data type.
I can see 3D files in Studio 3, but how can I view 2D data?
2D data exists in memory in Studio 3 as a table. As such, it can examined in the Tables window.
Projects, Plot Items, Models, Files, Tables, Overlays and Legends: what controls what?
A 'project' is the top of the Studio 3 'tree', and encapsulates the data and settings loaded during application usage. Plot Items, Models, Tables are all different types of project files that can be loaded, and the view of each of these can be controlled using Overlays (to allow all instances of one object type to be managed simultaneously, and Legends (to control how individual loaded files are viewed). For more information on the different types of data used within Studio 3, consult your online Help.
Are the Grids in the Design and Plots windows linked?
No. These grids are separate data entities and are controlled separately. In future releases, however, this functionality may be merged.
When I'm viewing 3D data, the way the view reacts to my actions in one window differs from the same actions in another window. Is there any reference topics on how to view 3D data?
Yes. Your online Help provides an overview topic on how data can be viewed within each of the windows available. See Help | Contents and select Studio 3 Help | Using Studio 3 | Managing Data | Viewing Data.
Why does the Sheets control bar have so many levels in the tree structure for the Design window?
Studio has moved to a common display hierarchy for all windows. These means that although the Design window has only one logical sheet with one logical projection, these levels are still displayed to maintain the integrity of the hierarchy.
In the Project files control bar, some of the listed files have their names in blue text. Why?
Blue text for file names signifies that the file is compressed on disk. Studio 3 compresses extended precision files by default, therefore any new files created as a result of running an extended-precision process will appear blue in the control bar.
Why have some files in my Project files control bar got "SP" written over the Datamine diamond?
"SP" means single-precision so it means the files in question ar single-precision. Extended-precision files are represented by the diamond without SP.
How can I tell whether a file in the project files control bar is single- or extended-precision?
Single-precision Datamine files have the letters "SP" over the Datamine icon. A further point of interest is that compressed files are listed with blue text.
Wireframes are made up of point and triangle data. Is it necessary to select and load both files in order to load a wireframe?
No. It is only necssary to load the triangles file - The associated points file with be loaded automatically.
Can I still use my old CL programs to set up my design view and legends?
No. The view controls are now controlled by the project file and the legends are controlled by the new legends application which allows many different legends to be used in the same window.
How can I view my data in the table view?
The first thing you must realize is that the table view can only display loaded data. If the data you wish to view is loaded then you should first open the Tables window (View | Windows | Tables) and make it the active window. If the window is empty, right-click on the background and select the "New Table Sheet..." from the context menu. All the loaded tables will be listed: select the one you wish to view.
I have coloured my data in the Design window using a legend based on one of the co-ordinates (e.g. _Z_Coord) and it works well until I update the visualizer objects (uv) - The data is all grey and in the visualizer. Why is this and is there anything I can do about it?
It appears grey in the visualizer because the visualizer uses different internal field names for the co-ordinate fields: it does not recognize _Z_Coord so it represents the data with the default colour, grey. To work around this, you may create a duplicate "attribute" column in the table and call it something like "Elevation", "Easting" or "Northing" and apply the legend to that field.
Is it possible to represent the same object differently in different windows?
Yes, easily. When an object is first loaded, it will be displayed with the defaults for that object type, and these are the same for each window. However, when you choose to format an overlay the command is specific to the selected overlay in the active sheet of the active window so any changes will only apply in that view (unless the "Apply to all overlays displaying [object name]" box is checked).
What is the purpose of the Tables window?
It is for viewing and representing any data loaded into memory, especially non-3D data which cannot be viewed as an overlay in any other window. Any data in memory can be viewed as a table, and table columns can be copied and formatted as line graphs for example. Data may be edited in the Tables window, but the table must be exported, saved back to file or to the project file for the changes to be preserved.
I have a visualizer animation running. How can I change the speed of the animation?
The "+" and "-" keys can be used to increase or decrease the rate respectively.
How can I round values to 2 decimal places in EXTRA?
The following expression can be used in the EXTRA process to perform a simple rounding function: X = int(X*N+0.5)/N where N=10 for rounding to 1dp, N=100 for rounding to 2dp,
How can I tell if the object that is loaded has been filtered?
All filtered data will be represented on the loaded data screen by the standard object type icon, but with an added 'funnel' image.
When I drag and drop project files onto the view window, what is the system actually doing?
Files that are dragged and dropped onto the view window, if the operation is permitted, will be imported using the driver associated with the select file type.
Can I filter data as part of the loading process?
Yes, if the CTRL key is depressed when loading from the Project Browser, you can filter incoming data using the Data Filter dialog. For more information, see your online Help file (Studio 3 Help | Using Studio 3 | Loading and Saving Data | Loading and Saving Filtered Data).
I have some drillhole data in a non-Datamine format and I want to use it to interpolate grades into a block model. What do I need to do?
The key point is that you will be using the data to interpolate grades. To do this you will need static drillholes which are created using the HOLES3D process. All processes require Datamine format files so you will need to import the non-Datamine data and create Datamine files before running HOLES3D. For each of the files, run "File | Add to Project | Imported from Data Source..." which will create a Datamine file for each in the project. You will now be able to produce statistically valid drillholes for input into the GRADE or ESTIMA(TE) processes.
Can I link to data held in a secure access database?
You can. Your online Help (Help | Contents) gives full details of how to do this. See the topic "Connecting to a secure Access database" in the Studio 3 Help | Using Studio 3 | Managing Data | Loading and Saving Data folder.
When I load a project from the Start Page, it appears to load correctly, but then I see the error message "Unterminated String Constant" on screen. Why is this?
The problem is caused by the syntax of the folder path used within the full project path. Special characters in the folder path will cause this error (for example, an apostrophe). If this is the case, you will need to resave your project file in a new location.
In the past, I always had to close down Studio in order to switch to another project. Do I still need to do this?
No. Studio 3 will allow you to switch between projects without closing the program. You can even swith between projects of different precision.
I have chosen to save my selections when running a process. Is that save in the project file like in Studio version 2?
No, they are saved as a separate xml file in the "\\Documents and Settings\All Users\Application Data\Datamine\Datamine Studio\[Project Name]" folder. There will be a history .xml file for each process used in each project.
Can I run more than one Studio 3 project at the same time?
Not within the same Studio 3 session; a session will only support a single project open. If you choose to open another project within a session, the current project will close (after prompting you to save any changes). Provided you have sufficient memory you may run several sessions of Studio at the same time so it possible to run several projects together in this way.
How can I start Studio 3 with a default layout (profile)?
You can either hold down the CTRL key when double-clicking the Studio 3 icon, or, whilst Studio 3 is running, you can select View | Customization | Customizatio State | Restore Defaults.
How can I access the Mouse Position dialog to lock a coordinate?
The Studio 3 status bar shows the coordinates of the current mouse position. Clicking on the mouse coordinate area of the status will open the Mouse Position dialog which allows you lock the coordinates.
How do I change the background color of the design window?
There are two ways to change the background color. The first is to use the Design tab of the Settings dialog (File | Settings…). This provides a wide choice of background colors. You may alsp need to change the grid settings to set the color of the grid to one that contrasts with the new background color. The second way is to change the environment (datamine.env) file and the guide.aim file. This only provides a white background.
I know that Studio 3 has lots of windows, but I can only see a few. Why? And how do I get to see the rest of them?
Studio 3 opens with the most commonly used windows, but you can open any of the others by selecting "View | Windows" from the menu and selecting the window to be opened. This is also available from the right-click context menu in the toolbar area.
What is the advantage of using extended-precision Studio3?
Extended-precision creates files with twice as many significant figures of numeric precision. This is very important for some coordinate systems. It also supports many more IJK values for block models. Extended-precision files can have a maximum of 256 fields compared with the 64 of single-precision files.
Why is the Studio 3 default format single-precision?
Although extended-precision was introduced in version 2.1, Datamine is still ratifying extended-precision, ensuring that the same results are obtained from single and extended-precision processing. As the current validated format, single-precision is the default format at the release of Studio 3, with extended-precision as an option. Single-precision will be superseded by extended-precision in future versions.
How do you combine the Project Files control bar with the Sheets, Loaded Data etc. control bars so that they appear in one dialog?
1) Select 'Tools | Options | Look and Feel', set the Look and Feel option to 'Microsoft Office 2003' and then click the OK button. 2) Click-and-drag the Project Files control bar (by the title bar) from its current position into the center of the blue four headed arrow icon and then release the mouse button. 3) Reset your 'Look and Feel' option if required.
I've set the background colour for the Visualizer window using Format | Visualizer | Alternate Background Colour, but the Visualizer window hasn't changed. Why not?
The Alternate Background Colour sets the secondary background colour for the Visualizer window. To activate it, go into the Visualizer window, right-click the viewing area and select Options | Toggle Background.
Does Studio 3 still use environment files with environment variables to define how the program operates?
Yes, it does for some variables which will rarely change. However, important environment conditions such as single or extended-precision, and Design window background colour can all be controlled and changed from within the program, within a session, using the Project Settings dialog which can be accessed through File | Settings.
Sometimes, I seem to lose some of my toolbars or they appear greyed out. Why is this and what can I do about it?
The toolbars are context sensitive and they will only appear if they are relevant to a particular view. Some are also sensitive to whether data is loaded or not, and will only be active when it is appropriate. There may, however, be occasions when a toolbar is inactive when it should not be; this may be because of a software upgrade or some other reason. Whatever the reason, you can reactivate your toolbars by resetting them. Go to Tools | Customize..., choose the Toolbar tab, then either select the offending toolbar and Reset or Reset All.
How can I add an external program to the Tools | User Defined Tools menu?
Firstly, open the Customize dialog by selecting Tools | Customize… from the menu. Select the Tools tab. Click on the "New (Insert)" button above the "Menu contents:" pane and type in the name you wish to appear in the menu. Next, put the full path and program executable name in the "Command" line. This will add an entry to the menu and you will be able to run the program from there. It will also add a Tool to the Tools toolbar.
How can I add a Studio script to the Tools | User Defined Tools menu?
Firstly, open the Customize dialog by selecting Tools | Customize… from the menu. Select the Tools tab. Click on the "New (Insert)" button above the "Menu contents:" pane and type in the name you wish to appear in the menu. Next, put the full path and program executable name in the "Command" line; this will be the path to DatamineStudio.exe for a Studio script. You will now have to add the full path to the script itself into the "Arguments:" box; if the script is in the project folder you may use "$(FileDir)\scriptname.htm" instead. This will add an entry to the menu and you will be able to run the script from there. It will also add a Tool to the Tools toolbar.
I seem to be able to perform the same, or very similar, functions in more than one window, for example, the 'Design' and 'Plots' windows. Why is this?
Studio 3 is the result of a merger of previous Datamine products, and similar functionality has, in the past, been provided in more than one package. Rather than force you to adhere to a particular standard, functions have, wherever appropriate, been retained to allow you to choose your own favoured method of working.
What does the Wireframes "Decimate" command do?
Decimate takes a wireframe object and reduces the number of faces in it according to your choice of the options.
What does the new Wireframes "Extract Separate" command do?
Extract separate looks at the interaction of two wireframe objects and identifies all the logically distinct sub-objects that can be produced by that interaction. It creates a new, separate object for each.
I have created a new object (points, strings, wireframe etc) but accidentally added it to an existing object. I want it separate. How can I do it?
Provided the new part has an attribute or field which distinguishes it from the original object, you can use "Extract Objects..." from the "Data | Object Operations" menu. Select the field to use or set a filter to distinguish the objects. Typically, group or surface would be used for wireframes, but fields like colour are equally valid. If you choose colour and the object contains 3 colours, you will get 3 new objects. You can then recombine the parts that belong together. Note: The problem arose because you had not created a new object and made it the current object.
What has happened to the "clear-design-window" (cdw) command?
The command has been replaced by "unload-all-data" (ua) because it is misleading in the context of Studio 3. Studio 3 has many windows, which each provide a view of the data in memory whereas Studio version 2 only has a single view, the Design Window. The cdw command unloads data from memory, thus clearing the design window, but unloading data in Studio 3 impacts many more windows so referencing the design window alone is no longer correct.
How can I change the current object?
There are two easy ways to do this. The first is to use the Current Objects toolbar. Select the object type from the first dropdown (e.g. strings, points etc.) then use the second dropdown to select the specific object. The second way is to use the Loaded data control bar. The current object of each data type will be listed in bold text. Double-click on another object and it will become the current object, the text will be emboldened and the object listed in the Current Objects toolbar will change to reflect your action.
How can I change my single-precision project to extended-precision?
Go to the Project Settings dialog (File | Settings) and on the General tab check the "Support Datamine extentended precision files" check box. You will be prompted to close the project and then reopen it. This will close down the single-precision program components and start the extended-precision ones.
How can I change my extended-precision project into a single-precision one?
Firstly, this is not recommended; moving to extended-precision enhances the data whereas moving the other way potentially degrades it by truncating numeric data. If you must move back to single-precision you can use the precision converter in the Table Editor to convert the extended-precision Datamine files to single-precision. You must then create a new, single-precision project containing these files.
How do I move a wireframe now? I used to just click on a point and then click on the new position of that point. It does not work now.
The command works in a different way now; it is drag-and-drop. Run the command then drag and drop the wireframe where you wish it to go.
In Studio 3 why does the quick key "CDW" no longer work to run the command clear-design-window?
The command clear-design-window has been obsoleted in Studio 3 and replaced with the command "unload-all-data". Unload-all-data unloads all the loaded objects, and thus the view of the data is removed from all views, not just the design window. The quick key for unload-all-data is "UA".
What is the best way to query data in the Design window?
The easiest way to see the properties of points, strings and drillholes is to use the Data Properties control bar. Click on the object and its properties will be shown instantly in the control bar. Query-points and query-string still report back to the Output window and may also be used.
When I use the Query string (qst) command in the Design Window, why do I see Fields called BLOCKID, SYMBOL and LSTYLE reported when these may not be in the data that is loaded?
These Fields are used as place holders in memory and for compatibility with previous versions. They will only be written into the string file when it is saved if there is data in them.
What does "extract" do?
Extract splits a single object into multiple objects based on the value(s) of a selected field (attribute).
What scripting languages can I use with Studio 3?
Studio 3 will work with any COM-aware scripting language e.g. Javascript and VB Script.
Can I perform Boolean operations on DTMs (open wireframes) in Studio 3?
In general, it is not recommended that Booleans be used with open wireframes. Booleans will, however, work with some open wireframes and the Boolean dialog provides a checkbox for each wireframe object to specify whether it is open or not. I f a wireframe is open but not specified as such, the Boolean algorithm will atempt to close the wireframe.
Little has been made of the Graphics and Screen windows so I assumed they were obsolete. Why do they still appear when I run certain commands?
There are still a few Studio 3 commands that require the functionality provided by the Graphics and Screen windows. These commands will be modified or rewritten in the future and the Graphics and Screen windows will be made obsolete.
Can I run Datamine processes on data objects in memory?
No, Datamine processes are still file-based; they use Datamine binary format files and they create Datamine binary format files. It is, however, quite possible for the data used in a process to be loaded into memory, but do not confuse this with using loaded data in a process.
I am running a project, but when I try to run a process I get a message that "There is no project to process the command". What is wrong?
Processes can be run with any of the view windows in focus, but you have probably got the focus in the Start window. Click on the tab of one of the other windows: Design, Plots etc. and try again.
What exactly is a 'Fuzzy' license?
A fuzzy license enables occasional, limited, legitimate product usage beyond the extent of the formal license agreement. For more information, refer to your License Services online Help, or your Datamine Support Representative.
What is a checked out license, and what is its purpose?
Checking out is the temporary transferring of a license from one computer to another. The license will be locked on the donor computer (server) as "checked out" for the selected period, whilst it will be useable on the client computer for that period. When the check out period expires, the client license will expire and license will reset to be useable on the server. This is ideal for people working with laptops out in the field where there is a risk of losing a dongle or other security device.
Can I load AutoCad files into Studio 3?
Yes. AutoCad .dxf and .dwg files can be imported using Studio 3's comprehensive Data Source Drivers facility. For more information on the data import process, please refer to your online Help.
I have many scripts and macros that I developed in Studio 2: will I be able to use them in Studio 3?
In general, macros developed in Studio 2 will run without difficulty in Studio 3. The only exceptions are where a command used in the macro has changed or has been made obsolete. Scripts are an entirely different matter as Studio 3 scripts are now based on a new object model. There is a script converter which will analyse Studio 2 scripts and change them to a Studio 3 format where possible. It cannot, however, make all the changes but it will identify commands that are obsolete and commands that have changed such that, using example code snippets, you can complete the conversion.
Can I use Studio 2 and Studio 3 side-by-side?
Yes, Studio 3 has been developed to co-exist with Studio 2 without problems.
The data displayed in the Table Editor looks very similar to Excel. Can I cut and paste from here to Excel?
No, but you can choose to save the data in a comma separated variable (csv) format which you can then open and manipulate in Excel.
