INTRODUCTION

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OBJECTIVES
To become familiar with Surpac Vision and some of its fundamental functionality.
To become familiar with Surpac Visions graphical interface.
To learn to import/export data to and from AutoCA.
To use Surpac Visions editing tools to manipulate string data.
To use Surpac Visions !iewing tools to manipulate !iews of data.
To learn to create igital Terrain "odels #T"s$ of surfaces.
FILES USED
%iles used in this lab exercise are found in the following folder&
C:\INTRODUCTION.LAB\
DISCUSSION
Surpac Vision is the flagship product of Surpac Software 'nternational. 't is a ( "ine
esign and )eology pac*age used in the mining industry for such tas*s as sur!eying+
mine design #open pit , underground$+ blast design #open pit , underground$+
exploration+ and tailings simulation.
Surpac Vision consists of se!eral modules+ which can be enabled on each licence.
'n the coming wee*s you will be exposed to such modules as )eological atabase+ -loc*
"odel+ .pen /it , 0nderground "ine esign+ .pen /it and 0nderground -last esign+
and Solids. "any of the things you learn in this lab exercise will pro!ide a foundation of
s*ills to be used in later wee*s for other labs.
The following sections will briefly describe the !arious aspects of the program co!ered in
lab exercise.
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GRAPHICAL INTERFACE
Surpacs graphical user interface #)0'$ is comprised of se!eral areas as shown in the
figure below&
Menus& There are 11 different menus to choose from in Surpac Vision. The two default
menus are called Main Menu , Applications Menu. .thers include Applets, Blast
Design, Block Model, Database, Mine Design, Ring Design, Solids, Surveying, ,
Scheduling.
Toolbars& There are 12 different toolbars to choose from in Surpac. The two default
toolbars are called Status Items, , Main. .thers include Edit, reate, Display!"ide,
#ie$, In%uire, &ile 'ools, Block Model, Database, Mine Design, Blast Design, Ring
Design, , Scheduling.
"enus or Toolbars may be displayed or remo!ed by right3hand clic*ing any region with
no menu item and selecting or de3selecting the menus/toolbars from the subse4uent
context menu. "enus are located abo!e the separator line in the context menu+ and
toolbars below.
Nav!a"or# 5xplorer3li*e !iew of all mapped dri!es. Three modes of opening files are
accomplished from the 6a!igator by clic*ing and dragging files into the !iewport.
7eyboard modifiers are used to define the open mode to use&
Mo$e %e&boar$ Mo$'er Resul"
.pen 6one %ile is opened into its own layer. The name of the
layer is that of the file opened.
Append Crtl %ile is opened into the acti!e layer and is appended
to whate!er other data in that layer.
8eplace Crtl3Shift %ile is opened into the acti!e layer and replaces all
other data in that layer.
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Simple file management is also accomplished within the 6a!igator from the context menu
#right3hand clic*$.
S"a"us Bar# The status bar show !ital information such as cursor coordinates+ current
!iew dip and a9imuth+ change of distance in axis when mo!ing or copying+ connecti!ity to
databases , bloc* models.
Messa!e (n$o)# All information relayed from Surpac to the user is displayed in the
message window. 't can be resi9ed+ minimi9ed , maximi9ed. 'ts position can also be
toggled between floating and doc*ed. Text in the message window may be copied and
pasted.
Ve)*or"# This is the ( graphical en!ironment in Surpac. All data types are !iewed in
the !iewport #string+ surfaces+ databases+ bloc* models+ etc:$. Three modes of dynamic
!iew mo!ement in the !iewport are attained using the mouse&
Mo$e Mouse Bu""on
.rbit ;eft
/an "iddle or -oth
<oom 8ight
Co++an$ C,ooser# All commands run #either from menus+ toolbars+ or typed in$ are
displayed in the command chooser. 'n parentheses after the function name+ the short3cut
*ey is also displayed. =hile typing commands using the *eyboard+ the command
chooser will auto3complete your *eystro*es. The up arrow can be used to scroll through
pre!iously run functions.
La&er C,ooser# All a!ailable layers are displayed in the layer chooser. The
selected/displayed layer is the acti!e layer. "odifications to data or creation of new data
can only ta*e place in the acti!e layer. Surpac Vision always starts with one layer+ the
>"ain )raphics ;ayer?. .ther layers can be added by clic*ing >new layer? from the layer
chooser+ or by opening files from the 6a!igator using open mode.
FILES - LA.ERS
The two graphical file types youll be using today are String files #@.str$ and T" files
#@.dtm$.
String files are the fundamental raw coordinate data. They contain points and lines that
are arranged and identified by string number. A string is a se4uence of three3
dimensional coordinates delineating some physical feature. Valid string numbers range
from 1 to (1+AAA. Strings may contain multiple segments+ which constitute discontinuous
portions of the same string number. %urthermore+ each segment may contain multiple
points. 5ach point in a segment consists of a ( coordinate #B+ C+ <$ and up to 1AA
optional descriptions. These descriptions are stored in description fields named 1+
1:1AA. "any functions in Surpac automatically place information in the description
fields as re4uired.
T" #digital terrain model$ files are models of surfaces. They are always created from
the raw string data and+ once created+ must always exist in the same folder as the
original string file from which they were created.
=hen opened+ each file+ whether String or T"+ are stored into different layers. Cou
ha!e full control as to where each file is stored. "odifications to data or creation of new
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data is performed a layer at a time+ and always on the acti!e layer. =hen sa!ing files the
same is also true. 5ach layer is sa!ed in its entirety into one file.
EDITING FUNCTIONS
Surpacs data editing capabilities are similar in most respects to those of CA systems.
5diting of String data is performed by String+ segment or point. All String editing tools are
found under the Edit menu. "odifications to String data can always be undone using the
0ndo function. All editing functions are performed on data in the acti!e layer.
VIE(ING FUNCTIONS
All !iewing functions are found in the #ie$ menu. Viewing functions do not modify data.
They only change !iews and !iewing options.
IMPORTING
S08/AC allows users to import , export data to , from external sources. The most
common formats for data exchange are ASC'' text and .B% files. All file import/export
functions are found in the &ile menu under Import or E(port.
PLOTTING
/lotting in Surpac is accomplished easily with Autoplot #found in the )lotting menu$. All
String data can be plotted as drawn on the screen. Various parameters such as paper
si9e+ scale+ and title bloc* can be chosen.
ASSIGNMENT
1. 'mport the AutoCA file topo1.dxf to a string file.
1. %rom the resulting string file create a simple plot.
a. /lace your name , the course name in the selected title bloc*.
(. %rom the resulting string file create a T".
2. %ix the file le!1AA.str by editing all errors in the string data. The things you should loo*
for are&
a. iscontinuous segments along the outside wall.
b. irection or sense of all segments.
c. Closure of all segments.
0se the String+ Segment+ , /oint editing functions to modify all errors in the string file.
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USEFUL TOOLBAR ICONS
Change irectory
.pen String/T" %ile
Sa!e String/T" %ile
Autoplot
8eset )raphics
0ndo
8edo
=indow 'n
=indow .ut
<oom 'n
<oom .ut
<oom All
Centre of 8otation
/lan View
Sectional View
;ongitudinal View
;ights .n
;ights .ff
Eide .n
%aces .n
5dges .n
8ender
1 grid
( grid
igiti9e at Cursor ;ocation
Close igiti9ed Segment
igiti9e at Selected /oint
/lay "acro
Start/Stop 8ecord "acro
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PROCEDURE
1. I+*or" ",e Au"oCAD 'le "o*o/0$1' "o a s"rn! 'le0 "a*e sure your current wor*ing
directory is C&G'6T8.0CT'.6.;A-G. Cou can chec* this in the 6a!igator. The current
wor*ing directory appears in bold lettering and has a chec* mar* beside it. To ma*e this
your current wor*ing directory simply right3hand clic* on the folder
#C&G'6T8.0CT'.6.;A-G$ and choose >Set as wor*ing directory? from the context
menu.
a. %rom the &ile menu choose Import, D*& +ile to a string!D'M +ile.
b. %ill the subse4uent form as follows&
c. Clic* Apply to run the function. =hen the function is finished it will open a log
report of the con!ersion. 't will also state the results of the function in the
message window.
20 Fro+ ",e resul"n! s"rn! 'le 3rea"e a s+*le *lo"0
a0 .pen the resulting file from the pre!ious step topo1.str by clic*ing , dragging it
from the 6a!igator into the !iewport.
b0 %rom the )lotting menu choose Autoplot.
30 %ill the subse4uent forms as follows&
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$0 A new window #/lot %ile Viewer$ should appear showing a blac*3and3white
pre!iew of the plot. /lease close this !iewer.
e0 'n the message window it should state that the file has been created
#topo1.sa.pf$.
'0 To open the newly created plot file #@.pf$ clic* and drag it from the 6a!igator into
the !iewport. 't will be opened in its own plotting window.
40 Fro+ ",e resul"n! s"rn! 'le 3rea"e a DTM0
a0 .pen the resulting file from the pre!ious step topo1.str by clic*ing , dragging it
from the 6a!igator into the !iewport.
b0 %rom the Sur+aces menu choose reate D'M +rom a layer.
30 Choose Apply on the subse4uent form&
d. The T" should then be created. 6ow sa!e this file.
e. %rom the &ile menu choose Save, String!D'M +ile.
f. %ill the following form as follows&
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2. F1 ",e 'le le!1AA.str b& e$"n! all errors n ",e s"rn! $a"a0
a0 .pen the file le!1AA.str by clic*ing and dragging it from the 6a!igator into the
!iewport.
b0 %rom the toolbar choose the button to display the point mar*ers+ and apply
the subse4uent form.
30 %rom the Display menu choose Strings, ,ith string and segment numbers to
display the numbers at the first point in each segment.
$0 At A #see diagram$ use Edit, Segment, -oin to Koin the end of segment 1.1 to the
beginning of segment 1.1. Remember to check your dialogue prompts..
e0 At B use Edit, Segment, lose to close this segment
'0 =indow 'n at C using the button.
!0 0se Display, )oint, /umbers to !iew the numbers of each point.
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,0 0se Edit, Segment, Break a+ter point+ and choose to brea* after point number 11.
/lease note that the point numbers will change when editing the points #deleting
, inserting$. They point numbers referred to in this procedure pertain to the
diagram abo!e.
0 0se Edit, )oint, Move to mo!e point I1 out of the drift+ close to point number 11.
50 0se Edit, Segment, -oin to Koin point 11 to I1.
60 6ote the point numbers ha!e disappeared. This happens because we ha!e
changed the order of the point numbers by Koining segments.
l0 0se Display, )oint, /umbers to re3display the numbers.
+0 %inally use Segment, -oin to close the last gap by Koining point JI to 1(.
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