Import a Block Model

For drill and blast design work, you only need to import the blocks relevant to the blast location. Although blast boundaries vary, an average blast covers less than a few thousand blocks.

A resource block model for an entire mining area is too much information. When you import a block model, DataBlast Pro analyses how many blocks are in the file and displays a warning if there are more than 400,000 blocks.

Activity Steps

  1. Select the Design module.
  2. Right-click a node in the DataBlast Items Tree and select Import Datamine Block Model from the menu.
  3. Search for and select the .dm block model file to import.
  4. Click OK.

    The Datamine Block Model Data Mapping screen displays the column names in the .dm file.

  5. For each column for which to import data:
    1. Check Import Data.
    2. Select the Data Type or add a new data type:
      1. Click Add Data Type.

        The Block Model Data Type screen displays.

      2. Enter the New Data Type Name.
      3. If the data type has a fixed list of values, select a colour for each value.
      4. Click OK.

        Note: The data types are not specific to the import of a single block model. The data types, once created, can be selected for any block model import.

  6. Enter a unique Block Name.
  7. Select a restriction from:
    • All
    • Select Existing Boundary Object
    • New Boundary Polyline
    • Enter Easting/Northing Range
  8. If the restriction is Enter Easting/Northing Range, complete the following fields:
    • Easting Start
    • Easting End
    • Northing Start
    • Northing End
  9. Select whether to include All RL Positions. If checked, all relative levels are included.
  10. If All RL Positions is unchecked, complete the following fields:
    • RL Start
    • RL End
  11. If the file record count is greater than 400,000, adjust the settings to limit the blocks further.
  12. Click OK.
  13. If the restriction is Select Existing Boundary Object, select a polygon in the Viewport. See Select Objects in the Viewport.
  14. If the restriction is New Boundary Polyline, draw the boundary in the Viewport.

A progress bar and a status message about saving display. The import may take some time, and the status message may include "Not Responding" during this time.

The block model displays in the Viewport. Use the Datamine Block Legend screen and the Block Model Ribbon Menu to control the display. The Layers Toolbar (Design Module) includes an option to show or hide the block model layer.