Drillhole Properties Dialog - Columns Tab

To access this dialog:

In the Drillholes Properties dialog, select the Columns tab.

Note: A Datamine eLearning course is available that covers functions described in this topic. Contact your local Datamine office for more details.

The Columns tab of the Drillholes Properties dialog is used to apply visual formatting to your loaded static or dynamic drillhole objects.

A choice of formatting options are available, including histograms, bitmap images, text, angle indicators and other useful enhancements.

You can choose to align the additional information with the Active Section, or a nominated 3D section that exists within the project.

Downhole column information will only be displayed for unfiltered data.

Drillhole Previewer Overview

This section of the Columns tab provides an indication of the position of downhole columns that are associated with the loaded drillhole data.

In the centre of the preview pane, the vertical line represents the position of the drillhole trace.

For newly-created drillhole objects, the previewer will be empty.

You add a column using Insert.
You can edit an existing item either by selecting it and clicking Format... or double-clicking it (left button).
Delete an existing column by selecting it and clicking Delete.

These options are also available via a right-click menu for each existing downhole column (see below).

For static (file-based) drilllhole data, you can base your formatting on any field in the drillhole table. If a dynamic drillhole is being formatted, you will be able to add a data column from any of the associated component files (collars, assays etc.) using the Column wizard.

If no column indicators are selected, the new column will be added to the bottom of the list, however, if you have previously highlighted a column, the new column will be inserted directly above it.

You can reposition formatting items in the viewer by dragging the relevant item up or down. You can reposition the whole set of items by dragging any of the items left or right.

By default, items will not overlap. You can force items to overlap by right clicking any existing column and enabling the Overlap Previous Column option:

Columns are displayed using these rules;

Columns are always drawn according to a left-right rule.
The left-most column will always be drawn at the top.
Column widths are indicated and are always drawn to scale.
No two column indicators can share the same 'row'.

Column Ordering

The display contains the name and relative position of each column and indicates the order in which data is drawn. This ordering is important: consider an example where a histogram column is drawn after a line graph in the same alignment - it is possible that the latter may obscure the former). You can re-order the drawing order of columns that overlap by dragging and dropping items into the required vertical layout.

Aligning Downhole Columns

For all visualization options, downhole formatting is presented as a 2-dimensional visualization sheet. You get to choose how this information is aligned. The options are:

Set a manual Azimuth and Dip, or copy the current definition from the active section and edit it.
Align information with the currently active 3D section.
Align information with any other defined 3D section.

Adding Downhole Columns to a STATIC drillhole overlay

In the Drillhole Properties dialog, click the Columns tab.
Click Insert.
In the Select Column dialog, select a data column that contains the values you wish to represent in graphical format.
Click OK to display the Format Column dialog, where you can set the Alignment, Border, Width/Margins, Filter, Template, Graph/Color or Text settings, using the appropriate tab (more...)
Click OK to add the downhole column to the drillhole trace - the preview will be automatically updated.

Adding Downhole Columns to a DYNAMIC drillhole overlay

In the Drillhole Properties dialog, click the Columns tab.
Click Insert.
In the Column Wizard, select if you wish to represent a data column from a drillhole component file (lithology, assays etc.) or a calculated System Field. Click Next.
Select the data table containing the values you wish to broadcast with your new column. Click Next.
Select the field that you wish to portray and click Next.
Click OK to display the Format Column dialog, where you can set the Alignment, Border, Width/Margins, Filter, Template, Graph/Color or Text settings, using the appropriate tab (more...)
Click OK to add the downhole column to the drillhole trace - the preview will be automatically updated.

Formatting an existing downhole column

Select the column indicator in the preview pane. It will be highlighted.
Click Format (alternatively, you can double-click the column indicator or right-click the column and select Format from the context menu).
Click OK to display the Format Column dialog, where you can set the Alignment, Border, Width/Margins, Filter, Template, Graph/Color or Text settings, using the appropriate tab (more...)
Click OK to update the selected column.

Viewing Margins in the Previewer

All downhole columns that have specific margin settings will be formatted to show the left/right margin widths at the scale they have been set. Margins for each column are independently configured using the Format Column dialog, e.g.:

The overall width of each column is shown to scale - this can also be adjusted with the Format Column dialog. Overlapping items of different widths will always be aligned to the left edge of the column indicators in the same group, e.g.:

The settings described here apply to the currently active 3D window and all linked external windows. Independent windows will be unaffected.

Field Details:

The Columns tab contains the following fields, and is identical for both static and dynamic drillhole overlays:

Display downhole columns: if selected, you can create, edit and display any configured downhole columns, aligned to the position of the drillhole trace. If disabled, downhole columns will not be drawn, and you will be unable to edit/create them.

Auto arrange: if selected, the downhole columns will be arranged so that an equal distance is covered either side of the downhole trace by column data. If disabled, column positions will be as they were last set using the drag-and-drop positioning procedure outlined in the previous section.

Snap to columns: if selected, any drag-and-drop operation involving the left-right alignment of downhole columns will snap the column positions to key areas, allowing for easier siting of overlapping columns, as opposed to a smoother scrolling method if disabled (which allows for more accurate, freeform positioning).

Auto arrange (see above) must be disabled to access this option.

Drillhole Previewer: this displays a preview of the current drillhole trace and any configured downhole columns (see previous section for more details on using the previewer). See "Using the Drillhole Previewer", above, for more details.

Insert...: adds a new downhole column to the current drillhole overlay.

For static holes, the Select Column dialog is displayed, from which you select an attribute to represent as 3D formatting. Following that, you are presented with the Format Column dialog.
For dynamic holes, the Column Wizard dialog is displayed, from which you select the table containing the attribute to be reported (e.g. collar file, survey file, assays file etc.) and then the attribute itself. Following that, you are presented with the Format Column dialog.

Format...: formats the currently selected column, using the Format Column dialog.

Delete: removes the currently selected downhole column from the active drillhole overlay.

Font: edit the font used to label the downhole column indicators in the preview panel.

Alignment:

Azimuth/Dip: select the Azimuth radio button to set Azimuth and Dip values for the downhole formatting. You can automatically populate these fields with the current/active section alignment, using Set from Active Section. You can either select this option or Section, not both.

Section: to align your downhole formatting with a predefined 3D section, select it using the drop-down list. By default, the <Active> option is selected, meaning formatting is aligned with the active 3D section.