Auto Design Templates

To access this screen:

  • Activate the Design ribbon and run the Auto Design task for either pits or dumps, the choose Templates >> Edit.

You can control the appearance of your automated design data using 3D display templates.

Display templates can be created for any visual data in Studio products. Auto design tasks typically utilize or produce string, wireframe and block model data. It can be useful to set up a series of templates that configure the output of your automated design tasks automatically and consistently, potentially across your organization or for specific project types.

A default set of templates always exists, and this is listed in the Templates list when the Auto Design Templates screen displays initially. These templates can't be adjusted, so all other template editing options are unchecked, until you create your own template set using New, or by picking a custom set from the list.

The Auto Design Templates screen provides a shortcut to existing template definition functions. See 3D Display Templates. It is also used to create a "template set" that categorizes multiple templates into a single container. For example, you may use a particular set of visual templates to render automated pit designs, but need different visual effects for dumps.

Each custom template "set" can include a template for the following automated design data:

  • Design Strings — output when pit or dump design strings are calculated and represent the outline strings for toe, crest and road items.

  • Design Surface — the surface created from the design strings, and used to calculate a phase shell for mining block generation.

  • Constraints — constraint strings override the automatically projected pit or dump crest and toe strings.

  • Design Solid — the solid generated between the calculated design surface (see above) and either the topography or an earlier phase surface.

  • Fixed Roads — the string data used to indicate the presence of a fixed road.

  • Planning Model — if a planning model is defined (see Define Planning Model), specify its visual properties for the current template set.

Note: To configure each of the design data visual properties for a template set, that design data must be visible beforehand. For example, if you want to define a new visual format for the planning model and store it as part of a template set, ensure the Show planning model option is enabled on the Auto Pit Design task.

You can share your template set information for use in other projects, too, using handy Import and Export options.

To define a set of display templates for automated pit design or dump design:

  1. Activate either the Auto Pit Design or Auto Dump Design tasks and ensure 3D data is displayed for all items for which you wish to configure a set of 3D display templates.

    For example, if you wish to configure the appearance of your automated design strings and also your pit surface, ensure that data is visible in the Pit Design or Dump Design 3D task window first.

    Note: You can't edit auto design templates unless the corresponding automated design task is active.

  2. Display the Auto Design Templates screen.

    Initially, the Default template set is selected, meaning no further configuration can be performed.

  3. Either pick a custom template set from the Templates list, or click New to enter the name of a new template set.

    Note: You can also Delete a template set or Apply the visual formatting of all templates in the currently selected set.

  4. To edit the name of an existing template group, expand the New menu to select Edit Name.

  5. To copy an existing template group to a new group (for further modification), expand the New menu to select Clone Templates.

  6. Choose one of the automated design data categories to configure using the corresponding Edit buttons.

    Depending on the type of data chosen, a 3D Properties screen displays. This is a focussed version of the typical screen displayed when editing 3D overlays. It provides access to all of the visual properties that can be stored in a template of the selected type.

  7. Configure visual properties for your selected automated design data. For more information on a particular tab, click Help, or use the links below:

  8. To import previously-configured template set information, click Import and locate a previously saved ".tmpl" file.

    The Templates list updates to include the new template set reference.

  9. To export your template set information for use in other projects:

    1. Click Export.

    2. Enter a filename (a ".tmpl" extension is added automatically).

    3. Click Save.

  10. Click OK to return to the automated design task.

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