Loaded Data Control Bar

Using the Loaded Data Control Bar

The Loaded Data Control Bar

Displaying or hiding this control bar:

  • The Loaded Data control bar is enabled by default and can be toggled by activating the Home ribbon and select Show | Loaded Data Bar

The Loaded Data control bar is used to manage the data objects that are currently loaded in memory. This includes loading, unloading and refreshing objects; editing object definitions; accessing the Data Object Manager and performing object orientated manipulations.

Follow the links below to find out more:

 

Project, Object and Column Context Menus

Files or Objects?

Reloading vs. Refreshing Data

Unsaved Object Changes

The Loaded Data Toolbar

This toolbar is located at the top of the Loaded Data control bar and contains the following:

 

Description

 

 

Load a points file.

Load a strings file.

Load a static drillholes file.

Load a pair of wireframe files i.e. wireframe triangles and wireframe points.

Load a block model file.

Load a planes file.

Import a non-Datamine format file using the Data Source Drivers.

Export a loaded data object to a Datamine or non-Datamine format file.

Open the Data Object Manager.

Unload data objects.

Unload all loaded data objects.

 

The load functions listed above make use of the Project Browser dialog. This allows files to be selected that are already in the project (and appear in the Project files control bar) or, files that have not yet been added to the project.

Project, Object and Column Context Menus

Right-clicking on the project name, an object a data column in the Loaded Data control bar will display one of three context menus:

Project-Level Context Menu

Right-clicking the top-level project icon in the Loaded Data control bar displays a context menu with the following options:

 

Load: loads data from a variety of sources. The following menu options are available:

  • From Project: load a Datamine file into memory from the current list of available project files (these will be the items listed in the Project Files control bar). Selecting any of the file type menu options will open the Project Browser dialog, from project file or external Datamine files can be loaded (the latter can also be done using the From File option below). More...

  • From File: load an external Datamine (.dm) file using the Open Source File dialog. A further Object Filter dialog will be displayed, which allows data fields, coordinate fields, control fields and filter settings to be defined, prior to loading the file. Using this option allows the selected Datamine file to be both added to the project file and loaded into memory, in a single step. More information on filtering data can be found here.

  • From Data Source: load non-Datamine format files using the Data Source Drivers. This option displays the Data Import dialog. Using this option allows the selected file to be both added to the project file and loaded into memory, in a single step. More information on loading and importing/exporting data can be found here and here.

Unload: unload all, selected or specific data type objects from memory

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This does not remove the file from the project nor does it remove the file from disk.

 

Reload...: reload one or more data objects into memory using the Data Source Drivers and new settings. This option displays the Data Reload dialog, which is used to select one or more loaded objects. Reloading data will run the load/import process interactively, allowing the previously defined load/import settings to be redefined if necessary.

Create Table...: create a new, empty table. This option displays the Select Table Type dialog. The new table will be added to the Loaded Data list.

Merge Tables: combine two or more tables to create a new table. This option opens the Merge Tables dialog.

Refresh...: refresh one or more data objects into memory using their associated data load/import settings. This option displays the Data Refresh dialog, which is used to select one or more loaded objects. This option does not allow the existing load/import settings to be redefined. Use this option when the contents of the source file have changed and the associated objects need to be updated in the various data windows.

Refresh All: refresh all loaded objects using their associated settings. This option does not allow the existing load/import settings to be redefined.

Export...: export one or more loaded objects to Datamine or non-Datamine format file(s). This option displays the Object to Export dialog, which is used to select the required object(s). For each selected object, the Data Export dialog is displayed, allowing individual driver category and data type settings to be defined.

Set Conversions...: define and apply custom data conversion rules for loaded data objects. This option displays the Data Conversions dialog. This option is used to convert special values e.g. absent, not recorded, trace or below detection limit, to a suitable equivalent for use in your application.

Data Object Manager...: open the Data Object Manager dialog, which provides various object-related functions to be performed on loaded data.

Properties: displays summary, contents and other project properties in the Project Properties dialog. These and other properties are also listed in the Properties control bar when the project name is selected.

Object Level Menu

Right-clicking an object in the Loaded Data control bar displays the following context menu:

Save: save a loaded object in memory to a Datamine file. This option can be used to update an existing file which is linked to an object in memory.

Data: perform one of the following options:

  • Reload...: reload the selected object into memory using new load/import settings.

  • Refresh...: refresh the selected object into memory using its associated data load/import settings.

  • Save As...: save the selected new 3D object to the project file or a new Datamine file. This option opens the Save New 3D Object dialog.

  • Export...: export the selected object to a Datamine or non-Datamine file, using the Data Export dialog.

  • To Excel...: export the selected object's table and open it in MS Excel. This provides an quick means of exporting data to *.xls format.

Microsoft Excel only supports 65535 data rows, therefore, this option is not suitable for large data sets that have more data rows than this. If such a situation occurs, only the first 65535 rows of data will be displayed.

  • Unload...: unload the selected object data from memory.

 

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This does not remove the file from the project (i.e. it remains listed in the Project Files control bar), nor does it remove the file from disk.

 

Copy Data From: append the selected object with data from another object of the same type using the Select Objects to Copy From dialog.

Extract: extract a subset of data from the selected object to create a new object. This option opens the Extract Data Object dialog.

Add Column: add a data column to an object, using the Add Column dialog.

note.gif (1017 bytes)TheAdd Columnoption is also available in theData Object Manager, by right-clicking an object in theLoaded Objectslist.

 

Make Current Object: assign the selected object as the current object.

Data Object Manager: configure in-memory data objects (combine, extract, filter etc.) using the Data Object Manager.

[Object Name] Properties: list the selected object's properties in the Properties dialog, for viewing or editing.

Copy: create a copy of the current object overlay in the same folder. This does not duplicate the data object, only the selected overlay.

Look At: rotate and magnify the view to focus on the selected object overlay.

Look At Individual String: (string overlays only): rotate and magnify the view to focus on a specific string segment. Displays the Select String/Drillhole dialog.

Look At Individual Drillhole: (drillhole overlays only): rotate and magnify the view to focus on a specific drillhole within a set. Displays the Select String/Drillhole dialog.  

Redraw: redraw the current overlay in the active 3D view.

Sequence Controls: display the Sequence Control toolbar to animate the 3D view based on the contents of the currently assigned sequence attribute.

New String: (string overlays only) digitize a new string in a 3D window.

Project to Wireframe/Section (strings and points overlays only): project a string onto a wireframe or section object using the Project Strings/Points dialog.

Convert to Planes: (string overlays only): use the selected strings object to create a new planes object.

Quick Legend: displays the Quick Legend dialog for the formation of new display legends.

Display Legend: display a preview of the currently active display legend for the current overlay.

Legend Column: change the attribute used for formatting to any attribute within the underlying data object (this will not change the legend, only the attribute to which it will be applied).

Rename: rename the selected object.

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Overlay names (i.e. the overlays listed under the Overlays folders in the Sheets control bar) will track object names (i.e. the object names displayed in the Loaded Data control bar) until the overlay has been renamed by the user. After this point, the overlay will retain the user-defined name, even if the base object is renamed.

 

Send to Stereonet: (Planes objects only) open the selected structural points object in a new Stereonet Chart

Verify (Wireframe objects only): verify the selected wireframe object using the wireframe-verify command.

Decimate (Wireframe objects only): reduce the resolution of the loaded wireframe object using the Wireframe Decimate dialog.

Calculate Volume (Wireframe objects only): calculate the volume of the loaded wireframe object using the Wireframe Calculate Volume dialog.

Boolean Operations (Wireframe objects only): display the same options available for boolean interactions as shown in the Wireframes menu.

Plane Operations (Wireframe objects only): display the same options available for boolean interactions as shown in the Wireframes menu.

Translate Wireframe (Wireframe objects only): transpose the current object in virtual 3D space using the translate-wireframe command.

Rotate Wireframe (Wireframe objects only): rotate the wireframe using the rotate-wireframe command.

Scale Wireframe (Wireframe objects only):scale the wireframe using the scale-wireframe command.

Delete: delete the selected overlay. If it is the sole remaining overlay for the object, you will be asked if you wish to unload the object as well.

Data Column Level Menu

Each item in the tree menu can be expanded to see a list of data columns that comprise the selected object, e.g.:

Note that not all items will be available for all objects, for example, if an essential field is selected, such as an X Coordinate for a point, you will not be able to delete it as this will void the definition of the location in 3D space.

Field Details:

Delete: delete the selected data column.

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This is only permitted if the selected column is not one of the required default fields for the type of object selected. In order to apply this change to the Project file, the project file needs to be saved using File | Save.

 

Set Conversions...: define and apply custom data conversion rules for loaded data objects. This option displays the Data Conversions dialog. This option is used to convert special values e.g. absent, not recorded, trace or below detection limit, to a suitable equivalent for use in your application.

Column Properties: list the selected column's properties in the Properties dialog, for viewing or editing.

Files or Objects?

Files that have been loaded into memory are referred to throughout this Help file as 'objects', whereas if they are merely associated with the project (and shown only in the Project Files control bar) they are referred to as 'files'.

In summary:

  • Data that have been imported, or added to the project file, but not yet loaded into memory, are referred to as 'files'.

  • Data that have been loaded into memory are known as 'objects'.

Loaded data is both part of the project file, but also 'active'. Data is loaded into memory by a variety of methods (see Loading Data) using both drop-down menus, context menus and the Project Files control bar. When a file has been loaded, it will appear in the list shown in the Loaded Data bar.

Reloading vs. Refreshing Data

When data is first loaded (from a Datamine or non-Datamine file), the associated Data Source Driver and the other load/import settings are maintained in the project file.  If an object is then reloaded, using the Data Reload dialog, the stored settings are used as defaults and the user has the option to redefine the source and modify the associated import/load settings before the source file is loaded. If on the other hand, an object is refreshed, using the Data Refresh dialog, the source file is automatically loaded, using the stored settings, but the user is not able to redefine the source nor modify the associated import/load settings.

In both cases, the object name is updated (if a new source file was selected) and the data in memory is updated and is redrawn in the various windows to reflect any new or updated data present in the source file.

Unsaved Object Changes

Loaded data that objects that have been modified, but not yet saved to a new or existing file, are listed in the Loaded Data control bar in Italics. Examples of this are shown in the image below. As soon as the objects have been saved to file, the Italics are removed.

  openbook.gif (910 bytes)  Related Topics

 

Loading Data
Data Conversions Dialog

Object Summary Dialog