Face dip data reference

andrewdalgliesh

Is there a way to reference the values used in the Face Dip display used on meshes (in LF geo) within Edge? For example, I want to populate the dip angle of bedding on blocks close to a bedding surface.

Thanks

RebeccaInnes

Hi Andrew, 

If you have the Edge module then you can use the Variable Orientation tool to view the Dip and Azimuth of a surface and then evaluate this onto a block model. 

I've written a workflow for you to follow, but here is a link to the Help if you wanted to read more about this tool
https://help.leapfrog3d.com/Geo/6.0/en-GB/Content/estimation/variable-orientations.htm

Set the Domain
1. You will need to first create an Estimation Object with an appropriate boundary that will contain your bedding surface.  We don't actually need to 'estimate' anything for this, so you can always use the Geological Model as a boundary and any numeric data as the values (we won't be using these, we only really care about the boundary).


Make the Variable Orientation Object
2. In the Variable Orientation folder, create a New Variable Orientation.
Use Add > Other Mesh to choose your bedding surface (I chose a vein for mine). 
Press OK.


3. In the Visualisation tab, ensure that you are set to visualise on a block model that does not have too many blocks. 
This visualisation is purely for the scene viewing and will not impact your final result on the block model.
If your existing block model has too many blocks, choose to view the orientation on a Custom grid and set your spacing to a big-ish size to not cause too much visualisation processing.


You can drag in this object and visualise it in the scene, but it will give you all of the orientations within your domain...which may be overwhelming to visualise. We will move on to putting the information onto the block model.


Evaluate your Orientation on the Block Model
4. Now we want to visualise this orientation on the block model.  This will project the orientation information onto the block model.

Open the Block Models Evaluations tab on your intended block model and move your Variable Orientation over to the Selected column.


You can now visualise this orientation on the block model.
If you drag it into the scene, you can see the colourings for this Orientation evaluation.  

Rot1Z is equal to the Azimuth
Rot2X is equal to the Dip



Refine the Dip Angle to the Bedding Area
5. Again, this is overwhelming, so we will make a distance function to around the bedding surface.
Right-click on the Numeric Models folder and create a New Distance Function.
Use Select Objects to choose your bedding surface and press OK to create the function.


6. Right-click on the Block Model and select Evaluations.  Add your Distance Function to the Selected Items list.

7. Right-click on the Block Model and open the Calculations and Filters tab. 

8. Click to create a New Item and choose a Numeric Calculation.  Now we will write a statement so this column only shows the dip of blocks in the vicinity of the surface based on the distance function.


9. View the result in the scene.



--- --- ---
Tips:
You can refine this method by dictating a Buffer surface in the Distance Function and then using this as a Sub-Blocked Model Trigger to get more detail in your block model around the area of interest.


I hope this is helpful, let me know if you have any follow-up questions
- Bec

andrewdalgliesh

Brilliant, thanks for the help Bec. 

JamesLally

A bit late in on this conversation I know. Some time ago (back in the old Leapfrog Forum days) I asked if it would be possible in LF Geo to be able to colour a surface by face azimuth as well as face dip. In addition, being able to extract azimuth and dip for all mesh faces would be a useful analysis tool, enabling face orientations to be plotted on a stereonet. At the time the response was that since the feature wasn't requested enough it would be unlikely to be added and was basically not a high priority. Now I see that the coding is there, but only within Edge. Any chance now of enabling this useful feature for Geo?

ValterOliveira

Hi James.

By the way, there is a way to do this into Geo.

You have to extract the vertices of you mesh surface and use the tools called "estimate structural data". After "transform" the vertices of your surfaces in structural data you could use them in Stereonet or even as a block model evaluation. Hope that this could help you.

Cheers

Valter 

JamesLally

thanks for the tip Valter. It would still be nice to be able to the same without the intermediate steps. I would also still appreciate being able just to colour a mesh by face azimuth as well as dip!

ValterOliveira

Hi James. Yes, for sure. I put an example of stereonet because you mentioned.

By default, in Leapfrog there are only the "Dip" option to show the “face dip” in Leapfrog.

But, to achieve a similar result that you need for azimuth its necessary more steps (workaround) until Seequent develop a good solution (tools) inside Leapfrog.

To evaluate "azimuth" and "Dip" on a surface or solid you must export in csv the "structural data" that you created in the previous step.

Import this data as "point" and create a numerical model (RBF) with desired information (azimuth or dip). It's not necessary to create the iso surfaces.

When the process finish, you just use this interpolant to evaluate the surface.

I don't know if you try this approach before but its work.

Have a great week.
Cheers
Valter

JamesLally

Thanks again Valter. 
As I mentioned in the original post, it seems like most of the required functionality exists within Edge as part of the dynamic anisotropy utility. Even the calculation for face dip presumably just works out the face normal vector from which both dip and dip direction can be derived so I honestly can't imagine that it would be particularly difficult or time consuming to include as a feature.