Quick Start Guide

July 2006

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Copyright © 2006 Surpac Minex Group Pty Ltd (A Gemcom Company). All rights
reserved.

This software and documentation is proprietary to Surpac Minex Group Pty Ltd.

Surpac Minex Group Pty Ltd publishes this documentation for the sole use of Surpac
licenses. Without written permission you may not sell, reproduce, store in a retrieval system,
or transmit any part of the documentation. For such permission, or to obtain extra copies
please contact your local Surpac Minex Group Office.

Surpac Minex Group Pty Ltd

Level 8 190 St Georges Terrace
Perth, Western Australia 6000
Telephone: (08) 94201383
Fax: (08) 94201350

While every precaution has been taken in the preparation of this manual, we assume no
responsibility for errors or omissions. Neither is any liability assumed for damage resulting
from the use of the information contained herein.

All brand and product names are trademarks or registered trademarks of there respective
companies.

About This Manual

This manual has been designed to provide a practical guide to the many uses of the software.
The applications contained within this manual are by no means exhaustive as the possible
uses of the software are only limited by the user’s imagination. However, it will give new users
a starting point and existing users a good overview by demonstrating how to use many of the
functions in Surpac Vision. If you have any difficulties or questions while working through this
manual feel free to contact your local Surpac Minex Group Office.

Contributors
Sean Richardson
Rowdy Bristol
Phil Jackson

Surpac Minex Group

Perth, Western Australia

Product
Surpac Vision v5.2
 Table of Contents

Introduction ................................................................................................................................ 1
Requirements ............................................................................................................................ 1
Objectives .................................................................................................................................. 1
Workflow .................................................................................................................................... 1
Installation of Surpac Vision ...................................................................................................... 2
1. Installing the software from a CD ................................................................................. 3
2. Installing the software from a download ....................................................................... 7
3. Starting the software................................................................................................... 26
Surpac Licencing ..................................................................................................................... 27
1. Local vs. Network Licencing ....................................................................................... 27
2. Setting up a Local Licence ......................................................................................... 28
3. Setting up a Network Licence..................................................................................... 33
The Surpac Vision Interface .................................................................................................... 34
1. Surpac Vision Interface .............................................................................................. 34
2. Menu Structure ........................................................................................................... 38
3. Function Keys ............................................................................................................. 40
4. Finding Help for Surpac Functionality ........................................................................ 40
More Surpac Functions ........................................................................................................... 42
1. String and DTM files ................................................................................................... 43
2. Drillhole Databases .................................................................................................... 44
3. Block modelling .......................................................................................................... 46
4. Plotting........................................................................................................................ 51
Summary ................................................................................................................................. 53
Introduction
This Quick Start Guide is designed to help new or prospective users install Surpac Vision
correctly and start using the software. It is not designed as a training aid and should not be
considered as a substitute for training.

More detailed training information is available within the software and from your local Surpac
Minex Group Support Office. When the software has been installed you can see additional
training resources and help documentation in the Help menu.

Additional resources are available for detailed training on all aspects of Surpac Vision. Your
local Surpac Minex Support Office will also have access to additional training aids and can
help you with advice on your particular training needs.

Visit www.surpac.com to locate your nearest Support Office.

Requirements
Prior to proceeding with this tutorial, you should ensure you have the following items:

1. A copy of the software for installation.

This is usually installed from a CD, but the software can be downloaded from the
www.surpac.com website.

2. A suitable computer with a CD ROM drive (if installing from a CD)

Windows XP/2000 or NT
256MB RAM Minimum
Pentium 4 processor or equivalent
Suitable graphics card is recommended
160MB disk space (for installation) 80MB disk (for software storage)

Objectives
By working through this document, you should be able to:

• Install and start the software

• Understand the licensing system
• Understand the basic components of the interface
• Load various file types into graphics/memory
• Use the menu system to navigate through the modules
• Run basic Surpac Functions – Licence Restricted
• Understand the application and use within an organisation

Workflow
• Installation of Surpac Vision
• Surpac Licencing
• Exploring Surpac Vision
• Basic Surpac Functionality

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Installation of Surpac Vision
Overview

The following concepts will be presented in this chapter:

1. Installing the software from a CD

2. Installing the software from a download
3. Starting the software

Requirements

Prior to performing the exercises in this chapter, you should have:

• A computer with:
o a CD ROM drive (if installing from a CD)
o Windows XP/2000 or NT
o 256MB RAM Minimum
o Pentium 4 processor or equivalent
o a suitable graphics card
o 160MB disk space (for installation)
o 80MB disk space (for software storage)

• Sufficient administration privileges to install Surpac Vision

• Your Surpac Licence details at hand

Objectives

By working through this section, you should be able to:

1. Install the software from a CD

2. Install the software from a download
3. Start the software

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1. Installing the software from a CD

Insert the CD into your computer’s CD ROM drive. If Auto Run has been enabled on the CD
ROM drive, the installation menu will appear. If not, use Windows Explorer to navigate to the
CD and double click Autorun.exe.

From the first menu, click Install.

On the second menu, click Surpac Vision.

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After selecting Surpac Vision, you should see the following form. Click Next > to continue.

Click the button to accept the terms of the licence agreement and continue with the
installation, then click Next >.

If you do not accept the terms of the license agreement, the installation cannot continue.

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On the following form, click Next.

Note: Although, you may use the Change… option to select another destination folder for the
program, it is strongly recommended that you leave this as the default location. DO NOT
install the software in any directory beneath C:\Program Files\.

On the following form, ensure Surpac Vision is selected and click Next >.

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On the following form, click Install.

The software and selected components will now be installed.

Click Finish. You are now ready to begin using the software.

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2. Installing the software from a download

With the release of 5.2C, the downloadable installation has been changed. The most
noticeable change is that the download for Surpac Vision has been split into two separate
downloads.

The Prerequisites download installs an upgraded sentinel driver and other common files
required to run Surpac. It is essential that you download and install the prerequisites kit once
for each major version change (v5.2, v5.3, v6.0 for example), but not for each maintenance
release (5.2c, 5.2d etc).

You will also need to download the required package for the product you wish to install. This
change has been made to reduce the size of each download, and since you only require the
Prerequisites kit on infrequent occasions, should make downloading and installing new
versions of the software much easier.

You may also notice that the downloads are now Windows-standard Microsoft Installer
installations, which can be deployed easier by systems administrators to remote sites.

Note: Please read the release notes and readme file before you download to ensure you are
aware of the extensive new functionality and known issues. It is suggested that the software
be installed in the default path and that any existing installation be maintained to ensure that
the transition is smooth. Major upgrades to plotting and graphics components have been
made that may affect some users.

You must download and install each of the following components separately:

• V5.2 Prerequisites
• Surpac Vision
• Reference manual

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Installing the V52 Prerequisites

From the www.surpac.com website, select Downloads, then Product downloads.

You will see the following screen:

Follow the Surpac Vision link to the product download links as shown below.
Click the link for the product you wish to download, in this case V52 Prerequisites.

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Enter your details as in the example below and then click Download Now.

On the following form, click Save.

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On the following form, select any temporary directory, then click Save.

Once the download has completed, run prerequisites.msi by double clicking it.

On the following form, click Run.

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On the following form, click Next >.

Click the button to accept the terms of the licence agreement and continue with the
installation, then click Next >.

If you do not accept the terms of the license agreement, the installation cannot continue.

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To install to the default directory, click Next > on the following form.

Note: Although, you may use the Change… option to select another destination folder for the
program, it is strongly recommended that you leave this as the default location. DO NOT
install the software in any directory beneath C:\Program Files\.

On the following form, click Next >.

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On the following form, click Install.

On the following form, click Finish.

You are now ready to install Surpac Vision v5.2.

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Installing Surpac Vision v5.2 from a download

From the www.surpac.com website, select Downloads, then Product downloads.

You will see the following screen.

Follow the Surpac Vision link to the product download links as shown below.
Click the link for the product you wish to download, in this case V52c Surpac Vision.

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Enter your details as in the example below, then click Download Now.

On the following form, click Save.

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On the following form, select any temporary directory, then click Save.

Once the download has completed, run v52c_vision.msi by double clicking on it.

On the following form, click Run.

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On the following form, click Next >.

Click the button to accept the terms of the licence agreement and continue with the
installation, then click Next >.

If you do not accept the terms of the license agreement, the installation cannot continue.

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On the following form, click Next >.

Note: Although, you may use the Change… option to select another destination folder for the
program, it is strongly recommended that you leave this as the default location. DO NOT
install the software in any directory beneath C:\Program Files\.

On the following form, ensure that the boxes for Surpac Vision and Surpac Vision Demo
Data are selected. The Demo Data is required for the tutorials contained within the software.

Click Next >.

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On the following form, click Install to start the installation process.

When the form below is displayed, the software installation is complete.

Click Finish.

You are now ready to install the Reference manual.

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Installing the V52c Reference Manual

From the www.surpac.com website, select Downloads, then Product downloads.

You will see the following screen.

Follow the Surpac Vision link to the product download links as shown below.
Click the link for the product you wish to download, in this case V52c Reference Manual.

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Enter your details as in the example below, then click Download Now.

On the following form, click Save.

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On the following form, select any temporary directory, then click Save.

On the following form, click Run.

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On the following form, click Next >.

Click the button to accept the terms of the licence agreement and continue with the
installation, then click Next >.

If you do not accept the terms of the license agreement, the installation cannot continue.

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To install to the default directory, click Next > on the following form.

Note: Although, you may use the Change… option to select another destination folder for the
program, it is strongly recommended that you leave this as the default location. DO NOT
install the software in any directory beneath C:\Program Files\.

On the form below, ensure that the Reference Manual is selected and click Next >.

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On the following form, click Install.

On the following form, click Finish.

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3. Starting the software

Following the installation of Surpac Vision, an icon has been placed on the desktop screen of
your computer. Starting the software is simply a matter of double-clicking the icon shown
below and waiting for the software to start.

Please be patient as the software needs to check licensing details and load custom settings
before it is ready to use.

Alternatively, you can start the software as shown below by selecting Start, All Programs,
Surpac Minex Group then Surpac Vision V5.2c.

Summary

You should now understand how to install and start the software. Contact your local Surpac
Minex Support Office if you have encountered any difficulties.

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Surpac Licencing
Overview

The following concepts will be presented in this chapter:

1. Local vs. Network Licencing

2. Setting up a Local Licence
3. Setting up a Network Licence

Requirements

Prior to performing the exercises in this chapter, you should have:

• Installed Surpac Vision

• Your Surpac Licence details at hand

1. Local vs. Network Licencing

To access all the functionality of Surpac Vision, a user needs to have a valid licence. The
licence of Surpac Vision is controlled by a hardware sentinel that is issued upon purchase of
the software. This licence can be either “Local” or “Network”.

A Local licence means that a Surpac Sentinel must be plugged into the back of the PC that is
running the software. These Sentinels, sometimes known as a “dongle” or “hardware lock”,
can be attached to available USB or Parallel ports. A Local licence will require both the
Sentinel and a valid “token” number for the software to work correctly.

A Network licence is one that is setup on a “server” computer. This “server” computer will
administer valid licences to other computers on the same network that request a licence.
A Network licence also requires the Sentinel to be attached to the server computer as well as
valid token numbers.

If the software doesn’t detect the presence of either a valid Local or Network licence, a user
can choose a third licence type called “None”. This will allow the user to start the software, but
limits the functionality to viewing and displaying different file types.

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2. Setting up a Local Licence

The description which follows assumes that you are installing a single user “stand-alone”
licence for a newly-installed version of the software. In order to proceed, you will need the
following:

• Surpac Vision v5.2 installed, as previously described in the Installation section

• USB or Parallel Sentinel from Surpac Minex Group
• A valid token number

If you do not have all of these, please contact your local support office.

Insert the sentinel into the appropriate USB or Parallel port.

Start the software, as previously described in the Installation section.

Next, you should see the form below. Select local, then click Apply.

Note: If you do not see the form, and the software starts, one of several conditions may be
occurring:

• A network licence has been detected

• The icon you have chosen to start up the software may have been directed to use the
licence type of “none” or a network licence
• The sentinel driver has not been installed
• A local licence has previously been installed

If you see the following error message:

Click OK.

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Ensure that:

• the sentinel is firmly attached to a USB or parallel port

• Surpac Vision has been installed, as described in the Installation section

Restart the software.

If the problem persists, contact your local Surpac Minex Group Support Office.

For valid local licences, the following form will appear:

Enter the token number issued from Surpac Minex Group into the Token field.

Click Validate.

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If the token number is valid:

• The word valid will appear in the field immediately below the token number.
• An expiry date will be displayed.
• All enabled modules will be ticked.
• The maximum number of users (consecutively running copies of the software) will be
displayed.

If the token number is invalid, please check that you have entered the correct token number
for the correct version and product of Surpac. If the token number you enter does not validate,
contact your nearest support office.

Click Apply.

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Assuming that your token number was valid, the software will start, and the message “Got
local licence” will be displayed in the message window at the bottom.

The following steps demonstrate how the software behaves once you have entered a valid
token, as well as how to review and change your licencing details.

From the File menu, select Exit.

Start the software, as previously described in the Installation section.

The software should start up immediately, without prompting for a licence. No message will
be displayed in the message window.

From the File menu, select Licencing, then Change / Inspect licence.

Next, you should see the form below. Select local, then click Apply.

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The licence details will be presented, as before.

If you have purchased new modules, you will be issued with a new token number. In order to
enable the modules, replace the existing token number with the new one, and click Validate.
When you have finished reviewing your licence details, click Apply.

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3. Setting up a Network Licence

Please refer to the documentation on installation of Network licences, available from the
Surpac online reference manual. In order to view the online reference manual, either:

From the Help menu within Surpac, select Table of contents.

or view the main page (Surpac_Help_Manual.htm) directly from Windows Explorer. For
example, if you had installed v5.2-C in the default directory, this file would be found in:

C:\SurpacMinex\Surpac_V5.2-C\share\refman\default\Surpac_Help_Manual.htm

From the Table of Contents, Select SSILM, then Surpac Software Licence Manager, then
Overview.

You and your system administrator should become familiar with all of the documentation here
before setting up a network licence.

Summary

The software should now be installed, licencing issues resolved, and the software started.

If the software has not started to your satisfaction, please review the Installation section or
contact your local Surpac Minex Support Office.

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The Surpac Vision Interface
Overview

The following concepts will be presented in this chapter:

1. Surpac Vision Interface

2. Menu Structure
3. Getting Help

Requirements

Prior to performing the exercises in this chapter, you should:

• Have Surpac Vision software installed and started on your computer

1. Surpac Vision Interface

After successfully installing and starting the software you will be presented with the Surpac
Vision interface.

The interface can be classified into 6 different areas:

1. Menus
2. Toolbars
3. File Navigator
4. Message Window
5. Status bar
6. Graphics

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Menus

Menus allow you to quickly access all the available functionality in Surpac Vision. The menus
can be used to group functions from a particular module, such as the Blockmodel module, or
to group particular core functions together, such as in the Edit sub-menu.

Explore the pull-down menus and submenus to view the available functionality of Surpac
Vision. Right-click the mouse in the empty space to the right of the menus to display a list of
the additional menus available in Surpac Vision.

Toolbars

Toolbars allow you to access commonly used functions without the need for searching
through menus. Right-click the mouse in the empty space to the right of the toolbars to
display a list of the additional toolbars available in Surpac Vision.

You can create your own menus and toolbars to display and group together any commonly
used functions. User-defined menus and toolbars may contain combinations of any Surpac
Functions or TCL macro scripts.

File Navigator

The file navigator works in a similar way to Windows Explorer. Surpac Vision has a simple
directory/file based system to help you to manage your information. You will see that the file
navigator presents the same directory structure as Windows.

Setting a working directory allows you to manage the locations where your files are saved.
You can also manage your directory structures by creating new folders, cutting, copying and
pasting folders as well as deleting folders.

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Right-click the icon for the folder:

C:/SurpacMinex/Surpac_V5.2-C/demo_data/surpac_demo

to set the surpac_demo directory as your working directory.

The result will appear as shown below:

By right-clicking a file, a similar menu to the folder menu will appear. A list of functions -
Open, Edit, Copy, Paste, etc... - are available for all files.

Dependant on the file type, Open will open the file in its particular application. For example,
Open a Surpac .STR file and it will be displayed in the graphics area. Open an .XLS file and it
will open in Excel (or in the program that the file is associated to in Windows).

Plugin technology allows you to convert files from one known file type to another, for example,
converting Surpac .STR files to AutoCAD .DWG files.

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Message Window

The message window shows any information, warnings and error messages that Surpac
Vision produces. Keep a close eye on the information here as it will indicate any problems.

Sometimes the message window will contain useful information such as coordinates of
selected points. As shown below, you can copy this information and paste it into text files or
documents.

Click the right mouse button inside the Message Window to display a popup menu. The Clear
Window option is useful when you are unsure whether an error or warning message is
related to the function currently being used.

Status bar

The Status bar shows the coordinate position of the mouse, the design string number and the
design gradient. The status bar will also show if a database or blockmodel is loaded into
memory. The image below shows that the geology database called surpac is loaded and the
block model called block_model is also loaded.

Graphics

This is the area where most of the work is performed in Surpac Vision. The graphics region is
a true 3-dimensional work area. Any file loaded into the graphics work-space will be displayed
with full Y, X and Z coordinates.

To illustrate, click (hold) and drag (using the left mouse button) the file called pit1.dtm into the
graphics area. The file is then loaded into graphics and displayed.

• Use the left mouse button to rotate the image.

• Use the right mouse button to zoom in and out.
• Use the middle mouse button, or both buttons to pan the image.

Notice that as the mouse cursor is passed over the data, the coordinates shown in the status
bar are continuously updated.

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2. Menu Structure

You will now investigate the menus in more detail. Here you will see where to find functions,
as well as examining the various types of functionality Surpac Vision has to offer.

To investigate the menus you will need to have the same menus open as when the software
was started. If you changed the menu display when we looked at the menus and toolbars
earlier, make sure the Main Menu and the Applications Menu are both displayed.

The top menu is called the Main Menu. It is also referred to as the Core Menu as it contains
the functions required for the basic operation of Surpac Vision.

The Main Menu is broken into 12 sub-menus, a brief description of each follows:

1. File contains functions you would expect in most Windows products eg. Open,
Close, Save, etc…. It also contains other functions such as Importing, Exporting,
Converting as well as Licensing.

2. Edit contains functions that allow you to edit the three dimensional polyline data
(called a “string” in Surpac). For example, from the Edit menu, select Point then
Delete - a function to delete a selected point.

3. Create contains functions that allow you to create point and string information. An
example is: from the Create menu, select Create Circle by Drag. The first point
clicked defines the centre of the circle and then you drag to the perimeter.

4. Display contains functions that change the way your data is displayed in graphics.
For example: from the Display menu, select Display Properties then Strings or
Points. Click on a point or string to display the information.

5. View contains functions related to the control of the graphics viewport. From the View
menu: select functions such as Zoom, then in or out. Another example from the
View menu is Window, then in or out. There are also more advanced functions that
enhance the software functionality such as: from the View menu, select Data view
options, then View along String.

6. Inquire contains functions that allow you to get specific information about the data
loaded into graphics. An example is to return the area of a polygon by selecting
Inquire from the main menu, then select Segment Properties. The coordinates of a
point can be found by using Inquire and then Point Properties.

7. File Tools is a collection of functions that allow you to work on files without loading
them into graphics. Some files may be very large and so will take too much memory
to display. This collection of functions will perform powerful tasks such as
Transformations, Filtering, Maths, Summary, etc…

8. Surfaces are often referred to as wire-frames or DTMs. Surfaces typically represent

pit designs, stockpiles, coal seams, topography, etc… The tools found in this menu
allow you to perform actions such as: Create DTMs from layer, Clip or intersect
DTMs, Create sections from DTMs, Drape strings over DTMs etc… The menu is
broken into functions that run on data loaded into graphics or on files on the hard disk
using DTM File Functions.

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 9. Volumes are a very important part of Surpac Vision’s tools. There are several
calculation methods, however the most powerful algorithm is the prismoidal volume
calculation used in the Net Volumes between DTMs function.

10. Plotting is broken into two modules. There is the Autoplot module that allows the
user to plot the data displayed in graphics in WYSIWYG. There is also an advanced
plotting module that allows you to generate very detailed and complex plots. You can
also edit title blocks, grids and sheets sizes.

11. Customise allows you to change Surpac Vision settings. For example, you can
change the graphics background colour by selecting Customise, then Default
settings. Menus and toolbars can be modified by selecting Customise then
Menus/toolbars.

12. Help is always at hand. You can open the help manual by selecting Help, then Table
of Contents. You can also access tutorials from the web site at:

http://www.surpac.com/Tutorials.asp

The Applications Menu gives you access to the functions contained within the modules.

Examples of the type of functionality included in the Applications Menu are listed below:

1. Block model module enables you to create a 3-dimensional spatially referenced

database of any number of attributes. Quick and easy reports allow you to
generate resource estimates in all popular file formats. For example, a Lerchs-
Grossman/Floating Cone Pit Optimiser is a sub-module within the Block
model module.

2. Contouring allows you to create contour maps of topography. You can also use
Spline smoothing of contour lines for visual improvements.

3. Database contains functions for display of drillholes, compositing, and section

extraction for calculations or plotting. Drillholes can be stored in any ODBC
relational database such as SQL or MS Access.

4. Geostatistics contains basic statistical analysis tools such as histograms, as well

as advanced geostatistical analysis tools, such as variogram modelling,
variogram maps, and trend analysis.

5. Mine Design includes several modules to assist in the design of open cut pits,
stockpiles and waste dumps, drill and blast patterns, underground panel design,
tailings dams and grade control. A scheduler module called a Graphical
Sequencer is also included in this menu.

6. Ring Design is used to create and charge underground drill and blast holes. Drill
rig, charging and explosive parameters combine with design to create flexible
reports for production personnel.

7. Solids modelling to produce 3DMs or 3-dimensional DTMs of ore-bodies,

underground voids, stope design, etc… It allows you to use powerful tools
including bifurcation, centreline and profile, connected segments and control
strings.

8. Survey module enables surveyors to build and maintain a survey control

database, adjust using least-squares, interface with most industry data-recorders
and process survey pick-ups. Pit wall stability monitoring is also included.

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 9. MineSched scheduler is a powerful scheduling tool to assist schedulers with the
day-to-day or long-term scheduling of their operations. MineSched caters for a
wide variety of situations in both surface and underground operations.

3. Function Keys

Selected keys are defined so that the various actions can be performed. These keys are:

Key Action

F2 or Enter Complete a form

Escape Cancel the current form. Escape from a selection browser

Tab or right mouse click Add a row to a table

4. Finding Help for Surpac Functionality

Help is always at hand when using Surpac Vision. There are a number of resources that can
be explored to assist you when either trying to solve a problem, understand a function or
enter data into a form.

There are several levels of help available.

Level 1 Help is available when entering data into a specific form. Users can get information
displayed for each field as the information is entered. This is called Field Help and can be
accessed by right-clicking in a field in a form that has the cursor in it.

For example, from the File menu, select Open then String/DTM file. Alternatively, you can

select the icon on the toolbar. When the form is open, left-click in the Location field and
then right-click and select Field Help from the popup menu. Tab through the fields and notice
that the help text changes.

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Also, try the Form Help for additional information about the entire concept presented on the
form. In the example above, form help will provide information about what the function Open
File does.

Level 2 Help is accessed using the help button located at the base of all Surpac Vision forms.
Pressing the Help button will take you to the help pages that are installed with the software.
The help page displayed will be for the current function.

Select the button for the Open File form. The online help will be displayed in
your web browser.

Level 3 Help is making full use of the Help and Tutorial documentation that has been
installed with the software.

From Surpac Vision, open the Help sub-menu. The sub-menu shows several possible
selections. The Table of Contents is a very useful resource as it allows the user to navigate
through the help information to locate topics of interest. The Index is also a good way to
locate useful information.

Tutorials are designed to teach you how specific functions work within a practical
environment, by working through exercises using a specific dataset. Tutorials are available
for download from:

http://www.surpac.com/Tutorials.asp

Note: If you downloaded the software from the Surpac Minex website the help and tutorials
will not be automatically installed. These help and tutorial files are available as separate
downloads that can be located on the website.

Level 4 Help is where you contact your local Support office, either by email or by phone.
Clients with maintenance contracts have access to support services provided by Surpac
Minex Group. For contact information, please see www.surpac.com or contact your local
support office.

Summary

You should now be able to start Surpac Vision, open a file from the Navigator, locate a
function and find help on how that function works. Next, we will look at some of the functions
within Surpac Vision.

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More Surpac Functions
Overview

The following concepts will be presented in this chapter:

1. Different Surpac file types

2. String files and DTMs
3. Drillhole database
4. Block models
5. Plotting

Requirements

Prior to performing the exercises in this chapter, you should:

• Have installed Surpac Vision and a valid token number

• Understand the Surpac Vision interface

Note: Some of the exercises require a valid Surpac Vision licence. If you don’t have a
valid Surpac Vision licence, you can use the “Free Functions” by choosing the free
functions profile by right clicking in the empty space next to the menus.

The different types of files used in Surpac Vision.

There are many different types of files used in Surpac Vision. Each different type of file is
represented by a unique icon in the File Navigator.

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Following is a list of examples of the file types used in Surpac Vision:

- .STR files are the most common form of data files within Surpac. Line and point
data are contained within numbered “strings”. The colour of each string is determined by the
colour setting for that string number.

- .DTM files are Digital Terrain Model files, or wire-frames. These files are
generated from the .STR files and can represent both surfaces and solids. You need the
original .STR for the .DTM to work correctly.

- .DDB files are used to connect to relational drillhole databases. It is a text

file that tells Surpac what tables and fields to read from the database. To open a database,
you simply open this .DDB file.

- .MDL files are Surpac block models. Opening a .MDL file in Surpac
loads the model into memory where the user can use a range of functions from the menus.
Datamine .DM block models are also supported in Surpac Vision.

- .PF files are Plot Files. These files can be opened in Surpac and they will
be loaded into the plot file window where the user can edit and create different plotting
elements.

- .TCL files are usually known as macros. They are custom programs, created
to perform a set of repetitive tasks or functionality specific to an operation. TCL scripts can be
recorded and edited easily. Some commercial third party scripts are available.

- .DXF, .DWG, .DGN, .DM, .SHP, .DGD, etc… These files form part of the
plugins module, which allows you to simply drag and drop any of the supported file formats
directly into Surpac.

- .SSI files are Surpac Software default files. These files can contain
information for particular modules such as Ring Design, colour settings for strings and DTMs
or default Surpac settings such as the background graphics colour.

1. String and DTM files

Spatial data such as designs, topography, end-of-period surveys, etc. are stored in String and
DTM files. These files enable you to quickly generate plots, create volume reports, generate
survey layout information or create additional files. To view a string file, try the following:

1. Clear any information you have in the graphics window by pressing the icon.

2. Open the file called pit1.str by dragging it into the graphics workspace. You should
see a series of lines in different colours.

Each colour represents a different string number. A string is a series of points joined together
to form one continuous line. Each point has Y, X and Z values. The points could also contain
description information about that point such as slope angle, berm width, assay value, etc.

3. From the Inquire menu, select Point properties and select some points in the pit.
Each point selected will have String, Segment and Point numbers as well as Y, X and
Z coordinates.

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By rotating the image you will see that each line represents a toe or crest line within the pit.
These could be called feature lines or break lines. These break lines are important when
creating DTMs as they control how the triangles are formed.

4. From the Surfaces menu, select Create DTM from layer. This will form a DTM wire-
frame from the data you see in the graphics area.

Note: If you don’t have a licence to use Surpac, you can see the DTM by pressing the
icon and then loading the pit1.dtm file by dragging it into the graphics area.

2. Drillhole Databases

Visualisation and interaction with the drillhole database is a major component of Surpac
Vision. Here you will see how you can open a database, display the drill holes and create
sections.

1. Locate the file called surpac.ddb and open it by dragging it into the graphics area.

You will see a new icon appear in the status bar of Surpac Vision. The drillhole database is
now ready to be used.

The data is stored in a relational database. In this case, it is stored in an Access database
called surpac.mdb. You can also open this file in its native editor, MS Access, to examine
and edit the data. Surpac Vision can also act as a database management tool for importing,
editing and viewing.

2. From the Database menu, select Display, then Drillholes to display the drillholes.

A form appears that allows you to enter information to be displayed such as geology patterns,
assay labels, graphs, etc.

On the Labels tab, select the sample table and select the gold field as shown below:

Click Apply.

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Apply the Constraints form without entering any information into it to display all drillholes
from the database.

You will notice that different assay numbers have different colours. These colours are
controlled by a styles table in the database, which is accessed from the Database menu by
selecting Display and then Drillhole display styles. We will now look at creating sections.

To create sections through your data, select Database, then Sections and then Define. You
can create sections in any orientation and the sections will be displayed in true 3-D
coordinates.

On the Section Method tab, enter the data as below (but don’t click Apply).

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Next, go to the Section Object tab, tick the box for Section Objects, and click Apply.

The section is now ready for plotting using Autoplot, graphical compositing, digitising ore
bodies and geological contacts, drillhole edit, graphical logs, etc.

3. Block modelling

The block model is a powerful dataset that contains 3-D spatial information such as grade
values, geological units, geophysical attributes, geotechnical information, optimisation values,
design data, scheduling information, haulage distances, etc.

The data is stored in blocks of a pre-defined size and spatial area. The number of attributes
included in a block model is unlimited and the type of information stored is diverse.

Here you will see how to display, constrain, and report a block model.

1. Clear any information from the graphics window by pressing the icon.

2. Open the file called block_model.mdl by dragging the file into graphics.

The block model will be loaded into memory and you will see the block model icon in the
status bar. We can now use the block model functionality to display and report information in
the block model.

3. From the Block model menu, select Block model, then Summary. When you have
reviewed the block model geometry and attributes, click Cancel.

4. From the Block model menu, select Display, then Display block model.

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The following form will appear. Fill the form in as shown below, and click Apply.

The block model is displayed in graphics. You will now remove the outer blocks from view to
display just the ore body.

5. From the Block model menu, choose Constraints, then New graphical constraint.

Constraints are a powerful way to define related parts of a block model, such as blocks inside
an ore zone. Constraints can be used for display, reporting, estimation, etc…

Select constraint type BLOCK and then fill in the three input boxes below to correspond to
“gold > 0”.

Click Add to add the constraint to the constraint values, then click Apply when ready.

Only those blocks which have gold grades greater than 0 will be displayed in the model.

Next, colour the blocks by the gold values.

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 6. From the Block model menu, select Display, then Colour model by attribute.

Fill in the form as shown below and click Apply.

7. From the Block model menu, select Display, then Edge and face visibility. Untick
Display block edges and Apply the form.

8. From the Block model menu, select Attributes, then View attribute for one block.
Click various blocks to see the values contained within them.

Last, we will create a report of the volume, tonnes, and average gold grade.

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9. From the Block model menu, select Block model, then Report.

10. Fill in the form as shown below and click Apply. We have chosen CSV output, as it is
easily imported into spreadsheets.

11. Fill in the form as shown below and click Apply. Right mouse click to add rows to the
Report Attributes part of the form. Use left mouse click to select options within a row.

The values entered will be stored in a format file for producing future reports of the same
type.

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The reported gold by Average will show average gold grades (g/t) and gold by Aggregate
will show total grams contained.

12. Fill in the form as shown below and click Apply. Notice that we are using the same
constraint we used previously to display the orebody in graphics.

A report will be produced as shown below showing the volume, tonnes and gold values for
each grade range.

Surpac Minex Group Jul 27 2006

Block Model Report

My first block model report

Constraints Used
a. > BLOCK gold 0

Keep blocks partially in the constraint : False

Gold Volume Tonnes Gold Gold

0.0 -> 1.0 1177375 3446795 0.4 1367051
1.0 -> 2.5 1057750 3054470 1.62 4955674
2.5 -> 5.0 218375 646390 3.16 2044325
5.0 -> 999.0 76375 226070 6.79 1536046
Grand Total 2529875 7373725 1.34 9903096

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4. Plotting

There are two modules for plotting in Surpac Vision. Autoplot is a WYSIWYG plotting
module, taking information displayed in graphics to produce plot files. The Advanced plotting
module allows you to produce far more complex plots or batch plots.

An example of a plot produced from the Advanced plotting module is viewsec.pf.

This section will deal with the use of Autoplot. A valid Surpac Vision licence is required for
this section.

1. Clear any information from the graphics window by pressing the icon.

2. Open the file pit1.str by dragging the file into the graphics window.

3. From the Plotting menu, select Autoplot.

4. Enter the values as below and Apply the form.

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 5. On the next form, enter information that you want to appear in the title block, and click
Apply.

Next, a box representing the page size will be drawn around the data in graphics.

6. Move this box by clicking and dragging it with the left mouse button. Press Enter or
the F2 key when you are ready to continue.

7. Enter the grid type and grid spacing required for the plot, then click Apply.

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The plot is displayed in the plot preview window. You can now edit or add information to the
plot using the Edit and Create menus.

Summary

You should now understand some of the basic functionality and file types used by Surpac
Vision. You should be able to load the main datasets and do some basic manipulation of the
data.

Summary
Upon completion of this Quick Start Guide you should:

• Know how to install Surpac Vision software

• Be able to start the software with the correct licencing system
• Understand the Surpac Vision interface
• Understand the basic Surpac Vision functionality
• Understand the main types of files used by Surpac Vision
• Have some basic knowledge of how to open and manipulate Surpac Vision data

This Quick Start Guide is designed to help new or prospective users install Surpac Vision
correctly and start using the software. It is not designed as a training aid and should not be
considered as a substitute for training.

The Surpac Vision Tutorials, available from www.surpac.com/Tutorials.asp cover many

concepts in more detail.

Your local support office will also have access to additional training aids and can help you
with advice on your particular training needs.

Visit www.surpac.com to locate your nearest Support Office.

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