Oasis montaj 6.3 Release Notes
May 1, 2006
Installing the Update
What's new in Oasis montaj 6.3
Previous release notes
How to install the 6.3 Update
To download and install the new release online:
All maintained users can upgrade online in Oasis montaj. On the Help menu in Oasis montaj, click Check for updates… and follow the instructions on the dialog boxes as they appear.
To download and then install the 6.3 release offline:
Go to the Oasis montaj updates page and download the Oasis montaj 6.3 Update. Unzip and run the exe
file. Follow the instructions on the dialogs as they appear. The offline file for 6.3 is very large (190 MB) and may take some time to download.
What's new in Oasis montaj 6.3?
Oasis montaj 6.3.0 is a major release that includes:
Oasis montaj
3D enhancements
- Overall improvements to the 3D tool that include improved stability, usability and axis display.
- Improvements to the imgorient3D.GX regarding overall ease of use and remembering of previous settings.
- Support for the import/conversion of Datamine 3D block models to Geosoft voxel.
- Voxel gridding is at least 5 times faster. The gridding improvements are dependent on your CPU supporting SSE2 extensions. Most users now use processors that support SSE2
Voxel manipulation enhancements include:
- Addition of a 3D math capability. The powerful math engine used for point data and grids now support voxel math. All of the extensive function operators supported by our math engine may now be applied to voxels.
- A Voxel-Grid Clipper has been added. The new capability allows you to clip a voxel to a gridded elevation surface. Clipping a voxel to two grids such as the top and bottom of a lithologic unit is also supported.
- Voxel import and export supported formats: XYZ, GDB, GOCAD and UBC
Map Templates
Map making has never been easier, with the addition of the new interactive map template creation tool. Users can now interactively create customized map templates for use within Oasis montaj. The template can be used to create simple base maps for standard presentations or very sophisticated final maps. This XML based template supports the creation of multiple data views on a single map. The user may define titles, text, logos, colour bars, and may even include background graphics or images in each view. For the power users, the templates are fully scriptable. This is a big leap forward in our quest for easy map making.
Polygon edit toolbar
Improved polygon editing toolbar that allows users better control over editing polygon vertices and improved usability
MapView/Group Manager
- We have added Drag n Drop capabilities to allow you to move map groups up and down within Views and also to move Views relative to each other
- "Always Open" – the Map View/Group Manager tool is now a "modeless" dialog which means it can remain open while you work on your map. It can be toggled on or off using the "M" hot key and can even be docked on the side of your screen or at the top with toolbars
- General improvements to usability and workflow
General Oasis montaj
- Project Manager is now a dockable tool
- Added support of background colour for pattern fills
- Added new avgrep.GX that averages channels with repeat XY values in a database
- Symbol plots now clip to the data extents
- The polymask.GX now uses the current XY pair and allows a user to create a new mask channel
- Improved the import ASCII tool to allow user to set string length on import
- New 3D menu. Allows you quick access to all of the 3D tools and GX’s
- New CDI gridding GX
- Contact help menu items now offer user to select which office she/he would like to send email
- General improvements to the scripting
- General bug fixes and improvements
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New SEMPLOT - Kimberlite Indicator Mineral Geochemistry Analysis tool
- A simple to use work flow for the analysis of indicator mineral grain geochemistry within the OM environment. The workflow includes the import of the data, the mineral identification of the grain based on its chemistry, display of the selected grains on the discriminating graphs and interactive re-classification. Standard published graphs are included. Users are also able to create their own graphs and overlays. Users may use the raw data, cation, recast, Fe normalized or Fe corrected data stages. The built in OM Dynamic linking ensures the spatial context between the grain graphs, database and maps is maintained.
Improved Triplot and Scatterplot tools:
- Allow users to plot Triplot or Scatterplot to existing or new maps. New maps allow for creation of overlays
- Use of overlays and templates
- Selection of data using polygons defined in overlays
- Use of fixed or zone coloured symbols
- Use of string classified symbols
- Improved linking abilities
- New chlevel.GX that levels values in the ASSAY channels based on categories or classes defined in a channel, and produces new leveled channels in the same database.
- New chboxplot.GX that creates a box plot of the selected assay data. A box plot divides the data up based on the input categorization channel, then plots a box-like figure which shows the data minimum and maximum, as well as the 25%, 50% (median) and 75% break points in the data.
- New chchancolor.GX that colours channels based on percentage breaks in the data.
- Improved the chchanitr.GX (Set channel colours). Added "Load" and "Save" buttons. Increased the maximum number of zones from 8 to 12
- Performance improvement with larger datasets
- New Voxel slicing. Allows users to plot a slice of a voxel on their plan or section.
- New plotting type for point data. Profile plots using point data are very similar to profile plots using from-to data, except you will not get the stair-step behaviour expected for from-to intervals, where the value is constant over the depth interval. The plotting method begins by binning the data into depth bins equal in width to the discretization interval (set in the Preferences GX under "Hole discretization interval". If more than one value falls within a bin, the items are averaged. The curve is then interpolated through the bins containing no data, using the interpolation method and gap specified above. If averaging is applied, it is performed on the interpolated data.
- Export of Datamine string files via section or plan maps. Only line work (e.g. no text or symbols) is exported. Each individual line, polyline or polygon object is exported to the file.
- DH3D.GX now only loads a voxel. This is to improve performance. Voxels must be created using the voxel gridding menu.
- Support for the import/conversion of Datamine 3D block models to Geosoft voxel.
- New Airborne gravity corrections.
- A new menu supporting an airborne gravity data processing workflow has been added to Oasis montaj. The work flow includes standard import and GPS data merging, recalculation of gravity from raw ZLS data, absolute gravity calculation, one- step corrections to Free Air,(or step by step corrections for stepwise corrections for vertical acceleration, Eotvos, earth tides, latitude and free air), Bouguer and terrain corrections
- New qcintersect.GX that allows the user to determine the flying height difference of the line and tie line intersections. Differences that fall outside of specification are flagged.
- Modified the QCDIURNL GX to create a new channel "Diurnl_Dev" with the actual deviation values.
- Added a new "PLDP Plot point convention" option to Pole-Dipole settings in the IP Defaults.
- Added a new "Depth convention" option to Pole-Dipole settings in the IP Defaults
- Added ability to append data to a database containing the same line numbers.
Improved performance of the newer suture method.
Masking option now available for two grid stitching. Allows masking of the output based on specified grid area.
A new target database is created in relation to the survey database instead of populating the survey database with the new target group with the uxparse and uxpkness.
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montaj Plus Extensions (Geosoft Partner Software)
New GM-SYS Features
- SEGYReader: reads standard SEG-Y files and exports them to BMP, Geosoft GRD, GDB, or geosoft_voxel. Can project SEG-Y to GM‑SYS cross section and export as an oriented grid or BMP. Runs standalone, called from GM‑SYS, or called from Oasis montaj.
- Horizontal magnetic gradient calculations.
- Full "cross-hair" cursor.
- Include up to 15 horizons from GDB or Geosoft Grids in a new model.
- Horizon values in Grids or GDB may all be either +up (elevations) or +down (depths) when building a new model.
- CVTGMS – scale horizontal and/or vertical axes by an arbitrary factor.
GM-SYS Enhancements
- LCT 2-Mod import now handles "residual" gravity field.
- Fix hang when zooming in the anomaly window(s).
- IHF output had wrong units flag for X coordinate.
- Fixed spike in calculations when station located directly over a vertical boundary.
- Removed "quotes" when copying from GM‑SYS spreadsheets to external files (e.g. Oasis montaj databases).
- Raster pattern flag saved in registry, examine block, and plot parameters.
- Can use "old" raster patterns instead of "new" vector patterns.
NGA GM-SYS 3-D
New Features
- Capability to write a GMSYS‑3D model to a Geosoft voxel.
- Capability to calculate gravity response from a Geosoft density voxel.
- Time-to-depth conversion:
- build a model in time, then use velocities to convert to a depth model.
- "Seismic" tab for time models.
- "Velocity" tab for layer parameters.
- 3D Model Explorer — displays information about the current model in a modeless dialog.
- Complete back up scheme for inversion target grids.
- DDTab – rewritten:
- ASCII file import is more robust
- Fixed several bugs in the dialog.
- Resample model to half-size and write to a new model name.
- Include up to 15 horizons from 3D model to GM-SYS Profile models.
- Integrated GX help with Oasis montaj allows hyper-linking.
- "Auto" DC-shift button added for Gravity and Magnetic calculations.
- Better UNICODE handling
- Upward continue the observed grid to a draped surface.
GM-SYS 3-D Enhancements
- The Density/Depth dialog has been completely rewritten. ASCII file import is more robust and several bugs were fixed in the dialog.
- DDTab parameters weren’t correctly written to the model file.
- Fixed loop that caused reasonable density values to generate errors.
- Error grid name is not required to run calculations.
- Improved "Undo" functionality for inversion.
- Improved "redraw" code so maps are only redrawn when changed.
- Dialogs don’t lose information when you switch tabs.
- Building a constraints grid from a well database doesn’t fail when the first well is off the map.
- New grids should always have their projection set to match the model.
- Improved checking to prevent calculations starting when required grids were missing.
Praga3 Radiometrics
Principal component methods
The main deal of work done in the new version of Praga3 software was focused on Principal Component methods, especially MNF methods.
New MNF methods
MNF code was completely rewritten to be as fast and effective as the NASVD method. There are now several options available to derive the noise covariance matrix in different ways. The algorithm of the shift-difference method was changed in a way that the influence of the signal component difference between adjacent spectra is minimum. The algorithm seems to be very reliable and shift-difference method is the recommended default option.
As a new option, the sample of the noise covariance can be also obtained by Least Squares Decorrelation (LSD) method directly from the data (signal+noise) covariance without need for accumulating special noise statistics.
New simplified sMNF method was designed. This method uses theoretical assumptions similar to those applied in NASVD method. sMNF derives pure synthetic noise covariance matrix which is then used to adjust data covariance matrix. The whole process includes only one PC transformation, no noise statistics collection and no spectra adjustments so it is even bit faster than NASVD.
For completeness, NAPCA method was also included; NAPCA is algorithmically different yet mathematically equivalent to standard MNF method. NAPCA is based on two successive PC transformations. Both, NAPCA and standard MNF methods should produce very similar or identical results; however some users might prefer the NAPCA approach.
Covariance matrix viewer was extended by a new functionality which allows the display of selected column or diagonal matrix vectors. This functionality helps to assess quality of the sample covariance matrix which is the input to the PC transformations. The tool includes also function which separates signal and noise parts from the variance accumulated in the main matrix diagonal. In NASVD this helps to test how well was noise normalized to unity, in MNF, main diagonal of the noise covariance matrix directly shows the variance of the statistical noise.
Eigenvector selection tool
For the inverse NASVD/MNF transformation (spectrum restoration), eigenvectors can be now also selected arbitrarily using eigenvector selection tool. Any combination of processed eigenvectors can be used to compose new spectra. For instance, this option allows output of the residual noise (higher order eigenvectors) in order to assess whether there is a loss of the signal in the inverse PC transformation or not.
Support for recalibrated spectra
Spectra which were recalibrated in such a way that original channel count rates were interpolated have property of non-zero correlation (covariance) of the noise component between adjacent channels. This is seen in the data (signal + noise) and noise covariance matrix where part of the statistical noise accumulates also in the first off-diagonal vector. Usually noise accumulates only in the main diagonal. This is not a problem for MNF methods which estimate noise from the data, in NASVD; interpolation changes the usual shape of higher-order (noise bearing) eigenvectors which look to be smoother.
As the higher-order eigenvectors are excluded from the inverse transform, it is unlikely that spectrum restoration will be affected by the spectrum recalibration process. However to make eigenvectors consistent with non-calibrated spectra, Praga3 includes ARS option (covariance matrix Adjustment for Recalibrated Spectra) which adjusts data covariance matrix in such way that the effect of the channel interpolation (noise correlation between adjacent channels) is removed, resulting eigenvectors look like eigenvectors of spectra where channel count rates were not interpolated.
Synthetic data
Using model detector responses and random generator with Poisson distribution it is possible to produce easily synthetic dataset which is equivalent to the input dataset. Such a dataset follows ground distribution of natural (or man-made) radioactive sources as in the real survey.
Radon results plot
New Data Plot tool was designed. Line averages of radon, uranium levels and other helpful parameters are plotted to allow for the first assessment of the radon Analysis process prior to radon Removal. Spectral-ratio values can be interactively adjusted to see immediate change in estimated radon levels. This is very important for fine-tuning of spectral-ratio method which is extremely sensitive even to minor changes of ratios values.
Right-click context menus
Right-click context menus were added to most displays for better control over Praga3 functionality.
Improved scaling functionality
All plots and displays now hold their own scaling parameters, eigenvectors and covariance matrix vectors can be now displayed either in Auto scale mode which is good for comparison of shape differences or in Equal scale mode which is better for comparison of vector amplitudes.
Slider control
Slider control was added also to the eigenvector plot functionality to allow for better control while browsing through the whole set of eigenvectors.
Save As …
Option was added to enable the project to be saved in the same data structure but under another name. This enables users to test project processing using different parameter settings.
Processing and output
In the Oasis montaj version, there is a new option to exit automatically Praga3 to Oasis montaj environment after processing is finished. In the non-Oasis montaj version it is now possible to output results also into PEI binary structure files.
- Added support for the IGRF for 2005
- Added support for the IGRF up to 2010
- Added support for grid files with spaces in name for IGRF
A new predictive targeting tool has been implemented in Oasis montaj. It incorporates three GXs that are applied as follows:
- Define a training area incorporating one or more targets, using field or model data
- Apply neural network training to extract target signatures
- Apply neural network simulation to identify new targets and delineate areas of interest
The tool uses a grid-based approach, incorporating the available data layers. It was developed through a research projected supported by the Canadian Space Agency, and has been tested for a number of mineral deposit types in various geological environments.
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