Rapid Reserver creates a volume in space, cuts that volume into benches, and cuts benches into blocks. Those block solids are immediately reserved for blast masters, grade control and mine scheduling.

Rapid Reserver design view

Rapid Reserver is organised into four tabs:

• Solid Lab may be used to create pit solids and dump solids.
• Setup contains an ordered task list to prepare the project.
• Designer contains the 3D work environment to cut solids from benches.
• Reports allows the user to QAQC the reserves without leaving the application.

The exercises in this chapter are for familiarisation purposes and are deliberately light on detail. More in-depth discussion follows in the next sections.

Unless otherwise noted, each exercise follows from the preceding exercise.

Contents

Solid Lab

All benches in Rapid Reserver are cut from a master solid. If you do not already have a pit solid or dump solid, these can be created in the Solid Lab.

Intersect Pit Design and Topo

Create Pit1_Stage1 from the sample data by following the steps below:

1. Navigate to the Solid Lab
2. Click the blue plus icon to add a new Solid Operation Set.
3. Rename the set to 'pit1_s1'
4. Click 'Add Operation' > 'Create Solid Above All Surfaces'
5. Click in 'Surfaces' > Add Input > From Layer
6. Choose (or import) the design for the current pit and press OK to finish.
   
7. Click 'Add Operation' > 'Create Solid Below All Surfaces'
8. Click in 'Surfaces' > Add Input > From Layer
9. Choose (or import) the topograpy and press OK to finish.
10. Click 'Add Operation' > 'Intersect Solids'
11. Click in 'Surfaces'
12. Add Input > Output From Operation 1
13. Add Input > Output From Operation 2
    
14. Press the blue run icon to execute the solid operations.
15. Select the 'Result' row to see the result in the viewport.
16. Press the green arrow icon to save the result to the Layer Panel.

Clip Solid By Polygon

Create Pit1_Stage2 from the sample data by following the steps below:

1. Press the copy icon to copy the solid operation set for pit1_s1
2. Rename the copy to 'pit1_s2'
3. In 'Create Solid Above All Surfaces' change the Surfaces selection to 'pit1_s2'.
4. In 'Create Solid Below All Surfaces' change the Surfaces selection to 'pit1_s1' and the topography.
5. Run the operations.
6. Save  the result to the Layer Panel.
   
7. Click 'Add Operation' > 'Create Solid From Polygons'.
8. Press the up / down icons to move the operation to third place in the list.
9. Press the draw polygon icon and draw around the pit solid, excluding the batter shards.
10. In 'Intersect Solids', change the Solids selection to include 'Output From Operation 3'.
11. Run the operations.
12. Save  the result to the Layer Panel.

Setup Tab

The setup tab contains an ordered task list to setup the project.

Settings

In Setup > Settings, toggle 'Use Block Model' to true.

Settings > Use Block Model.

For this tutorial, leave all other settings at the default values.

Tables

Before we create any solids in the project, we are going to create the address system in which they live. Each Table is an ordered hierarchical address, such as "Mine/Pit/Stage/Bench/Blast".

Tables define the address codes for blocks.

Table Type

A table is either a Pit or a Dump type. This determines whether the solids will be reserved or not.

Table Levels

Click in the Reserves and Dumps tables to see their levels.

Level Names

Level names describe what the level holds, such as the Mine level or the Pit level.

Level Association

Each table must have exactly one Blast level and exactly one Bench level. All other levels (such as Mine, Pit, Stage) are called Phase levels.

Default Value

Levels will be assigned a default value when they are first created.

Auto Unique

Where a blast level is toggled 'Auto Unique', the solids will be automatically renumbered to prevent duplicate names.

Image

Select an icon from the dropdown list to represent each level.

Block Model

Load block models in the Block Model step.

Default block model step.

Quick notes:

• A reserve model is a collection of block models.
• Each project loads a single .resmodel file at a time.
• The New and Open buttons create and load reserve model files.
• The Edit button is where block models may be added or removed from the reserve model.

Create a Reserve Model

Press the New button to open the Reserve Model Generator.

Reserve Model Generator > Import CSV file

Select import > CSV file > bm1.csv

• Set the green Header Line to match the header text.
• Set the yellow Data Offset to match the first row of data.
• Press OK to finish.

Block Model CSV preview dialog

When the block model is loaded, its header fields are listed in the Variables panel on the right.

• Drag and drop the variables to the appropriate field (or double click to map to the selected field).
• Numeric fields use the N("field") syntax, and text fields use the T("field") syntax.

Map the block model values into the reserve.

New reserve fields can be created by clicking the sum , weighted , and class icons in the top button ribbon. These add new rows into the field list.

• Sum fields are summed together, such as volume, tonnes and gold ounces.
• Weighted fields are weight-averaged by a sum field, such as iron percent or gold ppm.
• Class fields create subtotals of a sum field, such as Indicated / Inferred / Measured.

The Parcel field is used to categorize the material type in each block model cell.

• Most block models contain a material type field, such as "MatType" or "IDProduct'.
• If there is no material type field in the block model, see the Block Model Formulas section to write your own.
• Be careful to use the text T("material") syntax so that the parcel is read as text, not as a number.

Once all fields are mapped as shown, press the Generate button to build the reserve model.

If the Errors panel is blank, and once all fields are mapped, press Generate to build the reserve model.

Once the reserve model file has been generated, a block model summary is displayed for each loaded block model.

• Use the Min/Max toggle to inspect the data for missing or rubbish values.
• Check the material types, tonnes and grades for ballpark accuracy.

Use the block model summary table to inspect the data before continuing.

Once you are satisfied, press play to the next step.

Phase Properties

A phase property is a field that holds one value for an entire pit or stage. For example, a call factor or cycle time adjustment.

For this tutorial, we will skip the step and continue to Blast Properties.

Blast Properties

Blast properties can be used to assign a tag or value to a blast for use in scheduling software downstream.

Examples include:

• Blasting parameters
  • Rock code
  • Drill diameter
• Productivity parameters
  • Productivity factor
  • Bore flag
• Drill prescheduling
  • Drill meters remaining

For this tutorial,

1. Press the blue plus icon to add a new blast property.
2. Click in the Name field and rename to "RemainingProdMeters".
3. Change the Property Type to 'Number'.
4. Change the Minimum Value to zero and the Maximum Value to one.
5. Set the default value to zero.

Phases

Each phase is defined by a closed master solid.

Press the folder icon to import solids from a folder location, or the layer icon to select items from the Layer panel.

Import closed solids into the Phases step.

Use the Z-Plane slider (between the solid list and the 3D viewport) to check for overlaps between the phase solids.

• Overlaps are marked with a red and white hatch pattern.
  • If a pit is being backfilled, then there may be a valid overlapping of solids giving the candy-cane pattern as below.
• To avoid double-counting tonnes in an overlap, revert to the Solid Lab and use the Subtract Solids function to clean up the data.

Use the Z-Plane slider to check for overlaps between phases.

To update the solid for a given phase, click in the Solid dropdown > Geometry Chooser > import new solid.

Click in the Solid dropdown > Geometry Chooser to import redesigns into an existing phase.

Once you are satisfied with the phases, press play to the next step.

Bench Templates

In this step we create the bench height options that can be applied to phases. You may choose a single template to cover all pits, or have multiple templates for different mine areas.

The default bench template is 10 meter increments aligned to the zero^th RL.

Create a dump height template:

1. Press the blue plus icon to add a new bench template.
2. Rename the bench template to '20m'.
3. In the Definition panel, change the height value to 20.
4. Select one of the dumps from the Phases list.
5. Inspect the results in the 3D viewport.

Create a mixed-height template:

1. Press the blue plus icon to add a new bench template.
2. Rename the bench template to 'pit3'.
3. In the Definition panel, press "Add to Bottom".
4. Change the RL to 770
5. Change the height below 770RL to five.
6. Select pit3 in the Phases list.
7. Inspect the results in the 3D viewport.

Add to Top / Add to Bottom may be used to set different bench heights by elevation.

Once you are satisfied, press play to the next step.

Depletion Surfaces

The phase solids can be cut with up to date depletion surfaces, these can be applied to the top of a pit phase or the base of a dump. There is also the option to input a bounding elevation to reduce the number of blocks exported from the reserves to the scheduler, in the case of a short term schedule.

1. In the Depletion Surfaces pane press the blue plus icon to import required surfaces
2. In the Phases pane apply the required depletion surface to each phase

Import Depletion Surfaces to use

Phase Exclusion Areas

The phase solids can be cut with up to date depletion surfaces, these can be applied to the top of a pit phase or the base of a dump. There is also the option to input a bounding elevation to reduce the number of blocks exported from the reserves to the scheduler, in the case of a short term schedule.

1. Set the required thickness using the vertical bar to 2m
2. For each phase digitise a polygon around the area above the Threshold (in Blue)

Digitise around the remaining phase solid

Phase Details

Set the table, block model, bench template and defaults for each phase.

Quick Notes:

• Details may be assigned to multiple phases at once by multi-selecting with the Shift and Control hotkeys.
• Phases may be grouped and organised by dragging from the Available Fields column into the Grouped Fields column. 
• Some sites have automatic phase naming. If enabled, these may be accessed via the Scripts menu
• Mine - Pit - Stage levels define unique name for each bench.

Enter the phase details for each listed phase solid.

Populate the phase details for each phase in the left hand phase list:

Bench Preconditioning

Allows the user to send material down/ to be mined with the next/previous bench

Polygon drawn around area to be mined with bench below

Wall Controls

Create new wall control fields in the database. "Wall" is created by default

Do not change anything here

Wall Control Designs

Populate the Wall Control parameters created in the previous step

Add/Remove Wall Control areas

Designer Tab

The designer tab is the primary 3D work environment for the project.

• View the entire solid inventory by pit, stage, or bench.
• Show colour-coded block models in the background.
• Inspect solid properties, reserves, and attributes.
• Resolve errors in the Error List.

Designer tab overview

Navigate

Use these tools to see and interact with the 3D design area.

Mouse Controls

Selection		Left click and drag.
Pan		Middle click and drag.
Rotate		Right click and drag.
Zoom		Scroll wheel.
Zoom Extents		Left click on the compass widget.
Vertical Exaggeration	-	Ctrl + Scroll wheel.

Compass

The compass widget sits in the top right of the viewport.

Plan View		Click on the axis cones to snap to orthogonal views.
Zoom Extents		Click on the grey cube to zoom to extents.
Night Mode		Click on the sun icon to toggle night mode.

Level Tree

The level tree displays the hierarchy of mines, pits, stages and benches in the project.

Click in the level tree to see the solid collection.

Measurement

Use the scale bar to estimate distances and scale in the viewport.

Viewport scale bar.

Design

Pick a bench in the level tree and cut up blasts as shown.

Blank bench in Stage1/800

Draw Line

1. Click on the draw icon or type keyboard shortcut (D).
2. Left click on one side of the bench, outside the boundary line.
3. Left click on the other side of the bench, outside the boundary line.
4. Press Escape.

The bench is cut into two volumes by the drawn line.

Move Point

1. Click the point-move icon or type keyboard shortcut (F).
2. Select a point on a line.
3. Click the new point coordinates to move it there.

Solid reserves are recalculated with every point move.

Offset Lines

1. Click the line-offset icon or type keyboard shortcut (O).
2. Select a line to offset (this may include the bench boundary polygon).

Offset line by fixed distances.

Offset line by mouse coordinate.

Trim Lines

1. Click the line-trim icon or type keyboard shortcut (T).
2. Click on a line to trim it back to the nearest intersection.

Lines trimmed back to nearest intersection.

Delete Lines

1. Box-select all lines in the viewport.
2. Press the Delete key or the delete icon

Undo / Redo

1. Left click in the 3D viewport to activate the area.
2. Press Control+Z to undo the last change.
3. Activate the History panel in the bottom right of the application.
4. Click through the history list to see different past states.

Use the History panel to revert to a previous state.

Design Shortcuts

Polygon Draw		Hotkey P
Line Draw		Hotkey D
Point Move		Hotkey F
Point Insert		Hotkey A
Point Delete		Hotkey S
Line Move		Hotkey M
Line Copy		Hotkey C
Line Delete		Hotkey N
Line Join / Poly Close		Hotkey J
Line Break / Poly Open		Hotkey B
Line Rotate		Hotkey R
Line Offset		Hotkey O
Line Trim		Hotkey T
Line Replace		-

Generate

Rapid Reserver contains tools for automatically generating blast masters on a single bench, or across the entire mine.

Auto Grid Tool

1. In the Level Tree, select the Stage1 collection so that all benches in Stage 1 are visible.
2. Open the grid tool and select 'With Visible Benches'.
3. Tick "Remove Existing Designs" to clear existing linework.
4. Tick "Generate Ramp Shots" and enter the min/max ramp angle to detect.
5. Tick "Generate Trim Shots" and enter the trim shot length and width.
6. Tick "Generate Internal Shots",
   1. Set the grid type to "Fitted Blasts",
   2. Set the Size X and Size Y to the blast dimensions (80 x 80),
   3. Set the Bearing to match the pit orientation (120°).
7. Tick "Generate Contours" and enter the minimum contour area.
8. Press OK to finish.

Automatic ramp, trim, contour and production blasts.

Inspect

Properties

The Properties panel displays the properties and attributes of the current solid selection.

Solid properties for Blast 93 on the 800RL.

Reserves

The Reserves panel displays the reserves of the current solid selection.

Example of reserves in a blast.

To change anything in the Reserves panel, refer back to the Setup > Block Models step.

Error List

Review the Error List to check the reserves for trivial volumes and batter shards.

1. Activate the Error List.
2. Double click on a line to zoom to it.
3. Either set the block property to Exclude, or redraw the construction lines to remove the block.

Trivial volumes (green) as a result of polygon overlaps or gaps.

View

Display Panel

Use the Display panel to control the viewport display.

Labels

Labels may be used to show solid properties, reserves, and attributes at a glance.

• Press the eyeball icon to show and hide labels.
• Use the Text dropdown to select the label text.
• Use the colour, front and size selectors to alter the label display.

Label visibility, text, colors and size.

Example of labeling blasts by iron grade.

Solids

Blast solids and Dig solids may be displayed as 2D polygons or as 3D triangulations.

• Press the eyeball icons to show and hide entities.
• Drag the opacity slider to make polygons more or less opaque.
• Use the shading dropdown to colour the solids by their properties or contents.

Choose blast colour and visibility.

Blue ramp, purple contour, beige production, green trim.

Construction Lines

Benches are divided into blasts by drawn construction lines.

• Press the Lines icon to toggle visibility.
• Press the Extrusion icon to display lines as fences.

Toggle line visibility and extrusion.

Example of extruded construction lines.

Block Model

Blast reserves are calculated by intersecting the 3D solid with the block model cells.

• Press the eyeball icon to show or hide block models.
• Use the height slider to view the block model in cross section.
• Use the constraints and shading selectors to choose what to display and what to hide.

Block model visibility, clipping, filtering and shading.

Example of shading by material type.

Layers Panel

Triangulations and linework may be loaded in the Layers panel. This may be useful for visualising the pit extents, topography and design lines.

Click and drag on layer icons to arrange them into lists or folders.

Add Layer
Remove Layer
Create Folder
Sort Layers
Export Layers
Visibility Toggle
Snap To Surface
Draw Wireframes
Color Selector

Exports

Export lines, polygons, solids and reserves for further mine planning and operational activities.

Named Polylines

1. Press the Export button at the top of the Level Tree.
2. Select Export > From Project > Named Polylines.
3. Press the folder icon to set the file path.
4. Tick which benches to export in the level tree on the left.
5. Using the Settings dropdowns to select the file format, file names, layer names, polygon names, and description fields.
6. Press OK to finish.

Export > From Project > Named Polylines.

Named Polylines export parameters.

Imports

Import construction lines and named polygons such as blast masters.

Named Polygons (Benches)

1. Press the Import button at the top of the Level Tree.
2. Select Import > Into Project > Named Polygons.
3. Use the windows explorer browser to select the polygon file/s you want to import.
4. Select the Map to Bench Level and when importing multiple polygon files select the Map to Files option.
5. In the File Mappings table, map the correct Input Name to the correct Field Name by clicking on the Input Name cell for each row and clicking on the dropdown.
6. Repeat the process for the Data Mappings table mapping.
7. Click Next when finished.
8. If the previous form is filled out correctly, the next form should be able to identify the correct file to map to each bench due to activating the Map to Files option. If the files are not mapped to the correct bench, you can delete the auto mapping and drag and drop the correct file to the correct bench.
9. Click Finish when form is correctly filled and check the results in Rapid Reserver by displaying the labels for each block.

Import > Into Project > Named Polygons.

Import Named Polygon Template (Benches)

Map Files to Benches

Named polygon import result. (Bench Blast ID)

Named Polygons (Flitches)

1. Press the Import button at the top of the Level Tree.
2. Select Import > Into Project > Named Polygons.
3. Use the windows explorer browser to select the polygon file/s you want to import.
4. Uncheck the Map to Bench Level option and when importing multiple polygon files select the Map to Files option.
5. In the File Mappings table, map the correct Input Name to the correct Field Name by clicking on the Input Name cell for each row and clicking on the dropdown.
6. Repeat the process for the Data Mappings table mapping.
7. Click Next when finished.
8. If the previous form is filled out correctly, the next form should be able to identify the correct file to map to each flitch due to activating the Map to Files option. If the files are not mapped to the correct flitch, you can delete the auto mapping and drag and drop the correct file to the correct flitch.
9. Click Finish when form is correctly filled and check the results in Rapid Reserver by displaying the labels for each block.

Import > Into Project > Named Polygons.

Import Named Polygon Template (Flitches)

Map Files to Flitch

Named polygon import result. (Bench Blast ID & Dig Block Id on the Flitch level)