RR. Solid Lab tab



At the bottom of the Operations panel is an option to select the Grid Size for Surface Calculations. By default, it’s set to 5 to ensure faster results calculation. Set it to 1 to generate smoother surfaces, but keep in mind that the smaller the grid size, the more time it takes to generate the resulting surfaces and solids.


Solid Lab consists of four main sections, described in more detail below.

Examples of how to use the Solid Lab tab are shown here.

Operations Set Panel

In this tab you can create a new operation set with a descriptive name indicating what this set is expected to create.

A series of Boolean operations are added in the Operations panel to create a final outcome. Organising the creation of the final files in sets displays a high degree of transparency in what files were used to create the final solid allowing ease of error trapping.

An operation set can be copied with the files swapped out for a different outcome.

Icon

Description

Icon

Description

Create a new blank Operation Set. All operations must be individually added.

Copy an existing Operation Set including all existing operations. If the same operations are being used to create a phase, swap out the required files.

Remove highlighted Operation Set.

Reorder Operation Set by moving highlighted set up/down the list.


Operations Panel

Click the Add Operation button to display a list of the available operations.

Each operation performs a single boolean step and a number of these steps are used in concert to create the final result.



Press blue play button to generate a result.

Click on the Result line to view the result of each added operation.


Operations from Add Operation dropdown are described in table below.

Operation

Description

 

Operation

Description

 

Create Solid Above All Surfaces

If multiple surfaces are overlapping, this option will use the upper triangulated surface of the overlapping surfaces as the base for the solid being created. Then this surface projects up to create a closed solid.

Create Solid Above Any Surface

If multiple surfaces are overlapping, this option will use the lower triangulated surface of the overlapping surfaces as the base for the solid being created.

Create Solid Below All Surfaces

If multiple surfaces are overlapping, this option will use the lower triangulated surface of the overlapping surfaces as the top for the solid being created.

Create Solid Below Any Surface

If multiple surfaces are overlapping, this option will use the upper triangulated surface of the overlapping surfaces as the top for the solid being created.

Note

Create Solid From Polygons

Creates a solid from a polygon. These polygons can be digitised or imported.

Create Solid Above Plane

Define a plane by typing in an X, Y, Z value. An upper surface is projected above this plane and a closed solid is triangulated.

Create Solid Below Plane

Define a plane by typing in an X, Y, Z value. A lower surface is projected below this plane and a closed solid is triangulated.

Union Solids

Joins two or more solids into the same layer. These solids can be intersecting but may be free standing.

Intersect Solids

Intersects solids. Returns the intersection of two or more solids. The result is that part that is common to all imported solids. Multiple solids may be imported here.

Subtract Solids

Outersects solids. Firstly, unions the inclusive solids together, then subtracts each excluding solid from the result.

The result is that part of the Inclusive solids that has had the Excluding solids removed from it.

Translate Solid or Surface

Type in an X, Y, Z value to define the translation. Existing triangulated surface is translated to the new location.

Reduce Complexity

Reduces the complexity of a solid. This functionality can be used to remove shards left over after another operation (Example: Subtract solids operation).

  • Input the solid with multiple shards.

  • Give a Minimum Acceptable Volume, all the minor solids with a volume below that minimum value will be removed.

  • In the Maximum Error field, set the triangulation error limit to 0.1 - 0.5.

  • Pinch Tolerance lets you remove smaller volume areas (such as short edges and narrow regions) with thickness lass than the amount specified. Unless you have a specific problem you wish to address, leave the value by default.

Upper Surface

An open surface is created of the upper part of the input solid(s).

Lower Surface

An open surface is created of the lower part of the input solid(s).

Clip Surface by Polygon (Exclude Outside)

Intersect a surface with a polygon(s). This can be digitised or imported. Exclude the outside.

Clip Surface by Polygon (Exclude Inside)

Outersect a surface with a polygon(s). This can be digitised or imported. Exclude the inside.

Append Surfaces

Append surfaces to one another in the given order.

Create Pit Solid From Polygon at Top

Pit solid is created from a polygon, top down. Draw a polygon, specify its Z level, number of benches, bench height, batter angle and berm width. Can be used for creating inner stages.

 

Create Pit Solid From Polygon at Bottom

Pit solid is created from a polygon, bottom up. Draw a polygon, specify its Z level, number of benches, bench height, batter angle and berm width. Can be used for creating inner stages.

Create Dump Solid From Polygon at Top

Dump solid is created from a polygon, top down. Draw a polygon, specify its Z level, number of lefts, lift height, batter angle and berm width. Can be used for creating inner stages.

Create Dump Solid From Polygon at Bottom

Dump solid is created from a polygon, bottom up. Draw a polygon, specify its Z level, number of lefts, lift height, batter angle and berm width. Can be used for creating inner stages.


Exercise and Illustration

Creating a Solid for a Pit Stage

This operation is used for a pit containing 2 phases, to create a solid phase of Stage 2 excluding Stage 1.

To run this operation the following surface files are required:

  • upper surface topography,

  • design surface file for Pit1_Stage1,

  • design surface file for Pit1_Stage2.

  1. Create a solid above the Pit1_Stage2 design.

  2. Create a solid below the Pit1_Stage1 design and the natural surface file.

  3. Intersect the 2 solids.


Besides Add Operations button Operations Panel also contains icons to delete operations, move up/down, run and save results to the file or Layers panel.

See the description of these icons in the table below.

Icons

Symbol

Description

Icons

Symbol

Description

Red X

Remove highlighted Operation.

Up / Down arrows

Reorder operations by moving highlighted set up/down the list.

Blue triangle (Play sign)

Run operations.

Save Disc

Save the result of the selected operation to a file.

Green Arrow

Save the result of the selected operation to the Layers panel.

The result will be saved as Solid Operation Set name + Number of the Operation, ie. “pit1_s1.3”, “pit3_ss.4“ etc.


Viewport

In a viewport you may review and work with results of operations and imported layers.

Depending on the operations that are being run, different icons become available at a top of viewport.

Most common CAD tools are explained in the UI. Toolbar section. All icons have tools tips.


Layers Panel

In Layers panel you may import surfaces and solids triangulations, display and organise them, as well as assign colors, visibility etc. Detailed description of Layers panel options find here.


Video Instructions

See below Video instructions on how to interact with Solid Lab tab features.

The Layers panel tools are explained in the video below:

After loading/creating all the layers required, you can start modeling your Solid Operation sets as explained in the video: