RR. Block Model

Owned by iarmstrong
Last updated: Mar 30, 2022
7 min read

In the Block Model step you will be prompted to load your block models from Surpac (.mdl), Vulcan (.bmf), MineSight (.dat) or Micromine and convert it to Alastri Block Model format (which is .resmodel).

Within Alastri’s resmodel we can take multiple block models and convert them to a common structure, common framework, with same number of fields and same fields in terms of their names, what makes it a lot easier to store the information.

Block Model step overview

  • 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.

Creating Reserve Model

Press the New button to open the Reserve Model Generator.

Reserve Model Generator > Import CSV file

  1. Press blue plus icon and import CSV file “.myblockmodel.csv”.

  2. Set the green Header Line to match the header text.

  3. Set the yellow Data Offset to match the first row of data.

  4. Press OK to finish.

When importing Block Model CSV, you’ll see a preview of the first 100 rows of this CSV. It's a good time-saving feature, as your site Block models CSVs can be of a very large size and take a long time to open.

Mapping

  • Once the block model has 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.

The Parcel field is used to categorise 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.

For the Volume field use the formula N("DX")*N("DY")*N("DZ").

For the DryTonnes field use the formula N("DX")*N("DY")*N("DZ")*N("SG").

For the WetTonnes field use the formula N("DX")*N("DY")*N("DZ")*N("SG")/0.95.

  • Be careful to use the text T(“material”) syntax so that the parcel is read as text, not as a number.

Block Model Formulas and Logical Operators

There are a number of expressions available to use in the Reserve Model Generator.

A+B

Add A and B

A-B

Subtract B from A

A*B

Multiply A and B

A/B

Divide A by B

A.ToLower()

Convert all upper case text (HG, Hg, hg) into lower case (hg)

Math.Min(A,B)

Return the minimum of A and B

Math.Max(A,B)

Return the maximum of A and B

N("density") <= 0 ? 0 : N("volume")

If density is less than or equal to zero, return zero volume, else return the volume field

A.Substring(0,Math.Min(3,A.Length))

Return the first three letters of A

( RowT("material")=="waste1" || RowT("material")=="waste2" ) ? "waste" : RowT("material")

If material is waste1 or waste2, then return "waste", else return the "material"

And

&&

If A is "true" and B is "true" and C is "true", then return "true", else return "false"

Or

||

If A is "true" or B is "true" or C is "true", then return "true", else return "false"

Equal to

==

If A is equal to B, return "true", else return "false"

Not equal to

!=

If A is not equal to B, return "true", else return "false"

Greater than

>

If A is greater than B, return "true", else return "false"

Greater than or equal to

>=

If A is greater than or equal to B, return "true", else return "false"

Less than

<

If A is less than B, return "true", else return "false"

Less than or equal to

<=

If A is less than or equal to B, return "true", else return "false"

Fields

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

  • Sum fields are summed together, such as volumes, tonnes, and gold ounces.

  • Weighted fields are weight-averaged by their parent field, such as iron percent or gold ppm.

  • Class fields create subtotals of their parent fields, such as tonnes of Indicated / Inferred / Measured.

Create and map the fields for Fe, Al, Si, P, Mn, LOI, and S.

  • Use the top button ribbon to add the fields under the correct parent.

  • Use the variables list to map values into the fields.

  • Select the appropriate format for each field.

  • Check for hints in the Errors panel below the fields.

Custom Variables

If required variable is not available, you must create/edit it in the Script Editor window, which can be accessed via the Custom Variables button.

  1. Press the Custom Variables button.

  2. In the Script Editor window, customize the formula code.

  3. You can copy sample scripts from the RR. Block Model Custom Variables section and paste them into the Editor window (for easy access: press the Help icon (Question mark) and navigate Rapid Reserver Documentation > RR. Exercises > RR. Block Model Custom Variables).

4. Change the required values, such as the parcel and thresholds.

5. Verify that the code is correct by pressing the Compile button.

6. If there are no errors, click OK.

7. The new custom variable will appear in the Variables list on the right in bold. Drag and drop it to map it to the applicable field.

Reserve Field Value Clamping

Use Minimum and Maximum columns to clamp numbers by block to be >= Minimum and <= Maximum.

This functionality can be used to help with data hygiene by ensuring that values are somewhat sensible.

Exporting Mapping

To facilitate the matching of fields of similar block models, the filled fields of one model can be copied and pasted into the other. The Copy Mappings and Export Fields buttons are used for this purpose.

Find and Replace

You can also use the Find and Replace button to speed up the filling of similar parameters in copied mappings.

Errors List

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

Recommendation

Always save reserve model files locally (or on the same server on which Rapid Reserver is running). When sharing work with a colleague, the Rapid Reserver file and the reserve model file should be shared together.

As such, a good rule of thumb is to save the reserve model file in the same folder as the Rapid Reserver project, to reduce confusion when sharing or backing up files.

Reserves Summary

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.

Export

You can export the entire Reserves model to a CSV file. To do this, click the Export button on the top line and specify the path to the destination folder.

The new CSV file will contain all block models, with all the blocks and all the fields existing and added by the user.

You can also narrow your Block Model Data export by selecting which parcels and fields you wish to export from the Reserves Summary.

Selected parcels and fields of the Reserves model can be exported to Excel or to Text/CSV formats.