3d lithology model - exploded view?

[MTetford]

Hi,

I'm using Rockworks 15 and have created a 3d model of lithology for a small site. The hydrogeologist involved in the project has asked me if I can display the lithology in an "exploded" view, like the example jpeg I've attached. He'd like me to separate the lithologies and "float" them apart so he can "see them better". I've been looking through the Manual but don't really see this option listed anywhere. Am I just missing it? Any advice would be appreciated.

thank-you.

[Alison]

The diagram you've included looks more like a stratigraphy model than a lithology model. A stratigraphy model is composed of stacked gridded surfaces that can be displayed like this. Because lithology models are composed of block models, there isn't an easy option to display the block model as surfaces dividing the various material types.

I can think of a couple of solutions for you:

1. If your lithology can actually be modeled as stratigraphy, you might try transferring the data to the stratigraphy table and creating a stratigraphy model. This would require that your lithology be fairly simple and meet the following requirements:
   1. Each stratigraphy unit can only be listed once in each borehole.
   2. The stratigraphic units must fall in the same order in each borehole.

1. You also might be able to use the Lithology / Superface tool to create gridded surfaces representing the tops of various material types in the lithology model. These 3D surfaces can be saved as R3DXML files and appended to a view of your 3D boreholes. This would also really require that you have fairly discrete layers within your lithology model.

It’s hard to know how either of these options would work without seeing your data. If you would like us to take a look, feel free to contact us at tech@ rockware.com to arrange for this.

Best Regards,

Alison

[MTetford]

Thanks, Alison. I have used the "converting lithology to stratigraphy" route on a previous project, but we had started that one with that in mind, so it worked quite well. This time around, unfortunately, I'm working with a different project manager at a site where there's more mixing of soils, and he didn't want to re-interpret all the borehole logs before I ran the model. I'll try the Lithology / Superface tool, to see if I can make that work for him, but I'm thinking it's really your suggestion #1 that needs to be done.

I appreciate your help.

cheers,

Mira