GemcomGEMS 6.4 Release Notes

GemcomGEMS 6.4 Release NotesLast modified: March 2012

New features

Architecture

l GEMS can now be installed to any folder and be used simultaneously with a previouslyinstalled version of GEMS. The organisation of files and registry keys have beenupdated, while existing installations remain unaffected by these changes. Existing instal-lations will also not be overwritten.

l GGP Edit can be run regardless of where GEMSis installed.

Block Models

l The Interpolate and Report dialog box (Tools > Geostatistics > Interpolate >Interpolate and Report...) has been updated. Users can now:

l choosemultiple interpolation profiles at the same time.l view the number of profiles they are referencing.l resize the dialog box.

l Users can now usemore than 100 interpolation profiles with Interpolate and Report.l Users can nowmodify a block model workspace by using a distance value to extend or

shrink, i.e., change the dimensions of, a block model (Block > Edit > WorkspaceProperties).

l Block model saving capabilities have improved, and users can savemany more inter-polated values into block model destination workspaces.

l When users import pits fromWhittleMining Sequence (.msq) files, the following attrib-utes are also imported and populated:

l mining and processing cost adjustment factorsl pushbacksl tonnage of the block that is minedl fraction and tonnage of the block that is mined for each pitl element grade and product of the block for each, element, and mining

process combinationl The amount of time to import WhittleMining Sequence (.msq) files has significantly

decreased.l Users can now use the Gemcom Block Model Converter to import block model projects

from external sources, including Surpac, Vulcan, and Datamine.

Geostatistics

l The normalized variogram type is now the default used to calculate nugget, sill, andrange values.

Graphical User Interface

l TheGEMS Settings dialog box (Help > GEMS Settings...) has been updated to show thelocation of the application and configuration folders for GEMS. The date and time thesession of GEMS started also displays while information about theWindows graphicssettings has been removed.

l Two items about memory usage have been added to the log files: the current memoryusage in GEMS and the amount ofmemory allocated or released for a function.

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Copyright 2012GemcomSoftware International Inc.

GemcomGEMS 6.4 Release Notes

l By default, after users install GEMS, the option to use undo is selected (Options >SetOptions >Undo tab).

Help

l Users can view the online help for GEMS 6.4 in Google Chrome.

Importing and Exporting

l When users use the classic method to import points (File > Classic Import > Pointfrom), a clipping boundary can be used to filter them. Users can choose to importpoints inside or outside the boundary .

l When users use the classic method to import lines (File > Classic Import > Linesfrom...), users can use a clipping boundary to import lines inside or outside the bound-ary.

l Users can now directly import 3D rings (.xyz file) into GEMS (Tools >Optech CMS>Import 3D Rings from XYZ). The file no longer needs to bemanually converted toanother format first.

l After users import Optech 3D rings (.xyz files) into GEMS, the rings will be closed, andusers can choose to create tie lines. Previously, tie lines were created automatically tojoin adjacent rings.

l Users can now import Surpac digital terrain model files as surfaces or solids.l Users can now import Esri shapefiles as points, polylines, or polygons.l Users can now import Leapfrog mesh files.l Users can now import Surpac string files into point area, polyline, or polygon work-

spaces.l If there is insufficient memory available when importing large .dxf or .dwg files for

points, polylines, polygons, solids, surfaces, or tunnels, users can choose to save any ofthem directly to the database or stop the import.

l Users can now export points to Surpac string files (File >Export > All Points >SurpacString File or File >Export >Selected Points > Surpac String File).

l Users can now export lines to Surpac string files (File >Export > All Lines >SurpacString File or File >Export >Selected Lines > Surpac String File).

l Users can now export surfaces and solids to Surpac (File >Export > Solids/Surfaces toSurpac).

l Users can now export line-specific data from polygons to Surpac string files (File>Export >All Polygons > Surpac String File).

l If users export status lines to an ASCII file (File > Export > All Lines > ASCII File >Status Lines in ASCII format) and do not type the .asc file extension, GEMS appendsthe .asc extension to the file namewhen the file is saved.

Licensing

l Users can now see the number of available seats for a network licence and the list ofusers using the licences.

l Users can request a GEMS licence through the secured GEMS User Web Licensing web-site (https://www.gemcomsupport.com/GemcomUserWebLicensing/default.aspx).

l When users update GEMS from theWindows Start menu (Start > All Programs >Gemcom Software > GEMS Tools > GEMS Update), they are directed to the login pageof the Gemcom Support website. Once users log in, they can download themost recentversion of GEMS from the Downloads page.

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GemcomGEMS 6.4 Release Notes

l There is a newAcknowledgements tab in the About (Help > About GEMS) that liststhird-party libraries used in GEMS. The detailed copyright information about the third-party libraries can be found in the ThirdPartyLicense folder.

l For roaming and standalone licence users only: Multiple tokens on a single seat arenow supported.

l To use a new licence (sent separately), users can now click theNew Licence button inthe Switch Seat dialog box (File > Switch Seat)where they can browse to the licencefile. When the licence is activated, it is copied to the appropriate folder.

l For server licence users only: This version of GEMS requires an updated version of theGemcom LicenceManager.

Plotting

l PlotMaker 3.1.1 is part of this release.

Production Scheduler

l When users are in the Scenario Properties or Add Scheduling Objects dialog box, theycan sort the table by theName orWorkspace column. They can also resize those dialogboxes.

l The communication between GEMS and Production Scheduler has improved whenusers update schedules and add or change activity types. This improvement is a resultof updating GsiSTScheduler.dll and removing GsiJavaRunner.exe.

Profiles

l When users set up a transformation profile, they have the option to define a trans-formation based on two points in two coordinate systems.

Security

l The security of the registry and Gemcom folder are no longer checked.l The zipped crash logs are now stored in the configuration folder before they are sent to

Gemcom.

Solids and Surfaces

l Users can use a coordinate transformation profile to transform the coordinates of sol-ids and surfaces from one coordinate system to another.

l Users have the option to groom polylines before creating a surface from active data(Surface > Create > Create Surface from Active Data).

l Memory management has improved by providing users the option to close sourceworkspaces that are open when creating surfaces (Surface > Create > Create Surfacefrom Active Data).

l When users thin triangles (Surface or Solid > Edit > Triangle Thinning), confirmationto continue after selecting a triangulation is no longer required.

Tools

l When users create a solid from Optech 3D rings (.xyz file), the centroid coordinates areautomatically obtained from the file. Users no longer need to manually enter the coor-dinates (Tools >Optech CMS >Create Solid from 3DRings).

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GemcomGEMS 6.4 Release Notes

l Notepad is now the default text editor associated with GEMS, and GsiEdit no longerexists. If Notepad is not available, then users can choose a text editor. If users want touse a different editor, they can update their user options (Options > Set Options >Programs).

l Users can now compact ACE database (.accdb) files (Tools > Database > Compact andRepair Database). Note: Users must haveMicrosoft Access 2007 or later installed touse this functionality.

View

l Instead of specifying whether the value is negative or positive for the spacing betweenplanes, users now choose the direction of the new planes when creating parallel planes(View > Create Sections > Parallel Sections).

Menu command changes

Shortcut menuA new Clear Clipping Boundary command becomes available after users create or open a clippingboundary.

FileThis command has been moved within the File menu:

l File > Classic Import > Lines from Status Map (Polylines)> Polylines (was File >Classic Import > Lines from ASCII File >Polylines)

These commands have been removed:

l File > Classic Import > Lines from Status Map (Polylines)> Polylines OutsideClipping Boundary

l File >Classic Import > Lines from Status Map (Polylines)>Polylines Inside ClippingBoundary

SurfaceThese commands are new:

l Surface > Edit > Transform Selected Surfacel Surface > Edit > Transform All Surfaces

SolidThese commands are new:

l Solid > Edit > Transform Selected Solidl Solid > Edit > Transform All Solids

ToolsThis command has been renamed:

l Tools > Optech CMS > Convert XYZ to 3D Rings (was Tools > Optech CMS > Import3D Rings from XYZ)

HelpThis command has been renamed:

l Help > Contents (was Help > Contents and Index)

This command has moved:

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GemcomGEMS 6.4 Release Notes

l Help > User Information (was Tools > Other Utilities > User Information)

Help (Data Editor)This command has been removed:

l Help > Search

Issues and bugs fixed

Architecture

l The text in the Filter Records dialog box has been updated to reflect that Quick Filterscan be used in theData Editor on any type of table.

l When users right-click in the graphics window, they will no longer see theData Editorcommands.

l After using the File > Import command to import points, polylines, or drillholes, theZoom to Extents command can be used to display the imported objects.

l When users open a project whose path is longer than 200 characters, they will be askedto shorten it by renaming the folder or moving the project.

Block Models

l Block attributes aremapped correctly in the Block Editor (Block > Edit > Edit BlockData) when users modify or delete grade names.

l Users can import multiple surface elevation grids (SEGs). When users import SEGs, anew level is automatically created to contain each level in the import file. Existing SEGlevels will not be overwritten, and users no longer need to manually add levels beforeimporting.

l When users interpolate using one of theMultiple Indicator Kriging methods, the gradeusagemethods are set correctly.

l When users create an SEG from a surface, they can select the surface from a list. To seethe list of available surfaces, press the space bar.

l GEMS no longer unexpectedly exits for new installations when the sessions folder ismissing from the installation folder. Specifically, GEMS will not unexpectedly exit uponstartup when a session loads and tries to open a block model if the Automatically openthe data from the previous session when GEMS starts option is on (Options > SetOptions > Preferences).

l When users delete a level from a surface elevation grid (SEG), it will no longer be visible,and users will be able to use the Show command.

l GEMS is stable when users switch projects or close a triangulation workspace whenselecting blocks between two surfaces (Block > Select > Between Two Surfaces).

l GEMS correctly exports block models to Whittle when optional values are not mappedto block attributes.

l When exporting block models to Whittle, theWhittle rotation values are now recordedcorrectly in the .par files. TheWhittle rotation value is 360minus the GEMS rotation.

l Selected blocks display correctly for rotated block models when viewing a vertical sec-tion looking north, south, east, or west (View > Vertical Section > Looking...).

l When users import pits fromWhittle, the newly created block model uses the correctgeometry from the .par file.

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GemcomGEMS 6.4 Release Notes

Drillholes

l If theMerging Intervals from Two Tablesmethod is used to create composite intervals(Drillhole > Compositing > Prepare Composite Table), the size of the smallest intervalwill be based on the number of decimal places in the FROM or TO fields of the des-tination table. The field with the fewer decimal places will be chosen. For example, if thenumber of decimal places defined in the FROM field is 3 and the number of decimalplaces defined in the TO field is 2, GEMS will use 2. In this case, the smallest interval willbe 0.01.

l When drillholes are exported to MS Excel (File > Export > Drillholes > Excel), the sortorder of subtables matches the order of the header table.

l If distancemarkers are selected to be displayed for drillholes (Drillhole > Display >Display Overrides), text that should be hidden will remain hidden.

l When users open a drillhole workspace in a new session of GEMS, the drillholes are dis-played even if they were set to be hidden (Drillhole > Display > Display Overrides) inthe previous session of GEMS.

l If text is selected to be displayed for distancemarkings for drillholes, the text remainsdisplayed when users move through sections in section view.

l When drillholes with text labels are loaded in the graphic window, users can suc-cessfully switch between 2D and 3D viewmodes.

Exporting

l When exporting data to Microsoft Excel, the format of decimal characters is based onthe user's system locale in Microsoft Windows.

Graphical User Interface

l When users perform a paste on copied points, solids, or tunnels, the objects are visiblein the graphics window.

l The beeping sound when snapping to objects while digitizing has been re-enabled forWindows 7 (Window > Set Display Area Options...> Snap tab). Note: The beep isnot supported by Windows Vista or Windows XP 64-bit.

Help

l The GEMSonline help now opens from the Data Editor (Help > Contents).

Importing

l Users can successfully import Micromine data when the source file header has fieldnames defined but no data in its corresponding columns.

l After the File > Import command is used to import points, polylines, or drillholes, theZoom to Extents command can be used to display the imported objects.

l When users import a file into a point area workspace, save it, close it, and re-import thesame file, no records are lost.

Kriging

l When the search ellipse or semi-variogram is changed in an interpolation profile, thechange will be applied to the interpolation profile.

l The version of GEMS no longer appears in the header of the interpolation report whenusers do a kriging run (Tools > Geostastics > Interpolate > Interpolate and Report).

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GemcomGEMS 6.4 Release Notes

Licensing

l For standalone licence users, when they roll back their system clock by more than 24hours, their seat will be disabled instead of being removed. After users correctly updatetheir clock, they can restart GEMS.

Ore Control

l When selecting blocks inside a polygon for ore control, for a block to be selected, thedefault is now 0.1% for theminimum percentage of a block inside a polygon.

Pit and Dump Design

l For performing a "copy to" with pits and dumps, if a pit design workspace does nothave an associated polyline workspace, users will be prompted to select a polyline work-space.

Plotting

l When users view. svg or .ggp files in PlotMaker, markers (such as collars, points, andline vertices) are sized correctly.

l Toe lines are perpendicular to trace lines in drillhole plots. They no longer look likearrows.

Point Areas

l Users can copy open points from a point workspace and paste them to a point area,even if the point area display profile does not have an assigned point area workspace.

l The time required to save open point area workspaces after deleting points hasdecreased.

Polygons

l When updating polygons from points (Polygon > Edit > Update Selected PolygonFrom Points) or (Polygon > Edit > Update Active Polygon From Points) where someof the points have special values, the polygons will be updated successfully.

l When updating polygons from points that have special values, below detection limits(BDL) and above detection limits (ADL) will be taken into calculation. Other specialvalues, such as ERR, NC, NS, and NE, will be ignored.

l When users create polygons by interpolating planes (Polygon > Create > PlaneInterpolation) and a layer mapping attribute does not exist in the active polygon work-space, a warning appears.

l When users export polygons to Modular Mining System (File > Export > All Polygons> Modular Mining System), the number of exported polygons displays in decimalinstead of hexadecimal format.

Polylines

l Users can paste a tie line from "scrap" (Polyline > Line > Paste from Scrap) and thenimmediately use it.

l When users select polylines by sections, plan views, line type, or rock code, they areselected as expected.

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GemcomGEMS 6.4 Release Notes

Solids and Surfaces

l When users delete a triangle where there aremultiple overlapping solids or surfaces,the highlighted triangle closest to the user gets deleted.

l If users transform a surface or solid that has been draped with a registered image, theresulting surface or solid will not be associated with the previously draped image.

l When the colour of a solid and the background are the same, the colour of the solid willautomatically be adjusted so that the solid is visible in both wireframe and renderedmodes.

Tools

l A redundant dialog box that had to be closed when creating a solid from .xyz files(Tools > Optech CMS > Create Solid from XYZ) no longer appears.

l For 3D variogram analyses, the definition Azimuth has been renamed to Dip Direction(Tools > Geostatistics > Analysis > 3D Semi-variogram > Parameters tab).

Tunnels

l Users can now only close tunnels one at a time using the Polyline > Line > Close com-mand. For tunnels, the command Polyline > Multiline > Close has been disabled.

Underground Blast Design

l Users can successfully switch projects while a underground blast design area is open.

View

l Parallel sections can now be created in dynamic view. If users are in dynamic view, anew plane will be generated from the current view before creating the parallel section.Users will then be able to create parallel planes from the current view or create a sectionparallel to an existing view.

Volumetrics

l Awarning message is displayed when users update a destination solid that has spacesin any of its names.

Workspaces

l The progress bar accurately shows the save progress when data is being saved to theworkspace.

l For users running SQL 2005 or 2008 only: In the case where the system administratorhas not run the FixLockingOnSQLServer2005.sql script and users do not have per-mission to view the server state, when users open a locking-enabled workspace, theywill see a message notifying them that they do not have permission to access the work-space lock information. Users will then only be able to open the workspace in read-onlymode.

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Gemcom GEMS 6.4 Release NotesNew featuresArchitectureBlock ModelsGeostatisticsGraphical User InterfaceHelpImporting and ExportingLicensingPlottingProduction SchedulerProfilesSecuritySolids and SurfacesToolsViewMenu command changesShortcut menuFileSurfaceSolidToolsHelpHelp (Data Editor)

Issues and bugs fixedArchitectureBlock ModelsDrillholesExportingGraphical User InterfaceHelpImportingKrigingLicensingOre ControlPit and Dump DesignPlottingPoint AreasPolygonsPolylinesSolids and SurfacesToolsTunnelsUnderground Blast DesignViewVolumetricsWorkspaces