April 2012

INTRODUCING THE ELEMENT ROTATE TOOL

When using MineSight 3D, it is often necessary to rotate geometry elements. The new Element Rotate tool has made the entire process of rotation more powerful and more intuitive, allowing you to easily achieve full 3D rotation of elements. Access the tool from the Element Menu to perform two primary types of rotation methods: the Three Rotations method (with or without alignment to an edit grid), and Axis Angle Rotation. These rotation options are discussed below.

Three rotations

Select this option when you want to apply three rotation angles (azimuth, dip and plunge) with respect to a specified origin. When using the three rotations option, the first step is usually to select the rotation origin position, which determines how the rotation itself will behave. On Figure 1.1, you can observe the difference between a rotation at the object’s center of mass and at a distance from it. As the distance between the origin of the rotation and the object’s center of mass increases, the rotation ring’s radii increase. Keep in mind that you can select the origin of rotation by clicking on the viewer, or by typing the exact coordinates of rotation in the “Origin position” section of the dialog.

Figure 1.1.- Comparison of objects rotated with an azimuth of 14 degrees and increasing lengths between the origin of rotation and the center of mass.

After the origin has been set, you are ready to begin adjusting the rotation of your object, and for this task you are also given the flexibility to adjust the rotation from the viewer using the “Select Rotation” option, or by typing the desired angles into the “Rotation angles” section of the dialog. The rotation rings in the viewer have been assigned with colors matching the rotation titles in the dialog in order to help visualize and better understand how each rotation is being affected. This feature also makes the transition between adjusting rotation inside the viewer and the dialog easier.

Tip: Using the “Auto Update Preview” option is very helpful when adjusting rotation in the viewer. Any time rotation configuration is adjusted, the preview of the rotation effects will be automatically updated in the viewer.

How rotation rings work

By default, the azimuth ring of rotation is parallel to a plan section, and it will always rotate about the z-axis (unless alignment to edit grid is chosen). For the purpose of explaining this tool, you can imagine the x and y axis changing their direction along with a change in the azimuth, with the y axis pointing exactly in the direction of the azimuth and the x-axis pointing at 90 degrees from the azimuth.

The dip ring of rotation is perpendicular to the azimuth ring and it rotates about the axis set by the azimuth rotation. Now, the plunge axis changes by an adjustment to the azimuth, dip or both. In other words, the plunge axis changes direction with the azimuth and it rotates based on the dip. Figure 1.2 shows an example of a plan view with no rotation being applied and Figure 1.3 shows some examples of how adjusting the parameters will change the direction of the rotation rings.

Figure 1.2 Plan view of an example with no rotation and using the three rotations option. The rotation rings are colored blue(az), red(dip), green(plunge).

Figure 1.3 a) 45 degrees azimuth rotation b) 45 degrees azimuth and dip rotation c) 45 degrees azimuth, dip and plunge rotation

If needed, you can align the rotation to an edit grid, which will align the azimuth ring parallel to the plane that the current edit grid sits on, and the other two rotation rings will adjust accordingly.

Axis Angle rotation

This type of rotation has been designed for when you need to rotate about a specified axis. This would be similar to rotating only the azimuth using the three rotation azimuth, but using this option allows you to quickly define the desired axis of rotation. The first step when using this option would be to select the origin of the rotation. Once the origin is selected, the axis can be defined in the viewer using the “Select Axis” option or through the Rotate Element dialog. Finally, you set the rotation desired, and image 1.2 shows an example of how axis angle rotation works. Similar to the Three Rotations Method, you can either click in the viewer to rotate the element using the “Select Rotation” function or enter the rotation manually.

Figure 1.2 Axis angle rotation at a 45 degrees angle

Conclusion

The rework of the Rotate Element function has improved the ease with which elements can be rotated in MineSight, and has granted the ability to perform true 3D rotation. You can even switch back and forth between the rotation methods. The tool will recalculate the rotation parameters, which means that you can continue working with a different method at any time without losing the current rotation that has been setup. Whether you need to rotate DXFs brought in at a zero plan plane or a geometry element that needs a change of direction, this revised function will make your life easier.