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Producing Maps and Figures

Overview

The Map tool allows you to create professional maps and figures of your geological data. All map-related features are accessible from the Map panel on the Home ribbon.

Map Panel

The Map panel contains three main commands:

  • Setup – Opens the map configuration dialog where you can customize all aspects of your map output
  • Profiles – Saves and manages your map settings for consistent, reusable configurations
  • Generate – Creates the map file using your current settings

Before You Start: Preparing Your Data

Before generating a map, ensure all the data you want to include is visible on the screen:

  • Prisms, figures, and envelopes
  • Drill holes and traces
  • Geological structures
  • Any other relevant objects

Important: Objects will only appear on the map if they intersect with the section you’re mapping. Additionally, objects cannot be added or removed once you’ve entered the map setup dialog. You must make all objects visible before opening the setup menu.

Note: When creating or modifying a profile, you can skip this step and edit settings without displaying all objects on screen.

Defining Your Map View

The map view determines what portion of your project appears on the output. You have two viewing options:

View Options

  • Section View – Prints only the predefined section (shown as the yellow zone when section display is enabled)
  • Screen View – Prints only the portion of the map currently visible on your screen

Both options are available in the Display tab under the View section of the map setup dialog.

Selecting Specific Sections and Holes

You can choose to selectively print sections and holes:

  1. In the Display tab, check the option Select sections to print or Select holes to print
  2. When you generate the map, a selection dialog will appear
  3. Choose which sections and holes to include in your map

Map Setup Dialog

The Map setup dialog organizes all settings into several tabs. Each tab controls different aspects of your map output:

Display Tab

Controls how your map appears in the output file and what elements are displayed:

Output Options:

  • Drivers – Choose your export format:
    • PostScript (compatible with PDF viewers)
    • DXF 2D – Creates a 2D drawing file
    • DXF 2D Real Coordinate – Creates a 2D file with actual map coordinates
    • DXF 3D – Creates a 3D model including blocks, envelopes, and drill holes
  • One file – When enabled, all pages are saved in a single file; when disabled, each page is a separate file
  • Layer Use Class – For DXF export, organize layers by object class or object name
  • Display envelopes as wireframe – For 3D DXF export, shows envelopes as wireframe instead of solid

File Settings:

  • Output path – Choose where to save your map file
  • Output file – Enter the filename for your map

View Settings:

  • Scale – Set the map scale (default: 1000)
  • Vertical Exageration – Exaggerate the vertical axis for better visibility (0 = no exaggeration)
  • Plot Corridor – Display the view corridor on your plan
  • View – Choose between Section View or Screen View

Selection Options:

  • Select sections to print – Enables section selection dialog during map generation
  • Select holes to print – Enables hole selection dialog during map generation

Hole Trace Display:

  • Plot Hole Trace – Show drill hole traces on the map
  • Trace Size Factor – Adjust the thickness of hole traces (1-5)
  • Plot Collar Marker – Mark the collar location (entry point) of drill holes
  • Plot End Marker – Mark the end location of drill holes
  • Print Hole Name – Display hole identification labels:
    • None – No labels
    • At End – Name at hole end only
    • At Collar – Name at collar only
    • At Collar & End – Names at both locations
    • Numeric At End – Numeric identifier at hole end
  • Print Hole Length – Display hole length measurements
  • Plot Offset Distance – Show the distance between hole collar and section
  • Plot Plane Intersection – Show where hole traces intersect the section plane
  • Font – Choose the font for hole labels
  • Font Size – Adjust the size of hole label text

Objects to Display:

  • Display Prisms – Include prism objects
  • Display Figures – Include figure objects
  • Display Geolines – Include geoline objects
  • Display Sections – Include section planes

Frame Tab

Configures the map cartridge and text elements:

Display Settings:

  • Plot Frame – Add a border and cartridge (information box) around your map
  • Frame Type:
    • Standard Full Frame – Shows a cartridge with complete map information
    • Minimal Frame – Omits the cartridge but includes information around the map edges
  • Plot North Arrow – Add a directional north arrow
  • Plot Scale Ruler – Add a scale bar for reference
  • Plot Holes Legend – Display a legend explaining drill hole symbols
  • Plot Symbols Legend – Include symbols in the legend to explain drill hole trace markers

Map Information Text:

  • Company Name – Your company or organization name
  • Plan title – Main map title (e.g., client name or project name)
  • Plan Subtitle 1-4 – Additional descriptive text (e.g., “Section 100E”, “Longitudinal View”)
  • Drawn By – Cartographer or author name
  • Drawn Date – Date the map was created
  • First Revision By – Name of first reviewer
  • First Revision Date – Date of first revision
  • Second Revision By – Name of second reviewer
  • Second Revision Date – Date of second revision

Grid Tab

Controls the coordinate grid displayed on your map:

View Settings:

  • Plot Isoline – Display grid lines for X, Y, and Z coordinates
  • External Gradation – Place grid labels outside the map frame
  • East Gradation – Show Easting (X) axis grid
  • North Gradation – Show Northing (Y) axis grid
  • Elevation Gradation – Show Elevation (Z) axis grid
  • Font – Choose font for grid labels
  • Font Size – Adjust grid label text size

Grid Origin:

  • East Starting – Starting X coordinate for the grid
  • North Starting – Starting Y coordinate for the grid
  • Elevation Starting – Starting Z coordinate for the grid

Grid Spacing:

  • East Spacing – Distance between X grid lines
  • North Spacing – Distance between Y grid lines
  • Elevation Spacing – Distance between Z grid lines

Assays Tab

Controls how analysis results are displayed on your map:

  • Display – Toggle assay data visibility on/off
  • Alignment – Position assay values (left or right of trace)
  • Output format – Choose how to display values (text or chart)
  • Color – Set color for assay values
  • Link style – Choose connecting line style between assay value and hole location
  • Link length – Distance of connecting line
  • Font size – Text size for assay labels
  • Use cut-off values – Only display values within specified min/max range

Each assay variable can be individually configured for display, formatting, and color.

Intervals Tab

Displays global values at regular intervals along drill holes:

  • Configure interval display at different depths or sample positions
  • Set formatting, alignment, and color for interval values
  • Choose which interval variables to display on the map

Composites Tab

Shows concentrations by composite sample groupings:

  • Toggle composite display on/off
  • Set composite-specific colors and formatting
  • Display selected composite variables on the map

RQDs Tab

Displays RQD (Rock Quality Designation) information from drill core:

  • Show RQD percentages or classifications
  • Control RQD trace and label display
  • Set colors and fonts for RQD information

Lithology Tab

Shows rock type (lithology) information from drill holes:

  • Display Trace – Show lithology columns along drill holes
  • Display Text – Label lithology types
  • Text Position – Place labels left, right, or alternating
  • Hide Continuous Lithology – Simplify display by hiding repeated identical lithologies
  • Color – Set lithology colors
  • Font and Size – Configure lithology label appearance

Each lithology type can be individually configured.

Structures Tab

Displays structural features and layer boundaries from drill holes:

  • Show structural trace lines
  • Display structural labels and annotations
  • Control colors, fonts, and positioning

Envelopes Tab

Shows ore body envelopes (estimation models) assessed by ore type:

  • Select which envelopes to display
  • Each envelope can be shown or hidden individually
  • Customize envelope appearance and transparency

Block Models Tab

Displays different block model interpretations:

Block Model Variables – Shows different concentrations by ore type:

  • Select variables to display
  • Set colors for different ore types
  • Control display formatting

Block Models List – Choose which block models to include:

  • Select from available block models
  • Display multiple models simultaneously
  • Toggle models on/off as needed

Saving and Loading Map Configurations

Creating a Profile

To save your current map settings for future use:

  1. Configure your map settings in the map setup dialog
  2. Click the Save button
  3. Your settings are stored as a profile

Managing Profiles

The Profiles button on the Map panel opens the Map Profiles manager where you can:

  • Add new profiles
  • Remove existing profiles
  • Rename profiles
  • Copy profiles as templates
  • Edit profiles to adjust settings
  • Print from saved profiles

Profiles allow you to maintain consistent formatting across multiple maps.

Quick Setup for Basic Printing

For a minimal setup to get started quickly:

  1. Click Setup on the Map panel
  2. Go to the Display tab
  3. Set the Drivers option (PostScript is recommended for PDF output)
  4. Set the Output path to your desired location
  5. Set the Output file name
  6. Click OK
  7. Click Generate to create your map

PDF Viewing Tip: PostScript files can be viewed in PDF format. If needed, download a PostScript viewer from the software website.

Advanced: 3D Image Capture

If you want to print a 3D visualization of your model as it appears on screen:

  1. The WYSIWYG map tool cannot directly print 3D visualizations
  2. Instead, use Edit > Copy to capture a screenshot
  3. Paste the screenshot into an external document (such as Microsoft Word)

This approach allows you to include 3D views of envelopes, ellipses, and other 3D objects that are not available through the WYSIWYG options.

Alternatively, you can export 3D DXF files through the Display tab to create 3D models for use in other software. Usually you wont need to use this as any object in Genesis can be exported as dxf but the option exist