Importing structural data

How to organise structural data

Import from Clipboard

Import from File

Importing basic 3D objects and complex objects

Structural data can be imported from both clipboard and files or from previously saved Open Plot files.
When importing data copied from a spreadsheets or loaded from a text file, the first step is to properly organise the dataset.

Many Basic 3D objects and all the complex objects are imported both from clipboard and from external files, via the Object sub-menu



Importing structural data

How to organise structural data


Data must be organised as follow:
Rows = elements.
Columns = element's attributes.
Eventually, the first row can contain the columns header.

Numeric fields rigorously do not have to include non numeric characters.
As an example, the azimuth must be expressed as a number ranging between 0 and 360. Expressions like N180º or N56E will return an azimuth = 0.

For a given element, when the value of an attribute is not defined the corresponding field must be empty.

Example spreadsheet with correct data organization

Data Type	Azimuth	Dip	Pitch	Spacing
Fault	123	57	24	477
Joint	345	83		35
Fault	133	48	12

Example of spreadsheet with incorrect data organization

Data Type	Azimuth	Dip	Pitch	Spacing
Fault	123	57	24	477 mm
Joint	345	83	-	35
Fault	133	48	12	/

In the correct table joint has not an associated pitch value. Analogously, the second fault has not an associated spacing value.
In the Incorrect table, the character “–“ in the pitch field of the joint will return a pitch = 0. Spacing of both faults will be set = 0, as non numeric characters are present.


If data are loaded from a text file, each row must contain the same number of fields.

Correct data organization with fields divided by commas.
Data type, azimuth, dip, Pitch, spacing
Fault,123,57,24,477
Joint,345,83,,35
Fault,133,48,12,
Data in the Joint row will be read as follow: Data type=Joint; Azimuth=345; Dip = 83; Pitch = EMPTY (two commas with no character in between); spacing = 35. Analogously, for the second fault, data will be read as follows: Data type=Fault; Azimuth=133; Dip =48; Pitch = 12, Spacing = EMPTY.

Incorrect data organization
Data type, azimuth, dip, Pitch, spacing
Fault,123,57,24,477
Joint,345,83,35
Fault,133,48,12
Data in the Joint row will be read as follow: Data type=Joint; Azimuth=345; Dip = 83; Pitch = 35. The character after 35 is an “enter”. This implies that the joint row is characterised by 4 fields, while the first fault is characterised by 5 fields. Due to this the software will stop reading the file (eventually it will crash). Analogously, for the second fault data will be loaded as follows: Data type=Fault; Azimuth=133; Dip =48; Pitch = 12; the character after 12 is an “enter” and the software will stop reading.



Faults sense of slip
During data import, fault slickenline can be imported as both pitch or slickenline azimuth. Regardless of this, if at least one of these two field is not empty, the software will compute the values of: slickenlines pitch and azimuth and of rotax (slip normal) azimuth and dip. If not present in the imported dataset, these fields are automatically added.

In the field defining the fault's sense of slip, English nomenclature must be adopted.
A fault is considered:
- Normal when the first two letters are NO or NR
- Reverse, when the first two letters are RE or RV
- Left-lateral, when the first two letters are LE or LL
- Right-lateral, when the first two letters are RI or RL
This check is not case sensitive.
In all the other cases the sense of slip is considered undetermined


Import from Clipboard (see the movie)
This allows to import data copied from a spreadsheet. Open the spreadsheet and copy the selection containing data.
 

From the main window of Open Plot select:
File → Import from Clipboard
If data are correctly loaded it will be asked if data include an header (if it is the case it is assumed that the column header locates in the first row).

A new window will open up.
In the first and second list-boxes on the left are listed the “software defined” and the “user defined” fields, respectively. In the third list-box are listed the values associated with the selected “user defined” field.
When possible, select the “user defined” field and double click the corresponding “software defined” field. This substitutes in the header the “user defined” field name with the “software defined” field name.
When all the possible substitutions have been done click “Next step”.



The window will enlarge and it will be asked to specify for each unassigned field if it is a Value field (numeric field, like spacing, aperture) or a Class field (alphanumeric field, like author, year...)
Double-click on the unassigned fields to “assign” them and then click “Next step”.






In the new window it will be asked to specify, for each element in the “Data type” field, if it is a Line, a Plane, a Tensor, a Vector or a Triangle. Select/multiselect the element/s and, holding the keyboard space bar pressed, drag the element/s in the corresponding type list-box. If planar elements are present, it must be specified if the azimuth field corresponds to the plane dip direction or to the plane strike.


In this window, a given type list-box is enabled only if loaded elements include fields that are required by that type:
To define a Line and a Plane the azimuth and dip fields must exist.
To define a Tensor the azimuth and dip fields of the three eigenvectors must exist (the eigenvalues are optional).
To define a Vector the three coordinates of the starting and ending points must exist.
To define a Triangle the three coordinates of the three points must exist.
Notice that for Vectors and Triangles the software will automatically compute the azimuth and dip values.


Finally you can decide to save the data as *.stv file or continue without saving.


If X,Y, and Z coordinates have been provided, it will be asked to specify if these coordinates are in Geographyc or Cartesian system.
Allowed cartesian systems are Generic XYZ and WGS84, in the second case it is assumd that the provided values are in meters.
Polar coordinates will be tranfsormed into WGS84 (Zone is required).






Import from File (see the movie) 

The procedure is the same as described in the Import from clipboard, with the exception of the following initial steps.

From the main window of Open Plot select: File → Import from File and select the file.

Import from File needs the separator definition, which must be specified in this window that will automatically open.

Importing basic 3D objects and complex objects


Import dxf presently reads only the following DXF types: "POLYLINE" and "3Dface".

Import shape files (*.Shp), allows reading X and Y coordinates and transforms elements into either 2D vectors or 2D polylines (tested on Quantum Gis shape files).

Import polyline and Import panel allow to read a sequence of X,Y,Z values, both from a text file and copied from the clipboard, and transform them into a polyline and panel, respectively.

Import Mesh allows to load XYZ surfaces and convert them into triangular meshes.

For all the import mesh, an "+ triangles" option exists. This option allows to import the triangles of a mesh as independent objects separated from the native mesh. For these triangles, azimuth and dip are automatically computed and many plot/selection operations are available for them


Load Map: load an image and georeference it (asking the coordinate system), to later drape it onto a mesh.



Manually inserting the coordinates of 3 of the 4 vertex is required for georeferentiation. Alternatively, if the image has an associated *.jgw file, coordinates are automatically read from it.
From version 2013-GL-00, which uses OpenGL libraries, images that are not properly dimensioned, must be resampled and their dimensions (in pixels) are set to the nearest power of two value (i.e. 256, 1024, 2048, 8192). Accordingly, in order to not reduce the image quality, it is highly recommended to upload images having native power-of-two dimensions.