SOFTWARE UPDATES
By Betty Gibbs

Voxler®   - Golden Software
Voxler® is a software program from Golden Software designed for the visualization of three-dimensional data. The name comes from the term voxel, a volumetric element.  The software can import data from a several sources, and creates stunning graphics that let you creatively visualize the cryptic relationships in your data set.
Several types of data can be loaded into Voxler. The available modules depend on the type of input data. There are three main types of data: point sets, lattices, and geometry as well as direct import from over 20 different data and graphical formats. The three main types of data include:

• Point sets contain one or more three-dimensional point locations. Each location has an X, Y, and Z coordinate along with optional data components. Coordinates and data values may be represented by several different primitive types, including both signed and unsigned versions of 8-, 16-, 32-, and 64-bit integers, single precision, and double precision floating point numbers.
• Lattices consist of  one-, two-, or three-dimensional data arrays. A one-dimensional lattice is a line of data. Examples of two-dimensional lattices include bitmaps or Surfer grid files. A three-dimensional lattice defines a three-dimensional volume. Each node (or point) in the lattice can contain one or more components or data values. Lattices are further categorized by the node geometry: uniform, rectilinear, and curvilinear.
• Geometry consists of triangles, texture maps, line segments, and other objects.

The software has an extensive selection of graphical output options, including:

• Show isosurfaces
• 3D volume display using direct volume rendering
• Scatter plot - display a symbol at each point of a point set or each node of a data grid
• Vector plot where vectors are displayed on a 3D data grid or point set
• Stream Lines can be computed through a velocity field
• Display slices through grids in 3D
• Generate contour lines for a 2D dataset or for slices of a 3D dataset
• Display a color image on an arbitrarily-oriented 2D cutting plane through a data grid or along orthogonal axes.

The user can interact with the display to rotate, zoom, position the graphic, and view it at any angle. Layers and features can be made translucent so you can see “inside” the 3D space. Scalar and vector data grids can be displayed and anotated with node values. It can be used to display medical imagery  such as CT, MRI, and ultrasound scans. The user can add connecting lines, text, legends, specify transparency, set light parameters and other things to enhance the display.

A group of computational modules add more capability to control displays.  Data can be gridded, transformed, filtered; math calculations can be performed, grids can be merged, and slices can be extracted. 

This summary of capabilities are just a few of the many options the program provides. The Golden Software Web site shows some of the ways the program can be used. The software is available from Golden Software (www.goldensoftware.com) and the price is a very affordable $359.

Gemcom MineSched™ 6.1
MineSched™ 6.1 is the latest version of Gemcom’s next generation scheduling software for surface and underground mines of all sizes and types. The MineSched software incorporates a four-step scheduling workflow and visual scheduling canvas to enable mine planners to create better schedules more quickly.
MineSched 6.1 can accommodate the unique planning characteristics found in every mining project and includes customer-driven enhancements such as linking MineSched to external Microsoft® Excel® workbooks for easy integration to existing planning processes. New features allow mine planners to more intuitively manipulate, analyse, and report their scheduling scenarios and produce practical schedules for any mine planning situation.

MineSched 6.1 integrates with other Gemcom systems including Gemcom Surpac™, Gemcom GEMS™, and Gemcom Minex™, to automate the many manual and routine tasks involved with producing a schedule. The user can access, manipulate, and fine-tune schedules for suface and underground operations.

For more information on Gemcom MineSched, including detailed product information, and product demo videos, please visit www.gemcomsoftware.com/minesched.

Motion Metrics International
Motion Metrics offers monitoring systems for open pit mining operations.  The main products offered include:

ToothMetricsTM  -  reduces production downtime and significantly improves the operation safety of the mining shovels in an open-pit mine by immediately detecting broken teeth and adapters on their buckets.
ViewMetricsTM - provides the shovel operator with greater visibility around the shovel by providing up to four surveillance views. The system improves operation safety by displaying the left, right, and rear surveillance views of the shovel on a high-resolution LCD monitor mounted inside the cab.
RadarMetrics is an optional addition to the ViewMetricsTM system which adds a series of radar sensors around the shovel or other large machinery to convey distance information to the operator. This complete system enables the operator to be aware of dangerously close objects around the equipment at all times.
FragMetricsTM is an automatic image collection and fragmentation analysis system which employs a rugged camera mounted on top of the boom structure of different mining shovels. The system includes: an autonomous in-shovel bucket image capturing system, and an office software for fragmentation analysis and visualization of results
LoadMetricsTM  - a real-time hydraulic shovel arm geometry and payload monitoring system. The system monitors various shovel parameters to determine the exact payload and coordinates of each bucket load.

For more information, visit the Motion Metrics Web site at http://motionmetrics.com/products/.