Generate Drillhole Trace Coordinates

In Micromine Origin and Beyond, users can generate XYZ coordinates along a drillhole trace using the collar and survey data stored in the Drillhole Database. This tool converts drillhole geometry into explicit point locations along the hole trajectory.
 

Use this tool when you need:

• XYZ points along a drillhole

• points at fixed depth intervals (e.g. every 5 m or 100 m)

• input for distance, influence, or proximity analysis

• to visualise or QA drillhole trajectories

  

  Figure 1: Zone of influence analysis based on the trace points at a specific RL

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Key settings 

Drillhole Database

The trace is calculated from the collar and, where available, survey data stored in the Drillhole Database.
Survey data controls the hole deviation; if no survey is present, the hole is treated as vertical.

When enabled "Use Interval file" option, interval attributes (e.g. lithology, domain, zone codes) are written to the output coordinate file.

For each interval, attribute values from the intervals on either side are recorded for the start and end trace points.

Trace Coordinate File

Defines the output coordinate file containing the generated trace points.
The file includes the following fields:

• Hole ID

• Depth

• Easting

• Northing

• Z

If the file does not already exist, it will be created automatically.

Trace Interval

Controls the spacing of points along the drillhole:

• Blank → outputs the native drillhole trace coordinates

• Specified value → outputs points at regular intervals (e.g. 5 m, 10 m)

Choose an interval appropriate to the analysis scale and purpose.

Note: This tool can also be used to output drillhole traces as string files. When saved as a string file, each drillhole is represented as a 3D string following the calculated drillhole trajectory, which is useful for visualisation and macro automation. 

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What Micromine does internally

1. When the tool is run, Micromine:

2. Reads the collar coordinates

3. Applies survey azimuth and dip

4. Constructs the 3D drillhole trajectory

5. Samples points along the trajectory

6. Optionally assigns interval attributes

7. 

   Figure 2: XYZ points were generated along the drillhole traces at 20m intervals till the end of hole

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