Block Layout

This option creates blocks by cutting along a strip at a specified length.

Instructions

On the Open Pit menu, point to Pit Layout, then click Block Layout to display the following interface.

Specifications

Specification name

Select the .sb_spec specification file to load. The drop-down list displays all available.sb_spec files found in the current working directory. Click Browse to select a file from another location.

Strip Selection

Select mutliple strips for the assignment of block layout

Select this option to let Vulcan build the strips automatically based on the parameters you assign.

Select strips singly for manual block layout

Select this option to manually assign each block.

Block Layout Design

Block Dimensions

The Use design parameters to define the strip and block layout option must have been selected from Strip and Block Layout for these fields to be available.

Block length

Enter the length of block.

Angle of side wall

Enter the angle of the block along the side wall.

Stagger distance

Enter the stagger distance.

Blocks not staggered.

Blocks staggered.

Small Block Handling

Minimum allowable width

Enter the minimum allowable width. Strips less than the specified area will not be created. Use the default value of '0.0' if you don't want to apply a restriction. Select how you want strips which violate the minimum allowable width parameters to be treated:

Allow narrow strip to be generated
Do not generate
Merge with previous strip

Enter your the naming parameters here. As the parameters are entered, you will be able to see an example below.

Prefix (optional)

Enter an optional prefix. The prefix will always be capitalised.

Identifier (mandatory)

This field is not optional. By default it will begin with the number 1, however, you may begin with any number you wish.

Increment

Enter the number you wish to increment each block by. By default, it will increment by 1.

Width

Enter the number of characters in width the identifier field needs to be. By default, the width is set at 2 characters wide. With an increment set at 1, this allows a total of 99 blocks (01 through 99).

Suffix (optional)

Enter an optional suffix. The suffix will always be capitalised.

Restart naming on each new strip

Select this option if you wish the numbering routine used to begin again on each new strip.

Sequence Layout

Sequence blocks from the end

Select this option if you want the naming sequence to always begin at one end of the strip.

Sequence blocks from alternate ends

Select this option if you want the naming sequence to wrap around and alternate between beginning at one end and the other.

Layer Attributes

Save each strip in a layer named as strip name

Select this option if you want each strip to be saved as a separate layer.

Save all strips in currently active layer

Select this option if you want all strips to be saved into the currently active layer (usually the layer containing the baseline and cropline.)

Select layer for all strips

Select this option if you want to save all strips into a separate layer of their own.

Layer name

Designate a layer name.

Description

Enter an optional layer description.

Replace existing layer(s)

Select this option to allow new layers to overwrite older layers of the same name.

Object Attributes

Graphical attributes

Select the colour, texture and line thickness attributes.

Description

Enter an optional layer description.

Group name

Enter a group name.

Value

Enter a value.

Feature

This is an automatically populated field that cannot be edited.

Create with name label turned on

The strip layer can be created with the labels turned on. Labels can be turned off by right-clicking on the object, then selecting Label > Label Off.