Summary of Oasis montaj Files

As you work with the system, you will become familiar with a variety of standard files used for specific functions. The following list provides a summary of the more important files.

File Type	Geosoft File Extension
Geosoft Database	*.GDB
Map file, including plots and grids	*.MAP
Geosoft Grid	*.GRD
Colour information for grids/images	*.AGG
Geosoft eXecutable	*.GX
Geosoft Script	*.GS
Oasis montaj menu, submenu	.OMN, .SMN
Oasis montaj Project	*.GPF
Geosoft projection information	*.GI
Geosoft Map (used in the MapInfo software to distinguish a Geosoft map file from a MapInfo (*.map) file	*.GM

The following provides detailed lists of the key files in Oasis montaj. This information can be useful for both project archiving and keeping track of files created in the system during processing and map preparation steps.

Data Files

File Type	Extension	Description
ASCII	*.XYZ	Raw text file containing location (random or line) information and data values.
Blocked Binary	*.RMS	Raw binary file containing location information and data values. Format consists of fixed block binary records. For more details see the IMPORTBB GX topic.
Geosoft Database	*.GDB	Object-oriented database that stores Earth Science data in a form that delivers fast access to data and efficient storage required for applications that deal with very large volumes of data.
Geosoft Binary	*.GBN	Geosoft-developed open-format binary file.

Import/Export Files

File Type	Extension	Description
Export Template	*.o0	Default or custom template for transferring data from a Geosoft database to an ASCII file (*.XYZ).
Import Template	*.i0	Default or custom template for transferring data in external ASCII files (*.XYZ) to a Geosoft database.
Picodas Import Template	*.I1	Picodas acquisition system import template.
ASCII Import Template	*.i3	ASCII data import template file (extension .i3)

Grid and Image Files

File Type	Extension	Description
Grid	*.GRD	Geosoft-developed format for storing and accessing gridded data. Oasis montaj stores all the projection information for a grid (.grd) file in an associated GI (.gi) file. For example, the grid file "mygrid.grd" would have an associated projection file named "mygrid.grd.gi". Oasis montaj also stores all the metadata for a grid (.grd) file in an associated XML (.xml) file. For example, the grid file "mygrid.grd" would have an associated XML file named "mygrid.grd.xml". When copying a grid file to another directory or when sharing a grid file with others, you must include any existing (.gi and .xml) files associated with the grid file in order to maintain the projections and metadata information for the grid.
Image Colour	*.AGG	Colour template file containing a default or custom mapping of a colour palette to grid values.
PC Image Format	.TIF, .PCX, *.BMP, etc.	Standard PC files created using imaging or electronic photo-editing techniques.
Polygon	*.PLY	ASCII file containing X and Y location values to which grids are to be masked.

Map Files

File Type	Extension	Description
Map	*.MAP	Geosoft-developed file that integrates all graphics elements (lines, polygons and text) and layers (basemaps, data, grids, plots and images) constructed in Oasis montaj.
Map Definition	*.MDF	ASCII file that contains scaling and map extents information required to create Map files (*.MAP).
Projection	*.PRJ	ASCII file that contains the projection type, datum name or major axis and ellipticity, UTM zone number or desired central meridian; base, southern and northern parallels; central scale factor; false easting and northing to be added; and multipliers (not used in montaj)

Plot Files

File Type	Extension	Description
AutoCAD	*.DXF	External plot format typically used to depict surficial or buried object extents or surfaces, as well as cultural elements, such as building outlines or roads.
Plot	*.PLT	Binary file that integrates basemap and layer information.
Plot Attribute	*.ATT	Binary files containing graphics element attribute information.

Processing Files

File Type	Extension	Description
Batch	*.BAT	ASCII file containing DOS commands required to execute a sequence of actions.
Control	*.CON	ASCII file containing default or custom parameters that control a program's operation.
Script	*.GS	ASCII file containing default or custom parameters that control one or more Geosoft eXecutable operations on a Geosoft database.

System Files

File Type

Extension

Description

Project

*.GPF

Binary file that defines a desktop environment. It is essentially an "electronic briefcase" that helps organize data and the activities related to a data processing project.

The project may have a number of databases and/or maps open for you to view and interact with. All processing parameters are stored as part of a project—meaning that you can quickly modify processing parameters and compare the effectiveness of different settings.

Resource Files

File Type	Extension	Description
Resource Pack	*.geosoft_resource_pack	File created by Geosoft to apply a manual resource update and updates any necessary help files, system library files, and language files.
.Net Help	*.mchelp	.NET application help that can be opened by using MadCap Help Viewer.