Drillhole Import – Collar - XLS/MS Access Database/ODBC

When entering data in a drillhole project, you must start with collar data . The system creates a unique collar database that you can use to view all drillholes in the project at a glance. You can also plot an initial plan map showing all holes for review purposes. A collar file must exist before survey or assay data can be imported, and before plans and sections can be created.

Use this tab to specify the import parameters for the collar data to be imported into a Drillhole database.

Collar Tab options

Channel Type
Collar View	Specify the collar view to import.
Database Fields	The Drillhole Import wizard enables you to easily import data from any table within a database. If you had multiple tables you would be able to select a specific table from the Database Table drop-down list. The Database Fields window displays the fields in the selected database that are available for import. Select (highlight) each field to be imported, then specify the channel type and parameters. The channel type has been automatically determined for each of the available database fields. It is always good practice to review your data to ensure correct field selection and channel type mapping.
[Filter Conditions]	Click this button to open the Filter Conditions dialog.
Not imported	Select the Not imported radio button if you do not want the selected (highlighted) database field to be imported.
Data	Select the Data radio button if you want the selected (highlighted) database field to be imported as Data.
Hole ID	Select the Hole ID radio button if you want the selected (highlighted) database field to be imported as Hole IDs. This is a required channel.
Easting	Select the Easting radio button if you want the selected (highlighted) database field to be imported as eastings. This is a required channel.
Northing	Select the Northing radio button if you want the selected (highlighted) database field to be imported as northings. This is a required channel.
Elevation	Select the Elevation radio button if you want the selected (highlighted) database field to be imported as elevation. This is a required channel.
Hole Top	Select the Hole Top radio button if you want the selected (highlighted) database field to be imported as hole top data.
Total Depth (EOH)	Select the Total Depth (EOH) radio button if you want the selected (highlighted) database field to be imported as total depth data. This is a required channel.
Collar Dip	Select the Collar Dip radio button if you want the selected (highlighted) database field to be imported as collar dip data.
Collar Azimuth	Select the Collar Azimuth radio button if you want the selected (highlighted) database field to be imported as collar azimuth data.
Parameters
Field name	Specify the "Field name". This field is read-only for required channel types.
Data type	Specify the "Data type". This field is read-only for required channel types.
Data format	Specify the "Data format". This field is read-only for required channel types.
Dummy	Specify the alpha and/or numeric characters to be used as the dummy. The default is (*).

OK	Click the OK button to import the data into drillhole databases.

Application Notes

Once all the required channels are specified, the message “Ready to import Collar View data” will be displayed at the bottom of the tab. The OK button can only be clicked once the required channels have been mapped to a database field.

Excel Database (XLS) Import

The Microsoft ADO software that we use to read and import XLS files only scans the first 20 rows or so of the data. It then makes a decision about the type of data based on what it sees (it will generally ignore the first row because it is used for titles, etc.)

If there is no data in the first 20 rows of a column, it assumes all values are type "string". This would be fine, but any actual values stored numerically are no longer picked up by the ADO software, and are reported to Oasis montaj as being "VT_NULL" type, that is, blank!

Therefore, to ensure that a numerical column in Excel is imported, there MUST be a value in the first 20 rows or so.

The numeric type entered in the wizard (e.g. string/float) controls only the type of the channel created in the database; it has no effect on whether the data will be recognized or picked up during the import.

We have tried to get around this Microsoft limitation, but with no success.

The workaround is either to re-order the original data so that there are data values in the first 20 rows, or to export to another format (example CSV) and import it that way.