Create Sections

Summary

The Create tab of the Section Tool can be used to create cross sections, by drawing the desired section location on the active scene or map.

Usage

At the top of the Create tab there is a tool strip with 5 buttons:

Create new section by drawing on current map or view - press this button in order to define a new section location, or to re-define a section, by drawing on the active map or scene.
Constrain drawing as an East-West section - press this button to force the section to be drawn only in the East-West orientation. Press again to remove this constraint.
Constrain drawing as a North-South section - press this button to force the section to be drawn only in the North-South orientation. Press again to remove this constraint.
Constrain drawing as a Plan (horizontal) section - press this button to force the section to be drawn only in the Plan (horizontal) orientation. Press again to remove this constraint.
Change Drawing Mode to Parallel/Perspective - press this button to switch the drawing mode. Parallel mode is easier to use when drawing section locations.

Defining a Section

Once you have clicked Create new section... (), the scene will rotate to a top-down (bird's eye) view, so that you can draw the sections extents by following these steps:

Click once anywhere on the scene to start the section line. Drag the mouse cursor to create a line in any direction.
Click a second time to end the line. Drag the mouse cursor to set the section thickness.
Click a third time to finish the section. The section location parameters will appear with all the location values captured or calculated from the input drawing.
The section location parameters appear in the tool and a red outline box appears in the scene to show the section location. You can click in any of the enabled fields to adjust the location, angles, or extents values to fine-tune the section as needed.
If you wish to re-define the section, simply click the Create new section... button again, and re-define the section location.

Saving a Section

Pressing the Save button after the section location parameters are correctly set, will commit the current section location to the drillhole dataset. Once saved, the Section Tool will switch to the Manage Sections tab, which will result in the latest section, and any other sections in the dataset, appearing as outlines on the current scene or map.

Parameters

Parameter	Explanation
New Section
Name	The name of the section. This will be automatically filled in based on the location.
Create Offset Sections	Slide the toggle on to create multiple, offset parallel sections. This can be used to create multiple sections that are parallel to the currently defined section.
Count	The number of offset sections to create, in addition to the original base section.
Separation	The separation spacing between offset sections. Enter a negative value to force the sections to be created in the opposite direction.
Reference Point: the reference point is located at the top-center of the section
Easting (X)	The X or easting location of the section reference point.
Northing (Y)	The Y or northing location of the section reference point.
Elevation (Z)	The Z or elevation location of the section reference point.
Offset
Offset toggle	Move section perpendicular to Azimuth. When working with angled sections, adjusting the easting or northing location of the reference point can lead to accidentally moving the section away from the desired location. This option allows you to hold the reference point and azimuth constant, while moving the section in a direction perpendicular to the azimuth. Enabled by default, slide toggle to off position in order to adjust Easting or Northing locations independently.
Distance	Moves the section location by this distance, perpendicularly, from the original section location.
Angles
Azimuth	The angle of the section plane, measured clockwise from North (0°) degrees.
Inclination	The angle of the section plane, measured from horizontal (0°) degrees.
Extents
Length	The length of the section; changes to the length will expand the section outward in both directions from the center reference point.
Height	The height of the section; changes to the height will move the bottom of the section only. The top location is fixed by the reference point Z value.
Thickness	The thickness of the section; in the direction perpendicular to the length. Changes to the thickness will expand the section outward in both directions from the center reference point.
Scenes
Show extents as box	Slide on or off to view the sections extents in the current scene. Section extents appear as a red outline box.
Clip to extents	Slide on or off to temporarily clip the extents of the current scene to the extents of the section.
Clip to center plane	Slide on or off to temporarily clip the extents of the current scene to the center plane of the section.

Technical Notes

Parallel vs. Perspective Drawing Mode

When drawing section locations, it is much easier to achieve a precise location when in Parallel Drawing mode. If the scene is using Perspective Drawing mode, a warning will appear in a yellow text beneath the toolbar advising the user that sections might not be located as expected when using Perspective mode. Switching to Parallel mode will remove this warning, and provide a better experience when defining sections. The Drawing Mode selector is available on the View ribbon, in the Scene group. There is also a shortcut to this same control on the Create and Modify Section tabs.

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