ModelVision software, Research and Services
Tensor Research Newsletter
May 2025 Read More
Highlights from ModelVision 18.0
Visualisation enhancements
have improved our imaging of new structural symbols for points, geophysical grids, continuous/discrete colour legends with range and increment controls, colour contouring and real-time updates with many Apply buttons added to property dialogs. The common multi-map crosshair is a great help when working with different image and body maps. Use it easily with the linked pan and zoom feature.
Tiled and scale-linked windows showing the new muti-map crosshair cursor, legends and colour and size modulated symbols.
More on Point Visualisation, AutoMag and QuickDepth
Here we show some examples using flexible data point annotation, AutoMag solution visualisation and QuickDepth symbols.
In the first example of point annotation, the symbols sizes and colour selections would not normally be used in this way, but they do demonstrate the level of control. Importing geochemistry data or rock property measurements can also be used in this way.​
Point data are displayed as colour and size modulated symbols with colour = depth below ground, diameter = depth quality estimate. The title box in the left corner is designed to show the names of the channels and their relative locations. Annotations clockwise from left side are mauve for magnetic susceptibility (cgs), black for formation width (m) and white for depth below ground (m). Font size, decimal points, position and orientation are controlled for each annotation. The top image is RTP with RTP contours. The bottom image is a geo-registered JPG bitmap overlain by RTP contours with the point symbols as the top layer.
​​In the left-hand AutoMag example below, the conventional Smart points representing strike and dip directions are colour-coded by the Level number as the width of the sample data expands by a factor of 2. The right-hand image is using points generated via the Standard Points button on the AutoMag toolbar.
Left - AutoMag solutions as smart points with symbols showing tabular body strike and dip directions.
Right – Smart points converted to standard points using the trend direction as an arrow scaled by trend confidence.
QuickDepth-specific symbols have been included in this update along with other minor improvements. A further update for QuickDepth users is expected after release 18.0 is finalised. The example below shows how specific symbols have been used to have some resemblance to the body type (sheet, pipe, ellipsoid, edge) selected by the interpreter.
QuickDepth results from the tutorial training set based on a complete set of supported body types.
(a) 3D perspective view of the model and survey lines. (b) QuickDepth symbols with depth annotation.
(c) QuickDepth symbols and depths over the top of the original model. (d) QuickDepth symbols and depth annotations over the normalised source strength (NSS) image.
At last, a full text search Help System
ModelVision’s help system has been modernised to take advantage of recent advances in search engine technology. Our help system, user guide, supporting documentation and tutorial are moving to the web for quick searching for solutions to your specific problem. We have even included an experimental AI Assistant that uses our documentation with a ChatGPT style large language model (LLM). Don’t worry, if the web is not accessible, you will still have access to new versions of the local help system and PDF formatted guides. We have many researchers around the world who undertake fundamental research using the tools provided in ModelVision so it is important that they can reference the User Guide.
Example full text search to find a list of FFT filters where references to line and grid filters were returned.
Genius Search AI Assistant!
The AI Assistant is a welcome addition to the learning process because you can ask it plain English questions and refine them as you go. In the previous example of a full text search, your question is more focussed on a specific outcome.
Here, I asked AI Assistant the question “Can I use FFT to transform total magnetic intensity grids to the magnetic tensor?”. In response, it gives you a summary of what it has found and a link to the most useful page in the documentation. There may be more than one link depending on the nature of the search.
Example of the AI Assistant being used to find references to the transformation of TMI to the magnetic gradient tensor.
New computational engine for the Calculator
Our calculator operates on lines, grids, points and drillholes and now has a completely new and more powerful computational engine. Extended function list, logic branching and scripting allow you to apply reusable code each time you receive a new survey dataset.
The calculator has a new computation engine, extended function set and multi-line scripting.
Coding with the Calculator
Extended function list, logic branching and scripting allow you to build reusable code each time you receive a new survey dataset. This script is used to convert magnetic tensor data to commonly used parameters such as the analytic signal of the Bz component (ASz), invariants I1 and I2, Tilt angle, dimensionality (DI) and SI stands for shape index (Cevallos, 2014).
A multi-line script example applied to tensor data (BFnn) resampled from grids derived from a total magnetic intensity grid using ModelVision’s powerful suite of FFT tensor filters.
When finished, the calculator shows the last line in the script file. If bad syntax is encountered, it will stop at that line and provide an error message. Just update your MVP script text file, reload and Compute. Results of the calculation from one line over two magnetic pipes are shown in a Multi-Track view of 7 computed channels plus the original magnetic data. Note the symmetry of the ASz, Invariant 1 and Invariant 2 channels.
Multi-Track plot of Mag plus 7 computed data channels.
The IF statement allows you to include another cascading IF statement in place of a simple parameter or calculation. For example, say you have three parameters A, B, C, you can craft a multi-tiered expression where either output parameter can be replaced by a logical expression.
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D = IF( A > B, C, A+B)
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D = IF(A > B, (IF(A = NULL, C, A+B), A+B))
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D = IF(A > B, (IF(A = NULL, C, A+B), (IF(A=B, C, A+B)))
​
While this is very powerful and efficient to use, it is difficult to spot logic problems and if you find you are having problems, break it out and create intermediate values that are used on the next line.
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Reference: Cevallos, C. 2014 Automatic generation of 3D geophysical models using curvatures derived from airborne gravity gradient data. Geophysics 79 (5) p. G49-G58.
Create models from data points
For researchers interested in studying large scale models, the point to body conversion tool has been expanded to include tabular, spheres, ellipsoids, circular and elliptical pipes. Use ModelVision survey simulations to test your survey specifications before you fly. It is now easy to create a model of near surface maghaemite nodules using randomly distributed ellipsoids or spheres along with your target model. You can build the full model point data in Excel or other applications such as Python or MATLAB which is much faster than creating the multi-body model manually with the Create Body tool.
Example of a large point to body conversion from the Cloncurry region where the Tabular body type is applied to all points in the set.
Turn data points into models
Test your survey specifications before you fly by simulation. It is now easy to create a model of near surface maghaemite nodules using randomly distributed ellipsoids or spheres along with your target model. You can build the full model point data in Excel or other applications such as Python or MATLAB which is much faster than creating the model manually using the Create Body tool. This example used a random noise generator to create the easting, northing, and elevation. Although not done here, you can also simulate random magnetisation directions and amplitudes. These models are used as a basis for testing different processing techniques and survey specifications for optimum data collection.
Lab measurements of density or magnetic properties can be converted to a located point set and turned into simple spheres that can be overlain on geological and image maps. At any time, you can convert the body to another body type and start modelling. If you have many samples, use the bodies (samples) in the RockMod module to assess their possible lithology classifications by overlaying the lab measurements on one or more of the charts.
A map view and zoomed 3D perspective view of a near-surface noise simulation using randomly distributed ellipsoids to emulate near-surface noise sources with random magnetisation directions immediately above manually positioned circular pipes.
And that’s just some highlights. To find out more about the many other new features and improvements, read more ...