Golden Software Blog

Cornell David, Manager and Senior Geophysicist at GeoMathics One, a geological and geophysical service company located in Bucharest Romania, first encountered Golden Software products in 1990.

GeoMathics One uses Voxler to display an assortment of geophysical data including 3D chemical distribution and 3D geophysical data acquired with Electrical Resistivity Tomography systems. David states, “I’ve appreciated Voxler from the beginning. Voxler gives you the ability to plan a 3D geophysical investigation.”

Data is the foundation of a successful modeling project. We all have had an experience where high quality, mistake-free data was not available for a project and lesser quality, problematic data was the only thing available. These problematic datasets can contain a variety of issues not limited to missing data values, missing labels, incorrect data values, and outliers; all of which can cause inaccurate projects. With the release of a the latest version of Voxler 3D Visualization mapping software this past fall, the new worksheet window allows real-time editing of your imported data; Now you can leverage Voxler as a valuable data quality control tool for correcting problematic 3D point cloud data and well data. This blog will detail how to effectively QC (quality control) the problematic data issues directly within Voxler's mapping software using the new worksheet window.

QC missing data values:

High resolution imagery and a shapefile draped over a HeightField in Voxler.

Voxler mapping software is Golden Software’s premier 3D volumetric modeling program. Voxler mapping software does an excellent job generating detailed 3D models by seamlessly combining your XYZC point data, Surfer grids, DEMS, and well data in true 3D space. With the latest release of Voxler, there is now a way to incorporate GIS imagery and vector files into the 3D context of your project. You can now add image overlays and vector overlays that drape over any 3D surface or HeightField.

The Dewhurst Group is a global geophysical exploration company that specializes exclusively on site selection for geothermal exploration and geothermal power development. The Dewhurst Group consists of a team of geologists, engineers, and geophysicists that integrate geophysics, geologic mapping, and geochemistry to pinpoint geothermal sources for electric power generation. The group relies heavily on both broadband magnetotelluric (BMT) and low frequency magnetotelluric (LMT) instrumentation.  MT instruments are designed and built in collaboration with the Russian Academy of Sciences and Vega Geophysics. Typically, the instruments are capable of acquiring resistivity values from a few meters in depth to many kilometers. With the LMT equipment it is often possible to gather data at depths as far down as the Mohorovicic discontinuity, the boundary between the Earth’s crust and mantle. Information at such depths can be helpful in understanding the tectonics that might drive a shallower geothermal source and related “plumbing” system.

If you're familiar with our 3D data visualization software, Voxler, you're probably aware that it is a 1:1:1 modeller. This means that each dimension (X, Y, and Z) and each dataset in the project is treated as if it uses the same units. If your X and Y data use a different unit than the Z data, or if your datasets use different units, then this could result in an undesirable display. In the past, you would need to use Transform modules to correct the positioning or reproject the data in a different program, such as Surfer mapping software. Don't worry about manually transforming data or switching between programs any longer! With Voxler 4's new worksheet feature, you can quickly and easily convert your point data to use a different unit by reprojecting the data.

In this example, most of my data is in feet, but I have XY point locations measured in meters. Let's take a look at a quick and easy way to remedy this with Voxler's new worksheet!