Creating Custom Fill Patterns in Strater 4

One great feature of Strater 4 is the ability to create stunning logs, such as lithology logs, that visually represent the stratigraphic layers of the borehole. Strater comes with many fill patterns to choose from, but you may want to use a pattern that is not available in the fill pattern palette. In that case, you can add your own custom fill pattern to Strater, and any image can be used as a custom fill pattern! Let’s go over three different ways to create custom fill patterns you can add to your palette--drawing your own pattern, layering existing patterns to create a new one, and using an existing image.

Create a Pattern by Drawing

You can create a custom fill pattern by using the drawing tools in Strater. To do so, start with a new borehole or cross section view. Below, I’ve detailed the steps I took to draw my own fill pattern. I only used symbols, but you can use a combination of symbols, polylines, and drawn shapes.

Pattern created in Strater with the drawing tools

Follow the instructions below to create the above pattern:

1. Click the File | New | Borehole View command.
2. Turn on the grid to help with alignment.
   1. Click the Tools | Options command.
   2. In the left pane, navigate to Environment | Rulers and Grid.
   3. In the right pane, check the Display Grid box.
   4. Under Horizontal Ruler, set Grid Divisions to 4.
   5. Under Vertical Ruler, set Grid Divisions to 4.
   6. Click OK.
3. Click the Draw | Rectangle command.
4. Draw a rectangle in the log pane.
5. Click the Draw | Symbol command.
6. Click in the rectangle to draw the symbols. Use the grid to help place the symbols in the desired location. I created 6 rows of 5 symbols.
7. Press the ESC key to exit drawing mode.
8. In the Object Manager, click on Marker 1.
9. Press and hold the SHIFT key on the keyboard, and click the last symbol, Marker 30.
10. In the Property Manager, click on the current symbol and select symbol Number 37.
11. Press and hold the SHIFT key while selecting the column of symbols going down the left side.
12. Click the Arrange | Align Objects | Center command.
13. Repeat for the other columns of symbols.
14. Press and hold the SHIFT key while clicking the row of symbols along the top.
15. Click the Arrange | Align Objects | Middle command.
16. Repeat for the other rows.
17. In the Object Manager, select Rectangle 1.
18. Press the DELETE key.
19. Now that the pattern is complete, click the Edit | Select All command.
20. Click the File | Export command.
21. In the Export dialog, enter a File name.
22. Select an image file type (PNG, GIF, JPG, etc.) from the Save as type dropdown list.
23. Check the Selected objects only box.
24. Click Save.
25. In the Export Options dialog, set any desired export options, and click OK.

Layer Existing Patterns to Create a New Pattern

You can layer existing patterns over one another to create a brand new pattern! To do so, you’ll fill rectangles with the desired patterns.

Pattern created in Strater by layering existing patterns

Follow the instructions below to create the above pattern:

1. Click the File | New | Borehole View command.
2. Click the Draw | Rectangle command.
3. Draw a rectangle in the log pane.
4. Press the ESC key to exit drawing mode.
5. Select the rectangle.
6. Click the Edit | Copy command.
7. Click the Edit | Paste command.
8. Click in the plot to paste the rectangle.
9. In the Property Manager, click on the Fill tab.
10. Click on the current Pattern and select a new one. I chose Intrusive igneous 2.
11. Select the other rectangle.
12. In the Property Manager, click on the current Pattern and select a new one. I chose Loose, medium-graded gravel.
13. Press and hold the SHIFT key while clicking on each rectangle.
14. Click the Arrange | Align Objects | Center command.
15. Click the Arrange | Align Objects | Middle command.
16. In the Property Manager, on the Line page, set the Style to Invisible.
17. In the Object Manager, select the Rectangle at the top of the list.
18. In the Property Manager, click on the Fill tab.
19. Set the Background Opacity to 0%.
20. Now that the pattern is complete, click the Edit | Select All command.
21. Click the File | Export command.
22. In the Export dialog, enter a File name.
23. Select an image file type (PNG, GIF, JPG, etc.) from the Save as type dropdown list.
24. Check the Selected objects only box.
25. Click Save.
26. In the Export Options dialog, set any desired export options, and click OK.

Create a Pattern from an Existing Image

The final way to create a custom fill pattern is to use an existing image. To do so, you simply load the image into the fill pattern palette using one of the methods below! I used an image of olivine basalt that I found on Wikipedia.

Existing image to use as a fill pattern

Bringing the Custom Pattern into Strater

Now that you have the custom fill pattern that you want, you have two options to add the pattern to the fill pattern palette in the Property Manager or as part of a scheme. You can load a saved image or copy an image and paste from the clipboard. Let’s create a lithology log and fill it with our new patterns! Use this link to download the lithology table used in the example and follow along.

1. Click the File | New | Borehole View command.
2. Click the Log | Lithology command.
3. Click in the log pane.
4. In the Open dialog, select Lithology.xls.
5. Click Open.
6. In the Specify Worksheet Column Definitions dialog, click Next.
7. In the Specify Data Type and Column Positions dialog, confirm the columns are assigned correctly, and click Finish.

Pasting from the Clipboard:

1. Click on the Borehole tab containing the layered pattern (Borehole 2).
2. Click the Edit | Select All command.
3. Click the Edit | Copy command.
4. Click on the Borehole tab containing the lithology log (Borehole 3).
5. Click the Draw | Scheme Editor command.
6. Click the + next to Sheet1:Lithology Keyword.
7. Click Layer 1.
8. In the pane on the right, click on the current Pattern.
9. In the palette, click the Clipboard button.
10. Click OK, and the log updates with the fill pattern.

Loading a Saved Image:

1. Click on the Borehole tab containing the lithology log (Borehole 3).
2. Click the Draw | Scheme Editor command.
3. Click the + next to Sheet1:Lithology Keyword.
4. Click Layer 2.
5. In the pane on the right, click on the current Pattern.
6. In the palette, click the Load File button.
7. In the Import dialog, select an image.
8. Click Open.
9. In the pane on the left, click Layer 3.
10. In the pane on the right, click on the current Pattern.
11. In the palette, click the Load File button.
12. In the Import dialog, select the image file exported after drawing our own custom fill pattern.
13. Click Open.
14. Click OK, and the log updates with the fill patterns.

Log filled with custom fill patterns

The custom fill patterns you create will remain in the SDG file where it is used, so it will be available any time the file is opened in Strater. The pattern will also remain available in that instance of Strater where the patterns were originally loaded. To save the fill patterns to a different instance of Strater, you can reload the patterns in that instance of Strater, or you can open the SDG file containing the patterns and save the pattern to a scheme.

Olivine basalt photo sourced from Wikimedia Commons. Photo taken by Siim Sepp. Creative Commons license can be viewed here.