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2015 has been a huge year of innovations at Golden Software, where we have released new versions of both Surfer and MapViewer. The big news for the year at Golden Software is not quite over yet. Voxler 4, released this morning, joins the compelling team of releases for 2015! Voxler 4, Golden Software’s 3D well and volumetric data visualization application, is designed to fit well in the geosciences because of its well and borehole data rendering and its 3D gridding capabilities. Voxler 4 is also very appealing to users outside of the geosciences realm, stemming from the immense list of supported data formats including numerous image formats, 2D and 3D point data formats, vector and GIS data formats, and countless grid and 3D lattice formats. Almost any type of 2D and 3D data can be visualized in Voxler!

Listening to our user base:

You asked, and we listened. When the Voxler team started development on version 4, we took to the streets and asked our user base what features they wanted implemented in the next version. The Voxler team took the most requested features and built the new version around these requests. The most requested new feature with an overwhelming number of votes was full 3D DXF import and export support, which was added to Voxler 4's 3D mapping software. We also added a new worksheet window that allows hot editing of data, added the ability to drape vector data over 3D surfaces, and made several upgrades to the ScatterPlot module. A more complete list of what’s new in Voxler 4 can be found here.

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Over the coming weeks, I will be highlighting some of these new features in detail, so set your feed reader to subscribe to the Golden Software blog so you can get the low-down on the how-to’s for Voxler 4’s new additions.  New Voxler 4 licenses and upgrades to existing Voxler licenses can be made on our shopping page. If you would like to submit an idea for a new feature in any of our products or if you have any questions about the new version, please feel free to email us at voxlersupport@goldensoftware.com.

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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!

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Project created using measurements in feet, before adding point data.

The image above shows my project, which contains a HeightField module with a vector overlay (also new in Voxler 4) and a Contours module. The DXF file and both 2D lattices use feet for the X, Y, and Z values. The HeightField shows the topography of the state of Tennessee, and the contours show the average daily temperature for the month of October. I also have a data file containing points for city locations, but the point locations are defined by UTM meters, rather than State Plane feet, which is used by the rest of my data. The image below shows what happens when I import the point data in meters into the existing project and display it with a ScatterPlot module.

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Project containing data using feet and data using meters for XY values.

As you can see, all of the points are jumbled up in the upper left corner and are very far away from the other data. To rectify this, I can reproject my point data in Voxler's worksheet so the points locate in the correct position, using the steps below. This workflow also takes advantage of Voxler's new hot editing feature!

1. In the Network Manager, click the data source module.
2. In the Property Manager, click the Edit Worksheet button.
3. Click the Data | New Projected Coordinates command.
4. In the New Project Coordinates dialog, set the appropriate X and Y Source Columns.
5. Click the ellipses button next to the current Source Coordinate System.
6. In the Assign Coordinate System dialog, navigate to and select the coordinate system that your data currently uses, and click OK. In this example, my point data uses North America NAD83 UTM zone 16N.
7. In the New Projected Coordinates dialog, Voxler will automatically use the first two empty columns for the Target Columns. Click the ellipses button next to Unreferenced local system.
8. In the Assign Coordinate System dialog, navigate to and select the coordinate system to which you want to reproject the data, and click OK. In this example, I'm reprojecting the data to State Plane 1983 - Tennessee (Feet).
9. Click OK in the New Projected Coordinates dialog. The new coordinates are written to the worksheet. You can save the worksheet, if you'd like.
10. Click back to the plot tab.
11. In the Property Manager, set the X and Y coordinates columns to the newly created columns. The plot will automatically update with the new data.

The image below shows the points reprojected to use the same units as the rest of the project. The points locate in their correct positions, relative to the rest of the data.

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Project displaying points after being reprojected in Voxler.

These powerful new features can streamline your workflow and minimize the number of applications necessary to complete your project. Reprojecting your point data is only one of many great features available with Voxler's new worksheet support!

New copies of Voxler 4 and upgrades from previous versions are available for purchase from our shopping page. Contact voxlersupport@goldensoftware.com with any suggestions or questions you may have!

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.

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Field work at the Pueblo of Jemez. Dewhurst Group incorporated Members of the Pueblo
within the field teams.

With well over 100 years of collective experience among principals, The Dewhurst Group has participated in projects all over the world. These include an exploration study for the State of Montana in order to assess the viability of developing the first geothermal power plant for the state, geothermal exploration in the Basin and Range province of the Mojave desert, and an innovative  project  near Jemez, NM. The Jemez project was part of a Department of Energy grant and the work was in collaboration with TBA Power, Inc. and the Pueblo of Jemez. Of more local interest perhaps, the company has just completed exploration work near Buena Vista and Salida, CO for Mt. Princeton Geothermal, LLC. These resistivity imaging surveys are perhaps the first to be conducted in Colorado, exclusively for geothermal exploration.

According to the company’s founder, Warren T. Dewhurst, Ph.D, P.E., Golden Software products have played a key role in the company's work from the very beginning. While a graduate student at the Colorado School of Mines, he used the first iteration of Golden Software products.

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Conceptual cartoon of how MT data are gathered in the field at stations along profiles.

Case Study in Jemez, NM

The Dewhurst Group employed a four-phased exploration approach at Jemez, NM. The first phase used geo-electric strike and dimensionality analysis to design and test the survey location. During Phase 2 the data was collected at over 150 stations throughout the survey area, approximately 37 km². Once all of the pertinent information was gathered, the group analyzed and modeled the results.

The Dewhurst Group utilized Golden Software’s MapViewer, Grapher, Surfer, Didger and Voxler throughout the project. During the analysis and interpretive phase, Voxler was used to generate 3-D renderings all 1-D, 2-D and 3-D inversion results. The various models were compared and integrated to generate a resistivity imaging model of Earth’s subsurface at the Pueblo. The final imaging model, shown below, was interpreted and provided to the client. Theiso-surfaces within the image depict different resistivity zones.

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3-D image of subsurface resistivity at the Pueblo of Jemez. Red shows areas of low resistivity, often associated with geothermally altered cap rock or a concentration of geothermal brine. Target area shown at a depth of 1800m and “X” marks the spot to drill.

The Dewhurst Group credits the visualization tools available within Voxler for helping locate an optimal drilling depth and target location. Notably, the resistivity results generated by their data and displayed with Voxler were later confirmed by further exploration that included a subsequent seismic survey.

For more information about the Dewhurst Group, please visit their website.

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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.

You might ask, “Why is this important?” It is often said that a picture is worth a thousand words. Adding high resolution imagery and vector data to a Voxler project can be a key component of model building where these types of data can associate what we commonly see on the Earth’s surface, from the natural or built environment, to what you are visualizing in the subsurface portion of the project. Overlaying GIS data can give your project a sense of spatial context, realism, detail, and scale. Displaying GIS imagery and vector data in 3 dimensions gives you a better understanding of what is going on at both the surface and the subsurface locations simultaneously; adding to the overall effectiveness of a project generated in Voxler.

In the following example, I am going to show you how to easily integrate a vector file and an image file into a Voxler project where both files will be draped over an elevation grid that was created in Surfer data mapping software. The area of interest for this example is Winter Park, Colorado; where I have downloaded a parcels shapefile from the Grand County, Colorado public GIS database. I also used Surfer’s Download online maps from server functionality to acquire a high resolution NAIP image of the area.

The first step to generating my example is to import the Surfer grid and attach a HeightField to the grid. To import the grid and attach a HeightField:

1. Open Voxler 4 and click File | Import.
2. In the Import dialog, navigate to the Winter Park Elevation.grd and click Open.
3. In the Lattice Import Options dialog, select Import as a curvilinear lattice and click OK.
4. In the Network Manager, select the Winter Park Elevation.grd and click Network |Graphics Output | HeightField.

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A Surfer grid imported into Voxler and visualized using a HeightField.

The next step for this example is to import the NAIP image and use it as an image overlay on the HeightField. To do so:

1. Click File | Import.
2. In the Import dialog, navigate to the NAIP image and click Open.
3. In the Network Manager, select the NAIP.tif and drag the connector from the right connector pad to the left connector pad of the HeightField.
4. In the context menu, click Connect Input Image Overlay.

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A NAIP image has been added to the Voxler project and draped over the HeightField.

As you can see in the image above, the NAIP image has been draped over the HeightField as an image overlay. This gives the project more context, scale, and real-world detail. The final portion of my example is to drape the parcels GIS vector data over the HeightField which will add some additional information about the built environment. To import and overlay the vector data:

1. Click File | Import.
2. In the Import dialog, navigate to the Subdivisions_UTMPoly.shp and click Open.
3. In the Network Manager, select the Subdivisions_UTMPoly.shp and drag the connector from the right connector pad to the left connector pad of the HeightField.
4. In the context menu, click Connect Input Image Overlay.

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Vector lines and imagery incorporated into the Voxler project.

Pro Tip:

Voxler'sa mapping software allows for a single vector file and a single image file to be draped on a HeightField. If you want to incorporate multiple vector files as overlays into your project, you can simply attach an additional HeightField module to the source grid and then connect another vector file to the new HeightField as a vector overlay. The image below shows a roads shapefile draping over an additional HeightField.

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This project is using multiple HeightFields attached to the same source grid
to allow for multiple vector files to be draped.

To sum things up, draping vector data and imagery over HeightFields is a very quick and easy tool that will incorporate meaningful GIS data into your project. With a few mouse clicks, your project can come to life with a plethora of information that will add spatial context, scale, and detail; all of which should give anyone viewing the project a good sense of what is happening on the surface.

New copies of Voxler 4 and upgrades from previous versions are available for purchase from our shopping page. Contact voxlersupport@goldensoftware.com with any suggestions or questions you may have!

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:

Datasets can come with missing values caused by a variety of reasons including creator error or equipment malfunction. This situation is typically seen in well data where entire intervals of sampled data are missing. For example, in the image below there are a few sample intervals missing for well MW-1; shown by the missing “gaps” along the well trace.

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Missing interval data can be seen on well trace MW-1.

The “gaps” in the interval data can also be seen in Voxler’s worksheet by clicking the Edit Worksheet button in the Property Manager. In the image below the missing interval data is highlighted.

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Missing interval data can easily be found in Voxler’s worksheet.

This missing interval data issue can be easily resolved in Voxler by using the following steps:

1. In the Network Manager, click the data source module to select it.
2. In the Property Manager, click the General tab.
3. Click the Edit Worksheet button.
4. In the Worksheet scroll down until you find the cells with the missing data.
5. In the empty cells, enter the correct data values for the intervals.
6. Click the project tab to tab back to the Viewer window and notice the missing data is now being rendered along the well trace.

The corrected or quality controlled data can be exported from the Worksheet window by using the File | Save As Copy command. The image below displays well MW-1 with the corrected interval samples data.

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The missing interval data has been added to the worksheet and now displays along the well trace.

 QC missing labels:

Occasionally, your acquired data does not contain a complete column of labels. This can be easily resolved by using similar steps as used to resolve the missing data values in the previous section. Here are the steps that can be used:

1. In the Network Manager, click the data source module to select it.
2. In the Property Manager, click the General tab.
3. Click the Edit Worksheet button.
4. In the Worksheet scroll down until you find the cells in the label column that do not contain labels.
5. In the empty cells, enter the correct labels for the points.
6. Click the project tab to tab back to the Viewer window and notice the missing labels are now being displayed for all points.

QC incorrect Well IDs:

Receiving data that uses a different method to uniquely identify well data is a common issue when combining well data that has been created from different data providers. Commonly some data providers use the well name while others use API number to identify wells. When importing well data that uses two different methods to identify wells, the well traces will not render because there is no way to link the collars table, the directional survey table, and the samples table. In the image below you can see the two well data tables are using two different identifiers for the wells; one is using the well name, the other is using the API number.

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Different unique well identifiers in a collars table and directional survey table.

This issue can be easily fixed by editing one or more of the well data tables so the well IDs match. I recommend adding an additional column to the data so that both unique identifiers will be referencing the data. This can be accomplished by using the following steps:

1. In the Network Manager, click the data source module you would like to edit the well IDs for.
2. In the Property Manager, click the General tab.
3. Click the Edit Worksheet button.
4. In the next blank column enter the alias well ID for the corresponding records so the well IDs match (to enter values to multiple cells, use the Data | Transform command).
5. Click the project tab to tab back to the Viewer window.
6. Select the data source modules in the Network Manager, move to Property Manager, and under Well Columns change the Well Name (ID) to the new column that contains the matching well IDs.
7. Notice the well traces are now being displayed.

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A new column of well names had been added to a collars table so both tables have matching unique identifiers.

In conclusion, when facing missing or incorrect data issues within your 3D point cloud dataset or well dataset, Voxler’s new hot editing worksheet can help you quickly solve these issues. New copies of Voxler and upgrades from previous versions are available for purchase from our shopping page. Contact voxlersupport@goldensoftware.com with any suggestions or questions you may have!

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.”

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Coal Layers: Six hectares of surface were investigated using ERT (Electrical Resistivity Tomography) method to reveal stratified Pliocene lacustrine facies coal layers, interbedded in clayey deposits. Both Wenner and Schlumberger arrays were used to acquire data along 8 profiles, 40 m distance between them, 40 electrodes, 5 m spacing. The structure was confirmed by later drillings.

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Rhyolite Body: The image represents results of an ERT performed to relieve a micro-granitic body inside an elongated hill. 2D sections, at 50 m distance, crossed the hill from one side to the other. Electrodes spacing was 5 m. The intrusive body is faulted by an important transversal fault in the middle part of the hill.

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Medieval Catacomb: Detailed 3D resistivity tomography was performed to confirm the existence of a buried catacomb, in the vicinity of a medieval domain. Dipol-Dipol array and layout with 2 m electrodes spacing were used to produce the image of underground resistivity.

Over the years, David has witnessed the growth of Golden Software’s products and has evolved into a confident user. When asked, “Why use Golden Software products?” David replied, “Because the ratio between price and efficiency is the best for a small company [such as ours].”

To learn more about GeoMathics One’s investigations, visit www.geomathics-one.ro.

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As many of you know, the craft beer explosion has been hitting Colorado for years, becoming one of the main staples of the Colorado economy with hundreds of breweries littered across our colorful state.  Sampling craft beer at local breweries, a very popular activity among many adults, has become a mainstay of the Colorado culture. This phenomenon is not limited to beer; the craft beverage industry seems to keep growing and growing. Craft distilleries are also popping up all over the place. Colorado is now home to over 70 craft distilleries, providing a home for locals to sip some of the best tasting and finest quality spirits in the country. This artisan drink trend is creating a new sub-culture of bar-goers, where the distillery tasting rooms are their new target destinations.

As this trend increases in popularity, my curiousity rises, and I ask myself, “Where are these 71 distilleries located across the state? Are there any near my neighborhood in Denver? ” I put together an easy solution by using a combination of the internet, Surfer, MapViewer, Google Earth, and beginner-level GIS experience. I started the project by doing a little internet research to find the addresses of the distilleries in Colorado. Once I had done so, I used our mapping software Surfer to generate a data table of the addresses that were then geo-coded. With data that is geo-coded, it was fairly simple to create a post map in Surfer of all of the distillery locations across Colorado. Finally, I exported the post map from Surfer in KML format and imported it into Google Earth for seamless display of the distillery locations on that platform. I used the following approach to answer my questions :

Acquiring the Data:

After a few minutes of Google searching, I was able to find a good online resource that lists food, beer, and wine producers in Colorado. I used the website to acquire the names and addresses of the 71 distilleries across the state. I copied the data from the website and pasted it into Surfer’s worksheet. In the worksheet, I was able to clean up the data and confirm that I had separate columns for distillery name, address, city, state, and zip code, which are the standard required fields for geo-coding.

Geocoding the Data:

With a nice data file that contains the distillery information, it was time to identify the Lat/Lon coordinates for these locations so they can be plotted spatially on a map. I used MapViewer to Geocode the addresses and exported the data to DAT format.

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Colorado distillery data that has been geo-coded in MapViewer.

Plotting the Data:

With a geocoded data file that has all 71 distilleries, creating a post map in the Surfer mapping software was straight-forward. I used the steps below to create a post map combined with a Colorado county base map, overlaid on a National Agricultural Inventory Program aerial image. 

The steps I used in Surfer are:

1.       I clicked Map | New | Post Map.

2.       In the Open Data dialog, I navigated to the data file named CO_Distilleries.xls and clicked Open.

3.       The post map layer needs to have a coordinate system assigned to it, so I selected it in the Object Manager, clicked the Coordinate System tab in the Property Manager and clicked the Set button.

4.       In the Assign Coordinate System dialog, I navigated to Predefined | Geographic (lat/lon) | World Geodetic System 1984 and clicked OK.

5.       I also turned the labels on for the post map by selecting it in the Object Manager, clicking the Labels tab in the Property Manager, and changing the Worksheet column to Column C: Name.

6.       Now that I have the point locations of the 71 distilleries posted on a georeferenced map, I added a Colorado boundary file by selecting the map and clicking Map | Add | Base Layer.

7.       In the Import dialog, I navigated to CO2010.gsb and clicked Open.

8.       I also added an image from a WMS server by selecting the map and clicking the Map | Add | Base Layer from Server command.

9.       In the Download Online Maps dialog, I selected the USGS_EROS_Ortho_NAIP server, increased the resolution, and clicked OK to download the base image for the state.

An excerpt from the resulting Surfer mapping software is below; it gave me a good idea of where the distilleries are and how they are dispersed across the state.

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Colorado distilleries plotted as a post map in Surfer.

Exporting the Data:

Although the map I created in Surfer gave me a good assessment of the distilleries’ disbursement across the state at a large scale, I really wanted to get a feel of where the distilleries near and around Denver are located compared to one another and the various districts in the area.  Google Earth is a great way to incorporate data that I have generated in Surfer with the various layers that Google Earth offers and allows for a nifty fly through. I decided to export the post map to Google Earth’s KML format from Surfer, so I could easily navigate around the area and view the various locations of specific distilleries.

The steps I used to create the KML in Surfer are:

1.       In the Object Manager, I clicked the Map to select it.

2.       I clicked File | Export.

3.       In the Export dialog, I named the file Colorado Distilleries, changed the Save as type to KML, checked the Show options dialog box, and clicked Save.

4.       In the Export Options dialog, I clicked the KML/KMZ Options tab, set the Text Objects to Export as labels, and clicked OK.

To display the KML on Google Earth, I opened Google Earth and clicked File | Open. In the Open dialog I navigated to Colorado Distilleries.kml and clicked Open. As you can see below, the KML file created in Surfer mapping software adds a great layer to Google Earth where I can now easily find a distillery and what’s going on around it. I may want to pop into one of the tasting rooms for a night cap!

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Colorado distillery locations displayed in Google Earth.

Golden Software customers possess a broad assortment of backgrounds from earth science and engineering to education and politics. This vast background results in a variety of uses for Golden Software’s products. Each customer uses the software in a unique way, and we are pleased to share these stories. This newsletter features Philippe Lemoyne, Professional Engineer, and Martin Page, Professional Chemist, of Services Enviro-Mart, Inc. and their use of Voxler.

Services Enviro-Mart, Inc. is a soil and underground water decontamination service company located in Quebec, Canada. Their services include the elimination of organic contaminants and odors. Enviro-Mart utilizes a revolutionary technology, Cool-Ox™, to treat the contaminants. The technology is typically less expensive and invasive than remediation via excavation.

Part of Enviro-Mart’s remediation process is mapping the contamination site. This is accomplished by using Voxler’s modeling capabilities. The below image is of a soil remediation project for oil leaking beneath an apartment building’s heating room displayed in Voxler. The contamination plume was computed by interpolating analyzed soil samples. The red isosurface, shown in the center of the below model, represents a C (3500ppm) level of C10-C50 petroleum hydrocarbon contamination. The acceptable level for residential locations, as specified by the MDDEP, is A (300ppm) or B (700ppm) levels.

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An orthographic view of the project. The leaking underground storage tank was removed from the PE3 and PE5 section and the contaminated bedrock was excavated. Thereafter, boring samples were taken from the surrounding area to determine the contamination plume. PE3 and PE5 were extracted from new soil which replaced the underground storage tank.

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This OrthoImage module displays a 2D planar profile of contamination at a depth between PE6-3 and PE7-2.

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A grid file was generated in Surfer and imported into Voxler to represent the bedrock top detected at each boring location.

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The bottom view of the project displays the effect of removing the bedrock beneath the storage tank’s former location. As previously mentioned, the red isosurface represents a (3500ppm) level of C10-C50 petroleum hydrocarbon contamination.

Once the contamination plume was modeled, Enviro-Mart injected Cool-Ox into the polluted soil. The injections occurred over a 20 week period with the majority of the injections occurring in the first 10 weeks. The final 10 weeks were spent battling troublesome pockets of contaminated soil. These “pockets of resistance” were caused by the uneven bedrock and poor oxide mobility in soil. These two factors made it difficult for the Cool-Ox to flow into all points of contamination.

At the end of the 20 week injection timeframe, the total level of petroleum hydrocarbons was reduced from greater than C levels (3500ppm) to A-B levels (500ppm). The total level of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons was reduced from greater than B levels (1.7ppm) to undetectable amounts (<0.1ppm).

See more information on Voxler and Surfer 3DE mapping software. 

Further information can be found on the Services Enviro-Mart, Inc. website: http://servicesenviromart.com/index.php.

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Golden Software customers possess a broad assortment of backgrounds, from earth science and engineering to education and politics. This vast background results in a variety of uses for Golden Software’s products. Each customer uses our software in their own unique way, and we are pleased to share these stories. This blog features Willem Havermans, a senior engineering consultant for MWH Global, who uses a combination of Voxler and Surfer's mapping software to visualize groundwater contamination levels and generate conceptual remediation models for their areas of interest.

Willem Havermans has been a faithful user of Golden Software applications dating back to early 2000. He has purchased multiple versions of Surfer's mapping software. He also uses Voxler's 3D data visualization capabilities on a daily basis and has held a Strater license for the past few versions. Havermans, working with MWH Global, uses a combination of Voxler and Surfer to perform 3D data processing of surface and subsurface soil contamination and surface creation. He uses Goolden Software's mapping software to create a strong basis for generating conceptual models of groundwater contamination and in planning of remedial designs.

Why does Havermans take a 3D approach to modeling groundwater contamination, as opposed a traditional top-down, slice-modeling approach? Havermans feels that with the traditional modeling approach, relationships between a series of 2D slices are typically difficult to interpret, can introduce human-caused error, and quite often volumetric calculations of containments levels are estimated. Making use of models that employ 3D interpolation of adjacent down-hole data samples offers the possibility of displaying the presence of contamination in a 3D view. For this purpose, Havermans' 3D interpolations are made using Voxler.

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A top-down view of a groundwater contamination model that was generated by Willem Havermans in Voxler. The different groundwater contamination levels in the city of The Hague, Netherlands are rendered by using multiple Isosurface modules and a WellRender module.

Havermans used Voxler and Surfer to develop a 3D model of groundwater contamination in the city of The Hague, Netherlands. The model was based on an array of monitoring well data; where concentration levels of contaminants were developed for the area of interest through 3D interpretations that were calculated using Voxler’s Gridder. Once the groundwater contamination data was gridded, Isosurfaces for the different contamination thresholds were generated for the area. Voxler is used to calculate the size of the soil volume for each of the contaminant threshold levels, allowing the stakeholders to get a good assessment of the volume of soil that requires mediation work. The pathways and direction of the contamination plumes are easily visualized spatially because Voxler supports various types of GIS raster and vector data.

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A perspective cross sectional view of the contamination thresholds, generated in Voxler, that are rendered by various Isosurface modules that have been clipped to pinpoint the most contaminated locations. This model aids the remediation team in figuring out where to focus their remediation efforts.

Havermans is particularly fond of Voxler because once a model is set-up; it can be easily updated within a few mouse clicks when new data becomes available from the monitoring wells. Contamination threshold Contours and Isosurfaces and be regenerated by updating the gridder. This allows Havermans to manage the groundwater contaminations over time, where he can see differences in concentrations and recalculate soil contaminations. He indicates that managing groundwater contamination data over time is extremely beneficial in directing ongoing remediation efforts. Havermans also exports the gridded contamination data from Voxler so that is can be easily combined with groundwater modeling software like MODFLOW to predict contamination behavior and remediation progress over time.

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A front view of the various contamination threshold Isosurfaces in conjunction with a series of monitoring wells.

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Golden Software customers possess a broad assortment of backgrounds from earth sciences and engineering to education and politics. This vast background results in a variety of uses for Golden Software's products. Each customer uses the software in a unique way, and we are pleased to share these stories. This blog article features Dr. Eric Delmelle, a professor of GIS and Health Geography in the Department of Geography and Earth Sciences at the University of North Carolina, and his use of Voxler, among other applications, to visualize space-time patterns of human behaviors and human health issues.

Dr. Delmelle's research focuses on answering fundamental epidemiological questions where spatial and spatiotemporal methodology is a critical avenue for analysis. He uses robust geocomputational methodologies that "deepen our understanding on the dynamics of infectious and non-infectious diseases". Dr. Delmelle is dedicated to the development of new visualization techniques that detect space-time patterns at different scales and leverage state of the art computational techniques to generate predictive models that could ultimately have influence on health decisions in the public sector.

A great recent example of Dr. Delmelle's work was based around evaluating the impact of space-time patterns of dengue fever outbreaks in Cali, Colombia. Dr. Delmelle and his colleagues were recently published in the International Journal of Geographical Information Science, in an article titled, "Visualizing the impact of space-time uncertainties on dengue fever patterns". In their study, the group used Voxler's robust 3D display capabilities to visualize their results in a 3D framework, which aided in the discovery of new space-time patterns of dengue fever outbreaks and gave insight on the dynamics of vector-borne diseases.

Dengue fever is transmitted to humans by mosquitos in warm climates, often causing severe outbreaks in an area's populations and considered a serious health problem for problematic areas like Cali, Columbia. In Dr. Delmelle's research, fever cases were collected using georeferenced locations during an epidemic in 2010. Data clusters were generated from the collected cases over a 6-month period and visualized by Dr. Delmelle using a space-time kernel density estimation technique in Voxler. In the images below, Dr. Delmelle models the space-time kernel density estimation in Voxler of geocoded dengue fever cases reported in the 6-month study period with reference to the geographic area of study. The density of fever cases is rendered using VolRender modules and the highest density cases are highlighted in purple. Isosurface module "shells" are generated to delineate the highest densities of the reported cases across Cali.

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Dr. Delmelle's 3D results of the space-time kernel density estimation of dengue fever outbreaks in Cali, Columbia. The highest density values are shown in purple.

The 3D visualization of the findings of Dr. Delmelle's research in Voxler resulted in being beneficial in a number of different ways. First, by mapping the 3D shape of the clusters, the dynamics of the dengue fever outbreak over time become more clear, which leads to a better understanding of the geographical pattern of the fever outbreak in terms of resurgence and eradication. The geocoding and temporal visualization of the fever data can "provide a better confidence for public health managers to decide where and when to allocate resources".

We are pleased Dr. Delmelle has integrated Voxler into his development of new visualization techniques for space-time data, and it's exciting to see his application of Voxler's tools in his work. You can find links to Dr. Delmelle's work in "Visualizing the impact of space-time uncertainties on dengue fever patterns" in the International Journal of Geographical Information Science, 28(5), 1107-1127.

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Clik here to view.About a month or so ago, I started working with a user trying to find an easy solution for adding 3D objects, such as buildings and storage tanks, to his Voxler models. The customer was using Voxler to create graphics for a soil contamination report and wanted to give the stakeholders for this project a good frame of reference for where the contamination plume extended under the existing structures. Adding the buildings and storage tanks to the Voxler model paints a clear picture of the subsurface contamination extent. Voxler does not currently offer 3D drawing functionality, so I took a look at some 3^rd party applications to find the best solution for the user.

Searching for the Right 3D Drawing Application

Voxler started supporting 3D DXF in version 4, so finding an application that exports 3D DXF in the correct coordinate space was the main requirement. The user also wanted the solution to be cost effective, so I kept this in mind during my search.

I started with SketchUp, which was free, and quickly found that it was easy to create the desired 3D objects. The only drawback with SketchUp is that it’s difficult to export the 3D objects in the desired coordinate space. Since this is a requirement, SketchUp didn’t make the cut. I then took a look at AutoCAD, which definitely is an attractive application as it will do what I need it to do; however, the price is a lot higher than the user wanted to pay. My next option was to try TurboCAD. I downloaded the demo version to see if creating 3D objects was easy and to verify that they exported in the correct coordinate space. TurboCAD was easy enough to learn, I was able to create objects in the desired 3D coordinate space, and the price was inexpensive. My decision was made; I recommended using TurboCAD for the user’s 3D drawing needs. The rest of today’s blog post discusses creating 3D structures in urboCAD, exporting them in 3D DXF, and adding them to an existing Voxler project.

Creating 3D Objects in TurboCAD:

In order to create objects in TurboCAD that were in the correct coordinates space, I exported a ground surface elevation grid from Voxler in 3D DXF format. I opened the DXF in TurboCAD by using the File | Open command, which gave me a nice palette to start drawing objects on. I also positioned the DXF so that I had a top-down view of it by clicking View | 3D Views | Top. Now I am ready to create some 3D objects such as some tanks and a building.

To create the building, I am going to use these steps:

1. Zoom into the project using the mouse wheel to where the building is going to be located.
2. Click Draw | 3D Object | 3D Primitives | Box and draw a box where the building footprint should be located.
3. Rotate the view a little bit using the mouse so I can see a profile of the surface and box.
4. Click Edit | Select to get the selection tool.
5. Click on the box, when prompted click Box.
6. Click on the top of the box and drag it up until it looks to be relatively the correct height.

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Clik here to view.Adding a box primitive to represent a building in TurboCAD.

Now that the basic primitive has been created for the building, I turned off the 3D surface so I could see the box better which allowed me to add a roof. There are a few ways to do this in TurboCAD, but since I’m new to TurboCAD I decided to add 2 wedges to create the roof:

1. Click Draw | 3D Object | 3D Primitives | Wedge.
2. With the mouse click on one corner of the box where the wedge should start and then click an opposite corner to make the base of the wedge.
3. Drag the mouse up so that the wedge takes on the necessary height for the roof.
4. Repeat these steps for the next wedge and to complete the roof.

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Clik here to view.Representing a roof in TurboCAD with Wedge primitives.

Now that the building looks good, it’s time to add a few subsurface storage tanks. This can be done by using the following steps:

1. Turn the display of the 3D surface back on by clicking the eye icon under Layer.
2. Rotate the display so that the underneath portion of the 3D surface is exposed.
3. Start drawing the cylinder by clicking Draw | 3D Object | 3D Primitives | Cylinder.
4. Rotate the view a little bit and extend the cylinder to an appropriate length.
5. Click Edit | Select, and select the cylinder.
6. Rotate the cylinder so that it’s in the correct orientation to the 3D surface and building.
7. If necessary, move the cylinder down by adjusting the Pos Z value at the bottom of the TurboCAD interface.Image may be NSFW.
   Clik here to view.Adjusting the Z position for a storage tank by changing the Pos Z parameter In TurboCAD.

Now that the first storage tank has been created, I am going to copy it and paste another tank into the project. To do so I used the following steps:

1. Click Edit | Select, and select the cylinder.
2. Right-click on the cylinder, and choose the Rubber Stamp command.
3. Position the tank in the appropriate location and click the mouse to insert the new cylinder.
4. Check the elevation of the tank to make sure it’s good by checking the Pos Z value; adjust as needed. Both of the tanks should be at the same Pos Z.

The building and subsurface storage tanks have been added to the project; now they need to be rendered as solids in draft mode before they are exported for use in Voxler. To do so, right-click on the model in TurboCAD and choose the Draft Rendering option. The buildings also look nice if some additional color is added to them. Please note this is important to do in TurboCAD prior to export as Voxler will not allow you to change the colors of the DXF after it has been imported. Select one of the objects like the cylinder, then right-click and choose Properties. In the Properties dialog, select Pen and then change the drop-down menu under Color to change the color of the selected object. I changed the tanks to grey and the building to red and brown. Image may be NSFW.
Clik here to view.The building and storage tanks rendered as solids with colors in TurboCAD.

Exporting the 3D Objects

Finally, I can export the building and tanks so I can use them in Voxler. Before I do so, I am going to delete the 3D surface so it is not included in the export. To do so, click Edit | Select and select the 3D surface and press the DELETE key. To export, click File | Save As. In the Save As dialog, name the file and make sure that the Save as type is set to DXF – Drawing eXchange Format and click Save. The DXF can be imported into Voxler and will locate in the correct coordinate space as shown in the image below. Image may be NSFW.
Clik here to view.The final project in Voxler that contains the 3D buildings and storage tanks created in TurboCAD.

TurboCAD ended up being a very easy-to-use tool and satisfied the user’s need for adding 3D objects, such as storage tanks and buildings, to Voxler projects. This low-cost solution gives Voxler users the ability to add any 3D object that can be drawn inside of TurboCAD to Voxler, increasing the effectiveness of any Voxler model to all involved stakeholders. New copies of Voxler and upgrades from previous versions are available for purchase from our shopping page. Contact voxlersupport@goldensoftware.com with any suggestions or questions you may have!

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As one of the industry leaders in 3D visualization, Voxler does an excellent job creating detailed 3D models that visualize numerous types of 2D and 3D data, including well surveys, CAD and GIS data, imagery, and 3D point data. Our users spend a lot of time creating Voxler models and frequently request methods to share them amongst managers, project stakeholders, colleagues, and other team members that don’t have access to Voxler.

Currently, Voxler users can export their projects to a number of different static image or bitmap formats and can also export to 3D formats like DXF and IV. Although images exported from Voxler projects can be an effective way of presenting a model in a report, the most effective way to display a Voxler project is in three dimensions with zoom in and out capabilities and complete model rotation. This allows stakeholders and teammates to see the full extent and detail of the model in its entirety.

Many Voxler users ask what is the best way to share a model so the full 3D extent is displayed? Typically, our technical support team recommends that non-Voxler users download the free demo version of Voxler and use it as a viewer. There are also some online IV file viewers that can be used to embed models in websites, presentations, and social media pages like Sketchfab.com.

PDF3D ReportGen is Here

There is a new method available to share Voxler models with your team from PDF3D. PDF3D offers an affordable utility, named ReportGen, that will convert IV files that have been exported from Voxler into 3D PDF files that allow for full 3D rotation, turning layers on and off, and zoom control. The 3D PDF is easily created and shareable between teammates and stakeholders. PDF3D ReportGen has a special Voxler mode that has been optimized to facilitate Voxler models. See what PDF3D is saying about the advantages of using Voxler accompanied by PDF3D ReportGen.

It’s Easy to Create 3D PDFs

Once PDF3D ReportGen has been purchased and installed, you can use these steps to create a 3D PDF from your model:

1. Click File | Export in Voxler to export the model to IV format.
2. In the Export dialog, name the file, change the Save as type to IV, and click Save.
3. Open PDF3D ReportGen.
4. Click Add File.
5. In the Open File dialog, navigate to the IV file created in step 1 and click Open.
6. Click the Convert button to create the 3D PDF.
7. When the progress indicator is finished, click Close.

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To view the 3D PDF created in ReportGen, it can be opened in a 3D PDF enabled viewer or in a web browser that has 3D PDF support like Internet Explorer or Microsoft edge. Due to the small file size, the 3D PDFs can be shared among stakeholders and team members alike. More information about using and purchasing PDF3D can be found on their website. New copies of Voxler and upgrades from previous versions are available for purchase from our shopping page. Contact voxlersupport@goldensoftware.com with any suggestions or questions you may have!

Golden Software customers possess a broad assortment of backgrounds from earth science and engineering to education and politics. This vast background results in a variety of uses for Golden Software’s products. Each customer uses the software in a unique way, and we are pleased to share these stories. This newsletter features Philippe Lemoyne, Professional Engineer, and Martin Page, Professional Chemist, of Services Enviro-Mart, Inc. and their use of Voxler.

Services Enviro-Mart, Inc. is a soil and underground water decontamination service company located in Quebec, Canada. Their services include the elimination of organic contaminants and odors. Enviro-Mart utilizes a revolutionary technology, Cool-Ox™, to treat the contaminants. The technology is typically less expensive and invasive than remediation via excavation.

Golden Software customers possess a broad assortment of backgrounds, from earth science and engineering to education and politics. This vast background results in a variety of uses for Golden Software’s products. Each customer uses our software in their own unique way, and we are pleased to share these stories. This blog features Willem Havermans, a senior engineering consultant for MWH Global, who uses a combination of Voxler and Surfer's mapping software to visualize groundwater contamination levels and generate conceptual remediation models for their areas of interest.

Willem Havermans has been a faithful user of Golden Software applications dating back to early 2000. He has purchased multiple versions of Surfer's mapping software. He also uses Voxler's 3D data visualization capabilities on a daily basis and has held a Strater license for the past few versions. Havermans, working with MWH Global, uses a combination of Voxler and Surfer to perform 3D data processing of surface and subsurface soil contamination and surface creation. He uses Goolden Software's mapping software to create a strong basis for generating conceptual models of groundwater contamination and in planning of remedial designs.

Golden Software customers possess a broad assortment of backgrounds from earth sciences and engineering to education and politics. This vast background results in a variety of uses for Golden Software's products. Each customer uses the software in a unique way, and we are pleased to share these stories. This blog article features Dr. Eric Delmelle, a professor of GIS and Health Geography in the Department of Geography and Earth Sciences at the University of North Carolina, and his use of Voxler, among other applications, to visualize space-time patterns of human behaviors and human health issues.

Dr. Delmelle's research focuses on answering fundamental epidemiological questions where spatial and spatiotemporal methodology is a critical avenue for analysis. He uses robust geocomputational methodologies that "deepen our understanding on the dynamics of infectious and non-infectious diseases". Dr. Delmelle is dedicated to the development of new visualization techniques that detect space-time patterns at different scales and leverage state of the art computational techniques to generate predictive models that could ultimately have influence on health decisions in the public sector.

As one of the industry leaders in 3D visualization, Voxler does an excellent job creating detailed 3D models that visualize numerous types of 2D and 3D data, including well surveys, CAD and GIS data, imagery, and 3D point data. Our users spend a lot of time creating Voxler models and frequently request methods to share them amongst managers, project stakeholders, colleagues, and other team members that don’t have access to Voxler.

Currently, Voxler users can export their projects to a number of different static image or bitmap formats and can also export to 3D formats like DXF and IV. Although images exported from Voxler projects can be an effective way of presenting a model in a report, the most effective way to display a Voxler project is in three dimensions with zoom in and out capabilities and complete model rotation. This allows stakeholders and teammates to see the full extent and detail of the model in its entirety.

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One of the most interesting Golden Software user stories that I have recently heard was from an independent Hydrogeologist with Anthropocene Solutions Inc. named Joseph ‘Joe’ Harrer. Joe Harrer uses a combination of vertical EC measurement and groundwater sampling tools with Voxler to perform 3D brine plume modeling. Joe is working on a project where he was hired to do a groundwater characterization of a brine storage facility where initial studies proved that leakage beneath a brine plume has caused an impact to the soil and groundwater and that the impact has been spreading with the groundwater as it migrates down gradient. Local regulations required a full assessment of the plume’s extent and a model of the potential migration of the plume.  In addition, a groundwater remediation system is presently being installed at the site. Joe used our Voxler app for the 3D modeling portion of this project.

We've all been there. You have a project due and know exactly what you need to do to complete it. However, you're not sure just how to do it. You need some help, but it's after-hours for customer support. You're on on your own. What do you do?

If you're using Surfer or another Golden Software product, you have hope. Our knowledgeable support team is happy to help and answer questions while we're around, but occasionally, you may need help after hours, on a holiday, or on a weekend. Or, perhaps, you live in a time zone that doesn't quite match up with us here in the U.S. Maybe you just prefer to work on your own. No matter the reason, you can still find help 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Golden Software has many resources for you to use to help yourself. 

One of our power users is accomplishing his goals using a combination of our applications. Joe Harrer, who is an independent Hydrogeologist with Anthropocene Solutions Inc., is using a synergy between Voxler and Strater to create a conceptual site model of a brine storage facility located in rural Alberta. For those of you that follow my blogs, I recently posted a blog article on Joe Harrer’s application of Voxler to create a 3D brine plume model of the same storage facility. The model was used for ground water monitoring and remediation efforts. Joe has taken the brine plume model a step further and has developed it into a complete conceptual site model of the facility. In Voxler, he has incorporated cross sections of the site’s lithological layers that were generated from borehole data in Strater, groundwater and ground level surfaces, groundwater monitoring wells, a site map, and drone imagery to create a complete conceptual site model.

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The 3D conceptual site model in Voxler showing a brine plume, monitoring wells, lithology cross sections, groundwater surface, and ground surface.