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0 Overview
Prepared by: Alison Atkins , Senior Geological Data Analyst, Metech Pty Ltd
November 2003
VERSION 3.8.0 OVERVIEW
Prepared by: Alison Atkins, Senior Geological Data Analyst, Metech Pty Ltd
November 2003
Continuing in the Metech tradition,every new release of acQuire incorporates the most up-
to-date technological advances, increasing the functionality of the software and ease of
use for our clients.
Once again, not only have new functions been added to the software, but also
improvements and enhancements made to the pre-existing tools. New products have been
added to the existing suite of acQuire tools, including a coordinate transformation system
and data tracking. Major enhancements have been made to both the existing Data Entry
and Import objects. For Import objects this includes dynamic source file header recognition
and QAQC validation for assay imports. For Data Entry objects a new design interface is
available, plus new entry modes, graphical and grid displays and a variety of options for
entering data; either Online (existing entry objects) or Offline (via PocketPC or Remote PC
packaging). Extra functionality has also been added to Export, Briefcase, Form and SQL
objects. New functions for expressions are also available within each of the acQuire
objects. Modifications have also been made to the acQuire Data Model (ADM3500) and
the acQuire meta-system.
Listed below is a brief outline of what you can expect to see with the release of V3.8.0 of
acQuire.
New Functionality
Coordinate Transformation
The coordinate management system stores meta data associated with grids and grid
transformations, and store multiple grids in the database. Each grid is defined in terms of
its datum, projection and, if appropriate, its relationship to other grids. This means that
the grids are totally spatially defined. Coordinates for both drillhole and point data can be
transformed.
The advantages of the new
acQuire coordinate management
system means that there is not a
proliferation of coordinate and
azimuth data stored in the
database. Data can be stored in
one grid and transformed to a
selected grid when required. All
the user needs to do is store one
set of coordinates in the
database with the many grid
relationships defined.
Transformations between
geographic, projected and local
grids can be achieved simply and
the results are constant. This
means that the any grid can be
transformed to:
• One on the same level (e.g. local to local grid transformation)
• One on a higher level (e.g. local to projected grid transformation)
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VERSION 3.8.0 OVERVIEW
Prepared by: Alison Atkins, Senior Geological Data Analyst, Metech Pty Ltd
November 2003
• From the lowest to the highest level (e.g. local to geographic grid transformation),
via a projected grid. This method is not recommended as errors can result because
you are transforming from a flat surface to a sphere.
The fundamental objective of the acQuire coordinate management system is to provide:
• A solution for storing all the history and project evolution associated with
coordinate grid systems.
• The computational methodology whereby transformations could be applied by end
users without having to understand the fundamentals of geodesy.
•
rd
A dynamic transformation delivery system to 3 party application systems and for
the acQuire export tool.
• A normalized relational structure that is very flexible for querying and reporting.
There are two main areas of coordinate management, which are defined by who performs
the transformation task. There are tasks for the:
• acQuire manager on site – define the coordinate grid/s, create coordinate sets of
virtual fields and create form definitions that include those fields.
• General users – use the grids, transformations and coordinate virtual fields that
have been established to:
o Export data. Use the fields to filter and transform coordinates for both
drillhole and point samples. A form which includes coordinate sets of fields
can also be exported to a file.
o Filter. The coordinate sets of virtual fields can be used in a numerous places
in acQuire to filter a form, create a workspace filter, in the Calculated Fields
tool and more.
The definition of the
grids and the creation
of the coordinate
virtual fields is done
via new wizards
available from the
acQuire main menu.
The new wizards can
be accessed from
Manage\Coordinate
System. The first thing
the manager must do is set up the relationship between the various grids stored in the
database, using the Setup Grids… option.
Each grid that has been created in the database can be defined in the grid setup. Each
grid can be defined as either Local, Projected or Geographic. Depending upon the grid type
the Parent grid, Datum, Local datum transform, Projection and Grid azimuth parameters are
entered. If a local grid is being defined, the “Local Grid – Parent Grid Relationship” needs
to be defined. There are a number of Transformation types; 1, 2, 3, 4 or Multi-point
relationships. All dropdown lists are stored in new reference tables in the acQuire Data
Model (ADM), with the reference data and transformation engine supplied by Geosoft.
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VERSION 3.8.0 OVERVIEW
Prepared by: Alison Atkins, Senior Geological Data Analyst, Metech Pty Ltd
November 2003
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VERSION 3.8.0 OVERVIEW
Prepared by: Alison Atkins, Senior Geological Data Analyst, Metech Pty Ltd
November 2003
Data Tracking
Data tracking incorporates two actions; tracking which monitors changes to data in your
database and locking which assigns read-only or read-write access to HoleID/ProjectCode
combinations.
Data tracking can be installed on your database at two different levels:
• Object tracking. Monitors operations or changes to the object dependent tables –
acQuire tables in some of the compound definitions for a specifi c
HoleID/ProjectCode combination (object). For example, operations to the Sample or
the GeoInterval tables. If changes are made in any table referencing an object, the
object is marked as having changed. Both the time/date and who made the change
are recorded. This can be useful to determine whether a drillhole or point sample
campaign needs to be:
o Re-exported to a data client
o A calculation needs to be performed again
Once installed, object tracking fields are available via the Collar compound
definitions and can be added to a Collar form or workspace filter definitions for use
in filtering.
Object tracking controls the locking of an object, which when locked, is rendered as
read-only. This means that a user cannot enter or modify any data associated with
an object. Each object is assigned to be either EDIT or READ, which is stored in the
QLOH_ObjectStatus table.
• Record tracking. Monitors any update or deletion changes to every table in the
acQuire database (all tables listed in the METATABLE table). Record tracking stores
the data before it has been edited or deleted in a duplicate/mirror acQuire table
with a QLR prefix. These QLR tables also record the date and user that made the
changes to the individual records. This means that data can be retrieved from the
record tracking tables in the database.
Record tracking uses two types of tables to record changes to the data in the
database:
o A single table called QLR_Action. This table is also created when object
tracking is installed without record tracking. The action table monitors
changes to records in the database. The following are recorded in this table;
whether an Insert (I), Update (U) or Delete (D) transaction occurred, the
database user name, network/OS logon name, client machine IP name, the
application in which the change was made, date-timestamp of the
transaction made, session ID of the transaction and whether the transaction
was successful.
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Prepared by: Alison Atkins, Senior Geological Data Analyst, Metech Pty Ltd
November 2003
When records are removed from the tables, a summary report of the process is stored in the
QLR_LOGDELETEMSG table. This table stores the following data; the name of the table
that has been shrunk, the number of records removed, the age (in days) of the records
removed and the date the records were removed.
Enhanced Functionality
Import Objects
Major enhancements have been made to the existing acQuire import object. New
functionality for importers includes dynamic header definition and QAQC assay import
validation.
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VERSION 3.8.0 OVERVIEW
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November 2003
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VERSION 3.8.0 OVERVIEW
Prepared by: Alison Atkins, Senior Geological Data Analyst, Metech Pty Ltd
November 2003
Once the template has been defined for both the source fields and destination fields, and
all relevant expressions written for each import sheet, the import object can be previewed.
On preview (and on execute), if the source file is not the same as the file used previously
with the importer, the Dynamic Destination Field Report is displayed. This report will
display for the user the following:
• Fields that can be matched to the destination
fields and remain unchanged since the previous
time the import was used (black fields).
• Destination fields from a previous import not
matched to source fields (grey fields).
• Fields that cannot be matched to fields in the
database (red fields).
• New fields matched within the importer (bold
fields).
Invalid fields are easily di stinguishable to the users
and prior to loading the data into the database the
user is able to check the source file and make sure
that any irregularities are properly checked.
Meta data can also be pivoted from columnar data in the source file to individual records
that can then be loaded into the database. This option is also available within the Import
Definition\Data Section tab.
QAQC Validation
The QAQC tool is new functionality for assay
import objects to test the repeatability of the
laboratory results for field duplicates and
laboratory checks, and reviews the spread of
results for standards. The importer presents
this by means of charts and a summary sheet.
The QAQC tool is only activated when an object
is executed (prior to the actual loading of the
lab data).
When an object is first executed, the source file
is accessed. The analytical data in the file is
reviewed and a statistical and graphical report
is presented. On the basis of this report, the
user can decide whether to proceed and
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VERSION 3.8.0 OVERVIEW
Prepared by: Alison Atkins, Senior Geological Data Analyst, Metech Pty Ltd
November 2003
execute the import (load data into the database) or cancel the import. If the user decides
to import the data, irrespective of whether the assay batch file passes QAQC validation,
functions are available to record the report information.
Two extra virtual fields need to be created within the DespatchReturns subystem;
QAQC_Import and Import_User. Functions can be called to write to each of these virtual
fields:
• QAQC_Import – Expression = QAQCRESULTS(), where
values entered into field are; “Accepted with warning”
or “Accepted”
• Import_User – Expression = PCUSER (), machine login
name written into database field.
Parameters are defined for the QAQC report by the user at setup
time, and are also accessed from reference tables in the
database to be used in determining whether a batch passed
validation.
The tool is enabled by selecting the Setup QAQC… option from
the Import option from the acQuire main menu. The QAQC
dialogue box prompts the user to define which import sheets
defined by the user match the information required by the QAQC
tool. Sheets required are the
despatch return, primary assay
results, company duplicate and
company standards sheets and
also the laboratory internal
check sheet.
Once sheets have been
defined, validation acceptance
limits can be entered into the
option boxes. Number or
percentage values can be
defined for acceptable
differences, and the maximum
acceptable difference defined
before an import is no longer
valid for importation.
Thresholds, which are defined
in the database, can also
extracted and displayed within
the QAQC plots.
• Standards – results for standards are displayed relative
to:
o One standard deviation either side of the standard
value (again defined in the database)
o The standard value
o The acceptable min and max for a given standard
(again defined in the database).
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VERSION 3.8.0 OVERVIEW
Prepared by: Alison Atkins, Senior Geological Data Analyst, Metech Pty Ltd
November 2003
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VERSION 3.8.0 OVERVIEW
Prepared by: Alison Atkins, Senior Geological Data Analyst, Metech Pty Ltd
November 2003
Other Modifications
• A comma delimited reject file is generated for records that are rejected by imports
using an ODBC source file format. Previously a reject file was not created.
• Micromine source fields can be defined in the Import Definition\Data section tab.
• Lines in the source file, when displayed within the Import Definition, are now
numbered in the display box.
• In design mode, if the source file is passed from the control sheet, it is possible to
view the source in
Import Definition.
Creating a package
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VERSION 3.8.0 OVERVIEW
Prepared by: Alison Atkins, Senior Geological Data Analyst, Metech Pty Ltd
November 2003
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VERSION 3.8.0 OVERVIEW
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November 2003
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VERSION 3.8.0 OVERVIEW
Prepared by: Alison Atkins, Senior Geological Data Analyst, Metech Pty Ltd
November 2003
• Field selection – fields can be selected based on the form definition selected for a
specific entry sheet. Each field can be edited; a caption, control and data type
applied and whether the field should be visible, required or read-only.
Sheet Formatting
Once each sheet has been defined for a Data Entry object using
the supplied design wizard, the user can test the object without
physically adding any data into the database. This is a new
feature to v3.8.0. The user can toggle between Design, Test and
Run modes. Test mode is available for online and offline entry
objects.
The actual interface for designing a entry object has also changed
with the latest acQuire version release. Design grid and form
view has been combined, as a modeless property window to assist
defining properties of the controls on a panel. Each field, when
selected on the panel view, has it’s parameters displayed in the
grid adjoining the view.
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VERSION 3.8.0 OVERVIEW
Prepared by: Alison Atkins, Senior Geological Data Analyst, Metech Pty Ltd
November 2003
For each field, up to five value validation calculations can be created. Expressions can
also be set to only execute when initial field values are null.
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VERSION 3.8.0 OVERVIEW
Prepared by: Alison Atkins, Senior Geological Data Analyst, Metech Pty Ltd
November 2003
Advanced Expressions
Data entry expressions are now more sophisticated and comprehensive than previously
available. It is now possible to define the visible, edit, required, caption or error states of
controls based on user input into related entry fields. These are all available as functions
grouped by ‘Field Properties’.
In the following example, a user can toggle
different captions on for an entry screen,
dependent upon a parameter entered into
another field. When the language is
checked, the field labels are displayed in
Spanish, whilst when unchecked, the labels
are displayed in English.
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VERSION 3.8.0 OVERVIEW
Prepared by: Alison Atkins, Senior Geological Data Analyst, Metech Pty Ltd
November 2003
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VERSION 3.8.0 OVERVIEW
Prepared by: Alison Atkins, Senior Geological Data Analyst, Metech Pty Ltd
November 2003
Export Objects
There are new options available in the selection
process of both drillhole and point sample export
objects. These determine some of the facets of the
data presentation in the output file.
• Geographic tab modified to incorporate the
new grid transformation functionality for
transforming coordinates on export.
• For each form definition selected within the
various exporter tabs, the number of decimal
places, maximum field length and split
increment can be defined.
o Decimal Places – defined for numeric
fields
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VERSION 3.8.0 OVERVIEW
Prepared by: Alison Atkins, Senior Geological Data Analyst, Metech Pty Ltd
November 2003
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VERSION 3.8.0 OVERVIEW
Prepared by: Alison Atkins, Senior Geological Data Analyst, Metech Pty Ltd
November 2003
Default is the mode defined by the system for each table. Currently each table is set to
Merge.
Form Objects
Styling can now be defined for individual columns, instead of being applied to all columns
within a specific form. Each column can be independently assigned a data text colour,
background colour, a cell pattern or no styling.
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VERSION 3.8.0 OVERVIEW
Prepared by: Alison Atkins, Senior Geological Data Analyst, Metech Pty Ltd
November 2003
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VERSION 3.8.0 OVERVIEW
Prepared by: Alison Atkins, Senior Geological Data Analyst, Metech Pty Ltd
November 2003
B es tA ss ay D ril l h o l eN um ex am p l e
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