Maptek I-Site Studio 5.0 boosts survey workflow and productivity

‘Less time in the field. Less time at your desk, is our mantra,’ said Maptek Manager of Laser Imaging Systems, Athy Kalatzis. ‘Automating processes helps surveyors generate timely and accurate survey reports for planning and production, with positive impacts on site productivity.’

I-Site laser imaging systems capture incredible detail from scenes, with software that can handle large data without the hassle. I-Site Studio 5.0 applies a new Level of Detail tool to object data, allowing a manageable amount of data to be loaded and viewed at once.

The new Workflow Manager saves a series of transactions which are then shared and adapted within survey teams. This enables standard work processes to be implemented across an organisation – driving productivity, efficiency and accuracy. Workflows can be launched from custom toolbars, and the status of the current process is conveniently highlighted. The result is efficient handover between crews for routine site applications.

‘In addition to being a valuable training tool, standardised workflows improve quality and consistency of results,’ said Kalatzis.

Tolerance ellipsoids and smart sampling in I-Site Studio 5.0 deliver a more streamlined global registration process. Multiple scans from the same location can be moved together as a group. It is now possible to register two scans unlevelled, but constrained to a GPS point.

The Combination surface tool allows a new surface to be outside the original surface, which is often the case when mining operations expand. The function will generate a new solid even without completely closed intersections between surfaces.

Additions to the Geotechnical Module allow easier analysis of different failure modes and more intuitive display of results. A maximum discontinuity area can now be specified when extracting discontinuities and users can run kinematic analysis for potential failure types such as wedge, planar and toppling.

Stereonet display improvements include type, grid style and scalable pole size. The great circle tool now auto-populates from a stereonet selection, saving time and effort. A new wizard-style interface for filtering vegetation makes it easy to remove objects above evenly distributed low points in a selection. A distance from ground slider dynamically updates the view of what is to be removed.

Advanced visualisation is a hallmark of Maptek software systems. A 360º panoramic image captured with any digital device can now be draped over an I-Site point cloud and up to 7 images can be rendered to a single surface.

Usability enhancements include more import/export options; a new Maptek file format supports transfer of any object between Maptek applications; default legends for colouring objects; saving views; licence borrowing; and new reporting formats.

‘The right tools are an important part of the mine productivity matrix. What surveyors need is an integrated, systematic approach to data capture and processing. This is what I-Site Studio 5.0 delivers to produce the results they need even quicker,’ concluded Kalatzis.

About Maptek
Maptek^™ is a leading provider of innovative software, hardware and services for the mining industry. Founded over 30 years ago, Maptek develops products which are used at more than 1700 sites in 65 countries. Products cover the whole mining cycle from exploration to reclamation. Vulcan^™ is one of the longest standing 3D mine planning and modelling packages. I-Site^™ is an integrated hardware and software system for 3D laser scanning, surveying and imaging. BlastLogic^™ provides intelligent 3D drillhole validation and load design software. Eureka^™ features an interactive 3D environment for visualising and interpreting geophysical and seismic data. PerfectDig is an intuitive system to rapidly compare excavations against designs in the field, improving decision making and resource recovery.