Oasis montaj Guided Learning Paths

Processing Data in the Spreadsheet

After you open a spreadsheet and display one or more channels, you have the option of processing the data using the
Geosoft database tools. These tools help you apply formulas and perform database operations between channels for
individual groups of points, lines or the entire database. Oasis montaj offers many options for processing and editing data in
the spreadsheet. This guide shows some of the commonly used processes.

For more information about the processing tools, please refer to the Application Help files or click the Help button on
the dialog of interest.

Calculate Statistics
Statistical information about your data can be very useful for general quality control and to ensure the values are in range
with what you would expect.

To Calculate Basic Statistics on a Channel

1. Select the data to perform the statistics on using either a double or triple click of the mouse.

Clicking (highlighting) the channel header once selects the header cell, clicking twice selects the channel
and clicking three times selects the channel in all of the selected lines (groups) in the database.

2. On the Database Tools menu, select Report and then select Mark Statistics.
The Stat Report dialog appears.

3. Click Save Stats to save a copy of the statistical report.

The Save Stats dialog appears.

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4. Specify a name and location for the New statistics file.

5. Click OK to save the file.
6. Click OK to close the dialog box.
The following list summarizes how to obtain results on specific parts of your database:

Click once on the channel header cell to No statistics can be calculated.

highlight the header cell.

Click twice (double click) on the channel header Statistics are calculated for that specific line (group) of the database.
cell to highlight the data in the current line
(group).

Click three times on the channel header cell to Channel statistics are calculated for all of the selected lines (groups) in
highlight the data in all of the selected lines the database.
(groups) in the database.

To generate a line/channel report:

1. From the Database Tools menu, select Report then Line/Channel Report.
The Channel data statistics dialog box opens.

2. Select the Channel(s) to calculate statistics from the dropdown list.

The report will be saved to stats.txt.
3. Click OK.
If this is your first time opening a text file in Oasis montaj, the Select a default text editor dialog box opens.

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4. Click the Browse button to select a default text editor or click OK to select the default.
The stats.txt report opens in a text editor.

Breaking a Line
The ‘Break up a line based on a line channel’ tool is used to break up lines that are imported from ASCII files which have the
line numbers in a column. In this situation, the Import Geosoft XYZ tool can be used to import the data and place the line
number in a separate channel. This line splitting tool can then be used to break up the line into separate line segments
based on the imported line channel. After breaking up a line, the line reference channel can be deleted.

To split lines:
1. From the Database Tools menu, select Line Tools then Split on Line Channel.
The Break up a line based on a line channel dialog box opens.

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2. Select the Line to break from the dropdown list.

3. For the Line reference channel, select Line.
4. Click OK.
The database updates and displays the profile for the line.

Creating a Distance Channel

The Create a distance channel tool calculates a distance channel from provided X and Y channels. The first point on each
line is at distance 0 and subsequent points are calculated from the cumulative distance down the line. A distance channel
could be used to calculate the distance between points or stations.

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To create a distance channel:

1. Select the database.
2. From the Database Tools menu, select Channel Tools then Make Distance Channel.
The Create a distance channel dialog box opens.

3. Click OK.
The results are output to a new channel labelled Dist.

Edit Data using Conditional Expressions

Conditional math expressions can be used to edit data as required. For example, data spikes may be removed from a
dataset.

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Example

mag<9000?mag:dummy

This formula states that if the mag value is less than 9000, the channel value will equal the mag value; otherwise it is set to
the dummy value.

To Use Conditional Expressions

1. Select the channel by double clicking the channel header (to highlight the data in the current line/group) or triple click
(to highlight the data in all the selected lines/groups in the database).
2. To edit press the equal "=" key on your keyboard. The Formula bar appears below the profile window.

3. Enter the appropriate formula.

4. Press Enter. The formula is applied.

Use the Channel Math Expression Tool

Use the Channel Math Expression Builder to create, save, load and execute math expressions for your channel data. This
easy-to-use standardized dialog provides numerous mathematical expressions within a single tabbed dialog. For detailed
information on the Channel Math Expression Builder, please click the Help button.

Common tasks
The Channel Math Expression Builder includes several pre-built Common tasks, accessible from the dropdown list.

Expression File
You can specify a pre-built expression file (*.exp) using the browse button on the Expression file field. You can also build an
expression using the builder and save it to file using the Save option.

To Access the Channel Math Expression Builder

1. On the Database Tools menu, select Channel Math.
The Channel Math Expression Builder dialog appears.

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2. Enter a mathematical expression in the Expression field.

To display the available Operators and Functions to help you build your channel math expression, click
Operators. All of the Operators and Functions that are available to help you build your math expression are
displayed.

3. Assign channels to the variable names used in step 2. Use the dropdown list to assign channels to the variable
selected. An example of a simple channel addition (C0 = C1+C2) expression is shown below:

4. Click OK. The expression is applied.

Interpolate Data
In a situation where you remove cultural anomalies or "spikes" from magnetic data, the removed data points are replaced by
dummy (*) values. Our 'Interpolate' function enables you to interpolate these dummy values.

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To Fill Gaps in a Data Channel Using Interpolation

1. On the Database Tools menu, select Channel Tools and then select Interpolate.
The Interpolate Dummies dialog appears.

2. Select the Channel to interpolate from the dropdown list.

3. Select the Output interpolated channel from the dropdown list. You can overwrite an existing channel by selecting
it from the dropdown, or write the interpolated data to a new channel by entering a new channel name.
4. Select the Interpolation method. For more detail on the available methods, refer to the Help dialog..
5. Select Yes or No to Interpolate dummy edges.
6. Click OK. The system will interpolate the gaps created in the data.

If chose to specify a new channel, the new channel with the interpolated data will not automatically display in the
spreadsheet view, as it is hidden from view by default. Simply select the first empty Channel Header Cell, type the
channel name, and press Enter. The channel will be displayed.

Dynamic Links: Geographic Connections to your Data

Dynamic data links are "virtual" georeferenced connections between spreadsheets, profiles and maps. Links are graphical
connections that connect what you see on a map to the same location in other displayed Map windows and to the original
data in Spreadsheet and Profile windows. These links work in multi-directions so you can select any window and see the
equivalent data in the other windows you are using.
Dynamic linking helps you to build knowledge quickly and make more informed decisions, through enabling real-time and
visual quality control, processing and analysis of your data.

Working with Dynamic Linking

At the most basic level, you can use dynamic linking to link spreadsheet data and profiles.
1. When you work with Spreadsheet and Profile windows and select one or more cells in the spreadsheet, the system
automatically shows you and locates the corresponding data in the Profile window (or vice-versa).
2. When you work with spreadsheet, profile, and map windows and select a point on the map, the system automatically
highlights the corresponding data in the other windows (or vice-versa).

3. You can access the data linking tools on the Map Tools toolbar . The Shadow Cursor button ( ) enables you to view
data for a single line/group. To view data for multiple lines/groups use the Shadow Cursor Data Linking button ( ).

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4. You can also create links between map extents (i.e. pan and zoom multiple maps will occur simultaneously). This

functionality is enabled via the Change Extent tools ( ), on the Map Tools toolbar.
Note that, you can only use database linking if your map contains line/group linking items (i.e. survey lines, symbols, down
hole sections or an ArcGIS LYR file).The system scrolls through the corresponding database, updating the Spreadsheet
and Profile windows automatically to reflect the currently selected line/group.

Link Data Dynamically

Dynamic links are “virtual” georeferenced connections between spreadsheets, profiles and maps. These links work in two-
directions so you can select any window and see the equivalent data in the other windows you are using.

To Link Spreadsheet, Profile and Map Data

Desktop linking enables you to place a special Link cursor on one or more maps and locate a specific part of the data.
1. Make sure only the desired map and the database are open in your project.

Do not remove them from your project, just close (minimise) any other map, grid or database items that are
currently open in your project.

2. From the Window menu, select Tile Vertically. The system arranges your database window and map window side by
side.
3. The system automatically turns on a map link and activates the Shadow Cursors button on the Map Editing toolbar.
You can tell a button is activated because it will appear to be depressed more than the other buttons on the toolbar.
4. Click on a value in the database or on a point in the profile view, and you see that the Link cursor (large black cross)
moves to the same location on the map. This type of linking enables you to quickly identify discrete anomalies on a
map and view their corresponding values in the database.
5. You can display multiple maps and use this function to locate and visualize the same anomaly locations for different
data types. It is quite useful for quality control (searching for anomalous noise spikes, for example) and for multi-
parameter interpretation.
How-To Guide Publication Date: 23/12/2014
Copyright 2014 Geosoft Inc. All rights reserved.

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