Geology 200A - Laboratory Exercise 2 - W.R. Church
(200ESFL.RTF 200 Earth Sci FieldlLog)

Fieldlog Mapping Database

Introduction

Fieldlog is a database developed by Boyan Brodaric of the Geological Survey of
Canada for the digital storage of geological data of any kind pertaining to a specific
locality - usually an outcrop in the case of a mapping database. It is a relational
database (similar to dBASE) which stores data in the form of Tables, Records, and
Fields. The following instructions have been summarized from `Fieldlog v2.83a,
Geological Survey of Canada' by Boyan Brodaric, 1992, 86 p. (Note: the chance of
student and permanent employment by the Ontario and Canadian Geological Surveys is
considerably enhanced if even minimal familiarity with Fieldlog can be demonstrated.)
A Table is similar to a spreadsheet composed of records (rows) and fields
(columns) containing information of different classes - there might be a table for
structural data, one for geochemical data, one for data referring to the collection locality,
etc. The tables are linked (related) by having each of them contain a common item of
information, usually an outcrop number or STATION NUMBER (STATIONUM). This
item or 'field' appears in all the tables.
Records contain the information about specific samples or measurements (from
the same or different outcrops), and the fields of the record contain a single item of
information about the sample, e.g. its name, or lithology, or thin section # or angle of
dip, etc.
The number of tables and their contents (fields) are project dependant. Fieldlog
will accept up to 15 tables and 27 fields in each table. A typical geological project
might contain tables for STATIon information, STRUCtural observations, SAMPLe and
PHOTOgraph recordings. Each, in turn, will contain fields to store the data within the
tables; eg. the STRUCtural table might contain the following fields: type of structural
reading, strike, dip. Each field occupies a fixed space measured in number of
characters, and a data type such as numeric or text. A project definition is created by
providing these parameters to Fieldlog through filling the definition form which appears
as the initial screen. Each row in the form contains the information for a specific field,
including the table in which it resides, its size and type, and some plotting
characteristics.
Fieldlog creates DXF plot files which can be imported into almost virtually any
CAD or graphics system. DXF files generated with Fieldlog have been successfully
incorporated into AutoCAD, Generic CADD, Design CAD, Easy CAD, RtiCAD, Corel
Draw, ARC/INFO GIS, SPANS GIS, Windows Word, etc.

In this laboratory tutorial we are going to:
1) implement Fieldlog ;
2) load two ascii data files (200A.DAT and 200B.DAT) containing information
about the location and lithologies of a set of rocks ;
The file 200A.DAT contains the fields STATIONUM, the X and Y
COORDINATES of the LOCALITY at which the sample was collected, and the outcrop
symbol 'x', and each record has the form, e.g. - "001",3900,3810, "x". This file will be
loaded into the STATI table.
The file 200B.DAT contains the fields STATIONUM (the common field
which links the Tables), the lithologic code (e,g, 's' for sandstone), the lithology, and
economic mineral content (e.g. Au), and has the form e.g. - "001", "g", "granite", "Au".
This file will be imported into the SAMPL Table.
3) output a DFX file containing coordinate and rock-type data.
4) plot the data in a thematic map, using Corel Draw. (Normally we would use
AUTOCAD but this application is not available to us. Note: the DXF file can also be
imported into a Windows Word document, i.e. .doc file.)

Procedure
IMPORTANT:
1) in the following instructions `ENTER' means press the Enter key.
2) If requested to type a character or string enclosed in quotes e.g. `a:',do not type
the quotes `'.
3) Read each paragraph carefully first, understand what is being asked of you, and
then carry out the instructions!
In many applications, the response to an instruction is registered by pressing
the ENTER key. This is not always the case in Fieldlog, where a response may involve
pressing a 'Y' or 'N' key followed by pressing the CURSOR key to move a highlighted
bar to another item on the menu. Only when all possible selections have been made is
the ENTER key pressed. If you press the ENTER key when you should not have, you
have no choice but to recommence the procedure. Therefore be careful in following
the instructions below. Think before you hit the ENTER key!

Copying the Fieldlog Data and Template files

At the c:\ prompt, type `cd fieldlog' `ENTER' to go to the Fieldlog
subdirectory.
Type `copy 200*.dat a:' `ENTER' to copy the files 200a.dat and 200b.dat to
your floppy disk.
Next copy the files in the data directory c:\fieldlog\template to the a:\your
initials (e.g. a:\wrc) subdirectory on your 3.5 HD diskette: at the `C:\fieldlog' prompt,
type `cd template'. The DOS prompt should change to `C:\fieldlog\template'. Place
your diskette in drive A:, and at the prompt type `a:' `ENTER' (DO NOT type the
quotes `').
After the prompt A:\ appears on the screen, type `md yourinitials' (e.g. md
wrc) `ENTER', and `md template' `ENTER'.
Type `c:' `ENTER' to return to the `C:\fieldlog\template' subdirectory.
Finally, type `COPY *.* a:\yourinitials' `ENTER', and `COPY *.*
a:\template' `Enter'. The `a:\yourinitials' subdirectory will be your work directory,
whereas the `a:\template' subdirectory will be your backup in the event you trash the
files in the a:\yourinitials subdirectory. If you have FIELDLOG loaded on your own
personal computer and wish to copy the contents of your floppy disk to your hard drive,
place the diskette in the A drive and enter the instruction `XCOPY A: C: /S'
`ENTER'.

Loading Fieldlog
Enter `cd \fieldlog' (or `cd ..' if you are in the `C:\fieldlog\template'
subdirectory) to get to the fieldlog subdirectory. Type `set clipper=V025' `ENTER',
followed by `set fieldlog=a:\yourinitials' `ENTER'. Run FIELDLOG with the
instruction`fieldlog' `ENTER'.)
The main Fieldlog menu will appear on the screen, the leftmost column of
which will contain the names of the Tables containing the fields named in the second
column. (If you get the message 'TABLET NOT READY', simply press the ESC key.
The program will complete loading.)
We will now need to import the data in files `a:\200A.DAT' and
.....a:\200B.DAT into the template.
(NOTE: in the following text, the instruction 'cursor' means press the cursor
DOWN arrow on the keyboard.)

Importing the data.
When carrying out the import procedure, instructions will appear on an
instruction bar at the bottom right of the screen. At the same time a small menu box
will appear towards the top left of the screen. The instructions are carried out in the
menu box with the use of the CURSOR and ENTER keys.

Press F6
A menu will appear on the screen in which the word STATI
(STATION) will be highlighted in green or some other colour, whereas the instruction
'Choose Table to Import' will appear in the bottom right Instruction Bar. Press
ENTER to select the STATI table

A new menu will appear with a list of fields contained in the STATI table, and
with the letter N placed to the right of each field. Press the 'Y' key so that Y replaces
the N adjacent to STATIONUM; but DO NOT PRESS THE ENTER KEY. (If at
some point you press the ENTER key and you should not have, press the ESC key
followed by the ENTER key and start over). Cursor down 1 step to LOCATIONX and
press the Y key. Similarly, enter a Y for the LOCATIONY field, and for the
LOCODE field. Then press ENTER.
A new menu will appear requesting information concerning the field and text
delimiters, and the name of the file to import. Enter ',' (comma) for field delimiter, ' "
' (quote) for text delimiter, and the name of the import file including the drive, e.g.
a:\200A.DAT. Use the cursor keys to move from field to field in the menu, NOT the
ENTER key. Press the ENTER key TWICE after having typed in the file name.
Pressing ENTER twice will bypass the final option concerning 'update'.
The file will now have been imported, and the status of the import recorded in
the menu that appears at the top left of the screen. Press the ENTER key to remove the
menu.
Press F7 followed by ENTER to examine the imported records in the STATI
Table. Use the ESC key (followed by ENTER) to return to the main menu. If an
incidental record without an entry in the STATIONUM field appears at the beginning of
the table, it can be removed by bringing the cursor to the record and pressing the DEL
key.

You will now repeat the process by entering a data file
containing the rock type data into the SAMPL table.
Press F6.
Cursor down to SAMPL and press ENTER.
Enter 'Y' for the STATIONUM, the LITHCODE, the ROCKTYPE, and the
METALS fields, and after entering the last 'Y' press ENTER.
Provide the information concerning field and text delimiters, and enter the
import file name a:\200B.DAT.
Upon termination of the import procedure, you can examine the imported data
by pressing the F7 key, selecting the Table SAMPL by moving the cursor down to
SAMPL in the Table menu that appears on the screen, and pressing ENTER.
To return to the Main Menu, press the ESC key followed by the ENTER key.

Exporting the data to a DXF file (to construct a thematic map).

Constructing a thematic map involves four operations:
1) Selecting an x-y offset for the plotted fields.
2) selecting the records in a given Table to be plotted, e.g. all the data, or a subset of the
data based on lithology (granites), or a subset based on geographic location, or a subset
based on an economic mineral (gold) occurrence, or even a subset of gold in granite, etc;
3) specifying which fields in the Table are to appear as text on the thematic map;
4) (OPTIONAL) repeat steps 2) and 3) for fields in a second or even third Table;
5) specifying the coordinates to be plotted;
6) outputting the DXF file.

1) x and y offsets
Generally one location per station is recorded in the database. When Fieldlog
plots any data at a station it necessarily plots all the data at this one location. Fieldlog
does not attempt to eliminate overlap, as this will increase rather than decrease the
confusion in dense areas, and also, the positioning of data cannot be adequately
automated as it represents a scientific decision best performed by the geologist.
However, if desired, the x,y offset option does allow some spatial adjustment to the data
at a station location, by allowing any field to be offset from that location. The field will
then be plotted at the station location offset by a specified vector. The vector is
measured in drawing units, typically UTM meters, and ranges from +-32768.
For this exercise the offsets have been preset and there is
therefore no need to carry out the following procedure. Read the
following italicized section but do not carry out the instructions.
Continue with section 2) below.
Cursor to the Stationum field, press F4, cursor to 'x and y offsets', press ENTER.
Fieldlog responds with:
x offset __________
y offset __________
Enter 1 for the x offset, press ENTER, cursor to the y field and type `0', and press
Enter twice to accept. Cursor to the SAMPL table and offset the Lithcode field -2 in the x
direction and 0 in the y direction. Cursor to the Metals field and offset it -2 in x and -2 in y. The
Stationum will be plotted to the right of the Locode station location, the Lithcode to the left, and
the Metals field to the left and down relative to the Locode outcrop symbol. Cursor to the
FEATURE field and press F4. Enter -200 for x and 0 for y. The amounts chosen for the offset
were based on the fact that text would be 80 meters high and symbols 400 meters. These sizes are
specified at plot time.
Before Fieldlog will recognize these new parameters they must be
saved. Press F3 to save. Fieldlog will confirm the save with:
Save database definitions (Y/N) ? N
Answer Yes to continue the save. Fieldlog will then query for the restructuring of any
databases with Choose tables to restructure and will also display a list of the tables available for
restructuring. Restructuring will cause the entire table to be copied with deleted rows ignored
and any changes to field names or field sizes effected. Restructuring performs a physical
reconstruction of the entire table and should only be carried out if new fields are added or old
fields deleted from the table, if field lengths or types are altered or if rows in the table are
deleted. Otherwise there is no need to restructure. Fieldlog will automatically recognize when
major changes to a table's definition have occurred and will cause that table to be unavailable in
the list of tables, and will proceed to restructure it. Deleted rows in a table do not constitute a
change to the table's definition, only to its contents, and therefore if these rows are to be
eliminated, the table must be chosen for restructuring. To do so, cursor to the table and press 'Y'
beside the table name. Tables chosen with 'Y' will then be restructured as soon as Enter is
pressed. Restructuring a table containing data may take a long time and should be performed
only when required.

2) Selecting the records to output.
Press F9. A menu will appear on the screen with the word STATI (STATION)
highlighted in green or some other colour. The instruction 'Choose Table to Search'
will appear in the Instruction Bar. Cursor to SAMPL and press ENTER.
A new menu will appear with a list of fields contained in the SAMPL table, and
the instruction will change to 'Choose Field for Search Condition'. Choose
STATIONUM by pressing ENTER.
The next menu will display a set of conditional choices. Cursor to '>' and
press ENTER
In the next menu type `0' and press ENTER.TWICE. Then press ESC and
ENTER in sequence in response to the next query.

YOU HAVE NOW TOLD FIELDLOG THAT YOU WISH TO SELECT
ALL THE SAMPLES WITH A STATION NUMBER GREATER THAN 0; THAT
IS, ALL THE RECORDS IN THE DATA SET. (You could alternatively have told
Fieldlog that you only wish to output occurrences of granite by selecting 'Containing'
and typing the word 'Granite' in the menu box.)

3) Selecting the fields to output.
A menu displaying the list of fields in the SAMPLE table will now appear
along with the instruction 'Choose Fields to Retrieve' in the Instruction bar. Press the Y
key to place a Y next to STATIONUM and then cursor to LITHCODE and again
press the Y key. The letter 'Y' will appear to the right of LITHCODE. Place a 'Y' next
to METALS. Press ENTER.

4) Selecting fields in another Table.
The 'Choose Table to Search' option will now reappear allowing you to specify
a new Table to search. To output an outcrop symbol 'x' select the STATI Table, and
following the appearance of the 'Choose Field for Search Condition' select
STATIONUM and repeat the steps in 2) above. Also repeat the steps in 3) above, but
select only the field LOCODE as the field to be output. Decline the option of
selecting another (third) table, by pressing the ESC key followed by ENTER.

5) Selecting the Coordinate field.
The Table Menu will now reappear with the instruction 'Choose Coordinate
Table'. If the cursor is located next to the word STATI, press ENTER. A menu with the
fields in the STATI table will appear with the cursor located to the right of the
XCOORD field, and the instruction 'Choose X or Y coordinate'. Press ENTER, and
finally ESC in response to the instruction 'Select Area to Search'.

6) Outputting the DXF file.
The next menu will offer a choice of AUTOCAD versions to use in plotting the
data. Cursor to Autocad r9 and press ENTER. (Use Autocadr9 if exporting to
CORELDRAW, but Autocadr12 if exporting to Autocad.)
In response to the next menu concerning the Symbol Library to use, type `GSC'
and press the ENTER key TWICE. In the menu 'Plot Symbols as...' select 'lines' and
press the `Enter' key.
The next menu will require you to provide information concerning the plotting
format of the output data and the name of the file to contain the ouput data. Type the
values `1' followed by ENTER for 'Symbol Scale' and 'text size' (The scale and size
values are in meter drawing units, and should be chosen relative to the maximum
dimensions of the drawing. That is a drawing measuring 10 kilmetres on a 10 inch page
across would require lettering 1/10th of an inch high to be referenced as 100 metres in
size ((10kmx1000)/(10inchesx10)=100 m). Cursor down to the line 'DXF Plot File
Name' and type the name of your file, e.g. a:\your initials.dxf. Press ENTER twice.
Fieldlog will output the DXF file and inform you of the number of records output. Press
ENTER to return to the Main Fieldlog Menu and then `ESC' `ENTER' to exit Fieldlog.
Type `cd \' `ENTER' to return to the root directory of the C drive, and `win' `ENTER'
to get back to Windows.

To view the DXF file in CORELDRAW
Reboot the computer and at the first menu choose Windows and tablet. The
computer will load Windows. Look for the CorelDraw icon and double click on the icon
to load the software. Once loaded, click on File and then IMPORT (NOT OPEN).
Select DXF as the file type, select your DXF file in your a:\......directory, and load the
file to the screen. Examine the distribution of rock types on your screen (g = granite, d =
diabase, l = limestone, s = sandstone), and draw a coloured map of these units. If you do
not know how to use CorelDraw, RTFCDM or listen attentively to the instructor.

ADDITIONAL PRACTICE EXERCISES
Go back to Fieldlog and create a .dxf file containing only the location of gold
localities. Is it possible that they lie along lineaments (fault or joint lines)?
If the faults or joints are vertical, what is the orientation of the maximum
principal stress?
Create a dxf file and thematic map showing the location of granite outcrops
only.
Create a dxf file and thematic map showing gold localities in granite.
Place the latter two maps on separate layers in CORELDRAW.

Fieldlog - Structural Data
From the DOS command line C:\ prompt, enter the DOS Editor (type `edit
a:\200str.dat ENTER') and type in a file with four records each made up of the four
fields - stationum, IBED, Azimuth value, Dip angle value, e.g.:
"001", "IBED", 0, 10
"002", "IBED", 60, 45
(add two or more records, "003", "004", etc).

where IBED (must be typed in UPPER CASE) is Fieldlog's OGS code for a
bedding symbol, and the two numerical values represent the azimuth of dip and angle
of dip, respectively, of the bed.

Save the file (ALT-F S), exit the Editor (ALT-F X), load your Fieldlog
directory `my initial', and import (F6) the a:\200str.dat file into the STATIONUM,
READING, AZIMUTH, AND DIPLUNGE fields of the STRUC Table. Check your
STRUC Table by pressing F7 and selecting STRUC.

In order for structural symbols to be correctly oriented when displayed in
CorelDraw or Autocad, it is necessary to set a rotation angle in the F4 menu. Cursor to
the structural symbol field READING in the STRUC table and press F4. Cursor to the
rotation angle option and press `ENTER'. In response to the query `Rotation angle
field', type AZIMUTH (in upper case letters!) and press `ENTER'. In response to the
query `Corrective angle' enter some angle corresponding to the magnetic declination if
the AZIMUTH values are uncorrected for declination, e.g. -23 degrees if the magnetic
North is 23 degrees NW of North. In your case enter `0' (zero). If a field e.g.
READING, has been assigned a rotation angle, a diamond symbol will be placed
opposite the field in the Fieldlog main menu. Note that AZIMUTH refers to the strike of
the symbol in a direction anticlockwise from the direction of dip.

To plot the azimuth and dip angle text around the symbol so that they do not
overlap with the symbol or with each other, place the main menu cursor on the field to
be positioned (e.g. cursor to the AZIMUTH field), press F4 and select the `Position
around symbol' option. Select READING as the symbol in response to the request
`Position around which symbol field?'. There are 8 possible locations: the first position
is to the east of the symbol, the others following around in anticlockwise rotation from
the first position to the eighth position at bottom-right. Choose 2 for the AZIMUTH
field. Repeat the exercise for the DIPLUNGE field and place it in position 1.

IMPORTANT: press F3 and select STRUC to restructure the STRUC Table.

Fieldlog is able to store symbol values, and offers a choice of three Symbol
libraries - NATMAP (National Mapping Program), GSC (Geological Surrvey of
Canada), and OGS (Ontario Geological Survey). When entering the code for a
structural symbol representing bedding in the READING field of the STRUC Table, the
code must correspond to that of the Symbol library to be used when outputting a DXF
file, e.g. in the case of the symbol for bedding with known sense of younging, IOBED
for OGS, S-BED for Natmap, and SI-BED for GSC. (IMPORTANT: if you change the
OGS codes to Natmap or GSC codes, or vice versa, the STRUC table will have to be
restructured using the F3 command sequence in order for the changes to be put into
effect. This is like having to reboot when a change is made to the DOS config.sys file.)
In this exercise the symbol IBED you have entered into your database is the general
symbol for bed orientation in the OGS library. Consequently, when outputting a DXF
file you are requested to input a Symbol Library name, enter OGS.

As in the previous weeks exercise, output (F9) the structural data
(STATIONUM, READING, AZIMUTH, DIPLUNGE) to a DXF file called `a:\your
initalstr.dxf', using OGS as the Symbol Library, and examine the file in CorelDraw.

Using a Calcomp Drawing Board II tablet to digitize points
from a calibrated map or airphoto into a table.
If necessary setup the Calcomp tablet with the modified Summagraphics driver
by turning the tablet on and off and clicking on the RESTORE 3 button of the tablet.
Locate two diagonal points on a sheet of graph paper attached to the Calcomp
tablet, and note their coordinate locations e.g. 3,2 and 9,10, (X2-X1 = 6 and Y2-Y1 = 8)
relative to some arbitrary location at 0,0.
Calibrate the map by recording the coordinates of the two diagonal points on
the map using `Calibrate' in the F5 function menu. (Note: it does not matter how the
map is oriented on the tablet.)
Once the map is calibrated, F7 to the STRUCT Table and click on the X
coordinate column. A coordinate window and a flashing cursor will appear. Move the
flashing cursor into the coordinate window and click on the X or Y coordinate prompt.
This will place Fieldlog in digitizer mode instead of mouse mode, and the coordinates of
a point on the map can then be entered by placing the puck cross hairs over the point
and clicking the left mouse button. Repeat the operation for other points.

FIGURES

Figure 1. Plate Tectonics.

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