GIS Training Courses for Geologists
	McElhanney offers hands-on training courses to help Geologists understand and use GIS in their daily activities. See below for our current courses and for how to sign up for a course.

February 2012 Courses
	February 14 - 15, 2012 - MapInfo-Discover for Mineral Exploration - Module 1, Vancouver BC
	February 16 - 17, 2012 - MapInfo-Discover for Mineral Exploration - Module 2, Vancouver BC
	February 20 - 21, 2012 - Discover 3D for Mineral Exploration, Vancouver BC

January 2012 Courses
	January 17 - 18, 2012 - MapInfo-Discover for Mineral Exploration - Module 1, Vancouver BC
	January 19 - 20, 2012 - MapInfo-Discover for Mineral Exploration - Module 2, Vancouver BC
	January 26 - 27, 2012 - Discover 3D for Mineral Exploration, Vancouver BC

November 2011 Courses
	November 22 - 23, 2011 - MapInfo-Discover for Mineral Exploration - Module 1, Vancouver BC
	November 24 - 25, 2011 - MapInfo-Discover for Mineral Exploration - Module 2, Vancouver BC
	November 28 - 29, 2011 - Discover 3D for Mineral Exploration, Vancouver BC

MapInfo-Discover for Mineral Exploration - Module 1 (2 days)

This course covers introductory to intermediate level MapInfo and Discover topics. The goal of this 2-day course is to familiarize new users in the geoscience field with the various functions of MapInfo and Discover, and the background geomatics/GIS concepts that all GIS users should have. Students will complete a regional-scale GIS compilation project with real mineral exploration data. Project planning issues and common pitfalls are discussed throughout the course. Exercise books and course data are provided by McElhanney. The course will be taught using MapInfo 11 and Discover 2011. Each attendee requires their own laptop and a copy of MapInfo Professional version 11 and Discover 2011. Free evaluation licenses can be provided but these must be requested and installed before coming to class. Students must be familiar and very comfortable with the basic functions of MS Windows. Previous MapInfo or Discover experience is not required. Publicly available, real mineral exploration data is used for all exercises.

Many people who have used MapInfo-Discover for a while or are perhaps self taught, or taught by a coworker, make the assumption that taking the introductory course is unnecessary. Why is the Module 1 course important? Learning to use GIS (and modelling software) involves far more than learning what buttons to click to make the maps and sections you want. A prerequisite to using any GIS, drillhole or modelling software is an understanding of a number of important geomatics and spatial data concepts. These concepts are taught to survey students and formally trained GIS professionals, but they are rarely taught to geologists or exploration technicians. A list of common and potentially expensive errors includes: plotting/modelling samples, geophysical data, drillholes etc. in incorrect locations; planning drillholes based on incorrectly located targets; storing the wrong kind of azimuth value in drillhole tables etc. (A particularly serious and common error). Do you know the difference between UTM north and true north where you are drilling? In addition to many time saving MapInfo-Discover procedures and tools users may not have seen before, the things you need to know to identify and/or avoid these errors are introduced in the Module 1 course. As a mapping, surveying and engineering firm, we could not leave them out.

Course Outline:

• MapInfo Basics - Learning the basics of tables, workspaces and the MapInfo interface.
• Discussion - Project folder and file organization. Tools for fixing workspaces
• Map Window Layers - Working with the Discover enhanced layer control to, make selection, link map windows, manipulate layers, labels and map object display settings.
• Discussion - Basic geomatics concepts crucial for GIS projects: Coordinate Systems, Projections and Datums, why are they important and where do people go wrong. Avoiding costly mistakes.
• Graphical Selection - Different methods of graphically selecting, displaying and saving selections from a map window.
• Creating New Tables and Basic Digitizing Skills - The basics of proper database table design, effective data storage, planning a digitizing session and basic drawing tool skills.
• Discussion. Map scales, positional error and digitizing accuracy. Choosing appropriate base-map and elevation data for your own projects.
• Exercise 5. Using Raster Imagery - Incorporating imagery in your GIS projects. Using satellite images, scanned maps, orthophotos and other imagery.
• Importing and Exporting Vector Data - Working with data in non-MapInfo formats (CAD files, shape files, etc.).
• Working with Point Data - Designing MS Excel spreadsheets for use in MapInfo. Displaying sample locations and other coordinate data stored in MS Excel spreadsheets and Access database files.
• Queries - Selecting data based on information stored in your database
• Thematic Maps - Create more-easily interpreted maps, based on values stored in your database. Effectively display geochemistry and other data.
• Map Design, Scaled Map Output and the Layout Window - Elements of proper map design, map legends, and how to create a scaled plot. Printing to Layered and Geospatial PDF files.

MapInfo-Discover for Mineral Exploration - Module 2 (2 days)

This course covers intermediate to advanced level MapInfo and Discover topics. Day 1 of this course gives attendees an extensive introduction to working with Drillhole data in Encom Discover. Attendees will complete a Drillhole data project, starting with the basics of database design, and finishing with plan views, cross-sections, section interpretation layers and log displays. By the end of this project, students will have gained the technical and project planning skills required for their own Drillhole GIS projects. Many features of the software applicable to other types of projects will be introduced in the context of a Drillhole project. Day 2 of this course gives attendees an extensive introduction to essential compilation skills for surface mineral exploration data. Students taking this course will be well prepared for the Discover 3D course. The course will be taught using MapInfo 11 and Discover 2011. Each attendee requires their own laptop and a copy of MapInfo Professional version 11 and Discover 2011. Free evaluation licenses can be provided but these must be requested and installed before coming to class. Attendees should be familiar with all concepts and procedures discussed in the course MapInfo-Discover for Mineral Exploration - Module 1.

Course Outline:

• Colour Tables (Developing and using a reference table for standard lithology colours and patterns)
• Overview of Discover Drillhole Module Features
• Designing a Drillhole Database
• Drillhole Surveys and Map Coordinate Systems (avoid common errors)
• Updating database tables with new data
• Database Validation (Identifying and fixing common drillhole database errors)
• Creating Cross-Sections and Plan Views (Turning tables of data into maps and sections)
• Managing Cross-Sections and Plan Views
• Adding Down-Hole Data to your Sections and Plan Views
• Viewing Drillhole Data in Log-Display mode.
• Creating a Custom Coordinate System (Relating a local property grid coordinate system to UTM).
• Exporting and Backing-up Drillhole Projects
• SQL Queries - linking MapInfo map objects to a MS Access database table, summarizing data within single tables (E.g., display the top lithology in all drillholes), writing spatial queries involving multiple tables.
• Coordinate System Transformations (Incorporating vector data, e.g. CAD files, in "unknown" coordinate systems)
• Designing a Geological Digitizing Project (Issues and methods to consider. Logical steps to follow.)
• Digitizing Geological Contacts (Minimizing the amount of work you need to do to create a geological map)
• DigData (Automatically adding attributes to map objects. Building your database as you digitize.)
• Generating Lithology Polygons from Contact Lines
• Structural Data (Adding strike/dip symbols and structural data to the map)
• Working with large numbers of text objects. Formatting text for scaled map plotting - required skills for maps submitted for assessment purposes.
• Gridding and Contouring
• Importing and Working with Geosoft Grid Files
• Working with geochemistry data - Statistics and Point Classification
• MapInfo and Google Earth
• Discover 3D Viewer - Working with 3D sessions
  

This two-day Discover 3D course focuses on exploration planning and targeting using integrated drilling, geophysical, geochemical and imagery data. A 3D geological modelling lab exercise is part of the course. The Discover 3D course is an advanced level course. Attendees must have prior experience with, and a good working knowledge of both MapInfo, Discover and the background geomatics concepts that all users of modelling and GIS software should have. It is strongly recommended that attendees take the MapInfo and Discover Modules 1 and 2 courses prior to attending the Discover 3D course. Each attendee requires their own laptop and a copy of MapInfo Professional version 10.x or 11 and Discover 3D 2011. Free evaluation licenses can be provided but these must be requested and installed before coming to class.

Course Outline

• Discover 3D Interface
• 3D navigation
• 3D Cursor Plane
• Clipping for sectional and down-plunge viewing
• Saving 3D session (project) files
• Preparing 2D data for 3D display
• Viewing images
• 3D point and line data
• Vector data display (DXF files, mine workings etc.)
• Gridded data display (DEM files, geochem and geophysics)
• Voxel (block) model display and querying (display slices and grade shells etc.)
• Drillhole Display
• Drillhole planning (targeting based on subsurface geophysics, lithology etc.)
• Exporting 3D slices to 2D sections
• 3D digitizing and object editing
• Geological modeling  - solid generation and fault surface creation.
• Printing, animation and video output

All courses run from 8:30am until 4:30pm. Please contact us for exact course dates, prices and location, or click on the appropriate course listing at the top of this page.

	To purchase this product, or for more information, please contact:
	Brendan Walashek BWalashek@mcelhanney.com Tel: 604 683 8521 Fax: 604 683 4350	Andrew McIntosh amcintosh@mcelhanney.com Tel: 604 683 8521 Fax: 604 683 4350