Using VisLog, the user will be able to enter borehole information including but not limited to their depth, coordinates, ground water level, etc. and have a three dimensional interactive view of the underground subject project. The ultimate aim of VisLog is to help users with making an image of the soil layers close to real condition.

Input data can be taken from gINT, the most widely used borehole log software in the world. Also user could enter data using internal test-hole editor. When the model is built upon the borehole information provided by user, the 3-dimensional model can rotate, zoom in/out, print and even saved as graphic formats.

With intelligent engine of VisLog, generating soil profiles between boreholes is as easy as 1-2-3. VisLog can even be used for ground improvement projects to visualize the results. Read the case study paper - presented in GeoHalifax Geotechnical Conference (Sep. 2009) by developer of VisLog - regarding visualization of ground improvement results for Chilliwack General Hospital (BC, Canada) here.

Borehole Input Data

All we do in VisLog is visualization; having said that, we need information about  each borehole being visualized. With VisLog there are 4 different methods to import this data:

• Importing a *.vlg file : A vlg file is a file with standard format defined by VisLog. This is essentially a tag-based text file with different data sections for each borehole.

• Importing a gINT project file : Since gINT is one of the most popular borehole log software in the world, we have considered this feature to ease importing data. If your gINT project includes coordinates for boreholes, making a model with VisLog will take less than a minute!

• Importing a SMTP project : SMTP is a software widely used in Middle East for soil mechanics laboratory testing and borehole log preparation. If you have SMTP on your machine, you can select your own project from the list and import all data in a second.

• Manual Data Entry :If you want to define the test-holes from scratch, use our internal test-hole editor. Define each borehole with its layering and field test data; save; and see the 3-dimensional model. To ease the data entry process, import from Text file is possible.

The following properties of a test hole are supported in VisLog for visualization purpose:

• Name

• Depth

• Easting (X)

• Northing (Y)

• Elevation (Z)

• Water level (GWT)

• Azimuth

• Plunge

• user data

• Any field test data (CPT, DCPT, SPT, etc.)

• Soil layers

Inclined boreholes are supported for visualization in VisLog. Also, any custom data like hole diameter or ground improvement info for each borehole may be added through user-data columns.

Note : It does not matter whether the borehole is a test pit or auger hole or even a rotary borehole. VisLog is designed to simulate and visualize the soil layers draw profiles among these test holes. So practically, VisLog supports all drilling methods.

Water Level

One of the features of VisLog is visualizing the ground water table. If GWT is defined for boreholes, a triangulation of water table will be shown on the page. User can define the texture image file used for simulating the water surface.

Visual Effects

These Effects can be categorized as follows:

• Navigation : internal capabilities for Zoom, Pan, Rotate, etc are all considered as basic features in VisLog.

• Transparency : every information layer such as "soil profiles, water table, boreholes, etc" can be adjusted for transparency from completely opaque to invisible.

• Texture Selection : any soil type maps to a texture image. User can select the image from a file in his/her computer.

• Scene Properties : colors of scene background and faces can be set by the user.

• Scaling : you can also specify the "vertical scale", "boreholes diameter" and "field test plot scale" to adjust the visualization as necessary. For example in case that horizontal extent of the site is much larger than boreholes depth, adjusting the vertical scale can better clarify the stratigraphy of the subject site.

• Geometrical Shapes : as already described VisLog deals with visualization. Helping you to easier realize the site condition and to model the in-situ objects such as a culvert, tunnel, building, etc., user may add geometrical shape with any color using "Manage Objects" dialogbox.

Terrain Modeling

Boreholes are normally drilled from existing ground elevation, so Elevation property of boreholes is an indicative of elevation of that point on topography map. VisLog uses a complicated triangulation algorithm to simulate existing ground surface and even bedrock topography (in case that test holes are terminated at bedrock) and utilizes the following methods for simulating the surface:

• Using textures with images specified by user

• Applying colour contour maps