Structural Measurements Context Menu
Commands available when right-clicking Structural Measurements in the Interpretation Tree. Structural measurements include bed attitudes (dip/azimuth), fracture orientations, cleavage measurements, and other planar or linear geological orientation data.
Navigation & View
Navigate To
Menu name: Navigate To
Tooltip Move the 3D view to frame the selected measurement.
What it does See Navigate To in Shared Commands for complete documentation. Centres and zooms the 3D view on the selected structural measurement, positioning the camera to provide a clear view of the measurement symbol and its orientation.
When to use it
- Quickly locating specific measurements in large structural datasets
- Reviewing measurement context and quality
- Inspecting relationships between nearby measurements
Notes Particularly useful when working with dense structural datasets where measurements may be clustered.
Look Down Dip
Menu name: Look Down Dip
Tooltip Orient view looking down the dip direction.
What it does Positions the 3D view camera to look directly down the dip direction of the selected structural measurement. The view direction parallels the maximum dip vector, allowing inspection of features as they would appear when looking down-dip in the field.
When to use it
- Viewing features in their kinematic reference frame
- Inspecting fault slip indicators or lineations
- Analysing structures from a field geologist's perspective
Notes Camera is positioned looking down dip (in the direction of dip, not up from below). View includes the measurement symbol. Particularly useful for assessing fold vergence or fault movement direction.
Look Along Strike
Menu name: Look Along Strike
Tooltip Orient view looking along the strike direction.
What it does Positions the 3D view camera to look horizontally along the strike direction of the selected structural measurement. The view is perpendicular to the dip direction, parallel to the horizontal intersection of the plane with the ground surface.
When to use it
- Viewing fold profiles perpendicular to fold axes
- Inspecting cross-strike structural variation
- Analysing features in structural cross-section orientation
Notes View direction is along strike (parallel to strike line), not perpendicular to it. Useful for identifying fold axes, plunge directions, and strike-perpendicular structures.
Selection & Clipboard
Copy Orientation
Menu name: Copy Orientation
Tooltip Copy an orientation to clipboard.
What it does Copies the dip and azimuth values of the selected structural item to the clipboard. The orientation can then be pasted to other items, polylines, or interpretation objects that support orientation properties.
When to use it
- Propagating consistent orientations across related features
- Applying measured orientations to interpreted features
- Creating reference orientations for regional structural analysis
Notes Only copies orientation values (dip/azimuth), not position or classification. Compatible with polylines, faults, and other structural items.
Paste Orientation
Menu name: Paste Orientation
Tooltip Paste orientation from clipboard.
What it does Applies a previously copied orientation (dip and azimuth) to the selected item. This overwrites the item's current orientation values whilst preserving position and classification.
When to use it
- Correcting erroneous orientation data
- Applying regional dip to synthetic measurements
- Standardising orientations for modelling purposes
Notes
This replaces the items's original orientation. Ensure this is intentional, especially for field-collected data.
Position and classification (bed/fracture/cleavage) are preserved.
Transform
Between Coordinate Systems (CRS)
Menu name: Between Coordinate Systems (CRS)
Tooltip Transform measurement position between coordinate reference systems.
What it does Opens dialogue to transform measurement position coordinates from one coordinate reference system to another. Orientation values (dip/azimuth) are preserved as they represent attitude, not position. Only the X, Y, Z location of the measurement is transformed.
When to use it
- Integrating measurements from different coordinate systems
- Converting field measurements to project coordinates
- Aligning structural data with photogrammetry or GIS datasets
Notes Orientation remains unchanged as dip/azimuth are inherently independent of CRS. Requires valid coordinate system definitions for both source and target.
Metres to Feet
Menu name: Metres to Feet
Tooltip Convert position coordinates from metres to feet.
What it does Multiplies the X, Y, Z coordinates of the measurement position by 3.28084 to convert from metres to feet. This is a unit conversion only - coordinate reference system is not changed.
When to use it
- Converting projects to Imperial units
- Matching measurements to data in feet
- Preparing data for software requiring Imperial units
Notes
This is purely a unit conversion (×3.28084). Does not perform coordinate system transformation. Orientation values are unaffected.
Feet to Metres
Menu name: Feet to Metres
Tooltip Convert position coordinates from feet to metres.
What it does Divides the X, Y, Z coordinates of the measurement position by 3.28084 to convert from feet to metres. This is a unit conversion only - coordinate reference system is not changed.
When to use it
- Converting projects to metric units
- Matching measurements to data in metres
- Standardising international project datasets
Notes Unit conversion only (÷3.28084). Does not perform coordinate system transformation. Orientation values are unaffected.
Attach to Visible Meshes
Menu name: Attach to Visible Meshes
Tooltip Snap measurement position to visible mesh surface.
What it does Adjusts the measurement's Z coordinate to lie on the closest visible mesh surface. Casts a vertical ray from the measurement's X-Y position and snaps to the first mesh intersection found. Orientation is preserved; only position is adjusted.
When to use it
- Ensuring measurements lie on reference surfaces
- Correcting measurements that should be on mesh topography
- Snapping imported measurements to terrain or outcrop models
Notes Only adjusts Z coordinate using vertical projection. X and Y remain unchanged. If no mesh intersection is found (measurement outside mesh extents), position is unchanged. Orientation is never modified.
Classification
The Classification submenu allows assigning measurements to different structural categories:
Bed
Menu name: Bed
Tooltip Classify as bedding plane measurement.
What it does Classifies the selected measurement as a bedding plane (sedimentary stratification). This affects display symbology, filtering options, and stereonet plotting. Bed measurements typically represent stratification, lamination, or other sedimentary planar features.
When to use it
- Categorising stratigraphic orientation data
- Separating bedding from fracture measurements
- Preparing data for structural domain analysis
Notes Classification affects display symbol and colour. Can be changed at any time. Used for filtering in stereonet plots and structural analysis tools.
Fracture
Menu name: Fracture
Tooltip Classify as fracture measurement.
What it does Classifies the selected measurement as a fracture (joint, vein, or other discontinuity). This affects display symbology and analysis grouping. Fracture measurements represent natural breaks or cracks in rock, distinct from faults (which have displacement) and cleavage (which has fabric).
When to use it
- Categorising structural discontinuity data
- Analysing fracture network orientations
- Separating fractures from other planar features
Notes Display symbol differs from bedding and cleavage. Useful for fracture density and orientation analysis. Can be reclassified at any time.
Cleavage
Menu name: Cleavage
Tooltip Classify as cleavage plane measurement.
What it does Classifies the selected measurement as cleavage (metamorphic or tectonic fabric). This affects display symbology and filtering. Cleavage represents penetrative planar fabric in deformed rocks, distinct from bedding and fractures.
When to use it
- Categorising metamorphic fabric data
- Separating tectonic fabric from primary structures
- Analysing strain orientations in deformed rocks
Notes Display symbol distinguishes cleavage from other planar features. Important for strain analysis and metamorphic studies. Can be reclassified if geological interpretation changes.
Foreset
Menu name: Foreset
Tooltip Classify as foreset (cross-bedding) measurement.
What it does Classifies the selected measurement as a foreset plane (cross-bedding in sedimentary rocks). This is a special type of bedding measurement representing inclined lamination within sedimentary structures. Affects display symbology and palaeocurrent analysis.
When to use it
- Identifying cross-bedding for palaeocurrent analysis
- Distinguishing internal bedding from formation-scale stratification
- Analysing depositional environments
Notes Foreset measurements are used for palaeocurrent analysis. Display may differ from planar bedding. Important for reconstructing sedimentary transport directions.
Regional
Menu name: Regional
Tooltip Classify as regional structural measurement.
What it does Classifies the selected measurement as representing regional structure (large-scale structural trend). This affects filtering and weighting in structural analysis. Regional measurements represent background structural orientation rather than local features.
When to use it
- Identifying regional structural trends
- Weighting measurements differently in structural analysis
- Separating background from local structural data
Notes Regional classification is interpretive. Useful for structural domain analysis where regional trends need to be distinguished from local perturbations.
Analysis
Calculate Intersection
Menu name: Calculate Intersection
Tooltip Calculate intersection lineation between two measurements.
What it does Opens dialogue to select a second structural measurement. Calculates the line of intersection between the two planar measurements (the linear feature where the two planes intersect). Creates a new linear measurement object representing this intersection lineation, with trend and plunge.
When to use it
- Calculating fold axes from bedding measurements
- Determining slip vectors from fault and slickenside data
- Identifying structural lineations from planar features
Notes Requires two non-parallel measurements. Result is a linear measurement (trend/plunge) located at the first measurement's position. Useful in fold analysis and kinematic studies.
Combine
Menu name: Combine
Tooltip Calculate average orientation of multiple measurements.
What it does Opens dialogue to select multiple structural measurements. Calculates the vector mean orientation (average dip and azimuth) using spherical statistics. Creates a new structural measurement at the centroid position with the mean orientation.
When to use it
- Determining representative orientation for a station
- Averaging measurements from the same planar feature
- Creating domain-average orientations
Notes Uses spherical (vector) averaging, not arithmetic averaging of angles. Result location is the spatial centroid of selected measurements. Appropriate for measurements from the same structural domain. Large angular dispersion indicates the average may not be meaningful.
Convert to Fault
Menu name: Convert to Fault
Tooltip Convert measurement to fault object.
What it does Converts the selected structural measurement to a Fault object. The measurement's orientation becomes the fault plane orientation, and its position becomes the fault anchor point. This creates a fault interpretation that can be extended and refined as a 3D surface.
When to use it
- Initiating fault interpretation from orientation data
- Converting field measurements to 3D fault models
- Starting fault surface construction from attitude measurements
Notes Original measurement is typically preserved. New fault object requires further digitisation to define its extent. Useful for transitioning from point data to surface interpretation.
Group & Organisation
Group
Menu name: Group
Tooltip Create group containing selected measurements.
What it does See Group in Shared Commands for complete documentation. Creates a new group (folder) containing all selected structural measurements.
When to use it
- Organising measurements by station, domain, or type
- Creating logical groupings for filtering and display
- Simplifying project tree structure
Notes Selected measurements must be at the same tree level. Useful for organising field data by collection location or structural domain.
Ungroup
Menu name: Ungroup
Tooltip Dissolve selected group.
What it does See Ungroup in Shared Commands for complete documentation. Dissolves the group container and moves child measurements up one level.
When to use it
- Flattening project tree structure
- Breaking up temporary groupings
- Reorganising measurement hierarchy
Notes Only works on group containers. Measurements are preserved.
Object Operations
Export
Menu name: Export
Tooltip Export measurements to external file.
What it does See Export in Shared Commands for complete documentation. Opens export dialogue to save measurements to various file formats (CSV, Shapefile, text, etc.). Exports include position coordinates, orientation values, and classification.
When to use it
- Sharing structural data with external applications
- Creating deliverables for structural analysis software
- Archiving field measurements
Notes Format options typically include ASCII text (position, dip, azimuth), CSV, and GIS formats. Consider coordinate system compatibility.
Delete
Menu name: Delete
Tooltip Permanently remove measurement from project.
What it does See Delete in Shared Commands for complete documentation. Permanently removes the structural measurement from the project database.
When to use it
- Removing erroneous or outlier measurements
- Cleaning up test or duplicate data
- Simplifying projects with redundant measurements
Notes
Operation is permanent. Ensure you have backups of field data.