Dips FAQs: Graphical Output

Below are answers to Graphical Output FAQs for Dips. Click on the question to read the answer.

1. How can I save entities such as text, cones, daylight envelopes etc., which have been added to a plot, so that they do not have to be recreated each time I open a Dips file?

   Since Dips version 5.1, all drawing entities (e.g. cones, lines, text), and all set and plane information is automatically saved, when you save the Dips file. If they are not being saved, then make sure you are running the latest version of Dips.

2. How can I save Set Windows and Added Planes, so that they do not have to be recreated each time I open a Dips file?

   See answer to #1. Since Dips version 5.1, all set information and added planes are automatically saved when you save a Dips file.

   Previous to version 5.1, set windows and planes could be manually saved with the Save Planes File option. This option is still available, but in general should not be necessary, since the sets and planes are automatically saved.

3. How do you modify text information?

   You can modify existing text by RIGHT-clicking the mouse on the text, and selecting Edit Text from the popup menu. This only applies to text added with the Add Text option.

4. How can we change default display options, such as having equal area net come up instead of equal angle, or colors so that we do not have to change them each time?

   You can save default display settings using the shortcut buttons in the sidebar. You can either make the current settings the new program defaults, or restore the original program default settings.

5. Can you automatically add degrees to outside of plot?

   Yes. In the sidebar Display Settings choose Stereonet Options > Labels > Degrees. The Tick Spacing determines the number of labels which are displayed.

6. Earlier versions of Dips generated the plots with a title block of sorts. Can that be done with the most recent version?

   The Add Text option can be used to add title blocks (e.g. Project Summary information from the Project Settings dialog).

   For printing you can create customized headers and footers for all printed output.

7. How do I get my output into Autocad in Dips 5.0? Can I export DXF files in the same way as Dips 4.0 for DOS?

   Export of stereonet plots to DXF files was re-introduced in Dips version 5.06. Select File > Export Image File and select *.dxf from the drop-list of file types.

   If DXF export is not available, then make sure you are running the latest version of Dips. If you are not, then download and install the latest version from the Rocscience website.

   NOTE: you can also export to AutoCAD using metafiles. To do this use the Edit > Copy Metafile option in Dips to place the metafile on the clipboard then use the Edit > Paste Special option in AutoCAD. You can also export a windows metafile from Dips using the File > Export Image File option (save a wmf file not a emf file). Then use the Insert > Windows Metafile... option in AutoCAD to bring it in. For contour plots in Dips make sure the contouring mode is set to line contours, not filled, prior to exporting the metafile. This is done in the Contour Options dialog.

8. Is it possible to display ALL great circles of ALL planar data in the Dips file?

   Yes, select the Planes > Grid Data Planes option from the sidebar.

9. I want only the weighted orientations of my planes shown on the legend of my stereonet. How do I do this? I know how to "turn off" the unweighted planes shown on the stereonet itself, but the orientations associated with these still appear in the legend.

   This has been fixed, as of Dips version 5.073. The legend of the Major Planes plot now only lists planes which are visible on the plot (visibility is toggled in the Edit Planes and Edit Sets dialogs).

10. I don't appear to be able to apply labels and am not sure why?

    The labels for planes can be turned on or off using the Edit Planes or Edit Sets dialogs, for Added planes (Add Plane option) and mean planes from Sets (Add Set Window option), respectively. To toggle the label visibility, you first have to select the desired plane(s) by selecting the row ID button(s) at the left of the Edit Planes or Edit Sets dialogs. This will then enable you to turn on or off the label checkboxes. By default, when you create a Set, even if you enter a label in the Add Set Window dialog, it is NOT displayed on the plot. You must use the Edit Sets dialog as described above, to turn on the label visibility for the mean planes.