Dips FAQs: Input Data Format

Below are answers to Input Data Format FAQs for Dips (e.g. orientation formats, file format etc). Click on the question to read the answer.

1. Can strike and dip be entered using bearing notation?? For example, how would I represent the following orientations: N15ºE/65ºE  N15ºE/65ºW ??

   Plane orientations cannot be entered in Dips using bearing notation e.g. N15E/65E. You must use either STRIKE/DIP (right-hand rule) or STRIKE/DIP (left hand rule) or DIP/DIPDIRECTION formats for entering plane orientations. Strike is always measured from North. For more information about these formats, see the Global Orientation Format help topic.

   To enter your two example orientations (N15E/65E and N15E/65W) using STRIKE/DIP (right-hand rule) format:

   1. 1. Select Analysis > Project Settings and change the Global Orientation Format to STRIKE/DIPR.

      2. Enter the following data in the spreadsheet:

   STRIKE   DIP

   15        65

   195       65

2. What is STRIKE RIGHT & STRIKE LEFT? Can the column just be called STRIKE?

   "Strike Right" and "Strike Left" refer to the right hand rule or left hand rule methods of recording strike/dip data. "Right" and "Left" refer to how the strike is recorded, relative to the dip. See the Global Orientation Format topic for more information.

3. I am trying to define a plane orientation on the stereonet (e.g. with the Add Plane option), but the dialog is asking for Trend/Plunge data. I want to input Strike/Dip or Dip/DipDirection, not Trend/Plunge. How can I do this?

   The format of orientation input for dialogs (e.g. Add Plane or Add Set Window options), is governed by the Convention option.

   To change the Convention, click the mouse on the box at the lower right corner of the application window. For example, if the box displays Trend/Plunge, then click on the box and it will display Strike/Dip (or Dip/DipDirection).

     

   For more information see the Convention topic.

   NOTE: do not confuse the Convention option with the Global Orientation Format. The Convention option governs the display of orientation coordinates on the stereonet, and the input orientation format for dialogs, but does not affect the processing of data in any way. The Global Orientation Format determines how Dips interprets and processes your raw orientation data entered in the main Dips spreadsheet.

4. What is the difference between the Dip/DipDirection convention and the Trend/Plunge convention? When we toggle between dip/dipdir and trend/plunge we see what appears as a plunge measured from the vertical, i.e. if dip is 60, then plunge is 30 degrees. Can you please clear up our confusion between these two conventions used in Dips?

   DIP and PLUNGE are both measured from the horizontal. However, remember that the TREND/PLUNGE convention, when used for representing planes, represents the orientation of the POLE VECTOR of a plane, which is of course normal to the plane. Hence, for a given pole on a stereonet, the relationship between the TREND/PLUNGE and DIP/DIPDIR coordinates, is:

   DIPDIR = TREND + 180 (or vice versa)

   DIP = 90 - PLUNGE (or vice versa)

   Remember:

   1. 1. Poles on a pole plot are projections of the pole vectors of planes.

      2. DIP/DIPDIR is a "plane vector convention".

      3. TREND/PLUNGE is a "pole vector convention", and is used in Dips to represent the orientation of linear features (i.e. lines in 3-dimensional space), or the pole vectors of planes.

   See the Convention topic for more information.

5. How can I import data from Microsoft Excel into Dips?

   See the Importing Data from Excel topic.

6. Can the column labeled "Traverse" be moved to the first column position?

   The Traverse column cannot be moved. The Orientation columns are always the first two columns in the Dips spreadsheet, followed by the Quantity column (if present), and then the Traverse column. The user cannot move any of these columns.

7. Can a prefix be added in front of ID, i.e. A35 instead of just 35?

   Prefixes cannot be added in front of the ID, which is always integer. Planes can be given optional text labels however, which can be displayed on plots with or without the ID number. If you wish, you could make a text label A35, for example, and then only display the label.