Synthetic Joints Overview

The Synthetic Joints option allows you to generate statistically distributed synthetic discontinuity data for testing, demonstration, or educational purposes. Users can define one or more joint sets with specific mean orientations and statistical distributions, optionally add random joints, and apply measurement error to simulate real-world data collection conditions.

To generate synthetic joints:

1. Select Analysis > Synthetic Joints from the Home ribbon.
2. Optionally define any number of Joint Sets.
1. Select Insert Row or Append Rows button to add more Joint Sets.
2. For each Joint Set:
1. Enter Mean Dip
2. Enter Mean Dip Direction
3. Enter Standard Deviation
4. Enter Joint Quantity
3. Optionally select Apply Random Joints to create
1. Enter Joint Quantity
4. Optionally select Apply Error
1. Select the Error Type from the dropdown
2. Enter Dip Error
3. Enter Dip Direction Error
5. Click OK to add the synthetic joints as a dataset named "Synthetic Joints" in Orientation Data in the current Dips project, or Create New File to generate a new Dips project.

Joint Set Definition

Users can define multiple joint sets, each with the following parameters:

• Mean Dip (°) - Average dip angle of the joint set (0° – 90°)
• Mean Dip Direction (°) - Average dip direction of the joint set (0° – 360°)
• Standard Deviation (Cone Angle) (°) - Statistical dispersion around the mean orientation using Fisher distribution (0° – 90°)
• Joint Quantity (°) - Number of joints to generate for this set (≥ 0)

Random Joints (Optional)

• Apply Random Joints: Checkbox to enable/disable
• Joint Quantity: Number of completely random joints to add (uniformly distributed across the stereonet)

Error Application (Optional)

Simulates measurement error in the generated data:

• Apply Error: Checkbox to enable/disable. The error will be applied to all discontinuities generated.
• Error Type:
• Normal — Gaussian/normal distribution error
• Uniform — Uniform distribution error
• Round Off — Simulates rounding errors in field measurements
• Dip Error (°): Maximum error magnitude for dip values
• Dip Direction Error (°): Maximum error magnitude for dip direction values

Output

After clicking OK, a single "Synthetic Joints" dataset is added to the Orientation Data as a Spot Mapping traverse containing a cumulation of all joint counts in the Discontinuities tab of the Orientation Data dialog.

• Name: "Synthetic Joints"
• Traverse Type: Spot Mapping
• Orientation Convention: Dip/Dip Direction
• Extra Column: "Synthetic Set" — Contains the joint set ID (1, 2, 3...) or empty for random joints
• Quantity: Each generated joint has a quantity of 1

CREATE NEW FILE

To create a new Dips file containing the synthetically generated joints, click Create New File.