Add Focus Volume

By default, a Grid Search in Slide3 uses the currently defined model geometry, in conjunction with the number of radii per grid point, to generate the sphere radii associated with each point in a slip center grid. This is described in detail in the Grid Search topic.

The Focus Volume option allows the user to focus the Grid Search to a specific region within the slope. To create a Focus Volume:

1. Optional: Select the volume that you would like to use as the focus volume.
2. Select Surfaces > Grid Search Settings > Add Focus Volume.
3. In the Create Focus Search Volume dialog, modify the values to create the volume in the shape, orientation, and position desired. Note: If a surface was selected in step 1, the search volume will automatically be created around the selected volume.
4. While the dialog is open, you can also use the Freehand Manipulation tool to stretch or move the focus volume along any axis.
5. Press OK.
6. In the Add Focus Search Region dialog, choose the desired name and colour for your new Focus Volume.
7. Press OK to add this new volume entity to your project.

Comparison with Focus Volume

The following figures illustrate the effect of a focus volume on the slip surfaces generated by a Grid Search. In each figure, ALL slip surfaces generated by the Grid Search are shown, colour-coded according to the safety factor.

Default Grid Search, based on model limits. No focus object is used.

Example of Grid Search using Focus Volume