Internal File Types

This topic describes the file types that are native to Micromine and the file types that are supported by Micromine. You can import, export and link to data in a variety of third-party formats:

Project Folders

The following project sub-folders are used to store the following types of data:

File names follow Microsoft Windows naming conventions and long filenames can be used. Note however, that if you change the file extension of a filename, the application will be unable to locate them in the project folder.

Data Files

Name Ext. Description
Data DAT Data (.DAT) files are formatted as text files, although they may contain binary data. Headers may be in one of two flavours: Standard and Extended. The extended header has a variable size and comprises one or more 4096 byte pages. The first 42 characters of the first page are reserved for the "magic" identification string. The rest of the header space contains an XML document describing various file properties.
Block Model  DAT   Block models are a special flavour of a Data File and have a .DAT extension. Block Model files have no dedicated coordinate fields. Coordinate fields are nominated by the user. Nominated coordinate fields contain block centroid coordinates. Fields prefixed with the underscore ("_") characters contain block sizes. inactive coordinate fields are treated as attributes. Various meta information about the block model are kept either in the extended header or in a companion file with a .metax suffix.
Drillhole Database  DHDB

 

 Drillhole Database files. Data contained in a collar and (optionally) a survey file, can be added to a database and can be refreshed, when necessary, to reflect changes to those files. External interval and event files can also be associated with the database (but only as file links).
Wireframe   Wireframes are stored as BLOBs in a database and may have user attributes that are defined by a Wireframe Type. Each Wireframe type has its own database file. There are two distinct formats which have different extensions:
  TDB Files with a .tdb extension were used by Micromine versions up to and including 14.0 (Micromine 2013).
  TRIDB Files with a .tridb extension were introduced in Micromine version 15.0 (Micromine 2014).
String   STR  String files (.STR)  are Data files which contains a STRING field (and optionally a JOIN field).
Survey SVY A Survey file is a Data file used to store survey (surface or underground) information.
Pit  PIT  A Pit file is a String file which has an additional Road field. 
Profile SEC SEC and STP files are Data files that usually contain profile (cross section) information.
  STP There are three fields. The first has a constant value for each profile. In STP files the profile numbering starts at 1 and increments, in SEC files the values are related to specific sections (suffixed by N or E, for North and East) and increment by a constant value. The last two fields are XY values defining the profile. Each profile is sorted by increasing X values.
Outline OUT An Outline file is different in format to a Data file. It defines a set of polygonal shapes (outlines). Each outline has a series of attributes that can be used to define the way in which they are displayed and grouped.
Grid GRD  Micromine Grid files have a .GRD extension. They are a 2D array of double precision floating point numbers stored by rows starting at the top left corner. A value of -100000000 is used to designate a blank (undefined) node. The data is prepended by a 592 bytes header.

Plot Editor

Name Ext. Description
Plot file PEL  A plot file generated in version 11 and earlier versions.
Plot Layout file PEX In version 12 and later, a Plot Editor Document (.PEX) file defines the Layout of a plot.
Plot Template file PTX A plot layout can be saved as a Plot Editor Template (.PTX) file.
Plot Data Set file PED In version 12 and previous versions, a Plot Data Set (.PED) file defines the lines of text that will be written in a Text frame.
Plot Parameters file PEP In version 11 and earlier versions, a file used to store the most recently used parameters of a plot.
Plot Layout form set PLS In version 11 and earlier versions, a plot layout form set.
Plot Output file PGL A .PGL (HPGL) plot output file consists of a series of drawing commands in the Plotter Graphics Language created by the Plot Editor. PGL was originally defined by Hewlett Packard (Hewlett-Packard Graphics language). Most modern plotters recognize HPGL commands.
Printer file PRN Printer/Plotter file.

File Editor / Lookup Tables

Name Ext. Description
Lookup Table file LDT Lookup Tables (.LDT) files are data files created specifically for the purpose of data entry and validation.
@LAYOUT file   @LAYOUT files store field translations, hidden fields, last used Execute saved set, column widths.
Lookup Link file LK A Lookup link file (stores absolute paths to lookup tables attached to a particular data file).
Compiled Lookup Table LBN A Lookup table (a compiled LDT Lookup table source file).

Macros

Name Ext. Description
Macro file MCR A macro file (.MCR) contains instructions that call the functions and saved form sets you have used before. It can also contain special commands.
    Use the  Macros | New menu option, not the (File | New menu option), to create the default structure for a macro file.

Form Sets

Name Ext. Description
Form Set files BDB Form sets that contain the saved parameters used in dialogs and forms are saved in .BDB (MS Access database) Forms files. These files are located in each project folder.
    System parameters are stored in a FLDVAL125.bdb file in the Environment folder (typically C:\ProgramData\Micromine\MICROMINE\Environment).
Forms undo files BD$ Forms undo files.
Forms Export file mmsetx In version 12 and later, this format was been introduced to address a number of issues associated with the old .SET file format. The application is still able to read and write the older .set files.
Forms Export file set In version 11, a form set file that can be exported.
Form Set Execute file xpm A form set saved from Execute.

Vizex

Name Ext. Description
Section Control file DAT A section control file is a special kind of data file that contains section definition fields. The default location for section control files is a SECTIONS sub-folder underneath the current project folder.
Flight Path file VFLY A flight path or fly-through sequence created in Vizex, can be saved to a data file with a .VFLY extension. Flight Path files (including older 3D Viewer *.FLY files) can be loaded and invoked in the Vizex display. They can also be saved and invoked as video (.AVI) files.
Flight Path file FLY A 3D Viewer Flight Path file created in earlier versions.

Georeference

Name Ext. Description
Georefrence file GRF A georeference file containing point coordinates. This file is created when you load an image and choose to georeference the file. Other third-party geoereference files are also supported.

Mine Design

Name Ext. Description
Ring Database file MMRDF

A new .MMRDF Ring Database format replaces the .RDF database format used in previous versions. The new .MMRDF database format provides superior data storage.

Note that legacy .RDF ring databases opened in Micromine 2020 are automatically converted to the new format. These legacy database files are preserved in the project as .BAK backup files.
Ring Database file RDF A legacy database file used to store the parameters saved during Ring Design.
Pit Database file PIT A Pit file is a String file which has an additional Road field.

Reports

Name Ext. Description
Report file RPT The results of a process can be written to a .RPT data file which can be opened in the Report Viewer. In the case of the Validation functions, the Viewer displays those files and records in which errors were reported.
Report file REP Report data written to an  ASCII report file.

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