Reading the station layout from a geometry file.

Import geometry file

The psysmon geometry is stored in a database. It can be imported from an geometry XML file.

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To import the station layout of the seismic network installed at Hoher Sonnblick the file seisrock_sbk_inventory.xml of the tutorial data set is needed. Make sure, that you have this file available at your file system.

Opening the geometry editor

To import the geometry file, the collection node edit geometry has to be executed. The access the geometry editor using the edit geometry collection node involves the following steps.

Create a collection named geometry

To create a new collection, move the mouse pointer inside the collection listbox on the left side of the window and then open the context menu by clicking the right mouse button. In the context menu click the menu entry new collection.

Create a new collection using the context menu in the collection listbox. The context menu can be opened using the right mouse button while the mouse pointer is inside the collection listbox.
Create a new collection using the context menu in the collection listbox. The context menu can be opened using the right mouse button while the mouse pointer is inside the collection listbox.

The New collection dialog will open. Enter the name geometry for the new collection and confirm by clicking the ok button.

Enter the name geometry for the new collection.
Enter the name geometry for the new collection.

The title of the collection listbox will be changed to geometry.

After successful creation of a new collection the collection name will be shown on top of the collection listbox.
After successful creation of a new collection the collection name will be shown on top of the collection listbox.

Add the edit geometry collection node

To add the edit geometry collection node, start typing geometry in the search field on top of the collection node inventory listbox (the field with the magnifying glass). While typing, the entries in the collection node inventory listbox will change according to the search term. When reaching the search term geom, only the edit geometry collection node should be shown in the collection node inventory listbox. Select the edit geometry collection node in the inventory listbox and add it using the add item in the context menu. The context menu can be opened by clicking the right mouse button.

Limit the displayed collection nodes by entering the search term in the search field (here: geom). Select the edit geometry node, open the context menu by clicking the right mouse button and select the add menu entry.
Limit the displayed collection nodes by entering the search term in the search field (here: geom). Select the edit geometry node, open the context menu by clicking the right mouse button and select the add menu entry.

After selecting the add menu entry, the edit geometry collection node should appear in the collection listbox on the left.

If you are wondering about the warning message marked in orange in the log area, this warning was caused by me when I clicked the help menu entry in the context menu. The help system is currently not working.

The edit geometry collection node should appear in the collection listbox on the left side.
The edit geometry collection node should appear in the collection listbox on the left side.

Execute the geometry collection

To open the geometry editor you now have to execute the geometry collection. This is done by clicking the execute button at the bottom of the collection listbox. For this tutorial, no geometry has been defined so far, so an empty database inventory named db_inventory is shown in the editor. The lists for the available sensors, recorders, stations, networks and arrays is empty at that point.

The execution of the geometry collection opens the geometry editor dialog.
The execution of the geometry collection opens the geometry editor dialog.

Opening the geometry XML file

To import a geometry XML file select the menu File->Import from XML in the menu bar of the geometry editor.

Start importing a geometry from a XML file by selecting the menu File->Import from XML.
Start importing a geometry from a XML file by selecting the menu File->Import from XML.

A file selection dialog will open. Navigate to the geometry file seisrock_sbk_inventory.xml of the tutorial data set and open it. The inventory will be read from the XML file and displayed in the geometry editor as an xml inventory. After importing the geometry file, all elements of the inventory will be expanded by default.

The geometry editor right after the import of a geometry file. The seisrock_sbk inventory was added as a XML inventory below the db_inventory. All elements of the inventory are expanded.
The geometry editor right after the import of a geometry file. The seisrock_sbk inventory was added as a XML inventory below the db_inventory. All elements of the inventory are expanded.

You can collapse the whole inventory tree by clicking the seisrock_sbk(xml) inventory item in the inventory tree and then opening the context menu by clicking the right mouse button. Select the collapse menu entry in the context menu. The seisrock_sbk(xml) inventory tree will be collapsed. Expand the desired tree items by clicking the triangles on the left of the inventory tree items.

Selecting items in the inventory tree will show details of the item in the list view panel on the right side of the geometry editor. In the following example I have expanded all items on level 1 of the inventory tree (Sensors, Recorders, Networks, Arrays) and the network XX to show the stations of the network. I have selected the network XX item in the inventory tree to display the network summary in the list view.

Overview of the tutorial inventory.
Overview of the tutorial inventory.

Importing the XML inventory into the database

Once the geometry imported from the XML file was checked for correctness, it can be written to the psysmon database to make it permanently available. Usually the import of the geometry from an XML file to the psysmon database has to be done once at the start of the project.

When the inventory changes over time (e.g. new stations, change of sensors or recorders, …) the database inventory can be updated by re-importing the inventory from the updated geometry file.

To write the seisrock_sbk(xml) inventory to the database, select the seisrock_sbk(xml) item in the inventory tree and then click the menu item `Edit->Write to database.

Select the XML inventory and then click the menu Edit->Write to database.
Select the XML inventory and then click the menu Edit->Write to database.

After the XML inventory was written successfully to the database, the database inventory db_inventory(db) is shown expanded in the inventory tree.

After the XML inventory was written to the database, the database inventory db_inventory is shown expanded.
After the XML inventory was written to the database, the database inventory db_inventory is shown expanded.

As described above, use the context menu and the expand/collapse triangles of the inventory tree to create an overview of the database inventory in the inventory tree and the list view. After a successful import the database inventory contains the same elements as the XML inventory.

The overview of the data base inventory. After a successful import it should contain the same elements as the XML inventory.
The overview of the data base inventory. After a successful import it should contain the same elements as the XML inventory.

Map view of the inventory

The map view of the selected inventory can be opened by selecting the map view tab in the panel view of the geometry editor.The map view visualizes the station locations of the inventory. The 5 stations of the Sonnblick network are shown. Stations MOR, PIL and MIT are arrays with three locations A, B and C.

The map view of an inventory can be opened by selecting the map view tap in the panel view.
The map view of an inventory can be opened by selecting the map view tap in the panel view.

Close the editor

The geometry has now been imported into the psysmon database. The geometry editor can now be closed, either by clicking the window close icon (usually a cross) on the top right of the window frame or by clicking the menu entry File->Exit.

Save the project

Return to the psysmon main window and select the menu entry File->Save project. This will save the newly created collection geometry for later use.


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If possible, please cite this article using the following form:
Psysmon Documentation, Sonnblick Events, "Import geometry file", Stefan Mertl, 2022-08-27, www.mertl-research.at, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0