OMNI 3D® Workshop Tutorial:

3D Ray Tracing and Analysis (May 2009)

This tutorial builds upon the skills learned in the tutorials “Building a 3D Model” and
“Interpreted Surfaces in 3D Models”. The object of this exercise is to ray trace a 3D
model and calculate a target analysis.

Set parameters as described or shown in pictures of No License? No Problem!

dialogs. As you work, use OMNI 3D’s Popup Help to see You are invited to learn more about
explanations of all available parameters. Hover your OMNI 3D® by reviewing tutorials
and examining Tutorial Solution
cursor over a parameter or click the question mark in the projects.
upper right of a dialog and then click the parameter for
Popup Help. To create your own project you
must have an OMNI 3D® license.
Working with this Tutorial
To obtain a trial license go to the
If you are new to OMNI 3D, please see the “Basic Land” Help Menu and see: Help Contents
tutorial before you use this tutorial. In this advanced -> Getting Started -> License.
tutorial it is assumed that you can:
Start OMNI 3D
Create a project
Find and use menus in the Project Tree
Use Pop-Up Help in OMNI 3D’s menus and dialogs
Use right-click menus in the View tabs
Adjust the 3D View display

This tutorial applies to the tutorial solution project titled “3D Ray Tracing Example”.
You may compare your results to the solution project. Go to Help | Load Tutorial
Solutions and open the 3D Ray Model folder. The folder contains both the input data for
this exercise and the completed solution project.

To complete this set of exercises you will need these input files:
...\Tutorial\3D Ray Model\3D Ray Tracing Example-Data\3D Model 2.odb
...\ ...\My 3D RM2.r3d
...\ ...\Topography_250m_grid.xyz

To open the solution project, double-click the file named:

...\Tutorial\3D Ray Model\3D Ray Tracing Example.odb

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 In this exercise, we will use the model
Exercise 3 - 3D Ray Analysis Setup created in the tutorial “Interpreted Surfaces
1. On Main Menu:
in 3D Models” for our analyses and 3D Ray
File Open
Open dialog Tracing. Open your 3D Model 2 project and
Look in directory used for save it as “3D Ray Tracing”. (If you haven’t
3D Model exercises completed it, open 3D Model 2
File name: = 3D Model 2.odb Exercise.odb)
Click Open button

2. On Main Menu:
The illustration below shows the My 3D
File Save As… RM2 model after the fault has been toggled
Save As dialog off and the horizons have been recalculated.
Save in directory used for
3D Model exercises
File name: = 3D Ray Tracing
Click Save button
Copy Analyses = Yes

[3. If needed only

Under 3D Ray Models MY 3D RM2
X Fault
Left click Blue horizon name to highlight
Hold down Shift key and left click Yellow
Right-click Blue horizon name
Select: Set to be NOT ‘Affected by Fault’]

The following adjustments have also been made in the 3D View.

1. Drag and drop model name into 3D View to display.
2. Ctrl + “z” key and drag up to expand the depth axis
3. Ctrl left-click and drag to rotate and tip model display.
4. Ambient Light = 20%
5. Force Axes Behind Object.
6. Click and drag up to zoom the entire model.

(See Building a 3D Model Tutorial for details.)

OMNI 3D computes a number of analyses based on 3D ray paths. We can also examine
specific ray paths to better understand analysis results. OMNI 3D computes “exploding”
horizons and fold illumination for 3D horizon surfaces. Fold illumination may be created
based on actual survey layout and synthetic seismic traces can be generated on your
survey and the 3D model.

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 3D Ray Model Analyses
Exercise 3 – Maximum Frequency You may create Maximum Frequency,
(Under 3D Ray Models MY 3D RM2 ) Maximum Offset, Resolution, Migration
Aperture, and Attenuation analyses for your
Analyses Create New Analysis model surfaces.
3D Ray Model Analysis dialog
Workshop Module
Maximum Frequency Maximum Frequency Analysis Example
Click Next button Use specifications listed in the Exercise 3 –
Maximum Frequency parameter box. The
3D Ray Model – Select Horizon dialog maximum un-aliased frequency that can be
Select Horizon = Yellow
Click Next button
obtained from a surface is computed based on
depth, velocity, dip and sampling. The only
Bin Grid – Definition dialog one of these factors we can fully control is
Click Next button sampling – specifically, the bin size (spatial
sampling) and sample interval (time).
Bin Grid – Select Partial Bin Coverage dialog
Click Next button
By default OMNI 3D uses the bin grid of
Maximum Frequency Analysis – your 3D model for computations. You can
Calculation Method dialog modify the bin size used for the Maximum
Sample Interval Frequency calculation on the Bin Grid –
Sample Interval = .004
Definition page of the wizard.
Use this Dip Angle
Maximum Dip Angle
Since our model is small, we will compute the
Click Finish button entire surface. If it were very large we would
limit the area of our computation to a specific
Edit View area of interest or a representative portion of
the model. Perhaps an analysis of just a
quarter of the model would allow us to quantify our parameter selection. In that case, we
would specify a subset of the model in terms of bin grid location. In other words, define
the first In-line or X-line (Min) by number and a count of bins to include. (Note that the
first In-line or X-line number of the grid is zero.)

The Sample Interval and the dynamic range of our recording equipment will also limit
the frequencies we can attain. Smaller sample rates will also increase computation time.

The computation can be based on either Maximum Dip Angle or Apparent Dip Angle.
The Apparent Dip Angle option computes the dip as “seen” by lines of stations (or grid
nodes) as they cross the structure.

Go to the Edit View to see the maximum un-aliased frequency after migration. Right-
click on the analysis file name and select Style. On the Bin Display tab select Unmig-In-
Line. You will notice that the frequencies are slightly higher before migration. (You may
need to rescale the display. Right-click in the color scale and select Set Levels from
Data.)

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 Also, you can display statistics for
both the In-Line and X-Line
calculations. Since the bins in this
example are symmetrical there will
be no difference in the values for
In-Line and X-Line.

Go to the 3D View. In the Project

Tree, click on the analysis file
name and drag and drop into the
display space. Select Mig-InLine
on Model.

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 3D Ray Display
In order to understand the exploration target better, we can generate and view sets of ray
paths. All of the options described work similarly. You will set up a shot and theoretical
receiver locations for ray tracing. Rays between a single shot and a single receiver may
be generated using Trace a Shot/Receiver. Trace a Surface Line will allow you to
examine rays for a shot taken at one end of a line of receivers placed at the surface. In
Trace a VSP a series of receivers is placed below the surface in a vertical line. Rays may
be viewed in the Edit and 3D Views.

To begin, we will toggle the Analyses display off. Next, to make it easier to see the rays,
make the horizons transparent. When we created the horizons (in Exercise 2) we set all of
the horizons to Reflect rays, with the exception of Topo (the surface horizon). To
confirm that these settings are still in effect we will select the Blue, Green, and Yellow
horizons and Set to Reflect.
Exercise 3 - 3D Ray Display Setup
1. Under 3D Ray Models MY 3D_RM2
You can select all three horizons at once and
X Analyses make a batch change as described in the
parameter box step 2. Alternatively you can
Topo Transparent simply right click each horizon to see if there
(Use slider to set transparency to ~65%) is a check mark next to Reflects. If it is
Click OK button checked, the horizon will reflect rays. If it
Blue Transparent
does not have a check mark next to it, click to
(Use slider to set transparency to ~75%) toggle the setting.
Click OK button

Green Transparent
(Use slider to set transparency to ~75%)
Click OK button

Yellow Transparent
(Use slider to set transparency to ~75%)
Click OK button

2. Under 3D Ray Models MY 3D_RM2

Left click Blue horizon name to highlight
Hold down Shift key and left click Yellow
Right-click Blue horizon name
Select: Set to Reflect

3D View

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 Ray Trace Surface Line Example
Right-click on the name of the model and select Rays | Trace a Surface Line. OMNI 3D
will open the 3D Ray Model – Trace a Surface Line wizard and switch the main display
to Edit View. The surface line will be described by a click at a shot location and a second
click to define the end of the surface line. Receivers are placed between the shot and the
last point on the line at the station Interval you specify. The Depth of the shot can also
be specified. Note that a value of “0” will place the shot on the surface of the shallowest
horizon in the model. A value of “100” would place the shot at 100 m below the surface.

The ray tracing algorithm will search for a

Exercise 3 – Trace Surface Line reflection point on each horizon that
Under 3D Ray Models satisfies each receiver. When Multiple
reflections per trace is checked, ray tracing
MY 3D_RM2 Rays Trace a Surface Line
3D Ray Model – Trace a Surface Line wizard
will search for additional reflection points.
Multiple reflections per trace Leave Multiple Reflections per trace
Shot and First Receiver unchecked.
Depth = 0
Last Receiver Click at the center of the model and drag to
Interval = 60 the eastern corner before releasing the
In Edit View:
mouse button. Return to the 3D View to see
Define shot location and receiver line. the rays better.
Left-click in center of model
Drag to Eastern corner of model. While working in the 3D View you may
Release mouse button. change settings in the Trace a Surface Line
Click Apply Button
wizard and click Apply to update the view.
(Do not Exit wizard) For an example, specify Multiple
reflections per trace.
3D View

Multiple reflections per trace

Click Apply Button
Click Exit Button

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 Single Reflection Solution

Multiple reflections per Trace

When you close the wizard, the traces will remain on the screen until you recalculate the
model or perform another ray trace function. Right-click on 3D Rays under the model
name and select Remove 3D Rays to clear the rays. Note that the appearance of the rays
is controlled by 3D Rays Style found on the same sub-menu. This includes the ability to
manually remove rays from the display for specific receivers.

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 Exploding Horizon Example
The Exploding Horizon function finds the reflection points on an illuminated horizon
which would be generated if energy were to explode from the surface of another horizon.
The energy may be down going energy or up going energy.

Exercise 3 – Exploding Horizon The Multiple reflections per trace

1. Under 3D Ray Models
setting will take some time for an entire
model surface. Just how long the
MY 3D_RM2 Rays Exploding Horizon computations take will depend upon the
3D Ray Model – Exploding Horizon wizard speed of your computer. If you have a
Multiple reflections per trace
Exploding Horizon = Green fast processor and plenty of RAM you
Illuminated Horizon = Yellow should be able to compute the
illumination in 15 or 20 min. In these
Ray Spacing examples we are not computing
Model Inline = 60 Multiple reflections per trace but feel
Model Xline = 60 free to do so if you have the time.
Click Apply Button
(Do not Exit wizard)
Green Source - Yellow Illuminated
3D View (Edit View)
Multiple reflections per trace
Exploding Horizon = Blue
Illuminated Horizon = Yellow

Ray Spacing
Model Inline = 120
Model Xline = 120

Click Apply Button

Click Exit Button

Blue Source - Yellow Illuminated

(3D View)

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 Survey Analysis with 3D Ray Tracing
Exercise 3 – Setup of Survey
First, to simplify our view, we will toggle off
for Analysis the display of 3D Ray Models. If Survey
X 3D Ray Models South Outcrop is inactive, toggle it on.
Surveys
Survey South Outcrop

(Under Surveys)
Survey South Outcrop Attributes----------
Set from XYZ file
Stations – Choose Attribute dialog Exercise 3 – Create Illumination Map
Shots
Choose Attribute = Elevation (Under Surveys Survey South Outcrop Scripts)
Click Next button
Stations – Choose Attribute dialog Pattern 6X56 Create New Analysis
Receivers Bin Analysis – Create a New Analysis dialog
3D Workshop Module
Choose Attribute = Elevation
Illumination-
Click Next button
Ray-traced fold over a complex model
Stations – Interpolate Attributes
Click OK button
from Points dialog
Click Load button
Target Analysis – Calculation Method dialog
Open dialog
Calculation Detail
Look in: 3D Ray Tracing
Fold AND Points
Example-Data
Calculation Method
File name: =
Ray 3DModel (3D multiple horizon)
Topography_250m_grid
Click Next button
Click Open button
3D Ray Model – Input File dialog
Click Finish button
3D Ray Model File name
Click Browse button
Open dialog
Illumination of Fold Look in: 3D Ray Tracing-files
In this portion of the exercise we will create File name: = My 3D_RM2.r3d
Click Open button
an illumination map for the Blue horizon.
Click Next button
This map will be calculated using source 3D Ray Model – Select Horizon dialog
locations and receiver locations from a Select Reflecting Horizon = Blue
survey layout. We will need station Click Next button
elevations for ray tracing. These can be Script – Other Scripts to Combine dialog
imported from an XYZ file. Click Next button
Bin Grid – Definition dialog
Click Next button
Use the settings supplied in the parameter Bin Grid – Select Partial Bin Coverage dialog
boxes to create an illumination map. Click Next button
Examine the results in the Edit and 3D Flex Bin – Modes dialog
Views. Click Next button
Analysis – Calculation Schedule dialog
When to calculate
To display the analysis in the 3D View, Immediate mode. Calculate now.
click on the newly created analysis and drag Click Finish button
in into the view area.
3D View
You will notice that some areas of the

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illumination map have empty bins. These are areas where there are no reflections due to
steep dip. If the analysis calculation had been allowed to search for Multiple Reflections
per trace the coverage would have been more complete. However the full calculation
would have taken hours.

The quick calculation gives us a good first look for survey evaluation. This evaluation
shows us that we will need to decrease line and station intervals to properly sample this
flank of this structure. Longer offsets may also be required. The next step would be to
modify the survey design and rerun the analysis. Multi-reflection ray tracing can be
applied to the survey after parameters have been refined.

Dip of Blue Horizon

Fold Illumination - Blue Horizon

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 Contribution of Individual Shots to Illumination
We can select specific shots and examine their contribution to the illumination of the
target. The Bin Data – Select Rays wizard displays rays for an individual shot, receiver,
or bin.

Exercise 3 – Create Illumination Map Select a shot near an area of the map where
coverage is poor. Select several shots. Rays
(Under: remain on the screen until you click Clear
Surveys Survey South Outcrop Scripts Pattern 6X56)
all Selections. Go to the 3D View to better
Pattern 6X56 – TRGT001 Select Stns/Bins for Rays understand the relationship between the
Bin Data – Select Rays dialog Blue horizon’s structure and the
Mouse Select Mode illumination coverage.
Select Individual Shots

Click on a shot near area of missing coverage Select Shot

Edit View

3D View

Display in 3D

Rotated Image

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Exercise 3 – Create Synthetic Seismic
Synthetic Seismic Data
(Under Surveys Survey South Outcrop Scripts) Use the parameters listed in the box titled
“Exercise 3 – Create Synthetic Seismic”.
Pattern 6X56 Create New Analysis
Bin Analysis – Create a New Analysis dialog We are using defaults for many of the
3D Workshop Module settings, but as you page through the
Synthetic - SEGY over a complex model dialogs, notice that there are a large number
Click OK button of options.
Target Analysis – Calculation Method dialog
Choose Model Type to Ray-Trace You may work with P- or S-waves and add
3D Ray Model (3D multiple horizon) linear events to simulate noise. Ricker,
Click Next button Ormsby and user defined wavelets may be
used.
3D Ray Model – Input File dialog
3D Ray Model File Name
Click Browse button When the calculation is complete switch to
Open dialog the Chart View. Click on the new analysis
Look in: 3D Ray Tracing-files file and drag it into the Chart View. Right-
File name: = My 3D_RM2.r3d click in the chart display and select Full
Click Open button View. Click and drag in the Trace axis to
Click Next button
zoom in on a few traces.
3D Ray Model – Ray Trace Parameters dialog
Ray Tracing Mode Right-click in the Chart View and select
P-Wave Patten 6x56-SYNT-001 - Synthetic Style...
2 Reflections to modify display settings.
Intensive Search
Top Reflection Horizon = Blue
Bottom Reflecting Horizon = Yellow
Click Next button

Trace Select – Offset/Azimuth dialog

Click Next button

Segy File – Output Description dialog

Trace Parameters
Trace Legth (sec) = 2.500
Sample Rate (sec) = 0.002
AGC
Apply AGC
Length (sec) = 0.400
Click Next button
Wavelet Page
Wavelet
Ricker
Rick Frequency = 30
Click Next button
Trace Noise dialog
Click Next button
Analysis – Calculation Schedule
When to calculate
Immediate mode. Calcualate now.
Click Finish button

Chart View
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