Hi, I have been a Lary Fish Compass user for almost 20 years. One of the reasons for having been so loyal to the program is its powerful visualizers (Cave Viewer and CaveXO); and at a time when the data was entered by hand its powerful data editor (Cave Editor). In Compass there are 2 basic types of concepts: "Surveys" assimilable to the Therion "Centerlines" and "Section", used normally to define Caves or caves parts like Therion "Surveys". With the "Complex Plotting Options" menu of the "Cave Viewer", I can show, hide, color, symbol, etc, of the centerlines and walls by section, surveys, dates and distances. It's a very powerful tool to analyses complex caves systems. The Compass PLT exported by Therion don't have the data structured by Compass "Surveys" and "Sections"; so I lose the ability to use the complex visualization options. Aven is a very powerful tool too. I like the easy and intuitive rotation controls and Error visualization. I can show/hide Therion surveys. But a can't show/hide the "Centerlines". All my centerlines have "id" and "title". I can't choose a color by survey. I can show/hide duplicate shots. I can colorize by depth, date, error, slope and lenght. Loch, the Therion visualizer. It's a funny tool. I like the 3D walls using the scraps walls. I can colorize only by depth and default. I don't know if I can show/hide the the different surveys. The Selection Menu is only informative, or you can play with it? . I can show/hide duplicate centerline shots, but I can hide duplicate shots walls (see an other post). Therion export models to KML, and I can use Google Earth to visualize it. With Google Earth I can show/hide the surveys and centerlines (Therion don't export the id or title, but I can recognize the name of the first station. I can change color and style to surveys and centerlines. I can't view in 3d underground. I am now an enthusiast of Therion/Survex and its derivative products: complex loop closure with weighting SD error by centerlines quality, sketch morphing, complete map creation, semantic symbology, automatic scraps warps when the centerline change, etc. That is why new projects are currently with Therion, and I am transferring from Compass the data of our jewel in the crown: Sistema Arañonera. Now, as a basic and quick model analysis tool, I use Aven. Loch uses it for some 3d walls representation. But done to miss some Compass complex visualization for analysis of complicated systems. Ideally, for me, Therion would export PLT with a Compass "surveys" and "sections" structure, so I could use the best of both worlds. Best Regards, Evaristo.
