Vulcan Product Development Open Forum
2007 Vulcan Users Conference

The following questions were posed by customers in an open forum at the Users Conference. They were answered by Steve Uecker, Maptek's Global Product Development Manager for Vulcan, with input from other Maptek staff.

Q: Historically, Maptek Vulcan has a history of backwards compatibility, is this something to be concerned about for future versions?

A: This isn’t something that our clients need to be concerned with. Although, we are making several changes that are required to move Vulcan forward, we are making every effort to make the transition to the new versions as seamless as possible.

Q: Will future versions of Vulcan be multi-threaded with 64-bit support?

A: In Vulcan 7.5, due for release in November, grade estimation will be multi-threaded. All new development projects also provide multi-threading support. Work is underway to enhance some of the existing tools such as block model creation, compositing, simulation, and pit optimization, to take advantage of the capability as well.

Maptek is also working on providing a 64-bit version of Vulcan software. The development work is completed, it is in the QA stage and is due for release as early as version 8.0.

Q: Can you describe the process of what happens when a client reports a bug or feature upgrade?

A: Many of the great ideas you see in the software today have come from client suggestions. When a client reports an upgrade to Maptek it is logged into our internal system with sufficient detail to understand the problem. All development ideas are prioritized on a regional level and then considered for the global development plan for the next release during a meeting involving key Maptek personnel from around the world.

In the case of a client finding and reporting a bug to our support staff, this is logged in our internal QA system, complete with step-by-step instructions and applicable data to repeat the problem. Depending on the seriousness of the bug, it will be assigned to the appropriate developer for resolution. After going through a process where the fix is tested, it is then delivered in either the next service pack or the next major release.

Q: What are the plans for the future of the current Vulcan data structures in Vulcan 8.0 and beyond, including support for larger datasets?

A: Maptek has undergone a process to allow our key data structures to be stored in third-party databases like SQL or Oracle. This is in response to the need for additional data security, data auditability, and revision control. There has been substantial progress on this project with a core team located in Denver leading the way. Clients will begin to see some results of this project in Vulcan 8.0.

Although, this project is intended to begin a move away from our current proprietary formats, much effort has been made to support these side by side with the new database formats and we have been successful in doing this which will allow for a transition stage as well as support historic information.

Q: Can you talk a little bit about the receptiveness of the new Oils Sands module?

A: Currently, this hasn’t been released but it is included in Vulcan 7.5 as a new module. Based on feedback from our beta testers, I think it will be really good. The general idea of block model compositing, upon which the TV:BIP calculation is based, is something that has application outside of the oil sands industry as well for any sites that are using block modeling with stratigraphic deposits.

Q: Has Maptek ever thought about providing a Vulcan “Light” version?

A: This is something that we are considering and making an effort to understand the market for a scaled back version of Vulcan. Current bundles like Enviewer and VulcanCAD exist, but there is a need to reconsider how Vulcan is currently bundled and sold worldwide.

Q: Can you talk a little bit about some of the changes happening in the coal tools?

A: We have a dedicated Coal Development Team based in Sydney and they work under the direction of Peter Odins. Peter is here at the conference and will be giving a presentation tomorrow focusing on the new coal tools for Vulcan 7.5, as well as looking at the future of these tools in what we call the HARP model, which will really change the way people think about coal models.

Q: Is there anything that Maptek can do to inform of us critical bugs in Vulcan prior to the service pack being released?

A: I think this is something that we can improve, as I understand it doesn’t really help to know what the bugs are after they are fixed. Maptek is looking for new ways to communicate issues with our clients. We are considering different ways of doing this, including the use of blogs, discussion forums, websites etc.

Q: What do you imagine Vulcan looking like 20 years from now?

A: That is a good question! I think it is hard to tell exactly what types of things will be possible 20 years from now, but we are taking steps right now in preparing for the long term future of Vulcan software. This includes dramatic changes to the code architecture and taking steps to remove/update legacy code. A lot has been done along these lines that isn’t noticeable to the end user, but is going to result in much more efficient quality development. In addition, we are making changes so that we can be more customer-focused and innovative.

Q: Does Maptek plan to develop a new underground scheduling package complete with simple precedence capabilities?

A: Currently, Maptek has a relationship with Minemax to resell and support their iGantt product. To date, this relationship has been successful and we have integrated iGantt even closer with Vulcan 8.0.

Q: Are there any plans to support a Linux version of Vulcan?

A: The short answer is no, as we don’t think there is a market for a Linux version of Vulcan. Obviously, this is subject to change and something that we are keeping a close eye on.