SecInterp — Geological Interpretation for QGIS

SecInterp (Section Interpreter) is a professional QGIS plugin designed for industrial-grade extraction and visualization of geological data. It empowers geologists to generate high-fidelity topographic profiles, project outcrops with structural integrity, and perform complex 3D drillhole analysis within a unified 2D cross-section environment.

SecInterp v3.4.0: Integration & Translation Completeness.

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🆕 What's New in v3.4.0

Phase: Integration & Translation Completeness

🌍 Global Translation Coverage

• 100% i18n: Achieved complete translation for the UI across all 13 supported languages.
• Robust Tools: Rewrote translation injection (apply_full.py) with ElementTree for stable XML parsing and safe placeholder handling.

📦 Unified Export Architecture

• GeoPackage Default: Implemented unified, layer-backed GeoPackage storage under unique section subdirectories ([SectionName]/) for all vector outputs.
• 3D DXF Fidelity: Finalized true 3D drillhole trace exports with explicit Z dimension coordinates.

🧪 Integration & Parsing Reliability

• Advanced Structural Parsing: Restored and improved string parsing logic capable of handling multiple combined dip/strike notations simultaneously.
• Data Integrations: Expanded vector driver tests (GPKG, SHP, DXF), enabling robust output validation independent of live QGIS environments.

🛡️ Code & Architecture Stability

• Plugin Ecosystem: Refined Makefile logic to recursively capture deep source files for full translation propagation.
• UX Improvements: Support for arbitrary string fields in validation logs and relative path reporting for all exporters.

See CHANGELOG.md for complete details.

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🌟 Key Features

1. Interactive Preview System

• Real-time Visualization: Instantly view topography, geology, and structures along any drawn section line.
• Performance: Uses Parallel Processing to handle complex geological intersections without freezing QGIS.
• Adaptive Level of Detail (LOD): Automatically adjusts data density based on zoom level for smooth navigation.
• Measurement Tools: Measure distances and calculate slopes/gradients directly on the profile view with automatic Snapping to vertices.
• Drillhole Support: Project 3D drillhole traces and geological intervals (sondajes) onto the 2D cross-section plane.

Fig 1. Main interface showing topography and projected geology.

2. Data Extraction

• Topography: Extracts elevation profiles from any DEM raster.
• Geology: Projects polygon outcrops onto the section line, respecting valid lithological boundaries.
• Structure: Projects dip/strike measurements with configurable buffer zones and apparent dip calculations.

3. Geological Interpretation

• Interactive Drawing: Draw interpretation polygons directly on the profile view.
• Smart Snapping: Accurately snap vertices to existing topographic or geological features.
• Auto-Color: Automatically assigns vivid colors to distinguish new interpretations.
• Undo/Redo: Flexible editing with right-click undo support during drawing.

4. Professional Export

• Formats: Export directly to SHP, CSV, DXF, PDF, SVG, or PNG.
• Layout: Results are ready for CAD integration or reporting.

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📋 Requirements

Before installing SecInterp, ensure your system meets the following requirements:

• QGIS: 3.28 LTR or superior.
• Python: 3.10 or superior (included with QGIS).
• Dependencies: The plugin uses standard QGIS and PyQt5 libraries. Advanced analysis and development tools (like the QGIS Plugin Analyzer tool, executed via the qgis-analyzer command, and ai-context-core) are only required for developers and auditors.

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🚀 Installation

From QGIS Repository

1. Open QGIS.
2. Go to Plugins > Manage and Install Plugins.
3. Search for SecInterp.
4. Click Install Plugin.

From ZIP File

1. Download the latest sec_interp_v2.7.0.zip from releases.
2. Open QGIS.
3. Go to Plugins > Manage and Install Plugins > Install from ZIP.
4. Select the file and click Install.

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📖 Quick Start Guide

For detailed instructions, please see the User Guide.

1. Prepare Data: Load your DEM (Raster), Geology (Polygons), and Structure (Points) layers in QGIS.

2. Launch Plugin: Click the SecInterp icon in the toolbar.

3. Configure Layers:

   • DEM: Select your elevation raster and band.

     

   • Cross-section: Select the line layer that defines your profile.

     

   • Geology: Select the outcrop layer and the lithology attribute field.

     

   • Structure: Select the point layer and dip/strike fields.

     

   • Drillholes (Optional): Configure Collars, Survey, and Intervals in the Drillholes page to project 2D drillhole traces.

     

     

     

4. Preview: Click Preview Profile. The view will update asynchronously.

   

   • Tip: Use the scroll wheel to zoom in/out. The detail level will adapt automatically.
   • Tip: Colapse panels to the left, and Results colapse down to save space.

   

5. Export: Use the Export button in the preview toolbar or go to the Settings page for batch export configuration.

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🛠 For Developers

This plugin is open-source and welcomes contributions.

• Source Code: GitHub Repository
• Documentation:
  • User Guide: How to use the plugin.
  • Architecture: Technical design and patterns.
  • Development Guide: Code standards and setup.
  • Maintenance Log: Changelog and release procedures.
  • Technical Compendium: Geophysical research and details.
• Development Setup: Use the Makefile and the Development Guide.
• Testing with Docker (Recommended): Esta suite ejecuta los tests del proyecto dentro de un contenedor QGIS oficial (qgis/qgis:latest), garantizando un entorno reproducible y libre de conflictos de dependencias locales.

  make docker-build  # Build the test image
  make docker-test   # Run the full test suite inside a container

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📄 License

This project is licensed under the GNU General Public License v3.0. See LICENSE for details.