If you’re starting a project with a known list of holes — a planned program, a historical campaign, a survey deliverable — the Collar import mode creates them all in one go from a CSV or Excel file. Faster than typing each hole into the New Drillhole form.
This is one of four import modes. For the wizard’s general behaviour see Import Overview.
When to use Collar import
- You have a collar/header file (one row per hole) with names and coordinates
- You want to create the holes themselves, not log interval data
- You’re starting fresh, or augmenting an existing project with new holes
If you have interval data (assays, lithology, etc.), use Single or Bulk Domain instead. If you have a multi-sheet Excel with both collars and intervals, use Workbook — it can do both in one pass.
Prepare the file
A collar file should have:
- One row per drillhole
- A column for the drillhole name (the hole identifier)
- A column for each collar field you want to populate
Common collar columns:
| Source column | Maps to |
|---|---|
HoleID, hole_id, Name, DDH | drillhole name |
Easting, easting_m, X | easting |
Northing, northing_m, Y | northing |
Elevation, RL, Z | elevation |
MaxDepth, Total_Depth, EOH | max_depth |
Dip, inclination | dip |
Azimuth, bearing | azimuth |
Whatever you call them in the source file, you’ll map them to your drillhole template fields in step 4.
Things to check before import
- Coordinate system consistency. All holes in the same projection (UTM zone, local grid, etc.). If you’re mixing systems, convert them first or split into separate imports.
- Dip convention. Mining convention is negative for downhole. Verify your file matches what your project expects, otherwise the 3D Viewer will draw holes upside down.
- Unique names. Hole names must be unique within a project. Duplicate names create duplicate drillholes (the import doesn’t merge).
Run the import
- Open the Dashboard and click Import Data.
- Step 1 — Upload File. Drop your collar
.csvor.xlsx. - Step 2 — Import Type. Choose Collar.
- Step 3 — Auto-detection. The wizard scans your headers and tries to identify the Hole ID column. Confirm or change.
- Step 4 — Map Columns. Match each source column to a drillhole template field. If you need a field that doesn’t exist yet in the template, click Create new field to add it on the fly.
- Step 5 — Import. Click Import. A progress bar runs; a summary shows how many holes were created.
After the import
Each hole appears as a card on the Dashboard with whatever collar values you mapped. Sync status starts as Pending while data uploads, then turns Synced.
To log interval data into the new holes:
- Open a hole and use the spreadsheet — see Enter Interval Data
- Or, if you have bulk interval data, run a Bulk Domain import next
Common issues
“Hole ID column not detected.” The wizard looks for common aliases. If your column is named something unusual (hole_label, bh_id, etc.), set it manually in step 3.
“Hole names duplicated within file.” Two rows have the same name. Fix the source file before re-importing.
Holes created but coordinates blank. A column is mapped but the values are unparseable (e.g., comma decimals where the column type expects a number). Check the source file for the affected rows and re-import after fixing.
Holes plot wrong in the 3D Viewer. Most likely a coordinate axis swap (X/Y) or a dip-sign issue. See 3D Viewer for axis conventions.