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Getting Started

Everything you need to know to become productive in BlastCAD from your first session.

First Login

  1. Navigate to blastcad.com in Chrome, Brave, or Edge.
  2. Enter your credentials. If your administrator has enabled 2FA, enter the 6-digit TOTP code from your authenticator app.
  3. The 3D workspace loads immediately — no installation required.

BlastCAD uses JWT (JSON Web Token) authentication with a 24-hour session. The AuthGuard system detects expiration in the background and locks the interface safely before any data loss can occur. See Security & Sessions for details.

Creating Your First Project

BlastCAD stores all project data in memory during a session. Projects are saved as .bcp (BlastCAD Project) files — a ZIP archive containing JSON metadata and CSV data tables.

Starting fresh:

  • Click New in the top bar (use File → New from the top bar).
  • All existing layers, holes, and CAD entities are cleared.

Opening an existing project:

  • Click Open in the top bar (use File → Open from the top bar) and select a .bcp file.
  • BlastCAD also supports Live Sync — keeping a .bcp file open in the background and automatically merging external updates via the PWA File Handle API.

Saving:

  • Click Save in the top bar.
  • BlastCAD also maintains an auto-recovery snapshot in the browser's IndexedDB. If the app closes unexpectedly, you will be prompted to recover your last session on next launch.

Importing Data

Most engineering workflows start with importing existing survey data. Open the Import Center from the top bar using the Import button:

Format Extension(s) Use case
BlastCAD Project .bcp Restore or merge a previous BlastCAD project
Surpac DTM + STR pair .dtm + .str Import drive, stope, or topographic surfaces
Surpac String .str Drive boundaries, stope outlines, polyline geometry
AutoCAD DXF .dxf 2D/3D geometry from survey or design software
CSV Drill Data .csv Drill hole collars, surveys, or toe coordinates with custom column mapping
Deswik CSV .csv Drill pattern from Deswik Suite
IREDES XML .xml Blast design from drill rig control systems
LandXML .xml Survey surfaces and alignment polylines
Datamine Block Model .dm, .mdl, .csv Grade/lithology models for geological context
LAS Point Cloud .las Lidar or scanner point clouds (LAS 1.0–1.4)
XYZ Point Cloud .xyz, .xyzi ASCII point clouds
ASCII Grid DEM .asc Elevation raster → DTM surface
GeoTIFF DEM .tif GeoTIFF elevation raster → DTM surface

See Data Exchange for the full format reference, column mapping guide, and coordinate transformation details.

Workspace Overview

The BlastCAD interface is divided into four main areas:

┌─────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐
│                      TOP BAR                        │  ← File ops, Import/Export, Stats, DB
├──────────┬──────────────────────────────┬───────────┤
│          │                              │           │
│ EXPLORER │       3D CANVAS + TOOLBAR    │ PROPERTIES│
│  PANEL   │                              │   PANEL   │
│          │                              │           │
├──────────┴──────────────────────────────┴───────────┤
│                   COMMAND TERMINAL                  │  ← System log, CAD command input
└─────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘
  • Top Bar — File operations, Import/Export centers, Statistics, Database Manager, User settings.
  • Explorer Panel — Layer tree, drill hole hierarchy, DTM block browser.
  • 3D Canvas — The main WebGL2 viewport. All CAD and blast design work happens here.
  • Canvas Toolbar — Floating toolbar with drawing tools, view controls, and snap toggles.
  • Properties Panel — Context-sensitive inspector showing properties of the selected hole or entity.
  • Command Terminal — Displays system messages, import progress, and accepts CAD command input.

Detailed breakdown: Interface Overview.

Setting the Global Origin

This step is critical before importing any mine-scale data.

Mine coordinates are typically large numbers (e.g., Easting 7,350,000 m, Northing 2,420,000 m). WebGL uses 32-bit floating-point for vertex positions, which only has enough precision for numbers up to approximately ±16,777,216. Large mine coordinates cause visible "jitter" in the 3D render due to floating-point rounding.

To fix this:

  1. Open Settings in the top bar.
  2. Go to the General tab.
  3. Set the Global Origin to a coordinate near the centre of your project area — for example, the Easting and Northing of your portal or a known benchmark.
  4. Click Apply.

All geometry displayed in the viewport will now be shown relative to this origin. The coordinate display in the Status Bar and Properties Panel shows app-space coordinates (relative to origin), while the Hole Table shows world-absolute coordinates (including the origin offset) for export and survey compatibility.

Rule of thumb: Set the Global Origin before your first import. All imported data will be shifted by the origin during loading. If you change the origin after import, you will need to re-import your data.

Units

BlastCAD stores all internal values in metres. The display unit can be changed in Settings → General → Unit System:

Setting Unit
Metres (default) m
Centimetres cm
Millimetres mm
Kilometres km

Hole diameters are always displayed in millimetres regardless of the unit setting, as this is the universal engineering convention for drill holes.

Auto-Save and Recovery

BlastCAD automatically saves a recovery snapshot to your browser's local IndexedDB database every time you click Save in the top bar. If the browser closes unexpectedly:

  1. On the next launch, a banner appears at the top of the workspace: "Recovery data found. Restore?"
  2. Click Restore to reload your last saved state.
  3. Click Dismiss to discard the recovery and start fresh.

The recovery snapshot only holds the most recent save — it is not a history. Save frequently using the Save button in the top bar.