kirra-docs

Interface Tour

This page walks through the Kirra workspace — the top app navigation bar, the side navigation panel, floating toolbars, viewport, and overlays — so you can find what you need quickly.

App Navigation Bar

The bar across the top of the window holds the global navigation controls — a left-side cluster of app buttons and a right-side cluster of panel toggles.

App navigation bar Full-width App Navigation Bar — left cluster holds app and view controls; right cluster toggles the Data Explorer and Project Explorer panels.

Left cluster (left to right)

Button Purpose
☰ Hamburger Opens the side navigation panel — File Management, Print Management, Record Actuals, Language, About
Kirra App icon and name (no action on click)
Import Export Print (file icon) Drop-down menu with Import, Export and Print. Each entry opens the same dialog as the matching button in the side panel
Select Language Drop-down list of interface languages — English, Chinese, French (France), French (Québec), Mongolian, Russian, Spanish (Spain), Spanish (Latin America). See the Blasting Glossary
Help Opens this help site in a new browser tab
Reload Reloads the page. Your work is kept — it is stored in the browser as you go
Go Back Asks Leave Kirra? (with a reminder to save first). Leave goes to blastingapps.com; Stay cancels
Toggle Toolbars Click to fan every floating toolbar out to its default position; click again to dock them all back to the right edge. Use this if a toolbar has been dragged off-screen or two toolbars are stacked on top of each other
2D / 3D Switches between the 2D plan view and the 3D view. The button has a blue tint in 2D and a red tint in 3D
Snap Turns snapping on or off. A red tint means snapping is on (it is on by default)
☀ Day / Night Switches between the dark and light theme. The button has a blue tint in the dark theme and a red tint in the light theme

Right cluster (left to right)

Button Purpose
Data Explorer Shows or hides the Data Explorer (TreeView) panel
Project Explorer Opens the Project Explorer, which browses a project folder on your computer. Desktop app only — in the browser the button is greyed out

Side Navigation Panel

Opened from the ☰ Hamburger button and closed with the × at its top. The panel is a vertical stack of collapsible groups — click a red header to expand or collapse it.

App navigation panel The side navigation panel, with File Management and Print Management expanded.

File Management

Control Purpose
Import (icon button) Opens the Import dialog (see Import Dialog below)
Export (icon button) Opens the Export dialog — the same layout as Import, but each row has a Save button and lists the formats Kirra can write
Control Purpose
Print (icon button) Opens the PDF Print dialog (see Print Dialog below)

Record Actuals

Switches for recording as-drilled / as-charged values against your design holes. Turn one on, then click holes on the canvas to enter the value in a dialog. Only one switch can be on at a time.

Switch Records
Record Length with dialog Measured hole length. Turning it on also shows the Hole ID and Measured Length labels
Record Mass with dialog Measured explosive mass
Record Comment with dialog A free-text comment

Language

The same eight language editions as the Select Language menu in the top bar.

About

Shows the author credit. It also contains a Developer sub-section with diagnostic and fall-back options (Developer Mode, Performance Monitor, Vector Text (Hershey), Snake Row Angle, Screen Space Snapping, 3D renderer and level-of-detail overrides, Free CAD GPU Memory). You do not normally need to change these.

Where did View Controls & Snap go? The font size, tie size, toe size, snap tolerance and hillshade controls now live on the 2D tab of the Settings dialog — see Settings. Snapping itself is switched on and off with the Snap button in the top bar.

Import Dialog

Step-by-step use, drag and drop, and the checks Kirra makes on import: The Import Dialog.

Opened from Import in the side panel’s File Management group, or from Import in the top bar’s Import Export Print menu.

Import dialog — Kirra tab Import dialog, Kirra tab.

The dialog is tabbed by file family. Each tab shows how many formats it holds, e.g. Kirra (5).

Tab Formats
Kirra Kirra Application Project, Kirra App Template, Kirra App Drawing, Holes CSV / TXT (preset columns), Measured Data
Blasts Custom CSV, CBLAST, Orica ShotPlus, Davey BPD, DetNet ViewShot, DetNet DigiShot / ParVS3, Paradigm Terra
Drawings / CAD Geometry CSV, DXF, DWG (experimental), Vulcan ARCH_D, Vulcan Design Database, Surpac, Micromine STR, Deswik DUF, 12d Archive
Surfaces / Mesh GeoTIFF / Image, OBJ / GLTF, Point Cloud, LAS Point Cloud, Vulcan .00t Triangulation, Datamine Surface
Geology Block Model — Datamine, Block Model — Vulcan CSV, Block Model — Vulcan BMF, Block Model — Micromine
Miscellaneous Borehole Telemetry, Epiroc Surface Manager, Wenco NAV, KML / KMZ, ESRI Shapefile
Legacy Datavis DBS, ShotPlan 3

Shared controls

Control Purpose
Search formats or extensions… Filter the list across all tabs by name, description or extension. Tabs with no match are hidden
Standard / Transform (reproject CRS) Standard lists the normal formats. Transform lists only the formats that can convert coordinates from one coordinate system to another as they import; its tabs and counts change to match — see Transform Import
Open (per row) Pick a file of that format. Clicking anywhere on the row does the same
Close (footer) Close the dialog

Kirra tab

Format Extensions Notes
Kirra Application Project .kap Everything — the blast, drawings, surfaces, libraries and work settings
Kirra App Template .kat A site’s setup only — products, charge rules, pattern and print templates, seeds, monitors, schemas. Everything except the blast
Kirra App Drawing .kad / .txt KAD points / lines / polygons / text
Holes CSV / TXT (preset columns) .csv / .txt Kirra’s standard column-count CSV. The importer recognises files with 4, 7, 9, 12, 14, 29, 30, 31, 32 or 35 columns. The row’s drop-down lists the 4 / 7 / 9 / 12 / 14 / 30 / 32 / 35-column layouts, and a note under it shows the columns of the selected layout. 14 columns is the default: {entityName, entityType, holeID, startX, startY, startZ, endX, endY, endZ, holeDiameter, holeType, fromHoleID, delay, color}
Measured Data .csv Measured mass, length and comment for existing holes

Blasts tab

Import dialog — Blasts tab

Format Extensions Notes
Custom CSV .csv / .txt Pick your own column order, units, and custom fields
CBLAST .csv Carlson / CBLAST blast design CSV
Orica ShotPlus .spf Orica ShotPlus blast design (import only)
Davey BPD .bpd Davey Bickford blast plan — latitude / longitude coordinates need projecting on import
DetNet ViewShot .vxt DetNet ViewShot blast project — .vxt only (save as .vxt in ViewShot first)
DetNet DigiShot / ParVS3 .parvs3 One row per deck with absolute delays on explosive decks; primer rows land on the deck containing the primer
Paradigm Terra .blst Paradigm Terra .blst (Format 21+) — holes, monitors, annotations

Drawings / CAD tab

Import dialog — Drawings / CAD tab

Format Extensions Notes
Geometry CSV .csv / .txt Your own x,y,z or id,x,y,z CSV — points, lines, polygons, circles, text (boretrack, MWD, survey strings)
DXF .dxf AutoCAD DXF — holes, drawings, Vulcan-tagged, 3DFACE
DWG (experimental) .dwg AutoCAD DWG — R2010 / R2013 / R2018; drawings, 3DFACE meshes and MTEXT
Vulcan ARCH_D .arch_d Maptek Vulcan design file (blast holes + drawings)
Vulcan Design Database .dgd.isis Maptek Vulcan design database — pick layers; blasts import with their attributes (read only)
Surpac .str / .dtm Maptek Surpac strings, DTM surfaces or holes. Pick STR holes, STR or DTM & STR from the row’s drop-down
Micromine STR .str Micromine Extended Data strings — polylines, rings, points
Deswik DUF .duf Deswik design file — polylines and rings (import only)
12d Archive .12da / .12daz 12d text interchange — TINs, trimeshes, strings, polylines

Surfaces / Mesh tab

Import dialog — Surfaces / Mesh tab

Format Extensions Notes
GeoTIFF / Image .tif / .tiff Georeferenced raster imagery or elevation. Pick GeoTIFF or Elev.GeoTIFF from the row’s drop-down
OBJ / GLTF .obj / .gltf / .glb 3D mesh — OBJ with MTL and textures, or GLTF / GLB
Point Cloud .xyz / .csv / .pts / .ptx Plain-text point cloud
LAS Point Cloud .las / .laz ASPRS LAS LiDAR point cloud
Vulcan .00t Triangulation .00t Maptek Vulcan triangulated surface (single file)
Datamine Surface .dm (pt + tr) Datamine wireframe — select both the points and triangles .dm files

Geology tab

Import dialog — Geology tab

Format Extensions Notes
Block Model — Datamine .dm Datamine block model. Large files are streamed
Block Model — Vulcan CSV .csv / .txt Vulcan CSV block model. Large files are streamed
Block Model — Vulcan BMF .bmf Vulcan .bmf block model (read only)
Block Model — Micromine .dat Micromine block model, including rotated and sub-blocked models. Large files are streamed

See Importing Block Models.

Miscellaneous tab

Import dialog — Miscellaneous tab

Format Extensions Notes
Borehole Telemetry .csv / .txt Downhole survey (depth / heading / inclination) turned into hole paths
Epiroc Surface Manager .geofence / .hazard / .sockets / .xml Pick IREDES Drill Plan, Geofence, Hazard or Socket from the row’s drop-down
Wenco NAV .nav Wenco FMS NAV ASCII export
KML / KMZ .kml / .kmz Google Earth placemarks / geometry
ESRI Shapefile .shp / .zip GIS shapefile — select all its files together, or a .zip of them

Legacy tab

Formats that are no longer in use, supplied so that historic files can still be viewed. Every row carries an amber LEGACY note.

Import dialog — Legacy tab

Format Extensions Notes
Datavis DBS .sgf Datavis Drill & Blast Software blasts — holes and their charging. Import only
ShotPlan 3 .xel SHOTPlan v3.0 blast plans — holes, ties, benches, boundary and text

See Supported File Formats for the full import / export matrix and round-trip notes.

Opened from the Print button in the side panel’s Print Management group, or from Print in the top bar’s Import Export Print menu. The dialog is titled PDF Print.

PDF Print dialog The PDF Print dialog. Opening it switches on Print Preview, which outlines the page area on the canvas.

Controls

Control Purpose
Saved Template Choose Kirra Inbuilt (the default) or a template saved to your library
Import Template (.xlsx) Load an XLSX template file
Paper Size From Sheet (the template’s own size), or A4, A3, A2, A1, A0, Letter, Legal, Tabloid
Orientation From Sheet, Landscape or Portrait
Print Preview Turns the print preview on the canvas on or off. It switches on when the dialog opens
Blast Name, Designer, Title, Comment Free text for the title block
Entity Filter All Entities, or one blast
Output Format PDF Raster (High-Res Image), PDF Vector (Scalable) or XLSX (Populated Spreadsheet)
Image DPI Kirra Inbuilt only. Resolution of aerial images, 72 to 600, default 300. See Image DPI
Override template DPI setting Custom templates only. Use the DPI below for every map view, instead of the DPI in its formulas
DPI Custom templates only. Map view image resolution, 72 to 600. Greyed out until the override is ticked. See Map View Resolution
Button Action
Save to Library Save the loaded template to your library under a name you choose
Formulas Open the Template Formula Reference
Reference Pack Download a ZIP containing a reference template, the print skill and the formula reference
Delete Delete the selected saved template (asks first)
Help Open the Template Examples help page
Cancel Close the dialog
Print Generate the output

Template Formula Reference

A panel listing every variable and function available in XLSX templates, grouped as Scalar Variables, Iterated Fields (use [i]), Functions, Operators and Render Functions (Graphics).

See Print to PDF and Print from Template (XLSX) for the full workflow and formula list.

Floating Toolbars

Kirra has eight floating toolbars. Drag a toolbar by its title bar to move it. The − button in a toolbar’s header docks it as a vertical tab on the right edge of the viewport; click the tab to bring the toolbar back. Toggle Toolbars in the top bar fans them all out or docks them all at once.

Floating toolbars Seven of the eight floating toolbars. The Connect toolbar is docked here, as a tab on the right edge of the viewport.

Toolbar Purpose
Select Undo / redo, pointer and shape selection, H / K / V mode, ruler, protractor, zoom, reset view, section plane, find, orbit focus, Settings
Holes Place holes and patterns, pattern templates, renumber, reorder rows, insert holes, coincident holes check, charging
Surface Triangulate, surface intersection, Solid Boolean, Trimesh Boolean, extrude, contour, clean mesh, clip, horizon slice
Workspace Switch between ten separate workspaces, or clear one
Analyse Flyrock shroud, blast analysis shader, Voronoi options, monitor points, site law regression, hole section, compare surfaces, blast animation, time window, block models, blast quality
KAD Drawing elevation / colour / size, points, lines, polygons, text, circles, roads and ramps
Modify Assign surface / grade, hole bearing, move, transform, offset, radii, boolean, join, split, extend, grade line, simplify, snap to surface
Connect Temporal mesh, tie connect tools, trunk branch, connector removal, electronic timing, harness wire, bake delay

Workspace Toolbar

Full guide: Workspaces.

Kirra keeps ten separate workspaces, numbered 0 to 9. Each is its own store of holes, drawings, surfaces, charging, timing and libraries, so you can keep different jobs apart. A new workspace opens empty — import a KAP or KAT file, or start building.

Workspace toolbar The Workspace toolbar — Workspace 0 (red border) is the one this window is using.

Control Purpose
Workspace 0 … Workspace 9 Open that workspace. In a browser it opens in its own window (clicking the chip again brings that window forward). In the desktop app, this window switches to the chosen workspace after you confirm — unsaved changes are lost
Reset or clear a workspace Opens Reset a Workspace: choose which workspace to clear, then click Clear… and confirm Delete. Everything in it is removed and this cannot be undone. If it is the workspace you are in, Kirra reloads once it is cleared. When leftover import files are taking up space, a Clear Scratch button also appears

Reading the chips:

Some browsers cannot report which workspaces hold data. In that case no chip is marked and the reset dialog says so.

Dockview Panels

Kirra uses Dockview for resizable, dockable, and pop-out panels.

Panel Purpose
Viewport Main 2D canvas or 3D view — where you design and interact
Explorer Data Explorer TreeView — hierarchical list of all loaded entities

You can resize panels by dragging their edges, dock them in different positions, or pop them out into separate windows. Layout is persisted between sessions.

Data Explorer (TreeView)

Data Explorer TreeView showing loaded entities The TreeView in the Explorer panel lists all loaded entities — holes, surfaces, KAD drawings, and layers.

The TreeView is toggled by the Data Explorer button in the App Navigation Bar.

TreeView features

Every row icon and right-click item is described in Data Explorer.

Information Overlay

A persistent text overlay reports counts, cursor position, scene centroid, and build info.

Information overlay The information overlay — counts, cursor position, world position, centroid, and version/build info.

Line Meaning
Blasts[N] Holes[M] Number of blasts and total holes loaded
Point[N] Line[N] Poly[N] Circle[N] Text[N] KAD entity counts by type
Mouse 2D [X, Y] Scale[…] Cursor position in 2D and the current map scale
World 3D [X, Y, Z] Cursor position in world coordinates (m). Reads Snapped 3D while the cursor is snapped to something
Centroid [X, Y, Z] Scene centroid in world coordinates
L1[…] / P1->P2[…] Ruler lengths and protractor angles, while those tools are in use
Ver: … App version and build

The overlay is rendered as plain text and stays visible while you work.

2D Canvas

The main 2D viewport shows your blast pattern in plan view.

Action How
Pan Click and drag
Zoom Scroll wheel (direction set on the 3D tab of the Settings dialog)
Rotate the plan view Shift + Alt + drag
Select Left-click (the active H / K / V mode applies). A click on empty canvas clears the selection
Add to selection Shift + click (Shift + click on a selected item removes it)
Remove from selection Ctrl + click (Cmd + click on a Mac)
Shape select Use the Polygon / Rectangle / Ellipse select tool in the Select Toolbar

3D View

Switch to 3D with the 2D / 3D toggle in the App Navigation Bar.

Action How
Pan Click and drag
Orbit Alt + drag
Camera roll Shift + Alt + drag
Zoom Scroll wheel (zooms towards the cursor when Cursor Zoom is on)
Context menu Right-click

The 3D view uses the same coordinate space as 2D — no Z scaling or elevation transform.

Orbit Focus

The Orbit Focus tool (in the Select Toolbar) lets you click any point in the 3D scene to set it as the new orbit centre. See 3D View & Orbit Focus for full details.

Settings

The 3D Settings button (globe-and-cog icon, at the bottom of the Select toolbar) opens the Settings dialog. Its 2D tab holds the view sizes, snap tolerance and hillshade; its 3D tab holds camera, scroll-wheel, lighting, orbit, axis lock, gizmo and text billboarding settings; its Performance tab holds import and triangle limits. See Settings.

Theme and Language

Next: Your First Blast →