3D Horizon

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Giulio Reale

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Jul 10, 2026, 6:52:09 AMJul 10
to OpendTect Users

Hello everyone,

I am a beginner in seismic interpretation and currently using the free version of OpendTect. I would like to know if it is possible—and how—to use manually drawn 3D horizons and correlate them with horizons created through auto tracking, especially in areas where auto tracking fails to interpret correctly.

Thank you in advance for your help.

Best regards, Giulio

Mark Crawford

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Jul 10, 2026, 8:25:27 AMJul 10
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Hi Giulo,

Yes, i is possible and you can combine both methods in the same horizon by switching between tracking modes (auto + manual).

You would probably greatly benefit from the Self-Study Course, details of which you can find here: https://www.dgbes.com/resources/self-study-course
(Note: You can do this in the 3D viewer as well.)

Hope this helps.

Kind regards,
Mark

Mark Crawford
Support Manager


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dGB Earth Sciences
Phone:+31 53 4315155
E-mail:mark.c...@dgbes.com
Internet:dgbes.com 
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Uwe Strecker

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Jul 10, 2026, 8:42:46 AMJul 10
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Hi Julio,

The answer is, it depends. 

1.) If you manually want to fill holes on a previously autotracked horizon A, follow the workflows outlined below.

Select the horizon to edit and start the AutoTracker. In the AutoTracker window, choose the seismic volume and adjust the tracking parameters, such as the search window and event type (peak, trough, or zero crossing), so they match the reflector you want to follow. Test the settings on a small area and confirm that the tracker follows the correct seismic event before tracking larger areas.

To map a hole manually, activate Manual Mapping from the horizon tracking tools. Click along the seismic reflector inside the gap to add horizon picks until the missing area is connected to the surrounding horizon. Save the interpretation and verify the result in inline, crossline, and 3D views.

For small, enclosed gaps, select the horizon and use Fill Holes from the horizon editing tools. The tool interpolates the missing area from the surrounding horizon surface. Inspect the filled area and, if necessary, use Manual Mapping to refine the result.


Fill Holes in a Horizon

  1. Select the horizon to edit in the Scene.
  2. Open Horizon Tracking and start AutoTracker.
  3. Select the input seismic volume.
  4. Set the event type (PeakTrough, or Zero Crossing) and adjust the tracking parameters, such as the search window, until the tracker follows the correct reflector.
  5. Test the settings on a small area before tracking larger sections.

Fill a Hole by Manual Mapping

  1. In Horizon Tracking, select Manual Mapping.
  2. Click along the seismic reflector inside the gap to add horizon picks.
  3. Continue picking until the gap is connected to the surrounding horizon.
  4. Save the interpretation and verify the result in inline, crossline, and 3D views.

Fill a Hole Automatically

  1. Select the horizon.
  2. Open Horizon Editing and select Fill Holes.
  3. Apply the operation to interpolate the missing area from the surrounding horizon.
  4. Inspect the result. If required, use Manual Mappingto refine the filled area.



2.) If you have an autotracked horizon A and want to merge it with a separate horizon B, you can use this logic:

Resulting_horizon = A ? A : B




 Uwe Strecker, Ph.D.
Geoscience Manager

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dGB Earth Sciences
Phone:+31 53 4315155
E-mail:uwe.st...@dgbes.com
Internet:dgbes.com 
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Giulio Reale

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Jul 10, 2026, 10:01:35 AMJul 10
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Thank you so much for your advice! I just did it and it worked.

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