ALOG: A spreadsheet-based program for generating artificial logs
Abstract
Log sawing simulation computer programs can be valuable tools for training sawyers as well as for testing different sawing patterns. Most available simulation programs rely on databases from which to draw logs and can be very costly and time-consuming to develop. ALOG (Artificial LOg Generator) is a Microsoft Excel®-based computer program that was developed to accurately generate random, artificial log data and to serve as an alternative to using a log database. Information obtained from the analysis of actual red oak (Quercus rubra, L.) logs was incorporated into the program to ensure the validity of the generated log data. Generated log feature information includes length, small and large inside-bark diameters, amount of sweep or crook, and defects. External defect attributes include type, location, length, width, and height. Internal defect information, including depth, volume, and angle, is also given for the most common defect types that exhibited a significant linear relationship between external and internal defect attributes within the sample data. The user has the option of specifying the grade of the log as well as the position of the log in the tree, or having the features drawn randomly from known distributions. Finally, a grading algorithm is incorporated into the program to check the grade of the generated log.