ALOG user's manual: A Guide to using the spreadsheet-based artificial log generator

Abstract

Computer programs that simulate log sawing can be valuable training tools for sawyers, as well as a means oftesting different sawing patterns. Most available simulation programs rely on diagrammed-log databases, which canbe very costly and time consuming to develop. Artificial Log Generator (ALOG) is a user-friendly Microsoft® Excel®-based program that accurately generates random, artificial-log data. The program's design is based oninformation from an analysis of real red oak (Quercus rubra L.) logs, which ensures the validity of the data.Information about generated-log features includes length, small- and large-end inside-bark diameters, amount ofsweep or crook, and defects. External defect attributes include type, location, length, width, and height. Some internal defect information, including depth, volume, and angle, is also given for the most common defect types.The user can either specify the log's grade and its position in the tree, or have the program randomly drawfeatures from known distributions. Finally, the program incorporates a grading algorithm to check the grade ofthe generated log. This user's guide provides all the information necessary to install and run ALOG, and tointerpret program output.