SMS

How to Generate a Flood Depth Raster

By aquaveo on August 7, 2019

After running your model, such as SRH-2D, you will have a water surface elevation (WSE) dataset. Did you know that, starting in SMS 13.0, you can use the WSE dataset to create a raster showing the flood depths?

SMS can create a flood depth raster by using the WSE solution dataset at a specific time step and comparing it to the initial elevation data. Using both of these datasets, it can then generate a raster that shows the flooded areas for a specific time step.

In order to create a flood depth raster your project will need a WSE solution dataset and an elevation raster. Once you have a raster:

Select the desired time step for your WSE solution dataset.
Right-click on the raster and select Convert To | Flood Depths.
In the Select Geometry and Dataset dialog, select a geometry containing your WSE solution dataset. The selected geometry can be either a 2D mesh or a 2D scatter set.
Next select the WSE solution dataset.
Click OK to close the Select Geometry and Dataset dialog, which will launch the Save As dialog.
Creating a name for your raster and click Save. (Note that the file should be saved as a "GeoTIFF Files (*.tif)".
Hide the mesh and elevation raster to be able to view your new flood depth raster.

It should be noted that it may take a few minutes for the flood depth raster to be generated depending on the available processing power of your machine. Since a raster file is saved during the process, the file is available for use in other applications if desired. Coordinate data is saved with the file.

Now that you know to create flood depth rasters, try using them in your SRH-2D projects in SMS.

Blog tags:

SMS

Using Internal Sinks and Links in SRH-2D

By aquaveo on July 17, 2019

Do you have an SRH-2D project that requires placing a drain inside the mesh? Or perhaps you have two seperate meshes in your project where you need to have water flowing between them? Both of these scenarios can be resolved by respectively using the internal sink and link boundary conditions.

Internal Sink Boundary Condition

The internal sink boundary condition is assigned to an arc on an SRH-2D boundary condition map coverage. Unlike an inflow or outflow boundary condition, an internal sink is assigned to an arc that is inside the mesh boundaries.

An internal sink can simulate wells, drains or other points of outflow. It can also simulate a source by specifying a negative number for the flow.

It should be noted that an internal sink boundary condition should not be used as a model’s primary source of inflow or outflow. Inflow and outflow boundary conditions should be placed on the mesh boundary.

Links

Link boundary conditions can be used to simulate moving water between two different meshes or two different areas of the same mesh. Links can sometimes be used to make a simple representation of a pipe or similar structure connecting two areas.

Links are made by making two arcs on an SRH-2D boundary condition coverage. Both arcs are selected when assigning the Link property type. One arc should be assigned as the link inflow boundary condition and the other arcs should be assigned as the link outflow.

It should be noted that link boundary conditions should not be used to model culverts or other such structures. Also, link boundary conditions should not be used as the primary inflow or outflow source for a project.

Now that you know a little more about using internal sink and link boundary conditions, try using them in your SRH-2D projects in SMS.

Blog tags:

SMS

Using the Plot Data Coverage

By aquaveo on June 5, 2019

Have you generated a plot in SMS and found it was difficult to see where a bridge, culvert, or other structure location matched up with the plot? The Plot Data coverage helps make them more visible, making an observation coverage more meaningful in a profile plot.

Typically, a profile shows some desired value such as water surface elevation or the riverbed elevation. This data can be more useful in many cases if structures are displayed on the plot as well. A Plot Data coverage allows creating polygons over structures that then helps display the location of the structure on the plot profile.

To use the Plot Data coverage, do the following:

In the Map Module, create a new coverage with the Plot Data type.
In this new Plot Data coverage, create a polygon over the area of interest.
Double-click on the Polygon to assign attributes in the Plot Data dialog.
Create an observation arc that includes the area of interest.
Create an observation profile plot.
In the Plot Data Options, turn on the Plot Data coverage.

The profile plot will now show where the polygon on the Plot Data coverage aligns with the profile.

For example, if you want to consider the impact of a new bridge placement on the flow of a river, you could create a polygon representing the bridge location. When included in the profile, this could help you visualize placing a bridge at that location along the river and at the indicated height. If water elevation data is available, such as from an SRH 2D simulation, the height of the bridge can be easily compared with elevation profile of the water surface. This could be helpful in considering if the bridge would be washed out or flooded during periods of heavy rain when the river swells.

Culverts can similarly be shown on the profile by using the Plot Data coverage. Likewise, obstructions or structures of any shape could also be shown in the profile using the Plot Data coverage. Multiple plot data coverages could be used when there is a desire to layer structures such as a hypothetical bridge and the supporting abutments or columns.

Try out using the Plot Data coverage in SMS today!

Blog tags:

SMS

Using Advanced Data Services Options

By aquaveo on May 22, 2019

In the current versions of GMS, SMS, and WMS, the data service options for importing online maps has changed. It was noted by some of our users that the Advanced option for the Data Services Options dialog was removed.

We are happy to say that the advanced options for the Data Services Options dialog has been restored. The new advanced options are only available when using the Import from Web command in the release of GMS, SMS, and WMS that went out at the beginning of May 2019.

To access the Advanced options from the Data Services Options dialog, click the Advanced button, just as before, to bring up the Select Online Source dialog. This dialog allows users to bring in new data sources for downloading data.

Adding new data sources to the Select Online Source dialog can be done in any of three ways:

The Select Online Source dialog contains a list of all of the data sources currently available. You can select one of these sources and click the Duplicate Source button to create a copy of the data source. Then, with the copy selected, click the Edit Source button to reach a dialog where you can make modifications to the source such as limiting the layers downloaded from the source or changing the image format downloaded from the source.
You can click the Add New Source button to reach a dialog where you can specify the url of a new data source along with any modifications.
Finally, if you have an Online Source File with the information needed to reach a source, you can click the Add Sources from File to add the source to the available list.

Sources can be deleted from the available list by selecting a source in the list and clicking the Remove Source button. Only sources that have been manually added can be removed or edited.

To get access to the new advanced options for the Data Services Options dialog, visit our downloads page today.

Blog tags:

GMS

SMS

WMS