Aquaveo & Water Resources Engineering News

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:

1. Select the desired time step for your WSE solution dataset.
2. Right-click on the raster and select Convert To | Flood Depths.
3. 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.
4. Next select the WSE solution dataset.
5. Click OK to close the Select Geometry and Dataset dialog, which will launch the Save As dialog.
6. Creating a name for your raster and click Save. (Note that the file should be saved as a "GeoTIFF Files (*.tif)".
7. 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.

Cross sections are commonly used in 1D models within WMS. Here we discuss a few things to help you better model using cross sections.

When you create cross sections in WMS, you must create them on "1D-Hyd Cross Section" coverage. You then create the arcs on this coverage to represent the cross sections.There are a few things you should remember when setting up your cross sections:

• Cross sections should be located at fairly frequent intervals along the river. This makes sure the characterization of the stream channel and floodplain flow and capacity is accurate, which gives you better results.
• You should place cross sections especially at locations of significant change, where levees begin and end, at hydraulic structures, and around stream junctions.
• The cross section arcs should generally stretch from one side of the river floodplain to the other.
• They should be generally perpendicular to the river arc where they cross.
• Cross section arcs should not cross each other.

In addition to the above, each cross section should have the following required information:

• River name
• Reach name
• River station
• Description
• Station–elevation data
• Downstream reach lengths
• Manning’s n values
• Main channel bank stations
• Contraction and expansion coefficients

It is recommended that the station number be visible on the map view to make the cross sections more identifiable. This can be enabled in the Display Options dialog. When numbering stations, they must be in ascending numerical order from downstream to upstream. If changes are made, be sure to renumber the stations.

Converting an arc into a cross section arc can be done automatically or manually. You can automatically do it by taking the following steps:

1. Define or import a TIN.
2. Create an area property coverage, a centerline coverage, and a 1D-Hyd cross section coverage.
3. Use the Extract Cross Section command to extrude the cross sections from the 2D arcs.

To manually create a cross section arc:

1. Double-click on the cross section arc and select Assign Cross Section.
2. Define the various elevations and data as desired.

Try out these tips and procedures today in the WMS Community Edition!

If you have been using MODFLOW with GMS for any amount of time, you have likely noticed that GMS uses a modified version of the MODFLOW files. This is so that the MODFLOW files can be used more efficiently by the GMS interface.

However, there are times when a project may require using the native MODFLOW files. This is often necessary when opening a MODFLOW project that was not originally created in GMS, or when sharing a project with someone who does not have access to GMS.

When importing native MODFLOW files into GMS, there are some important concepts to keep in mind:

• You will need to start by importing either the NAM file or MFN file. These files contain a directory for the other files in the MODFLOW project and how they should be opened.
• It is important to keep all of the MODFLOW files together in the same directory. Having only the NAME or MFN file will not be enough to open the MODLOW project.
• Files for the packages used with the project will typically have a file extension that matches the package. For example, the Wells package will have the extension "*.wel".
• All native MODFLOW files can be opened and reviewed using a text editor if needed. See the MODFLOW user guide for information on the file format.

Native MODFLOW files can be exported from GMS by turning on the Save Native Text Copy option in the MODFLOW Global/Basic Package dialog. When exporting native MODFLOW files, keep the following in mind:

• GMS will create a separate directory with the native MODFLOW files. This directory will typically be the project name with "_text" appended to it. For example, if the project is named "Aquifer", the directory will be named "Aquifer_text".
• All files in this directory should be kept together.
• As mentioned before, the files can be reviewed using a text editor.

With GMS 10.4, MODFLOW 6 native files can be imported and exported.

Being able to use native MODFLOW files can greatly enhance collaboration with projects. Try out importing and exporting native MODFLOW files in GMS today!

Starting in SMS 13.0, SMS can now make use of STL files.

STL files use tessellation, the process of mimicking a surface by assigning surface coordinates to a repeated pattern of polygons. In the case of STL files, triangles are used to make a 3D mesh that can effectively be rendered into any shape needed including landscapes.

STL files are typically used for 3D printing. They also can be used for the modeling landscapes. There are several methods for creating these files. This post will not attempt to cover the specifics of those methods as other places cover how do this.

Uploading and Using STL Files

In SMS, STL files are used to model terrain. Once you have created an STL file, importing it by using the File | Open command or dragging-and-dropping the file into SMS.

When uploaded, the file is automatically transformed into a Ugrid and adjusted for the associated z values. This UGrid can then be used for all the normal uses of such in SMS.

It is important to mention that the z values may or may not be representative of the elevation depending on the source of the STL file used. Fortunately, there is a way to handle such cases in SMS. After import, the Ugrid can be converted into a 2D scatter dataset. The scatter can then be interpolated to a mesh or modified with the data calculator. If desired, tim and dim files representing that data can then be created as usual.

Exporting STL Files

To create an STL file, you must have a UGrid with the corresponding elevation data attached. This UGrid must consist of only triangular elements.

Export the STL file by:

1. Right-click on the UGrid and select the Export command.
2. Then select a (*.stl) file type before saving the file.

There are two STL file type available for export. The binary option is often used since it requires less memory. The ASCII file is more user friendly if the file needs to be inspected. Both save data by recording the coordinates of the vertices associated with each triangle. If unaccompanied by other files, the Ugrid will also have to be manually associated with the correct projection after uploading.

We hope to add more functionality for STL files in the future. Try using STL files with your SMS projects today!