SMS

Viewing Vectors on the Watersurface

With the release of SMS 13.1 beta, a new option has been added to the Vector tab. The existing Vector tab in the Display Options dialog allows viewing vector data as arrows as data points in your project. SMS can change the density of how the vector arrows are displayed and to display the vector arrows along a constant elevation. This new option allows you to display the model vectors relative to a selected dataset.

To use this option:

  1. Open the Display Options, turn on vectors, and go to the Vector tab.
  2. On the Vector tab and change the Origin to be "Relative to dataset".
  3. Select the Dataset button under the Origin to bring a tree item selector dialog.
  4. Select the Dataset you want to use.

After closing out the Display Options dialog, you will be able to see the vectors relative to the selected dataset. For example, if you use a water surface elevation dataset, you would be able to see the vectors relative to the water surface elevation.

Vectors relative to the water surface elevation

This option is available for all modules that allow displaying vectors. This includes the 2D mesh module, Cartesian grid module, quadtree module, and scatter set module.

There is also an option to specify an offset for the selected dataset. For example, you could set the offset to 1 or 2 to get the vectors slightly above the surface. The result would show the vectors mapped 1 or 2 feet above the ground elevation.

Vectors offset from ground elevation

This addition to the vector display option can be used with any dataset in the same module. Therefore, any dataset in the mesh module can be used with a mesh, any dataset in the scatter module can be used with a scatter set, etc.

Try out using the new "Relative to dataset" vector display option in the SMS 13.1 beta today!

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Announcing SMS13.1 Beta

Aquaveo is pleased to announce the release of SMS 13.1 Beta! A number of new features have been added to this version, and we'd like to highlight a few of them.

3D Bridge

The new 3D Bridge feature allows creating a visual representation of a 3 bridge. This representation uses a 3D UGrid to visualize the bridge in the graphics window. After creating a 3D bridge, the feature can be visualized in an observation profile plot.Using the 3D feature allows generating a ceiling elevation dataset to represent the maximum water surface that can be reached at each point in the mesh at the intere. The bridge data can be exported as an XMUGRID file for use in multiple projects.

3D bridge example in SMS
Universal Select Tool

The Select Objects tool allows selecting multiple types of feature objects at the same time from the same tool. The selection information at the bottom of the screen changes if multiple types of objects are selected to show how many of each object is selected. The right-click menu changes to match the selected object type. If multiple feature object types are selected, then the right-click menus will be combined.

Extract Features

The Extract Features tool allows you to use a raster to generate feature arcs for channel centerlines, ridge centerlines, or channel cross sections and banklines. This can speed up the creation of the centerlines and cross sections by removing the need to manually create each feature individually. Options for this feature include the ability to extract all centerlines, extract all centerlines with one or more selected depression points, extracting a single centerline, or extracting channel banklines and cross sections.

Example of extracted feature arcs
HEC-RAS 1D

SMS 13.1 Beta includes support for creating and editing HEC-RAS 1D cross sections and attributes. These cross sections can be imported from HEC-RAS as SDF files and saved as a HEC-GeoRAS file for inclusion into a HEC-RAS project.

These are just a few of the new features in the SMS 13.1 beta. Try out these features and more by downloading the SMS 13.1 Beta today!

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How SRH-2D and HY-8 Work Together

SMS allows using HY-8 to create culverts in SRH-2D models. HY-8 was created to model culvert profiles. When SRH-2D was being developed, structure boundary conditions were allowed to be linked HY-8 culverts to SRH-2D. Doing this permits SMS to make use of the more robust tools of HY-8 when designing culverts.

When designing a culvert for an SRH-2D model in SMS 13.0:

  1. Right-click on the SRH-2D BC coverage and open the HY-8 Options dialog.
  2. From the dialog, create the HY-8 file for the project.
  3. On the SRH-2D BC coverage, create two arcs for the culvert: one for the inlet side of the culvert and one for the outlet side.
  4. Select both arcs and open the SRH-2D Linear BC dialog.
  5. In the dialog, select the Culvert HY-8 option and launch HY-8 to connect the HY-8 file.
  6. In HY-8 design your culvert.
HY-8 with SRH-2D

There are a few items to keep in mind when creating your culvert:

  • Pay attention to where the culvert is located and how it snaps to the mesh in SMS. Designing your culvert for a location that doesn’t match up with your culvert is designed in HY-8 can cause discrepancies. Also, it helps to have the inflow entering the culvert at as close to a 90 degree angle as possible.
  • Note that the crest length for constant elevation roadway profiles is the length between embankments.
  • After the initial model run, the inflow values to the culvert may need to be adjusted and calibrated. If SRH-2D is showing lower or higher flow values, adjust the values in HY-8 as needed.
  • Using a monitor line at the inlet or outlet side of the culvert. The results of the monitor lines may be different than what HY-8 reports. Use this difference to calibrate the model.
  • 2D mesh elements are disabled between the culvert arcs during the model run.

HY-8 makes a great addition to SRH-2D in SMS. HY-8 is shipped with SMS, so feel free to try it out with your models today!

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Observation Arcs vs. SRH-2D Monitoring Lines

Have you ever wondered what is the difference between using an observation arc and using an SRH-2D monitoring line? Both make use of arcs drawn on map coverages and both are used to show the results of a model run. While they serve a similar purpose, there are significant differences between the two. This article will discuss some of these differences.

Observation Arcs

Observation arcs are made on an observation map coverage. This generic coverage can be used with nearly every numeric model in SMS. It is not specific to only SRH-2D. Observation arcs can be used to generate a profile plot based on the model run results. SMS does this by interpolating the results to locations along the observation arc.

An observation arc can be created before or after the model run. The arc can also be adjusted after the model run to change what is shown in an observation plot.

SRH-2D Monitoring Lines

SRH-2D monitoring lines are created on an SRH-2D monitor coverage. This is an SRH-2D specific coverage that will only work with an SRH-2D simulation. The monitor coverage must be included in the SRH-2D simulation during the simulation run in order for the monitoring lines to produce results. A plot from the monitor line can be viewed in the Simulation Run Queue during the model run.

When creating monitoring lines, arcs are drawn on the SRH-2D monitor coverage. It is important to pay attention to how these arcs snap to the SRH-2D mesh. Monitoring lines will follow the nodes of the mesh instead of interpolating to the location of the arc. For SRH-2D, this makes the results of the monitoring lines more accurate than observation arcs.

SHR-2D monitor lines snappingto mesh nodes

The results from the monitoring lines are found in the the *.dat file that starts with “LN”. If a change is made to a monitoring line after the simulation run, the simulation will need to be saved and run again to get the new results for the monitoring line.

Using both monitoring lines and observation arcs is common for many projects. Keeping in mind the differences will help you make better use of both of them. Try using observation arcs and monitoring lines in SMS today!

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