Aquaveo & Water Resources Engineering News

5 New Features in SMS 13.0 Beta

We’re happy to announce the beta version of SMS 13.0 is now available. Our developers have been working hard to improve SMS to make the user experience more enjoyable.

To help you learn about some of the new features, we’ve compiled this list of three new features in SMS 13.0 Beta.

  1. Notes can now be added to Properties dialog. Right-clicking on most items in the Project Explorer now have a Properties command that will bring up a dialog with a Notes tab. We have found many uses for this, including making notes about the differences between different map coverages or scatter sets.
  2. New tools to support the use of lidar data. You might have used lidar files in the past and noticed that the interface was a little confusing and sometimes slow. After examining how the process could be improved, we made improvements to the import process and changed how SMS interacts with lidar data. We hope you find our new lidar functionality is both faster and makes working with lidar data easier.
  3. A bridge scour coverage has been added. This allows exporting bridge scour values to the Hydraulic Toolbox to use in analyzing a bridge site. This tool requires having a 2D mesh with elevation data, a water surface elevation, a water depth, and velocity datasets. Most of the values needed will be automatically generated, making bridge scouring faster and easier.
  4. Floodplain delineation has been improved using the Map Flood tool. This tool allows accessing FEMA data to automatically designate flood areas in your project. The tool can also work with local data provided as a scatter set.
  5. A 2D scatter set can now be converted into a raster file. Right-clicking on scatter set item in the Project Explorer now has a new Raster -> Scatter command. Creating a raster from your scatter data can help facilitate sharing data across different applications.

These are only some of the many new and updated features in SMS 13.0 Beta. You can find a bigger list of them here. Along with these new features, we are also excited to offer new tutorials instructing users on how to best utilize the new features. Try out the beta by downloading it today!

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Performing a Silent Install of XMS

This blog post provides information on older password and hardware lock configurations.
Information on new local and flex codes may be found here.

Are you an IT administrator needing to perform a silent install of GMS, SMS, or WMS in a classroom or office? Some classrooms and offices have multiple students or employees changing machines regularly. Non-administrator users are often unable to change the licensing password, lock, or server when these license settings are stored in the global area of the registry. Because of this, we changed the license settings so they are now stored in the user area of the registry. This means that each user account requires this to be setup.

This silent install (or quiet install) workaround requires each user to have the rights to modify the registry. If registry access is restricted, a network administrator can do this by opening the Group Policy Management Editor and creating a startup script that automatically runs the batch file whenever the computer is restarted.

Note: Editing the Registry in Windows is a very advanced administration step. Please always create a backup of the Registry before making changes.

It can be a burden have to manually update the network lock server address in HKEY_CURRENT_USER for each user on each computer. The silent install process is simplified by creating a Windows Registry file that contains the license information and a batch file that can be executed to insert the registry information and launch WMS. The batch file automatically updates the registry for the user and then opens the WMS application. This is the safest way to edit the registry key, as well. The batch file can then be placed on each computer that needs to be updated, and the individual users can execute it as needed.

This workaround uses WMS as an example. This information also applies to GMS and SMS. You can see an example of a registry file in step 1 and the batch file in step 2, below.

  1. Create a file, “Netenble.001.reg”, as follows, replacing "license" with the name or IP address of the network lock server. For example, if the network lock server was at 127.0.0.27, you would use “127.0.0.27”:
    Windows Registry Editor Version 5.00M
    [HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\EMRL\WMS]
    "Netenble.001"="license"

    Note: This information was created using Windows 7. Because different Windows versions can have different REG file formats, we recommend you install WMS on one machine, register it to the correct network lock server, then export the [HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\EMRL\WMS] registry key. Open the registry file in the text editor and remove every line except those similar to those shown in the image above, and save the file as “Netenble.001.reg”.
  2. Create a file, “wms11.bat”, that will update the registry and start WMS: reg import Netenble.001.reg
    wms.exe
  3. Place these two files in the WMS folder in the image that will be distributed to the affected computers. For example, for the 64-bit version of WMS 11.0, the default location for the folder is “C:\Program Files\WMS 11.0 64-bit\”.
  4. Create a desktop shortcut to the batch file for the convenience of the user. If doing this via a startup script in the Group Policy Management Editor, this step can be skipped.

This silent install workaround can save you significant time as a network administrator. Try it out today!

GMS Training in Hannover, Germany

The German Federal Institute for Geosciences and Natural Resources (Bundesanstalt für Geowissenschaften und Rohstoffe, or BGR) hosted a GMS training class in Hannover, Germany from July 31 to August 3, 2018. It was taught by Todd Wood, an Aquaveo consultant, and attended by employees of BGR and the Jordanian Ministry of Water and Irrigation (MWI).

The first day of the four-day training included instruction on the basics of using GMS, including conceptual model development, defining boundary conditions, and the differences between 2D and 3D modeling. Discussion of MODFLOW and its many packages took up the majority of the first day.

The second day’s training focused on working with regional MODFLOW models (including base maps, conceptual models, and conductance), 2D geostatistics with MODFLOW layer elevations, and interpolation methods. The third day of training covered characterization using borehole data, user-defined cross-sections and horizons, as well as an introduction to model calibration.

The final day of training included automated calibration tools in GMS, including the use of PEST and transient modeling. The day ended with an open lab where participants could work on their own projects with Todd being available to answer questions and help.

We appreciate Falk Lindenmaier and Mark Gropius for arranging the training session for BGR and MWI, and thank you to all of those who attended the training. We love meeting new people and helping them to use GMS more effectively!

While in Hannover, Todd was able to see some of the sights with those attending the training. They visited the municipal forest known as Eilenriede, the Herrenhausen Gardens, Georgengarten, the Maschsee (an artificial lake), and the New Town Hall. Hannover has some truly beautiful locations.

To arrange your own GMS training session, please see the Aquaveo website.

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4 New Features in the GMS 10.4 Beta

We’re happy to announce the beta version of GMS 10.4 is now available. Our developers have been working hard to improve GMS to make the user experience more enjoyable.

To help you learn about some of the new features, we’ve compiled this list of four new features in GMS 10.4 Beta.

  1. New tools to support the use of lidar data. You might have used lidar files in the past and noticed that the interface was a little confusing and sometimes slow. After examining how the process could be improved, we made improvements to the import process and changed how GMS interacts with lidar data. We hope you find our new lidar functionality is both faster and makes working with lidar data easier.
  2. MODFLOW-USG Transport can now be used with GMS. This version of MODFLOW allows including transport modeling into your projects. With it comes the Block Centered Transport (BCT) process, Dual Porosity Transport (DPT) package, and Prescribed Concentration Boundary (PCB) package. Other options are also included in the MODFLOW-USG Transport model to give a wide range of access.
  3. Head observations for Connected Linear Network (CLN) wells can now be created to measure the computed head in a CLN node or cell. The process is similar to creating head observations in the groundwater domain with some differences. Overall, CLN observations are simple to create and provide a great addition to the CLN process.
  4. You can now export your MODFLOW project for use with MODFLOW 6. This is done similar to saving native text files.

These are only some of the many new and updated features in GMS 10.4 Beta. You can find a bigger list of them here. Along with these new features, we are also excited to offer new tutorials instructing users on how to best utilize the new features. There are specifically tutorials on the new features listed above. Try out the beta by downloading it today!

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How and When to Use Depression Points in WMS

Have you ever wondered what depression points are used for? Should you be including them in your watershed delineation? Depression points can greatly help to improve the accuracy of your model when used correctly.

A depression point is significantly lower than its surrounding elevation, causing a change in flow accumulation and direction. An example of a depression area would be a watershed that contains a mine. TOPAZ is a public domain program that is used in computing flow directions and accumulations for use in basin delineation with DEMs. TOPAZ assumes that all depression points it encounters in its calculations are due to a lack of resolution, and therefore “fills” the depression point in increments until a flow path can be established straight across the low point. In order to view how a natural depression point would affect flow direction and accumulation, it is necessary to define the specified areas as depression points. This causes TOPAZ to read the cell as a NODATA cell, making TOPAZ think it is a DEM boundary instead of raising the elevation in the depression. Comparing a before and after of marking a depression point shows how the flow path is affected by depression points as displayed below.

It is appropriate to use a depression point where a natural depression occurs in the horizon. Typically you would only define depression points for larger areas where the flow path will be significantly affected by the area. It is not always necessary to define a depression point however. You want to use it when you receive straight lines for delineation boundaries for instance. This would most likely be caused by undefined depression points.

Some errors can occur however when defining depression points incorrectly.

  • Sometimes users will mark the bottom elevation that is actually up higher to the side of the depression point and is not exactly the center deepest point. This issue can be avoided by using the Set contour min/max tool in the Terrain Module to correctly identify the absolute bottom elevation. This DEM point is the one which should be marked as a depression point.
  • Another incorrect use of depression points would be to use them to outline where a stream bed is. A stream bed can be identified by using stream arcs in WMS.

Now that we’ve established when and when not to use depression points, you might be wondering how to create depression points in WMS. To create depression points in WMS:

  1. Turn on the Terrain Data Module.
  2. Use the Select DEM points tool to select the cell containing the lowest DEM elevation. If working with an area that has a large natural depression, simply hold down the Shift key to select all of the cells with low elevation at once.
  3. Select DEM | Point Attributes to bring up the DEM Point Attributes dialog.
  4. Turn on Depression point to mark the cell as a depression point.

Now that the depression points are set, you can run TOPAZ to view the new flow paths. TOPAZ will recognize the new depression, and the detention basin calculator can be used to create a stage-storage curve.

Try adding depression points in your WMS model today!

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Creating SRH-2D Pressure Zones with Overtopping

Do you have a location in your SRH-2D project for a box culvert or pressure zone with overtopping?

It is a common feature added to many SRH-2D models. Depending on how the pressure zone is created in SMS, this can be a tricky process for SRH-2D to handle. Here are some steps and tips for creating this feature successfully in SMS.

1 Use Quadrilateral Elements

Create quadrilateral elements between the boundaries of the pressure zone. Using quadrilateral elements tends to increase the stability and reliability of the SRH-2D model run. Quadrilateral elements can be created in one of two ways.

The first is to create the quadrilateral elements when creating the 2D mesh. Create a polygon for the area between and around the pressure zone. Assign this polygon with the Patch mesh type in the 2D Mesh Polygon Properties dialog.

The second method is to create the quadrilateral elements directly in the mesh using the Split/Merge tool and the Switch Element tool. This can be time-consuming, so it is only recommended for small adjustments.

2 Create Voids

Create voids in the mesh on either side of the pressure zone. There are two options for creating these voids, but one option seems to work better.

The first option, and the more stable one, is to create the voids on either side of the pressure zone when generating the mesh. Create the voids as polygons and assign them the None mesh type.

The second option is to generate the mesh then use the Select Elements tool to select and delete the elements where the voids should be. Using this method requires renumbering the mesh nodes. There is a risk that you will not be able to delete all of the nodes related to the elements which can make your mesh unusable to SRH-2D.

3 Assign Boundary Conditions

Two arcs are needed to define the pressure zone. Each arc should be created on an SRH-2D boundary condition coverage. When creating the arcs, make certain all 2D mesh elements between the arcs are quadrilateral elements. Also, it is advisable to have at least one row of quadrilateral elements just past the downstream arc.

Once the arcs have been drawn, select both arcs and open the SRH-2D Linear BC dialog. Set both arcs to the Pressure type and turn on the Overtopping option.

Both the boundary condition coverage and the 2D mesh can be added to your SRH-2D simulation to have a pressure zone with overtopping included in the results.

Try out adding a pressure zone in the community edition of SMS today!

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Creating a Raster from MODFLOW Contours

You’ve just finished successfully running a MODFLOW simulation in GMS and you are viewing the results in lovely contours on your screen. Now you would like to save those results as a raster file you can import into another application.

In order to save the MODFLOW contours as a raster, the MODFLOW results will first need to be converted to a scatter point set, then the scatter point set can be made into a raster.

Converting MODFLOW Layers to Scatter Points

To convert MODFLOW data to scatter point data, do the following:

  1. Select the MODFLOW simulation.
  2. Use the Grid | MODFLOW Layers → Scatter Points menu command.
  3. In the MODFLOW Layers → Scatter Points dialog, you can select the Computed Heads option.
  4. With the Computed Heads option active, you can select the MODFLOW solution datasets and time steps to convert into a scatter point.

Once done, you will have a scatter point set in the Project Explorer containing dataset generated from your MODFLOW results.

Converting Scatter Points to Rasters

Now that you have your MODFLOW solution datasets as scatter point data, you can do the following to convert them into a raster file.

  1. In the Project Explorer under the scatter point set, select the dataset created from the MODFLOW solutions.
  2. Right-click on the scatter point set in the Project Explorer, and select Convert To | New Raster.
  3. In the Scatter → Raster dialog, set the interpolation option you wish to use and specify the extents of the raster.
  4. Finally, save your raster file with a name and raster file type.

The raster file will be loaded into GMS, so you can compare it to the contours in your MODFLOW solution datasets. The raster file contains elevation data that was in the MODLOW solution.

Now that you know how to generate a raster file from MODFLOW contours, try it in out in GMS today!

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4 New Features in the WMS 11.0 Beta

For the last couple years, we’ve been working hard on the next version of WMS, and the beta for version 11.0 has now been released!

To help you learn about some of the new features, we’ve compiled this list of four new features in WMS 11.0 Beta.

  1. The first big improvement is a streamlined and updated set of floodplain delineation tools. Due to a lot of under-the-hood work, some of the delineation processes have been sped up by a factor of 10! This can greatly reduce the amount of time you spend on these projects.
  2. WMS 11.0 Beta now supports Amazon Terrain Tiles. These are high resolution digital elevation model (DEM) tiles for every location around the world, and the resolution goes as high as 3 meters per pixel. A digital elevation model is simply a two-dimensional array of elevation points with a constant x and y spacing.These DEM tiles can be accessed through the Import from Web and Get Data tools in WMS.
  3. Through a new dialog, WMS 11.0 Beta now offers better support for managing and editing cross section databases in HEC-RAS models. HEC-RAS is a one-dimensional model for computing water surface profiles for steady state or gradually varied flow. You can select, import, export, manage, and edit cross sections and cross section databases more easily.
  4. The hydraulic modeling module has been updated to be able to import and export LANDXML files for the Storm Water Management Model (SWMM), HY-12 (a storm drain analysis program used for designing inlets, pipes, and general storm drain network layouts), and EPANET (a widely used water distribution model developed by the US Environmental Protection Agency).

These are only some of the many great new and updated features in WMS 11.0 Beta. You can find a bigger list of them here. Try out the beta by downloading it today!

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Converting Units

Seeing which units are being used in a project or for a particular object within the project is fairly easy. Converting the units from, for example, U.S. feet to meters, can introduce problems into a project if you do not do it in the correct way.

Reproject

Reprojecting the data involves moving the data from one coordinate system to another. So if your data is in a UTM coordinate system in meters and the rest of your project is in a State Plane projection that uses U.S. survey feet, reprojecting can change the data to match. Conceptually, the data will remain in the same location, but the data will be adjusted to the new units.

To reproject a dataset:

  1. Right-click on the dataset in the Project Explorer and select Reproject.
  2. In the Reproject dialog, the current projection is shown on the left. On the right side, set the new projection and units.

When converting units through reprojection, keep in mind that Z values (elevations) don’t always convert correctly. Round off errors sometimes occur when reprojecting data. In general, reproject does well in changing the X and Y units. The Z value, if it has been set as the bathymetry, typically also converts units well using the reproject option. Other datasets often do not convert between units using the reproject method.

When converting from rasters to scatter sets, the elevation is usually recognized and converted correctly.

Dataset Calculator

Datasets units can be converted using the Dataset Calculator. This is often necessary when the data has been reprojected, but not all of the datasets can be converted using that method. For example, a velocity dataset or conductivity data.

To convert a dataset with the Dataset Calculator:

  1. Select the desired dataset in the Project Explorer.
  2. Select the Data Calculator macro, or the Data Calculator command or the Dataset Toolbox command in the Data menu.
  3. Select the dataset to convert, then multiple or divide the dataset by the conversion value.

There are a few numbers it is useful to have when doing these conversions:

  • 0.304800609601 meters is equal to one U.S. Survey foot
  • 3.28083333333 U.S. Survey feet are equal to one meter
  • 0.3048 meters is equal to one International foot
  • 3.28083989501 International feet are equal to one meter

Note that there are many datasets that will not work with the Data Calculator.

In the end, make certain all the data being used in your model is in the correct units. Having mismatched units will typically create model errors and generate inaccurate results.

Try reprojecting data or using the Data Calculator to convert units in GMS, SMS, or WMS today!
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Converting an RMA2 Project to SRH-2D

Do you have an older RMA2 or FESWMS project that you want to convert to an SRH-2D project in SMS? Older model lack the support and many of the features of newer models. In some cases, older models will no longer run with newer operating systems. So converting older projects over helps ensure the accuracy and stability of your results.

Converting projects from an older model is not automatic. Typically, portions of the model will need to be rebuilt. Here is an example of how to convert an older RMA2 model to an SRH-2D model.

Start with creating the SRH-2D mesh.

  1. Load the RMA2 project into the current version of SMS.
  2. Right-click on the RMA2 mesh, and select Duplicate. The duplicated mesh will be used for SRH-2D. The existing RMA2 mesh will be needed, so do not delete it.
  3. Select the duplicated mesh to make it active.
  4. Select the Data | Switch Current Model menu command.
  5. In the Select Current Model dialog, select the Generic Mesh option. The is the mesh type that SRH-2D supports. Be careful to not confuse the Generic Mesh option with the Generic Model option.
  6. Click Yes when warned that there may be data loss.
  7. Click Yes when warned that you are changing from a quadratic mesh to a linear mesh.

Next, you’ll need to define the boundary conditions.

  1. Select the RMA2 mesh to make it active.
  2. Select the Data | Mesh → Map menu command.
  3. In the Mesh → Map dialog, select the Nodestrings → Arc options.
  4. Select the Create New Coverage button.
  5. In the New Coverage dialog, select SRH-2D Boundary Conditions for the Coverage Type.
  6. When done, a new coverage will appear in the Project Explorer with feature arcs in the location of the nodestrings from the RMA2 project.
  7. Select each feature arc in turn and set boundary condition parameters that approximate those in the RMA2 model. Review the RMA2 boundary conditions if needed. Additional boundary conditions can also be added if desired.

You need to define the materials next.

  1. Select the RMA2 mesh to make it active.
  2. Select the Data | Mesh → Map menu command.
  3. In the Mesh → Map dialog, select the Material Regions → Polygons options.
  4. Select the Create New Coverage button.
  5. In the New Coverage dialog, select SRH-2D Materials for the Coverage Type.
  6. When done, a new coverage will appear the Project Explorer with polygons on the assigned materials in the RMA2 project.
  7. Review the material properties and the assigned materials for each polygon to make certain they converted correctly.

Finally, build the SRH-2D model simulation.

  1. Right-click in an empty space in the Project Explorer and select New Simulation | SRH-2D
  2. Link the SRH-2D mesh, boundary condition coverage, and material coverage to the new simulation.
  3. Right-click on the new simulation and select Model Control.
  4. Set the SRH-2D model control to approximate the conditions in the RMA2 model. Review the RMA2 model control if needed.

At this point, the RMA2 mesh could be removed and the SRH-2D model should be ready to run, though some tweaking may be necessary. Refer to the SRH-2D Troubleshooting Guide if needed.

Converting other models, such as FESWMS, follow a similar process to that described above. Try out this conversion process with your older projects today in SMS.

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