Aquaveo & Water Resources Engineering News

Using GSSHA Group Files in WMS

By aquaveo on January 30, 2019

GSSHA Group files in WMS allow multiple GSSHA projects to be saved together in one set of files. It can sometimes be helpful for you to run GSSHA on multiple related projects in order to compare the results.

GSSHA

You can open multiple projects into one WMS session by doing the following:

  1. Open the first project using the GSSHA | Open Project File option.
  2. Open the second, third, ect., project using the same menu.

Once the desired projects are open in WMS, you can save them as a GSSHA Group Project (GGP) file. This keeps everything together in one location.

  1. Save the project as a group by using the GSSHA | Save Group option.
  2. Select the projects to include in the group.
  3. Give the group a file name.

GSSHA can be run on a group file if you do the following:

  1. Select the GSSHA | Run GSSHA Group option.
  2. Select the projects to run.
  3. Give the project a name.
  4. Select whether to suppress screen printing and/or to import the solutions when the GSSHA run finishes.

When GSSHA finishes running on the first project, the Model Wrapper dialog will automatically close. A few moments later, another instance of the Model Wrapper dialog will appear as GSSHA runs on the second project. This one will also automatically close. This continues this way through all of your selected projects. WMS will then import the solutions from the GSSHA runs.

All of the tips here require you to be in the 2D Grid Module—there are additional GSSHA menus in other modules. Additionally, warnings may appear asking if land use and soil type tables should be overwritten. This is up to your discretion. Keep in mind, however, that it is generally best to import projects in an additive manner, with the most simple project being imported first and the most complex project being imported last.

Try out saving and running GSSHA groups in WMS today!

Blog tags: 
WMS

How to Relax or Refine a Mesh in SMS

By aquaveo on January 23, 2019

Are you ever tempted to refine your mesh after creation using the mesh editing tools? Manually changing hundreds or thousands of mesh elements using the mesh tools can be very time consuming.

Although possible to use the mesh tools, it is better to recreate a new mesh when wanting to refine or relax the elements. This will maintain the accuracy of your mesh, and reduces possible issues that may arise later on in the project due to inconsistencies that editing manually creates.

To recreate a refined or relaxed mesh:

  1. Create a mesh generator coverage.
    1. If the existing mesh was created from a mesh generator coverage, you can use that coverage or a duplicate of that coverage.
    2. If a mesh generator coverage does not exist, you can create a mesh generator coverage by converting the mesh boundary or nodestrings to a new mesh generator coverage.
  2. Go to your mesh generator coverage and redistribute the vertices so that there are either more or less arc segments depending on what you are trying to accomplish with your model. To relax the mesh, fewer arc segments are desired, and to refine the mesh more arc segments are desired.
  3. Assign the desired meshing type (paving, patch, etc.) to the polygons in the mesh generator coverage and set the bathymetry source to use. Be certain to preview how the mesh will generate with the new spacing for each polygon.
  4. Now generate a new 2D mesh using the edited mesh generator coverage.
  5. Add the new mesh to your model simulation and run the model using the relaxed or refined mesh.

Sometimes you might not want to relax ro refine the entire mesh. To only relax ro refine part of the mesh do the following.

  1. Create a new mesh generator coverage.
  2. Create a polygon in the area of the mesh you wish to relax or refine.
  3. Redistribute the vertices along the arcs in the polygon to so there is a great or fewer number of segments along each arc.
  4. Set the meshing type for the polygon and assign it a bathymetry source. Be certain to preview the mesh for the polygon to be certain you are getting the mesh you want.
  5. Generate a new 2D mesh for the area being refined or relaxed.
  6. Select both 2D meshes and merge them together.
  7. Add the new merged mesh to your model simulation and run the model.

Using these steps when editing a mesh can make a huge difference in your model and save you time. Try out relaxing and refining meshes in SMS today!

Blog tags: 
SMS

Assigning Elevations in GMS

By aquaveo on January 16, 2019

GMS offers several options for importing, exporting and manipulating elevation data. With so many options, sometimes it can be confusing when choosing which method to use. If you sometimes struggle with elevation data, you’re in luck, because in this blog post we will be exploring different ways that you can utilize your elevation data to accomplish your goals. Listed below are several ways in which you might be interested in using your elevation data.

  • Assigning elevations in the conceptual model (e.g. to drain nodes)

    Using the Select Points/Nodes Tool , double-click on a point/node such as a drain node. This brings up the Attribute Table dialog. Make sure the Feature Type is set to point/node. Here you can set the type of point/node (such as to a drain or a river) and set the bottom elevation. Things such as river arcs and drain nodes require elevations to run the model in MODFLOW.

  • Interpolating scatter sets/rasters to MODFLOW elevations

    Right-click on the scatter set or raster and select Interpolate To and select MODFLOW layers. This will bring up the Interpolate to MODFLOW Layers dialog. Select the dataset you want to interpolate on the left side of the dialog and the layer you would like to interpolate to on the right-side. With both the dataset and the desired layer selected, click Map. This will add the selection to the Dataset=>MODFLOW data queue. Select Interpolation Options if you want to change the interpolation method. Click OK to exit the dialog and interpolate the scatter set to the layer.

  • Making sure nothing in your conceptual model assigns a polygon elevation that would overwrite the interpolated values

    It is important to note that if you have top and/or bottom elevations assigned as areal properties to a polygon, and you map this coverage to MODFLOW, any scatter points or raster elevations previously interpolated to MODFLOW as the top/bottom elevations that lie within the polygon will be overwritten.

  • Pulling datasets out of MODFLOW (e.g. Layer → 2D Dataset) for manipulation and/or use elsewhere

    Another great feature available in GMS is the ability to pull elevations from a MODFLOW layer to create a 2D dataset. This 2D dataset can then be manipulated and/or used elsewhere for various purposes. This can be done in one of two ways; by using the Layer → 2D Dataset option, or by using the MODFLOW Layers to Scatter option.

  • Layer → 2D Dataset vs. MODFLOW Layers to Scatter (preferred)

    It is possible to create 2D datasets from layer arrays in MODFLOW by going to the Global Options in MODFLOW, and selecting the array you want to create a dataset of (starting heads, top elevations, bottom elevations). In the array dialog box select Layer → 2D Dataset or Grid → 3D Dataset. The dataset that this creates will have ids, i, j, and f values.

    The preferred method for creating datasets from MODFLOW layers is by selecting the layer and then selecting Grid | MODFLOW Layers to 2D Scatter Points. In the MODFLOW Layers → Scatter Points dialog, you can select to create scatter points within a selected coverage and chose the desired coverage. If you use this option, there must be a polygon in the coverage for the points to map to. This dialog also gives many other options that are extremely useful and convenient. When using this method, the 2D scatter set will have x and y coordinates and the f value.

As you can see there are several ways for you to take advantage of the many options available in GMS when working with elevation data. Whether building from a conceptual model, or maybe even building a conceptual model from a MODFLOW simulation, there are many ways to use your elevation data in GMS. Practice using your elevation data in GMS 10.4 today!

Blog tags: 
GMS

Converting CAD Data to Feature Objects in WMS

By aquaveo on January 9, 2019

CAD data has been around for a long time and it’s one of the most readily available formats for geological data. WMS can make use of the data in a variety of ways. One of these ways is to convert CAD data into feature objects.

When CAD data for an area is available, DWG and DXF file data can be automatically converted to feature objects in WMS. Lines, points, and polygons in the CAD file can be turned into feature objects on a Map coverage for use in your WMS projects. This is done by doing the following:

  1. Import the CAD data into WMS. It will appear in the Project Explorer.
  2. In the Project Explorer, right-click on the CAD file and select CAD to | Feature Objects.
  3. In the CAD → Feature Objects dialog, select the layers to be converted to feature objects.
  4. Next, in the Clean Options dialog, select options to clean up the feature objects such as removing dangling arcs.
  5. Finally, the Properties dialog will appear letting you designate the type of coverage that will hold the new feature objects.

After you have converted your CAD data to feature objects, there are few items to keep in mind.

  • Typically, CAD data will not designate the stream direction. Make certain to check the direction of arcs generated from CAD data. Use the Reorder Streams command to fix this.
  • Polygons will not be automatically generated from polygons in the CAD data. Any enclosed arcs must be converted to polygons using the Build Polygons command.
  • It may be necessary to use the Clean Options dialog again after conversion.
  • Additional adjustments to the arcs may be necessary using the Map module tools.

Generating feature arcs from CAD data can save you a lot of time and frustration when building your watershed model. Try out converting CAD data into feature objects using WMS today!

Blog tags: 
WMS

Moving SRH-2D Material Attributes to Another Project

By aquaveo on January 2, 2019

After setting your SRH-2D material attributes in one SMS project, have you ever wanted to transfer those attributes to another SMS project? Doing this can save you from having to reenter the same material attributes into a separate project. You can even transfer multiple material coverages at once.

There are three project files referred to here: the original project, the project with the saved material coverage attributes, and the third project to which you want to add the saved material attributes. To make sure these instructions are clear, we'll call them Project A, Project B, and Project C, respectively.

To save time on other projects that use the same material attributes, you can use the following steps to export them for later use:

  1. Outside SMS, create a copy (Project B) of your project directory. This prevents you from accidentally damaging the original project (Project A) during the process.
  2. In Project B (the copy), delete any geometric data that isn’t going to be transferred, such as meshes, grids, GIS data, and scatter sets.
  3. Also remove any coverages and material data you do not want transferred.
  4. On the SRH-2D material coverages, remove any polygons and feature objects that you do not want transferred. This is assuming that the project receiving the new material parameters will be assigning the material properties to different polygons.
  5. This is the tricky part. You have to have at least one Map object for a map file to be saved in SMS. Therefore, create a new coverage of any type as a placeholder. Create a single feature point in this placeholder coverage.
  6. Use the Save command to save Project B that only contains the SRH-2D material coverages with your material properties, and one one other coverage with a single feature object.
  7. In another instance of SMS, open Project C.
  8. Use the Open command to open Project B.
  9. SMS should ask if you want to delete this data. If this happens, respond "No". The coverages from Project B (and its material lists and attributes) will be loaded into Project C.
  10. Now to add the material lists from the Project B into the material lists in Project C by right-clicking on the transferred coverage and selecting the Assign Materials to menu command. SMS will bring up the Assign Materials dialog where you can add materials from one coverage to another. You can either add the materials to the list of this coverage or replace the materials list in this coverage.

Now that you know how to transfer material parameters from one project to another, try it out in the SMS today!

Blog tags: 
SMS