Aquaveo & Water Resources Engineering News

One of the new features added to SMS 13.2 is the Toolbox. The addition of the Toolbox allows multiple tools to be collected into one location. Many of these tools previously existed in other locations in SMS such as the Dataset Toolbox. In addition to these tools new tools have been developed for the Toolbox.

You can access the Toolbox using the Toolbox macro button located on the macro toolbar. Clicking the macro will open the Toolbox dialog containing a list of available tools.

The tools have been organized into folders in the Tools tab. Examples of folders include: Coverages, Datasets, Rasters, and Unstructured Grids.

• Coverage tools are used to manipulate coverages and feature objects.
• Datasets tools are many of the tools that have previously existed in the Dataset Toolbox and are used to manipulate datasets.
• Rasters and Lidar tools are used to adjust and clean up raster and lidar data.
• Unstructured Grid tools can manipulate and adjust unstructured grids (UGrids).

In addition, there will be folders for manipulating data related to specific numeric models. For example, there is a folder with tools that work with ADCIRC data.

The Toolbox also contains a History tab. This tab keeps a record of all the tool runs used with your projects. As a result, it allows you to run the same tool again using the same settings. For example, you might use the Compare Dataset tool to compare the solution sets from two different simulations, then discover that there was an issue in one of the simulations. After you fixed the simulation and ran it again, you could use the history feature of the toolbox to run the Compare Dataset tool using the same settings as before.

The History tab also shows if a tool executed successfully or not. Furthermore, it lets you make notes on the different tool runs, allowing you to clarify why a tool run failed or what you were hoping to accomplish with a particular tool. This can facilitate collaborating with colleagues when working on the same project.

Additional tools will be added to the Toolbox in future versions of SMS. Try out the Toolbox in SMS 13.2 beta today!

Have you tried including multiple MODFLOW 6 simulations in your GMS project? Having multiple MODFLOW 6 simulations allows you to run simulations for the same area. This can help with calibration, making comparisons, and troubleshooting a model. This post will cover how to keep things organized when using multiple simulations in a single project file.

After you have created a second MODFLOW 6 simulation, it is recommended that you give the simulation a name that will help you remember the purpose of that simulation. For example if you have a base simulation that you are using to create a stable starting run, it could be named something like “Base_Sim”. If you then create a second simulation that has a longer run time, naming it something like “Base_Longer_Run” might be helpful.

Furthermore, you can use the Notes feature available in the simulation properties dialog to add notes about what makes each of the simulation unique. This can be particularly helpful when sharing the project with coworkers.

In some cases you may have multiple UGrids. For example, you may want to use one UGrid that is less refined for a simulation for a base simulation and a more refined UGrid to test with a duplicate simulation. When doing this, be certain to correctly name the UGrids so that they are easy to tell apart. Also, make certain the UGrid is linked to the correct MODFLOW 6 simulation. It is usually best to create a separate simulation for each UGrid.

Often when using multiple simulations, you will want to have specific map coverages applied to specific simulations. When doing this, you can organize your coverages in the Map module using folders. Using folders can help keep straight which coverages belong with which simulation. And can also help in keeping the Project Explorer from becoming cluttered.

In the Project Explorer, collapse any folder that you are not currently using. This will help keep the Project Explorer free of any unnecessary clutter. This is particularly helpful when you have solution data from different simulation runs. GMS will automatically place simulation solution files in their own folder in the Project Explorer under the UGrid connected to that simulation, as well as as links under the simulation. Additional folders can be added to organize solution data.

Also, when working with multiple simulations, it can be helpful to lock simulations that are not currently being worked on to reduce chances of accidentally making changes to the wrong simulation.

It should also be noted that having too many simulations in a project can cause GMS to run slowly. It is typically recommended to have fewer than seven simulations in a project.

Having multiple MODFLOW 6 simulations in your project expands your groundwater modeling options. Try out using multiple MODFLOW 6 simulations on your project in GMS today!

Do you have an SRH-2D project that might benefit from using obstruction objects? The obstruction coverage in SMS allows you to add obstruction objects to your SRH-2D project. Using obstructions in some cases can be beneficial, but there are a few key ideas to keep in mind. This post will cover some of these.

Adding obstructions to an SRH-2D project involves creating a coverage assigned as an SRH-2D obstruction type coverage. On this coverage, you can draw arcs and points to act as obstruction objects. Each arc and point can be assigned obstruction attributes. Finally, the obstructional coverage can be added to the SRH-2D simulation to be used in the model run.

First, it is important to understand how obstructions interact with the model run. Obstruction objects on the obstruction coverage will reduce the flow of water through the model by applying a drag force. Water will not flow around the obstruction but will instead be slowed by the drag force of the obstruction. The assigned attributes on the obstruction object will determine which cell nodes on the mesh will be assigned as an obstruction. Obstructions can be used for items like bank protrusions and boulder clusters.

Second, when assigning obstruction attributes to an obstruction object, a width/diameter is specified in SMS. For point obstructions, this user-specified value is then converted by PreSRH-2D to a radius for SRH-2D. The SRH-2D model applies the radius around the point. For line obstructions, the arc definition and width are converted by PreSRH-2D to point locations that define the obstruction area. That means, for example, if you assign an arc to have an obstruction width/diameter value of 2 meters, then 1 meter on one side of the arc and 1 meter on the other side of the arc will be the obstruction area.

Third, obstruction objects can be assigned a drag coefficient, porosity, and a specific thickness. It is important to note that obstruction objects are not meant to completely impede the flow of water.

For items that completely block the flow of water, such as bridge piers or buildings, a void in the mesh should be created that models the area of blockage in most cases. Likewise, having a large number of obstruction objects in your model sometimes can cause issues with the SRH-2D model run and therefore it is recommended that obstruction objects be used judiciously.

Obstructions can be a valuable addition to your SRH-2D model. Try using obstructions with SRH-2D in SMS today!.

Do you have data stored in a database that you would like to import into your WMS project? Occasionally you might find yourself with a database that needs to be imported into your WMS project. This might be a geodatabase or some other sort of database containing GIS data that WMS does not recognize natively.

To import a database, WMS uses the Import Database Wizard. The wizard is accessed through the Import From Database command in the File menu. Once the wizard has been launched, there are a few steps you need to follow.

1. Connect to a database. Use the Connect to Database button to connect to a database located on your computer or on a network. A preview of the database will be displayed in the tables in the wizard.

2. Query information from a database table. You will have the option to create, copy, delete and import queries that retrieve data from the database. The query uses basic SQL statements which can be entered in the provided fields.
3. View results of the query. The results of the database query are displayed for you to review. If the results are not what you expected, you will have the option to return to the previous step to fix the issues.
4. Assign column type. You can select the kind of data that will be imported into WMS. The kind of data should be of the file types supported by WMS. There is also the option to set files as "no data".

After the data has been imported into your project, you can make use of the coordinate transformation tools in WMS to transform or translate the data if necessary.

If you have a database with data you would like to import into WMS, try using the Import Database Wizard in WMS today!