Aquaveo & Water Resources Engineering News

Using Software Graphics Mode

By aquaveo on July 11, 2018

Have you ever noticed in your Start Menu that GMS, SMS, and WMS all have a version of the software executable that says "Software Graphics Mode"? Do you wonder what this is used for?

The software graphics mode was created to help resolve issues when there is a mismatch between the XMS software and the graphics card on a computer running the software. While we work to have XMS function on a wide range of graphics cards, some graphics cards do not support current versions of XMS.

When there is a mismatch, you might experience difficulty running the software. Issues we’ve seen happen include:

  • Having objects disappear from the Graphics Window when drawing new objects.
  • When changing views, objects in the Graphics Window disappear completely when they should still be visible.
  • Objects that appear in the Graphics Window that cannot be hidden or removed.
  • In some cases, the XMS application will not start.
  • In other cases, the XMS application will close suddenly.

Using the software graphics mode causes the machine running the XMS application to bypass the graphics card. Think of it as “safe mode” for XMS. Doing this places a heavier burden on the machine’s memory and processor, but it typically allows the XMS application to be used without the problems being caused by the graphics card.

To access the software graphics mode, go to your Start Menu and select the desired XMS executable with "Software Graphics Mode" in the title.

If using the software graphics mode resolves the issue you were experiencing, there is still one more thing to do: update your graphics card drivers.

Updating your graphics card drivers often resolve the issues being caused by the mismatch between the XMS application and the graphics card. Follow the standard procedure for updating the graphics card drivers for your operating system. In some cases, you will need to go to the graphic card manufacturer's website to update the drivers.

Once the graphic card drivers have been updated, you can usually continue to use the XMS application without using the software graphics mode.

And if updating the graphics card drivers doesn’t work, do not hesitate to contact Aquaveo Support for additional help.

Blog tags: 
SMS
GMS
WMS

Viewing Mesh Quality and ARR Plots

By aquaveo on June 27, 2018

After generating a mesh in SMS, we hope the mesh has everything you need for a project and nothing else needs to be done for the mesh. While this is often the case, some meshes do not generate as nicely as we would like. There might be small areas where solution variables change rapidly or spots with too many connecting elements.

Quality issues in a mesh can cause issues with the model results, so you can save a lot of time by reviewing the mesh quality before running your simulation.

SMS provide a number of tools for evaluating the mesh quality. Two of these tools are the Mesh Quality Display Options and ARR Plots.

Mesh Quality Display Options

After you’ve generated your mesh, one of the fastest ways to see the quality of the mesh is to turn on the Mesh Quality Options in the Display Options menu. To do this:

  1. Open the Display Options dialog
  2. Go to the Mesh tab and turn on the Mesh Quality option
  3. Click the Options button to change how the various mesh quality checks are displayed

After turning on the mesh quality option, you will be able to more clearly see where there are potential quality issues. Each quality issues has its own color or symbol which is displayed in the legend. Looking over the mesh, it can become clear where there are potential issues.

ARR Plots

An Area Representation Region (ARR) plot can help you assess the overall quality of the mesh. To create an ARR plot:

  1. Select the mesh you want to review
  2. Open the Plot Wizard
  3. Select the ARR Mesh Quality option from the list on the left and click Finish

When the ARR Plot has been generated, you can use the plot to see the mesh quality.

The plot has a point for each element. Points above the green line are good elements. Points below the red line are elements that should be reviewed and fixed. Points between the green and red line are elements that should be reviewed to see if they should be fixed.

Clicking on a point in the ARR plot will highlight the corresponding element on the mesh in the Graphics Window.

Try these options out in the SMS today!

Blog tags: 
SMS

Using Contours to View Contaminant Flow into a Well

By aquaveo on June 20, 2018

You’ve finished creating a model tracking the contaminant flow into a well. Your values look good and you’re certain the model executed successfully. The only problem is that when you look at you model, the visual representation of the contaminant flow is rather lackluster. You can tell there is flow towards the well, but it’s hard to clearly see how much of the contaminant is entering. Knowing this information can sometimes make a significant difference.

The solution to this dilemma is to adjust your contour options. In particular, two options will help you see the contaminant flow more clearly: adjusting the contour interval and adjusting the contour range.

Contour Intervals

When looking at your contaminant flow, it might appear as though the contaminant has not reached your well. This can be misleading if looking at the model zoomed in and with a small contour interval. Smaller amounts of the contaminant might have reached the well, but we wouldn’t know because the interval is too small to show that level of detail.

After turning on contours for the solution set, increase the intervals around the well by doing the following.

  1. Zoom in on the well area.
  2. Make the contaminant dataset active in the Project Explorer.
  3. Click the Contour Options macro.
  4. In the Dataset Contour Options dialog, increase the contour interval value.

Now the contour has been broken up into more intervals, making it easier to see when the contaminant first reaches the well.

Contour Ranges

Another option is to change the contour range so it targets the values near the well. After turning on contours for the solution set, change the range by doing the following.

  1. Zoom in on the well area.
  2. Make the contaminant dataset active in the Project Explorer.
  3. Click the Contour Options macro.
  4. Turn on the Specify a range option.
  5. Enter minimum and maximum range values that focus on those contour values near the well.

Now the contours specifically highlight the contaminant flow into the well.

By experimenting with the different contour options, you can find the one that best shows contaminant flow in your project. Try this today in GMS!

Blog tags: 
GMS

3 Ways to Troubleshoot WMS Basin Issues

By aquaveo on June 13, 2018

Have you noticed your model’s basin isn't what you hoped it to be? When you create a solid watershed model, there are a few common issues that can make the model not work as intended. These include:

  1. Having a flow accumulation threshold that is too low or too high.
  2. Having one or more outlets in the wrong location for proper definition of the sub-basins and basins.
  3. Trying to work with a project area that is too large or too small for the intended purpose.

Flow Accumulation Threshold

Setting the correct flow accumulation threshold is very important. If you set the flow accumulation threshold too low, it may not accurately show the information you need, leaving sections of the watershed model reporting dry conditions. If you set it too high, you can be overwhelmed with too much information. It is good practice to try multiple levels to see which provides the most accurate results for the project. You can adjust this setting by doing the following:

  1. Open the Hydrological Modeling Wizard dialog.
  2. Select Compute Flow Directions and Accumulations (TOPAZ) from the list on the left.
  3. Enter the desired Min flow accumulation threshold and close the dialog.

Adjusting the Outlet

Placing an outlet in the wrong location causes the entire structure of the stream system to change dramatically. This can produce sub-basins quite different than desired, which can lead to results not lining up as expected. Remember that everything upstream from an outlet will be part of the same sub-basin or basin, so be careful when placing your outlets for each sub-basin as well as for the full basin.

Project Area

Sometimes, you may select a larger area than necessary for your model, or you may select an area too small for the project to produce useful results. If the area is too large, the desired details may not show up in your results. If the selected area is too small, you may not have enough data on which to base your decisions for the watershed.

If you keep these ideas in mind, your watersheds will better represent the areas you're modeling. Experiment with this today in the WMS Community Edition.

Blog tags: 
WMS

Stockholm GMS Training 2018

By aquaveo on June 6, 2018

Aquaveo recently taught a three-day GMS training session hosted by the School of Engineering Science at the KTH Royal Institute of Technology in Stockholm, Sweden. The institute’s Prosun Bhattacharya arranged and coordinated the training session.

From May 15-18, 2018, Alan Lemon and Hoang Tran presented on a wide range of topics, including general groundwater modeling concepts, using MODFLOW in GMS using both grids and conceptual models, incorporating field data (such as scatter point and borehole data) into a GMS project, and calibrating models in GMS. Models demonstrated and discussed include MODFLOW, MODFLOW-USG, MODPATH, MT3DMS, and SEAWAT.

Participants came from several different countries, companies, and governmental and non-governmental organizations, including:

There were also graduate students from Gdańsk University of Technology in Poland, and KTH Royal Institute of Technology and Luleå University of Technology in Sweden.

After the classes, Alan and Tran enjoyed walking around Stockholm and seeing the sights, including the Vasa Museum and the Nobel Museum.

Aquaveo provides custom, on-site training for SMS, GMS, WMS, ArcHydro Groundwater, and any other water resource modeling need you have. Organizations can set up shared trainings such as this one, or arrange for the same training for their own employees. You can learn more about our training offerings by visiting our site.

Blog tags: 
GMS

Using an SRH-2D Restart File

By aquaveo on May 30, 2018

Do you have an SRH-2D project that is going to take a long time to run? If you don't want your computer tied up for hours, or even days, an SRH-2D project can broken up into smaller model runs that build on each other. This is done by using a restart file or hot start file.

In SRH-2D, a restart file can be specified for the initial wet/dry condition of the simulation. The restart file must have been generated from a previous simulation run that used the same mesh. Several output options exist for creating restart files including: creating them at a regular interval, at a specified list of times, or a single restart file at the end of the simulation.

When SRH-2D does a model run, it creates a series of files for each time step. These restart files are named [casename]_RSTn.dat where n corresponds to the time index. The time series output index file is named [casename]_TSO.dat and holds a list that matches the restart files to a specific time step.

When a restart file is used as an initial conditions hot start file, the previously computed hydraulic conditions from the restart file will always be applied to the start time of a simulation.

To use a hot start condition, do the following:

  1. Run an SRH-2D simulation to completion.
  2. In the output files for the model run, locate the file ending with "TSO.dat" and open it in a text editor.
  3. In the TSO file, locate the time step where you want to use to start your next next simulation run.
  4. In you SMS project, duplicate your simulation.
  5. Open the SHR-2D Model Control dialog for your new simulation.
  6. In the Initial Conditions section, select the Restart File option.
  7. Press the Select button to browse to your restart file.

SRH-2D will now use the conditions from the restart file when you perform your next model run. Now that you know how to use a restart file for an initial condition in SRH-2D, try it in the Community Edition of SMS today!

Blog tags: 
SMS

Draping an Image onto a Ground Surface

By aquaveo on May 24, 2018

When looking at your GMS project in oblique view or when using the Rotate tool, you might have noticed that your map image will disappear. This is because GMS only supports viewing map images in plan view. However, there is a way to make the map image visible in these views.

The ability to drape an image in GMS has been around since the early versions. However, you may not have had an opportunity to use it, or you simply missed hearing about it among all the other great things GMS does.

When not in plan view, an image can be draped on the top surface of a TIN, mesh, or grid. When this is done, the map image will remain visible even when rotating the display view. Some relationships between the surface texture and the shape of the terrain can become visible after the image has been draped over the terrain surface.

If you didn’t already know how to drape an image in GMS, or you want a refresher on how to do it, this is what you do:

  1. Turn off Ortho Mode if it is active. Draping an image cannot be done using Ortho Mode.
  2. Select and make active the map image you want to view. You can use any image file type that GMS can import.
  3. Select a dataset under your grid, mesh, or TIN in the Project Explorer and make it active. A draped image is only applied to one dataset at a time.
  4. Open the Display Options dialog.
  5. Select the appropriate grid, mesh, or TIN display tab.
  6. Turn on the Texture map image option.
  7. Use the Rotate tool or any of the view options to see how the image mapped to the top surface of the geometry.

Here’s an example of how it will appear:

If desired, you can adjust the Lighting Options in GMS to make the features smoother or sharper.

Now that we’ve reviewed the steps, try draping images in GMS today using the GMS Community Edition.

Blog tags: 
GMS

Computing Basin Curve Numbers in 9 Easy Steps

By aquaveo on May 16, 2018

Need to predict direct runoff or infiltration from rainfall excess? Computing a curve number (CN) is a common solution to this problem. The curve number method was developed by the USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service using empirical analysis of runoff from small catchments and hillslope plots.

To calculate a CN you will need the hydrologic soil groups, land use data, and rainfall conditions for a given area. You then need to enter the values for the CN equation to get your final values. While you could calculate a CN manually, WMS can do the work for you.

  1. Import data for the area, either as map coverages or as GIS data. It is import that you review this data for accuracy before using it to compute a curve number. Required data includes land use data and soil type data.
  2. Create a land use ID table file. This can be done in any text editor and should be saved as a standard text file. Examples can be found in the XMSWiki and in the TR-55 manual.
  3. Make the Hydrologic Modeling module the active module.
  4. Select the Compute GIS Attributes command in the Calculators menu.
  5. In the Compute GIS Attributes dialog, select the SCS Curve Number option.
  6. Select the coverage or GIS layers to use for the calculation.
  7. Import the land use table file by clicking the Import button and selecting the land use table text file.
  8. Once your options are set, click OK to generate your curve numbers.
  9. If needed, in the View Data File dialog, select the text editor to use to see your final curve number results. This dialog may not appear if a default text editor has been selected.

Now you can review the curve numbers in your text file. Try calculating Curve Numbers in WMS Community Edition today!

Blog tags: 
WMS

Converting a NET File to an INP File

By aquaveo on May 9, 2018

Do you have an EPANET project you are wanting to import into CityWater?

When working on a municipal drinking water pipe network, EPANET is a water distribution model created by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency that is widely used by cities and towns all across the United States. However, not all programs can use the native EPANET project file format. Because of this, you may find yourself needing to convert the standard NET file used for EPANET projects into an INP file that can be imported into CityWater.

The NET file is a binary file format containing all the pipe networks information, including pipes, nodes (junctions), pumps, valves, storage tanks, and reservoirs. It also contains additional project and preference information used by the EPANET desktop application.

INP files are the plain text version of the NET file, and contain the same network information (EPANET 2 Users Manual, pp.128-129). The INP file format allows greater flexibility in how the pipe network is used, and it can easily be imported into CityWater and other programs such as WMS.

The first steps are to:

  1. Download the EPANET installation program (currently version 2.00.12) from the Environmental Protection Agency's EPANET website.
  2. Once the installer has downloaded, run the installation program.

Once the EPANET application is installed, use the following steps to convert your NET project file to the INP text format by doing the following:

  1. Launch the EPANET application.
  2. Open the NET project file in EPANET.
  3. Review the model to make certain the project is set up as you want it, including quality options and default settings.
  4. Select Export > Network... to bring up the Save Network As dialog.
  5. Browse to the directory where you wish to save the INP file.
  6. Enter the file name you wish to use (e.g., Filename.inp) and click Save.

The INP file can now be imported easily into CityWater as the base file for a new project.

Try this out today by converting your NET files and creating new projects in your CityWater project.

Blog tags: 
CityWater

Troubleshooting Errors in SRH-2D

By aquaveo on May 2, 2018

It happens. You‘ve finished building your SRH-2D model in SMS and you launch the model run. Then, to your dismay, SRH-2D stops running and gives you an error.

It’s not fair. You did everything correct and entered all the correct parameters. SRH-2D should be running and giving you its valuable results. But instead you have an error message.

Don’t panic.

While it is discouraging for SRH-2D to not complete when you launch the model run, it is only telling you that a key bit of data is missing for it to give you valid results. The error code will help you locate that data or fix an inconsistency.

But how do you use the error code to find what needs to be fixed? And shouldn’t the SMS model checker have found it before SRH-2D started?

The SMS model checker verifies all the data needed to run SRH-2D is present and looks for errors in the SMS project such as dangling arcs, numbering issues, or missing components. It does not validate the data. Once the SMS model checker has finished, SRH-2D performs its own checks during the model run.

When SRH-2D gives you an error, you’ll need to record the error number. Errors are shown in the model wrapper. Clicking on the Pre-SRH-2D button will show if there are errors during the pre-processor run. Clicking the SRH-2D button will show errors during the model run.

Once you know what the error is, you can look up the list of SRH-2D errors on the XMSwiki here. The article contains a list of known errors along with guidance on how to fix them.

If you were unable to record the error from the model wrapper, don’t worry. You can still see this information by reviewing two of the files generated by SRH-2D during every model run. These files will be named [projectname].OUT.dat and [projectname].DIA.dat files.

To use these files:

  1. Locate the files in the model run directory with your project file.
  2. Open the *.OUT.dat or *.DIA.dat files using a text editor such as Notepad.
  3. Look through the text file to locate the error code.
  4. Go to the SRH-2D error page to find the solution.
  5. Make the needed change(s) to your project and run SRH-2D again.

Typical solutions to SRH-2D model run errors might involve adjusting some data inputs or making minor reconfigurations to boundary conditions or structures. While making these changes to a project can sometimes be frustrating and tedious, getting an accurate end result will make it all worthwhile.

This is a great troubleshooting process you can use to create many successful SRH-2D model runs. If you haven’t already made use of SRH-2D, feel free to explore it in the Community Edition of SMS.

Blog tags: 
SMS

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