Getting Started – 1D Modelling

This document provides a ‘quick start guide’ for new users of Flood Modeller
showing how to run a 1D model and view results.
1. The guide uses example data that is packaged with Flood Modeller. To
access the data, go to the Start tab and select the menu option (on the
left-hand side) to “Extract example data”. Then specify the location you
want to unpack these data to. Note you can unpack the example data
multiple times to different specified locations (e.g. if you want to refresh
the example files after using/editing them).
2. Start Flood Modeller and on the Home tab of the main toolbar click
'Load 1D Network'.

Browse to “…\Getting Started\1D Model”, select the Example1D.dat file

and click 'Open' to load the model network into the interface. The model
network should be automatically loaded into your map view, showing the
river cross-sections and two boundary nodes.
3. Load background map data. Different background data can be used
depending on whether you have an internet connection available.
If you are connected to the internet you can use freely available online
base maps data. To add a base map into your Flood Modeller map
view:
• Go to the Home tab of the main toolbar and click on the Base
Maps menu (on the right side of the toolbar)

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 • Select a base map to add to your map view, e.g. Open Street
Map
• If the current project has no geo-projection specified (as is the
case here) the software will prompt you to assign a projection to
your map.

• Click Set Projection and a new window listing all available geo-
projections will be displayed. The required projection for your
model is “WGS 84 / Pseudo-Mercator” (which has an EPSG
code of 3857). You need to select this projection either by
locating the WGS 84 folder in the left-hand listings or by typing
3857 into the Code box and pressing the Enter key. Once
selected click OK to apply this projection to your project.

Or type 3857 in
here (EPSG code)
and press Enter

Select WGS 84 > WGS 84/

Pseudo-Mercator in here

• The base maps may not automatically appear. If this is the case
then you will need to pan or zoom your map view slightly to
prompt it to refresh with the background data visible.

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 If you do not have access to the internet (or your connection restricts
downloading), you can load the background map image provided in the
example folder:
• Click 'Add GIS Data' button in the 'Home' tab of the toolbar.
• Browse to “…\Getting Started\1D Model”, select the
BackgroundMap.png file and click Open. Note, this is a low-
resolution image.
4. View the boundary conditions. The model is already provided with an
upstream and downstream boundary. The upstream boundary provides
a time series of flow entering the upstream end of the model network (in
cubic meters per second). The downstream boundary provides a time
series of water levels, which are influenced by the tidal cycle. To view
the downstream boundary:
• In either the Mapview or Network Panel, select the HTBDY
(head-time boundary) unit 3.38 located on the east of the
network (bottom of the list in the Network panel). Right-click on
the node and select '1D Node Properties' ('Properties' if selecting
from the Network pane) to show the data associated with the
selected node.
• Click the “Plot” button in the node properties window. This will
display (in a new window) a plot of water level vs time for the
downstream boundary condition of your model. You should be
able to see that the downstream boundary condition for this
model is tidal, as shown in the image below. After inspecting
these data close the chart window and node properties window.

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 5. View one of the cross sections. To do this, select one of the river section
units (for example section 2.12), right click and select 'Cross Section'
and click the “Plot” button. You should see the cross-sectional profile of
the selected river node. Close the plot.
6. Run the simulation. This can be done by clicking on the “New 1D
Simulation” button in the 'Simulation Tab' of the main ribbon. You will be
prompted to specify a name and location for saving your simulation file,
for example ‘example1d’. A simulation run definition window will then
appear, as shown below:

7. Select 'Unsteady (Fixed Timestep)' as your run type, set the 'Finish time'
to 36 hours and both the 'Timestep' and 'Save interval' to 360 seconds.
Click 'Run' to start your simulation (click ‘Yes’ when prompted to save
the changes you’ve made in the simulation window).
During the simulation, progress information is displayed in a new window
(this may take a few seconds to initially update to show your run data).
When the simulation is complete (it should take less than a minute) the
progress bar should turn green and show a value of 100% (if successful).

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 You can review the summary data produced from your simulation in the
chart and tables in the simulation window. Furthermore, you can change
the plotted data to show a different performance metric by right-clicking
on the chart and selecting from the displayed options, as shown below
(note you can change this display during the run as well):

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 After inspecting the simulation metadata, close both the run progress
window (using the “X” icon in the upper right corner) and the run
definition window (click 'Close' – there is no need to save your
simulation settings).

8. View the results.

First let’s view the water level time series at one of the river sections. It
should be a tide graph similar (but not identical) to the downstream
boundary condition shown previously. To do this, select a river section
(either on the map or in the Network panel, for example node 2.26),
right-click and select 'Time Series' from the displayed options.
A new window is displayed which enables you to specify a results file, a
node from the associated network, a start- and end-time and a
parameter to plot. Leave all settings to their defaults and click the 'Plot'
button.
The water level (stage) result at the node you selected will be plotted, as
shown below (close the plot once you have looked at it).

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 Next, watch a dynamic animation of the changes in water level with time
on a longitudinal profile of the river. To do this:
• Select all river section units either in the map view (by dragging
across your network with the left mouse button depressed) or in
the Network panel (by selecting the first unit in the model (node
2.1). Then scroll down to the end of the nodes list (node 3.38)
and press the '<Shift> key' and left mouse button together).
• Right- click on the highlighted sections and choose 'Long
Section'. A new window is displayed which enables you to
specify a range of nodes from the active network. Your selection
will already be specified here so click the 'Plot' button to see the
long section.
• Right-click on the plot and select “animation” from the displayed
options. The animation toolbar will appear at the top of the long
section plot window.
• Click the 'Play' button, and an animated sequence of your water
level results will be displayed, as shown by the snapshot below:

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 The figures below illustrate the changes of water level in the river
over the course of the simulation. You can see the changes of
the tidal cycle along the river.

© 2018 Jacobs
www.floodmodeller.com