Toolbox panel

The Toolbox panel is accessed via the fourth icon in the right-hand panel group by default. The panel is split into several groups of tools.

Global edit tools

1D River Networks

The 1D River Networks group combines all the key editing functions which relate to an already built 1D river network.

• CES Section - This allows you to adjust Sinuosity or Slope values within CES Section units as above, or to change the name of the Roughness Zone or the orientation of bank markers (See CES Section).
• FEH Boundary – This allows you to adjust FEH boundary parameters globally, as mentioned above for the roughness coefficient.
• Flow Boundary Time Multiplier - This allows you to adjust the Time Multiplier field in flow time boundary units globally, as mentioned above.
• FSSR16 Boundary – This allows you to adjust FSSR16 boundary parameters globally, as mentioned above for the roughness coefficient.
• Spill Modular Limit – This allows you to adjust the Modular limit value for the spill units globally, as mentioned above (See Spill Unit).
• Muskingum VPMC Boundary – This allows you to adjust the Muskingum VPMC unit wave speed or attenuation parameters globally, as mentioned above for the roughness coefficient.
• ReFH Boundary – This allows you to adjust ReFH boundary parameters globally, as mentioned above for the roughness coefficient.
• Reservoir Runoff Factor – This allows you to adjust the Runoff Factor value for the reservoir units globally, as mentioned above (See Reservoir Unit).
• Roughness - This function allows you to adjust roughness coefficients globally. You may multiply values by a factor, increment by a constant or change to a set value. These changes may be applied globally, at locations where the roughness is of a specific value, or to highlighted locations only. It can also be set to change the In-Bank and Out-of-Bank roughness values; this requires bank markers to be set.
• Spill Crest – This allows you to adjust the crest elevation value for the spill units globally, as mentioned above (See Spill Unit).
• Spill Weir Coefficient – This allows you to adjust the Weir coefficient value for the spill units globally as mentioned above (See Spill Unit).

1D Urban Networks

The 1D Urban Networks group contains the urban Group Edit tool. This enables the adjustment of various parameters within selections of, or the entire, active urban network.

Additional model build tools

The Additional Model Build Tools group provides the tools to generate new cross-sections, reservoir units and spill lines or extend existing cross sections (onto the floodplain). This is done through the creation and editing of shapefiles and the interrogation of data from raster grids, e.g. DEM. Some of the sub-menu items provided here also exist in the Map Tools menu in the Flood Modeller interface.

River cross sections can be added to your model by importing from an existing 1D Model file (with georeferencing) or shapefile, by drawing them on the screen as polylines or by Flood Modeller automatically generating sections from an imported (or drawn) river centre line. The ground levels of a section can then be calculated by interrogating a DEM (or other ground grid). These data can then be exported in a compatible text file format (sec file).

In addition to defining new cross sections, Flood Modeller can also extend sections imported from an existing 1D model file. This is useful when you want to extend existing sections beyond the riverbanks and onto the adjacent floodplains.

Flood Modeller allows you to define spill lines as polyline shapefiles either by drawing these directly on the screen or by importing existing shapefiles. Flood Modeller can generate separate spill units for each spill line by effectively calculating a long section of ground levels along each line through interrogation of a selected ground grid. You have the option to search a specified distance adjacent from each spill line to locate maximum defence levels.

Flood Modeller can also calculate 1D reservoir units from polygon shapefiles created or loaded into the viewport. Each polygon is considered to be the maximum extent of a reservoir. You must specify a number of height contours between reservoir at empty (zero depth) and the reservoir at full capacity; for each contour Flood Modeller calculates a reservoir surface area. This collection of data can then be written to a Flood Modeller format text file.

This functionality also allows for node names to be assigned to each reservoir unit and for 'glass walls' to be included in each unit.

The menus under the Additional Model Build Tools menu are as follows:

1D River Cross Sections menu

• Import CSV as Cross Sections – This opens a new window prompting you to browse for an input CSV file where cross section data are defined (X, Y, Z and Label). You can preview the contents in a text window, then specify a file name and location to export your CSV as a section file (.sec). This file can then be imported to a 1D model file.
• Shapefile to river cross section - This tool allows you to generate a 1D section file (.sec) from a shapefile containing polylines representing cross sections. The shapefile should contain attributes with the Distance to Next and Node label information, as these need to be specified in order to be incorporated into the 1D section file. You will also need to specify the Global manning’s roughness value to be used, the distance between points and the ground DTM in order to obtain the elevation data for each cross section. The new section file can be then imported into a 1D model file.
• Generate River Centre Line - This tool automatically draws a polyline through all georeferenced cross sections of a loaded 1D model cross sections file (dat or sec file). A 1D Model file must be highlighted in the Layers panel before the tool can be activated. You will then be prompted to specify a filename for the new shapefile. A centre line will be drawn through the cross section pivot points set up in Flood Modeller which, by default, are the mid-points of each section; however you can reset pivot points to be the low points of each section by right clicking on the 1D model file from the Layers panel. You may wish to associate the new centreline to the source model file (so that it can then be used when validating the cross section file), this can be done by ticking the ‘automatically assign CRL to model’ box in the window.
• Assign River Centre Line – This function allows you to specify a polyline shapefile as the centre line of your cross sections. Selection is made from a list populated with all polylines currently loaded into the viewport. An assigned centre line is then used when validating the cross section file. A 1D Model file must be highlighted in the Layers panel before the tool is activated.
• Cross Section Generator – This opens the river section builder. You must provide the required information to define your cross sections:
  • A polyline shapefile that represents the river centre line - this must be selected in the Layers panel before the cross section tool is run.
  • A cross section separation along the centre line, which can be defined either by a specified number of equidistant sections or by a maximum distance between sections. Alternatively you can request a cross section at every point along the centre line.
  • Length of cross section - you can specify the distance from the centre to the left and right banks individually.
  • 1D Model node label for each cross section. This can be taken from an existing field in the centre line dbf file, or you can specify a common name and Flood Modeller will automatically increment each cross section by assigning a number (starting at '001').
  • Common roughness value to be assigned to each cross section. This can be edited in individual sections later if required.
• Recalculate Cross Sections Points - This function enables you to simplify the cross sections in a 1D model file by reducing the number of points in a section. This is useful for generating simple cross sections to use in creating a TIN for flood mapping purposes. You will be prompted to specify the number of points on the right and left banks of the revised sections (default setting is for one point on the left and right banks plus a centre point). Note that this tool will not account for cross sections that are not single straight lines. For these cases some detail may be lost. Also note that the tool settings are always applied to all cross sections in the selected file. A 1D Model file must be highlighted in the Layers panel before tool is activated.
• Recalculate Distance to Next – This opens a window where you must select the 1D model for which ‘Distance to Next’ is to be recalculated for your cross sections, and the Centre Line where the distance will be measured from. The output file will be a sec file that can be then imported to the 1D Model. The original DAT file will not be modified.
• Extend All River Sections – This tool enables you to extend existing cross sections beyond the left, right or both banks. It requires a 1D model cross section file (sec or dat file) to be selected in the Layers panel. On selection, the attribute table for the cross section file will be loaded, and the editor tab opened. The Select tool can be used to choose a cross section to extend, and the edit tools can be utilized to extend from either the start or finish of the cross section, by a minimum distance, and with a specified number of points. You can specify whether the action is applied only to the selected features or to all the model.
• Change River Section Markers - Change cross section markers for all or a selection of river sections in the active 1D network. Set new markers based on existing markers, e.g. set panel markers based on existing bank markers, or levee markers based on existing deactivation markers. You can select to overwrite the existing markers, or remove the original markers altogether. Note that when adding Levée markers based on (existing) panel markers, exactly two panel markers must be present per section (otherwise, the tool will add no markers for that particular section). This is so that it can determine unambiguously which is the left and right marker. When you have used the tool, you will be notified of the number of river sections that have changed (and therefore can determine if any have not changed).
  
• Reassign Manning's n From Grid – This tool is applicable to use in situations where you have a raster grid of Manning's roughness values, and want to assign these roughness values to all points in a 1D Network cross section file (sec or dat file). You will be prompted to select which grid file (from those loaded in the Layers panel) contains the required roughness data.
• Reassign Manning's n from Polygon – This tool is applicable to use in situations where you have a shapefile containing Manning's roughness values, and want to assign these roughness values to all points in a 1D Network cross section file (sec or dat file). You will be prompted to select which shapefile file (from those loaded in the Layers panel) contains the required roughness data (and in which attribute field).
• Add Panel Marker – This tool automatically adds panel markers at break-points of the roughness values in order to improve the conveyance calculation. A 1D Model file must be highlighted in the Layers panel before the tool is activated.
• Geo-reference Cross Sections – This tool allows cross section files with no georeferencing information to be georeferenced if a valid .gxy file is available with georeferencing information for each node. It uses the gxy file (which must be first loaded in the Layers panel) to define the cross section centre point locations. Flood Modeller then joins up the nodes with a new river centre line (you will be prompted for a new filename for this shapefile) and draws the cross sections perpendicular to the centre line. Flood Modeller uses the 1D model file information to define distances between points in each cross section.
• Fill in Missing Easting / Northing - Some 1D model files may have intermittent geo-referencing. In these cases this tool can be used to linearly interpolate the missing coordinates in each section. This tool requires the appropriate 1D Network file to be first selected in the Project Panel.
• Reverse Selected Cross Section - Reverse selected cross sections of active 1D network, i.e. left bank elevation becomes right bank elevation, etc.
• Export Cross Sections to Shapefile – This function allows you to export 1D model cross sections (which Flood Modeller loads directly from a 1D model dat or sec file) as a polyline shapefile. It should be noted that this format is not capable of storing the cross section elevations, so it only acts to represent the location of cross sections and not the cross section depth profile.

1D River Networks menu

• Run Reservoir Generator – This opens the reservoir unit builder. You will need to provide the information below to define your new reservoir unit(s):
  • Number of contours or maximum contour step size between zero and reservoir full depth.
  • Height of glass wall to include (if required)
  • Reservoir node labels plus any associated lateral inflow node labels

You can review the reservoir data calculated from this tool in an associated text viewer. You can then decide whether to proceed with saving the reservoir data to an IED file.

• Run Spill Generator – This opens the spill unit builder. You will need to provide the information below to define your new spill unit(s):
  • Number of points or maximum point separation along spill line
  • Length of search line at each point to locate maximum defence level
  • Spill node labels

You can review the spill data calculated by this tool either as a long section chart or in IED format within a text viewer. You can then decide whether to proceed with saving the spill data to an IED file.

• Convert River Section to CES Section – this converts a selected river section to CES section. You are prompted to provide the following information:
  • roughness (RAD) file defining roughness parameters of your CES section
  • slope and default sinuosity

An option is also provided to set bank markers with a left-bending, right-bending or straight reach.

• Create 1D Urban Link-reference (ISL) File – Creates a text file to define links between the 1D river network and 1D urban network.
• Sort Initial Conditions – This alters the order of the initial conditions to follow the order of the nodes in your network. It will be applied to the active network (in bold font in the 1D River Network sub-section of the Project panel) and a prompt box will ask you for confirmation before the change is applied. Note that this is a permanent change if you save your network – closing Flood Modeller without saving beforehand will cause the initial conditions to revert to their previous order.
• Update Node Positions from Properties – This adjusts the positions of nodes to the Easting and Northing coordinates specified in the node properties.

2D Model Building menu

This menu contains the Import XYZ as Topographical Line tool. This function allows an XYZ coordinate text file (csv format: x,y,z...) to be imported as a polyline topographic feature shapefile. Flood Modeller will consecutively connect the X,Y,Z points in the file as a polyline shape file (i.e. 1-2,2-3, 3-4 ...). This polyline can then be used as 2D topographic feature.

Model Review Tools

1D River Models

• 1D Model Summary - Tool to visualise 1D models with each similar node type and associated properties grouped together. This is a useful tool for reviewing the content of existing 1D networks. The tool works with the active 1D network in your project. Therefore, if you have no networks currently loaded then the tool will not run.
  The tool opens in a new window that displays your active model using a series of tables in which nodes are grouped by type. Each table provides selected attributes for each node type.
• Tabulate Cross Section Properties - Display cross-section properties in tabular form of highlighted river section units in active 1D network. The data associated to every point within the nodes you have selected are displayed in tabular form in a new window. This tool also provides options to display these data in chart format.
• 1D Health Check - Tool to find and fix data consistency errors within 1D models. The tool analyses your active network and produces a report listing any potential problems found within the model that may lead to instabilities during simulations. These results are displayed in a new window (this also provides the option to browse to other networks to analyse).
• Network comparison - Compares the active network in your project against another. The tool prompts you to browse and select a model to compare with your active network. The results of the comparison are then displayed in a new window.

Calibration tools

1D River Models

• Cal (time series) File Editor - Create file containing time series data, e.g. calibration data, for use with the graphical and tabular post processors (ASCII).
• Cus (long section) File Editor - Create file containing data, such as observed levels, for showing on longitudinal sections (ASCII).

Model results tools

This menu contains the 1D Model Result Extractor tool. This tool can be used to extract, collate, check and plot multiple 1D results files from the same base data. The tool works with the network that is currently active in your project (i.e. displayed in the map view). It opens in a new window prompting you to select which results you want to extract (this also provides the option to browse to other networks to analyse). The Results Extractor works directly with .ZZN results files and model .DAT files. This enables the user to extract model results across different return periods, storm durations and different hydraulic model runs. Basic checks can be carried out to ensure that the results are valid. Results are pre-formatted for report tables with additional data drawn from the hydraulic model (e.g. bank elevations, GIS locations). Ordered longitudinal profile data can also be prepared. An audit trail of model runs and associated results files is automatically created when the program is run. Program settings can be saved and loaded to and from the Results Extractor Profile files (*.IHP).

Flood mapping tools

2D Models

Flood Modeller can be used to post process 2D model results data to generate flood extent maps. These can be single snapshots within a time series, maximum flood extents or animated sequences of flooding. By presenting these data in a GIS environment the user can view flood extents overlaid on other GIS data, e.g. DEMs, aerial photos or Ordnance Survey tiles. The data generated by Flood Modeller can be exported for use in other applications, e.g. Google Earth, other GIS software or as images in reports.

The menu items provided in the '2D Models' category of the 'Other Tools' menu are described below:

• Export 2DM to ASCII grid – This tool allows you to export timestep data from a 2DM file to an ASCII grid which will then be added to your Flood Modeller 'Layers' panel. See 2DM to ASCII tool for further details.
• Convert ASCII grids to 2DM – This converts data from ASCII grids to 2D Flood Modeller (2DM) files.
• Calculate Max values – This tool allows you to specify 2D model or TUFLOW results file and extract a grid of maximum values for a selected output parameter, e.g. water level or flow. The values can be calculated from a specific sub-period within the model duration or taken from the maximum values step (for the entire simulation period) that is contained within the file (usually time step 9999). The output from this tool is a raster or binary grid (asc or flt file extension), which you can specify.
• Event Duration Grid – This tool allows you to form 2D event duration grids using the calculator which is displayed on selection of the tool. The tool displays the 2D model data file currently loaded in the Layers panel, and gives options for the range of time steps to be included. You can also specify the name and location of the output grid file.
• Max Flow Crossing Line - This function allows you to obtain the maximum flow rate crossing a specified polyline shapefile. You will need to select the 2dm file containing the 2D results file (this should contain a _flow.dat time series and the shapefile across which the flow will be tracked). The resulting maximum flow will be stored in the existing attribute of the shapefile or in a new attribute called “MaxFlow”.

1D River Models

Flood Modeller can be used to post process 1D model results data to generate flood extent maps. These can be single snapshots within a time series, maximum flood extents or animated sequences of flooding. By presenting these data in a GIS environment, the user can view flood extents overlaid on other GIS data, e.g. DEMs, aerial photos or Ordnance Survey tiles. The data generated by Flood Modeller can be exported for use in other applications, e.g. Google Earth, other GIS software or as images in reports.

The functions provided in the '1D Models' menu are described below:

• Triangulate Selected File – this tool allows you to simply select an appropriate model file, and automatically generate a triangulation network from it. This TIN is generated using a simplified version of each section.
• Merge TINs – This tool combines multiple TINS into a single new TIN file, maintaining all node labels from the input TINS. A new window will be displayed in which you must to select the TINs you wish to merge from those available in the Layers panel.
• Add Interpolates – this tool allows you to create a polyline shapefile representing interpolated sections between georeferenced sections of a 1D Model file. The tool opens a window where you will need to select a 1D Model dat file and a river centre line; a distance between interpolates needs to be set along with the name and location of the output shapefile. Flood Modeller will generate a shapefile representing interpolated lines between the georeferenced sections in the dat file with an orientation perpendicular to the centre line.
• MAX Flood Extents from WID File – This tool is applicable when you have a WID text file defining the maximum possible flood extent that can be generated from a set of cross sections. Flood Modeller will use this data to generate a flood outline shapefile.
• MIN Flood Extents from WID File - This tool is applicable when you have a WID text file defining the minimum flood extent that can be generated from a set of cross sections. Flood Modeller will use this data to generate a flood outline shapefile.

Grid tools

Flood Modeller can be used to manipulate raster .asc datasets (either loaded into the Layers panel or external files).

The following functions are available for manipulating raster data:

• Create New Grid - This function generates a new, empty grid, i.e. only number of cells, cell size, location and file type are defined. These are defined in a new window. There is no vertical elevation information included, though a cell value can be defined to be applied to all cells. The default cell value is '-9999'.
• Grid Calculator - This tool enables you to perform basic arithmetic operations on raster datasets. The cell values of datasets can be changed or combined with other grid datasets. A new window will open as shown below. It provides an expression builder which allows datasets from the Layers panel to be added to an expression together with arithmetic operators and numeric values (note it is not possible to type directly into the expression box). You can then specify an output grid filename and location before running the calculation operation. An option is provided to automatically load the newly generated raster dataset into the Flood Modeller viewport.
  
• Resample Grid - This function enables the generation of a grid with a different cell size to the source grid. The source grid can be one already loaded in the Layers panel or an external grid which you specify. You will need to select an output filename and location and also the cell size for your new grid. The cell size of the specified source grid is displayed as a guide. If a larger cell size is selected then the tool will calculate an average value based on the source cells contained within each output cell. If a smaller cell size is selected then all output cells within a source cell will take the same value (i.e. that of the source cell).
• Resize Grid – This function enables you to resize a grid, i.e. create a new grid that is a subset of the source grid. This is useful to improve performance if only a small part of a large grid is being used. The cell size must remain the same as the original so the only user settings that are revised are the numbers of rows and columns or the grid coordinates (for lower left corner). These are set in the new window that is displayed when this option is selected, as shown below. Note the grid to be resized must be first selected in the Layers panel before this tool is accessed.
  
• Superimpose Grid - This tool enables you to superimpose the elevations from one grid onto another, e.g. change levels over part of a grid by superimposing more recent data. The two grids specified for this operation (base grid and additional layer) can be different extents and resolutions. Either a new grid can be generated as an output or the base grid data can be overwritten. The extent of the output grid can be the same as the base grid or can be the combined extent of both input grids. The required input data are defined in a new window, which is displayed as shown below.
  
• Superimpose SHP to Grid - This function enables you to superimpose the attributes of a shapefile onto the grid e.g. the z values or other data stored in the shapefile. A new window is displayed on selecting this tool which will prompt you to select an appropriate grid and shapefile, and select the attribute to be displayed on the new grid.
• Trace Line Contours – This function enables you to create a polyline shapefile with contour lines showing equal elevation. This tool opens a window where you will need to select the grid to be used, the contour options, and the name and location of the output shapefile. You also have the option to create a 3D shapefile (including elevation information that can be displayed in a 3D viewer).
  
• Trace Polygons Contours - This function allows you to create a polygon shapefile with contour polygons showing a specified range of elevations. A new window will open where you will need to select the grid to be used, the grid value range to be considered, the contour level values to be used to split the polygons, the minimum size (in cells) of polygons to be considered in the analysis, and the name and location of the output shapefile.
  
• Layer Converter- Converts a GIS layer to another data format, e.g. convert a grid to a shapefile or shapefile to Google Earth file. This tool can be used without any GIS data loaded in your project. In this case you can browse to a file to be converted. The tool is available in both the Grid Tools and Shapefile Tools sections of the Toolbox. When accessed it displays a new window prompting you to specify a source file and an output file and format. Further information about this tool is provided in the Shapefile section below.
  

Shapefile tools

The Shapefile Tools section of the Other Tools provides access to the following operations specific to vector data types (i.e.shapefiles):

• Import CSV as Point Shapefile - Parse and import comma delimited ASCII text (X,Y,Z) as point shapefile.
• Buffer Shapefile – This function creates a polygon buffer shapefile around a specified shapefile layer.
• Clip Shapefile – This function uses the outside polygon boundary of the clip coverage to cookie-cut features and attributes from the input coverage. When the tool is selected a window is displayed where you can select the Input and Clip shapefiles, as well as setting a location and a name for the output file. The resulting file will contain the attributes of the Input shapefile.
• Dissolve by Attribute – This function creates a new shapefile by merging adjacent polygons, lines, or regions that have the same value for a specified field. This feature can be applied to layers already loaded in the Layers panel or external files.
• Explode Shapefile – This function creates single-part shapes from the multi-part ones. This tool disaggregates individual polygons or lines that are merged together as one feature. The output file can overwrite the existing file or be saved as a new one.
• Export Shapefile – This function exports the selected features of an existing layer to a new shapefile, i.e. creating a subset of the original shapefile.
• Fix Shapefile – This function fixes a shapefile based on a series of standard checks. The output file can overwrite the existing file or be saved as a new one.
• Intersect Shapefile – This function creates a new shapefile from the common areas or edges of any two selected layers of the same geometry type, the intersection can be done using only selected features. The new intersected feature contain all the attributes from both input shapefiles. This feature can be applied to layers already loaded in the Layers panel or external files.
• Merge Shapefile – This function allows you to combine two shapefiles (loaded in the Layers panel or external files) into one feature. The resulting shapefile will include all (or just the selected) features of the initial shapefiles and all their attributes. The features must be from either a line or a polygon layer.
• Puddle Clean – This function analyses a specified flood extent polygon and checks for small isolated features, or “puddles”. These can be considered to be disconnected from the main flood flow, likely caused by an anomaly in the associated model. Therefore it may be beneficial to remove these from your final flood map. The puddle clean tool will remove these features from your flood extent shapefile and save the result as a new shapefile.
  When the function is accessed from the Toolbox menu a new window is displayed as shown below:
  
  The tool requires the selection of a flood extent shapefile to process. This is selected either by browsing to the file or selecting from a list of compatible files present in the current map view. After selecting a file you must then specify the type of cleaning analysis you wish to perform on the selected file. The options are as follows:
  • Remove puddles with area less than – specify a minimum polygon area in the space provided (area is defined by a number of grid cells). All polygons in the shapefile smaller than the specified size will then be removed from the output shapefile.
  • Remove puddles with area more than – specify a maximum polygon area in the space provided (area is defined by a number of grid cells). All polygons in the shapefile greater than the specified size will then be removed from the output shapefile. This may be useful to remove bodies of permanent water from your flood extent shapefile, i.e. not part of the modelled flood.
  • Remove puddles with area of – you can specify a series of specific polygon areas (area is defined by a number of grid cells) to be removed from your shapefile. These are specified in a series with each value entered separated by a comma. Only polygons with sizes that exactly equal one of the listed sizes will be removed in the output shapefile.
  You must then specify a filename and location for the new shapefile that will be created by this tool. The OK button activates the function and proceeds to create a new shapefile (with the option of automatically adding this to your map view).
• Shapefile To Grid - This function enables you to create a new grid in which the extent covers a specified shapefile and the cell values are populated from a specified attribute of that shapefile. When the function is selected, a new window is displayed requiring you to specify a shapefile to be converted either by browsing to the file or selecting from a list of compatible files present in the current map view. The output grid is then specified by the following settings:
  • Grid cell size (in metres).
  • Grid cell values – select an attribute field to use from the selected shapefile (or select to write the shapefile feature ID values to each underlying grid cell).
  • Filename – specify a name and location for the new grid file that will be created by this tool.
  The OK button will activate the function and proceed to create a new grid (with the option of automatically adding this to your map view). Alternatively you can add this defined calculation function to a batch list, to be grouped with other calculations and run at a later time.
• Sort Shapefile – This function sorts the features in a shapefile in ascending or descending order according to the value of the field specified by the user in the prompted tool window. The output file can overwrite the existing file or be saved as a new shapefile.
• Union Shapefile – This function computes the geometric union of two shapefile layers. The resulting shapefile is a multi-polygon layer that contains both the intersecting and difference areas between the input polygons. This feature can be applied to layers already loaded in the Layers panel or external files.
• Validate Shapefile - This tool checks the validity of a specified shapefile and requires the selection of a shapefile to test. This is selected either by browsing to the file or selecting from a list of compatible files present in the current map view. After selecting a file, the checking process is started by clicking the OK button. The tool then performs a series of standard checks to test the validity of the shapefile against industry standard parameters, e.g. a polygon should be defined in a clockwise direction. The results of the checks are displayed in the tool window. A button is provided to copy this information to the clipboard.
• Simplify Lines - Creates a new shapefile with reduced number of vertexes from the original shapefile, e.g. if a straight line (within a shapefile) contains multiple points then all mid-points are removed as the line can be defined by just a start and end point. The tools opens in a new window and prompts you to specify a shapefile to simplify (i.e. the file does not need to be loaded into your project beforehand).
• Layer Converter - This function enables GIS datasets to be converted to a different format. The tool is displayed in a new window, as shown below. It enables datasets loaded in the Layers panel to be selected for conversion, or you can browse to any compatible external file. Input data formats can be grids and shapefiles. The output file, as specified by you, can take one of the following formats:
  • Grid shapefile - outline drawn around each cell in raster grid as separate polygon features. Each feature will have the cell value (e.g. elevation of water level) as an attribute
  • Outline shapefile - outline drawn around the outer edge of a flood extent (i.e. grid values representing water depth that are greater than zero)
  • Google Earth File - outline shapefile created and then converted to .kml format, which can then be uploaded to Google Earth.
  • Grid - alternative grid can be created, such as asc to flt.

Forecasting tools

1D River Models

• Define FEWS Real-time Inputs - Show node locations to toggle selection for inputs into a Flood Modeller simulation within the FEWS (flood forecasting software).
• Define FEWS Output Locations - Select node locations required for output from a Flood Modeller simulation within FEWS (flood forecasting software).
• Export for FEWS Configuration - Export the Flood Modeller 1D configuration files compatible with the FEWS Adapter. The adapter enables your 1D networks to be incorporated into a FEWS flood forecasting system.

See the following link for more information on forecasting with Flood Modeller:
https://www.floodmodeller.com/forecasting

Post-Processing Tools

Flood Modeller provides access to external tools that operate with GIS datasets, the links to these tools can be found under the Post-Processing Tools menu, and are described below:

• Damage Calculator Tool ­-The Damage Calculator toolbox item provides a link to the Damage Calculator Tool (DC Tool). This is a standalone tool used to calculate damages to property caused by flooding. The DC Tool requires the following input datasets to define an analysis run:
  • Grid Data - used to define water depths to be utilised for damage calculations. Grid datasets must also be provided for inundation times and flood hazard ratings if your analysis is to include a 'Risk to Life' calculation
  • Property Data - Used to provide details of property types within the analysis area.
  The DC tool will then use these data to ascertain flood depths at each property location. These data will then be combined with the associated damage curve data to calculate individual property damages and hence overall damages in your analysis area. Full details on how to operate this tool are provided in the Damage Calculator User Guide.
  When running the DC Tool from Flood Modeller you will initially be presented with a new window that lists the raster grid files you currently have loaded in your Flood Modeller Layers panel (ASCII format only).
  The new window displayed enables you to select grids loaded in the Flood Modeller to be automatically pre-loaded into the DC Tool when it starts up (thus saving time browsing to these files a second time). It should be noted the DC Tool is currently only compatible with ASCII grid format. Therefore, other grid formats in your viewport will not be listed in the new window (though you can convert these to ASCII using the Layer Converter tool). In addition to loading grids already in the Flood Modeller viewport, the new window includes a 'Load Grid' button, which provides a browse window enabling you select and add additional grids to the list.
  Select the grids you wish to pass on to the DC Tool by clicking in the adjacent box to insert a tick. Alternatively, to select or unselect multiple grids click on the 'Check All' or 'Uncheck All' buttons respectively.
  
  Note

  Only Damage Calculator Tool depth grids can be selected at this stage. Flood Hazard and Time of Inundation grids must still be selected from within the Damage Calculator interface.
  When all required grids are selected (which may be no grids at all) then click the OK button to start up the Damage Calculator interface, as shown below:
  
  It has to be noted that if the Damage Calculator is started for the first time or the damage curve data folder has not been defined last time the DC was run, a window asking you to specify the damage curve data folder will show when the Damage Calculator tool is started.
• UMap Tool - The UMap toolbox item provides a link to the UMap (Uncertainty Mapping) software, which is designed as a simple tool to estimate the uncertainty in flood outline locations. A separate UMap guidance note is provided with the UMap interface and can be used to access further information on this tool. The tool can be used separately from the Flood Modeller interface, however if it is accessed from the modelling toolbox Flood Modeller will prompt you to specify datasets to preload automatically into the UMap interface. These will be selected from the datasets currently loaded in the Layers panel or can be also external files. It should be noted that selecting data at this stage is optional and you can just proceed straight to the UMap interface.
  

Deprecated Tools

This menu option contains access to the Batch Runner tool from v4.2. Unless this outdated tool is required for your particular project, it is recommended to instead use the latest Batch Runner tool to run simulations.