Version 7.3.1

Build Number (standalone Hydrology+ database version) 7.3.9316.27677

Build Number (network Hydrology+ database version) 7.3.9316.27379

Released 8th July 2025

The following are the key features delivered for v7.3.1:

Shared Hydrology+ Database

The latest release of Flood Modeller aims to provide you with a choice for how Hydrology data is managed. In previous releases, each instance of Flood Modeller is assigned its own individual Hydrology+ database. You can import catchment descriptor data and then utilise these in Calculation Points to generate reconciled hydrographs (using ReFH2 and WINFAP). This can then provide the boundary inputs underpinning your multiple modelling scenarios. If these data are required by others in your team, then Flood Modeller enables you to share Hydrology+ projects by utilising the export and import functionalities.

In v7.3.1 two installation options have been developed. There is the existing system described above and there is now an option to set up a centralised Hydrology+ database that any member of your team can connect to. In this new option, all connected users share access to the same data, i.e. imported catchment descriptors, gauge records and Hydrology+ projects. You can still set up new projects, add calculation points and perform ReFH2 and WINFAP analyses to generate your hydrographs. But, in addition, now the whole of your team can see your work and contribute to it.

Apart from the Hydrology+ database setup, both incarnations of v7.3.1 offer identical functionality. This update has not added any other new functionality but has addressed several key bugs and issues that our users have reported over the last few months. These are all detailed in the release notes that accompany the release.

It should be noted that the network database version of Flood Modeller requires you to have Microsoft SQL Server installed and accessible to your users. The setup of a Flood Modeller database instance within this and the specification of a configuration file to enable Flood Modeller to connect to this are detailed in a guidance document supplied with the installer download.

The network database version of Flood Modeller is also packaged with a utility that database administrators can use to generate a configuration file that can be distributed to their users to enable them to connect to the centrally located database. The shared database version of Flood Modeller is available on request from our support team, who will also advise on best configuration.

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Minor enhancements and bug fixes

In addition to the option of a centralized shared Hydrology+ database, v7.3.1 delivers a series of key bug fixes and minor enhancements. The majority of these have originated from our users making requests for functionality or reporting issues to our Support Team. These additions to the software are summarised below:

Default levee data output changed to off – 1D river solver was always writing levee data to the zzx file even if a network contained no levees. This caused simulations to run slower than optimum (particularly noticeable for forecasting simulations).
If a blockage is present in a bridge unit that goes into orifice mode, then the blockage proportion value for this bridge would be wrongly applied to all bridges in a model (instead of being recalculated for each bridge) – this issue arose when the new bridge unit was introduced. It is now fixed and blockage proportions are calculated individually for each bridge in a network.
Error in 2D models including infiltration – solvers would fail in pre-processing reading curve number (CN) data. This issue has now been addressed and 2D models can be specified with CN input values for modelling of infiltration.
2D solvers have been enhanced to address issue with Green-Ampt infiltration generating excessive, unrealistic results.
2D solvers have been enhanced to output any missing/undefined infiltration areas to the spatial diagnostics file, enabling you to quickly see any potential holes within input infiltration data. In addition, warnings will be added to the 2D log file regarding any missing/undefined infiltration areas encountered.
Auto backup facility for Hydrology+ databases has been disabled for the new shared database version. Users will not need to (or likely not be able to) backup the Hydrology+ database locally. Backups of the centrally located shared database will be managed by the database administrators.
Extra layer of protection added for users deleting H+ projects. This is to protect projects in a shared Hydrology+ database, where all users can see and interact with all projects.
Check for duplicate Hydrology+ calculation points added to Report Builder: Flood Modeller checks if there are duplicate calculation point names within the project (this causes problems with Report Builder and would result in files being overwritten). If there are duplicates a message box is shown showing up to the first 5 duplicate names (shows fewer if there are fewer than 5). Report builder will then not continue (as the user will need to resolve the duplicate names issues before a valid report can be generated).
When adding a new calculation point the database is checked to see if the name exists already. If it does the user receives a message asking them to change it. Note: Calculation points with the same name in different projects (within the same Hydrology+ database) are allowed.
When updating an existing calculation point, the database is checked to see if the name exists already (also checks the same record is not being updated with the same value as before). If it does, the user is prompted to change it.
Issue with Report Builder not generating any spreadsheet outputs for projects located in Ireland has been resolved. The issue was preventing WINFAP excel outputs in Northern Ireland (due to calculation points here not having a valid basin location defined - which is the case for all of them).
Fixed issue with Report Builder that affected outputs when the tool tried to create folder names containing spaces.
Changes were needed to the displaying of selected online gauge sites. This is to account for changes in the way these gauge datasets are presented, e.g. Upper Monachyle (SEPA gauge) observed flow/level data was not displaying.
The FEH catchment descriptor datasets provided by CEH are being updated to include extra parameters. Therefore, the Flood Modeller catchment descriptor import functionality has been enhanced to include the additional parameters within the data brought into the Hydrology+ database. However, in this version, these extra data cannot be utilised.
The tools that download and/or convert Fathom flood depth data have been improved to ensure all detail is retained when converting from the Fathom default unit of centimetres to the Flood Modeller standard unit of metres. Previously some outputs from this tool were rounding grid cell values to the nearest metre.
The conversion process for Fathom data goes from a Fathom produced geoTIFF to a Flood Modeller compatible geoTIFF and then with an optional additional conversion to ASCII raster grid format. An issue has been resolved with the latter conversion that was causing the interim geoTIFF grid to be corrupted (setting all values to zero apart from missing data flags).
The plot section tool (on the Results tab of main toolbar) has been enhanced to recognise the missing data flags present within Fathom grid outputs. As with other missing data (e.g. from 2D model outputs), the plot section tool ignores these values and only plots the depth values from the Fathom datasets.
The heat map tab in the plot section tool has been removed as it was not working as designed and as seen as no longer required.
Issue resolved regarding the handling of file paths containing dots (e.g. “C:\myfolder\dat.folder\myNetwork.dat”) in the 1D river model setup interface. This also further improves the handling of relative file paths in the setup of 1D river models.
Calculation point names are currently limited to 50 characters. Therefore, the calculation point definition window, where the name is set, has been enhanced to prevent longer name entries.
Checks have been added to prevent calculation point names from being duplicated within the same Hydrology+ project. If a project is imported and duplicate names are identified then a list (of up to 5) duplicates is displayed.
When switching between different Hydrology+ projects the map and calculation points table should now always update to show the calculation points of the new project (previously the points from the previous project could remain in the map view).
The process of batch importing multiple catchment descriptor datasets has been enhanced through the addition of a progress message informing how many descriptor datasets have been imported.
Calculations points have been enhanced to ensure they are always associated to a basin region. This is required information for using ReFH2/WINFAP, for defining new hydrograph libraries and for specifying climate change factors for reconciled hydrographs.

The hierarchy of searching which basin a calculation point is located within is:

What shape a point lies in
What shape is closest (if it doesn't lie in any)

The basin search method used is now written above the basin field, e.g. "calculation point is within the area below" or "closest area to calculation point is". It is important that users review the basin selected to ensure it is appropriate for their analysis. Changes to basin can be applied under the Hydrograph Library tab of the calculation point.

Known Limitation

Through testing, the following additional limitations have been identified in this release of Flood Modeller and should be noted when software is in use. This issues will be resolved in a subsequent release. If you identify further issues, please report these to our support team.

When using Hydrology+ with FEH catchment descriptors, if the catchment discharge point does not lie within a catchment basin (for example below the tidal limited of a major river) then Flood Modeller will attempt to assign an appropriate basin for the purposes of climate change uplift. In some instances this may not be the closest basin. It is always recommended that users check the basin and climate change factors applied to their hydrology, which can be accessed via the “Hydrograph Library” tab for a given calculation point.
If using Flood Modeller to import FATHOM data via the API an issue has been identified if importing multiple grids in GeoTIFF format in a single session. Conversion of data to metres may be incorrect after the first grid. This issue does not affect ASC formatted data or single grid import.