GMS

5 Ways to Select Arcs in GMS

By aquaveo on July 18, 2018

Everyone knows you can select an arc in GMS by using the Select Arcs tool and clicking on the desired arc. But did you know there are five different ways to select one or more arcs? Here’s a quick rundown of all of them:

Use the Select Arcs tool to click on a single arc. This is the most common way to select an arc, but it only allows you to select one at a time. If you have multiple arcs you need selected, there are better, more efficient ways to select them.
Use the Select Arcs tool while pressing the Shift or Ctrl key to select multiple specific arcs. This allows you to select only the desired arcs for whatever purpose you wish. This method includes all of the precision of the first method, but can take a long time if you have many different arcs to select. The next three methods allow you to more quickly select larger numbers of arcs.
Use the Select Arcs tool to drag a box around multiple arcs to select them. All arcs where both nodes of the arc are contained within the box wil be selected. Arcs where one node is outside of the box will not be selected. The click and drag method provides a quick method for selecting multiple arcs, but is not as accurate.
Use the Select All command in the Edit menu to select all the arcs in the project. Just make sure to have the Select Arcs tool selected first so GMS knows what to select. The Unselect All command can be used to deselect everything when you’re done, if desired.
The Select With Poly command in the Edit menu lets you draw out a polygon around the arcs you want selected. Keep in mind that both ends of an arc must be within the polygon in order for it to be selected.

Try out these options today in the GMS Community Edition.

Edit: This post was updated on 7/20/2018 to correct information in methods 2 and 3.

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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.

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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.

Zoom in on the well area.
Make the contaminant dataset active in the Project Explorer.
Click the Contour Options macro.
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.

Zoom in on the well area.
Make the contaminant dataset active in the Project Explorer.
Click the Contour Options macro.
Turn on the Specify a range option.
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!

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GMS

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.

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