Using FEFLOW. if you already know 5.x. This document refers to FEFLOW 6 beta 1

Transcription

1 Using FEFLOW 6 if you already know 5.x This document refers to FEFLOW 6 beta 1 1

2 Table of Contents Preface... 5 Welcome to FEFLOW Conventions and symbols in this reference... 6 The new workspace... 7 Menu commands... 7 Panels and toolbars... 7 Diagrams... 7 Views... 7 Supermesh view... 8 Slice view D view... 8 Cross-section view... 9 A word on the philosophy of the new software... 9 Creating a new FEFLOW model Maps Using maps as a spatial reference Using maps to import model properties Designing a supermesh Navigation in the supermesh view Manual supermesh design (digitizing maps) Snapping Polygon auto-completion Importing lines, points and polygons from vector files Splitting and joining polygons Generating the finite-element mesh Choosing a mesh generator Choosing the properties of a mesh generator Refinement Proposing element numbers Generate automatically Generate areally Generate gradually Problem settings

3 Problem class and specific option settings Temporal and control data Time-varying functions (time series) Global settings Setting up a 3D model Viewing and modifying model properties Overview: the new workflow to edit model properties Choosing model properties for visualization and data assignment Displaying model properties in the active view Selecting a model property for data assignment Restricting the visualization to a part of the model only Initial conditions vs. process variables Creating selections of nodes or elements The different selection tools Setting the snap distance for map selections Copying selections to other slices or layers Storing and loading selections Assigning data to a model property at a selection Assigning constant values Assigning time series Importing constant values from maps Importing time series from maps The mesh inspector Data operations Deleting boundary conditions and constraints Copying data to other properties to other slices or layers Import and export Importing boundary conditions and constraints Exporting data as nodal or elemental values Exporting data plots Reference data Observation points Observation point groups Cross sections (fences, segments, line sections) Reference distributions Running the simulation Saving DAC files

4 Postprocessing Navigation in a.dac-file Budgeting Evaluating mass fluxes Relating mass fluxes to nodes Pathlines (particle tracking) Outlook: FEFLOW functions not yet implemented Features that will be available in a future release of FEFLOW Time varying material parameters IFM modules Discrete feature elements Multi-layer wells Borehole heat exchanger Fluid flux analyzer Debug tool Parameter zones (FEFLOW Explorer) Converting data (conversion tool) Content analyzer Special operations Features that have been removed from FEFLOW Mesh generator T-Mesh

5 Preface Welcome to FEFLOW 6 With the release of FEFLOW 6, we have undertaken a complete refurbishment of the FEFLOW appearance. After using a UNIX-style Motif GUI for almost 20 years, the time has come to create a friendlier, modern and most of all more productive type of user interface. The usage of hardware-accelerated 3D views, persistent links to data sources and many more features brings a lot of benefits to you, but also requires new workflows and ways to think when working with the new software. The first time you start FEFLOW 6 you might feel a bit uncomfortable. The green wallpapers have disappeared, being exchanged by grey parchment background; the blue menu buttons are gone and have been substituted by data trees. But you will soon see that working with the new FEFLOW is quick, intuitive, more transparent and fun! Some work steps are still very similar; and the ones that have been changed will be much easier to handle now. To remove the biggest obstacles on your way to become a FEFLOW 6 expert, we have created this reference. It compares the important work steps in the old and the new FEFLOW interfaces and shows you how get your work done efficiently. If you want to know the new features of the supermesh editor or how you can live without having a Join-operation, just go on with the next pages. All the best, your FEFLOW team of DHI-WASY! 5

6 Conventions and symbols in this reference In addition to the verbal description of the required screen actions we make use of some icons. They are intended to assist in relating the written description to the graphical information provided by FEFLOW. The icons refer to the kind of setting to be done: menu commands commands in the context menu (to be opened with the right mouse button) toolbars panels buttons in a dialog trees entries of trees input fields for text or numbers switch toggles radio buttons checkboxes 6

7 The new workspace When you open FEFLOW 6 for the first time, you will notice that the developers have done more than just a transition of the old menu structure to a Windowsstyle platform. In FEFLOW 5.x a static menu structure has been used, where you have been able to view and edit exactly one model property at a time at a fixed position in the program. FEFLOW 6 gives you more freedom: You are now able to display any combination of model properties at the same time, even while you are editing them. The tools to show and modify model properties are not hidden in menus anymore, but are accessible in toolbars and panels which are accessible at any time. The workspace (the FEFLOW window) is not static anymore, but can be changed and customized by the user. Panels and toolbars can be switched on and off, you may also change their position in the workspace. They may even be placed outside the FEFLOW window, which is a handy feature if using more than one screen. To restore the original screen layout, choose View > Reset Toolbar and Dock-window Layout from the menu. The next time FEFLOW 6 is started, the toolbars and panels will be re-arranged to their original state and position. Menu commands The menu is always visible and provides access the most important functions of FEFLOW 6. Panels and toolbars In contrast to the menu, panels and toolbars can be shown or hidden by using the menu command View > Panels and View > Toolbars, respectively. In this way, you can customize your workspace the way you like it. You can also place panels and toolbars outside the FEFLOW window and on another screen. Diagrams Diagrams are special panels that usually display the development of a model property over space or time. They can be accessed using the menu entry View > Diagrams. Views Views are the primary windows where your model is displayed and its properties can be modified. There are four different types of views (Supermesh-, Slice-, 7

8 3D- and Cross-section view), each providing a particular style to show the model and providing different tools depending on its particular purpose. Select View > Toolbars from the menu and choose the particular view from the list to create a new view. To navigate in the view, several tools are accessible in the View toolbar, whereas the behavior slightly changes with the type of view that is currently focused. Please see the description below. For more information on the various tools please refer to the respective parts of the help system. Supermesh view The Supermesh view will open when you start a new FEFLOW model. It is used to design the supermesh. Having focused this view, the necessary tools become available in the Supermesh menu and in the Supermesh toolbar. The recommended Navigation tool in the Supermesh view is the panning tool (hold down left mouse button to pan, hold down right mouse button to zoom). Slice view The Slice view is the direct FELOW 6 analog to the old working window in FEFLOW 5.x. It provides a plan view of a single model slice of the finite element mesh. The recommended Navigation tool in the Slice view is the pan tool (hold down left mouse button to pan, hold down right mouse button to zoom) In a 3D model, you can browse the slices up and down using the <PAGE UP> and <PAGE DOWN> keys. Alternatively, you can directly choose a layer/slice from the Spatial Units panel. 3D view The 3D view is available in 3D models only. If you are familiar with the FEFLOW Explorer, you already know the principle of the navigation in this kind of window. Having the Rotate tool activated, you rotate the model around its centre of gravity by holding down the left mouse button; the location you catch with the mouse cursor will stick to the mouse cursors position. You cannot only grab parts of the model, but also other objects shown in the view like the handles. A small but useful new element is the auto-spinning behavior. Just rotate the model and release the left mouse button during the movement, the model will 8

9 continue spinning around the last axis of rotation until you grab it again or hit <ESC>. To pan the view to the left or the right, hold down the mouse wheel (center mouse button) and move the model in the chosen direction. Holding down the right mouse button activates zooming. In many cases, a model will have a rather small vertical extent compared to its horizontal dimensions. The (vertical) z-axis should be exaggerated in this case. This can be done in the Navigation panel. This panel contains all necessary functions to change the current view on the model. Click on the Distortion tab and shift the slider bar up until you have achieved a convenient view on the 3D model. Cross-section view Material properties and process variables can also be visualized in cross-section views. The area of a cross-section is defined as a line in the Slice view (called a 2D Surface line). Focus the Slice view and open its context menu (with the right mouse button). Choose Tools > Draw a 2D surface line. This line will be added to the Surface Locations section of the Spatial Units panel (The default name is 2D Polyline #...). Open the context menu of this line and choose Cross-Section view. A new Cross-Section view will open. A word on the philosophy of the new software As mentioned before, FEFLOW 6 gives the user a lot more freedom to choose your own favorite workflow. In FEFLOW 5.x, you worked yourself through the menus in a given order - from top to bottom. Within these menus, you followed a strict sequence of work steps again when assigning the model properties first selecting the quantity, then inputing the value, and finally selecting the place where to apply it. 9

10 In FEFLOW 6, the order of these steps is arbitrary. You may create a selection of nodes first, and then apply specific values to different properties (e.g. a flow boundary condition and its respective constraint) afterwards. You can even store the selection for later use (for example to add a mass transport boundary condition when you extend the model at a later stage of your project). Another aspect is the unification of tools in FEFLOW 6. For example, you have to learn and use only one single, powerful set of tools to create selections (instead of a slightly different tool for every single model property). This will allow the user to learn and use the software more efficiently, and will also be the basis for the development of more powerful features in the coming years. However, besides the changes during model property assignment, the overall workflow stays the same. You start with the design of a supermesh, usually based on background maps, that acts as the basis for the finite-elements mesh generation. Afterwards, you choose a model type in the problem settings and configure the 3D layer setup. Next, the physical properties (initial condition, boundary conditions and material properties) are assigned to the model. Finally, you start the simulation, possibly storing the results in a DAC-file, which can be loaded for later post processing. The next chapters will guide you through these steps. If you need any help, do not hesitate to visit our web page or contact our support staff. 10

11 Creating a new FEFLOW model By default, FEFLOW will already open an empty Supermesh when starting. If you have to start with a new model at a later stage, choose create a new model. File > New to Maps (Background-) Maps have two functions in a FEFLOW 6 model. Using maps as a spatial reference The first function is to provide the spatial reference to provide the geometry of the supermesh (either by manual digitizing or by direct import of polygons, lines and points). to create selections of nodes or elements (the former joining operation). to give the modeler a better orientation in general. Using background maps for these purposes is described in this chapter. All map-related operations are performed in the Maps panel, which carries over the functionality of the former Map- Manager. Initially, the list of registered maps is blank, except for a command Add Maps... To add one or multiple maps to your model, double click on this command or choose Add Map from the context menu in the Maps panel. A file selector will open that lets you choose one or multiple map files you want to load. Maps that have been registered to the fem-file in this way can be made visible in the current view window (for example the supermesh view). Perform a double click on the respective map in the Maps panel. In the case of vector data files (like ESRI shape files), a map contains one or more map layers. Map layers are used to define different views on the data of the same map. When a vector file is registered, a map layer Default is created automatically. Double click on the map layer instead of the map itself to make it visible in the active view. A general idea in FEFLOW 6 is the separation of the source of the data and the view on the data. The maps are an excellent example to explain this principle: The maps panel is a collection of all map data. It stores the location of the files and also the meaning of its data (physical unit, associated model property, etc). See section Importing constant values from maps for more information. 11

12 On the contrary, the view on the data is controlled separately in the View Components panel. This panel contains a list of all visible items of the active view. The double click you performed on a map or map layer in the Maps panel before did nothing else then adding the map to the View Components panel. Note that the contents of the View Components panel always relate to the current active view window and changes when you activate another view. The maps, which are located in the Maps branch, can be switched on and off by activating or deactivating the checkbox in front of it. When you uncheck the checkbox of a complete branch, all of its contents become invisible at the same time. The layering order of the maps can be changed in a drag-and-drop manner as well. In case of vector maps, you may want to change the appearance of the enclosed point-, line- and polygon features. In the View Components panel, open the context menu of a map layer with the right mouse button and choose Edit Properties to open the Map Properties panel. Please refer to the help-system for detailed information. Using maps to import model properties A second aspect and this is a new concept in FEFLOW 6 is that all database files that are used for data import are handled as maps as well. Using Maps for this purpose will be described later in the section Importing constant values from maps. 12

13 Designing a supermesh The Supermesh is an integral part of your FEFLOW model now, which means that it will be saved in the.fem-file and will always be accessible even if you do not save it as a separate.smh-file (Even though this is still possible). The new supermesh editor gives you more than just better state-of-the-art graphics. The developers added a list of handy features to make the supermesh design more convenient and efficient. While creating polygons, lines and points, the new editor will make sure at any time that the supermesh geometry is valid to avoid time-consuming mistakes like overlapping polygons or gaps in the supermesh. If you need to change your mesh later, you can split or merge existing polygons instead of having to delete and re-digitize the old ones. These tools (and of course the common tools you already know from the FEFLOW 5.x Mesh Editor) can be found in the Supermesh menu and in the Supermesh toolbar. Navigation in the supermesh view To pan the view (up/down/left/right), hold down the center mouse button (mouse wheel) and move the mouse in the respective direction. To change the zoom level (in/out), hold down the right mouse button and move the mouse up or down. Figure 1: Entries of the Supermesh Menu Note that these navigation functions stay availble at any time, even while you are currently drawing a line or polygon. Manual supermesh design (digitizing maps) Figure 2: The Supermesh toolbar You can draw polygons, lines and points the way you are familiar with. If you create a hole in the mesh (either accidently or by intention) it will be highlighted by a different color. Snapping All necessary tools can be found in the supermesh toolbar. Here, you also find the snapping functions. The handling is very similar to the 5.x mesh editor: Choose a map (that has been added in the Maps panel before) from the drop down list and activate the Snap to point and/or Snap to line option. 13

14 Polygon auto-completion Figure 3: Auto-completion of super elements The new auto-completion feature - that replaces the old <F5> key function from the 5.x Mesh Editor - makes the creation of adjacent elements more convenient. When drawing along the boundary of an existing polygon, you do not have to click on every single node along the way anymore. Move the mouse cursor to a node on the border. The respective path with all its nodes will be highlighted and can be applied with a single click. Importing lines, points and polygons from vector files Alternatively, you can import points, lines and polygons directly from respective vector files. Register these files as maps in the Maps panel first. Afterwards, use the option Convert to... from the context menu of the map to create one or several supermesh features from the file. Note that the import of polygons is only possible if these polygons do not intersect with already existing polygons. Intersecting polygons are not imported. Splitting and joining polygons Completely new features in FEFLOW 6 are the Split Polygon and Join Polygons Tools. It is now possible to subdivide or join existing polygons without deleting them first. This makes the supermesh creation more intuitive, for you can digitize the outline of the model as one polygon at first, and split it up into sub-domains later. Figure 4: Subdividing a polygon with the split polygons function 14

15 Generating the finite-element mesh Again, the workflow stays the same compared to FEFLOW 5.x. After you have finished the supermesh, you create the finite element mesh using one of the available mesh generators directly from the Supermesh view by hitting the button of the toolbar. The Mesh Generator toolbar provides all necessary tools to control the mesh generation process. Figure 5: Mesh Generator toolbar Choosing a mesh generator For triangular meshes, the available mesh generators are Advancing Front, Gridbuilder and Triangle (TMesh has been removed as its application yields no additional benefits in almost every case nowadays). Choose the appropriate generator from the dropdown of the Mesh Generator toolbar. For quadrilateral meshes, Transport Mapping is available as an additional mesh generator. You can switch to a quadrilateral mesh by choosing Supermesh > Quadrilateral Mode from the menu. This should be done already when designing the supermesh (In this mode, the supermesh editor will make sure that only polygons with four edges are created). Choosing the properties of a mesh generator The generator properties can be accessed by hitting the button in the Mesh Generator toolbar. No significant changes have been done in these dialogs since the 5.x version. Refinement Refinement along polygon borders, lines or at points can be enabled in the Generator Properties. If you have chosen to refine only Selected lines or 15

16 polygon borders, you need to specify these lines/borders in the supermesh editor: Push the Edge Selector button in the Mesh Generator toolbar. Select or deselect polygon borders or line sections by clicking directly on a line section or by drawing a rectangle around several line sections. Proposing element numbers Generate automatically In the easiest case, you just specify a target number of elements in the input field of the generator toolbar and hit the generator. Generate Mesh button to start the When the mesh generation is finished, a Slice view showing the generated mesh opens. Generate areally Very often it is required to propose a different number of elements per supermesh polygon. Hit the Edit Proposed Elements button in the Generator toolbar and click on the polygon for which you want to change the number of proposed elements. Alternatively, you can open the drop-down to choose a polygon from the list. Type the new value in the input field and press enter. The number is shown in red color to indicate that a custom value has been chosen. Continue with other polygons for which the number of elements should be proposed and hit the these settings. Generate Mesh button to generate the mesh with If you want to switch back to a globally proposed number, hit the Edit Proposed Elements button again. A warning message asks you if you want to reset the number of proposed elements. Confirm with Yes. Generate gradually This function has not been implemented, yet. It is planned for a future release of FEFLOW. 16

17 Problem settings Problem class and specific option settings As you know, FEFLOW includes a number of different numerical options to simulate flow and transport processes for different spatial dimensions (2D or 3D), temporal domains (steady-state or transient), projections (horizontal, vertical, axisymmetric), transport processes (single and multi-species, heat) and coupling processes (e.g. density dependency). Figure 6: Accessing Problem Settings In earlier FEFLOW versions, these properties had to be set at different locations (Problem Class, Temporal & Control Data and Specific Options Settings). Now, all problem-related settings are consolidated in the Problem Settings dialog of the Edit Menu. The settings are sorted in a tree. The particular sections are thoroughly explained in the help system. Figure 7: Problem Settings data tree. Temporal and control data The settings of the former Temporal & Control data menu have been moved to the Temporal Properties and Numerical Settings section of the Problem Settings dialog. Time-varying functions (time series) The former Time-varying functions Editor can be accessed from the menu Edit > Time Series. Global settings Global Settings not related to an actual model like the number of threads used in parallel computing can be found in the Tools > Global Settings dialog. 17

18 Setting up a 3D model If you know the 3D Layer Configurator from FEFLOW 5.x, you will find the new dialog immediately familiar. It can be accessed from the menu Edit > 3D Layer Configuration. The design and the workflow of the 3D Layer configurator have been preserved. Figure 8: Accessing the 3D Layer Configurator Figure 9: The 3D Layer Configurator 18

19 Viewing and modifying model properties Overview: the new workflow to edit model properties Back in FEFLOW 5.x, the workflow to modify a model property included the following steps in the following order: 1. Select a model property (from the respective FEFLOW menu). 2. Enter a constant value, time function or select a database file. 3. Select the nodes or elements where the constant value, time series or file data is to be applied to the model property. Basically, you will meet these exact steps in FEFLOW 6 again. But now, the workflow is more flexible as the order of these three working steps is arbitrary. The model properties - these are process variables, boundary conditions, material parameters and reference data - are accessible in a central place (the Data Panel). In this way, it is not necessary any more to navigate through lots of menus before a certain property can be displayed and edited. Values or time functions are chosen in the Editor toolbar, which is the new command central to select from the different types and sources. Manual input (Assign Values) is always available. If maps have been registered to the model or time series are defined, these options become available as well. A left click on the leading symbol in the dropdown lets you change the input method. Figure 10: Data Panel Figure 11: Editor Toolbar Selections are the third requirement to assign data to a model property as any assignment is performed (only) on the current selection. The necessary tools to create a selection are available in the Selection toolbar. You will recognize some of the old tools from the 5.x version, but also new tools are available now. The former Joining method is integrated in this panel as well (except for the actual data assignment). Figure 12: Selection toolbar The following sections describe these steps in detail. 19

20 Choosing model properties for visualization and data assignment To make the available data more transparent and to allow the simultaneous visualization of different model properties, all properties have been consolidated in a single tree in the Data panel. Displaying model properties in the active view To plot a model property in the currently active View, perform a double click on that model property in the Data panel. To plot multiple data sources at the same time, hold down the <CTRL>-key while double clicking. The currently displayed data-sources are listed in the View Components panel. Selecting a model property for data assignment If only one model property is active, or in the case of a multiple selection the active properties are similar (like K xx /K yy /K zz or In-Transfer Rate/Out-Transfer Rate), they are also open to data assignment. Be careful with multiple selections: If model properties are not similar, no assignment is possible. Restricting the visualization to a part of the model only In a 3D view, you can selectively plot data to a part of the model (e.g., a particular slice or layer). The available parts of the model are called spatial units and can be selected in the Spatial Units panel. By default, the data are displayed on the spatial unit Domain, the complete model. If you select another spatial unit here, a model property will be plotted to this unit exclusively when being activated in the Data Panel. For details on both View Components and Spatial Units panel, please refer to the FEFLOW Help System. IMPORTANT NOTE: When changing to a spatial unit other than Domain, make sure to switch back as soon as possible. It is very easy to forget that plotting is done only on a part of the model; and as a result you might wonder why the data are not plotted even though you are double clicking on the correct entry in the data panel. Initial conditions vs. process variables The term initial conditions has been renamed to the more precise expression process variables (as the process variables only represent the initial conditions during the preprocessing; during the simulation run and postprocessing, these parameters represent modeling results instead). 20

21 Creating selections of nodes or elements The Selection toolbar is the central place where all necessary tools to create a nodal or elemental selection can be found. Figure 13: The Selection toolbar A selection defines where a certain operation including the assignment of data to a model property is performed. Note: There are nodal and elemental selections. Wether a nodal or elemental selection is created depends on the model property that is currently active in the Data panel. A selection will not be cleared after the data assignment (as it was the case in FEFLOW 5.x). In this way, you can use the same selection for the assignment of several related model properties (e.g., for a flow boundary condition and its related constraints) without the need to recreate it every time. However, it is recommended to clear a selection if it is not needed any more (otherwise it might accidently become part of a new selection created at a later point in time if you forget that it is still active). You can even store a selection permanently and re-use it at a later point in time. We encourage you to make use of this feature as often as possible, as it makes the work with FEFLOW much more productive, especially if you have to change model properties often, e.g. during calibration. The different selection tools All tools for manual and map-related selection of elements and nodes are available in the Selection toolbar. Open the dropdown list to choose from the available tools. When working in a Slice view, these are 21

22 Select Individual Nodes/Elements (the former nodal/elemental selection) Select in Rectangular Region (the former rubberbox selection) Select using a Lasso (a new method to select in a free-hand region) Select in Polygonal Region (a new method to select in a polygon area to be drawn) Select in Polygonal Map Region (the former Joining Tool, only available if maps have been added to the model) Select Nodes Along a Border (the former border selection) When working in a 3D view, you can use the tool Select Complete Layer/Slice Please refer to the help system for more information. Setting the snap distance for map selections To change the snap distance, open Edit > Problem Settings. The Snap distance can be set in the Editor Properties section of this dialog. Copying selections to other slices or layers When working in a Slice view, the Copy Selection to Slices/Layers can be used to copy a selection from the current slice or layer to a number of other slices or layers. Note that nodes/elements on the target slice that are already parts of the selection will not be removed from the selection. Storing and loading selections To store a selection for later use, open the Spatial Units panel and choose Store Current Selection from the context menu. This option is also available in the context menu of the Slice view and 3D view. To load a stored selection, choose Set as Current Selection from the context menu. Figure 14: Storing and loading selections in the Spatial Units panel 22

23 Assigning data to a model property at a selection The assignment of data to any model property is usually performed on the current selection. There are four basic methods how model properties can be assigned: as constant values (Assign Values) as time series from a map (as constant values or as a time series) from a lookup table (as constant values) The input method is chosen in the Editor Toolbar. Here, you will also enter the respective value, or select a map or time function depending on the chosen method. The Editor toolbar is also the place where the data is finally applied by hitting Put Value button. In the Editor toolbar, you find a text input field. A symbol on the left indicates the currently selected assignment method: To change the input method, open the context menu of the symbol and choose another method from the list. Alternatively, you can cycle through the available methods clicking on the symbol with the left mouse button. Assigning constant values This approach relates to the former Assign tool (except for the database option) or Join tool (with constant option) in the 5.x interface. Just enter a value in the text input field of the Editor toolbar (which replaces the Keyboard Request Box of the classic FEFLOW). The value is finally assigned to the selected model property at the current selection by hitting the Put Value button. Note: In FEFLOW 6 you can enter the value in any unit that is known to FEFLOW and part of the appropriate unit set. If you enter 1 ft to the Editor toolbar, FEFLOW will automatically convert the value to [m]. You can register your own units or completely switch to another system of units (e.g. Imperial system) in the unit conversion dialog. See the help system for more information. Assigning time series When having defined at least one time series in the Time Series Editor, this method becomes available in the Editor toolbar. 23

24 The Time Series Editor can be opened from the menu Edit > Time Series. Open the dropdown and choose the time series to be assigned. With you apply this time series to the active property on the active selected nodes or elements. The usage of time series is possible for boundary conditions at the moment. The values of time series must be based on the FEFLOW default as defined in Tools > Units. Importing constant values from maps Prerequisites to apply map data As the usage of GIS Data is the standard way to handle data for the major part of groundwater models, the import interfaces of FEFLOW have been further enhanced. The new features are more convenient to use, and also more powerful. The position of the GIS data files and its relation to the model s data is maintained; this allows an easier update of the imported GIS data if the linked GIS files have become changed outside FEFLOW. With FEFLOW 6, you can therefore use a GIS system to completely control the data modification, especially during the elaborate work of model calibration. These advances allow and require a better concept for the handling of the data than the one used in FEFLOW 5.x. To guarantee consistency between different data sources, it is now obligatory to register the vector files by adding them as a background maps. For more information on how to load background maps, see chapter Using maps as a spatial reference. Vector and database files A data source usually consists of a vector file (.shp,.dxf or ASCII formats.pnt,.lin,.ply, etc) and a database file (.dbf,.dat,.trp). In some cases - e.g.,.trp the vector data is already part of the database file. The Maps panel is the command center where the association of data sources (including regionalization settings) to FEFLOW parameters is controlled. The work steps to assign Process Variables (initial conditions), boundary conditions and material properties have been unified. 24

25 After a file with modeling data has been registered in the maps panel, only the position of the data files on the file system is known to FEFLOW, but the meaning of the data is yet to be declared. To be able to import these values to the FEFLOW model, the contents of the fields must be associated with the corresponding model parameters. As the unit of the GIS data can be different from the FEFLOW units, a unit conversion might be necessary as well. In order to do this, open the context menu of the database file with a right click and choose Link to Parameter. This will open the Parameter Association dialog. This dialog is mostly the one as you already know from FEFLOW 5.x. From the list on the left (which contains the available fields of the database file) choose the field that contains the data to be imported. On the right, select the respective FEFLOW parameter and click on Add Link. Finally, choose the unit used in the data file from the dropdown list (the link turns red if a conversion is set). Figure 15: Selecting a database for the vector file Now, a link has been created and the data have been prepared for the final import. Regionalization of point data (formerly Assign Database) As you already know from FEFLOW 5.x, point data is applied to the model through an appropriate regionalization method. In FEFLOW 6, the Regionalization method with all its settings has become a property of the data link. When working with point data soruces, the Parameter Association dialog provides an additional option Data regionalization method. It contains the options that you already know from the 5.x Data regionalization menu. The new regionalization method Neighbourhood Relationship is a special option used to import solitary points data like the position of wells. 25

26 Figure 16: Setting the properties of the data regionalization method Assignment of the data After you have prepared the data files and set the necessary units and regionalization settings, the actual assignment is only a very small step: Choose the Maps method in the editor toolbar and select the respective map from the dropdown. Alternatively, you can double click on any entry of the Linked attributes branch of any map (e.g. Value -> Elevation). This is a short cut to both select the correct map in the dropdown list of the Data panel and to activate the associated model property for data assignment. With a single click on the the data are imported from the map, eventually converted and interpolated, and finally assigned to the chosen model property at the current selection. Importing time series from maps To import time series IDs out of a map file, register this file as a map first. In the Parameter Association dialog, create a link to the respective model property and select the option Time-varying-power function ID. All other work steps are identical with the ones for importing constant values from a database file. 26

27 The values from the database field are now interpreted as the IDs of time series as defined in the Time Series editor (choose from the menu Edit > Time Series). The usage of time series is possible for boundary conditions at the moment. The values of time series must be based on the FEFLOW default as defined in Tools > Units. 27

28 The mesh inspector The good old mesh Inspector has survived this new major release. You can activate the Inspector using the Inspection toolbar. Inspector button in the Point the center of the Inspector s magnifying glass to an element or node to display the model properties currently visible in the active view window in the Inspector panel. Figure 17: Inspector panel Use the mouse wheel to change the zoom level (in/out) of the magnifying glass (hold down the <CTRL>-key for a finer interval). You can adjust the size by holding down the <SHIFT>-key while turning the mouse wheel. 28

29 Data operations Deleting boundary conditions and constraints Deleting boundary conditions is quick and easy. Select the particular type of boundary condition or constraint for editing in the Data panel (double click) first. Press the Clear Value button of the Editor toolbar. All boundary conditions or constraints of the chosen type are deleted at the current selection. Copying data to other properties In many cases, data must be transferred from one model property to another model property (e.g. from Conductivity [K xx ] to Conductivity [K yy ] and [K zz ]). In FEFLOW 6, this operation is done in a Copy & Paste manner. In order to transfer data from one model property to another, Create a selection in which the copying operation should be performed, e.g., all elements of a layer. Go to the Data panel. Double click on the source model property. Open the context menu of the source model property and choose Copy. Double click on the target model property. Open the context menu of the target model property and choose Paste. Within the current selection, the data are copied from the source model property to the target model property. to other slices or layers To copy data of the same model property from a source slice/layer to a target slice/layer, the steps are slightly different. This option is only available in a Slice view. Open a Slice view. In the Data panel, double click on the source model property. In the Slice view, browse to the slice/layer from where you want to copy the data (source slice/layer) and create a selection. Open the context menu of the quantity you want to copy and choose Copy. Browse to the slice/layer where the data should be applied. In the Data panel, open the context menu of the model property you want to copy and choose Paste to Slice/Layer. Within the selection, the model property is now copied from the selection on the source slice/layer and transferred to a projection of the selection on the target slice/layer. 29

30 Import and export Importing boundary conditions and constraints In FEFLOW 5.x, the Assign-tool with Database option could be used import boundary conditions at solitary locations. In FEFLOW 6, this is done using the Neighborhood relationship regionalization method. This regionalization method reads point data from a file and applies it exclusively to the nearest node in the finite element mesh. This function allows a quick import of sparse data like boundary conditions. Add the file containing the boundary conditions coordinates and values (e.g., well coordinates and pumping rates) as a map in the Maps panel. Choose Link to Parameter from its context menu. In the Parameter Association dialog, link the value to the boundary condition and choose Neighborhood Relationship as a regionalization method. Assign the data using the Maps method of the Editor toolbar afterwards. Exporting data as nodal or elemental values In the Data panel, open the context menu of the model property you want to export. Choose Export Data to write the nodal or elemental values to a file. Exporting data plots In the View Components panel, open the context menu of the model property you want to export. Choose Export Data to write the nodal or elemental values to a file. You can choose from several styles that defining the way the data are exported. Please refer to the help system for further information. 30

31 Reference data Observation points All operations concerning observation points can be accessed in the Observation Point Editor toolbar. Use the button to create observation points. If you place the mouse cursor near a node and create an observation point, it will automatically snap to this node. You can suppress snapping by holding down the <SHIFT> key. The button creates a set of observation points from the current selection. The button deletes all observation points. To import observation points from a map, go to the map panel and choose Convert to > Observation Points from the maps context menu. Observation point groups This feature has not been implemented yet, but is planned for a future release of FEFLOW. Cross sections (fences, segments, line sections) The functions to plot material properties, layer geometry and process variables have already been available in FEFLOW 5.x; but have been distributed around a number of different menus of the Reference Data and Postprocessor. In FEFLOW 6, the options and styles have been unified and two ways of displaying crosssections are available. Cross-sections can be plotted As a view component in a 3D view or As a cross-section view with the length of the fence as the x-axis and the geodetic elevation on the y-axis 31

32 Figure 18: Cross-sections shown as view components in the 3D view (left) and in the cross-section view (right) Cross-sections can be created in the Slice view by using the Draw a Surface (2D) Line tool from the Tools section of the context menu (See Figure 19). Activate this tool and draw a line; a single click with the left mouse button sets a new point of the line, a double click sets the last point and finishes the line afterwards. You can cancel and line drawing by pressing the <ESC>-button on your keyboard. Figure 19: Creating a surface line in the 2D view Figure 20: Creating a Cross-section view from a 2D Polyline The surface line is now available in the Surface Locations section of the Spatial Units panel. To display the cross-section as a vertical area in a 3D view, double click on the entry in the Spatial units (while the 3D view is the active window). 32

33 A Cross-section view (see Figure 18) can be created by selecting Crosssection view from the 2D polylines context menu in the Spatial Units panel. Reference distributions Nodal and elemental reference distributions can be created directly in Reference data section of the Data panel. Open the context menu entry of the Reference Data branch and choose Add Nodal Reference Distribution or Add Elemental Reference Distribution. The reference distributions can be displayed and edited in the same way as any other data source. 33

34 Running the simulation The sharp border between pre-processing, simulation and post processing has been overcome in FEFLOW 6. The simulator functions can now be accessed directly and at any time using the Simulatior toolbar. Figure 21: Simulation toolbar With a single click on the Run button the simulation is started. The Pause button will interrupt the simulation, while the Stop button terminates it. In case of transient simulations, the Simulator tool bar also displays the actual simulation time. Saving DAC files As in FEFLOW 5.x, in order to save the intermediate results of the simulation, you need to select a results file where FEFLOW saves the data of particular time steps before starting the simulation. This can be done using the button of the simulator toolbar. Record Activate the checkmark before Save complete results (DAC file) and choose a file name. Exit the dialog with OK. Figure 22: Specifying a results file 34

35 Postprocessing Navigation in a.dac-file Load a previously recorded dac-file from the Menu File > Open. Within the Simulator tool bar, you can browse forward or backward in time or directly select a time step from the drop-down menu. Budgeting The evaluation of water and mass fluxes at boundary conditions is a very important task during the Postprocessing. In our case, we are interested in the amount of contamination that is being infiltrated into the model area. Evaluation of mass fluxes Open the Budget panel from View > Panels > Budget Panel. There are separate budget analyses for the flow and for the transport model. Click on the Mass tab and check the Active checkbox to activate the budgeting (the budgeting is turned off by default as it can cause significant computational effort). After a short computation time, the currently inflowing and outflowing mass is shown in the unit g/d, and is visualized as blue bars (in) and red bars (out). Initially, the budget is evaluated for the complete domain. To evaluate fluxes in a certain part of the model, a selection can be used to specify the respective nodes again. 35

36 Create an arbitrary nodal selection (e.g., select all nodes along the southern boundary) and hit the Set Button. The budget result now shows mass flux in all selected nodes. Relating mass fluxes to nodes Choose Process Variables > Mass > Budget from the Data panel and activate it with a double click. At each node that is part of the current budget-selection, a colored sphere will appear in the 3D view. The color and size of the spheres indicate the amount of mass that is exchanged at this node. 36

37 Pathlines (particle tracking) In FEFLOW 5.x, the calculation of particle tracks in 2D and 3D has been done with different tools, each with a set of options for different purposes. In FEFLOW 6, these tools have been consolidated in one single workflow. Showing the trajectories of particles is done in the following steps: Define the starting location(s) of the pathlines Calculate the pathlines Set the properties of the trajectories Let us explain the whole procedure based on an example case, where the catchment area of a well gallery is to be delineated. At first, the locations (nodes) of the wells are selected. Afterwards, store the selection in the Spatial Units panel. Activate the selection in the Spatial Units panel (with a single left click) and switch to the Data panel. With a double Click on Process Variables > Flow > Pathlines (either backward or forward) you start the pathlines computation. The pathlines will be shown in the View Components panel and will be depicted in the active 2D or 3D view window. 37

38 Figure 23: Plotting single pathlines for the Location Set You will see a single pathline evolving from each well. The seeds (starting points) of the pathlines are located directly on the wells. However, to delineate the catchment zones of the wells, we shall create a number of seeds on a circle around these wells. Since it would mean a much effort to create a location set for each of these circles manually, this functionality has now become a property of the pathlines themself. Choose Properties from the context menu of the Pathlines in the View Components panel. This opens the pathlines properties in the Properties panel. Figure 24: Delineation of the catchment of a well gallery by using pathlines swarms 38

39 By choosing a Radius greater than zero, you invoke to create a pathlines swarm starting on a radius around the wells. The result is immediately shown in the currently active ciew (Figure 24 shows a 2D view). You can choose to create more or less seeds on the radius in the Seeds per Node tab. Note: If working with a 3D model, the pathline computation will always be done in three dimensions, even if working in the slice view (in this case, a projection to the slice is shown). Figure 25: Pathlines are plotted in a 3D view (red color). A group of 3rd kind boundary conditions representing a river is shown (green color). Besides creating seeds from a nodal selection (as described above), you also can also create them on arbitrary points in space, along lines or along polygons. The procedure is very similar. First you create a line or arbitrary point group as a Domain Location. In the 2D or 3D view, choose Tools from the context menu and select Draw a 3D Line or Draw a 3D point group, respectively. Create the line, polygon or point group by clicking on the fixed points on any surface. This can be a slice in the 2D view or any other surface on the 3D view, including cutting planes and cross-sections. Figure 26: Creating a 3D line 39

40 Figure 27: Creating Pathlines from a 3D line 40