Exporting and Importing Data

An ArcView-WMS superfile structure has been created to allow the easiest possible transfer of data between WMS-Hydro and WMS. Essentially the superfile is a text file identifying multiple shapefiles that can be opened from WMS or WMS-Hydro by simply reading the super file. For the most part these files are shape files representing basin boundary, stream, and outlet themes. However, if you are working with spatial analyst and have gridded elevation, land use, or soil grids that you want exported for use by WMS you can specify these grids within the superfile as well.

Superfiles are exported from WMS-Hydro using the Save Superfile… command in the WMSHydro menu.

Saving an ArcView-WMS Superfile

The Save Superfile dialog (shown in Figure1) allows you to select which ArcView themes (or grids) should be transferred to WMS as part of the superfile.

You can map the various themes by selecting the ArcView theme in the left text box and the appropriate WMS coverage in the right text box and choosing the Map button. Once a theme has been mapped it will appear in the lower text box of mapped themes. A mapped theme can be unmapped by selecting it from the lower text box and choosing the Unmap button.

If you have Spatial Analyst and are managing grid themes within ArcView and wish to export them for use in WMS you can map them to the elevation, flow direction, flow accumulation, land use, and soil grids. These grids will then be saved as ASCII grid files and file names included in the superfile information for import to WMS.

Saving a Tree Model for Use in WMS

As discussed earlier, the WMS-Hydro extension can be used to build a hydrologic modeling schematic (or tree model) from GIS vector data that may not have the explicit topology definitions required to generate the schematic directly. In such cases, you should save the tree model either from the Build Hydrologic Model dialog, or by checking the Export Tree Model option in the Save Superfile dialog. In either case the result will be a WMS-formatted hydrologic schematic file. Currently this file is not read as part of the superfile in WMS, but rather should be imported in WMS by using the Read Simulation command from the Rational method menu. Once read in, you can use the data contained with the schematic to set up any of the hydrologic models supported by WMS.

Importing Hydrologic Modeling Results

In WMS, hydrologic modeling results are stored in the solution (*.sol) files. These solution files are read into WMS-Hydro using the Read Solution File… command in the WMSHydro menu.

Importing an ArcView-WMS Superfile

ArcView-WMS superfiles are read into WMS-Hydro using the Import Superfile… command in the WMSHydro menu. The primary reason for importing a superfile is to store modeling results generated by WMS (i.e. hydrographs, peak flow, time to peak, and runoff volumes), including modeling parameters created in WMS. If the solution file is a part of superfile , you can import it by checking the Import solution file option in the Import WMS Superfile dialog (shown in Figure 2).

These materials may be used for study, research, and education, but please credit the authors and the Environmental Modeling Research Laboratory, Brigham Young University. All commercial rights reserved. Copyright 1999 Environmental Modeling Research Laboratory.