Profile Plots¶

Profile plots can be created from the main Map view, with or without results, or from a map result plot.

A profile plot is drawn between specified flags. If there are two or more possible paths between two flags, the path with the smallest number of links (smallest number of pipes, or smallest number of river reaches delimited by connections to other rivers or pipes) will be selected. Hence, in order to better control the path, more flags should be set until a unique path between flags can be identified. If multiple pipes exist between the same two nodes, the active pipe with the largest diameter or height will be selected.

The selected path can be seen on the map using the 'Connect flags' option. Using this option is however optional, and it is possible to draw the profile plot without connecting the flags.

Creating Profile Plots from the Map¶

Profile plots can be created from the model map (i.e. Map View) with or without simulation results.

On the Map View, define path flags via ‘Set flags’ on the ‘Profile and Tracing’ toolbox on the Map ribbon (figure below).

Figure: The Profile and Tracing toolbox on the Map ribbon

Click on the starting location for the profile path. Flags can be set on nodes, junctions, and rivers. This will place a small flag at the selected location along with the number of the flag.

Setting flags on map and controlling flags with context-menu

Figure: Set flags defining the path of the profile plot on the model map

Continue setting flags on the map until the path is well-defined. The horizontal plan will then look as seen in the figure above. You may save the set flag information using the ‘Save to file...’ option from the local context menu. The path information is saved to a *.path file, which can be loaded in another session via the 'Load from file...' option.
Finally, click on ‘Draw profile’ on the Profile and Tracing toolbox. This will create a new profile plot (figure below).

Figure: The Profile Plot form window showing an example longitudinal profile plot without simulation results

Profile Plot with Results¶

When result files are available, default results are plotted when a profile plot is created. Result items can also be added to a profile plot, following these steps.

From a profile plot, use the 'Add item' button from the upper toolbar or from the local context menu (i.e. right-click) in the left panel (figure below). Alternatively, drag a result item (e.g. Link Water Level) from the list of result files in the 'Results' tree, and drop it in the table of content of the profile plot.

Figure: The ‘Add item’ tool on the Profile Plot window

Specify the result file, item, and data type to add to the profile plot on the ‘Add item’ dialog that appears (figure below).

Selecting result items to add to the profile plot

Figure: The ‘Add item’ dialog where the result file and items to add to the profile plot are defined

If the selected result file is a 'LTS extreme statistics' type of file, the plot type is always a single time step representing a recurrence interval, which must be selected from the list which appears in the 'Add item' dialog. The left list contains computed recurrence intervals saved in the result file, whereas the right list allows specifying custom recurrence intervals for which the results are interpolated using a linear interpolation method from the recurrence intervals in the result file.
If the selected result file is a 2D file from a 2D overland simulation, a maximum spacing must also be specified: it controls the spacing between points along the 2D profile.

The added result item then appears on the Profile Plot (figure below). Result items are plotted on the secondary (i.e. right) y-axis, when their item type differs from an elevation.

Figure: The Profile Plot form window showing an example longitudinal profile plot with max. link water level simulation results (red broken line)

Figure: The Profile Plot form window showing an example longitudinal profile plot 2D water level simulation results (blue line)

When result items are added to the profile plot, it is possible to change the presentation mode (choice between Animation, Maximum, Minimum or Average type) afterwards. This option is offered from the local context menu, with a right-click on the related result item.

Figure: The selection of result presentation mode for a result item

Profile Plot with DEM¶

DEM profiles can also be added to a profile plot. DEM profiles can be obtained either from raster files or from 2D flexible mesh files, following these steps:

From a profile plot window, use the 'Add item' button or the 'Add item' option in the local context menu (i.e. right-click) on the left panel.

Figure: The 'Add item' tool on the Profile Plot window

Select the DEM file, as well as the item if the file contains multiple items. A maximum spacing must also be specified: it controls the spacing between points along the DEM profile (figure below).

Selecting a DEM to add to the profile plot

Figure: The 'Add item' dialog where the DEM file and settings are specified

The DEM item then appears on the Profile Plot (figure below). Result items are plotted on the secondary (i.e. right) y-axis.

Figure: The Profile Plot form window showing an example longitudinal profile plot with a DEM profile (blue broken line)

The DEM profile is plotted with one point at each node's location, plus additional points in-between in order to fulfill the specified maximum spacing.

When a 2D overland model is defined, a default DEM profile is added to new profile plots, using the 2D domain as source of DEM.

Profile Plot with 1D-2D coupling crest levels¶

This is only for use in 'Rivers, collection system and overland flows' project type. When the network is coupled to a 2D overland model, it is possible to plot lateral crest levels of couplings of type 'River bank' and 'Natural channel'. These couplings apply a succession of weirs along the river (or 'Natural channel' pipe), each of them coupling a cross section from the river to an element / cell of the 2D domain. The crest level of this coupling weir is controlled by the settings of the 1D-2D coupling, and may e.g. be based on the 2D domain's topography, or the maximum from the 2D topography and the cross section's bank level, or from a user-defined bank profile. Displaying and comparing bank levels defined in cross sections with 2D domain's topography and with the actual levels used in the coupling can therefore help understanding overbank spilling results or simply identify inconsistencies in model data. While the cross sections' bank levels (from markers 1 and 3) are shown by default on river profiles, the levels from 2D overland model and from actual couplings must be added manually, following the steps below.

From a river profile plot, use the 'Add item' button from the upper toolbar or from the local context menu (i.e. right-click) in the left panel (figure below).

Figure: The 'Add item' tool on the Profile Plot window

Select the source type '1D-2D coupling crest levels'
Select the plot type(s) from the following choices:
- Actual coupling crest levels: the crest level of the coupling weir is controlled by the settings of the coupling in the '1D-2D couplings' editor (e.g. be based on the 2D domain's topography, or the maximum from the 2D topography and the cross section's bank level, or from a user-defined bank profile).
- 2D overland model levels: ground levels from the 2D domain's elements / cells.
- Or both of these.
Select the side(s): left bank, right bank or both. Only the couplings from the selected side(s) will be added to the plot.

Selecting the bank crest levels add to the profile plot

Figure: The 'Add item' dialog where the bank crest levels settings are defined

Click 'Add' to display the selected crest level profiles on the plot. Depending on the model size, this operation may take some time.

The selected crest levels then appear on the Profile Plot (figure below).

Figure: The Profile Plot window showing bank levels from cross sections (purple), 2D domain topography (blue) and actual coupling levels (pink)

Note

Crest levels from couplings are computed by the simulation engine during initialization of simulations. Plotting these crest levels therefore requires to initialize a simulation which is not started. This implies that the project must be ready for running a coupled 1D-2D simulation, which especially implies that an active simulation must be defined in the 'Simulation setup' editor and must include 1D and 2D modules. This also implies that it is not possible to plot coupling crest levels when viewing results without a project database opened.

Creating Profile Plots from a Result Map¶

Profile plots may also be created from extra result maps (obtained from the ‘Create result map’ button). The profile tools that can be used with this type of maps are located on the Results menu ribbon.

First, create a result map plot as described in chapter Displaying Results on a Map.
Set path flags on the result map using the ‘Set flags’ tool from the Profile Plot toolbox on the Results ribbon (figure below).

Figure: Set flags from the Profile Plot toolbox on the Results ribbon

Click on the starting node for the profile path. This will place a small flag next to the node along with the number of the flag. Continue setting flags on the result map until the path is well-defined. Having both point (i.e. node) and line (i.e. link) result features on a result map helps with path-setting.
Finally, click on ‘Draw profile’ on the Profile Plot toolbox. This will create a new profile plot on a profile plot form.
Default items are added when creating the profile plot. Other result items may be added as described in the section Profile Plot with Results.

The Profile Plot Window¶

The Profile Plot window displays longitudinal profile plots created in the project. Its various parts and components are described in succeeding sections.

Figure: The Profile Plot window

Table of Content¶

The table of content (TOC) panel is located on the left side of the profile plot form. The panel lists information on the various information layers that are used for the profile plot.

At the top of the panel, it is possible to select between two different types of views in the TOC:

Show sources: This option groups data layers according to data source and indicates the file from which the data are obtained.
Drawing order: Use this option to allow reordering/grouping of data layers on the plot. Reorder or group layers by dragging layer labels up or down the TOC list.

When right-clicking on the panel, the local context menu opens up (see figure below), offering a number of options described below.

Figure: The local context menu on the longitudinal profile

Add item¶

Use this option to add result items, DEM items or crest levels from 1D-2D couplings to an existing profile plot. See Profile Plot with Results, Profile Plot with DEM and Profile Plot with 1D-2D coupling crest levels.

Remove¶

Use this option to remove a layer from the profile plot.

Result presentation¶

Use this option to select the presentation mode of a result item. Possible modes are Animation (showing instantaneous results for the current date and time), Maximum, Minimum or Average.

Show property panel¶

Activate this option to view the Property Panel below the TOC. The Property Panel is used to customize the appearance of data layers on the profile plot.

Alternatively, click on the expand arrow icon at the bottom of the TOC to view the Property Panel.

Property Panel¶

The Property Panel is used to customize the appearance of data layers on the profile plot.

Select a layer from the TOC to view its properties on the Property Panel. Customize layer properties on the panel as needed. See figure below.

Figure: The Property Panel on the Profile Plot window

Right-click on the profile plot to access the local context menu.

Figure: Right-click on the plot to access the local context menu

Zoom to full extent, Zoom to rectangle, Zoom out¶

Allows to zoom in and out on the plot. While zooming to a rectangle, dragging to draw a horizontal line will display arrows to zoom along the horizontal axis only, keeping the vertical axis unchanged. Similarly, dragging to draw a vertical line will zoom along the vertical axis only.

Figure: Use the ‘Zoom to rectangle’ option to zoom along one axis only

Zoom to full extent brings you back to the full view of visible data layers on the profile plot. Panning is also enabled upon activation of zoom options.

Note

Additional options are available to control the zoom options:

Hold down the Shift key, to enable 'Zoom to rectangle'
Scroll with the mouse wheel to zoom in or out.

Clear selection¶

Deselects selected elements in the longitudinal profile.

Reverse path and refresh plot¶

Will swap the profile, e.g. swap profile from being drawn from node A to node B (from left to right on the plot) to being drawn from node B to node A.

Copy to clipboard¶

Copies the longitudinal profile displayed to the clipboard and allows it to be pasted into other applications.

Export to CAD¶

Opens the ‘CAD export options’ window to export the profile plot view to a CAD file.

Figure: The ‘CAD export options’ window

From this window, it is possible to select a folder location as well as a file name for the created CAD file.

The X-axis and Y-axis scales control the lengths of the horizontal and vertical axes in the CAD file. They define scales relative to lengths in this CAD file.

The selected font size applies to all texts and values saved in the CAD file: select an appropriate font size that fits e.g. the exported axes and table.

Data in the table below the profile plot are exported to the CAD file only if ‘Also export tabular data’ option is selected.

Export to text file¶

Export the data from the profile plot view to a text file.

This text file contains a table with columns separated by semicolons. All data items (Link ID, Node ID, distance along the profile plot, elevations, etc.) are listed in columns, whereas the various links are listed in rows. When result items exist on the profile plot, they are also exported to extra columns in the file. The result value exported is the value shown on the plot (e.g. current time step for animated results, or maximum value, etc.).

Note for collection system networks

When exporting data from a collection system network with results, some of the links may contain multiple calculation points depending on their length. In this case, all calculation points' values are listed in the same cell with a separator, for example like this: 6.96499 6.87148 6.78332.

Note for river networks

When exporting river networks, each river is exported as a link but extra information is exported at each cross section location. The exported table will also contain information at "virtual node" locations, a virtual node being the location of a flag controlling the profile plot locations. Virtual nodes therefore do not represent actual calculation points on the network, and will show interpolated values.

Properties¶

Activate this option to view the Profile Plot Properties dialog.

Profile Plot Tools¶

The toolbar on top of the Profile Plot window offers several tools that may be used for working with profile plots.

New plot¶

Generate a new profile plot (on the existing profile plot window) from a new set of defined path flags.

Refresh¶

Update/refresh existing data layers on the plot. Ensures that changes to model data (e.g. node invert level via the Nodes editor) for elements included in the profile are reflected in the plot. The location of the profile plot is not changed even if flags have been moved on the map.

Reverse path and refresh plot¶

Swaps the left to right plot path orientation going from first to the last flag locations to last to first flag locations.