This month’s feature showcase takes a closer look at the link line generator tool within Flood Modeller. The link line generator tool provides a simple and fast method, with multiple options, for creating link lines between Flood Modeller 1D and 2D models.
Key features include:
Available for free across all Flood Modeller editions
Link lines elevations can be imported from 1D sections
The 1D network can be used to create straight lines between the ends of full sections or the end of active portions of 1D cross sections.
The tool can trace link lines also along polyline shapefiles
Automation of link lines
The link line generator tool within Flood Modeller enables modellers to automate the creation of link lines between Flood Modeller 1D and 2D models dynamically. Link lines are represented by polyline shapefiles that trace along the boundary of your 2D domain and reference 1D network nodes within their attributes. Each link line starts and ends at the closest points on the 2D boundary to the referenced 1D nodes.
Easily define link locations
Simply define link locations by joining either the end of full sections or the end of active proportions of 1D cross sections. Alternatively, the tool can trace link lines along a specified polyline shapefile or polygon (active area) shapefile (previously only tracing along a polygon was possible).
Simplify link line elevations
Link line elevations can be taken from the (active or full) section end point elevations of the active 1D network (previously it was only possible to take these values from an underlying DEM). This means that link line elevations can be taken directly from surveyed data rather than having to enter these manually - simplifying the process for the modeller.
Flexibly define the start and end points
Either the active network or a point shapefile can be used to define the start and end points of link lines and the 1D node references. The tool will also automatically recognise structures within your network and not draw links across these, increasing the flexibility of this tool.
The link line generator tool can be selected from the 2D build tab (main toolbar). A window will be displayed prompting the user to select the required options and files to generate the link lines.