What's New with HAMMER CONNECT Edition Update 1


 Product(s):HAMMER
 Version(s):10.01.00.72
 Area:General

Overview

The CONNECT Edition release of HAMMER introduces numerous improvements and features to help you be more successful. Let's explore each of these in detail.

List of Topics

Compatibility

Layout & Data Input

Usability Enhancements

Compatibility [Top of Page]

Supported Operating Systems

Compatible Platforms

HAMMER CONNECT Edition standalone version does not require any CAD or GIS software to work. However, it can be integrated with the following platforms:

See:

Wiki: Platform Compatibility

Layout & Data Input [Top of Page]

Bing Maps

Bing aerial imagery and street maps can now be quickly and easily added to a model as a background layer. Map alignment is based on control points. Using latitudes and longitudes, you will be able to get better alignment of the image file with the model drawing. The control point group allows you to define the Latitude and Longitude of the map area you are interested in. The background map scale will be most accurate around the control point. You have a few Map Styles to choose from: Road, Aerial, or Aerial with Labels.

See also (including video demonstration) here: How to add background aerial and road map images to your model

New ModelBuilder Snapshots feature

You can now create snapshots of your data source when creating a model with ModelBuilder and use those snapshots at later times to identify locations where the model and data source have diverged, providing the user with a way to reconcile those differences. The process below provides the user with a way to better keep the model and GIS/data source in sync.

After a model is created or updated from the data source using ModelBuilder and the two are in sync, you can create a snapshot which contains the list of all data that has been imported from the data source.

If the user later wants to update the model, it is possible to import all data but because many users have made changes to the model that they want to preserve, users often preferred to import only that data that has changed. The user can select the snapshot from the data source from a given time and preview any changes.

In the preview, the user can review all instances where the data source has changed and select which data to place in the updated model. When the user builds the model using the Sync In function only data that the user wants imported is used to update the model.

 

Spatial Join feature in ModelBuilder

A new Spatial Join feature has been included in ModelBuilder, as a way of adding and updating a model based on the closest matching geometries (i.e., node elements that are in a slightly different location in the model compared to the data source can still have their properties updated).

 

The tolerance has a default of 100, with the unit based on what was selected for the connection. After clicking Next to go to the Field Mapping section of ModelBuilder, you will see that the key field is set to the <label> field generated by ModelBuilder. If you want to use a label from the source file as the label in the model, you can use the field mapping in the lower left to set the label, as well as any other properties of note.

 

Elements in the data source that don't match with any existing elements in the model will be created in the same way that an element with a key field not already in the model would be created.

When synchronizing into the model with spatial join enabled, ModelBuilder will first look for exact matches spatially and map them. Then searches are done on the remaining elements using the specified tolerance. If there are multiple nodes found within the tolerance, the closest one is chosen. If there are multiple polylines found, the distances between the start, mid, and end points are used to choose a match. If there are multiple polygons found, the distances between centroids are used.

ModelBuilder Sync-In and Sync-Out by Selection

You now have ability to update a model or sync out to a source file based on a selection of elements, as well as all elements in the model or source file.

If you choose to import to a selection of elements, you will either be able import to elements that are already selected or to a selection set that exists in the model.

This works the same for the Sync Out option in ModelBuilder.

ModelBuilder Connection file Batch Import

A new batch import tool is now included for use in the Command line (CMD) on your computer. This allows for a faster import of .MBC files into ModelBuilder and more efficient model building workflows when using existing ModelBuilder connections.

From the CMD dialog, you can enter the name of tool (Haestad.ModelBuilder.BatchImport.Driver.exe) followed by an input flag with semicolon delimited .MBC files.   

Usability Enhancements [Top of Page]

Change Tracking

Change Tracking enables you to keep track of and review changes made to your hydraulic model, including who make the change and when it was made. When you open a new or existing model, you are prompted if you want to track changes in the model.

Once you make changes to the model and save it, you can review elements that have changed since the last time by going to Review tab and select Change Tracking > View Tracked Changes. If you have a lot of items in the table, you can filter this by clicking the Filter button at the top of the table.

Save to Package feature

The Save to Package feature enables you to bundle relevant files together and compress them into a zip file. This will make it simple for cases where you need to supply model files to a colleague, to a reviewer, or to technical support. By default, the models files (.wtg and .wtg.sqlite files), dwh, dwh.profiles are included in the package file, but you can also opt to include log, result, backup, background files as well. You can access this by going to File > Save as Package.

Scenario tree view in Ribbon drop-down menu

The Scenario dropdown menu used to display all scenarios as a block of labels. The dropdown menu is now improved to show a tree view for clear and easy way to select the appropriate scenario from the dropdown.

Graph manager folders and tree view

To help with better sorting and management of saved graphs, a new tree view format is used, along with the ability to create folders.

The Folder option is available in both the New button and in the right-click menu. Graphs can either be added from the parent Graphs folder or to any new folder. In addition, individual graphs can now be dragged and dropped in to different folders, allowing for better management of the graphs in your model.

Save as Default option in Graph Series Options

If you have a particular set of Graph Series Options (selected attributes to graph) that you frequently use, it is now possible to set that as a default in the Graph Series Options. Once this is set, it will be used for future graphs. If you want to reset the default, there is an option to do that as well.

GIS-ID Control Center

A new GIS-ID Control Center is now available to quickly view, edit, and populate GIS-IDs in a model. You can find the GIS-ID Control Center in the Tools tab.

All elements in the model are available in the table. The GIS-ID column is a comma delimited field, meaning that multiple GIS-IDs can be entered and viewed here, separated with a comma. ModelBuilder can be used to import the data, which will then appear in the GIS-ID Control Center. If you edit the GIS-ID collection field in the element properties or element FlexTable, the data you enter there will also appear in the GIS-ID Control Center.

If an element is deleted from the model and it had a GIS-ID associated with it, you are still able to track these elements and their GIS-IDs. A separate GIS-ID Control Center for Deleted Elements has also been included. This will allow you to track the GIS-IDs used in a given model, even for elements no longer present.

Open on Selection option in FlexTables

An Open on Selection option is now available from the Select from Drawing button in the element FlexTables. This feature allows you to filter the FlexTable based on elements that are highlight on the screen.

An Open on All Rows option is also included, which effectively resets the filter used with Open on Selection.

Zoom-To function for Status Messages & Intra-trial Status Messages in Calculation Summary

The ability to zoom to elements is now included in the Status Messages and the Intra-Trial Status Messages tabs in the Calculation Summary during the Initial Conditions calculation. This will help you identify elements in your model that are changing status or may be causing instabilities in the model.

Delete cell in grid views

You can now delete data from a cell in FlexTables and other table by simply using the Delete key on your keyboard.

Open dialog now in File menu

The Options dialog is now available in the File menu, where it can be more easily accessed to make adjustments to settings in a model.

New Info section in File menu

A new Info item has been added to the File menu. This is a convenient place to enter and find information on a specific project.

This also include everything that was formerly in the Hydraulic Model Properties dialog. In addition, there are buttons that allow the user to directly open relevant folders related to the model, including the file location, the working folder, the Program Data folder and the User Settings folder. The Program Data and User Settings folders contain configuration files, Engineering Libraries, and other files you may occasionally need to access.

Integrate CONNECT Advisor functionality

CONNECT Advisor is a central hub that provides an easier way to access information across a variety of locations such as Bentley Communities, LEARN Server (training), YouTube, and more. This is included in the ribbon and is available when you have signed into the CONNECTION Client. It will list recent content as the default, but will allow you to search for topics as well. In future releases, CONNECT Advisor will provide even easier access to useful information and training.


See Also [Top of Page]

Ribbon Interface for CONNECT Edition products

Product TechNotes and FAQs

OpenFlows Product TechNotes And FAQs

WaterGEMS and WaterCAD TechNotes and FAQs

Downloading OpenFlows | Hydraulics and Hydrology Software

Software installation order

Cumulative patch set information

Set up notifications for new versions and patch set releases

 Original Author:Scott Kampa