With the release of CWMS/HEC-RTS 3.4, HEC-RTS and the complete suite of HEC programs included have been upgraded to support the latest version of HEC-DSS (HEC-DSS 7). From now on, HEC software will create HEC-DSS 7 files by default. To facilitate the transition from DSS 6 to DSS 7, an automated tool called DssConverter has been developed. This tool helps convert HEC-DSS 6 files within HEC-RTS watersheds, project directories for HEC model applications, and general hydrology and hydraulics (H&H) working directories. It enables you to select a source folder and convert all HEC-DSS 6 files within it at once. Simultaneously, it creates an archive backup of the original HEC-DSS 6 files in a separate directory. The tool also generates a log file for troubleshooting any issues that may arise during conversion.

This guide explains how to use the DssConverter tool to upgrade HEC-DSS files from version 6 to version 7 for any chosen source directory and its subdirectories.

Step 1: Create an Archive Directory

Begin by creating an archive directory to store copies of the original HEC-DSS 6 files before conversion.

  1. Open a File Explorer and navigate to your preferred location.
    1. The archive folder must be separate from the source folder (it cannot be inside the source directory).
  2. Create a new folder and name it descriptively (e.g., DSSArchive).

Step 2: Copy the Script from GitHub

  1. Visit the following link.
  2. Click the Copy raw file button to copy the script code.

Step 2: Create a New Script

  1. Open a File Browser and navigate to the \<HEC-RTS version>\common\exe folder.
  2. Double-click HEC-DSSVue.exe to launch the application.
  3. Select Script Editor from the Tools menu.  
  4. In the Script Editor, select New from the File menu to create a new script.
  5. Right-click inside the editor and select Paste to insert the copied code.
  6. In the dialog, enter DssConverter into the Label field.
  7. Click Save and Test to run the script.

Step 3: Configure Settings in the Converter Tool

  1. The DSS v6 to v7 Converter dialog will appear. 
  2. For Top Level Source Directory, select the folder containing the HEC-DSS 6 files you want to convert.
    1. For HEC-RTS, this typically includes watershed, forecast, and database folders or their parent directory.
  3. For Top Level Archive Directory, select the archive folder you created in Step 1.

Modify Extract Lists Option

This option updates HEC-DSS pathname naming conventions in Extract Lists from version 6 to 7. It's useful if your extract source files have been converted from HEC-DSS 6 to HEC-DSS 7. If Extract Lists are not updated, data might fail to extract correctly to the forecast.dss file during new forecasts.

  1. Review your watershed’s Extract Lists to determine if this option is necessary.
  2. If needed, check the Modify Extract Lists box.

Note that Extract List files are not shown in the file tree of the converter dialog. Any files named ...\shared\extract*.xml under the source directory will be updated. All <dss-timeseries> elements in these files will be converted to HEC-DSS 7 naming conventions. Updated Extract Lists are archived; those that aren’t updated are not.

Step 4: Convert the Files

  1. Click the Start button to begin conversion.
  2. The converter will display progress messages and visual cues indicating success or failure. 
  3. Detailed log files are create and can be reviewed for troubleshooting.
    1. If run from standalone CWMS-Vue or HEC-DSSVue, logs can be accessed by selecting Output from the Advanced menu.