Post Editor

Now that you have successfully computed a forecast and reviewed results, you might want to save data from the forecast.dss file to the CWMS database or to other HEC-DSS files. A post is created and defined from the Post Editor.

From the Setup module, select Edit Post from the Models menu and the Post Editor will open.

The Post Editor is comprised of two sections: Available Output and Post Linking. The Available Output section contains a table listing the output records from each model alternative. The Post Linking section contains information on the defined post groups and a table listing the output records and sources records assigned to a post group.

Available Output Section

The Available Output section provides a list of the model alternative output time series records that can be mapped to the CWMS database or other HEC-DSS files.

The Available Output table provides the following information:

• Index - a number assigned to each time series pathname (the number has no real usage except in keeping the initial filtered list set), and each pathname can have multiple indices
• Model - the name of the software application that created the output record
• Alternative - the name of the model alternative that created the output record
• Location - the name of the model location that is associated with the output record
• Parameter - the parameter associated with the output record (flow, stage, etc.)
• Type - the type of data generated (either time series data or gridded data)
• Model Output - the actual output record pathname that the model alternative creates (the pathname that will be written to the forecast.dss file during the compute)

This information does not display by default in the Available Output table. You will need to configure the table view, and instructions on how to do so are shown in the Table View Options section at the end of the page.

Post Linking Section

The Post Linking section displays information on the post groups. Post groups link similar time series output data to a single data destination. The destination can be an HEC-DSS file, a CWMS database, or a WISKI database (WISKI Extract and Post). The destination records will be mapped to the required output records in a post group. During a forecast compute, the destination records will be copied into the required output pathnames when they are created in the forecast.dss file. 

The Post Linking section provides information on the following:

• Index - a number assigned to each required destination pathname (the number has no real usage except in keeping the initial filtered list set), and each pathname can have multiple indices
• From forecast.dss - the output pathname that will fill the HEC-DSS record displayed in the To <data_source> column
• Model - the software application generating the output record
• Alternative - the model alternative that is generating the output record
• Location - the model location object that is associated with the output record
• Parameter - the parameter associated with the output record's data
• To <data_source> - the output record pathname that be written to the To <data_source> during the post process

This information does not display by default in the Post Linking table. You will need to configure the table view, and instructions on how to do so are shown in the section below.

Table View Options

You can change the amount of information displayed in the tables in both the Available Output and the Post Linking sections. Clicking on the magnifying glass icon at the top right-hand corner of the tables in each section displays the Pathname Filters for Post dialog.

Column Text Filters

From the Column Text Filters box, you can filter the records to display only records that contain a certain phrase or string of text. Filtering can be done by Column, Index, Model, Alternative, Location, Parameter, Type, or Model Output. You can filter for multiple requirements by clicking the + button.

Below are examples of several different ways that you can filter: 

• Filters can be used to retrieve only records that are an exact match. You can do this by typing a string of text in the Filter For: box.
• Filters can be used to retrieve records that start, end, or contain a specific string. To do this, use an asterisk (*) after, before, or inserted into the string of text you want to filter for.

Display Columns

From the Display Columns box you can select which columns in the table to view. For the example shown on this page, Index, Model, Alternative, Location, Parameters, and Type have been selected for the tables in each section of the Post Editor.

Hide Assigned Destinations

You can remove a record from a table that has already been assigned to an extract group by checking the box next to the Hide Assigned Destinations option. The Hide Assigned Destinations option is not available for the Post Linking section.

Background and Text Colors

You can also color-code the output records listed in the Available Output section depending on if the output record is linked to a destination record. You can color code by background or text (or both).

To add a background color to a record that is not linked, from the Background Color box click Model Not Linked. A Color Chooser dialog will open. Select a color, click OK, and the Color Chooser will close. Within the Model Output column of the Available Output table, any record that has not been linked will be highlighted in the color you just selected.

You can also color code the records listed in the Post Linking section when a output record is not used by a model. You can color code by background or text (or both). To add a background color to a record that is not used by a model, from the Background Color box click Not Used by Model, and a Color Chooser dialog will open. Select a color, click OK, and the Color Chooser will close. Within the Post Linking table, any record that has not been used by a model will be highlighted in the color you just selected.