HEC-WAT provides the user with several ways to compute a deterministic simulation. In a deterministic compute the user can compute a simulation individually, compute multiple simulations, compute individual model alternatives, or compute a simulation through a specific model alternative. For example, if the user defined a compute sequence of HEC-HMS, HEC-ResSim, HEC-RAS, and HEC-FIA and only wanted to compute a simulation through the HEC-RAS model, HEC-WAT could request that the HEC-HMS, HEC-ResSim and HEC-RAS software applications compute their individual model alternatives (i.e., simulation, alternative, plan) for the HEC-WAT simulation alternative.

Compute from the Individual Simulation Shortcut Menu

Users can compute a deterministic simulation from the Study Tree, the Alternative and Simulation Manager dialog box, or from the Compute menu. From the Study Tree or the Alternative and Simulation Manager dialog box, users can compute by right-clicking a simulation of interest and from the individual simulation shortcut menu point to Compute and select the desired compute option from the shortcut sub-menu.

HEC-WAT main window and Alternative and Simulation Manager compute deterministic simulation options.

Compute Menu 

Users can also compute a simulation from the Compute menu of the HEC-WAT main window. In order to access all compute options available in the Compute menu, users must first open the desired deterministic simulation in a map window. To open the desired simulation in the map window, double-click the simulation of interest (e.g., Deterministic) from the Study Tree. Alternatively, from the individual simulation shortcut menu, click Display in Map Window.

Simulation open in a simulation map window.

If a simulation is active (displayed in a Simulation Map Window in the Desktop Pane), it appears as the first item in the Compute menu (e.g., Deterministic). Click the simulation's name, the Compute Progress dialog box opens and the compute for that simulation starts. In other words, many of the compute options available from the Compute menu are linked to the simulation open in the active map window.


HEC-WAT main window, Compute menu options for the Deterministic simulation open in a map window.

Compute Options

The following sections describe in detail the compute options for how to compute deterministic simulations in HEC-WAT.

Compute (Ctrl to Force)

The Compute > Simulation (Ctrl to Force) sub-menu command is available from the simulation shortcut menu, the Compute menu, and from the Study Pane toolbar, by selecting the Compute tool. To use this option, point to Compute and then hold down the CTRL key and click Simulation. The Compute Progress dialog box opens to show the compute messages from WAT and the individual plugins. When the compute is finished, click Close to close the Compute Progress dialog box.


Forcing A Re-compute

Holding down the Ctrl key forces all models alternatives in the compute sequence to compute, and is the recommended way to compute until additional coordination between HEC-WAT and software application teams has been completed.

Compute

Alternatively, point to Compute and click Simulation. When Simulation is selected without holding down the CTRL key, then the compute progress will start at the model alternative in the compute sequence that has not been computed yet. In other words, if previous model alternatives in the compute sequence have been computed and not changed, those model alternatives will be skipped. The Compute > Simulation sub-menu command is available from the simulation shortcut menu, the Compute menu, and from the Study Pane toolbar, by selecting the Compute tool. The Compute Progress dialog box opens, and the compute starts. 

Compute Progress window displaying the progress for the Deterministic simulation example.

For the Deterministic simulation example (provided below), the POR_simple model computes but GridsOnly2 fails to compute due to a model linking error. If, in this example, the user fixes the linkages and then re-computes without holding down the CTRL key, then the compute progress will skip POR_simple and begin with GridsOnly2.

Compute Progress window displaying error messages for the FIA model alternative in the Deterministic simulation example.

Compute a Model Alternative

Users can compute a specific model alternative from within an HEC-WAT compute sequence for a specific simulation. Users can compute an individual model alternative in the simulation from the simulation shortcut menu or from the Compute menu. From the simulation shortcut menu select Compute, from the sub-menu, click on the model alternative where the compute will stop. The Compute Progress dialog box opens and the compute starts. 

Computing Through A Specified Alternative

If previous model alternatives have been computed and not changed, those model alternatives will be skipped.

Alternatively, users can compute individual model alternatives (i.e., simulations, plans, alternatives) from the Content Pane when a simulation is selected. From the HEC-WAT main window, select a simulation from the Study Tree (e.g., Deterministic). The Content Pane displays information about the selected simulation, including what model alternatives are part of the simulation. Right-click on a specified model alternative (e.g., POR_simple), and click Compute from the shortcut menu. The Compute Progress dialog box opens and the compute starts.

Content Pane, displaying an individual model alternative's shortcut menu options.

Compute Manager

The Compute Manager dialog box can be opened from the Compute menu or from the Alternative and Simulation Manager toolbar (opened by clicking Compute Manager toolbar icon.). To compute multiple deterministic simulations:

  1. From the Compute menu, click Compute Manager to open the Compute Manager dialog box.
    Compute Manager dialog box.
  2. The simulations are organized by HEC-WAT alternatives (i.e., Without Project Conditions), the sub-nodes represent the simulations (i.e., Without Project Conditions-RRFeb1986) that have been defined for each HEC-WAT alternative.
  3. By default, all simulations are selected. To deselect simulations, click the checkbox next to a simulation. To easily deselect all simulations, click Deselect All; to select all simulations, click Select All.
  4. Selecting the Force Recompute option forces all models in the compute sequence to re-compute if previously computed

  5. Select the Compute button, for each simulation that is selected, a Compute Progress dialog box opens.

    Close Progress Windows Option

    When computing several simulations at once, many Compute Progress dialogs are visible. Turn off the Compute Progress dialog boxes by checking Close Progress Windows checkbox prior to selecting Compute. The Close Progress Windows option opens and computes each of the selected simulations individually in sequence.
  6. When the simulations complete, click Close to close the Compute Manager dialog box.

Computing a Recently Computed Simulation

Users can view a list of recently computed simulations from the Compute menu by pointing to Recent Simulations. Users can recompute a recently computed simulation by selecting one of the simulations from the Recent Simulations list. The Recent Simulations list provides a of recently computed simulations displays. Select the simulation desired, the Compute Progress dialog box opens and the compute starts.