Managing Map Windows

Open a Map Window

Double-click on a stream alignment, schematic, alternative, or simulation to open the selected study component in a map window. For example, in the study shown below, double-click on the Without Project Conditions-RR_Feb1986 simulation. A simulation map window will open and display the model elements for the simulation Without Project Conditions-RR_Feb1986.

Alternatively, open a map window from the shortcut menu provided for stream alignments, schematics, alternatives, or simulations. For example, from the Schematics tab, from the Schematics Tree, right-click on Stream Alignment. From the shortcut menu, click Display in Map Window to open a map window displaying the elements for the stream alignment.

Create a New Map Window

HEC-WAT provides a mechanism for the user to build a customized map window. Instead of double-clicking on a simulation, alternative, or schematic, the user can build a new map window.

To create a map window:

1. From the Maps menu, click New Map Window. In the Desktop Pane a standard map window will open with the imported map layers for the study loaded.
   
2. From the Study and Schematic tabs the user can drag-and-drop stream alignments, schematics, alternatives, and simulations onto a new map window. For example, from the Schematic tab on the Study Pane, click on the Without Project Conditions schematic. Holding down the left mouse button, drag the schematic to the map window. Release the mouse key, and the schematic for the Without Project Conditions will be displayed in the new map window, and the map window will now be a schematic map window.
3. The user can save the map window by saving the study. The next time the user opens the study, the customized map window will display.

Detach a Map Window from the Desktop Pane

By default, the map window is confined to the Desktop Pane of the HEC-WAT main window. When several map windows are open, the user can arrange the map windows, but viewing several map windows at once on the desktop pane can become difficult.

HEC-WAT allows the user to detach a map window from the Desktop Pane. This allows the user to manipulate the map window outside of the HEC-WAT framework.

The Detach Map Window tool is in the bottom right corner of any map window. Clicking this tool detaches the map window from the desktop pane. 

Clicking the Attach Map Window tool will return the map window to the Desktop Pane on the HEC-WAT main window.

Synchronize Map Windows

The user can synchronize multiple map windows to easily review items for the same area of the watershed from different map windows. For example, the user can view model elements for a simulation map window while simultaneously viewing the simulation's schematic in a second map window. 

To synchronize multiple map windows, open multiple map windows (e.g., Without Project Conditions-RR_Feb1986 and Schematic: Without Project Conditions). From the Window menu, click the Tile command to set the map windows side-by-side. In one of the map windows (e.g., Schematic: Without Project Conditions), select the Zoom tool and draw a box around a specific area of the watershed to zoom-in.

From the HEC-WAT menu bar, from the Maps menu, click Sync Map Windows. Now the two map window are synchronized, so any action done by the user in one map window will also happen in the other map window.

Modify Map Window Properties

The Map Window Settings dialog presents the geographic extents, zoom factor, available map layers, the option to display a background grid, and the background color. To access the Map Window Settings dialog, from the HEC-WAT main window, click Map Window Properties from the Maps menu. 

The map layers associated with the active map window are listed as a table in the Map Window Settings dialog box. The user can remove a map layer from the active map window by clicking in the Selected column. Clicking OK in the Map Windows Settings dialog box will close the dialog, and any unselected map layer will no longer display in the active map window.

Check the Draw Grid checkbox to turn the grid that is displayed in the active map window off or on.

The default background color for the active map window is white. The user can change the background color by clicking the button next to the label Background Color and opening the Background Color Chooser dialog box. Select a color from the Swatches tab, click OK, and the Background Color Chooser will close.

Create a Graphics File of a Map Window

HEC-WAT allows the user to save the active map window to a graphics file for inclusion in reports and presentations. HEC-WAT has three possible formats: Windows Metafile (*.wmf), JPEG (*.jpg, *.jpeg) and Portable Network Graphics (*.png), which is the default.
To create a graphics file of the active map window:

1. From the Maps menu, select Save Map Image to open a Save browser window.
   
2. Browse to a location where the file will be saved. In the File name box type a name. From the Files of type list, select the graphics file type to create.
3. Click Save, the Save Browser will close, and a file with the appropriate extension will be created in the selected location. The file will contain an image of the active map window.

Print a Map Window

From HEC-WAT a user can print the contents of the active map window. Activate the desired map window, then execute the following steps:

1. From the Maps menu, click Print Map, and a standard system Print dialog box will open.
   
2. Choose a printer from the Name list (list of system printers), set options for the selected printer (click Properties), print to a file, select number of copies, and enter a print range.
3. Click OK, the Print dialog box will close, and output of the map window will print on the selected printer.