New projects are initiated via the File – New Project menu option (Figure).  The File menu also has options to open existing projects, save projects, save projects as a different project, and exit. 

Figure.  The File menu allows users to create, open, and save projects.


Creating a new project opens an interface where the user enters the project name, description (optional), root directory, units system, and coordinate system (Figure).  Selection of coordinate system also requires entering system-specific information like datums and spheroids that provide a frame of reference that EFMSim uses for applying spatial data properly along the surface of the earth.  Alternatively, the Load from file… button in the coordinate system interface allows users to set coordinate systems based on an existing GIS data set.  Please note that it is best practice for EFMSim modeling that the project and GIS information (map layers and data) use the same coordinate system.  EFMSim does not reproject data to the project coordinate system.  Those data management tasks are left to the user to take care of outside of the EFMSim software.   

Figure.  Coordinate systems are set initially when creating a new project.