Data are imported to HEC-RPT projects from DSS files. Data in DSS are stored according to pathnames. These pathnames have six parts (a/b/c/d/e/f). Each pathname part represents a different characteristic of the data. Typically, a-part names the river, b-part names the location, c-part names the type of data (e.g., flow), d-part lists the start date of the data (or its period of record when viewing a condensed catalog as shown below), e-part notes the time step interval, and f-part is reserved for a user-defined tag.
The browser that accesses DSS files and allows users to select data to import is activated by clicking on the DSS Selector button. DSS files can be opened through this interface by clicking on the open folder icon in the upper left or via the "File – Open" menu. Data in the DSS file can be imported by highlighting the pathname of the data and clicking the Set Pathname button at the bottom of the browser (Figure 16).
Figure 16. Interface for importing DSS time series data.
When imported, the time series will be plotted in the Main Plot window and shown as active in the window (b-, f-, and c-parts are listed) above the DSS Selector button. To hide the data while leaving it in the project, deactivate the pathname by un-checking its check box. To remove data from the project, right click on the pathname and select "Remove". Data may also be reordered, relabeled, and identified for use in volume tracking (Figure 17). Data (regular and irregular series) for a wide range of time steps (1-min to yearly) may be imported.
Figure 17. Data list, DSS Selector button, and data menu options.
Imported data are associated with systems. Each system has a separate list of imported data. Data are displayed in the main plot when data units match system units (Figure 3) or an alias thereof (a list of aliases is included with the HEC-RPT software). For example, if three time series were imported to a system that used the “Flow” system type (English units of “cfs” and metric units of “cms”) and the three time series had units of “cfs”, “m3/s”, and “feet”, then the first time series would display because its units match the English units of the current system type, the second time series would display because “m3/sec” is an alias for the metric system type unit of “cms”, and the third time series would not display because units of “feet” is not compatible with “cfs” or “cms”. However, if the system type were then changed from “Flow” to “Elevation”, the first two time series would not be displayed and the third would because “feet” is also the English units of the “Elevation” system type.
The ability to plot and navigate hydrologic data is a strength of HEC-RPT. The software has two plot windows. Within these windows reside the main plot and the thumbnail plot. The main plot is inherently viewed in the upper right hand plot window and the thumbnail in the lower right, but their positions can be toggled via the "Plots – Toggle" menu option or by pressing the CTRL-T keys.