Surface-Water Modeling System Tools
 The action that takes place when you click in the graphics window depends on which tool is active.
The tools are organized into two groups. The first set of three icons is for manipulating the display. The second set of icons is a group of module-specific tools that are used for creating and editing
objects in the graphics window.
The set of icons shown in this section of the tool palette are a function of the active module. A unique set of tools is provided for each module.
Surface-Water Modeling System Macros
 The macros are a set of icons at the bottom of the tool palette. Macros are shortcuts to frequently
used menu commands.
Surface-Water Modeling System Help Strip
The help strip at the bottom of the SMS windows is used to display context-sensitive help. As you move the
cursor over an item in a dialog, a menu command, or one of tools or buttons in the main window, a help string describing the function of the item is displayed in the help strip.
Surface-Water Modeling System Background Images
When constructing a model within SMS, the first step is often to import and register a scanned digital image or
aerial photo. This makes it possible to perform on-screen digitizing and ensures that objects are created at the proper location.
Surface-Water Modeling System Conceptual Models
There are two main methods for building models in SMS, the direct approach and the conceptual modeling
approach. With the direct approach, the first step is to create a mesh or grid. The model parameters, source/sink
data, and boundary conditions are assigned directly to the nodestrings, nodes, and elements of the mesh. This approach is only suitable for very simple models.
The most efficient approach for building realistic, complex models is the conceptual model approach. With this
approach, a conceptual model is created using GIS objects including points, arcs and polygons. The conceptual
model is constructed independently of a mesh or grid. It is a high-level description of the site including geometric
features such as channels and banks, the boundary of the domain to be modeled, flow rates and water surface
elevations of boundary conditions, and material zones with material properties such as Manning's n value. Once
the conceptual model is complete, a mesh or grid network is automatically constructed to fit the conceptual model, and the model data are converted from the conceptual model to the elements and nodes of the mesh
network.
Surface-Water Modeling System Feature Objects
Conceptual models are constructed using feature objects. Feature objects are points, arcs, and polygons. Feature
objects can be created entirely within SMS or imported from a GIS using shapefiles. Model parameters are assigned to the feature objects.
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SMS is organized into six modules. Each module is associated with a particular object type. Only
one module is active at any given time. As you switch modules, the menus and the tools unique to the active module are displayed.
