Difference between revisions of "Modelling tool user interfaces"

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! scope="col" style="background: #CEE6F2; width:8em" |MIKE-SHE
 
! scope="col" style="background: #CEE6F2; width:8em" |MIKE-SHE
 
|-
 
|-
| style="vertical-align: vertical-align: center;" |Graphical user interface (vs code prompt)
+
| style="vertical-align: vertical-align: center;" |Graphical user interface </br><small>''(vs code prompt)''</small>
 
| style="background: #FFF5FA; vertical-align: center; text-align:center;" |'''yes'''
 
| style="background: #FFF5FA; vertical-align: center; text-align:center;" |'''yes'''
 
| style="background: #FFF7F5; vertical-align: center; text-align:center;" |'''yes'''
 
| style="background: #FFF7F5; vertical-align: center; text-align:center;" |'''yes'''
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| style="background: #F5FCFF; vertical-align: center; text-align:center;" |'''yes'''
 
| style="background: #F5FCFF; vertical-align: center; text-align:center;" |'''yes'''
 
|-
 
|-
| colspan="6" style="vertical-align: vertical-align: center;" |'''Model set-up efficiency (ease)'''
+
| colspan="6" style="background: #FFFFFF; vertical-align: vertical-align: center;" |'''Model set-up ease & efficiency'''
 
|-
 
|-
| style="vertical-align: vertical-align: center;" |Automated creation of model units & connections from map inputs (vs fully manual creation)  
+
| style="vertical-align: vertical-align: center;" |Automated creation of model units & connections from map inputs </br><small>''(vs fully manual creation)''</small>
 
| style="background: #FFF5FA; vertical-align: center; text-align:center;" |no
 
| style="background: #FFF5FA; vertical-align: center; text-align:center;" |no
 
| style="background: #FFF7F5; vertical-align: center; text-align:center;" |no
 
| style="background: #FFF7F5; vertical-align: center; text-align:center;" |no
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| style="background: #F5FCFF; vertical-align: center; text-align:center;" |'''yes'''
 
| style="background: #F5FCFF; vertical-align: center; text-align:center;" |'''yes'''
 
|-
 
|-
| style="vertical-align: vertical-align: center;" |Input & change parameters for model units (e.g., HRUs, grid cells) in batches by type (e.g., cover type, soil type)
+
| style="vertical-align: vertical-align: center;" |Input parameter values and change values for batches of models units </br><small>''(e.g., all HRUs of a cover type)''</small>
 
| style="background: #FFF5FA; vertical-align: center; text-align:center;" |''(limited)''
 
| style="background: #FFF5FA; vertical-align: center; text-align:center;" |''(limited)''
 
| style="background: #FFF7F5; vertical-align: center; text-align:center;" |'''yes'''
 
| style="background: #FFF7F5; vertical-align: center; text-align:center;" |'''yes'''
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| style="background: #F5FCFF; vertical-align: center; text-align:center;" |'''yes'''
 
| style="background: #F5FCFF; vertical-align: center; text-align:center;" |'''yes'''
 
|-
 
|-
| style="vertical-align: vertical-align: center;" |In-built database of suggested parameter values (e.g. for common/generic vegetation types, soil types, etc.)
+
| style="vertical-align: vertical-align: center;" |In-built database of suggested parameter values </br><small>''(e.g., for common vegetation types, soil types, etc.)''</small>
 
| style="background: #FFF5FA; vertical-align: center; text-align:center;" |no
 
| style="background: #FFF5FA; vertical-align: center; text-align:center;" |no
 
| style="background: #FFF7F5; vertical-align: center; text-align:center;" |no
 
| style="background: #FFF7F5; vertical-align: center; text-align:center;" |no
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| style="background: #F5FCFF; vertical-align: center; text-align:center;" |'''yes'''
 
| style="background: #F5FCFF; vertical-align: center; text-align:center;" |'''yes'''
 
|-
 
|-
| colspan="6" style="vertical-align: vertical-align: center;" |'''Model set-up transparency (i.e., is it obvious what the model is doing/assuming?)'''
+
| colspan="6" style="background: #FFFFFF;vertical-align: vertical-align: center;" |'''Model set-up transparency''' (i.e., is it obvious what the model is doing/assuming?)
 
|-
 
|-
| style="vertical-align: vertical-align: center;" |Interface makes the user interact with every component & parameter entry option during model set-up (vs having default parameter values pre-entered and not forcing user to view them before completing set-up)
+
| style="vertical-align: vertical-align: center;" |Interface makes the user interact with every component & parameter entry option during model set-up </br><small>''(vs having default parameter values pre-entered & not forcing user to view them before completing set-up)''</small>
 
| style="background: #FFF5FA; vertical-align: center; text-align:center;" |'''yes'''
 
| style="background: #FFF5FA; vertical-align: center; text-align:center;" |'''yes'''
 
| style="background: #FFF7F5; vertical-align: center; text-align:center;" |'''yes'''
 
| style="background: #FFF7F5; vertical-align: center; text-align:center;" |'''yes'''
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| style="background: #F5FCFF; vertical-align: center; text-align:center;" |'''yes'''
 
| style="background: #F5FCFF; vertical-align: center; text-align:center;" |'''yes'''
 
|-
 
|-
| colspan="6" style="vertical-align: vertical-align: center;" |'''Batch runs & calibration tools'''
+
| colspan="6" style="background: #FFFFFF;vertical-align: vertical-align: center;" |'''Batch runs & calibration tools'''
 
|-
 
|-
| style="vertical-align: vertical-align: center;" |Facility for batch runs, parameter sensitivity analyses, uncertainty analyses & auto-calibration (in-built functions or an associated tool)
+
| style="vertical-align: vertical-align: center;" |Facility for batch runs, parameter sensitivity analyses, uncertainty analyses & auto-calibration  
 
| style="background: #FFF5FA; vertical-align: center; text-align:center;" |no
 
| style="background: #FFF5FA; vertical-align: center; text-align:center;" |no
 
| style="background: #FFF7F5; vertical-align: center; text-align:center;" |'''yes'''
 
| style="background: #FFF7F5; vertical-align: center; text-align:center;" |'''yes'''
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| style="background: #F5FCFF; vertical-align: center; text-align:center;" |'''yes'''
 
| style="background: #F5FCFF; vertical-align: center; text-align:center;" |'''yes'''
 
|-
 
|-
| colspan="6" style="vertical-align: vertical-align: center;" |'''Model run times'''
+
| colspan="6" style="background: #FFFFFF;vertical-align: vertical-align: center;" |'''Model run times'''
 
|-
 
|-
| style="vertical-align: vertical-align: center;" |Rough estimate of time needed for a 30 year run for a model of a 300km^2 catchment (Note: will depend on model set-up complexity & computing power)
+
| style="vertical-align: vertical-align: center;" |Rough estimate of time needed for a 30 year run for a model of a 300km^2 catchment </br><small>''(Note: will depend on model set-up complexity & computing power)''</small>
 
| style="background: #FFF5FA; vertical-align: center; text-align:center;" |seconds to minutes
 
| style="background: #FFF5FA; vertical-align: center; text-align:center;" |seconds to minutes
 
| style="background: #FFF7F5; vertical-align: center; text-align:center;" |seconds to minutes
 
| style="background: #FFF7F5; vertical-align: center; text-align:center;" |seconds to minutes
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| style="background: #F5FCFF; vertical-align: center; text-align:center;" |hours
 
| style="background: #F5FCFF; vertical-align: center; text-align:center;" |hours
 
|-
 
|-
| colspan="6" style="vertical-align: vertical-align: center;" |'''Accessing model output'''
+
| colspan="6" style="background: #FFFFFF;vertical-align: vertical-align: center;" |'''Accessing model output'''
 
|-
 
|-
 
| style="vertical-align: vertical-align: center;" |Output viewer tool for streamflow
 
| style="vertical-align: vertical-align: center;" |Output viewer tool for streamflow
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| style="background: #F5FCFF; vertical-align: center; text-align:center;" |'''yes'''
 
| style="background: #F5FCFF; vertical-align: center; text-align:center;" |'''yes'''
 
|-
 
|-
| style="vertical-align: vertical-align: center;" |Automated extraction of water balance fluxes for different spatial scales (e.g., by cover class area, by subcatchment, full catchment)  
+
| style="vertical-align: vertical-align: center;" |Automated extraction of water balance fluxes for different spatial scales </br><small>''(e.g., by cover class area, by subcatchment, full catchment)''</small>
 
| style="background: #FFF5FA; vertical-align: center; text-align:center;" |no
 
| style="background: #FFF5FA; vertical-align: center; text-align:center;" |no
 
| style="background: #FFF7F5; vertical-align: center; text-align:center;" |no
 
| style="background: #FFF7F5; vertical-align: center; text-align:center;" |no
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| style="background: #F5FCFF; vertical-align: center; text-align:center;" |'''yes'''
 
| style="background: #F5FCFF; vertical-align: center; text-align:center;" |'''yes'''
 
|}
 
|}
 
 
  
 
== Formats for input-output data ==
 
== Formats for input-output data ==

Revision as of 20:30, 27 November 2023

PAGE IN PROGRESS - MORE COMING SOON!


The table below gives a comparison of the user interface for each of the modelling tools. For more detailed descriptions see the sections that follow.


Interface comparison overview

Interface characteristic WRSM-Pitman SPATSIM-Pitman ACRU4 SWAT2012 MIKE-SHE
Graphical user interface
(vs code prompt)
yes yes yes yes yes
Catchment map display (visualise linkages) no yes no yes yes
Model set-up ease & efficiency
Automated creation of model units & connections from map inputs
(vs fully manual creation)
no no no yes yes
Input parameter values and change values for batches of models units
(e.g., all HRUs of a cover type)
(limited) yes no yes yes
In-built database of suggested parameter values
(e.g., for common vegetation types, soil types, etc.)
no no yes yes no
User can build own parameter databases for use across multiple models no (limited) no yes yes
Model set-up transparency (i.e., is it obvious what the model is doing/assuming?)
Interface makes the user interact with every component & parameter entry option during model set-up
(vs having default parameter values pre-entered & not forcing user to view them before completing set-up)
yes yes yes no yes
Tool checks connection errors (limited) yes (limited) yes yes
Batch runs & calibration tools
Facility for batch runs, parameter sensitivity analyses, uncertainty analyses & auto-calibration no yes no yes yes
Model run times
Rough estimate of time needed for a 30 year run for a model of a 300km^2 catchment
(Note: will depend on model set-up complexity & computing power)
seconds to minutes seconds to minutes seconds to minutes tens of minutes hours
Accessing model output
Output viewer tool for streamflow yes yes yes yes yes
Output viewer tool for water balance fluxes and stores (limited) yes no (limited) yes
All water balance components that are calculated by the model can be exported no no yes yes yes
Batch export of water balance fluxes for model's basic spatial units no yes yes yes yes
Automated extraction of water balance fluxes for different spatial scales
(e.g., by cover class area, by subcatchment, full catchment)
no no no (limited) yes

Formats for input-output data

Computing resources

Run times

Run times for models built with a given tool can vary considerably with the size and complexity of the set-up, the number of timesteps in the run, and the computer being used. This makes is difficult to generalise, however, due to their relative simplicity WRSM, SPATSIM, and ACRU4 models in these exercises generally ran in a matter of a few minutes for a 30 year run, while the ArcSWAT and MIKE-SHE models could range from 15 minutes to several hours to complete this.

The run times have import particularly for parameter adjustment testing, limiting how much can be done in the time available for a project. However, the tools that have long run times, as well as SPATSIM, have made the parameter adjustment process quick and allow batch run facilities. Once set-up time-consuming testing runs can be ongoing without manual intervention needed from the modeller, freeing their time for other work. Although WRSM and ACRU4 run quickly, the process of making parameter adjustments in the model set-up to be tested takes a long time and a lot of manual effort as described above.