Step-by-step guide

Bank lines are not a necessity in InfoWorks ICM river models. However, in order to add a representation of any out-of-bank flows, then an accurate representation of the river bank lines is needed. In their absence, the boundary points of the cross sections are seen as vertical walls.

There are 3 methods for creating bank lines: from bank survey data, from ground model data, and from the river section end points. This example uses the first method by importing bank survey data, and then fills in the missing bank data using a combination of the other two methods.

To complete this exercise, copy the data out of the transportable database .icmt file for this tutorial, or continue using the network from the previous exercise.

From the Database, double-click the 1D River Model to open it on the GeoPlan.

The InfoWorks ICM GeoPlan showing the river model, with the 1D River Model highlighted in the Model Group as having been opened.

To help locate the river reaches, it is helpful to display labels on the GeoPlan:

Right-click the GeoPlan and select Properties & Themes.
On the Layers and Themes tab, in the River reach row, enable AutoLabel.

In the Properties & Themes dialog box, Layers and Themes tab, River reach row, AutoLabel is enabled and called out.

Click OK.

To import bank survey data as bank lines:

From the Network menu, select Import > Open Data Import Centre.
In the Open Data Import Center, from the Table To Import Data Into list, select Bank line.
In the Data Source group box, set the Source Type to Raw Shape File.
Click Browse (…).
Navigate to the folder of the downloaded exercise files.
Select Bank Lines.shp.
Click Open.
Back in the ODIC, in the Field Mapping Configuration section, click Auto-Map.
Click Import.

The ODIC, with all parameters set to import the raw shapefile Bank Lines.shp and Import is highlighted.

Click OK to complete the import.

Now, import the bank survey data as a subtable:

In the Subtable drop-down, select Bank line: Bank data.
In the Data Source section, set the Source Type to CSV.
Click Browse (…).
Select Bank_Survey.csv.
Click Open.
Click Auto-Map.
Click Import.
Click OK to complete the update.

This imports four bank lines on the left and right of the existing river reaches.

The GeoPlan showing the four imported bank lines as lines on the left and right of the existing river reaches.

Using the Select tool, double-click one of the bank lines to open the Properties window.
In the Bank data field, click the More (…) button to open the data window.

On the GeoPlan, the bank line selected; in the Properties window, next to Bank data, the More button selected; and in the Bank data window, a table and a graph of the bank line data.

To build the bank lines into the river reach:

On the keyboard, hold CTRL to select multiple lines.
On the GeoPlan, use the Select tool to select the left and right bank lines, as well as the river reach.
From the Model menu, select River reach.
Select Build banks from selected lines.

On the GeoPlan, the river reach and both bank lines selected; and in the Model menu, River reach selected, with the Build banks from selected lines option selected in the flyout.

The bank lines are now represented by dotted lines, rather than by solid survey lines.

Double-click one of the river reaches to open the Properties window.

The Bank line data is now populated, but there are still some validation errors.

On the GeoPlan, the bank lines appear as dotted lines, and in the Properties window, the populated bank line data appears with validation errors.

There is still one river reach in the model for which bank survey data was not available. In this case, the bank line data can be inferred from the ground model.

To generate the bank lines based on the shape of the river reach:

On the GeoPlan, use the Select tool to select river reach 17DS.1.
From the Model menu, select River reach > Create bank lines from section ends.
When asked about following the shape of the link, select Yes.
From the Database, drag the 1m Ground Model and drop it onto the GeoPlan.
On the GeoPlan, double-click the 17DS.1 right bank line to open the Properties window.
Next to Bank data, click the More (…) button.

In the Bank data window, graph view, the green line shows the ground model levels.

On the GeoPlan, one of the bank lines based on the ground model is selected, and in the Bank data window, a green line on the graph shows the ground model levels.

If the green line does not appear, right-click in the graph view and select Show Ground Model.
Close the data window.
On the GeoPlan, select both of the bank lines just created for 17DS.1.
From the Model menu, select Update from ground model.
In the Update from ground model dialog box, under Lines, enable Overwrite existing elevations.

In the GeoPlan, both banks are selected, and in the Update from ground model dialog box, Overwrite existing elevations is enabled.

Click OK.

An information window about the updates appears.

To close the report, right-click the Update from Ground Model Report tab and select Close tab.
From the Properties window, Bank data field, click More (…) to view any changes.
Close the data window.

Now, build these bank lines into the river reach:

Using the Select tool, click on the GeoPlan and drag to select the two new bank lines as well as the river reach.
From the Model menu, select River reach.
Select Build banks from selected lines.
On the GeoPlan, double-click River reach 17DS.1 to open the Properties window.

There are red in-line validation errors due to missing data for the left and right river bank fields.

In the Properties window, the Left and Right river bank fields have red in-line validation errors, and in the GeoPlan, the river reach for this exercise is highlighted, with dotted yellow bank lines.

An SQL can be used to fill in the missing modular limit and discharge coefficient data:

In the Database, double click the Set Bank Cd and Modular Limit SQL object copied in previously.
In the SQL dialog box, click Test to validate the query.
If it is valid, click Run.

The SQL dialog box for the validated query with Run being selected.

Open the river reach Properties again and check that the left river bank and right river bank have data associated with them, and that the Discharge and Modular Limit columns are populated.

In the Properties window, the left and right river bank fields display no red in-line validation errors.

To build a river boundary, which draws a boundary around the river reach:

In the GeoPlan, use the Select tool to select all the river reaches.
From the Model menu, select River reach > Build boundary from banks and section ends.

To commit the changes:

Click Commit changes to database.
Add a comment of “Added banks”.
Click OK.
In the validation popup, select No.

Building a River Reach in InfoWorks ICM

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