2D modeling, SQL improvements and Google Earth integration, dominate extensive list of enhancements to improve usability and productivity

20 October 2008 -- Wallingford Software has simultaneously released version 9.5 of all six of its core software solutions: InfoWorks CS (collection systems), SD (storm drainage), WS (water supply and distribution) RS (river systems), FloodWorks and InfoNet.

As Paul Banfield, Wallingford Software’s Sales and Marketing Director explains, the scores of enhancements - many introduced in direct response to customer requests - reflect the ongoing evolution in the role of water modeling and asset management software within the industry:

“As the use of water models as a day-to-day operational tool continues to grow, users increasingly need sophisticated software tools and functionality that improve usability, productivity and communication. As well as reflecting our ongoing commitment to improve the core function of our products, this latest version incorporates significant additions in application integration, data interrogation and analysis, and aids that will improve the communication of results to non-specialist audiences.”

Building on the 2D functionality introduced in v9.0 into InfoWorks CS, SD and RS, v9.5 features an array of enhancements including the introduction of new 2D objects (initial condition polygons, outfalls, gullies, point inflows and boundary conditions), multiple improvements to results analysis and export, and the introduction of new ground model modification tools. Very significantly, 2D models in InfoWorks CS, SD and RS can now be run within FloodWorks, Wallingford Software’s real time flood forecasting and warning system, bringing enhanced modeling of flows through complex river and drainage networks, and for overland flooding simulations.

As users have grown in their need to analyse data in unique and diverse ways, so SQL queries have featured more prominently in Wallingford Software’s development programme. Version 9.5 sees the expansion of SQL functionality across all its software applications to further equip users with the data query capabilities they need.

Due to its affordability, intuitive design and wealth of up-to-date and high-resolution geospatial data, Google Earth has become a popular method of displaying and distributing model results and network data, particularly dynamic flood inundation maps. V9.5 of InfoWorks, FloodWorks and InfoNet sees improvements to the data export options to Google Earth™. These include improvements in export options (layers, objects, names, descriptions, results) and flexibility in the way that users can access network data files for use with the Google Earth™ interface (.KMZ, .KML, PNG and .ZIP files).

Version 9.5 also features many innovations specific to each individual software application:

InfoWorks CS/SD v9.5 introduces both new functionality and a wide range of usability improvements to aid productivity. A new Force Main solution model is introduced, with its associated Hazen-Williams (HW) roughness type. The new Ground Model Height Correction functionality can be used for adjusting regions of a ground model, such as road channel and kerb depths.

InfoWorks WS v9.5 includes a new Set Area Codes tool that allows area codes to be set for objects in selected sub-networks of the network. This makes it easier for users to identify an individual sub-network when analyzing network behavior. Greater control is also now possible by specifying more precisely the point at which a standby pump should come into operation relative to the speed of its primary pump. Finally, the criticality of links may now be assessed and counted in terms of the number of properties or connections as well as the number of nodes or customer points affected by link failure. This gives the user a more complete picture of link criticality within the network.

InfoWorks RS v9.5 offers substantial enhancements to both its 1D and 2D modeling functionality. The 1D engine now comes with a new, faster, solver that saves modeling time for users and provides enhanced performance for real-time forecasting applications. The 2D engine now supports all the traditional 1D boundary conditions, including the Revitalised FEH runoff method, direct on to the 2D mesh and also includes a 2D rainfall runoff model that allow users to represent the full range of surface water processes within a 2D model. In addition the links between 1D and 2D domains have been expanded to include culverts, weirs, sluices, siphons, pumps, breaching spills and flapped outfalls giving users the utmost flexibility in the choice of when to use 1D or 2D methods.

FloodWorks v9.5 provides a variety of improvements to aid user productivity. Users can now run urban boundary models in their forecasting systems, to represent the forecasted runoff response from urbanised sub-catchments. Shapefiles of flooded areas can now be exported for any timestep in a forecast, or the maximum flooded area over the hindcast, forecast, or overall simulation periods, to enable the processing, study or usage of those maps in external applications. Layer control in Event Manager offers the user enhanced control over the appearance of the map view in the operational interface.

InfoNet v9.5 features a new scheduling tool to aid operational planning, budget forecasting and crew scheduling. InfoNet may now automatically schedule operations that happen on a regular or repeat basis. Reports can be run to indicate future programs, associated costs and crew allocations. In addition two new maintenance objects have been included so that maintenance activities can be accurately described and the import and export of CCTV Survey data from and to MSCC XML format has been simplified and adopted as the InfoNet default specification.

Paul Banfield concludes: “With every release, InfoWorks, FloodWorks and InfoNet grow in stature as the world’s leading modeling and data management applications for the water industry. Our product development programs are consistently the most responsive to users, the most comprehensive in scope and the most forward-looking and innovative of all our competitors. All of which explains why we remain at the forefront of our industry in every region and sector of the water industry worldwide.”

For complete details of InfoWorks, FloodWorks or InfoNet v9.5 please email Email Contact, telephone +44 (0)1491 824777 or visit www.wallingfordsoftware.com.