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Getting started



Downloading the codes and documentation

SUTRA and its utilities, including source codes, executables, documentation, and examples, are public-domain and are available for downloading free-of-charge through the U.S. Geological Survey's SutraSuite home page.

Note that some utilities require additional software to run or to realize their full functionality. They are listed below:

  • SutraPrep  --  No additional software is required to run SutraPrep, but a VRML 2.0 compatible browser* is needed to view 3D mesh plots. (Browsers designated as VRML 97 compatible should work.)
  • SutraGUI  --  ArgusONE® software is required to run SutraGUI. It must be purchased from Argus Interware, Inc.*
  • CheckMatchBC  --  Although CheckMatchBC runs as a stand-alone program, it is available only as part of the SutraGUI installation package.

* Links to non-Government web sites are provided for convenience only and do not imply endorsement by the U.S. Government.

Learning how to use SUTRA and its utilities

Users who have experience using SUTRA Versions 2.0 (2D3D.1) and 2.1 will find that Version 2.2 works similarly. The following features have been added:

  • specification of time-dependent boundary conditions using input files (no programming required)
  • optional output files that summarize specifications and computed results at boundary condition nodes

The following is a good general approach to familiarizing yourself with the SutraSuite software package:

  • Visit the SutraSuite home page to download and install the latest version of the SUTRA code, documentation, and accompanying example problems.
  • Get to know SUTRA's general capabilities, limitations, input data requirements, and pre- and post-processing utilities:
  • Study the example problems:
    • Read Chapter 6 of the SUTRA documentation.
    • Work with the example problems that accompany the SUTRA installation package. These problems illustrate the use of SUTRA and its utilities. Several examples replicate problems described in Chapter 6 of the SUTRA documentation.
  • As you study, take advantage of the following resources on this web site:
  • As you begin to formulate your own problems, seek the advice of experienced SUTRA users.
  • If you find the documentation and resources on this web site insufficient to resolve your problem, technical support is available.

SutraSuite includes a number of pre- and post-processing utilities that simplify the task of formulating input data sets and displaying and interpreting results:

  • SutraPrep is an easy-to-use program for setting up input datasets for relatively simple 3D SUTRA problems. It is a good starting point for users who want to try SUTRA quickly on a few simple 3D problems. It creates input for SUTRA 2.0 [2D3D.1], which can be read by SUTRA 2.1 and 2.2.
  • SutraGUI, a very powerful graphical user interface (GUI) for setting up 2D and 3D SUTRA problems and for plotting 2D results, is recommended for problems of any significant complexity. The interface is rather sophisticated, but it is worth learning, since SutraGUI is designed to handle complexities encountered in real-world modeling applications. (Although SutraGUI itself is available free-of-charge, it is based on ArgusONE® software, which must be purchased from Argus Interware, Inc.)
  • SutraPlot creates plots of pressure, concentration/temperature, or saturation contours and velocity vectors based on 2D and 3D SUTRA results. It is well suited to creating figures for publication. The latest version of SutraPlot is compatible with SUTRA 2.0 [2D3D.1]. A version of SutraPlot that is compatible with later versions of SUTRA is currently under development.
  • Model Viewer renders pressure, concentration/temperature, or saturation distributions from 2D and 3D SUTRA results as colored solids or isosurfaces, and plots velocity vectors. It is particularly useful for rapidly viewing and exploring results, especially in 3D.
  • GW_Chart generates graphical displays of fluid, solute, and energy budgets and observation node output, showing pressure, concentration, and temperature as functions of time.
  • CheckMatchBC aids in the proper formulation of specified-pressure, specified-concentration, and specified-temperature boundary conditions. It is distributed as part of the SutraGUI installation package.

All the utilities listed above are Windows®-based, except SutraPrep, which is text-based and can be compiled on any platform that has a standard FORTRAN 90 compiler. Each utility is fully documented. The examples that accompany the SUTRA installation package include input and output files for several of the utilities.

 


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Page Last Modified: Tuesday, 20-Dec-2016 15:22:41 EST