MODFLOW Features Tab

The MODFLOW Features tab is on the Object Properties dialog box.

The MODFLOW Features tab is only visible if a MODFLOW model is active. On the left side of the tab is a list of boundary conditions, observations, or other features that can be specified with the object or objects that are being edited. When the user selects one of the list of features on the left, a pane in which the data for the feature are specified will appear on the right. The features that can appear correspond to packages or programs listed in the MODFLOW Packages and Programs dialog box.

There is a checkbox next to each feature in the list. The checkbox can be in three states: checked, unchecked and indeterminate. If the checkbox is checked, all of the objects that are being edited define input for the feature. If the checkbox is unchecked, none of the objects that are being edited define input for the feature. If the checkbox is indeterminate, some of the objects that are being edited define input for the feature and some do not.

On most panes, the user specifies the Number of times at which the feature data are to be defined and enters either the Time or the Starting time and Ending time for each row in a table. These starting and ending times need not coincide with the starting and ending times of stress periods defined in the MODFLOW Time dialog box. If the times do not coincide with the starting and ending times of previously defined stress periods, ModelMuse will create additional stress periods as required when creating the MODFLOW input files. It is also not necessary to use the starting and ending time of the same stress period in each row of the table. If the boundary condition data will remain unchanged for several consecutive stress periods, all that is required is to enter the beginning time of the first desired stress period and the ending time of the last desired stress period. The Insert button associated with the table will insert a new row in the table above the selected row. The Delete button will delete the selected row.

In the table containing the Starting time and Ending time the remainder of the columns are filled in with formulas representing the data for the particular package. Double-clicking on a cell in the table for a Starting time or Ending time will cause a drop down list of the times defined in the MODFLOW Time dialog box to appear. Double-clicking on a cell for a formula will cause a button labeled F() to appear. Clicking this button will cause to Formula Editor to appear so that the formula can be edited. (In the case of observations, numbers not formulas must be entered so no F() button will appear with observations.)

For many time-dependant model features, the table in which the time dependant properties are specified will have two rows before the time-dependant values. They are used to specify the PEST Modifier and the Modification method. The PEST modifier is the name of a PEST parameter or a data set whose values will be assigned using PEST parameters. The modification method is either Add or Multiply. If the PEST Modifier is specified, PEST will modify the specified value for each time by either multiply by or adding the PEST modifier value. In addition, for any specific time, if the formula is a PEST parameter name or a data set that is modified by PEST, the updated parameter or data set value will be used by PEST during parameter estimation. If the formula for a specific time involves a data set modified by PEST but is not simply the name of the data set itself, only the initial value of the data set well be used during parameter estimation.

The Time Units Converter dialog box can be used to convert values specified in a unit different from that used in the model to values in the time units specified in the model. Click the Convert time units button to display the Time Units Converter dialog box.

For most packages in which parameters can be used, a series of check boxes will appear at the top of the corresponding pane with the names of the available parameters plus "no parameter" at the beginning if at least one parameter is defined. The "no parameter" check box can be unchecked to turn off the definition of a boundary that does not use parameters. When defining boundary conditions using parameters, the appropriate check boxes should be checked to activate the parameter with the current object. When this is done, new columns will appear in the table that define the data for the parameter. In addition, each row of the table of boundary condition data will be used to help define separate instances of the parameter so that the multipliers used with the parameters can vary with time. To select multiple cells, the user holds down the Shift or Ctrl keys on the key board while clicking on a cell in the table. Holding down the Shift key while clicking causes a range of cells to be selected. Holding down the Ctrl key toggles the selection of the cells in which the user clicked. When multiple cells are selected, the user can copy the data in those cells to the clipboard by pressing Ctrl-C on the keyboard. It can then be pasted in a spreadsheet program or otherwise manipulated outside of ModelMuse. Data on the clipboard can be pasted into the tables by double clicking on the upper left hand cell of the block of cells that is to receive data and then pressing Ctrl-V on the keyboard.

Above each table is an edit box that becomes enabled when two or more cells in the table are selected. The edit box can be used to edit the values of all the selected cells simultaneously.

The ETS, EVT, RCH, RES, and SFR boundary conditions and the boundaries in the HFB package can only be defined using objects drawn on the top view of the model. In addition to that restriction, the SFR boundary condition can only be defined using point or polyline objects and the HFB boundaries can only be defined with polyline or polygon objects

•CHD: Time-Variant Specified Head package

•CHOB: Specified-Head Flow Observation package

•CSUB: Skeletal Storage, Compaction, and Susidence Package Pane

•DRN: Drain package

•DROB: Drain Observation package

•DRT: Drain Return package

•ETS: Evapotranspiration Segments package

•EVT: Evapotranspiration package

•Flows in FHB: Flow and Head Boundary package

•Heads in FHB: Flow and Head Boundary package

•GHB: General Head Boundary package

•GBOB: General-Head-Boundary Observation package