The Official Website of the Office of Geographic and Environmental Information (MassGIS)

 
  Data Viewer
 
Watershed Analyst (Page 2)

Detailed Information about the Tools

The MassGIS Hydro toolbar currently has 14 tools available:

Many tools call RouteMeasure to find the route and measure of the point entered. If the point cannot be located on the route because:

  • it is beyond the snap tolerance
  • the point snapped to more than one route, or 
  • more than one route theme is active,
  • the user is notified as to the reason. If the user would like to change the snap tolerance for finding the centerline route, use the "Change Snap Tolerance For Finding Route" menu choice under the MassGIS-Hydro menu.
    Tools Not Requiring ArcView’s Spatial Analyst

    The "Show All Media" tool

    Application: Pops up image windows or text windows of applicable images or text for the point event, linear event, or other feature on which the user’s mouse was clicked. Runs "DisplayMedia" script.
    Prerequisites: View window active. Theme active in the View. Theme with associated text or image files will have one or more records in the hotlink.dbf table indicating whether media is image or text, and the associated file relating records to images/text files. Theme must be added from the "A" button.
    User Action: Click on feature with mouse
    End Result: Image or text windows will pop up if they exist for the point event/linear event/other feature clicked on. Point events/linear events will highlight in the project highlight color.
    Defaults: Snap to route is 30m.
    Notes: Use this tool and click inside the town of Ipswich with the MA Towns theme active for an example of this feature.


    The "Measure Route" tool

    Application: Provides route ID and measure up the route in miles and meters. Runs "RouteMeasure" script.
    Prerequisites: View window active, river route theme active in the View, only one route theme active in the View. Route theme must be added from the "A" button.
    User Action: Click on river route with mouse.
    End Result: A message box will pop up with the data.
    Defaults: Snap to route is 30m.
    Notes: If the SARIS route theme is highlighted, the Measure Route tool will also work on this.


    The "Create Point Event" tool

    Application: Interactively creates a point event table. Runs "PointEventTable" script.
    Prerequisites: View window active, river route theme active in the View, only one route theme active in the View. Route theme must be added from the "A" button.
    User Action: Click on river route with mouse. User prompted for point event ID. User will be asked if they want to add point to an existing point event table or create a new point event table. User warned if point event ID is already represented in the point event table. Point is symbolized with a graphic (a black dot).
    End Result: Point event table is created (named and stored where the user specifies). When point event table is finished, user can display the point event table with the "Display Event Table" choice under the MassGIS-Hydro menu.
    Defaults: Snap to route is 30m.


    The "Create Linear Event" tool

    Application: Interactively creates a linear event table. Runs "GetTwoPoints" script.
    Prerequisites: View window active, river route theme active in the View, only one active route theme in the View. Route theme must be added from the "A" button.
    User Action: Click on river route with mouse in 2 places, single-clicking on the each point. User can zoom and pan before choosing second point. After choosing the second point, wait for the black dot to appear (this may take several seconds). User is warned and a linear event is not created if the two points are not related to each other. User will be asked if they want to add linear event to an existing linear event table or create a new event table. User prompted for linear event ID, and warned if linear event ID is already represented in the linear event table. Line is symbolized with 2 points as graphics (black dots). In the case of multiple routes, the linear eventid is a "meta id" – multiple linear events can make up a meta linear event. 
    End Result: Linear event table is created (named and stored where the user specifies). Linear events over multiple routes can be created. When the linear event table is finished, user can display the linear event table with the "Display Event Table" choice under the MassGIS-Hydro menu.
    Defaults: Snap to route is 30m. 


    The "Find All Upstream Routes" tool or "Upstream Trace"

    Application: Highlights all upstream routes and the upstream piece of the route user clicks on. Runs "AllUpstreamRoutes" script.
    Prerequisites: View window active, river route theme active in the View, only one active route theme in the View.
    User Action: Click on river route with mouse.
    End Result: All upstream routes, including loops, are stored in a linear event table titled uslinear.dbf. This is displayed as a theme in a random color. 
    Defaults: Snap to route is 30m.


    The "Find All Downstream Routes" tool or "Downstream Trace"

    Application: Highlights all downstream river pieces, which are pieces of routes. Runs "AllDownstreamRoutes" script.
    Prerequisites: View window active, river route theme active in the View, only one active route theme in the View. Route theme must be added from the "A" button.
    User Action: Click on river route with mouse.
    End Result: All downstream pieces, including loops, will be placed in a linear event table titled dslinear.dbf. This is displayed as a theme in a random color. 
    Defaults: Snap to route is 30m.


    The "Find All Upstream Events" tool

    Application: Highlights all upstream point or linear events, or pieces of linear events. Runs "EventSearch" script.
    Prerequisites: View window active, river route theme active in the View, only one active route theme in the View. If there are >= 2 themes active in the View, the river route theme and the event theme(s), the user will not be prompted to supply the event table name and type. In all other cases (i.e. fewer than 2 themes active, no event theme active, etc.), the user will be prompted to supply the event table name and type. Route theme must be added from the "A" button.
    User Action: Click on river route with mouse. User is asked whether they want to find point or linear events. User is then asked to specify the point or linear event table to use. It is recommended that the point or linear event table be drawn in the view so that highlighted point or linear events will show when script is finished running.
    End Result: All upstream point or linear events, or pieces of linear events, including those on loops, will be highlighted in the project highlight color. 
    Defaults: Snap to route is 30m.


    The "Find All Downstream Events" tool

    Application: Highlights all downstream point or linear events, or pieces of linear events. Runs "EventSearch" script.
    Prerequisites: View window active, river route theme active in the View, only one active route theme in the View. If there are >= 2 themes active in the View, the river route theme and the event theme(s),the user will not be prompted to supply the event table name and type. In all other cases (i.e. fewer than 2 themes active, no event theme active, etc.), the user will be prompted to supply the event table name and type. Route theme must be added from the "A" button.
    User Action: Click on river route with mouse. User is asked whether they want to find point or linear events. User is then asked to specify the point or linear event table to use. It is recommended that the point or linear event table be drawn in the view so that highlighted point or linear events will show when script is finished running.
    End Result: All downstream point or linear events or pieces of linear events, including those on loops, will be highlighted in the project highlight color. 
    Defaults: Snap to route is 30m.


    Previous section: Introduction/What the Watershed Analyst Does
    Next section: Tools Requiring ArcView's Spatial Analyst
    Back to Watershed Analyst Index


     Home | About MassGIS | What's New | MassGIS Data | Download Free Data | Order Maps & Data | Online Mapping 
    Data Viewer | Municipal GIS | GIS Education | Standards | Other GIS Resources | Site Contents | Search 

    Last Updated 3/22/2000
    EOEA Disclaimer | Privacy Policy