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HEC-RAS Import/Export

13 REPLIES 13
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Message 1 of 14
mlohr
3344 Views, 13 Replies

HEC-RAS Import/Export

I see quite a few posts on the boards about importing HEC-RAS SDF files into Civil 3D.

 

But how about the other direction where you have river centerline geometry in real world coordinates in AutoCAD and you want to import that into the HEC-RAS modeling program, maintaining the correct coordinate geometry.

 

Does that capability exist?

 

Some willl recall that AutoDesk Mapguide used "SDF" files as its native file format and some modelers here have been trying to Export from Civil 3D to SDF, then import that to HEC-RAS (with no results). Can anyone confirm that the HEC-RAS SDF files are a completely different format than the MapGuide SDF files?

 

We currently use Civil 3D 2011 and I understand there are some additional capabilities starting in Civil3D 2013.

 

Thanks for any thoughts.

13 REPLIES 13
Message 2 of 14
wfberry
in reply to: mlohr

I believe that the River Analysis Extension is only available for the "Autodesk Infrastructure Design Suite Ultimate 2014".

 

As shown here:

 

http://www.autodesk.com/suites/infrastructure-design-suite/included-software

 

Bill

 


Windows 7 x 64 Professional
Nvidia GeForce 9800 & 8500
12 GB Ram
i7 965 @ 3.20 GHz
Corsair Force 240 GB SSD
Infrastructure Suite 2014

Message 3 of 14
mlohr
in reply to: wfberry

Thanks for the quick response Bill. So if you don't have the "Ultimate" Design Suite, maybe you can't get that extension anyway. I'll chech through our reseller.

 

It is Ultimate, too, they are not kidding. $12,075 per seat.

 

Have you used the River Analysis at all, Bill?

Message 4 of 14
Hidden_Brain
in reply to: mlohr

You can use the Civil 3D HEC-RAS Import/Export extension in 2011 to lay out your reaches (alignments), sample lines (cross sections) on a TIN surface, and then create (and export) a ".geo" file that you can import through the RAS geometry editor. I cannot quite remember if the extension is available directly in 2011 version or you have to download it from the subscription center (for subscription customers) and install it.

 

When using that extension, there are certain rules of thumb like laying out alignments downstream to upstream, inverting reaches and cross sections in RAS etc. that you can find more about by browsing some earlier posts here on that topic.

 

I have used the extension in the recent past for a few projects but without using the SDF format for import/export; perhaps someone else can shed more light on that for you. The "geo" extension has always worked decently well in my case.

 

good luck!

Message 5 of 14
annw2
in reply to: mlohr

To update this.

 

I tried this function this morning.  The help instructions are awful.

 

It is important that the alignment be drawn from downstream to upstream.

 

I used a few 90 degree from CL stations, though I would probably have used the draw individual poly line function for sections as rivers bend.

 

Once in HEC-RAS, you need to use the geometry modification tool to reverse the directions of the cross sections.  Standard roadway defalut has the sections looking up the road.  You need to reverse this in HEC-RAS to look down the stream.

 

When I imported the GIS file in HEC-RAS, it gave me a warning message that the file couldn't be geo-referenced.  I have no idea why not.

 

The HEC-RAS file was unstable and didn't want to accept typing in the left and right bank stations unless they were edited in the geographic editor.

 

I googled Civil 3d HEC-RAS and found an excellent You-Tube tutorial video by a Texas engineer.  I think they wanted to sell their little program that automatically reversed the cross section data.

 

As my model didn't georeference, I am not going to try the 3rd video method of importing the flood plain from HEC-RAS to Civil 3d.

 

 

Ann Wingert, P.E.
Message 6 of 14
Hidden_Brain
in reply to: annw2

Would you be willing to share your geo file here?

Message 7 of 14
annw2
in reply to: Hidden_Brain

How is this?  WEbsite won't let me attach a geo file.

Ann Wingert, P.E.
Message 8 of 14
Hidden_Brain
in reply to: annw2

try renaming to .txt and upload
Message 9 of 14
annw2
in reply to: Hidden_Brain

Does this work?

Respectfully,
Ann M. Wingert


Hanover Engineering Associates, Inc.
3355 Route 611, Suite 1
Bartonsville, PA 18321-7822
Phone - 570-688-9550
Fax - 570-688-9768
Email - awingert@hanovereng.com
Web - www.hanovereng.com
Ann Wingert, P.E.
Message 10 of 14
Hidden_Brain
in reply to: annw2

I do not see an attachment with your post. If you are having trouble attaching, feel free to email it to me.
my firstname underscore my lastname at hotmail.com
Message 11 of 14
mlohr
in reply to: Hidden_Brain

Glad to see the post is still alive. Doesn't appear anyone having much success.

 

Since AutoDesk allows 3 back license versions available for use, we are about to lose use of our 2011 AutoCad products. So, I didn't try to see how far that extension would get us.

 

US Army Corps of Engineers also has available for download a product that works with ESRI ArcGIS, through v10.1 called HEC-GeoRAS which supposedly builds the same interoperabiliity with the modeling programs. I downloaded it today. If anyone has in interest, send me a note, I will forward the link or you can likely find it with a search for HEC-GeoRAS.

 

Thanks for everyone's comments.

 

Message 12 of 14
Hidden_Brain
in reply to: mlohr

Just a FYI, although GeoRAS is a free extension, in addition to ArcGIS, it requires Spatial Analyst and 3D Analyst to run, each of those extensions are fairly expensive ($3000 or so).

Rumor has it that USACE is slowly going to phase out GeoRAS and add its pre-processing functionalities to RAS Mapper, which, at its current state, can only perform post processing. How soon that is going to happen is anybody's guess.
Message 13 of 14
salsa17
in reply to: Hidden_Brain

I have been trying to export basic alignment and sample lines to a HEC-RAS .geo file, but the export routine does not pick up all the information.

 

It seems to be getting values of zero for the centerline reach.

 

Any help would be appreciated.

 

Thanks,

Michael

Message 14 of 14
annw2
in reply to: salsa17

I just stumbled through this last week and got it to work.
>From memory:
I used the F1 key and got something that was helpful. Set up data.
Ignore normal HEC-RAS and create centerline alignment from  upstream to downstream.  I did the other way and there is a function in HEC-RAS to reverse.
Create left & right bank alignments upstream to downstream.
Create poly lines for sections.
create section set for alignment.  Look for the function to use the poly lines for the sections unless you want to have standard perpendicular sections.
Then under export tab - Export to HEC-RAS - GIS data.
Follow F1 instructions to find the geometry - import GIS data.  It seemed to work.
I can try to follow along tomorrow when I have access to software if this isn't enough to get you started.
Ann Wingert, P.E.

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