SMS:CMS-Flow Menu 11.2 and earlier

The CMS-Flow menu includes commands for editing and running a simulation. This includes viewing and assigning boundary conditions and cell attributes, checking the simulation for common errors, and specifying model parameters. Commands from the menu include:

• Assign BC... – This command is inactive unless a cell string is selected. It allows the user to assign a boundary condition to the cell string through the CMS-Flow Boundary Conditions Dialog. Depending on the boundary condition type, curves may be created or extracted to define the boundary condition. When appropriate, the file browse button allows the user to load an already-existing time series for use with one of the time series boundary conditions. Boundary conditions specified within this dialog include:
  • Land – When a cell string is created, the string receives this assignment. This defines a boundary as closed and no flow will cross this boundary.
  • Flow Rate-forcing – A time series must be defined (by clicking the Define Curve… button) that contains a list of times and flow rates in m3/sec along the boundary.
  • WSE-forcing – A time series must be defined for either the string or each cell in the string. The time series associated with this boundary contains a list of times and water levels in meters along the boundary. An option to extract time series curves or each cell can be applied to regional models loaded into SMS or create time series curves from tidal constituents.
  • Tidal Constituent-forcing Uses up to eight tidal constituents to force with. Tidal constituents are specified within the CMS Tidal Constituent dialog accessed by clicking "Global Attributes.." in the "Options" section of the Boundary Conditions dialog. The CMS-Flow Tidal Constituents dialog allows the user to specify the tidal constituents to force with along any tidal constituent-forcing boundaries that have been defined within the M2D grid. The user must specify an amplitude and phase for each constituent that will be used to force with. In SMS 11.1 Up to 37 constituents may be used: M2, S2, N2, K1, M4, O1, M6, MK3, S4, MN4, NU2, S6, MU2, 2N2, OO1, LAM2, S1, M1, J1, MM, SSA, SA, SF, MF, RHO, Q1, T2, R2, 2Q1, P1, 2SM2, M3, L2, 2MK3, K2, M8, MS4. Earlier versions us up to eight constituents may be used: M2, S2, N2, K2, K1, O1, M4, and M6.
  • WSE and Velocity-forcing – This option adds the requirement to specify currents at each cell to the WSE-forcing option. These must be extracted from a regional model.
  • Harmonic WSE-forcing – With this condition, the user can specify the components of the forcing curve after selecting "Global Attributes..." in the Options section of the Boundary Conditions dialog. The specification of terms of the time series consist of amplitude (m), frequency (cycles/hr) and phase (deg). Values are written out in the *.cmcards.file with the HARMONIC_BEGIN and HARMINIC_END cards. Assigned cellstrings are written as HARMONIC_CELLSTRING in the same file.
• Delete BC – This command is inactive unless a cell string is selected. It allows the user to delete the boundary condition assigned to that string.
• Assign Cell Attributes – This command allows the user to set an individual cells status. A cell can be active (water), inactive (land), or observation. Observation cells are assumed to be active. The user also specifies a roughness value for the cell. In future versions a material type will be specified instead of a roughness value directly. Observation cells can be assigned where CMS-Flow can write time series and/or flow rate output files.
• Merge Cells – This command allows the user to merge consecutive rows or columns into one. The select row or column tools must be used to perform this operation.
• Model Check...

The CMS-Flow Model Check performs a number of checks on the simulation to ensure a valid model. These checks include:

• All water boundaries have boundary conditions specified.
• Cell aspect ratio is no greater than 2.
• Max time step size is suggested according to an internal calculation made within SMS.
• Make sure model control has been set up correctly (i.e. if a tidal boundary exists, make sure that tidal constituents have been defined to force with).
• Ensure that CMS-Flow has been set up to output the specific data for any existing observation station and that observation stations exist for any specified output data. Observation is not required to run CMS-Flow so this is a reminder that something may have been intended but forgotten.
• Ensure that no invalid hard bottom specifications exist in the grid. An invalid specification may be created, for example, by setting an infeasible hard bottom scalar value in the Edit Window or adjusted the grid's geometry without updating the hard bottom.

The CMS-Flow Model Checker is accessed from the CMS-Flow | Model Check... menu item. It is suggested that the model checker be used prior to running CMS-Flow.

• CMS-Flow Model Control...

The CMS-Flow Model Control dialog allows the user to view and edit the current parameters that affect how CMS-Flow runs and what options are to be included in the current simulation. The dialog includes six tabs which partition the parameters into related groups. The tabs and their related parameters include:

• General – General model parameters and options.
• Flow – General model parameters and options.
• Wind – Wind datasets. These are optional spatially varied input to the engine.
• Wave – Wave datasets. These are optional spatially varied input to the engine.
• Output – Parameters associated with global output.
• Advanced – This tab allows those working with model developers to work with experimental options in the model.

• Run CMS-Flow ... – This command launches the CMS-Flow model for the current simulation.

Related Topics

• CMS-Flow