Argus ONE User's Guide

524 Pages·1997·5.32 MB·English

by  Argus Holdings Ltd.

User's Guide
Argus ONE
Argus Open Numerical Environments - A GIS Modeling System Version 4.0
Information in this document is subject to change without notice and does not
represent a commitment on part of Argus Holdings. The software described in this
document is furnished under a license agreement or nondisclosure agreement.
No part of this document may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any
means, electronic or mechanical, for any purpose, without the express written
permission of Argus Holdings.
© Copyright 1994-1997 Argus Holdings, Limited. All rights reserved.
MeshMaker and MeshMaker Pro are trademarks of Argus Holdings Ltd.
All other products or service names mentioned herein are trademarks of their
respective owners.
This product was developed using Neuron Data Open Interface Elements.
Sales and services offices at:
Argus Interware, Inc.
11 Merit Lane
Jericho, NY 11753
USA
Argus Documentation Serial Number 5220073-10
“Science ran too far ahead of us too quickly, and the people got lost in the
mechanical wilderness, like children making over pretty things, gadgets,
helicopters, rockets; emphasizing the wrong items, emphasizing machines
instead of how to run machines.”
Ray Bradbury, The Martian Chronicles

Introduction
Argus ONE is a model-independent Geographical Information System (GIS)
for numerical modeling. Using a conceptual-model approach, combined with
export scripting capabilities and plug-in support, Argus ONE is also an
application development environment for developing and deploying
graphical user interfaces for numerical models.
GIS - Argus ONE provides a user environment where geospatial (map-type)
information (or coverages) may be easily synthesized in preparation for use
as input to numerical models. As in other GIS systems, the various types of
geospatial information are stored and viewed in coverages or “layers” which
the user may view and interact with on screen.
Conceptual Model - Mesh and grid layers, which are also available, are
used to automatically create meshes and grids onto which a discrete
realization of the “real” continuous world, described in the geospatial layers,
is synthesized. Information is synthesized using mathematical, logical and
spatial functions to define relations between layers. These relations form a
conceptual model which represents the relations between geospatial entities
as they are articulated by the underlying concepts of the model being used.
On-Demand Synthesis and Analysis of Information (ODISA)-
ensures that your information is always model-ready. Regardless of changes
you introduce in your information or meshes, Argus ONE automatically
synthesizes the information according to the relations and rules set by the
conceptual model to ensure your data is ready to be exported to your model.
Model Independent - Export scripting enables you to export the
synthesized information to input files for your numerical model at the exact
format it requires. Combining export scripting and the conceptual model
approach, Argus ONE offers a model independent environment which
enables you to use it as a pre-processor for any model. At the same time, it
also enables you to interchangeably use geospatial coverages for any
simulation model coupled with Argus ONE.
Application Development Environment
Plug-in support allows one to automate the use of all of the above mentioned
Argus ONE components. Argus’ Plug-in Extension (PIE) technology enables
a two-way communication between external programs and Argus ONE. Such
external programs may be numerical models and any other algorithms or
utilities that may install menus, launch dialogs and execute external programs
in and from within the Argus ONE graphical user interface.
Argus ONE PIEs may be freely distributed to any user of Argus ONE.

Contents
Introduction..................................................................................................v
Contents.......................................................................................................vii
Before You Begin.........................................................................................xi
Argus ONE Grid and Mesh Modules..................................................xii
Argus ONE Plug-In Extensions (PIEs)...............................................xii
Argus ONE Documentation...............................................................xiii
Installing and Starting Argus ONE.....................................................xv
Registering Argus ONE.....................................................................xvi
Argus Product Support.......................................................................xvi
Hardware Requirements and Performance Considerations..............xviii
Part 1 Basic Things to Know About Argus ONE
................................1
Your First Argus ONE Project...................................................................3
Starting Argus ONE..............................................................................4
Creating a Project..................................................................................6
Saving Your Work..............................................................................29
Adding Information to the Project......................................................30
Navigating Through Your Project.......................................................38
Exporting Your Project.......................................................................39
Previewing and Printing Your Project................................................40
Closing Your Project and Quitting Argus ONE..................................41
Where to Go from Here.......................................................................42
The Mathematics Beneath Argus ONE....................................................43
Numerical Precision and Coordinate Systems....................................44
Mesh Density......................................................................................44
Auto Mesh Generation........................................................................45
Mesh Smoothing.................................................................................45
Mesh Refinement................................................................................45
Renumbering (BandWidth Optimization)...........................................46
Interpolation of Information Layers’ Data..........................................46
viii Contents
Part 2 Basics for Using Argus ONE
...................................................47
The Argus ONE Workplace.......................................................................49
Overview.............................................................................................50
The Window........................................................................................50
Layers..................................................................................................67
Menus and Commands........................................................................81
Mouse Cursors and Techniques...........................................................82
Orienting in the Workplace.................................................................88
Working with Information Layers............................................................91
Overview.............................................................................................92
Contours and Contour Maps Definitions.............................................95
Creating Contours................................................................................96
Editing Contours................................................................................101
Importing Contours...........................................................................104
Exporting Contours...........................................................................109
Copying and Pasting Contours..........................................................110
Setting Your Views...........................................................................113
Contours Interpretation Methods.......................................................116
Searching for Contours in an Information Layer..............................119
Layer Parameters.....................................................................................123
Overview...........................................................................................124
An Example.......................................................................................125
Creating and Manipulating Layer Parameters...................................126
Linking Parameters............................................................................132
Expressions........................................................................................135
About Functions................................................................................138
Mathematical Functions....................................................................140
Trigonometric and Hyperbolic Functions.........................................142
Geometric Functions.........................................................................144
Logical Functions..............................................................................145
Search Functions...............................................................................145
Action Taking Functions...................................................................146
Argus ONE User’s Guide
Contents ix
Layer Specific Functions...................................................................146
Creating and Editing Expressions.....................................................159
Infinities and Non Numbers..............................................................162
Not Available Values........................................................................162
Opening and Saving Your Projects.........................................................163
Overview...........................................................................................164
Opening a Project..............................................................................164
Saving a Project.................................................................................166
Saving a Condensed Version of a Project.........................................168
Exporting a Project..................................................................................169
Export Templates - Overview...........................................................170
Creating and Editing an Export Template.........................................170
Export Template Examples...............................................................186
Script Commands Reference.............................................................188
Part 3 Finite Element Meshes
.................................................................189
Meshing a Domain....................................................................................191
Overview...........................................................................................192
Mesh Related Layers.........................................................................193
Using Contour Objects in Domain Layers........................................194
Mesh Densities..................................................................................196
Creating Mesh Density Contours......................................................206
Editing and Refining a Mesh...................................................................213
Overview...........................................................................................214
Setting Your Views...........................................................................214
Selecting Elements and Nodes..........................................................221
Editing Nodes....................................................................................222
Editing Elements...............................................................................227
Creating Elements Manually.............................................................232
Refining Elements.............................................................................234
Smoothing Elements.........................................................................237
Renumbering (BandWidth Optimization).........................................238
Searching the Mesh Database...........................................................241
Argus ONE User’s Guide
x Contents
Coloring Elements.............................................................................246
Exporting and Importing a Mesh............................................................249
Overview...........................................................................................250
Exporting a Mesh..............................................................................250
Importing a Mesh..............................................................................255
Part 4 Finite Difference Grids
................................................................257
Creating and Editing a Grid....................................................................259
Overview...........................................................................................260
Grid Centered and Block Centered Finite Difference Grids.............261
Grid Related Layers...........................................................................262
Using Contour Objects in Domain Layers........................................263
Grid Densities....................................................................................265
Creating Grid Density Contours........................................................266
Setting Your Views...........................................................................270
Moving, Resizing and Deleting a Grid..............................................274
Locking and Unlocking the Grid.......................................................276
Editing the Grid.................................................................................277
Searching the Grid Database.............................................................283
Coloring Blocks.................................................................................288
Exporting a Grid.......................................................................................291
Overview...........................................................................................292
Exporting a Grid................................................................................292
Importing a Grid................................................................................297
Appendixes
..............................................................................................299
Keyboard and Mouse Shortcuts..............................................................301
Keyboard Shortcuts...........................................................................301
Mouse Shortcuts................................................................................303
Keyboard and Mouse Combinations.................................................304
Legend...............................................................................................305
Subject Index
.........................................................................................307
Subject Index.............................................................................................309
Argus ONE User’s Guide