Introduction to Visual Groundwater
Visual Groundwater is the one 3-D visualization software package that every groundwater and environmental professional should have for delivering high-quality
three-dimensional presentations of subsurface characterization data and groundwater modeling results.
In the past, there has been much confusion and uncertainty associated with the interpretation and reporting of subsurface characterization data and groundwater
modeling results. A great deal of this is attributed to the lack of a suitable medium to properly represent and display the complex spatial and temporal information involved in subsurface investigations. However, during the
past five years we have witnessed the opening of a new frontier for 3-D visualization and its application in the environmental industry.
Visual Groundwater has pioneered this new frontier by combining state-of-the-art graphical tools for 3-D visualization and animation with an intuitive graphical
interface that lets you easily create high-impact 3-D representations of complex site characterization data and modeling results in minutes! Visual Groundwater is designed to meet the specialized needs of practicing groundwater
professionals and environmental engineers by providing a customized data management system for storing and manipulating borehole data and by providing a direct import of Visual MODFLOW groundwater modeling projects. In
addition, the specialized visualization tools provide interactive visualization capabilities for manipulating and rotating multiple three-dimensional data sets including:
- Environmental sampling data such as soil lithology, groundwater elevations, groundwater chemistry and soil chemistry.
- Groundwater flow, pathlines and contaminant transport modeling results.
Visual Groundwater utilizes a proprietary data storage format that allows the user to have direct interaction with the graphical display while the objects are
rotating and animating. This approach gives you maximum flexibility and control and eliminates the repetitive steps needed to 'build' multiple `snap-shot' images for each time step. In fact, many 'comparable' packages do not
support animation of time-varying data.
These specialized Visual Groundwater input data files are easily created using the VGW Data Converter.
This add-on application allows you to conveniently import data from common data storage formats including.
- ASCII text files containing random X, Y, Z data, and
- Visual MODFLOW Project Files (for flow, pathline and transport modeling)
Visual Groundwater also now comes with a specialized GWProcess Database for storing and managing subsurface environmental data. This data management system is
based on a relational Microsoft Access database that allows you to easily enter borehole lithology, soil chemistry analyses, and groundwater elevations and chemistry. Data from existing sources can be easily imported from
existing spreadsheets or ASCII text files.
With all these features, and more, Visual Groundwater is truly one of the most powerful and versatile 3-D visualization and animation software packages
available!
Professional Applications of Visual Groundwater
In the past, three-dimensional visualization was typically available only for high-budget projects and/or UNIX-based platforms (i.e., NOT user-friendly).
However, with the recent advances in PC hardware, a new frontier is opening up for 3-D visualization, and software products like Visual Groundwater are pioneering this change. Today, 3-D visualization is becoming an integral
component of most subsurface characterization programs. It provides a powerful tool for interpreting and communicating complex spatial data and dynamic processes that are generally not explained well in reports. Some common
applications include:
- Displaying complex soil lithology and borehole locations in their true spatial orientation,
- Delineating the extent of soil and groundwater contamination plumes at a site,
- Plotting layered surface maps of site characterization data,
- Animating dynamic subsurface processes (e.g., groundwater plume advancement and/or natural attenuation),
- Communicating concepts and ideas for site remediation proposals, and
- Enhanced visualization of groundwater modeling results.
Once you begin using Visual Groundwater, you will immediately be impressed with how easy it is to create and analyze three-dimensional images of your data in
its true spatial orientation. With Visual Groundwater you will be better able to support and communicate your observations, conclusions and recommendations to less technical audiences including clients, regulators and public
forums; and it will help you sell your ideas using high-impact graphical images and animating dynamic subsurface processes.
Don't wait for your competition to get a competitive edge on you. With Visual Groundwater you will have all the visualization tools you need to compete in the
global environmental marketplace!
Main Features in Visual Groundwater
- Manage and store site characterization data using the Visual Groundwater data management system. NEW!
- Easily import and convert site characterization information.
NEW!
- Import all input data files and results from Visual MODFLOW groundwater modeling projects.
- Create multiple slices along any axis orientation for viewing soil lithology, groundwater levels, and groundwater concentration plumes for multiple
contaminant species.
- Plot multiple 3-D isoconcentration plumes for multiple contaminant species
- Customize contour lines, color, gradients and labels for each site. NEW!
- Customize color scales and transparency settings on each slice.
- Save the display configuration for future sessions and presentations.
About the Visual Groundwater Interface
One of the key features of Visual Groundwater is that it has been specifically designed with the intention of making it extremely easy to use while still
providing all the graphical tools and flexibility you need to create sophisticated, interactive graphical displays. The 'flat' interface structure is densely packed with graphical controls, display selection buttons, and
information boxes to give you complete command of the display object and data sets. When you load Visual Groundwater, you will be presented with the following screen.
