Running TUFLOW FV

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Introduction

There are several different ways available to run TUFLOW FV, ranging from simple double-click to advanced batch files.
If a GUI is preferred The GIS Mesher provides a free (no license or registration) runner with simulation queue which provides a GUI and provides functionality not easily replicated in batch files.

Keep in mind that for all approaches the executable is a single file “tuflowfv.exe”; the operating system, console program or 3rd party program simply accesses this file with associated command line arguments.

Double click tuflowfv.exe

The TUFLOW FV executable, tuflowfv.exe, is a command console program. A model is started by calling the executable with the control file (.fvc) as the first and only argument. If no argument is specified the command line will request the user input one.

From a Console (DOS) Window or “Run”

A single simulation can be started directly from an open Console Window (also called “Command Prompt” in the list of programmes in Windows).

For example, at the Console prompt enter:
cd "Directory where my fvc file is saved" i.e.

cd D:\My_Project\TUFLOWFV\runs\

Then enter the path to the version of TUFLOW FV you wish to run followed by a space and then the run file:

“C:\Program Files\TUFLOWFV\exe\win32\TUFLOWFV.exe” run01.fvc


Running TUFLOW FV from a Batch File

One or many simulations, and other associated operations, can all be specified within a batch file. The simplest format is to specify each simulation one after another. The following shows the contents of a 4 line batch file (called “TUFLOW FV Simulations.bat”) which is located in the same folder as the TUFLOW FV control files (fvc):

“C:\Program Files\TUFLOWFV\exe\win32\TUFLOWFV.exe” run01.fvc
“C:\Program Files\TUFLOWFV\exe\win32\TUFLOWFV.exe” run02.fvc
“C:\Program Files\TUFLOWFV\exe\win32\TUFLOWFV.exe” run03.fvc
pause

The .bat file is run or opened by double clicking on it in Explorer. This opens a Console Window and then executes each line of the .bat file. The pause at the end stops the Console window from closing automatically after completion of the last simulation. Note that the full path and executable is within double quotes; this is needed when there is a space in the command. Comment lines are specified in a .bat file using “#” in the first column, or alternatively a “REM”. For example, if you want to re-run only the first simulation in the examples above, edit the file as follows:

“C:\Program Files\TUFLOWFV\exe\win32\TUFLOWFV.exe” run01.fvc
REM “C:\Program Files\TUFLOWFV\exe\win32\TUFLOWFV.exe” run02.fvc
REM “C:\Program Files\TUFLOWFV\exe\win32\TUFLOWFV.exe” run03.fvc
pause

The above batch files will run the TUFLOW FV simulations using the default "Normal" priority, and parallel processing of all available cores for multi-core machines. If you plan to undertake additional tasks on your computer in parallel to the TUFLOW FV simulation, it is preferred that the number of cores which TUFLOW FV calls be limited. When TUFLOW FV runs in parallel processing mode (using multiple cores), the utilisation rate of all cores is limited by the core with the least available CPU (ie. if a model is using 4 cores, though one is only being utilised by 50% due other software demands, all 4 cores will be limited by 50% for the TUFLOW FV simulation). In some instances, if a single core is likely to be used by another application, increased runtime efficiencies can be gained by limiting access to less cores, all of which will all be 100% fully utilised by TUFLOW FV

The below batch file syntax sets the TUFLOW FV simulations to run sequentially one after the other in low priority mode using only 3 computer cores (the computer has 4 available cores):

SET OMP_NUM_THREADS=3  
start "TUFLOW FV" /wait /low ”C:\Program Files\TUFLOWFV\exe\win32\TUFLOWFV.exe” run01.fvc
start "TUFLOW FV" /wait /low “C:\Program Files\TUFLOWFV\exe\win32\TUFLOWFV.exe” run02.fvc
start "TUFLOW FV" /wait /low “C:\Program Files\TUFLOWFV\exe\win32\TUFLOWFV.exe” run03.fvc
pause

From a Text Editor

TUFLOW FV can be run from the text editor UltraEdit as shown in the section below.

From UltraEdit

The steps required to configure UltraEdit are provided here: Run TUFLOW FV From UltraEdit

The GIS Mesher

Models runs can be setup and batched using freely available functionality within The GIS Mesher TUFLOW FV Model Runner Tab.