Product(s):	WaterCAD, WaterGEMS, HAMMER, SewerGEMS, SewerCAD, StormCAD, CivilStorm
Version(s):	V8i, CONNECT Edition
Area:	Layout and Data Input

Problem

My model was imported with ModelBuilder and bends were imported as nodes (manholes or junctions) How can I convert nodes to bends to correct this?

Solution

Water Products

For WaterGEMS and HAMMER, you can use the series pipe merge tool (found in the Skelebrator Tool) to combine multiple pipes into a single pipe, with bends at the old node locations. This is not currently available in SewerGEMS.

WaterCAD does not have the Skelebrator Tool is not available. A workaround for this is to ensure your lines as "polylines". When importing such a polyline from an AutoCAD file, the intermediate points would be imported as bends and not junctions.

Here is something can be useful here especially if using AutoCAD source files: Convert objects to Polyline and Spline in AutoCAD

Storm and Sewer Products

For SewerGEMS, SewerCAD, StormCAD and CivilStorm, Skelebrator is not currently an option (as skelebration operations are more common in water system applications). If you recently imported the data, the best option may be to re-build the model, which may require fixing the source file such that the bends are vertices of a polyline instead of separate lines. If the pipe is a single continuous polyline, it should import as a single pipe, with bends.

If you have done significant work on the model and cannot start over, there are some other options to consider:

1) Batch-morph the respective manholes into Transitions, so at least they will represent enclosed structures. If you need to remove the extra pipes and cannot fix the source data and re-import, you would need to delete the manhole (deleting both adjacent pipes, then re-layout out the pipe, holding the CTRL key to insert a bend at the manhole point.

2) Correct the shapefile per above (so it has polylines with bends), the re-import with ModelBuilder, choosing th eoption to "remove objects from destination if missing from source". This should remove the old nodes and pipes and replace them with new pipes that have bends in the locations where there were previously nodes.

Note:

• It is recommended that you save a backup of the model before performing this step.
• Any changes you made to those pipes and nodes in the model will need to be re-done, as they will be replaced with new pipes with just the information from the source file.

3) Another (likely less feasible) idea would be to export the conduit flextable to shapefile format (you could narrow it down to just the ones in question by selecting the manholes in question, then use the "select adjacent links" query), delete the manholes in question, import the shapefile into WaterGEMS (if you have access to it) using ModelBuilder, run Skelebrator to merge pipes in series, export the pipe table to shapefile, then import that back into the storm/sewer product model with the spatial tolerance option set.

4) Right click on the end of the pipe/channel next to the node you want to remove, choose the Reconnect option, select the next adjacent node to reconnect, delete the node in question, then if you need to add a vertex/bend, right click on the pipe/channel again and choose to add a bend, then drag the bend to the desired location.

See Also

Using ModelBuilder to Import External Data

Preparing GIS data for use in the hydraulics and hydrology products