Open or import SewerCAD or SewerGEMS model in WaterCAD or WaterGEMS or vice-versa


  Product(s): SewerCAD, WaterCAD, WaterGEMS  
  Version(s): 08.11.XX.XX and higher  
  Area: Layout and Data Input  

 

Problem

Is it possible to open or import a SewerCAD or SewerGEMS (.STSW) model in WaterCAD or WaterGEMS?

Is it possible to open or import a WaterCAD or WaterGEMS (.WTG) model in SewerCAD or SewerGEMS?

For example you may want to use additional functionality in WaterGEMS for a pressure sewer that you have set up in WaterGEMS, or a WaterGEMS model for a pressure sewer that you would like to add a gravity sewer network to in SewerCAD.

 

Solution

Currently the file formats are quite different between WaterCAD/WaterGEMS and SewerCAD/SewerGEMS, so the model files cannot be directly opened or imported.

One approach you could use is to export the element information to a standard file format such as Shapefiles, then use Modelbuilder to import them into the other application. However, this will primarily convert the geometry, and you will need to manually re-enter more detailed information such as pump curves and inflow. Also, scenarios will need to be set up again.

Here is an example workflow to go from SewerCAD to WaterCAD/WaterGEMS:

  1. In SewerCAD, assess your wetwell inflow and whether it needs to be included in your WaterCAD/WaterGEMS model. If you have a gravity sewer (conduits) discharging to a wetwell, you will need to capture that inflow and convert it into an inflow in WaterCAD/WaterGEMS. Or, if for example you only need to run a steady state in WaterCAD/WaterGEMS, the pump and pressure pipe results will only be based on the initial water surface elevation in the wetwell, and inflow into that wetwell does not need to be included. If you do need to include the wetwell inflow hydrograph, compute the model, graph flow in the wetwell's upstream pipe (or wetwell inflow) and click the Data tab. This data can be copied out (consider first using a larger timestep to reduce detail if needed) using the copy button, and then manipulated in an external application to convert it into a demand pattern for use in WaterCAD/WaterGEMS. See step further below.

  2. Determine the scenario you would like to export (make it active), then open the pressure pipe, pressure junction, wetwell, pump and outfall flextables and adjust the columns to include only the fields you want to transfer over (like elevation for nodes, diameter and roughness for pipes, etc). Create new hydraulic model Flextables if you do not wish to change your predefined Flextables. See: Customizing FlexTables for viewing and reporting data

  3. In each of those Flextables, click the export button to export to Shapefile format. See: Exporting model elements to shapefiles

  4. In WaterCAD or WaterGEMS, start a new model and open ModelBuilder. Connect to each of the shapefiles you created in step 3, mapping the relevant fields and using Label as the Key Field. Ensure the box is checked to establish connectivity using spatial data. The wetwell shapefile would be mapped to Tank and the outfall to Reservoir. See: Using ModelBuilder to Import External Data

  5. Once the data is imported, carefully check the connectivity and attributes and adjust as needed.
  6. Re-enter detailed data such as pump curves. Copy and paste between the SewerCAD pump definition dialog and the WaterCAD/WaterGEMS pump definition dialog as needed. Select the entire table and click the copy button or press CTRL+C to copy, then paste with CTRL+V in WaterCAD/WaterGEMS.

  7. If wetwell inflow from gravity networks needs to be included (see step 1), consider adding a demand of -1 gpm (or 1 L/s for example if the inflow data is in L/s) on the tank representing that wetwell (note the negative sign, indicating inflow instead of outflow) and construct and use a demand pattern where the multipliers are directly pasted values you copied from SewerCAD, with the matching units. For example -1 gpm time a multiplier of 500 would result in an inflow of 500 gpm at that time.. Note also: Demand and hydraulic grade calculation with Continuous vs Stepwise patterns

  8. If scenarios were set up in SewerCAD, you will need to recreate the alternatives and scenarios, and adjust data to match.

For a more direct conversion in a future version, consider using our Idea Portal.

See Also

Converting your model elements to shapefiles