Académique Documents
Professionnel Documents
Culture Documents
(VERSION 2.90)
USER MANUAL
2.9.7 Speed............................................................................................. 47
2.9.8 SYNC Real Time Mode.................................................................. 47
2.9.9 Leave Scenario .............................................................................. 48
2.9.10 Scenario Properties ....................................................................... 48
2.10 Observer Management ............................................................................... 49
2.11 3D Visualization .......................................................................................... 50
2.11.1 Viewpoints...................................................................................... 50
2.11.2 Connection to 3D Visualization Channel ....................................... 51
2.12 Preparation of Reports................................................................................ 52
2.12.1 Print................................................................................................ 52
2.12.2 Export Chart Window to a File ....................................................... 53
2.12.3 Stop Export to File ......................................................................... 53
2.12.4 Export of Data Window in MS Excel .............................................. 53
2.12.5 Export of Chart Panel to Word ....................................................... 54
3 Working with Charts .......................................................................................... 55
3.1 Electronic Charts......................................................................................... 57
3.1.1 Chart Load ..................................................................................... 58
3.1.2 Chart Unload .................................................................................. 59
3.2 Informational Layers ................................................................................... 60
3.2.1 Own Layers .................................................................................... 60
3.2.2 Model Object Information............................................................... 60
3.2.3 Additional Information .................................................................... 61
3.2.4 Managing Layer Visibility ............................................................... 61
3.3 Chart Handling Tools .................................................................................. 61
3.3.1 Chart View Control Panel............................................................... 61
3.3.2 Adding Information......................................................................... 68
3.3.3 Show Word Map ............................................................................ 72
3.3.4 Revert............................................................................................. 72
3.3.5 Centre ............................................................................................ 72
3.3.6 Zooming Area................................................................................. 73
3.3.7 Scale up ......................................................................................... 73
3.3.8 Scale down..................................................................................... 73
3.3.9 Ruler............................................................................................... 73
3.3.10 Reference Point ............................................................................. 74
3.3.11 Information on TX97 Chart Objects ............................................... 74
3.4 Chart View Management ............................................................................ 75
3.4.1 New View ....................................................................................... 75
3.4.2 Save View ...................................................................................... 75
3.4.3 Open View...................................................................................... 75
3.4.4 Delete View .................................................................................... 76
4 Environment Conditions.................................................................................... 77
4.1 Impact Area................................................................................................. 79
4.2 Coastline ..................................................................................................... 81
4.2.1 Coastline Import............................................................................. 81
4.2.2 Importing Coastline from Overlapping or Adjacent Charts ............ 83
4.2.3 Edit Coastline ................................................................................. 83
4.2.4 New Island ..................................................................................... 84
4.2.5 Coastline Type ............................................................................... 84
4.2.6 Parcels ........................................................................................... 85
4.3
5.6
8 PISCES II Settings.............................................................................................211
8.1 Measurement Units ...................................................................................213
8.2 Warnings ...................................................................................................214
8.2.1 Alarm Thresholds .........................................................................214
8.2.2 Alarm Setting ................................................................................214
8.3 Screen Settings .........................................................................................215
8.3.1 LSD Settings.................................................................................215
8.3.2 Colors of Read-only Fields.........................................................220
8.3.3 Refresh Rate ................................................................................220
8.4 Oil Spill Display Settings ...........................................................................221
8.4.1 Spill Thickness..............................................................................221
8.4.2 Spill Trajectory..............................................................................222
8.4.3 Pollution Footprint.........................................................................222
8.5 Air Pollution Display Settings ....................................................................222
8.6 Spill Statistics History Display Interval ......................................................223
8.7 Synchronizing Delay Settings....................................................................223
8.8 Displaying Windows ..................................................................................224
PREAMBLE
PISCES II concept and its basic capabilities are described in the PISCES II (V. 2.90).
SHORT MANUAL. Please familiarize yourself with this document prior to working
on PISCES II.
This manual describes working on the applications Primary Instructor Workplace
and Additional Instructor Workplace.
Usage comments
SCENARIO/CONDUCT MODE
<Escape>
Activate
*.txt
PISCES II/ConstData/MapOfCurrents
Preamble
1. CHAPTER 1
Exercises and Scenarios
1.1
1.2
PISCES II WORKPLACES
PISCES II workplaces are divided into 3 types:
primary instructor;
instructor;
observer.
1.3
13
1.4
1.4.1
Preparation
The preparation mode allows returning to the scenario start or a save point for
subsequent simulation of another variant of event development.
Save point is a model time moment, at which the system situation has been saved.
You can run the scenario back to the save point and then outact its continuation.
The need for returning is caused by the fact that scenario preparation usually
takes several iterations. It involves simulation of some variant of event development,
assessment of such variant acceptance, and development of an alternative by
the instructor, if the variant is recognized as unsuccessful.
14
By default, after activation the scenario is run in the preparation mode. For this
purpose select an inactive scenario from the Scenarios list of the Scenario
Management panel and click the Activate button:
The scenario will be activated and run in the preparation mode. Further work
on the scenario in this mode is described in the section 2.10 Scenario Operation.
1.4.2
Forecast
The Forecast mode is intended for obtaining prompt oil spill behaviour forecast,
the response forces taken minimum account of. In this mode, model calculations
are made at an increased time step.
To switch to the forecast mode, activate scenario (for more detailes see
1.4.1 Preparation) and select the SCENARIO/FORECAST MODE command in the program
menu. This command is only available on the scenario owners menu.
The scenario in the forecast mode can at any time be returned to the preparation mode.
To return the scenario to the preparation mode, select the SCENARIO/PREPARATION MODE
command from the menu.
ATTENTION!
At switching between forecast and preparation modes during scenario preparation
spreading adjustment is broken. If model exactness is important it is recommended
to make calculations from the beginning and up to the end of the scenario only in a
mode of the forecast or preparation.
Switching between forecast and preparation modes have no effect on quality of
modelling.
15
1.4.3
Conduct
In the conduct mode, the model events are irreversible, and there is no possibility
to come back and replay the scenario. Model objects can be edited.
The scenario activated in the forecast or preparation mode can be switched over to
the conduct mode. This being the case, the model situation will be restored for the
last moment reached during the previous run of the current scenario in the conduct
mode. If the scenario has not been run in the conduct mode, it will be returned to its
beginning. Further work on the scenario in this mode is described in the section
2.10 Scenario Operation.
To switch over to the conduct mode, select the SCENARIO/CONDUCT MODE command
in the program menu. This command is available only in the Primary Instructors
menu, if he is the scenario owner. The instructor-operators menu has no command
SCENARIO/CONDUCT MODE.
To return to the forecast or prepapation mode, select the SCENARIO/FORECAST MODE or
SCENARIO/PREPARATION MODE command of the program menu. In this case the model
situation will remain the same, and simulation will carry on from the current moment
of time, i.e. from the moment reached by the end of playback in the conduct mode.
1.4.4
Debriefing
The debriefing mode allows forward and reverse playback of the model event
record. There is no possibility of editing model objects in this mode.
To start the inactive scenario in the debriefing mode, select the scenario you need
from the Scenarios list in the scenario control panel and click the Debrief button:
Viewing the completed scenario record is run without the model server, so a direct
transfer from this mode to the forecast, preparation or conduct modes is not possible.
To change over to any other mode, it is necessary to exit the viewed scenario
using the command FILE/LEAVE SCENARIO in the program menu (see the section
2.10 Scenario Operation for a more detailed description of these commands)
and activated it by clicking the Activate button.
16
Model Time
To switch over to any other mode, exit the viewed scenario using the FILE/CLOSE
command in the program menu (see the section 2.10 Scenario Operation
for a more detailed description of these commands), and activate it by clicking
the Activate button.
SCENARIO
1.5
MODEL TIME
PISCES II works on a succession of events happening to the model objects.
Simulated events can be processed faster or slower, depending on the computer
productivity. Main relationships between the simulated events, however, remain
intact. If one event occurred earlier than another, this is true at any speed of
modeling. The ratio of time intervals between events is also invariant. The notion
of modeling time is used to describe these properties of simulated events.
Model Time (MT) is a provisional unit used for computation of model events
i.e. movement of response resources, changes in the oil slick, etc.
The reference point for tracking events in PISCES II is the Scenario Start Time
(SST), which is provisional date/time, from which the model time starts to run.
These data are used for import of currents and weather data.
For example, the oil spill began February 11, 1984 at 12:05.
The scenario start time can match the current time, e.g. for in site drills.
The scenario start time is to be specified in the Scenario Properties
(SCENARIO/SCENARIO PROPERTIES menu command).
The sum of the scenario start time and model time allows the Scenario Time (ST)
to be determined. These are provisional current date and time in the current scenario.
ST = SST + MT
Apart form the internal temporal characteristics, PISCES II also features an external
one: Clock Time (CT), which is time of users existence. It is taken to coincide with
the computer system time.
The model time indicator reads all PISCES II time characteristics:
A mouse right-hand button click on the indicator opens a four item context menu:
The first three items (SCENARIO TIME, MODEL TIME and CLOCK TIME) allow selecting
a mode for representation of the temporal characteristics:
The fourth SHOW SCENARIO PROPERTIES item, or just a double click on the model time
indicator, invokes the Scenario properties dialog box, which allows setting the
scenario start time.
17
Exercise Management
Ratio between the internal and exterior PISCES II times allows determination of
modeling speed. This is a ratio of model time shift to the clock time this shift has taken.
For instance, 1:60 speed means that simulation of a 1 hour duration oil spill has
taken 1 minute of real time.
The modelling speed is read by the modelling speed indicator:
The modelling speed indicator shows an expression of the following format 1:n [m],
where n is the set time scale, and m is the real computation speed depending on
compressor capacity. If the values m and n differ only slightly, the set time scale will
be shown in 1:n format.
If the scenario is stopped, the time indicator background is grey, otherwise it is white.
1.6
EXERCISE MANAGEMENT
1.6.1
Create
To create a new exercise, click the New button of the Exercise Management panel:
To save the newly created exercise, enter its name in the Name field and
its description in the Description field. Click OK to save the created exercise
or Cancel to quit saving and close the dialog box.
The created exercise requires creation of a scenario. This operation is described
in section 1.7 Scenario Management in greater detail.
18
Exercise Management
1.6.2
Open
To open a previously created exercise, select the one you need in the Exercises
list of the Exercise Management panel and click the Open button:
The program will switch over to the scenario management mode. This mode
is described in section 1.7 Scenario Management in greater detail.
1.6.3
Close
You can close the exercise both in the mode of scenario management and
in the mode of scenario operation.
To close the exercise in the scenario management mode, click the Close Exercise
button on the Scenario Management panel:
To close the exercise in the scenario operation mode, select the FILE/CLOSE EXERCISE
command in the menu of the primary instructor.
19
Exercise Management
1.6.4
Copy
To make a copy of the selected exercise under a given name, click the Copy
button on the Exercise Management panel to open the Copy Exercise window:
Enter the name, by which you wish to save the exercise. Click OK, to copy
the exercise or Cancel to quit copying and close the dialog box.
1.6.5
Rename
To change the name of the selected exercise, click the Rename button on
the Exercise Management panel to open the Rename Exercise window:
Enter the new name for the exercise. Click OK, to rename the exercise or Cancel
to quit renaming and close the dialog box.
1.6.6
Delete
To delete a selected exercise, click the Delete on the Exercise Management
panel. The Exercise management dialog window will appear:
Click OK, to delete the exercise or Cancel to quit deleting and close the dialog box.
20
Exercise Management
1.6.7
Use the appeared panel Exercise properties to edit the exercise description in the
Description field. Click the OK button to save the description or Cancel to quit
changing the description and close the dialog box:
21
Scenario Management
1.7
SCENARIO MANAGEMENT
1.7.1
Create
To create a new scenario in the exercise, click the Create button on the
Scenario Management panel. The Create Scenario window will appear:
For the newly created scenario, enter its name in the Name field and set the
scenario start date and time in the Time field. Use Time zone field to enter the
time determining the time zone of modelling. From this point on, this data will be used
for import of currents and weather conditions. If the license includes 3D visualization
option, there will be 3D Scene list in the dialogue box. From 3D Scene list, you
can choose one of installed 3D scenes (for more details of 3D scene installation
see PISCES II (V. 2.90). INSTALLATION GUIDE).
Click the Create button, to save the created scenario or Cancel to quit creating
scenario and close the dialog box.
PISCES II will close the Scenario management panel, switch to the mode of scenario
operation and activate the workplace main interface. To continue working on the new
scenario, you have to initiate it. This operation is described in section 4.1 Impact Area.
1.7.2
Activate Scenario
To activate the scenario created in the exercise, use the Inactive category to select
the scenario you need from and click the Activate button:
PISCES II will close the Scenario management panel, switch to the mode
of scenario operation and activate the basic interface of the instructor workplace.
22
Scenario Management
If the scenario was created in the previous PISCES II versions, after activation
the program will suggest creation of a scenario copy:
Enter a new scenario name and press OK in order to create a scenario copy which
the current PISCES II version can operate with, or Cancel to close the scenario
converting dialogue box.
The newly created scenario will be a copy of PISCES II scenario without saving a full
model recording of the scenario returned at the moment immediately after the scenario
start. Activate it as you would activate regular scenarios by using Activate button.
1.7.3
Join Scenario
The Join command allows the user to join the active scenario: his own one
or those activated by other users.
For this purpose, use the Scenarios list of the Scenario management panel
to select scenarios marked Active or Own and click the Join button:
PISCES II will close the Scenario management panel, switch to the mode
of scenario operation and activate the workplace main interface.
Also you can join the external scenarios the same way (for more details see
1.9.2 Work with Common Scenario).
23
Scenario Management
1.7.4
Deactivate Scenario
The Deactivate command allows deactivation of the active scenario, the user
being able to deactivate only his own scenario.
The scenario deactivation operation is available both in the mode of scenario
management and in the mode of scenario operation.
To deactivate a scenario in the scenario management mode, select one you wish
to deactivate from the list of own scenarios (Own in the Scenarios list of the
Scenario management scenario control panel) and click the Deactivate button:
If you are not the owner of the current scenario, this button will be disabled.
To deactivate the scenario in the scenario operation mode, select the FILE/DEACTIVATE
SCENARIO command in the program menu. If you are not the owner of the current
scenario, this command will not be available.
1.7.5
Copy
To create a copy of the scenario you have selected under another name, click the Copy
button on the Scenario management panel. The window Copy scenario will appear:
Enter the name, by which you wish to save the scenario. Click OK to copy the scenario
or Cancel to quit copying and close the dialog box.
The command allows you to save a scenario prepared for the drill after proper
simulation of response resource application, or to save a copy of the active scenario.
To save the objected scenario, select the FILE/DEACTIVATE command in the program menu.
ATTENTION!
Do not perform the Reset To operation, otherwise the model record will be deleted.
24
Scenario Management
The Scenario management panel will appear. Select the scenario you wish to save from
the Scenarios list, and click the Copy button. Specify a new name for the scenario.
To conduct the drill, you have to activate the scenario and set it for the start of events
by the Reset To command (this command is described in detail in the section
2.10.4 Reset To).
To copy the active scenario, exit it using the FILE/LEAVE SCENARIO menu command.
The Scenario management panel will appear. Use the Scenarios list to select
the scenario you wish to copy, and click the Copy button. After copying you can
choose to come back to this scenario using the Join command or to continue
working on its copy.
1.7.6
Rename
To rename the selected inactive scenario, click the Rename button on the
Scenario management panel to open the Rename scenario window:
Enter a new name for the scenario and click OK, if you wish to rename
the scenario or Cancel to quit renaming and close the dialog box.
1.7.7
Delete
To delete a selected inactive scenario, click the Delete button on the Scenario
management panel. The Delete scenario dialog window will appear:
Click OK to confirm scenario deletion or Cancel to quit and close the dialog box.
25
1.8
ATTENTION!
Not more than 4 remote configurations can operate jointly.
Remote instructors can work on one scenario, control model objects, receive and
print out reports on the current scenario status in much the same way as in a local
configuration.
1.8.1
Connection Setup
Before starting work with a remote scenario, the connection should be set up.
On the host which other remote user groups will be connected to, in the primary
instructors window select the FILE/PISCES NETWORK menu command. In the window
which will open up, check the Enable Connection checkbox and select the
Provide Host option button. In the Listening Port field, set the port number.
Use the External Name field to set the name under which the connected remote
configurations will see this group.
26
If the connection is established successfully, the status bar in the bottom part of the
instructor window will display PISCES Network: OK, and a dialogue box will appear
advising which host the connection has been established with:
You can view the list of all the local configurations combined in the common PISCES
network by using the primary instructors FILE/PISCES NETWORK CONNECTIONS menu
command. After the selection of this menu command the screen displays a window
containing a list of remote configurations:
After the connection has been established, you can start joint work on one scenario.
1.8.2
After the opening of a scenario in whose properties the Public option is set,
the scenario name will appear in the External group of the list of scenarios
on the scenario control panel.
ATTENTION!
The scenario list of the External group is shown in any open exercise.
27
You can connect to external scenarios just like to the local active scenarios by using
the Join button. Select a scenario from the list and press the Join button:
The instructor who has connected to an external scenario becomes its operator like
in the connection to a local scenario (see under 1.4 Scenario Operation Stages),
i.e. he/she can control model objects and cannot control the model time. The only
difference for the external scenario operator is that the scenario owner can limit
the group of model objects available for the control by the operator.
1.8.3
From the list, select the name of the configuration which you wish to pass the object
control to and press . To close the Assign Controller window without passing
the model object control to another configuration, press the Cancel button.
28
To return the model object control to him/herself, the owner should again select
the ASSIGN CONTROLLER command from its context menu, select the * line from
the Controller list in the Assign Controller window and press .
ATTENTION!
Model objects created in a common scenario are under the control of the user group
which created them.
ATTENTION!
The RESPONSE/MANAGE CONTROLLERS menu command is available to the scenario owner only.
When this menu command is selected, the screen displays the Manage Controllers
dialogue box which provides a list of all the local configuration which connected
to the scenario:
The Controller column provides a list of name of all the remote user groups which
connected to the scenario. The user groups currently connected to the scenario are
marked with + in the left hand column of the table. Values in the Objects column
stand for the number of model objects controlled by the user group in question.
To switch the control of all the objects belonging to a user group, select this user
group and press the Assign button. In the Assign Controller window which will
open up, select the user group which the control of objects is passed to and press
the OK button.
The Remove button can be used for removing from the list names of remote
configurations which are currently not connected to the scenario. A press on this
button opens up the Assign Controller window in which you should specify the user
group which the control of model objects will be passed to.
The Close button closes down the Manage Controllers window.
1.9
29
2. CHAPTER 2
Scenario Control
2.1
The following elements of the user interface are shown in the figure:
1. Window caption.
2. Menu.
3. Toolbars.
4. Main data window.
5. Contextual menu.
6. Module dialog box.
7. Chart window.
8. Data window.
9. Non-module dialog box.
10.
Status bar.
33
Standard Elements
2.2
STANDARD ELEMENTS
1. Caption window show the names of the application, current exercise and scenario:
3. Toolbars designed for fast switching of tools and program operational modes
duplicate the menu functions:
5. Dialog box is designed for performing a restricted single task e.g. printing.
Such window contains a small number of control elements for closely
interrelated parameters.
6. Non-modal dialog box doesnt prevent access to other windows, so there is no need
to close it. As a rule, these are information windows showing sets of interrelated
parameters:
34
Chart Window
7. Modal dialog box allows the user to enter data within the window only, disabling
access to all other application windows. Only one module dialog box can be
active in the application. The OK button saves introduced changes and closes
the window. The Cancel button cancels the operation and closes the window:
8. Status bar shows indicators of the application operation mode, the status
of PISCES network, rate of simulation and model time. The left part of the
status bar line shows prompts of the menu items:
The basic informational load is carried by two types of child windows: the chart
window and the data window.
9. Chart window provides graphical representation of the simulation area, while
the data windows provide general-purpose access to all types of objects and
representation of their properties in a textual form.
2.3
CHART WINDOW
The work with charts in PISCES II is provided by the chart window, which,
depending on the scenario conditions, can be used for representation of the world
map, boundaries of charts of various regions available for loading, or loaded charts
of different scales:
Several chart windows with different settings can be opened for a scenario.
35
Data Window
2.4
DATA WINDOW
Data browser is used for viewing/editing PISCES II objects parameters. It contains
three interrelated data panels: categories, objects and properties, providing access
to all model objects and their properties:
The category panel (1) contains a tree with names of objects categories and
subcategories:
All of them are preset and cannot be edited by the user with the exception of
the categories Incident Data/Assignments and Response resources showing
assignment structure units and resource structure units, which can be edited by
the user in the process of work.
Only one category can be selected in the category panel. The category panel (2)
displays a list of objects belonging to the selected category:
The object list is a table with object lines and attribute columns. The object panel
hosts only basic attribute columns. The user can perform dynamic setting of number,
type, mutual position and size of the list columns.
36
Data Window
Attributes of the object selected in the object panel are displayed in the property
panel (3):
If several objects are selected in the data panel, the property panel displays their
similar properties e.g. course or speed.
The property panel shows the whole set of object attributes, which are represented
by statically arranged control elements: line editors, lists, option buttons, etc.
In case of a large number of attributes they are arranged on several tabs.
The parameter values in the lists and on the property pages can be converted to
different measurement units depending on the operators preferences. The context
menu for such field shows the parameter value in different measurement units:
In the Instructor Workplace application, only one window can be opened, i.e.
Data Browser. It provides structural access to all categories of the given scenario.
In addition to the Data Browser, data views windows containing objects of the same
category can be opened. For example, the weather window shows just weather
conditions:
37
2.5
An up-arrow means the entries are sorted in direct order, while a down-arrow indicates
the reverse order of sorting.
2.6
You can select more than one object in the chart window simultaneously. The selected
objects can belong to one data category only, e.g. the current one.
38
Select an object from the currents category on the chart. Press the left mouse button,
hold it down and draw a rectangular around several objects of different categories:
Depress the left button. It will result in selection of all currents falling into
the selection rectangular:
39
Please note that response resources have not been selected, therefore the
Tidal current 12 object selected before can be supplemented with objects from
the currents category only. The objects selected in the chart window will be shown
in the data window as selected too:
The data windows can display simultaneously objects of the same category only.
40
2.6.1
Select the PROPERTIES command in the context menu of the selected objects.
It will open the Multiple Objects Properties window.
This window contains the same fields as the properties window of a single object.
The data in these fields depend on whether or not the field values differ for the
selected objects. If the data coincide, e.g. the object status or its location point,
the field will be filled. If for selected object this field contains different values,
the field in the Multiple Objects Properties window will be shown blank.
The field background colour depends on whether or not the field value can be edited.
If the field is white, you can change the value in it, but if it is blue, the field is noneditable. Colour settings for editable/non-editable fields depend on PISCES II settings
(this is described more fully in the section 8.3.2 Colors of Read-only Fields)
and those of the OS.
Then the fields can be edited the same manner as for a single object.
For example, you can specify the Boom label in the Label field. Then all selected
booms will be shown under the same text label.
41
Scenario Checklist
2.7
SCENARIO CHECKLIST
The Scenario checklist window displays a list of parameters to be specified
and actions to be performed to prepare a scenario:
The tasks in the list are divided for convenience into several categories:
Pollution parameters;
Response resources.
The tasks in the list can have four statuses depending on their readiness levels:
Status
Value
Not started
In progress
Task in progress.
It means that the task is fulfilled in full or partially. In this case it can
be switch to the Completed status manually, if in the users opinion
the results are satisfactory
Not available
Task is infeasible.
It means that the task cannot be fulfilled at this junction. It can be due
to unfulfilment of some tasks logically related to the current one
Completed
Indication
The statuses Not started and Not available are set for the task automatically
by the PISCES II program, the user being not able to set them manually.
Assignment of the In progress or Completed statuses to tasks by the user
is possible via the task contextual menu in the checklist.
42
Layouts
2.8
LAYOUTS
The data/chart windows can be arranged on the PISCES II screen in a number
of different ways. The system provides several standard window arrangements
designed for optimisation of Instructors work, when performing different PISCES II
tasks. These arrangements are called Window Layouts. They can be toggled using
the LAYOUTS item of the WINDOW menu or the buttons on the toolbar.
The layouts provided by PISCES II and the corresponding buttons on the toolbar
are listed in the table below:
Icon name
Purpose
Button
General
Basic PISCES II window layout. The screen displays the chart window, the
data browser window, the cursor data window and the scenario checklist
Charts Only
Layout for work with charts. The screen displays the chart window
and the cursor data window
Weather and
Currents
Pollution
Pollution information. The screen displays the chart window, the data
browser window, the aerial contamination window, the spill source window,
and the parcel window
Response
Resources
Events
Event information. The screen displays the chart window, the event script
and the event scenario
Custom
The user can change parameters of any layout, but a change in the preset layouts
will last for one session only or until switching to another layout. The chart scale,
to take one example, will last for a session of work in preset layouts. If different
layouts in the chart window are assigned different scales, they will be retained
throughout switching between layouts within a session.
Any changes in the custom layout will be retained within the given scenario after
the PISCES II session too.
43
Scenario Operation
2.9
SCENARIO OPERATION
The functions of scenario control and operation are collected under the items
of FILE and SCENARIO of the menu, also they are doubled on the toolbar:
The first group of buttons on the panel is related to scenario playback. The playback
functions are available for the scenario owner only. These commands are disabled in
the operators scenario menus, the scenario control toolbar containing just the indicators.
The control buttons are followed by a group of indicators, reading parameters
of scenario operation (scenario time, mode/speed of modelling).
The mode indicator reads the current mode of scenario operation. There are four
modes with corresponding indication as follows:
2.9.1
Start
The Run Forward command available in any mode allows starting the scenario
to run forwards.
To start/continue scenario playback, select the SCENARIO/RUN FORWARD
command item in the program menu or click the Play Forward
on the scenario control toolbar.
2.9.2
Stop
The Stop command available in any mode allows stopping the scenario playback
(making a pause).
To stop scenario playback, select the SCENARIO/STOP command in the program
menu or click the Stop button on the scenario control toolbar.
2.9.3
44
Scenario Operation
Use the appeared Make savepoint panel to enter the point name in its Savepoint
name field, and enter its short description specifying the point in the Comments field:
Click the Save to save the point or Cancel to quit saving it and close the dialog box.
You can set a save point both during scenario playback and when it is stopped. When
a save point is set, the run scenario, in which the model time runs, will be stopped,
unless the scenario is operating in the SYNC real time mode (for more details
of the SYNC mode, see under 2.9.8 SYNC Real Time Mode Real Time Mode).
2.9.4
Reset To
The Reset To command is available in the mode of forecast or preparation.
It allows coming back to the scenario beginning or to a save point set previously,
to view the scenario once more or to choose another variant of event development.
To return to an available save point, select the SCENARIO/RESET TO command
in the program menu. Select the point you need in the Savepoint list
of the appeared Reset To panel. Click the Reset button to reset the scenario
to the selected point or Cancel to quit and close the dialog box:
45
Scenario Operation
2.9.5
Jump To
The Jump To command available in all modes allows running the scenario at
a maximum speed possible determined by computer capacity (this is described
more fully in the 1.5 Model Time section), and stopping it automatically upon
reaching the specified Jump to time.
To invoke the command, select the SCENARIO/JUMP TO command in the program
menu or click the Jump To on the toolbar.
The Jump dialog window will appear:
At the top you can see the Current model time non-editable field showing
the current model time.
To jump, you can specify the interval to skip in the scenario in the Jump interval
field or specify exact time in the Jump To field.
When time is entered in the Jump interval field, the Jump to value will be
automatically translated in accordance with the following equation:
Jump to = Current model time + Jump interval
Having specified the time, to which the scenario should jump, click the Jump button
to start scenario winding or Cancel to quit jumping and close the dialog box.
2.9.6
Backward Playback
The Run Backward command is available in the debriefing mode, it allows viewing
the record of the executed scenario backwards.
To start/continue scenario backward playback, select the SCENARIO/RUN
BACKWARD command in the program menu or click the Run Backward
button on the scenario control toolbar.
46
Scenario Operation
2.9.7
Speed
The Speed parameter allows the modelling speed to be varied (this is described
more fully in the 1.5 Model Time section) in all modes.
The modelling speed is shown by the modelling speed indicator:
A right click on the indicator or the SCENARIO/SPEED command in the program menu
opens a list to choose and set the required speed from:
2.9.8
You can also use the SCENARIO/SPEED/SYNC menu command. The SCENARIO/SPEED/SYNC
menu command and the SYNC command from the context menu of the modelling
speed meter on the toolbar are only available in the Preparation and Conduct
modes.
If the scenario time differs from the current computer time by less than
an hour, the program will switch to the SYNC mode, and the display will
show a SYNC(m) format line where m is the actual modelling speed.
If the scenario time differs from the current computer time by more than an hour,
the screen will display a warning.
47
Scenario Operation
In this case, in order to switch to the synchronous mode, you can change the scenario
start time so that the scenario time does not differ from the current computer time
by more than an hour (for more details see 2.9.10 Scenario Properties).
To turn off the mode of synchronising with the computer clock, select any modelling
speed in the SCENARIO/SPEED menu or from the context menu of the speed meter on
the toolbar (for more details see 2.9.7 Speed). The synchronising mode will turn
off when any operation on the model time is performed (pause, jump over a time
interval, scenario rollback to the save point).
2.9.9
Leave Scenario
The Leave Scenario command allows stopping scenario operation. If you are its
owner, it will remain available to other users to work on. In case the scenario has
not been stopped, the run of the model time and event development are possible
even though no user works on it any longer.
To exit the scenario, select the FILE/LEAVE SCENARIO command in the program menu.
2.9.10
Scenario Properties
Using the scenario properties you can edit the scenario start time specified during
its creation. Select the SCENARIO/SCENARIO PROPERTIES command of the program menu
to open the Scenario properties window:
Edit the scenario start time as required in Scenario start field. Use Time zone field
to set the time determining the modelling area time zone. From 3D Scene list, you
can select one of installed 3D scenes (for more details of 3D scene installation see
PISCES II (V. 2.90). INSTALLATION GUIDE). If the license lets joint operations
via internet, the Public option will be shown. Switch on this option to get external
access to scenario (for more details see 1.8.2 Work with Common Scenario).
After changing the scenario properties press OK to save changes or Cancel
to exit from the dialogue box without making changes.
48
Observer Management
2.10
OBSERVER MANAGEMENT
The observer gives the user all information on the scenario situation but neither
possibility of creating and/or editing the model objects, nor control of the model time.
The scenario owner appoints within observer using the SCENARIO/OBSERVERS menu
command. Selection of this command will result in appearance of the Observer
management window containing a list of all grouped active observers. The name
of the host on which the observer was run and the observers name are displayed
for each observer. See PISCES II (V. 2.90). INSTALLATION GUIDE,
section 2.3 Assign Tasks for more details on assigning names to observers.
the Busy group contains the observers connected to other active scenarios.
Management of these observers is not available until they are disconnected
by the owner of the connected scenario;
the Free group contains the observers not connected to any scenario.
The free observers screen being covered by a screen saver, the observer gets
access to the scenario data only after his connection
by the scenario owner.
Select one of the Free group observers and click Connect. The selected observer
will open the scenario and activate the basic interface for working in the scenario.
In the Observers management window, the observer will move to the Connected
group. Then the observer management window can be closed using the Close
button. Closing the Observer management window will not result in disconnection
of the observers from the scenario.
To switch off the observer from the scenario, click him in the Connected group
and click Disconnect.
49
3D Visualization
2.11
3D VISUALIZATION
PISCES II can show scenario objects in the 3D visualization. The visualization
system allows representation of the environment, i.e. the water space, moving
sea surface vessels and aircraft, response resources and oil spill.
The scene where the action takes place is selected at the scenario creation time.
PISCES II 3D visualisation uses 3D scenes and object models produced by Transas;
these should be bought separately and installed as per the license. For more details
of 3D scene and model installation see PISCES II (V. 2.90). INSTALLATION GUIDE,
sections 1.4 Installation of Visual Scenes and 1.5 Visual Models Installation).
When the scenario is created the time zone is also specified in Time zone field, this
affecting the time of the day shown on 3D visualisation. To change the time zone
or 3D scene where the scenario objects are shown, use the scenario properties window
opened by using SCENARIO/SCENARIO PROPERTIES menu command.
The 3D visualization task is run via the router in the same manner as the other
PISCES II tasks. After running the task, while the scenario is not connected to the
3D visualization channel, the screen is covered by the PISCES 3D screen saver.
The 3D visualization system is provided with data on the following scenario objects:
2.11.1
Oil spill;
Deployed booms;
Deployed skimmers;
Viewpoints
A viewpoint specifies observers position and his view direction onto the 3D scene.
To create a viewpoint, select CREATE VIEWPOINT menu command in the INCIDENT DATA/
VIEWPOINTS item context menu:
50
3D Visualization
The fields Name and Label are used to specify the object name and text label
to be displayed in the chart panel.
The user specifies the viewpoint coordinates in the Latitude/Longitude field. The
fields Altitude, Direction, Pitch specify the observers position at the observation
point. The Altitude field specifies the observers altitude, the Direction field shows
the observers view direction, while the Pitch field shows his angle of sight.
Having specified all viewpoint parameters, click Set to chart. The mouse
cursor in the chart window will assume the following form:
Specify the position of the viewpoint on chart by a click. The specified spot
will exhibit the created viewpoints icon in the form of a pair of binoculars:
You can edit the created viewpoint using the PROPERTIES context menu command.
See the commands of the context menu in the table below:
Command
Purpose
PROPERTIES
MOVE ICON
HIDE/SHOW LABEL
2.11.2
51
Preparation of Reports
2.12
PREPARATION OF REPORTS
When conducting drills, the operator might need chart printouts, data on weather
conditions, resource status, operation cost or other reports on the scenario progress.
PISCES II features a possibility of printing the contents of any chart window open in the
scenario or saving the open chart window in a bmp-file or a Microsoft Word document.
In addition, the operator can receive and save various Excel file reports.
The following reports can be saved in PISCES II:
Besides, in the MS Excel you can export contents of any of the data windows and
also the selected lines in the data windows (for more details see 2.12.4 Export of
Data Window in MS Excel).
2.12.1
Print
The FILE/PRINT menu command allows printing the contents of any chart window open in
the scenario, or data. Select this command in the menu. It will invoke the Print window:
The Printer field in the upper part of the window indicates the name of the system
default printer.
The drop-down Window list can be used to select the window to be printed from.
The list shows the window name and the current scale for chart windows.
The Print Range option buttons allow setting a sequence of printing chart window
records: All to print all records, Selected to print the selected ones.
The Print Header group of options allows setting the printout header look. If you select
all option of the Print Header group, the header will have the following appearance
<Printed window header >-<Exercise name>-<Scenario name>-<Scenario time><Model time>. If an option in the Print Header group is not selected, the corresponding
header part will not be printed.
Having set all options, click OK to start printing the selected window or Cancel
to close the dialog box.
52
Preparation of Reports
2.12.2
Use the File name field to specify location and name of the file to export the chart
contents to.
The Cyclic Export checkbox allows regular export of the chart window to the file.
If you choose this mode, specify the interval to be used for saving the chart window
contents in the Period field. The default interval is 60 seconds of model time.
Click the OK button to save the chart window contents to the file or Cancel
to discard changes and close the dialog box.
2.12.3
2.12.4
53
Preparation of Reports
In the window which will open up, select the necessary window name from the list
and press the OK button to export data or the Cancel button to close the Export
to file window without data export.
To export part of data, select the necessary lines by using the <Shift> + <left mouse
click>. You can switch the line selection by using the <Ctrl> + <left mouse click>.
Then select the EXPORT SELECTED DATA TO FILE command from the heading context
menu. In the window which will open up, select the necessary data window name
from the list and press the OK button to export data, or the Cancel button to close
the Export to file window without data export
2.12.5
54
3. CHAPTER 3
Working with Charts
Electronic Charts
3.1
ELECTRONIC CHARTS
PISCES II uses the TRANSAS basic electronic chart display and information
system, which provides the following functions:
The TRANSAS electronic charts are manufactured on the basis of paper navigational
charts issued by official hydrographical societies in various countries. Each chart is kept
in a file under a name coinciding with the number of its paper original. Contours of an
electronic chart correspond to the boundaries of its paper original.
The files for storing charts might be of different formats, which determine stored data
type/volume.
PISCES II supports TX97 and DCW format charts.
TX97 binary vector format is used for storing marine navigational charts containing
coastline contours, isobaths, sounding marks, buoys, lighthouses and other
information used by the navigators (see the figure below):
57
Electronic Charts
DCW format is used for storing topographical land maps containing descriptions
of terrain, water bodies, information on communications, inhabited localities, etc.
(see the figure below):
PISCES II works with navigational charts of TX97 format, the same charts being
used for coastline import. DCW format charts are taken advantage of, when the
land situation is to be represented in greater detail e.g. terrain relief, roads, inhabited
localities, aerodromes, etc.
Commands for working with charts are located under the TOOLS item of the program
menu; also they are duplicated in the toolbar:
3.1.1
Chart Load
PISCES II doesnt modify the charts, it just uses them in the Read-only mode.
The charts are stored on the hard disk in the PISCES II/Chart folder, being loaded
down to PISCES II as may be necessary.
The possibility of working with charts in PISCES II is provided by the chart window,
showing the world map and the boundaries of charts for various regions available
for loading:
58
Electronic Charts
To display the chart, it is necessary to load it to PISCES II using the Load Chart
command.
Select the command TOOLS/LOAD CHART in the program menu or click the
Load Chart button on the toolbar.
The cursor will assume the following form.
Select a chart for the region concerned featuring a sufficient level of detail and click
on its boundary. The chart will be loaded into PISCES II. The loaded chart border
will be shown as a thick line:
If the borders of some charts are situated nearby and we try to load one of
this charts the window containing the list of all this charts would appear. Choose
an item from the list and press OK to load it, or Cancel to close this window.
Files with protected charts are installed under license. If the protected but not licensed
chart files are placed in the PISCES II/Chart folder, an attempt to load them will result
in display of the chart borders only, but the charts per se cannot be loaded.
3.1.2
Chart Unload
The Unload Chart command allows the unloading of those charts from PISCES II,
which are not required in the current scenario anymore. This being the case,
the chart files remain on the disk in the PISCES II/Chart folder.
Select the TOOLS/UNLOAD CHART command in the program menu or click the
Unload Chart button on the toolbar.
The cursor will assume the following form.
Select the chart to be loaded and click on its boundary. The chart will be unloaded
from PISCES II. It will be marked in the chart window by a thin borderline instead
of the thick one.
59
Informational Layers
3.2
INFORMATIONAL LAYERS
A chart representation is composed of informational layers, containing congeneric
objects: depth layer, buoy layer, etc.
The informational (or topic) layers are divided into:
additional information.
The own layers are a part of the chart loaded into PISCES II from the disk;
they cannot be changed.
Model object information and additional information dont constitute a part of the chart,
but a part of the model situation, and as such they are preserved within a scenario only.
3.2.1
Own Layers
The own layers are divided into general layers and special layers.
Among the general layers are the chart grid, its borders, etc.
The special layers reflect information contained in DCW/TX97 format charts:
3.2.2
for DCW charts it boils down to the terrain relief, water bodies, inhabited
localities, communication lines, political information, etc.;
Pointlike;
Linear;
Areas.
Pointlike objects cannot be zoomed; they are used for representation of stationary
objects, response resources, pollution sources, current vectors, and auxiliary objects.
Linear objects are used for representation of ship routes, coastline, and deployed booms.
PISCES II supports different types of areas objects:
Impact area;
Burn-off areas.
60
3.2.3
Additional Information
Additional information allows addition of information missing in the official chart
or information specific for the current scenario, as well as user own objects having
geographical reference.
PISCES II supports information of the following types to be entered to the chart window:
3.2.4
Text the operator can key in text and specify characteristics for the text block:
font colour, position on the chart, on the chart etc.;
Polygonal area the operator can assign a polygon, its position on the chart,
as well as kind of shading, an icon and a text label;
Raster image can be imported from a BMP format file of 256 colours and
placed in the chart window on top of the own layers. The operator may manually
set raster image sizes and its position in geographical coordinates.
3.3
If none of the tools is activated, the mouse cursor serves as an indicator for
selection of model objects. The selected model objects can be edited. The object
context menu is opened with the right-hand button. For selection you can use the
mouse buttons and the modifier keys. If the model objects are selected in the table
windows, they are highlighted in the chart windows and vice versa.
3.3.1
Object Display to adjust the way of displaying icons on the chart: icon size,
display of course vectors and selection of a data source for the label.
61
The chart layer visibility and icon display settings form a set of settings which can be
saved for a fast change of the chart view and for use in other scenarios. In PISCES
II, there are several standard default sets.
All objects;
Navigational all the charts navigational layers, the field of currents is turned off;
Oil Spill field of current, spill, there is only shore on the chart;
Response without field of currents, on the chart there is shore and depth contours.
The set of settings is selected from the pull-down list in the bottom part of the
Chart View Control Panel window on the Overlays and Object display tabs.
You can change the settings and save your own set. To do this, enter the set name
in the field in the bottom part of the chart window control panel and press the Save
button. To apply subsequently the saved set of settings to the active chart window,
you will only have to select it from the list.
To delete the unnecessary set of settings, select it from the list and press the Delete
button.
62
A list of cursor parameters shown in the Cursor Data tab is given in the table below:
Parameter
Value
Lat
Source latitude
Lon
Source longitude
Ref
Dist
Distance to reference
Brg
Rings
The Rescale command shows the cursor position in a chart fragment corresponding
to the one in the chart window. Click the Rescale button in the cursor data window
.
The cursor data window will show an area covered by the current chart window
with a 30 % margin. A cross-like cursor in the window duplicates position of the
main cursor of the system.
The Whole World command changes the scale so that the cursor data window
could hold the entire world map. Click the Whole World button in the cursor data
window
. The cursor data window will display the world map, indicating cursor
position on it.
The Cursor Data tab allows to change also scale of an active chart window and to
set position of the center of a chart. For change of scale of a chart move the mouse
to the Cursor Data tab, click the left mouse button and draw a rectangular of the
future boundaries of the visible area. Release the left key of a mouse. The active chart
window will be regenerated in the specified borders. It is possible to set position
of the center of an active chart window by click of the left mouse button in the
Cursor Data tab.
Layer Control
The navigational charts contain a lot of information. Not all of this information
is required for working. The Overlays tab allows the informational layer
representation on the chart to be set.
63
For the layers edited by the user (incident area objects, pollution, resources),
you can set the read-only mode to protect them against unauthorized changes.
For this purpose, click next to the required layer to have the lock icon appeared .
The layer will be protected against any modification up to the moment of removing
the lockout device.
In the Overlays tab you can use the Windows-standard function of collapsing/expanding
the lists and their individual branches. A full list of PISCES II layers with brief comments
is given in the table below:
64
Add Info
Additional information
Field of Currents
Field of Currents
Field of Winds
Field of Winds
Point Object
Symbol objects
Polygon
Polygonal areas
TextBox
Text boxes
Chartg
Chart
Borders
DCW Overlays
Loaded Borders
Grid
Coordinate grid
Raster Images
Rings
Range rings
TX97 Overlays
Coast Line
Coast Line
Burning Area
Currents
Sorbing area
Impact Area
Impact area
Location Point
Gathering point
Map of current
Targets
Ice
Ice Map
Wind Vectors
Pollution
Pollution
Air pollution
Aerial contamination
Area Source
Leak Source
Point source
Oil Spill
Spill
Response Resources
Response Resources
Boom
Boom
DDS
Dispersant
Dispersant
Equipment
Equipment
Platform
Platform
Shore cleaner
Skimmer
Oil skimmer
65
Object Display
The Object display tab in the chart view control panel allows the way the icons
of resources and other objects are displayed, to be adjusted.
For objects shown on the chart, the exact direction of their motion can be shown
as a speed vector, the speed value is shows with hatches on the vector.
Option buttons in the top left corner of the panel allow the display of course vectors
and speed marks to be turned on.
The meanings of these option buttons are described in more detail in the table below.
66
Option
Description
Vector
If this option is turned on, the resource motion direction is shown with the speed vector
Speed marks
Turns on the display of speed marks on the speed vectors. The speed marks
can be shown in different ways depending on the speed of the resource:
at a speed of up to 5 knots, the speed marks are placed one for each knot
and have a form of hatches:
at a speed of more than 20 knots, the speed mark has a form of an arrow:
Icon
Turns on/off the display of object icons on the chart. If this button is turned off,
all the objects on the chart are shown as points
Buttons in the Icon size group allow selection of the size of icons shown on
the chart: large, small and varying automatically to suit the scale. The meanings
of buttons are described in more detail in the table below:
Description
Button
At any chart scale, large size modelled object icons are shown
At any chart scale, small size modelled object icons are shown
The icon size depends on the scale. With the scale reduction, icons of modelled objects
first decrease in size and are then replaced with a point to declutter the screen
Option buttons in the Label source group allow determining the data source which
a label to be displayed in the chart window is taken from.
Data source
Description
None
Name
For each object, the chart window shows a value set in the object properties window
in the Name field
Label
For each object, the chart window shows a value set in the object properties window
in the Label field
Call sign
For the resources, the chart window shows a value set in the properties window
on the Characteristics tab in the Call sign field (for more details see under
6.1.3 General Response Resource Parameters).
For the rest of objects, no labels are shown in the chart window
MMSI
For the resources, the chart window shows a value set in the properties window
on the Characteristics tab in the MMSI field (for more details see under
6.1.3 General Response Resource Parameters).
For the rest of objects, no labels are shown in the chart window
Lloyds number
For the resources, the chart window shows a value set in the properties window
on the Characteristics tab in the Lloyds number field.
For the rest of objects, no labels are shown in the chart window (for more details see
under 6.1.3 General Response Resource Parameters)
67
3.3.2
Adding Information
The Add Info command makes it possible to append additional information
of different types to the chart window.
Select the CHART/ADD INFO command of the program menu and use the appeared menu
to specify the required information type: Symbol, Polygon, Text or Raster Image:
The commands Moving Symbol and Moving Polygon allow the creation
of a movable icon/area, for which all changes of coordinates made in the process
of scenario execution will be remembered.
Symbol
The ADD INFO/SYMBOL command allows adding an icon in the chart window,
and specifying its coordinates, pointlike object and text label.
Select the ADD INFO/SYMBOL command to open the Symbol Properties panel:
Specify the icon name in the Name field and its text label in the Label field.
Usually an abbreviated name is used as a text label.
Set the coordinates in Lat. and Lon. fields and press OK button, or press
Set to chart button and indicate the desired on-chart object position with the mouse.
To change the icon for the object, select the icon in the chart panel
and select the PROPERTIES command the context menu.
Click the following area in the appeared panel:
Select a suitable icon and press OK to set it or Cancel to cancel
icon change and close the dialog box.
Click OK in Symbol Properties to save the icon change on chart, or Cancel
to cancel editing and close the dialog box.
68
Movable Icon
Assignment of a movable icon is performed in much the same fashion as specification
of an icon in the scenario. The only exception is that for such an object all changes
of coordinates during scenario execution will be remembered, and it will be displayed
during scenario viewing in the debriefing mode. For an unmovable icon, for example,
only the position specified last will be saved for subsequent debriefing.
Area
The ADD INFO/POLYGON command allows adding a polygonal area in the chart window.
Selection of this command results in appearance of the Polygon Properties panel:
Parameters of the area, which can be specified using this panel, are described
in the table below:
Parameter
Value
Name
Polygon name
Label
Filling Style
Filling style
Filling Colour
Filling colour
Icon Colour
Icon colour
Outline Colour
Having specified area parameters, click the Set To Chart button to specify object
form/position on the chart or Cancel to cancel area creation and close the dialog
box. Use your mouse to specify vertices of the polygon and right click to save the
specified field, or press <Escape>, to exit the mode of polygon assignment.
To change the object icon, select an area in the chart panel and click
the PROPERTIES command from the context menu.
Click the following area in the appeared panel:
Select a suitable icon and press OK to set it or Cancel to cancel icon change
and close the dialog box.
Click OK in the Polygon Properties window to save polygon icon change on chart,
or Cancel to cancel area editing.
69
Movable Area
Specification of a movable area is performed in much the same fashion as specification
of an area in the scenario. The only exception is that for such an object all changes
of coordinates during scenario execution will be remembered, and it will be displayed
during scenario viewing in the debriefing mode. For an unmovable area, for example,
only the position specified last will be saved for subsequent debriefing.
Text
The ADD INFO/TEXT command allows adding a text block in the chart window.
Selection of this command results in appearance of the Text Box Properties
panel containing the tabs Text and Style And Colours:
Parameters of the text block, which can be specified using this panel, are described
in the table below:
70
Parameter
Value
Name
Block name
Text
Text input field. When text is entered, to move to the next line,
press keys <Ctrl> + <Enter>
Alignment
Filling Style
Font Size
Font size
Margin Size
Bold
Bold font
Parameter
Value
Italic
Oblique font
Border
Colours
Text
Font colour
Box
Filling
Filling colour
Having specified the parameters, click the Set To Chart button to specify block
position on the chart (the cursor indicates position of the block centre).
Click OK in the Text Box Properties window to place the created block
on the chart or Cancel to quit block creation and close the dialog box.
Raster Image
The ADD INFO/RASTER IMAGE command allows adding a raster image in the chart
window, i.e. a graphical file of BMP format with 256 colours. Selection of this
command results in appearance of the GeoRefImage Properties panel:
Specify the file to load the image from: select the file in the Image drop-down list
or click the Import button and specify the required file on the disk.
Use the Name field to specify the name for the image.
Then it is necessary to define image position on the chart, by specifying two control
points Point1 and Point2. By default, these points are located in the upper left
corner and the lower tight corner, respectively. In the image coordinate system,
the upper left corner has coordinates 0,0, while the coordinates of the lower right
corner are equal to image width and height in pixels.
Click the Set to chart button and specify geographical coordinates for Point1
and Point2.
The control points are not to be necessarily positioned in the image corners.
They might be set so as to coincide with some significant objects in the image.
First, supplement the chart with the graphical file with reference control points at
the image corners. Right click on the orange border of the image and via the context
menu select the command SET POINT 1. The cursor will assume the following form:
.
Specify the first significant point on the image (e.g. a lighthouse, a cape or an
inhabited locality). Right click again on the orange border of the image and via the
context menu select the command SET POINT 2. The cursor will assume the following
form: . Specify the second significant point in the image.
71
Now it is necessary to specify the coordinates of the control points. Select the
Properties command in the image context menu. Use the appeared property
window to specify coordinates of the control points in the fields Point 1[Lat/Lon],
Point 2[Lat/Lon]. Click the OK button to place the image on the chart or Cancel
to cancel the image movement and close the dialog box.
For convenience of placing the image, the segments of the same colour can be
made transparent. To this effect, select the SET TRANSPARENCY command in the image
context menu and use your mouse to indicate the colour to be made transparent.
To undo color transparency, select again the SET TRANSPARENCY command and press
<Alt> on the keyboard. Holding down <Alt>, use your mouse to specify the image
area to make the corresponding color non-transparent.
It is not advisable to place images of more than 100 km dimensions on the chart,
as in this case the picture will feature strong distortions.
3.3.3
3.3.4
Revert
The Revert command provides returning to the previous state of the chart window.
Actually, the command cancels the last setting made in the chart window. PISCES II
preserves a list of 32 recent settings of the chart window.
To return to the previous state of the chart window, select the TOOLS/REVERT
command of the program menu or click the Revert button on
the toolbar. The chart window will revert to the previous state.
The loading/unloading charts, changing visibility of layers, setting of a reference
point is not cancelled by a command Revert.
3.3.5
Centre
The Centre command will move the specified point to the centre of the chart window.
Select the command CENTRE in the TOOLS menu or click the Centre button
on the toolbar. The cursor will assume the following form:
the point on the chart to be moved to the chart centre.
. Specify
To change position of the centre of a chart it is possible as with the help of a mouse
scroll wheel. To move the centre of a chart upright you should move mouse scroll
wheel, to move the centre across you should move mouse scroll wheel at the
pressed key <Shift> on the keyboard.
72
3.3.6
Zooming Area
The Zoom command allows direct definition of the area to be represented
in the chart window.
Select the TOOLS/ZOOM command of the program menu or click the Zoom
button on the toolbar. The cursor will assume the following form:
. Press
the left mouse button, draw a rectangular of the future boundaries of the visible
area on the chart. Click the left mouse button again. The chart window will be
regenerated in the specified boundaries.
3.3.7
Scale up
The Scale Up command allows the scale of the chart window to be increased.
Select the command TOOLS/SCALE UP in the program menu or click the Scale
Up button on the toolbar. The chart will be represented at a greater scale.
You can increase a scale by moving mouse scroll down at the pressed
key <Ctrl> on the keyboard.
3.3.8
Scale down
The Scale Down command allows the scale of the chart window to be reduced.
Select the TOOLS/SCALE DOWN command of the program menu or click
the Scale Down button on the toolbar. The chart will be represented
at a smaller scale.
You can reduce a scale also by moving mouse scroll wheel up at the
pressed key <Ctrl> at the keyboard.
3.3.9
Ruler
The Ruler command shows range/bearing to the selected point.
Select the TOOLS/RULER command in the menu or click the Ruler button on
the toolbar. The cursor will assume the following form:
. Indicate the
start point or the object to measure the range to. PISCES II
will show the range/bearing to the point/object.
73
3.3.10
Reference Point
The Reference Point command allows the user the set a point, to which the range
rings will be referenced.
Select the REFERENCE POINT command in the TOOLS menu or click the
Reference Point on the toolbar. The cursor will assume the following
form: . Indicate on the chart the range ring reference point.
Range rings can be used for a visual estimation of distance between
objects in a chart window. The distance between rings of range varies
depending on scale of a chart and is displayed in the cursor data window
after an inscription Rings.
3.3.11
74
3.4
3.4.1
New View
The New command allows the user to create a new chart window, which can be
used to load another chart, to create a set of settings for it differing from the previous
window, to change data representation.
Select the CHART/NEW command in the program menu. A new chart window will appear
loaded with a copy of the chart of the most recent working chart window. If you need
another chart in the new window, you can load it using the TOOLS/LOAD CHART command
of the program menu.
3.4.2
Save View
The Save View command allows saving the chart window status settings created
in the current window to a file of a chosen name or deleting the views, which you
dont need in your work anymore.
Select the command CHART/SAVE VIEW in the program menu to open the Save View panel:
Enter the name of the view to be saved into the upper field. Click Save to save
the current view or Cancel to cancel saving and close the dialog box.
3.4.3
Open View
The Open View command allows the current chart window to be loaded with a set
of chart window status settings created and saved before. Select the CHART/OPEN VIEW
command of the program menu to open the Open View panel:
75
Use the list on your left to select the chart view you need. Click the Open button
to load the view or Cancel to quit view loading and close the dialog box.
If the Open in new window checkbox is checked, the view to be loaded will open
in a new chart window rather than in the current one.
3.4.4
Delete View
The Delete command in the Open view panel allows you to delete the views
you dont need in your work anymore.
Select the CHART/OPEN VIEW command of the program menu to open the Open view
panel:
The field to the left contains a list of available views. Those not needed for subsequent
work can be deleted with the aid of the Delete button.
The Cancel button allows exit from the Open view panel.
76
4. CHAPTER 4
Environment Conditions
Impact Area
The factors influencing spill behaviour in the PISCES II model belong to two groups,
i.e. geographical objects and variable parameters of environment conditions.
Among the geographical objects are the exercise area, coastline and environmental
sensitive areas. Geographical objects are specified on the chart as polygonal areas.
Environment parameters, e.g. weather conditions, are specified in PISCES II
for the whole scenario period in the form of table-driven functions. During scenario
execution, the program interpolates the input data in the way providing continuous
changes of parameters.
4.1
IMPACT AREA
Impact Area is a polygonal area, within which the program computes environment
conditions and oil spill behaviour for the current scenario. Import of the coastline
and currents as well as computation of field of currents are performed within the
impact area. The impact area is a compulsory scenario element, while other
scenario elements can be omitted, if necessary.
The impact area is specified at the stage of scenario initialisation, right after creation
of the exercise scenario. At this stage, the chart window will display a yellow field
with the Initialisation phase. Please define Impact Area lettering and the buttons
Define and Complete:
Select a scale and level of chart detail for the given scenario (this is described more
fully in Chapter 3) and click the Define button to specify the impact area.
The cursor in the chart window will assume the following form:
79
Impact Area
Use your mouse to specify vertices of the polygon, and right click to save
the specified field, or press <Escape>, to exit the mode of polygon assignment.
The impact area boundaries are represented in the form of a thin dotted orange line:
The polygon defining the impact area can be edited: dragged, vertice added/deleted.
When the impact area boundaries will take their finished form, click the Complete
button on the yellow field in the upper part of the chart window.
This action finishes assignment of impact area, the scenario switching over from
the initialisation mode to the exercise preparation mode. The yellow warning strip
will disappear. The mode indicator on the toolbar will change its Init value for the
PREPARATION one, and the background colour will change for green. The status
of the task Impact Area in the Scenario checklist window will change for
Completed, and a green tick will appear the list.
ATTENTION!
The impact area is specified at the stage of scenario initialisation prior to its start.
After start, the impact area boundaries cannot be edited. If you need to edit the
impact area after starting the scenario, you have to bring it back to the starting point.
For this purpose select the SCENARIO/RESET TO menu command and the
Start scenario point in the appeared list of saved points.
After selecting the ENVIRONMENT/SET IMPACT AREA command of the menu or the INCIDENT DATA
SETUP/INCIDENT AREA item of the Scenario checklist window context menu, the sequence of
actions is similar to specification of impact area at the initialisation stage.
80
Coastline
It is sometimes necessary to edit the impact area in a scenario after the setting of the
coastline (for more details of the coastline see the next section 4.2 Coastline). In this
case, after the impact area boundaries have been changed in the chart window, or
ENVIRONMENT/SET IMPACT AREA menu command has been selected, the following message
will appear:
Press Yes for the entire coastline to be deleted after the setting of a new area, or
No if you wish to save the set coastline, or Cancel to cancel the impact area editing.
4.2
COASTLINE
The next scenario preparation task is specification of the coastline. The entire
coastline can be specified manually, if you wish so, by sequential creation
of coastline parcels using the ENVIRONMENT/CREATE ISLAND menu command.
It is advisable to first import a piece of shore from a suitable navigational chart,
and then to edit individual parcels manually, if necessary.
You can get access to the coastline edit commands through the ENVIRONMENT
menu or the coastline context menu in the chart window. Partial access to
these commands is also possible through the COASTLINE context menu item
in the Scenario checklist task list.
4.2.1
Coastline Import
The Coastline import command allows a coastline to be imported from
navigational charts.
Select the ENVIRONMENT/IMPORT COASTLINE menu command. PISCES II will start to import
coastline. The Coastline Import dialog box will open. On completion of the procedure,
the window will close automatically, and the chart window will display a thin line of the
coastline imported from the navigational charts within the impact area:
81
Coastline
Complicated cases of coastline import might take quite a long time. If it takes more
than 3 seconds, the Coastline Import window with a warning will appear:
The Triangulation of imported coastline data will take about field shows the
approximate time of import. Click OK to continue coastline import or Cancel
to interrupt it.
Click on the coastline. A selected coastline is represented by a thin orange line.
The coastline context menu contains the following commands for editing coastline:
Command
Purpose
Properties
Assign Parcel
New Island
Show Islands
Show Parcels
Delete Points
To get more detailed information on the coast, you might need a greater scale
chart. The figure below demonstrates that a large-scale chart gives a more exact
presentation of the shore, and the coastline imported before from a small-scale
chart will not coincide with the image on this chart:
82
Coastline
4.2.2
Enter the growth value and press Yes to extend the chart boundaries, or press
No to import coast from the charts with unchanged boundaries.
4.2.3
Edit Coastline
A coastline can be edited, if necessary. The simpler form of the coastline and
the lesser segments in it, the faster computation of the mathematical spill model.
If it is obvious that a part of the coastline, e.g. lake cannot influence the spill behaviour,
or if the imported coastline contains unnecessary details, it is recommended that the
extra fragments of the coastline be deleted.
For example, to delete the lakes generated by import, as shown in the figure below,
do the following:
Select the coastline using your mouse. Press the left mouse button, hold it down and
draw a rectangular around the group of vertices to be edited. Depress the left-hand
button. Now the selected group can be added vertices with the aid of <Shift> + <Leftclick> or selection of vertices can be toggled on and off by <Ctrl> + <Left-click>.
To remove vertices, select the DELETE POINTS command of the coastline context menu
in the chart window. The selected vertices will be deleted, and the coastline will be
regenerated subject to these changes.
The selected vertices can also be moved. For this purpose, drag the selected
group of points to a new place by pressing the mouse left-hand button. Depress it,
when the points will be in the required position.
83
Coastline
4.2.4
New Island
To add a land segment not connected with the existing ones, select the NEW ISLAND
item of the coastline context menu in the chart window.
The mouse cursor in the chart window will assume the following form:
Use your mouse to specify vertices of the polygon defining the new island and press
the right-hand button to save the created island or <Escape> to exit the polygon
specification mode.
4.2.5
Coastline Type
Type of coastline affects the rate of oil deposition and the total amount of oil to
be stranded on the shore. Having specified the coastline contour, specify its type.
Use the UNASSIGNED item of the object context menu in the Data Browser window
(Coastline category) to select the EDIT command or just double click on the item:
84
Coastline
Specify coastline type in the Type drop-down list in accordance with exercise
conditions. Types of ground supported by PISCES II are given in the list below:
coral;
gravel/cobble;
mud;
peat/tundra scarp;
rock;
sand.
Click OK to save the entered data or Cancel to finish input and exit the dialog box.
4.2.6
Parcels
Coastline consists of vertices connected by segments. The segments can be combined
under a specified name to a coastline parcel. For example, you can select a coastline
parcel related to a beach or an environmental sensitive area and give it a unique name.
Specification of parcels is required for timely tracing of spilled oil statistics on pollutionsensitive fragments of shore (beaches, protected zones, inhabited localities, etc.).
Right after coastline import, all its segments are related by default to a single parcel,
which is called Unassigned.
The COASTLINE item of the Data Browser window lists the parcels composing
the coastline. Their parameters are listed in the table below:
85
Coastline
Field
Description
Name
Length
Type
Ground type (described more fully in the section 4.2.5 Coastline Type)
Stranded oil
Recovered oil
To combine several coastline segments to a parcel, select the coastline using your
mouse. Press the left mouse button, hold it down and draw a rectangular around the
part of the coastline to be a parcel. Depress the left-hand button. The selected group
can be added vertices with the aid of <Shift> + <Left-click> or selection of vertices
can be toggled on and off by <Ctrl> + <Left-click>:
Having selected the required vertices and coastline segment for the group, select
the ASSIGN PARCEL item of the coastline context menu. The Parcels dialog window
will appear:
Click the New Parcel button and specify a name for the new parcel in the appeared
Create Parcel dialog box:
86
Coastline
Click the Create to close the dialog. The newly created parcel will appear
automatically selected in the Parcels list:
Click the OK button, to combine the selected coastline segments under the specified
name or Cancel to cancel the combination and close the dialog. The line with the name
of the new parcel will appear in the Data Browser window under the Coastline category:
You can combine the selected segments under an existing name, if necessary.
It is usually done, if there are new data on the number/position of the segments
comprising the given parcel or if the coastline has been redefined. For this purpose
select the ASSIGN PARCEL command, then select the required name in the Parcels
list and click OK.
Specify the ground type for the created parcel. The sequence of actions is similar
to one described under 4.2.5 Coastline Type.
Specify, in the form of parcels, all coastline fragments, for which the spilled oil
statistics should be known as required by the exercise conditions.
ATTENTION!
All changes of the shape of coastline are introduced at the stage of scenario
preparation prior to its start only. After scenario start the coastline cannot be edited.
If you need to edit the coastline after starting the scenario, you have to return it to
the starting point. For this purpose select the SCENARIO/RESET TO menu command and
the Start scenario point in the appeared list of saved points. Then specify the
coastline as you did at the scenario preparation stage.
87
Field of Currents
4.3
FIELD OF CURRENTS
PISCES II provides computation of current velocity and direction at each point
of the impact area. These values, which continuously change within the entire
impact area and within the whole scenario time slot, are called the field of currents.
Field of currents are built with the aid of basic vectors. A field of currents basic
vector shows velocity and direction at a specified point. The vector doesnt change
its geographical position. The time dependent change of speed and direction is set
in the table-driven form. For those points of the impact area, where the basic vectors
are not specified, the current value is computed subject to the neighbouring vectors
and coastline influence. Base current vectors can be set manually (for more details
see 4.3.4 Editing Current Base Vectors), or imported from the built-in database
or text files (for more details see 4.3.5 Import of Basic Field of Currents Vectors
and 4.3.6 Import and Export of Current Base Vectors to File).
Where the external data on currents is represented by a large number of vectors
(more than 50) set on a regular grid, it is easier to use the map of current. For more
detailed description of currents see 4.3.7 Map of Current. Maps of current are not
created in PISCES II scenarios manually, but are imported from XML files. More
detailed description of importing maps of currents from XML and of this file format
is provided under 4.3.8 Importing Maps of Currents from XML File.
4.3.1
The chart window will display vectors corresponding to the computed values.
The basic vectors are shown navy-blue; while the vectors computed from the basic
one are blue:
Variation of the field of currents with time can be checked visually by running
the scenario forward at a high rate of simulation.
For this purpose, click the Play Forward on the toolbar or select the command item
SCENARIO/RUN FORWARD in the menu and set simulation rate, e.g. 1:60 or higher.
88
Field of Currents
4.3.2
On the next drawing, a surface current vector us added to the initial flow field. It can
be seen that the flow field has changed uniformly throughout the entire modelling
area due to the superposition of the initial north and added west current.
89
Field of Currents
4.3.3
To augment the table with a value line, click the Insert button. The context menu
for the velocity/direction values allows the required measurement units to be set.
The Delete button allows deletion of needless lines from the table.
Enter necessary data on the vector and click the OK button to save the table for
the created vector or Cancel to interrupt parameter input and exit the dialog box.
Freshly created vectors are called the basic vectors. PISCES II uses them
for computation of the field of currents values at each point of the impact area.
Having specified the field of currents according to the exercise conditions, visually
check the obtained field at a high simulation speed.
4.3.4
90
Field of Currents
The vector parameters editable using this panel are described in the table below:
Parameter name
Parameter value
Label
Direction
Current direction
Speed
Current velocity
Position
Coordinates
Lat
Vector latitude
Lon
Vector longitude
The Table button on the panel is designed for viewing and/or editing the velocity/
direction value table for the selected current vector.
The Import from group buttons make it possible to import a current vector again.
Clicking the T&C Database button leads to iterated import of a current from the
database of tidal and surface climatic currents, containing systematic information
collected from official hard copy charts, current atlases and various tables.
For more details of importing base current vectors from the built-in database
see 4.3.4 Import of Basic Field of Currents Vectors.
The File button from the Export to group buttons allows import of the table
containing relation between the velocity/direction of the current and the model
time from the <file name>.srf file in case of a surface current or from the <file
name>.tdl file in case of a tidal current. For more details of importing base current
vectors from a file see 4.3.5 Import and Export of Current Base Vectors to File.
4.3.5
91
Field of Currents
To import vector within the impact area, select the ENVIRONMENT/T&C DATABASE menu
item. The Import currents dialog window will appear:
In this window, use Import time field to set the period which the data will be
imported for. The change of current will be imported for the set time period only,
after this the current will be considered as constant. You can enter the period value
manually directly to the Import time field or choose of the specified by default
in the fields Maximum import time or Default import time:
the Maximum import time field shows the maximum duration of the period,
for which currents can be imported. Usually it is 120 hours;
the Default import time field shows the period value set in PISCES II
by default. Usually it is 72 hours.
Select the value you need (maximum or default one) and click the Set, or enter
time directly in the Import time field.
Now you have to specify types for the currents you are going to import: surface
currents and/or tidal currents. To do so it is sufficient to check the required
checkboxes:
Click OK to import the currents or Cancel not to do so and exit the dialog box.
The program imports currents only within the impact area. The current database
might lack data for the area. In such case, a message about absence of data will
be displayed:
92
Field of Currents
ATTENTION!
If currents are imported not at the zero time point, the data to be imported are only
those, starting from the current model time. For the times, which are less than the
current model time, the current velocities and direction are equal to 0.
4.3.6
To export currents to a file, it is necessary to enter the common part of the names
of the files, to which the data are to be exported. For this purpose, click the Browse
button and specify the path to and the name of created files. By default, the files will
be created in the current working folder, and the common part of the names of the
files will coincided with the scenario name. The specified name and path to the files,
where the data are to be exported, will be shown in the line Path and base name
at the bottom of the window:
93
Field of Currents
Click the OK button, to export to the file or Cancel not to do that and close the
dialog box. On completion of data export, a window with an export result message
will appear:
Purpose
<common name>.foc
<common name>
<current label>.srf
<common name>
<current label>.tdl
ATTENTION!
No label of any current can contain symbols \ /: * ? < >. Otherwise, the whole field
of currents will not be exported.
The created files can be edited manually or added with data obtained from external
sources, and loaded to a PISCES scenario.
To load data on a field of currents from a file, use the ENVIRONMENT/GET FROM FILE menu
command to open the Import window:
Click the Browse button and specify the file to import data from. Selection of the
file in the Import window will result in unblocking selection of the parameters, data
on which are contained in the selected file as well as in the cognominal files located
in the same folder.
94
Field of Currents
Check the Surface currents and/or Tidal currents checkboxes, if the latter are not
disabled. Click the OK button to import currents, or Cancel to close the dialog box
without any change event scrip to the existing field of currents.
On completion of import, a window with current import results will appear:
ATTENTION!
If currents are imported not at the zero time point, the data to be imported are only
those, starting from the current model time. For the times, which are less than the
current model time, the current velocities and direction are equal to 0, if the imported
current did not existed before, or if the current velocity/direction were left
unchanged.
Please note that the impact area boundaries are not taken into consideration during
current import from a file as contrary to import from the inbuilt database. All currents
specified in the <file name>.foc file will be imported whatever their coordinates.
4.3.7
Map of Currents
The map of currents is a table with a large number of current vectors set on a
rectangular regular grid. All the maps of currents set in the scenario are shown
in Data browser window in Environment/Currents category together with base
current vectors:
95
Field of Currents
The context menu of the map of currents contains two commands: EDIT and DELETE.
Select EDIT command from the context menu. A window with properties of the map
of currents will open up:
Parameters of the map of current which are displayed in the properties window,
are described in the table below:
Parameter name
Description of parameter
Name
Label
Reference point:
Lat;
Lon
Width
Height
Dimensions
Number of points in which the current direction and velocity is ser, vertically
and horizontally. In the rest of map-of-currents points, the field of currents
is calculated form the set values
Superposition
Option for taking into account base current vectors. If this option is off,
base vectors of tidal and climatic currents are not taken into account
in constructing a field of currents within the map of currents
To delete a map of currents, select DELETE command from its context menu.
4.3.8
An entry on the imported map of currents will appear in the data navigator
in Environment/Currents category.
96
Field of Currents
97
Field of Currents
After the description of conditions for calculating the map of currents, set
in <GeoRectangle></GeoRectangle> tags is the position of the map
of currents on the chart. The table below lists map-of-currents parameters
in <GeoRectangle></GeoRectangle> block, which determine the geographic
referencing of the map of currents:
Name
Purpose
<ReferencePoint type="Position">
<Latitude type="Angle"
Unit="degrees">Latitude</Latitude>
<Longitude type="Angle"
Unit="degrees">Longitude</Longitude>
</ReferencePoint>
<Rotation type="Angle"
Unit="degrees">Angle</Rotation>
<Rectangle>
<Width type="Distance" Unit="m">Width</Width>
<Height type="Distance" Unit="m">Height</Height>
</Rectangle>
Dimensions of rectangular
map-of -currents area
After the description of the geographic referencing of the map of currents there is a
<SpeedVectorsPlanes></ SpeedVectorsPlanes> block, which determine the
number of plans and their operation time. The format of this block is provided below:
<SpeedVectorPlanes type="Container" Columns=number of points
along the width of rectangular map-of-currents area, in which
current speed and direction are set Rows= number of points
along the length of rectangular map-of-currents area, in which
current speed and direction are set AngleUnit=degrees
SpeedUnit=m/s TimeUnit="DD.MM.YYYY HH:MM">
<Item type="Plane">
<Time> DD.MM.YYYY HH:MM </Time>
<RawDataOfSpeedVectors></RawDataOfSpeedVectors>
</Item>
<Item type="Plane">
<Time> DD.MM.YYYY HH:MM </Time>
<RawDataOfSpeedVectors></RawDataOfSpeedVectors>
</Item>
</SpeedVectorPlanes >
Within <RawDataOfSpeedVectors></RawDataOfSpeedVectors> block, listed
one after another are digit pairs divided with spaces, setting the direction and speed
of current in grid nodes.
98
Field of Winds
The format of a block of data determining a field of currents within the map
of currents is provided below:
<RawDataOfSpeedVectors>
current speed in m/s
</RawDataOfSpeedVectors>
4.3.9
4.4
FIELD OF WINDS
PISCES II provides computation of wind velocity and direction at each point
of the impact area. These values, which continuously change within the entire
impact area and within the whole scenario time slot, are called the field of winds.
Field of winds are built with the aid of basic vectors. A field of winds basic vector
shows velocity and direction at a specified point. The vector doesnt change its
geographical position. The time dependent change of speed and direction is set in
the table-driven form. For those points of the impact area, where the basic vectors
are not specified, the wind value is computed subject to the neighbouring vectors.
Base wind vectors can be set manually (for more details see 4.4.2 Add Wind
Vectors), or imported from the text files (for more details see 4.4.4 Import and
Export of Wind Base Vectors to File).
4.4.1
99
Field of Winds
The chart window will display vectors corresponding to the computed values.
The basic vectors are shown with bold green lines; while the vectors computed
from the basic one are shown in thin green lines:
The wind vector length depends on the wind speed; in addition, at the beginning of
each vector there is a feathering meaning the wind force. A long feather
corresponds to the 5 m/s speed, a short feather 2 m/s.
4.4.2
To augment the table with a value line, click the Insert button. The context menu
for the velocity/direction values allows the required measurement units to be set.
The context menu can also be used for selecting the wind direction setting method:
where the wind is blowing from and to.
The Delete button allows deletion of needless lines from the table.
100
Field of Winds
Enter necessary data on the vector and click the OK button to save the table for
the created vector or Cancel to interrupt parameter input and exit the dialog box.
Freshly created vectors are called the basic vectors. PISCES II uses them
for computation of the field of winds values at each point of the impact area.
Having specified the field of winds according to the exercise conditions, visually
check the obtained field at a high simulation speed.
For this purpose, click the Play Forward on the toolbar or select the command item
SCENARIO/RUN FORWARD in the menu and set simulation rate, e.g. 1:60 or higher.
4.4.3
101
Field of Winds
The vector parameters editable using this panel are described in the table below:
Parameter name
Parameter value
Label
Direction
Wind direction
Speed
Wind velocity
Position
Coordinates
Lat
Vector latitude
Lon
Vector longitude
The Table button on the panel is designed for viewing and/or editing the velocity/
direction value table for the selected wind vector.
The Import from file button makes it possible to import the table containing the
velocity/direction relationof the wind and the model time from the <file name>.wnd
file. The Export to file button allows import of the table containing velocity/direction
relation of the wind and the model time in the <file name>.wnd file. For more details
of importing base wind vectors from a file see 4.3.5 Import and Export of Current
Base Vectors to File.
4.4.4
To export winds to a file, it is necessary to enter the common part of the names
of the files, to which the data are to be exported. For this purpose, click the Browse
button and specify the path to and the name of created files. By default, the files will
be created in the current working folder, and the common part of the names of the
files will coincided with the scenario name. The specified name and path to the files,
where the data are to be exported, will be shown in the line Path and base name
at the bottom of the window:
102
Field of Winds
Check the Wind checkbox by left mouse and click the OK button, to export to the
file or Cancel not to do that and close the dialog box. On completion of data export,
a window with an export result message will appear:
Purpose
<common name>.fow
<common name>
<wind label>.wnd
ATTENTION!
No label of any wind can contain symbols \ / : * ? < >. Otherwise, the whole field
of winds will not be exported.
The created files can be edited manually or added with data obtained from external
sources, and loaded to a PISCES scenario.
To load data on a field of winds from a file, use the ENVIRONMENT/GET FROM FILE menu
command to open the Import window:
Click the Browse button and specify the file to import data from. Selection of the
file in the Import window will result in unblocking selection of the parameters, data
on which are contained in the selected file as well as in the cognominal files located
in the same folder.
Check the Wind checkboxe, if the latter is not disabled. Click the OK button
to import winds, or Cancel to close the dialog box without any change event scrip
to the existing field of winds.
103
ATTENTION!
If wind are imported not at the zero time point, the data to be imported are only
those, starting from the current model time. For the times, which are less than the
current model time, the wind velocities and direction are equal to 0, if the imported
wind did not existed before, or if the wind velocity/direction were left unchanged.
Please note that the impact area boundaries are not taken into consideration during
wind import from a file. All winds specified in the <file name>.fow file will be
imported whatever their coordinates.
4.4.5
4.5
104
The window which will open up, presents the HMI source parameters:
Purpose
Name
Label
Uneditable value. A text label of an object which will be displayed on the chart
Position
Status
Uneditable value. Status of connection with the HMI source. In the source
of successful connection, the Status field displays Connected value,
No connection otherwise.
No data value means absence of data for the requested time
Update time
Uneditable value. Time of the latest data updating in the communication channel.
After the scenario start, the Meteo Data Communicator requests for the data
updating every 30 minutes of modelled time
Use as current
This option allows import, from the HMI source, of data on the speed and direction
of the surface current located in the same coordinates as the HMI source
Use as wind
This option allows import, from the HMI source, of data on the speed and direction
of the wind located in the same coordinates as the HMI source
To look up the current values of weather parameters, switch to the Data tab:
For the parameters of weather conditions which the weather data source provides
no data on, Value field displays N/A (not available).
To receive data from the weather data source on the speed and direction of the
current on the water surface, return to the General page and set the Use as
a current checkbox.
The checking of the Use as a wind checkbox on the General page allows data on the
wind direction and velocity to be received.
105
Weather Conditions
Press the OK button to receive data on the surface current, or the Cancel button
to close the window of the HMI source properties.
On the chart, sources of hydrometeorological data are shown in the
following way:
4.6
WEATHER CONDITIONS
Weather conditions in PISCES II are given in the form of table-driven dependence
for a certain period of time assuming to be similar within the whole impact area.
They are described with the following parameters:
Water temperature;
Air temperature;
Wave height;
Water density;
Nebulosity.
For example, to specify water temperature, double click on the required item. It will open
the Temperature dialog box with the table of water temperature depending on time:
The created table shows wind parameters for the moment of scenario start.
If the exercise conditions require constant water temperature, only the temperature
value is to be edited in the table.
106
Weather Conditions
If water temperature changes with time, the table should be added a required nom
of lines with temperature values for specified time moments. To do this, use the
Insert button. By default, the table is added lines in increments of 30 minutes.
Edit values of time, water temperature in accordance with exercise conditions.
The context menu for the temperature values allows the required measurement units
to be set. The Delete button allows deletion of needless lines from the table.
Click the OK button to save the table or Cancel to enter water temperature.
The rest of weather conditions (air temperature, sea state, nebulosity) are set and
edited in a similar manner. Nebulosity in PISCES II is set in integers from 0 to 10.
The nebulosity value of 0 corresponds to the fair weather, 10 to overcast.
Water density, in PISCES II, is set as permanent for the whole time of scenario.
Select the item Water density in the Weather table and click the Edit value
button to open the Water density dialog window specifying the current water
density value:
Edit the value if necessary and click the OK button to save the specified value
of density or Cancel to quit editing and close the dialog box.
4.6.1
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Weather Conditions
Check the checkboxes for the weather condition parameters to be exported. Click
the OK button, to export to the file or Cancel not to do that and close the dialog box.
On completion of data export, a window with an export result message will appear.
The export operation will result in creation of the following files:
File name
Purpose
<file name>.air
<file name>.wtr
<file name>.sea
The created files can be edited manually, added with data obtained from external
sources, and loaded to a PISCES scenario. It is also possible to export wind vectors
(for more information see 4.4.4 Import and Export of Wind Base Vectors to
File) and current vectors (for more information see 4.3.6 Import and Export of
Current Base Vectors to File).
To load weather conditions from a file, use the ENVIRONMENT/GET FROM FILE menu
command, which opens the Import window:
Click Browse and specify file to import data from. Selection of the file in
the Import window will result in unblocking the checkboxes for those import
parameters, data on which are contained in the selected file as well as in the
cognominal files located in the same folder.
In the Weather checkbox group, check the unblocked parameters to be imported.
Click OK to import the select weather conditions or Cancel to close the dialog
box without introduction of any changes to the scenario weather conditions.
On completion of import, a window with import result message will appear:
If weather conditions are imported not at the zero time point, the data to be imported
are only those, starting from the current model time. The table of dependence of
the parameter to be imported versus time will not be changed for the time less than
the current model time.
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Weather Conditions
It is also possible to export wind vectors (for more information see 4.4.4 Import and
Export of Wind Base Vectors to File) and current vectors (for more information
see 4.3.6 Import and Export of Current Base Vectors to File).
In the same way, you can import weather conditions, using the Import button on
the panel of properties of water temperature or air temperature, or the File button
on the panel of properties of wind velocity/direction or that of the sea state.
4.6.2
The window which will open up, will display a list of communication channels
with the meteo data server, which contain data on the selected weather condition
parameter:
You can look up the list of existing communication channels with the Meteo Data
Server in the Environment/External weather sources category of the data navigator
(for more details see under 4.4 External Sources of Hydrometeorological Data).
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Ice Conditions
Select the communication channel name and press the OK button to connect
to the channel, or the Cancel button to close the Select source window. After the
successful connection to the communication channel, Source field on the weather
conditions parameter panel will display the name of the channel.
ATTENTION!
If a data source communication channel is deleted or turned off, Source field
displays the word removed after the channel name, and the scenarios takes into
account the last value received in the data import.
After the scenario has been run, a request for the HMI (Hydrometeorological information)
updating is sent every half hour of the modelled time.
4.7
ICE CONDITIONS
PISCES II supports pack ice area and fast ice area objects for modelling an oil spill
in ice conditions (for more details see section 5.3.2 Interaction with Environment).
Oil/ice interaction can be disabled in the oil spill properties window by unchecking
Ice interaction.
The instructor creates fast ice areas or pack ice areas manually (for more details
see section 4.7.1 Set Ice Conditions). To build ice areas, you can use ice charts
imported to the scenario (for more details see section 4.7.2 Ice Chart).
4.7.1
Fast Ice
To create a fast ice area, you can use CREATE ICE/FAST ICE command of ENVIRONMENT
menu. The selection of this command opens Fast Ice Properties panel:
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Ice Conditions
Set the ice area name which will be shown in the data window, in Name field.
Thickness field is used for setting the ice thickness. After setting the parameters,
press Set to chart button to set the ice field form and on-chart position, or Cancel,
button to cancel the setting of the area and close the dialogue box. Use the mouse
to set vertexes of a polygon and press the right mouse button to save the set area,
or <Escape> to exit from the ice field setting mode. On the chart, the newly created
fast ice filed is shown as a light grey polygon:
Pack Ice
To create pack ice, select PACK ICE command from CREATE ICE submenu of the main
ENVIRONMENT menu. In the dialogue box which will appear, se ice concentration
in Concentration field.
The further procedure for creating pack ice is similar to the creation of fast ice.
On the chart, the newly created area is shown as follows:
You can see the list of all ice fields set in the scenario in Ice conditions window
opened by WINDOW/ICE CONDITIONS menu command.
Ice fields created in the scenario are edited in much the same way as the rest
of polygonal areas in PISCES II.
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Ice Conditions
To change parameters of an ice field, select it from the list in Ice conditions window,
and from the context menu select EDIT command. In the ice properties window which
will open up, make changes in the ice parameters and press OK to save changes
you have made, or Cancel to close the dialogue box without saving changes.
Procedures for changing the ice area form and on-chart position are similar
to those used for the rest of polygonal PISCES II objects (for more details see
4.2.3 Edit Coastline).
To delete ice, select on the chart and choose Delete command from the context menu.
4.7.2
Ice Chart
PISCES II shows information on the ice condition imported from SIGRID3 format charts.
ATTENTION!
Only SIGRID3 format charts where all the polygons are set with geographic
coordinates, can be loaded in PISCES II. Loading charts which use projections may
result in the program failure and scenario data corruption.
Ice charts only serve for illustrating the environment and have no effect on the model
operation. To take into account the effect of the ice on an oil spill, the instructor should
create fast and pack ice areas manually (see section 4.7.1 Set Ice Conditions).
To load an ice chart in the scenario, select ICE MAP command from CREATE ICE submenu
of the menu ENVIRONMENT item. The dialogue box which will open up displays a list
of all the available charts:
Select a chart from the list and press OK to import ice, or Cancel to close
the dialogue box.
Ice condition will be shown on the chart:
112
The list of all the loaded ice charts is displayed in Ice conditions window opened by
choosing menu WINDOW/ICE CONDITIONS command. To change the chart name, select it from
the list and select EDIT command from the context menu. In the window which will open
up, set a new chart name in Name field and press OK, or press Cancel to close the
dialogue box without changing the chart name. You can delete the ice chart by selecting
it from the list and choosing Delete command from its context menu.
4.8
Enter the object name in the Name field and a label in the Label field.
The State field cannot be edited by the user, it indicates oil presence at the given
ESA object at the current time.
Neither can you edit the Oil Impact Time field, it shows the time of oil entering
the given ESA object.
Using the Environmental Impact you can specify a list of species inhabiting
the given ESA:
The Add button allows addition of a new species to the list. The added line in the
tab is highlighted in red until the moment, when statistics is calculated in reference
to bions injured by the spill (see the section 5.4.4 Environmental Impact Statistics
for more detailed information on the ecological sensitivity areas).
Edit the initial number of species bions in the Initial amount field of the table. Use the
LC50 and Time LC50 fields to specify oil concentration sufficient for death of half of
bions of the given species, and time period, in which they die due the given concentration.
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The Remove button allows deletion of the selected species from the list.
Using the Import button, you can select one or more species with preset parameters
from a text file. Click the Import button. A window will open allowing to specify
the path to the *.bio file containing information on species in the lines following
appearance: <Group><Subgroup><Name><Scientific name><LC50><Time LC50>.
The scope of PISCES II supply includes one standard file
Environmental Impact.bio with information on the species listed in the table
above. The Environmental Impact.bio file is located in the
PISCESII/ConstData/ExportImport/Samples folder. You can edit this file using any text
editor, or create your own files with the.bio extension.
Selection of a file will result in opening the Select species window displaying
the following data:
Check the checkboxes in the left-hand table column for the species you would
like to import and click OK to add selected species to the ESA species list or
Cancel to close the dialog box without adding the selected species to the list.
Now you have to specify an ESA form and its position on chart. Click the Set To Chart
button on the Create ESA panel.
The dialog box will close, and the mouse cursor will assume the following form:
Use your mouse to specify vertices of the polygon defining the environmental
sensitive area to be created and press the right-hand button to save the specified
area or <Escape> to exit the polygon specification mode.
You can create as many ESA objects as required by the exercise conditions.
114
To edit an ESA object, select it by a left click. Its context menu contains a number
of commands for changing the object properties. These commands are described
in the table below:
Command
Purpose
Properties
Hide/Show Icon
Hide/Show Label
Move Icon
Delete
Delete Points
At the state of scenario preparation, the polygon defining the environmental sensitive
area can be edited: dragged, vertice added/deleted.
To move an object, select it and drag it to a new place keeping the mouse left button
pressed. Depress the left button, when the object is at the required place.
To edit some object vertices, press the left mouse button, hold it down and draw
a rectangular around the group you need. Depress the left button. Now the selected
group can be added vertices with the aid of <Shift> + <Left-click> or selection
of vertices can be toggled ON and OFF by <Ctrl> + <Left-click>.
To move the selected vertices, press the mouse left-hand button and drag
the selected group of points to a new place. Depress it, when the points
will be in the required position.
To remove vertices, select the DELETE POINTS command in the ESA object context
menu. The selected vertices will be deleted, and the object will be regenerated
subject to these changes.
115
Location Points
4.9
LOCATION POINTS
Each response resource is assigned a Location Point. Each entry in the event script
is also associated with a location point.
A scenario always features the main location point, designating the simulation area
as a whole and an arbitrary number of ordinary location points, designating
individual key points.
The location Points are shown on the chart as blue triangular flags.
4.9.1
Purpose
PROPERTIES
HIDE/SHOW LABEL
MOVE ICON
Select the PROPERTIES item in the context menu of the main location point to open
the Main Location Points Properties window:
The Location Point General tab allows the name/label (fields Name and Label)
of the main location point to be edited. It is desirable that the name of the main
location point would define the entire area as a whole.
The program specifies main location point coordinates in the Lat/Long fields
automatically. These fields cannot be edited by the user.
To change the main location point icon, click the area:
Choose a suitable icon and press OK to set it or Cancel not to change it and close
the dialog box.
The Arrived Units tab contains information on the response resources assigned
to the main location point.
116
Location Points
4.9.2
Properties of the additional location point are specified in much the same fashion as
those of the main location point, the sole exception being that the item context menu
will also feature the DELETE command designed to delete the object.
117
5. CHAPTER 5
Pollution Parameters
Spill Sources
5.1
SPILL SOURCES
5.1.1
Leak source featuring leakage rate depending on time and the source route;
Point source featuring oil mass and spill coordinates, assuming that the entire
oil mass is released at once;
Area source featuring oil mass and the initial slick form. Here it is assumed that the
entire oil mass is instantaneously distributed as a flat layer over the specified area.
To specify a new spill source, use the program menu to select the command
POLLUTION/NEW SPILL SOURCE. Select the required spill type in the menu:
Leak Source
To create a new source of the Leak type in the scenario, use the menu to select
the command POLLUTION/NEW SPILL SOURCE/LEAK SOURCE. The Oil Leak Source
Properties dialog box will appear:
The Leak Source tab enables you to specify parameters of the source of leakage,
described in the table below:
Field
Purpose
Name
Source name
Label
Start time
Leakage start time, which is counted from the scenario execution start
Default speed
The Export button allows the spill source data to be saved to an XML-file
(for more information see. 5.1.6 Export and Import of Spill Sources).
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Spill Sources
The Edit Spill Rate button allows you to specify/edit the rate of oil spilling.
Click this button to open the Spill Rate table:
It will open the Route table describing the spill source travel route (coordinates
of the route key points, travel speed at the segments starting from the given points,
expected time of spill source arrival at the given points):
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Spill Sources
The user can edit the Speed and Stop time fields in accordance with scenario
conditions. The Alarm checkboxes in the table are designed to ensure an alarm
signal at the time of spill source arrival at the given points.
You can invoke the Route table using the Edit Route button in the Oil Leak
Source Properties window or context menu Edit Route, if necessary.
In addition to parameters specified on the tab Leak Source, there are non-editable
fields there. They display information describing the status of the spill source at the
current time. These fields are listed in the table below:
Field
Purpose
Status
Source status (This is described more fully in the section 5.1.5 Source Behaviour)
Total amount
Amount spilled
Position
Latitude
Source latitude
Longitude
Source longitude
The process of setting properties for an oil product is described under the paragraph
5.1.2 Set Oil Product Properties.
Point Spill
To create a point spill source in the scenario, select the POLLUTION/NEW SPILL SOURCE/
POINT SOURCE menu command. This will open the Oil Point Source Properties dialog box:
The Point Source tab allows you to specify the point spill source parameters
described in the table below:
Field
Purpose
Name
Source name
Label
Start time
Leakage start time, which is counted from the scenario execution start
Total amount
The Export button allows the spill source data to be saved to an XML-file
(for more information see 5.1.6 Export and Import of Spill Sources)
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Spill Sources
The Set To Chart button is designed to specify the spill source location. Press
this button and indicate the spill source on-chart location with the mouse, or set
the source coordinates in Latitude and Longitude fields and press OK button.
The point spill source will be represented on chart, as follows:
To change the source icon, select the created source in the chart panel and select
from the context menu the command PROPERTIES.
In the opened window of source properties click the area on the
Point source page:
Select a suitable icon from the list and press OK to set it or Cancel to close
the dialog box without saving.
In addition to parameters specified on the Point Source tab, there are non-editable
fields. They display information describing the status of the spill source at the current
time and its coordinates. These fields are listed in the table below:
Field
Purpose
Status
Source status (This is described more fully in the section 5.1.5 Source Behaviour)
Position
Latitude
Source latitude
Longitude
Source longitude
Setting oil product properties for a point spill source is described in the paragraph
5.1.2 Set Oil Product Properties.
Area Source
To create a new source of the area source select the POLLUTION/NEW SPILL SOURCE/AREA SOURCE
menu command. This will open the Oil Area Source Properties dialog box:
The Area Source tab enables you to specify parameters of the area source described
in the table below:
Field
124
Purpose
Name
Source name
Label
Start time
Leakage start time, which is counted from the scenario execution start
Total amount
Spill Sources
The Export button allows the spill source data to be saved to an XML-file (for more
information see 5.1.6 Export and Import of Spill Sources). The Set to Chart
button allows you to specify the spill source position. Click the button and use your
mouse on the chart to indicate a polygonal area delimiting the spill source. Right click
to finish area delineation. The spill source will be represented on the chart as follows:
To change the source icon, select the created source in the chart panel and select
from the context menu the command PROPERTIES.
In the opened window of source properties click the area on the Area page:
Select a suitable icon from the list and press OK to set it or Cancel to close
the dialog box without saving.
In addition to parameters specified on the tab Area Source, there are non-editable
fields there. They display information describing the status of the spill source
at the current time and its coordinates. These fields are listed in the table below:
Field
Purpose
Status
Source status (this is described more fully in the section 5.1.5 Source Behaviour)
Initial area
Spill area
Latitude
Source latitude
Longitude
Source longitude
Setting oil product properties for this source is described in the paragraph
5.1.2 Set Oil Product Properties.
5.1.2
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Spill Sources
The oil product grade can be selected from the PISCES II database, and then you
can edit any product parameter, if necessary.
ATTENTION!
The changes introduced to product parameters are saved to the current scenario
only, i.e. they wont be entered to the PISCES II database. To save the changed
product parameters in the database or to add a new oil product grade, use the
Oil specification editor utility.
To select an oil product from the database, click the Select button. It will open the
Select Product Type table listing all oil product names available in the database as well
as their characteristics: type (raw/refined), density group, density and distillation curve:
Purpose
Name
Product name
Type
Density
Product density
Surface tension
Viscosity
Product viscosity
Pour point
Flash point
Emulsification constant
The table provided on the Product tab allows the oil product distillation curve
to be edited:
The Insert and Delete buttons under the table allow lines to be added/deleted,
respectively.
126
Spill Sources
Edit oil product parameters on the Product tab in accordance with the scenario
conditions and click OK to save the changes or Cancel to close the spill
properties window.
5.1.3
5.1.4
Purpose
Properties
Hide/Show Icon
Hide/Show Label
Move Icon
Delete
Delete Points
For a leak source spill, there is an additional command in the context menu,
Edit Route, allowing the table of the source travel route to be viewed/edited.
To change the form of the initial spill area or the spill route, select the source using
your mouse, which will result in selection of the polygonal area of the source or
polygonal line showing the spill route. Select several vertices by your mouse:
Press the left mouse button, hold it down and draw a rectangular around the group
of your interest. Depress the left-hand button. Now the group can be added vertices
with the aid of <Shift> + <Left-click> or selection of vertices can be toggled on
and off by <Ctrl> + <Left-click>. The selected vertices can be moved or deleted
(the DELETE POINTS command in the object context menu).
127
Spill Sources
To change location of any source, select it: Press the left mouse button, hold it down
and draw a rectangular around the object of interest. Depress the left-hand button.
Move the selected object to the new place.
5.1.5
Source Behaviour
The source might come into operation not from the very start of the scenario,
but after elapse of some time, e.g. some hours later. The time of spill start is
specified by the user during scenario preparation. The source status allows the
user to ascertain whether or not the source has come into play.
The source status is reflected by its properties. The panel of source properties can
be opened by the PROPERTIES command in the context menu of the object in the chart
panel or by EDIT command in the object context menu in the data window of the
Pollution/Spill sources category:
See the table below for a list of possible spill source statuses:
Command
128
Purpose
NOT STARTED
IN PROGRESS
Spill in progress
COMPLETED
Spill Sources
5.1.6
In the properties window which will open up, on the Point source tab press the
Export button and specify the name of the file in which data on the source position
and spilled oil properties will be saved.
129
Spill Sources
longitude of the
</Bound>
After the description of the spill position and time, oil properties are described
in the <OilType> </OilType> block.
130
5.2
Slick a relatively small patch of thick oil layer containing the major part of oil volume;
Sheen a very thin film following the slick and covering much greater surface.
PISCES II simulates only the thick oil layer i.e. the slick, disregarding the oil sheens
around the basic patch.
The simulation takes into account the following factors:
Shore description;
Spill parameters: time, place and kind of spill; amount and properties of the oil
product.
Specification of within first three items is described in Chapter 4, the last item being
described in the current chapter.
5.2.1
Level of Detail
The oil model makes it possible to calculate a number of processes taking place
in the oil spill, and to turn ON/OFF simulation of these processes during scenario
execution independently. The combination of the actuated model components
and their settings is called the level of details. It affects the detailedness of oil
spill simulation and its interaction with environment and response resources.
It is recommended that during scenario preparation a lower level of detail be used,
because it results in noticeable increase of computation speed. A higher level
of detail positively affects spill visualisation. For convenience, PISCES II provides
several ready-made levels of detail.
131
To get access to the oil model parameters, select the POLLUTION/OIL MODEL PROPERTIES
menu item. The Oil model control properties dialog box will appear.
Description
Fine
Average
Coarse
Rough
Custom
132
5.2.2
Wind/Current Influence
For computation of oil movement under action of wind and currents, the slick travels
in the current direction at the current velocity, and in the wind direction at a speed
equal to 3% of the wind velocity. The resulting movement direction is geometrical
addition of wind direction and current direction as shown in the figure below:
c current velocity/direction;
w 3% of wind velocity and wind direction;
s direction and velocity of oil slick movement.
Consideration of wind and current action is turned ON/OFF independently using
the options Move by wind and Move by currents.
133
With oil within the fast ice area, evaporation stops. Oil continues moving under the
ice at a rate lower than on the clear water. Oil spread rate also drops and depends
on the thickness of ice. The thicker the ice, the smaller spread rate.
As oil interacts with motionless ice, the program takes into account the loss of oil
mass due to the adsorbing by ice (freezing-in). The amount of frozen-in oil is shown
in the oil spill general statistics in Amount Frozen-in line (for more details see section
5.4.1 General Statistics).
5.2.3
Diffusion
Diffusion is a random component of oil particle movement. The vector of this
component speed had a random value, distributed according to the normal law,
with zero mathematical expectation and root-mean-square deviation equal
to the speed calculated in relation to current and wind.
Taking diffusion into consideration is provided by the Diffusion checkbox.
Evaporation
Evaporation results in fast reduction of the spilled oil volume. The more light oil
fraction, the faster evaporation, and less oil afloat. Spills of unstable oil products
can evaporate in full after several hours, light oils can lose up to 40 % of mass
on the first day. Heavy oils feature insignificant evaporation.
Consideration of oil slick evaporation is provided by the Evaporation checkbox.
Dispersion
Natural dispersion is a process of transformation of some part of oil into minute
drops as a result of wave motion, these drops remaining in a suspended state in the
water column. Speed of natural dispersion depends on the sea state being inversely
dependant on oil viscosity.
Dispersion action is specified by the Dispersion checkbox.
Emulsification
Penetration of water into the spilled oil mass results in formation of water-in-oil
mixture. Emulsification causes the initial polluting substance volume increase
up to three-fold to four-fold. Emulsification starts after evaporation of a specified
quantity of oil, which can be preset in the Emulsification constant field for each oil
spill source individually. Maximum content of water in the emulsion is specified by
the Maximum water content in the Product tab of the oil spill source property panel.
Computation of emulsification is turned ON with the Emulsification checkbox.
134
Oil Congelation
With the ambient temperature dropping from 20 , oil viscosity gradually grows,
whereas the spread rate is reduced. As the ambient temperature drops to the
oil congelation point, spread and weathering processes stop. Oil congelation
temperature is set by Pour point parameter on Product tab of oil spill source
properties panel.
5.2.4
Simulation Parameters
Number of Particles
Oil is represented in the model as an aggregate of particles, moving independently
under action of wind and currents.
The Number of particles parameter specifies the quantity of particles describing
the slick. The value depends on the selected level of detail varying between 100
and 5000. The greater the value, in more detail the model will be able to compute
the slick form.
Display Quality
The quality of on-screen oil spill display is controlled by Level of detail parameter.
The Level of detail parameter value equal to 10 corresponds to the best display
quality. If 1 is set in Level of detail field, oil is shown very roughly.
The OPTIONS/SPILL DISPLAY SETTINGS menu command makes it possible to set options of
oil slick representation in the chart window: slick outline, turning ON/OFF of the
trajectory, etc. This item is described in more detail in the section
8.4 Oil Spill Display Settings.
135
Spill Statistics
5.3
SPILL STATISTICS
5.3.1
General Statistics
Generally, the following spill parameters are displayed: how much oil product has
been spilled, remained afloat, evaporated, dispersed, stranded, burned out, sank
and skimmed, also displayed is the amount of oil afloat, collected oil/water mixture,
and the maximum thickness of the oil slick and its area, spill maximum thickness
and area, oil viscosity.
To view the general spill statistics, select the POLLUTION/SPILL STATISTICS item
in the Data Browser window.
The data are displayed in two formats: absolute value (weight in metric tons, etc.)
and relative value i.e. percent of the total mass of spilled oil.
For an emulsion, the water content ratio in the mixture is specified in Percentage
column.
5.3.2
In the scenario modelling, information on the spill state is saved every five minutes
of model time. For the convenience of handling the statistics history you can increase
the history display interval by using the OPTIONS/SPILL STATISTICS HISTORY SETTINGS menu
command (for more details see 8.6 SPILL STATISTICS HISTORY DISPLAY
INTERVAL). The display interval does not affect the statistics recording frequency and
can be adjusted by each operator individually regardless of the scenario
operating mode.
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Spill Statistics
5.3.3
Click the Set on chart button to specify the area, statistics on which is to be displayed.
Use your mouse to specify a polygonal area delimiting the require oil slick patch.
Right click after area definition.
The Local Area Statistics window will display statistics for the given area.
Statistics parameters displayed in the window are listed in the table below:
Parameter
Value
Area
Patch area
Maximum Thickness
Floating amount
Stranded amount
The local statistics window can be closed using the standard [x] button in the right part
of the caption bar or by selecting the POLLUTION/LOCAL AREA STATISTICS menu item. A tick next
to this item means that the local statistics window will be displayed, otherwise the
window will be closed, but the specified area selection will be preserved.
The specified area can be edited: you can move/delete vertices or move the
entire area. This process is similar to editing any polygonal areas in PISCES II.
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Spill Statistics
5.3.4
Click Create report to create a report, Cancel to close the dialog box.
The created report shows for each coastline parcel: amount of oil ashore, amount
of collected oil and oil/soil mixture, as well as the length of the coastline parcel,
length of the polluted part of the parcel, and length of the coastline cleaned up using
the shore coastline cleanup equipment by the time of report.
ATTENTION!
To get a coastline pollution report, the computer should be provided with Excel.
Otherwise, the report will not be generated.
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Spill Statistics
5.3.5
The species, for which statistics were not computed before, are highlighted
in the table in red.
To update the ESA statistics, select the POLLUTION/ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT STATISTICS menu
command. Use the opened Environmental impact statistics dialog box o enter the
time, for which the report is required, in the End time field:
The Create report checkbox allows viewing the report for all scenario ESAs
in the form of an Excel table. Check the checkbox, if you want to generate an
ESAReportAll.xls file containing a list of all ESAs created in the scenario,
and their statuses for a given time.
Click Update statistics to update statistics or Cancel to close the dialog box.
When calculation is over, data in the Environmental impact tab will be updated
for all ESAs: the percent of all died bions will be calculated for each species as well
as current number of species bions for the given time. The Update time field of
the ESA property panel will display the time the statistics were calculated.
The statistics are stale half an hour after its last updating. In this case the Update
field of the ESA property panel is marked in yellow.
ATTENTION!
To get an environmental sensitive area report, the computer should be provided with
Excel. Otherwise, the report will not be generated.
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5.4
You can turn off the display of the pollution area by unchecking Show pollution
footprint in the Spill display settings window (for more details see under
8.4 Oil Spill Display Settings).
As the scenario rolls back to the saving time, the pollution zone outdated as
of the current moment, is delineated in red.
You can update the pollution area at any moment of the scenario modelling.
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5.5
5.5.1
The main parameters affecting the PSP diagram calculations are listed
in the table below:
Field
Purpose
Start time
Time in the past which the PSP diagrams are calculated from
End time
Number of particles
Cell size
141
Field
Purpose
The minimum number of particles in a cell. The larger the value, the more
detailed PSP diagram form can be calculated by the model
Iterations
Current speed
Wind direction
Wind speed
Set the necessary parameters and press the Start calculations button. The course
of calculations will be shown on the calculations progress indicator under the
Start calculations button.
If large errors or a large calculations accuracy are set, spill backtracking calculations
may take a long time, so you can close the Backtracking window by using the Close
button in the bottom part of the window, and continue work with the scenario. You can
stop the PSP diagram calculations by using the Stop calculations button in the
Backtracking window.
ATTENTION!
If you need to work with the scenario simultaneously with the spill backtracking
calculations, it is not advisable to assign the instructor workstation and exercise
server to one and the same host (for more details see under PISCES II (V. 2.90).
INSTALLATION GUIDE) since the spill backtracking calculations may require a lot of
resources.
When the calculations are completed, the chart will display a PSP diagram for
the current moment of the model time:
142
The red colour shows diagram zones with a high spill locations probability, the orange
colour is used for showing smaller probability. You can set up the display of PSP
diagrams with the aid of the Display options group fields in the Backtracking window
called by the POLLUTION/BACKTRACKING menu command:
Purpose
Display options
Show diagrams
To turn on/off the display of probable spill position diagrams in the chart
window.
To see the diagrams, check Show diagrams with a left mouse click
Low
PSP diagrams with a probability lower than the set one, are not shown
on the chart
Medium
High
The Clear results button deletes all the PSP diagrams throughout the entire scenario.
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5.5.2
The program will calculate the rating, the course of calculations will be shown
on the calculations progress indicator under the Start calculations button.
You can suspend the rating calculations by using the Stop calculations button.
When the calculations are completed, the screen will display a window containing
a list of all the resources and scenario symbols with calculated probabilities
of similarity to the spill source.
After viewing the ship ratings, you can close the Possible Oil Spill Sources window by
using the Close button in the bottom part of the window. You can open this window again
with the aid of the Show ratings button in the bottom part of the Backtracking window.
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5.6
5.6.1
Specify source name and text label to be displayed on the chart in the fields Name
and Label, respectively.
To process each source of aerial contamination, you need an individual ALOHA
copy. PISCES II configuration can include several ALOHA copies working in parallel.
Each such copy has a corresponding individual ALOHA Communicator module,
which constitutes a data channel between PISCES II and ALOHA.
The Channel list allows you to select a channel with one of the connected ALOHA
copies, which will calculate data for the current source of aerial contamination.
The name of the host ALOHA operates on is included in the channel name:
Click the Set to Chart button, to specify source position on chart. Using your
mouse, indicate position for the source to be created in the chart window.
The created source will be displayed on the chart as follows:
The Lat/Lon fields of the source properties window will show object coordinates.
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5.6.2
To delete the object, select the DELETE command in its context menu.
The PROPERTIES context menu item allows you to edit object properties i.e. its name,
text label and channel.
The list of all spill sources available in the aerial contamination scenario is available
through the WINDOW/AIR POLLUTION menu command or in the Pollution/Air category of the
Data Browser window:
5.6.3
146
The following pollution parameters will be displayed on the property panel of the air
pollution source:
5.7
The chart window shows the maximum permissible concentration area for the smoke
above the Min Smoke Altitude and below the Max Smoke Altitude. These parameters
are set in Air pollution display settings window opened by using OPTIONS/AIR POLLUTION
DISPLAY SETTINGS menu command (for more details of settings for the display of smoke
in the chart window, see 8.5 Air Pollution Display Settings).
The maximum permissible concentration area is calculated from the distribution
of PM-10 particles only, as the threshold values of contaminants available in
the smoke is smaller than the respective maximum concentrations for the PM-10.
147
Weather Conditions
Wind: determines spread of smoke in the wind direction and affects the atmosphere
stability. The higher the wind speed, the less stable is the atmosphere.
Nebulosity: affects the atmospheric stability. The more clouds, the stabler atmosphere.
Atmospheric stability affects the rate of spreading of separate smoke particles
and contamination area on the whole.
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6. CHAPTER 6
Response Resources
6.1
6.1.1
Platforms;
Equipment;
Personnel.
Each type, in its turn, contains one or more subtypes. There are several templates
(models) in each subtype. A template is a prepared-in-advance set of parameters
for a certain type of response resource. You can use the template without changes
or after editing.
Platforms do not affect operation of the slick mathematical model being only
designed to illustrate IOSR actions. These object transport or tow other response
resources. Any object loaded on a platform will follow the same route with its carrier.
Equipment directly influences the behaviour of the spill model. There are six subtype
of equipment available in PISCES II:
Booms;
Oil skimmers;
Dispersants;
Other facilities.
151
Objects of the Personal type are used to designate groups of people. Such objects
can move within the scene independently or loaded on platforms.
6.1.2
The left-hand part of the window displays the tree of response resource types
and subtypes available in PISCES II. Select the types and subtypes required by
the scenario conditions. The right-hand part of the window displays the list of
templates for this category. Select the template you need and click the Create
button to create a new combat facility, or Close to exit the dialog box.
A dialog box will appear allowing specification of parameters for the newly created
object. The window has a number of tabs, a part of which is mandatory for all
response resources, while the other part varies depending on the type. All tabs
are replicated on the object properties panel of the Data Browser data window.
All template parameters are provided with preset values, which makes it possible
to use them at once, without any additional editing.
6.1.3
The Name and Label fields are designed for specification of the objects name
and text label.
The zone makes it possible to change the response resource icon
displayed on the chart.
Click it and select a suitable icon. For an object, it is possible to select an icon only
from the group associated with the given response resource subtype. Click OK
to set it or Cancel to close the icon change dialog box.
The non-editable fields next to the Label field contain information on the response
resource delivery method and the template used for this object.
152
Location
The Locating tab is used for specification of coordinates and other object location
information.
Value
State
Non-editable field.
Shows location status of the object for the current moment of time
Location
The list can be used to select a location point, to which the current response
resource is to be assigned. By default, all newly created objects are assigned
to the main location point
Latitude/Longitude
Course
Object course
Speed
Organisation
The Organisation tab covers the fields describing the organisational status
of the resource.
Value
Status
Non-editable field.
Reflects the objects status as a unit controlled by the Oil Spill Response
Command Centre
Assignment
Non-editable field.
Shows the current assignment in the oil spill response operation
Organisation
Non-editable field.
Shows the objects path to the response resource structure
ETR
Non-editable field.
For the resources of the Out of service status only. Shows the expected
time of return to the Available status
Order time
Non-editable field.
Time of placing order for the resource
153
Costs
The Costs tab is used to specify cost of the given response resource per a time
unit depending on the kind of resource employment and to track its costs in the
course of scenario execution.
All possible kinds of employment for any resource are included in the list, where
you can select one or more items and specify their cost per a time unit. You can
mark a number of items in the list using the <Ctrl> key, or remove the marking using
the <Shift> key. The table below contains descriptions of the kinds of employment
included in the list.
Parameter
Value
Ordered
Available
Assigned
The Total cost field shows the total cost of using the given resource for the current
moment of time.
Features
The Features tab contains auxiliary data.
The Max Speed and Min Speed parameters are used for setting the resource
speed by default.
The Owner field is shown in the resource list of the Data Browser data window,
and can be used for sorting response resources in it.
The other characteristics are grouped in a table; they change depending on the
template. This information is for reference only, being not used for calculations.
Values specified in the Call sign, MMSI, Lloyds number lines can be displayed on
the chart instead of the resource label (for more details see 3.2 Chart Window Control
Panel). By using values specified in the IMO Number, Lloyds number, MMSI,
Call sign field you can automatically link platforms with targets (for more details see
7.4.4 Automatic Linking of Platforms to Targets).
154
You can add new lines to the table or edit characteristic values in the Value column.
To add a new line, click the left mouse button on the bottom row of the table and enter a
new value.
ATTENTION!
If several lines with the identical value in the Name column are set in the table the
characteristic values will be divided with spaces.
Equipment
The Equipment tab exists for equipment only and contains parameters that control
its behaviour.
Value
Status
Non-editable field.
Shows the current operational status of the object
Deployment time
Retrieval time
Turnaround time
Comments
Notes
155
The table below describes these characteristics depending on the equipment type.
Booms
Model
Height
Depth
Slack
Slack shows the ratio of the boom length to the distance between
the fixing points
Length
Boom length
Capacity
Capacity per unit of length showing maximum oil volume, which a boom
meter can absorb
Deployment speed
Retrieval speed
Efficiency
A value calculated by the model and showing what part of oil interacting
with the boom that latter will be able to contain. The value depends on the
boom type, current velocity and wave height.
is used to correct efficiency.
The button
You can use two methods of efficiency correction in the Efficiency
dialog box:
Either by directly specifying the required value, or
By specifying a User factor coefficient.
In the latter case, the resulting value will be computed by multiplying
the rated efficiency by the User factor coefficient
Sea factor
The line specifying dependence of the boom efficiency on the wave height.
This dependence is not subject to editing in the PISCES scenario,
it can only be changed by using the resource template editor
Velocity factor
Stored oil
Non-editable field.
Amount of oil absorbed by boom
Dispersion coeff
Dispersion coefficient
Density
Dispersion density
Amount
Dispersion quantity
156
Type
Dispersant
Spread width
Play rate
Rate of spreading
Amount
Non-editable field.
Quantity of spent dispersant
Dispersant Properties
Name
Dispersant name
Amount available
Skimmers
Storage capacity
Recovery rate
Recovery radius
Stored mixture
Non-editable field.
Quantity of collected oily mixture
Oil/water ratio
Non-editable field.
The oil/water ratio in the skimmed mixture in calculated in the model
depending on efficiency values
Additional water
Skimmer type
Efficiency
A value calculated by the model and showing how much the rated
capacity and the oil/water ratio in the skimmed mixture will decrease
depending on oil viscosity and wave height.
is used to correct efficiency. You can use two methods
The button
of efficiency correction in the Efficiency dialog box: either by directly
specifying the required value, or by specifying a User factor coefficient.
In the latter case, the resulting value will be computed by multiplying the
rated efficiency by the User factor coefficient
Sea factor
Viscosity factor
Basic efficiency
Shows the maximum share of stranded oil that the equipment can collect
Recovery rate
Soil/Oil ratio
Working parcel
Recovered mixture
For objects of the platform type, the properties window features the Attached units
tab, which allows the user to view the list of response resources loaded on the platform.
A double click on any object in the table opens the object properties window.
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6.2
6.2.1
6.2.2
Resource Structure
For convenience of working with a large number of objects, the user can arrange
a static breakdown of the list of specified response resources into subcategories.
This static breakdown has no impact on model operation.
Arrangement of the resource structure is performed with the aid of the RESPONSE/
RESOURCE STRUCTURE menu command. The action results in opening the
Edit Resource Structure structure edit window.
The left-hand panel contains a tree list with names of object subcategories. When
the structure is being created, the list contains only the Unsorted node in the root.
Using the buttons New, Rename and Delete you can edit the structure, the
OK button allows the changes in the structure to be saved, Cancel makes it
possible to exit the window discarding the changes.
158
The New button creates a node subordinate to the selected one. Select the root
node Unsorted and click New. The structure will show a new, New Branch level
subordinate to the node Unsorted.
You can rename the created node using the Rename button or delete it with
the Delete button.
To create a node at the same level with the specified one (hereinafter referred
to as a neighbour), use your mouse to select a node one level higher and click
the New button.
For example, you need to create the Vessels node to be at the same level with
the created nodes Booms and Skimmers.
Select the node one level higher, which in this case is the Unsorted root node.
Click the New button.
A new node, New branch, will appear in the structure. Click the Rename button
and rename the new node as Vessels.
159
Choose the category the selected object should be related to and press OK
to relate to this category or Cancel to close the window discarding all the changes.
160
The location of this object in the organisational structure will be registered in the
Organisation field of the object properties.
In the Data Browser data window, the object assigned to the resource structure will be
shown in the correspond category, disappearing from the Response resources section.
All response resources specified in the scenario can be properly arranged in the
resource structure in an analogous way. If some objects are not introduced into the
structure, they will remain in the Response resources section of the Data Browser
data window.
In the Data Browser data window, the resource structure is shown in the form
of a list of subcategories of the Response resources/Organizations section,
with objects included in the subcategories.
161
6.3
6.3.1
Export
The RESPONSE/EXPORT TO FILE... command of the menu is used for access
to the export functions. Selection of the command is followed by appearance
of the Response Resources Export window.
By default, the field will be created in the same folder with PISCES II. If you wish
to save it in another folder, click the Browse button and specify the path to the
created file.
Check export settings: composition of parameters and their sequence, availability
of header and measurement unit parameters (see section 6.3.2 Export Setting
Scheme below). Click the Export button. The response resource parameter
will be saved in a file of the specified name. On export completion, the Response
Resources Import and Export window will open confirming execution.
The created file will have *.txt extension; it can be opened in any program
operating text files.
Export results in saving just the list of the response resources with the specified
parameters; the response resource assignment structure and the data on object
statuses at the time of export not being saved.
162
6.3.2
The Name column shows parameter name, Type contains measurement units,
if appropriate for the given parameter. A tick next to parameter means the parameter
will be exported, and otherwise.
The composition of response resource parameters and their sequence in the file
created for export constitute Export setting scheme, which can be saved into an
individual file (hereinafter referred to as just scheme). PISCES II features a number
of standard schemes specified by default. They contain different sets of parameters,
which will be preserved during export. A scheme can be selected from the Preset
drop-down list.
You can adjust the sequence of parameters in the created export file using the Up
and Down buttons in the right-hand middle part of the window.
The Up button moves the parameter one position up in the table. The Down
button, accordingly, moves the parameter one position down.
The checked Header checkbox means that the created file will contain parameter
names. If it is unchecked, the file will contain just parameter values.
163
The set of settings made for export or import can be saved in a new file as an own
scheme. To do so, click the Save As button next to the Preset list. It will result
in appearance of the Save Preset As:
Enter a name for the scheme to be saved and click OK to save it or click Cancel
to discard the changes. The saved scheme will appear in the list of Preset schemes
available for loading. You cannot save a scheme under the name coinciding with
a preset scheme name (Default, Full, Costs).
When the user doesnt need some scheme he had created, he can remove it. It can
be done be selecting the scheme in the Preset list and clicking the Delete button.
The schemes preset in PISCES II cannot be deleted and the Delete button being
disabled for them.
6.3.3
Import
To load PISCES II with the previously saved list of response resources, select
the RESPONSE/IMPORT FROM FILE command of the menu and specify the data file.
By default, all files created in the course of export will be saved in the same folder
with PISCES II.
On export completion, the Response Resources Import window will open
confirming execution.
The imported list of response resources will be shown in the Response resources
section of the main data window, outside the resource structure or the organizational
structure, if the same were created in the scenario.
164
7. CHAPTER 7
Response Simulation
Assignment Structure
To conduct exercises, PISCES II simulates not only the oil slick and environment
objects, but various objects taking part in spill cleanup activities too. Information directly
related to the incidental oil spill response (IOSR) operations is combined under the
Incident data category. These are the location points, objectives, areas, the operation
cost summary and the dynamic response resource assignment structure.
The location points will be described in detail in Chapter 4 of the Manual, while
the other objects of the impact area are dealt with in this Chapter of the Manual.
7.1
ASSIGNMENT STRUCTURE
According to the concept accepted for PISCES II, the resource structure described
in Chapter of this manual is not subject of control on the part of the trainees playing
the role of the Command Centre (CC), it is rather designed for convenience of
working with a great number of resources.
The assignment structure is designed for simulation of CC control actions.
In the assignment structure, the PISCES II response resources are divided between
temporary units as required by the impact area situation and the chosen response
strategy. The assignment structure is subject to change within scenario execution.
In case of a rollback to the save point, the structure is restored to its variant
corresponding to the specified time.
Select the RESPONSE/ASSIGNMENT STRUCTURE point of the menu. It will open
the Edit Assignment Structure dialog box containing the elementary assignment
structure created by the program by default.
Using the buttons New, Rename and Delete you can create, rename or remove
nodes in accordance with the assignment structure for the current scenario. One can
use the structure represented in the following picture as a sample.
A node can be renamed with the aid of the Rename button, or removed by
the Delete button.
The New button creates a node subordinate to the selected one. Select the
Unassigned root node and click the New button. The structure will acquire
a new level New Branch, subordinate to the Unassigned node.
To create a node at the same level with the specified one a neighbour,
use your mouse to select a node one level higher, to which the node
to be created will be subordinated to, and click New.
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Response Statuses
The OK button allows the changes in the structure to be saved, Cancel makes
it possible to leave the window of structure edit discarding the changes.
In the Data Browser main data window, the assignment structure is shown
in the Response resources/Assignments section.
7.2
RESPONSE STATUSES
Behaviour of the resources, i.e. the response resources and other objects enabled
in the scenario, is simulated using a fixed set of statuses. The statuses signify
the modes of resource operation, which are important from the control point of
view, e.g.: Available, Failure, En-route etc. Jumps between the statuses are
performed instantaneously by a user command or automatically on completion
of a specified condition, e.g. a lapse of a certain period.
The multitude of statuses is divided into three groups: organisational, positional
and operational ones. Statuses in a group are mutually exclusive, e.g. a resource
can be either Available, or Assigned, or Out of Service. A resource cannot
be Available and Assigned simultaneously.
Statuses from different groups are not mutually exclusive, e.g. a resource can
be Available (organisational status) and En-route (positional status) at the same
time. Nevertheless, some cases feature relations between statuses from different
groups. E.g. a resource having the Out of Service status (organisational one)
cannot be set to the Deployed status (operational one).
7.2.1
Organisational Statuses
From the organisational point of view, all resources are assumed to be either free,
i.e. not subject to control on the part of CC, or used. Both of them can be present
in the impact area (On scene).
The current organisational status is shown in the Status field on page Organisation
of the resource property panel.
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Response Statuses
In addition, the resource icon colour will change in the chart window depending
on the current status.
The organisational status group includes five elements described in the table below.
Status
Icon colour
Description
Free
Grey
Ordered
Semitransparent
Assigned
Blue
Available
Black
Out Of Service
Red
The resource is not ready for the task; in this case you can
specify time, when the resource will automatically return to
the Available status
The user can change the status of the resource using the following commands available
in the object context menu:
Initial status
Command
Resulting status
Description
Free
Employ
Available
Order
Ordered
Arrive
Available
Cancel Order
Free
Available
Assign
Assigned
Assigned
Out of Service
Out of Service
Cancel
Assignment
Available
Out Of Service
Available
Available
Available
Assigned
Out Of Service
Release
Free
Ordered
By default, all resources created in the scenario have the Free status. You can
order a resource with this status to come on scene using the ORDER command
or immediately involve it in the operation by the EMPLOY command. The resource
ordered by the ORDER command will be at disposal of the CC after an elapse of
certain time, which it needs to move to the impact area. The resource assigned
a task with the aid of the EMPLOY command is assumed to be fulfilling the task.
If the resource has been ordered and is en route, the order can be cancelled
by the CANCEL ORDER command. The ARRIVE command allows disruption of the process
of bringing the ordered resource to the impact area, and brings it to the location
point immediately.
The ASSIGN command allows distribution of the resources at CCs disposal among
assignment structure units (see Chapter 7, section Assigning Tasks to Resources
for details).
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Response Statuses
Select the name of the unit for assignment of the resources, e.g. On-water
recovery. Click the OK to save the changes and close the Assignment dialog
box. All assigned resources will move from the Unassigned root element to the one
of assignment, i.e. to On-water recovery. All other resources are assigned to other
units in the similar way.
To cancel assignment of a resource to a unit, i.e. to remove it from the organisational
structure, select the object in the chart window or in the main data window, and then
select the CANCEL ASSIGN command from its context menu. The resource will be moved
from the unit it was previously assigned to the Unassigned category. If needed,
the resource can be assigned again to another unit.
170
Response Statuses
In order to reassign the resource to another unit, select one object or more in the
chart window or in the main data window, and then select the PROPERTIES command
in the context menu. The object properties window will appear:
In the Organisation tab, click button . It will result in appearance of the Select
Assignment dialog box with the current variant of the organisational structure.
Select the name of the unit for resource reassignment and click the OK button
to save the changes in the organisational structure or Cancel to close the window
without saving the changes.
7.2.2
Locating Statuses
The locating status group contains two status subgroups i.e. On Scene and Out
of Scene, which are described in the table below, and the special On Carrier status.
The Out of Scene status arises, when the resource has not arrived at the impact
area or has not yet been brought into action. In this case, its geographic position
is unknown, and its icon is not displayed in the chart window, the resource being
shown only in the Data Browser data window.
The On Scene status arises, when the resource is present in the impact area
participating in the operation. In this case, the resource coordinates are known,
the resource icon being represented in the chart window.
Out of Scene
Blank
In transit
The resource is sent to the impact area. The route is not specified.
The only data known is the time of arrival and the location point
Delayed
Transfer of the resource to the impact area is suspended for a specified time
period
On Scene
En-route
Delayed
At location
Tracked
On Carrier is a special status not included in any subgroups, such status belonging
to a resource loaded onto a platform. In such case, the positional status of the resource
is assumed to be the same as that of the platform the resource is loaded on.
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Response Statuses
In the chart view the loaded equipment is displayed by small icons under
the carriers icon:
You can turn off the loaded resources representation by means the Options/Show
Resources on Carrier menu command.
The user can change the positional status of the resource using the following
commands available in the object context menu:
Command
Resulting status
Description
Put on Scene
On Scene: At location
Depart
Load on Carrier
On Carrier
On Scene: At position
Out of Scene: Blank
Set position
At position
Set route
En-route
Route completed
At position
Delay route
En-route
Attach GPS
Tracked
Detach GPS
At position
The current positional status is shown in the State field on the Locating page
of the resource properties panel.
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Response Statuses
7.2.3
Operational Statuses
The resource operational status group has five elements described in the table
below. Objects of the Platform type dont have operational statuses.
Status
Description
Stowed
Travelling condition
Deploying
Transfer of the resource from the travelling condition to the operational status
Deployed
Operational status
Retrieving
Transfer of the resource from the operational status to the travelling condition
Failure
The Deployed status for interactive equipment (interacting with oil) is divided into
three statuses described in the table below.
Status
Description
Operating
Turnaround
Idle
The resource suspends task fulfilment. The transfer to the Idle status is performed
by the Stop operation command of the object context menu. Fulfilment of the task
is resumed by the Operate command of the context menu
The user can change the operational status of the resource using the following
commands, available in the object context menu:
Command
Resulting status
Description
Deploy
Deploying
Deploy Now
Deployed
Delay
Same as initial
Cancel Delay
Deploying
Retrieve
Retrieving
Retrieve Now
Stowed
Failure
Failure
Restore
Stowed
The current operational status is shown in the Status field on page Equipment
of the resource property panel.
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Response Statuses
7.2.4
Command Panel
For working with resource statuses and the commands for transfer between them,
PISCES II provides the Command bar command panel. To invoke the latter, select
the RESPONSE/RESOURCE CONTROL command of the menu:
The left-hand part of the panel contains general information on the object, i.e.
its name, icon, and the graphical and textual indicators of its current status.
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7.3
The screen will display the Route table which describes the resource motion route
(coordinates of the route key points. speed on the segment starting in these points,
resource waiting time in these points):
The Speed and Stop time fields can be edited by the user to suit the scenario
conditions. The Alarm field in the table allows setting the necessity for displaying
a warning at the moment when the resource reaches the specified point.
The table can be called as required by pressing the Show Route button in the
resource window or by using the EDIT ROUTE context menu command.
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7.3.1
In the window which will open up, specify the path to the text file containing
information on the resource route. If the selected file contains at least one waypoint
with the time later than the current scenario time, the route will be imported, the
resource will move to the first waypoint.
A file containing the route description cannot only be exported from the AIS Monitor,
but can also be created individually. In the file, the time and resource coordinates
are specified in each line, separated with tabulation signs. The format for the
description of a route waypoint is provided below:
<date in date.month.year hour:minute:second format >
<latitude> <longitude>
The PISCES delivery set includes a sample of the route description file Route.txt
which can be used as the basis for creating own routes stored in the PISCES II/
ConstData/ExportImport/Samples directory.
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Targets
7.4
TARGETS
PISCES II is able to receive data on position and movement element of real object from
the VTMS and UAIS data sources, and represent them in the form of targets. The targets
in the chart window are displayed in the form of dotted squares, while the elements of their
movement are represented on the property page and in the Data Browser window similar
to resources. In addition to external targets, PISCES II makes it possible to create the own
artificial targets. The targets can be assigned resources, which would change coordinates
in accordance with the automatically refreshed data on the targets.
7.4.1
External Targets
The role of external targets is played by real objects, which coordinates have been
received from the VTMS/UAIS data sources. Data exchange between PISCES II
and VTMS/UAIS data sources requires activation of the VTS/AIS communicator,
which is a commercial option.
After the connection with the VTS and UAIS data sources, information on external targets
will be displayed in the Data Browser window in the Incident data/Targets category.
Select a target from the list. The properties panel will display information on the
selected target. The Locating tab shows data on the object position. The table
below lists parameters set on this tab:
Parameter
Value
Latitude/Longitude
Course
Speed
Name
Object name
Label
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Targets
Value
MMSI
MMSI number
IMO Number
Call sign
Callsign
Ship type
Ship type
Destination
ETA
Values set on the Features tab can be used for the automatic connection of resources
to targets (for more details see 7.4.4 Automatic Linking of Platforms to Targets).
On the chart, targets are shown as a square with dashed sides.
After the connection with an external VTS or UAIS data source has been established
and the scenario has been run, target data is updated with short delays rather than
constantly. The display of target marks in the chart window varies depending on the
latest target updating delay value and on the set permitted delay values:
If the time interval from the latest target data updating to the current
moment is smaller than the value set in the Short delay field, the
target mark in the chart window is drawn in bold black dashed line;
If the time interval from the latest target data updating to the current
moment is larger than the value set in the Long delay field, the target
mark in the chart window is drawn in bold red dashed line;
If the target updating delay is within the interval between the set short
and long delay, such target in the chart window is drawn as a thin twin
red dashed line.
Synchronising delays are set with the aid of the OPTION/TARGET SYNCHRONIZATION SETTINGS
menu command (for more details see 8.7 Synchronizing Delay Settings).
7.4.2
Simulated Targets
The user can create simulated targets in PISCES II, and specify their courses
and speeds. Similar to the external targets, the artificial targets can also
be assigned response resources.
Select the CREATE SIMULATED TARGET command in the context menu of the INCIDENT
DATA/TARGETS item of the Data Browser data window:
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Targets
The Name and Label fields are designed for specification of the objects name
and text label.
The Latitude/Longitude fields are used by the user for specification of the object
initial position coordinates, the Course and Speed fields being self-explanatory.
In the fields on the Features tab you can specify the target identifying data
(for more details see 7.4.1 External Targets).
The Set to Chart button on the Locating tab makes it possible to specify the initial
position of the object in the chart window and its travel route. Click this button and
then use your mouse in the chart window to specify the initial position of the object
and its travel route. Having specified the route, press the right mouse button. It will
open the Route table describing the travel route of the target (coordinates of the
route key points, travel speed at the points, and the expected time of target arrival
at the given point).
The user can edit the Speed and Stop time fields in accordance with the scenario
conditions. The Alarm checkboxes in the table are designed to ensure an alarm
signal at the time the target reaches the given point.
Edit the route table in accordance with the exercise conditions. Click OK to save
the changes in the table or Cancel to close it without saving the changes.
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Targets
The created artificial target will be represented in the chart window as shown below:
The context menu appearing to the left is provided for a target still moving along
the route, while the right-hand menu is for a target that has completed its movement
along the route. When the target has finished its movement along the route, it can
be assigned another route. The menu commands are described in the table below.
Command
7.4.3
Purpose
Properties
Edit Route
Route completed
Set position
Set route
Hide/Show Label
Move Icon
Delete
Delete Points
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Targets
In the drop-down list, select a target to attach this resource to. By default, the
program selects the first object of its kind found in the list. When the Keep distance
checkbox is checked, the object will move at a specified distance from the target.
If the checkbox is not checked, then the coordinates of the resource attached to
the target will coincide with the targets own coordinates. Click OK, to attach
the resource to the target, or Cancel to close the dialog box.
The Position tab on the properties panel of the resource attached to the target will
feature new fields: GPS, Distance and Bearing. The GPS field specifies the
name of the target the resource is attached to, while the Distance and Bearing
fields show the distance from the resource to the target and the bearing,
respectively.
In the chart window, the mark of the resource linked to a target in underlined with
a dashed line, and the Targets chart layer is turned off. It may be manually turned
on as required on the Overlays on the chart view control panel (for more details
see 3.3.1 Chart View Control Panel).
As a platform is linked to the target (for more details on the resource categories see
6.1.1 Response Resource Categories) the Matches by line appears in the Select
Object window under the target list. After the target selection from the list, the program
compares contents of the IMO number, Lloyds number, MMSI, Call sign, Name
field on the Features tab for the platform and for the selected target, and in the case
of a match,, displays the names of fields which the values matched for.
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Targets
Select the target, along which route the created group is to move. Create a new
target, if necessary. Now the object group should be attached to the target. Select
the required resources in the resource structure or in the assignment structure using
the Data Browser data window. You can select several objects from the list with
the aid of the <Shift> + <Left-click> and <Ctrl> + <Left-click> keys.
Select the ATTACH GPS command from the context menu of the selected group.
Use the drop-down list of the Select object window to select a target to attach the
created Order to. When the Keep distance checkbox is checked, the objects in the
Order move at a specified distance from the target. Click OK, to attach the Order
to the target or Cancel to exit the dialog box.
Now, after starting the scenario, the created Order will move along the specified route.
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Targets
The coordinates and course of the objects in the order will change in accordance
with the data on the target, to which the order is attached.
To terminate attachment of the resource/order to the target, select the Detach GPS
command in its context menu.
7.4.4
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Targets
Similar data can be specified in the table on the Features tab in the resource
properties window.
Select the LINK TO PLATFORMS AUTOMATICALLY command in the Data browser window
from the context menu of the Incident data/Targets category.
The program will automatically compare the values specified in the IMO number,
Lloyds number, MMSI, Call sign fields on the Features tab, as well as in the
Name field in the platform and target properties window, and should the values
match each other, will link platforms to the targets.
If because of a mistake there are several targets in the scenario with identical IMO
number, Lloyds number, MMSI, Call sign, Name parameter values, the platform will
be linked to the first target which the match will be found for.
A similar operation is performed when the LINK TO PLATFORMS AUTOMATICALLY command
is selected from the Response Resources category context menu.
To cancel the linking of the resource to the target, select the TURN OFF GPS command
from its context menu, just like in the case of the manual connection.
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Areas
7.5
AREAS
A part of response resources for spill control is used on a certain area. This covers
burning, application of dispersants and sorbents. PISCES II simulates application
of such resources as a polygonal area featuring certain characteristics and acting
on the oil slick in a specified manner.
All areas specified in the scenario are shown in the Data Browser data window
under the category of Incident Data/Area Objects.
7.5.1
Burning
PISCES II simulates two variants of oil burning: free burning and compulsory
burning. To simulate the free burning, the user specifies the area of initial burning
and the ignition time. All oil within the specified area will be ignited at the specified
time. Then the model will automatically calculate the intensity of burning and the
spreading of the burning process on the basis of water temperature, oil product
properties, oil slick thickness, and percent of water content in it.
To simulate the compulsory burning, the user specifies the burning area on chart,
duration and intensity of burning. The program will remove oil from the given area
at a rate specified by the user.
Free burning and compulsory burning areas in PISCES II are sources of atmospheric
pollution with smoke. For more details of smoke pollution, see 5.3.5 PISCES Built-in
Smoke Contamination Model.
The Name and Label fields are designed for specification of the area name
and its text label.
You can initiate oil burning not from the moment of the scenario start, but after an
elapse of some time e.g. after several hours. Use the Ignition time field to specify
the burning start time. By default, when a new area is created, this field shows the
current scenario model time. The State non-editable field shows the area status.
It makes it possible to find out, whether burning has started in the given area or not yet.
185
Areas
See the table below for a list of possible statuses of the burning area.
Status
Value
Not started
In progress
In model
Finished
Having specified the area parameters, click the Set to Chart button to specify the
form and location of the burning area on chart. Click the button and use your mouse
on the chart to indicate a polygonal area delineating the burning zone.
The Name and Label fields are designed for specification of the area name
and its text label.
Use the Ignition time field to specify the burning start time. By default, when a new
area is created, this field shows the current scenario model time.
The State non-editable field shows the area status. It makes it possible to find out,
whether burning has started in the given area or not yet. Possible statuses of the
burning area are listed in the Free Burning Area section, Chapter 7.
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Areas
The Burn Duration field is designed for specifying duration of oil burning in the
given area. By default, the value in this field is 1 hour. The Burn Rate field shows
the rate of oil burning in the given area. The measurement units are taken from
the context menu for this field.
The Predicted amount and Burned amount non-editable fields show statistics
on the expected and actual volumes of burned oil.
Having specified area parameters, click the Set to Chart button to specify the
form and location of the burning area on chart. The process of burn area delineation
is described in details in the Free Burning Area section, Chapter 7.
7.5.2
Using Dispersants
To speed up the process of natural oil dispersion, oil is subjected to dispersant action.
PISCES simulates two variants of dispersant use: Immediate and Gradual.
The Immediate use of dispersants simulates the situations, when the operation
duration can be ignored. The user shall specify a rectangular area on chart, choose
dispersant quantity and set time of application. When the scenario reaches the specified
time, the selected dispersant will be uniformly distributed over the given area.
The Gradual use of dispersants is simulated by specifying a route for the Dispersant
Delivery System object carrying dispersant. The delivery system moves along the
route applying the dispersant over a small zone at each model step. Size of this
zone and quantity of spent dispersant depend on the speed of delivery system
movement, its working width and productivity rate.
The Name and Label fields are designed for specification of the area name
and its text label.
The Start time field is used for specification of the dispersant application start time.
By default, when creating a new area, this field is used to show the current scenario
model time.
The State non-editable field shows the area status. It makes it possible to find out,
whether the use of dispersant has been started in this area or not. Possible statuses
for this area are listed in the Free Burning Area section, Chapter 7.
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Areas
The Area non-editable field shows the stretch of the given area. The measurement
units are taken from the context menu for this field.
The Dispersant list is designed for selection of dispersant from the list of ones
specified in the scenario.
The non-editable fields Model, Recommended O/D ratio, Amount available
dispersant, Expected dispersant amount show the following characteristics
of the selected dispersant: make, recommended oil/dispersant ratio, quantity
of available dispersant and quantity of expected quantity of dispersed oil.
The Amount dispersant to apply field is used to specify the quantity of dispersant
to be used.
Having specified area parameters, click the Set To Chart button, to determine the
form and location of dispersant application on chart. The dispersant application area
is specified by a rectangular. Click the Set To Chart button and use your mouse
on the chart to specify two area points and a direction for rectangular formation.
Having specified the area, do a left click. The area of dispersant application will show
on the chart. The area can be moved and/or rotated, if necessary. If you place the
cursor on the corner of the selected area so that the cursor will accept the following
form: , you will be able to turn the object for an arbitrary angle around its centre.
The context menu contains commands, which can be used to edit some object
properties. They are described in the table below.
Command
Purpose
Properties
Hide/Show Label
Move Label
Delete
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Areas
The command opens the object properties window. Open the Model Data tab in
this window.
The tab allows for specification of a dispersant, which will be spread from the
given DDS, and spreading parameters. The parameters and options, which can be
specified using this tab, are described in the section 6.1 Creation of Response
Resources for details.
To start the work, the DDS should be placed on scene using the PUT ON SCENE context
menu command and specifying its initial location and route. For this purpose,
use the object context menu commands SET POSITION and SET ROUTE, respectively.
The initial location and route can be specified in the chart window using the mouse.
When the route is set, the Route table will open, which can be used for editing
coordinates of the route key points, the speed of movement at these points,
and the time of expected arrival of the object at the given point.
After specification of all required parameters, the DDS can be used in the operation
for dispersant dissemination. Use the context menu of the object to select the DEPLOY
or DEPLOY NOW command, in order to bring the resource to the operational status
(see the section 7.2.3 Operational Statuses for detailed description of the
commands). When the scenario is started for execution, DDS will disseminate
dispersant along the specified route.
The part of the route covered by DDS will be displayed in the chart window in grey
colour, while the uncovered one will be highlighted in orange:
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Areas
7.5.3
Sorbent Application
Sorbent is the name for materials used for collection of spilled oil by adsorption
or absorption i.e. by the process of sucking oil into the agent pores or by oil
adhesion to the sorbent surface. Sorbents are manufactured from natural materials
(peat, straw, minerals, coal) and synthetic materials (polypropilene, polyureylene,
polyethylene). The most commonly used are synthetic sorbents. Usually sorbents
are used for removal of small quantity of spilled oil, and in locations inaccessible
for oil skimmers.
To specify an area for sorbent application, select the CREATE SORBING AREA command
in the context menu of the INCIDENT DATA/AREA OBJECTS item of the Data Browser
data window.
The Name and Label fields are designed for specification of the area name
and its text label.
The Start time field is used for specification of the sorbent application start time.
By default, when creating a new area, this field is used to show the current scenario
model time.
The State non-editable field shows the area status. It makes it possible to find out,
whether use of dispersant has been started in this area or not yet. Possible statuses
of the area are listed in the Free Burning Area section, Chapter 7.
The Area non-editable field shows the stretch of the given area.
PISCES II can be given different conditions of oil absorption by sorbent. The set
Full Sorbing option presets full absorption of any quantity of oil spilled over the
given area.
If the scenario conditions provides for absorption of a certain quantity of oil only,
uncheck the Full Sorbing checkbox and use the Amount to sorb field to specify
the maximum quantity of oil, which is to be absorbed by the sorbent in the given area.
190
Using Booms
Having specified area parameters, click the Set To Chart, to determine form and
location of sorbent application on chart. The process of determination of sorbent scope
of use is similar to one described in the Free Burning Area section, Chapter 7.
The context menu contains commands, which can be used to edit some object
properties. They are described in the table below.
7.6
Command
Purpose
Properties
Hide/Show Label
Move Label
Delete
Delete Points
USING BOOMS
PISCES II presents booms as flexible penetrable barriers able to move. Boom
penetrability and efficiency is calculated in the context of boom type, wave height
and the relative water velocity. The user can adjust boom efficiency manually. The boom
form is calculated on the basis of its length, position of anchor points, currents and wind.
The amount of oil passed through the boom depends not only of the latters
efficiency, but also of the ratio of oil film, thickness next to the boom and the boom
height/depth. If the oil film is above or below the boom, the latter can pass oil even
if its efficiency is 100%. If the oil film thickness doesnt exceed the boom thickness,
then the amount of oil passed through the boom depends just on its efficiency.
To determine the thickness of the oil film close to the boom boundary, you can use
the local statistics tool invoked by the POLLUTION/LOCAL AREA STATISTICS menu command.
Each boom model features a number of preset characteristics. You can change
them in the scenario framework. Changes introduced to the boom parameters
are saved to the current scenario only, i.e. they wont be entered to the PISCES II
database. To save the changed parameters for the boom in the database, use
the Resource model editor utility.
The program simulates the following methods of using booms for oil collection,
diversion of oil movement, oil containment and protection of sensitive areas:
Task
Description
Oil containment
and diversion
The deployed booms prevent spreading of oil slicks. The boom form
is determined by location of anchor points and the slack parameter.
Boom model characteristics determine its holding capacity
Oil collection
A sorbing booms is one able to absorb oil. The squeezing of such boom
is performed at the moment of its retrieval, but in the PISCES II statistics,
the amount of the collected oil rises gradually as it is absorbed by the boom.
Application of sorbing booms combines oil collection and retaining, oil
concentrating and deviating
A boom, for which its capacity is specified, can absorb oil. The maximum amount
of oil, which the boom can absorb, is determined by its length, height, depth and
capacity. All these parameters are specified in the boom property panel of the
Model data tab.
191
Using Booms
After starting the scenario, the part of the route To start the work, the boom should be
placed on scene using the PUT ON SCENE context menu command and specifying its initial
location and route. For this purpose, use the object context menu commands SET POSITION
and SET ROUTE, respectively. The initial location and route can be specified in the chart
window using the mouse. When the route is set, the Route table will open, which can
be used for editing coordinates of the route key points, the speed of movement at these
points, and the time of expected arrival of the object at the given point.
Covered by the boom will be marked in the chart window in grey, while the uncovered
one will be highlighted in orange.
Containment of oil by the boom requires switching the boom over from the travelling
status to the operational one. To do so, use the context menu of the object to select
the command DEPLOY or DEPLOY NOW (see the section 7.2.3 Operational Statuses
for details). Use your mouse to indicate the boom anchoring point on chart. The points
are to be specified by left clicks. The <Backspace> key revokes the point set last.
Information on the length of the specified boom segment and the remaining boom
segment is shown to the right of the cursor (in brackets for the remaining segment).
In the chart window, the boom is represented as a broken (polygonal) line.
You can use the right mouse button to finish the boom installation, if its length is not
used in full, or to abort editing, if for some reason the boom is not to be deployed in
full. The <Escape> button cancels boom installation. After starting the scenario for
execution, the boom will be deployed taking the deflected position in accordance
with the field of currents and boom characteristics.
Contrary to other resources, the boom can also be assigned a task, when in the
Out of Scene status. For this purpose, select the DEPLOY or DEPLOY NOW commands
from the context menu of the created boom and specify its fixing points. After
starting the scenario, the boom will be deployed.
If capacity is specified for the boom, then if deployed it can absorb oil. The amount
of collected oil is shown by the Stored oil field in the boom property panel
of the Model data tab.
192
The amount of oil absorbed by the boom is added to the total amount of collected
oil in the field Amount recovered in the spill statistics of the data browser
in the Pollution/Spill statistics category (see section 5.4.1 General Statistics).
7.7
7.7.1
Creating Formations
To create an formation, switch to the data navigator window and from the INCIDENT
DATA\ORDERS category context menu select the Create Boom Formation command.
The formation properties window will appear:
Set the main formation parameters on the General properties page. Order
parameters which can be set on the General properties page are listed below:
Parameter
Meaning
Name
Formation name
Label
Status
Start time
Latitude, Longitude
Course
Speed
Press the Set to chart button and use the mouse to indicate on the chart the two
point and direction which the formation delimiting rectangle will be drawn in.
193
After the formation position has been set, click the left mouse button. The picture
of the formation will appear on the chart.
The formation can be turned and its width changes as required. If you position the
mouse cursor on a corner of the selected formation so that the cursor assumes
form, you will be able to turn the object to an arbitrary angle around the centre:
To change the formation width, position the mouse cursor on its side so that its
assumes the
form and drag the side with the mouse. The formation length is
determined automatically proceeding from the formation type and the boom included
in the for more details see under 7.7.2 Formation Geometric Form).
If it is necessary to change position of an already set order, you can use the context
menus Set Position command or set the order coordinates in the Latitude and
Longitude boxes in the order properties window opened via the context menus
Properties command. The list of the formation context menu commands
is provided in the table below.
Command
Purpose
Properties
Draw Route
To set a route for the object. For more details see under 7.7.4 FORMATION ROUTE
Edit Route
To edit the object route. For more details see under 7.7.4 FORMATION ROUTE
Route Completed
To end the route. For more details see under 7.7.4 FORMATION Route
Set Position
Hide/Show Label
Delete
Before starting to work with the formation, it is necessary to select its type (for more
details see under 7.7.2 Formation Geometric Form) and determine the resources
included in the order (for more details see under 7.7.3 Formation Components).
194
7.7.2
Geometric types of formations which you can set are provided in the table below:
Formation
type
Type characteristic
J-formation
U-formation
U-formation
V-formation
V-formation.
For the V type formation, a slack is set in the V-slack
field within 1 to 10 per cent
Vossformation
For any formation types, it is also necessary to set the formation width in the
Formation width field and the expected length of the boom which will be used
in the formation, in the Boom length field.
195
7.7.3
Formation Components
The boom formation combines several response resources: tugs, boom and
skimmer. The set of resources included in the formation is determined by its type
set on the Geometry properties page (for more details see under 7.7.2 Formation
Geometric Form).
To set resources included in the formation, switch to the Units properties page:
To set a boom included in the formation, press the Select button next to the word
Boom. The Select unit window which will open up, will provide the list of all
the resources of the selected type:
From the list select a reel which the boom will be deployed from and specify the
boom length in the Boom length field. Note that after you have entered the booms
actual length, the Select unit window will change the booms expected length value
set in the Boom length field on the Geometry properties page. Press the
button to complete the boom selection, or the Cancel button to close the Select
unit window.
The rest of the resources involved in the formation are selected in much the same
way by using the Select buttons. After determining all the resources included in the
formation, press the button. All the selected resources start on a transit to their
positions in the formation.
196
To exclude a resource from the formation, open the Select unit window by pressing
the Select button on the Units page and press the Empty button.
7.7.4
Formation Route
The formation enables the motion of resources along the set route, their relative
positions retained.
To set an formation motion route, select the Draw route command from the
formations context menu and set the motion route in much the same way as for the
rest of PISCES objects: use the mouse to indicate the key route points on the chart
and press the right mouse button when the route is fully set, or the <Escape> button
to cancel the route setting. The screen will display the Draw route table which
describes the formation motion route:
The Speed and Stop time fields can be edited by the user to suit the conditions
of the scenario. The Alarm field in the table allows setting the necessity for
the display of a warning at the moment when the formation reaches the specified
point. Press OK to complete the route setting or Cancel to close the Draw route
window without setting the route.
197
You can view the set route by using the context menu Edit route command
or the Edit table button in the formation properties window on the Route page:
To set the route, you can also use the Draw route button on the Route formation
properties page.
In addition to setting the formation route directly via the Draw route command, you
can connect the formation to the GPS data sources. Select an formation from the
data window, and from its context menu select the Edit command. In the formation
properties window which will open up, switch to the Route tab:
Select the Tracking option button. Specify the necessary set of targets by using the
Select button. Press .
ATTENTION!
If the formation is connected to two GPS data sources, the size of the J- formation
loop and its width are determined automatically depending on the position of targets
which the formation is attached to.
7.7.5
ATTENTION!
The formation will not start proceeding along the set route until it has been fully
deployed at the moment of time specified in the Start time field on the General page.
198
With the coming of the time specified in the Start time field, the status of the
formation specified in the Status field on the General properties page will change
to Operating. Resources include din the formation will arrive from transit in their
positions in the formation, booms will be deployed. The formation will start
proceeding along the set route.
7.8
Threshold;
Oleophilic;
Vacuum;
Mechanical;
Belt.
Model selection determines the rated capacity of the skimmer and the dependence
of oil skimming efficiency on the oil viscosity and the wave height. See the table
below for characteristics of standard skimmers preset in PISCES II.
Skimmer model
Threshold
Oleophilic
Vacuum
Mechanical
Belt
Efficiency
(%)
Wave height
(feet)
Efficiency
(%)
100
85
100
3000
70
50
10000
25
100
10
100
500
40
50
1500
90
25
2500
60
5000
10
100
50
100
2500
60
50
5000
50
25
10000
40
100
100
1000
20
50
5000
40
25
10000
90
100
1.97
100
1000
20
4.27
50
5000
40
6.56
10000
90
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To start the work, the skimmer should be placed on scene using the PUT ON SCENE
context menu command and specifying its initial location and route. For this
purpose, use the object context menu commands SET POSITION and SET ROUTE,
respectively. The initial location and route can be specified in the chart window using
the mouse. When the route is set, the standard Route table will open, which can be
used for editing coordinates of the route key points, the speed of movement at these
points, and the time of expected arrival of the object at a given point.
For oil skimming the skimmer requires to be switched over from the travelling status
to the operational one. To do so, use the object context menu to select the DEPLOY
or DEPLOY NOW command (see the section 7.2.3 Operational Statuses for details).
The amount of oil collected by the skimmer is shown by the Stored mixture field
in the Model data tab of the skimmer property panel. The amount of oil collected
by the skimmer is added to the total amount of collected oil in the Amount recovered
field of the spill statistics in the data browser, the Pollution/Spill statistics category
(see section 5.4.1 General Statistics).
When the amount of collected water/oil mixture reaches the skimmer maximum capacity,
the turnaround cycle will start, on which completion the oil collection will continue.
The turnaround system can be controlled manually using the START TURNAROUND and
STOP TURNAROUND menu commands.
7.9
Using the list, select the coastline parcel the cleaner is to work on and click OK
to start up the cleaner, or Cancel to close the dialog box.
After cleaners deployment, it will go to the next segment of the coastline parcel
and start collecting oil. The cleanup process is simulated in sequence for each
coastline parcel segment, the cleaner passing through the segment only once.
The amount of oil collected by the cleaner is shown in the Recovered mixture
field of the cleaner property panel of the Model data tab. The collected oil is added
to the spill statistics in the category Recovered oil on shore and Recovered soil
and oil on shore (see section 5.4.1 General Statistics).
The results of cleaner work i.e. the amount of collected oil and oil/soil mixture and
the amount of oil left ashore can be exported to an Excel file (see 5.4.3 Coastline
Parcel Statistics for more detail).
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Use of Platforms
7.10
USE OF PLATFORMS
Use of platforms as objects taking part in the operation is similar to the use of booms
or skimmers (see previous paragraphs). To start the work, the platform should be placed
on scene using the PUT ON SCENE command of the context menu and given its initial
position with the SET POSITION command, and its route with the SET ROUTE command.
The difference is in the possibility of loading the platform with other objects,
which would travel along the same route with the carrier. To load an object
on the platform, use the context menu to select the command LOAD ON CARRIER.
This action will open the SELECT OBJECT window.
The drop-down list contains all carriers included in the scenario. Select the platform you
need from the list and press OK to load the resource or Cancel to cancel the loading.
The properties panel will have a list of objects loaded on this platform, in the
Attached units tab.
The chart window will display reduced icons of the loaded objects under the platform icon.
You can load the platform with any object created in the scenario whether or not
the object is in the impact area.
To unload the object from the platform, use the context menu to select the
UNLOAD FROM CARRIER command. The resource will be unloaded from the platform,
and the fact will be reflected by the respective change of its positional status.
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7.11
7.11.1
202
This is why, after a change of properties of status of objects under the automatic
control, the program offers a choice: to suspend the playback of recorded
commands after the change of properties, or to continue fulfilling the recorded
commands:
With the coming of time specified in ALP column, the object executes the last
command from the list of actions and goes under the user control.
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For the oil burning area, ice and ice chart area, Keep Action List option is available;
it allows object action list to be saved. Set Keep Action List option for the remote
object to fulfil all the commands from the list of actions and be automatically deleted
next time when the scenario is replayed.
E.g. in a scenario, a fast ice area was created, its shape and position changing
throughout the entire scenario, this area was then deleted. If Keep Action List
option is set at the time when the area is deleted, in the next scenario replay all
the changes of the ice area including its deleting, will be repeated automatically.
Otherwise, after the scenario return to the saving point, the ice area will be restored,
but in the further scenario replays the area will be under the user control.
Press Yes if you really want to delete the object, or No to close the dialogue box
without deleting the object.
ATTENTION!
INTERRUPT ALP and INTERRUPT ALL ACTION LISTS PROCESSING commands delete the list of
object command starting from the scenarios current model time only. All the
operations performed on the object before this, are saved and played back when the
scenario returns to the beginning.
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Cost of Operation
7.12
COST OF OPERATION
PISCES II makes it possible to calculate the cost of applying both the individual
resources and the whole operation for the current time. You can view the cost
of using each resource in the properties window of the object in question by going
to the Total cost field of the Costs tab:
Use the appeared window to specify the table period, for which you would like to obtain
data on expenses, using the fields Begin and End. You can choose a type of the
financial report in the Report drop-down list. See report descriptions in the table below:
Report type
Description
By Assignments
By Organizations
By Resources
All Reports
ATTENTION!
To get a financial report, the computer should be provided with Excel. Otherwise,
the report will not be generated.
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Event Log
Click Create report to create an Excel file with information on the expenses
in the given scenario or Cancel to close the dialog box without creating the report
on the resource use cost.
7.13
EVENT LOG
The event log contains entries, which are created by PISCES II automatically,
on changes of resource statuses (e.g. creation, order or arrival of a resource to the
impact area) and other significant events that took place during scenario execution
(data import/export, etc.), as well as user-created records.
The entries appear as text messages in the Events/Event Log category of the
Data Browser window, their basic element being the model time label, which
determines the moment the event took place.
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Value
Time
Time of event
Objective
Event category
Location
Place of event
Resource
Object of event
Title
Event Log
The context menu of any entry selected in the entry window contains entry edit
commands, which are described in brief in the table below.
Command
Purpose
Add event
To add an event
Edit event
To edit an event
Delete event
To delete an event
Mark as read
Navigation
To navigate the event log, use the buttons located in its lower right part
and described in the table below.
Up to one entry;
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Event Log
A double click on any entry will turn ON the entry edit mode, which can be used
for viewing the event log in a separate window. In this case the navigation buttons
are located right to the main entry contents.
Sorting
The program provides sorting and filtering functions designed for convenience
of working with the event log, which can contain quite a lot of entries.
The event entries in the data window can be sorted for any of the columns.
For example, to sort the events by time, click on the column header Time.
The entries will be sorted by time in the execution order. The sorted column
is marked by a small arrow in the header.
The up arrow means the entries are sorted in direct order, while the down arrow
indicates the reverse order of sorting.
Filtering
The event entries in the data window can be filtered for one or more columns.
Click on the button
in the header of the column to be filtered. For example,
lets take the Title column. A list of possible value for the column will appear.
Select one of them. The log will display only those entries, which contain the
specified value in the Title column.
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Event Log
Entry Creation
The Add event command is designed for creation of a new entry in the event log.
Selection of the command is followed by appearance of the Add Event Log Entry
window.
A list of preset event templates is located in the table under the Templates list.
For users convenience all events are divided into a number of categories, which are
included in the Templates list. You can choose one category to select the template
you need from it. There are 5 preset event categories:
Booming
Burning
Dispersant
Management
USCG set
Select the template you need from the list of templates and double click it. The template
data will be copied to the fields Title and Objective in the lower part of the dialog
box. These fields can be edited, if necessary. For example, the user can enter his own
category designation in the Objective field. The created category will be saved within
the scenario. The text box under the Title field can be used for entering a comment
to the event description.
Specify the event time in the Time field and use the Location list to select one
of the location points included in the scenario and related to the given event. Use
the Resource list to select one of the resources provided by the scenario and
related to the given event. These fields can be left blank, if necessary.
Click the Create button, to save the created event in the event log. In this manner,
you can create any necessary number of events. The Close button allows you
to exit the entry creation window.
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Event Script
Entry Edit
To edit an entry in the event log, use its context menu to select the Edit event
command or just double click the entry. The Edit Event Log Entry window will appear.
The entry fields, which can be edited by the user, are marked by white background.
The fields, which are inaccessible to editing, are marked by blue background.
Colour settings for editable/non-editable fields depend on PISCES II settings
(this is described more fully in the section 8.3.2 Colors of Read-only Fields)
and those of the OS.
Entry Removal
To remove an entry from the event log, use its context menu to select the DELETE EVENT
command.
7.14
EVENT SCRIPT
PISCES II allows the manual creation of entries on events, which are supposed
to happen in future, and which the user should be notified of. A list of such entries
is called the Event Script. The scenario entries appear as text messages in
the Events/Event script category of the data navigator. Working with the event
scenario is similar to working with the event log (see the section 7.12 Event Log).
Usually, the scenario is entered with reminders and warnings for the users and the
entries expanding the informational situation of the exercises (additional information).
The reminders include, for example, information on whether or not the dispersant
application window is open. The additional information covers observers messages,
informal requests from private individuals and organisations, etc.
In addition to the entries, which are entered by the user manually, the program can
generate entries automatically. For example, if the user makes an entry on some event
in the event log, this entry is doubled in the event scenario. After scenario reset, the
event log is cleared, while the scenario remains. Accordingly, you can view the list
of scenario events, which were needed for working with the previous scenario version
and, maybe could be used in the current scenario. The entries not needed in the current
scenario version can be removed by the DELETE EVENT command.
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8. CHAPTER 8
PISCES II Settings
Measurement Units
8.1
MEASUREMENT UNITS
The OPTIONS/MEASUREMENT UNITS item of the main menu allows setting parameters
of the measurement units used in works. The command invokes the Measurement
units options dialog box.
The list of measurement units with set values constitutes the measurement unit
scheme, which can be saved in an individual file (hereinafter referred to as just
scheme). PISCES II features two preset schemes: Metric and English. You can
select any one from the Preset drop-down list:
Enter a name for the scheme to be saved and click OK to save it or click Cancel
to discard the changes. The saved scheme will appear in the list of Preset
schemes available for loading. You cannot save a scheme under a name coinciding
with a preset scheme name (Metric or English).
When the user doesnt need a scheme he had created any more, he can remove
it selecting the scheme in the Preset list and clicking the Delete button.
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Warnings
The schemes preset in PISCES II cannot be deleted. The Delete button is not
disabled for them, but any attempt to remove a standard scheme will result in
a message advising the user about impossibility of operation.
In addition to setting the measurement units using the OPTIONS/MEASUREMENT UNITS
menu item, you can specify them manually via the context menus for the parameters
to be changed. Such setting has a higher priority over the option menu settings,
being supported in the scenario during the entire work.
The Reset individual settings option allows you to delete all settings made manually
and to assign the measurement units specified in the OPTIONS/MEASUREMENT UNITS item
to all parameters.
8.2
WARNINGS
8.2.1
Alarm Thresholds
The OPTIONS/ALARM THRESHOLDS item of the main menu allows setting threshold values
for the parameters, to generate PISCES II warnings. Select this command in the
main menu. This will result in opening the Alarm Thresholds window:
The Small Craft Advisory area is used for warning, when wind velocity exceeds
the limit permissible for small craft.
The Gale Warning area is used to specify values of wind and wave height, excess
of which will automatically generate a whole-gale warning.
8.2.2
Alarm Setting
The item OPTIONS/ALARM SETTINGS of the main menu allows setting a display method for
warnings generated in PISCES II. Select this command in the main menu. This will
open the Alarm Settings window.
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Screen Settings
The window contains a list of all warnings generated by the warning program
(e.g. boom moved to the operational position), and the manner of warning
appearance red border or yellow background. You can toggle between
appearance manners using the Toggle button.
8.3
SCREEN SETTINGS
8.3.1
LSD Settings
The OPTIONS/LSD SETUP item of the main menu (LSD Large Screen Display) allows
setting LSD for the purpose of arranging multi-access scenario viewing. To use this
option, the computer should be equipped with a multi-channel adaptor. The video
channels can be set on the Settings page of the OS Display Properties dialog box.
ATTENTION!
This manual describes a procedure for setting a secondary display, which is true for
majority of Matrox/nVidia GeForce video adaptors, but might not agree with video
adaptors of other makes.
If for some reasons the described procedure is not appropriate for your equipment,
please refer your question about connecting the secondary display to the Windows
documentation and/or to the equipment manufacturer.
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Screen Settings
Select the OPTIONS/LSD SETUP item in the main menu. It will open the LSD Setup window.
The Devices field contains a list of system devices of the secondary display type,
which can be used as an information display.
The non-editable Display Resolution field displays the current resolution for the
selected device. You can turn ON the selected device for use by checking the
Active checkbox.
The lower part of the window contains a list of all possible layouts of chart windows
and data on the information display. The layouts are depicted by icons showing the
way of displaying information on LSD and mutual position of the panels. You cannot
make selection in this list, unless you have checked the Active checkbox. See the
Table below for layouts possible in PISCES II.
Name
Description
Chart
Text
Icon
Select the device you are going to use as an information display from the Devices
list. Check the Active checkbox. You can observe the wording PISCES II Large
Screen Display on the information display. The main window of the Instructor
Workplace application will show the LSD View child window. Nevertheless, the
LSD Setup window will stay up allowing it to be used for selection of a chart/data
window layout you need.
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Screen Settings
The LSD View child window contains the informational part, the size of which
exactly corresponds to LSD resolution, and the tree of Data Browser window
categories for selection of data category to be shown in the text window.
The informational part will be displayed on LSD consisting of panels positioned
in accordance with the selected layout.
At the top of the LSD Setup window hosts the Blank, Update Now, Auto
update and LSD Setup buttons for setting data display on the information display,
the buttons being positioned under the layout list.
The Blank button is used to cover up the contents of the LSD informational panel
with the PISCES II Large Screen Display caption.
The Update buttons immediately sends the contents of the informational panel to LSD.
The Autoupdate button automatically sends the contents of the informational panel
to LSD at regular specified model time intervals. Press this button to open the
LSD Autoupdate Setup window.
Check the Autoupdate enabled checkbox to enable automatic refresh of the LSD
contents. Use the Interval textbox to specify the refresh interval. The textbox context
menu allows selection of time measurement units: minutes or seconds. Click OK
to start automatic refresh of the LSD contents or Cancel to close the dialog box.
Use the LSD Setup button to call again the tableau setup window and select
another layout or turn of the tableau.
The information panel can be setup in accordance with scenario conditions.
The panel sizes can be determined by dragging the separators. Each of the panels
has its header. Under the panel you can see the page footer, which contains
the exercise name, scenario name and scenario model time.
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Screen Settings
You can edit background colour, font and/or text of any header. To do so, double
click the header. It will open the TextBox Properties dialog box:
The Font, Colour and Text tabs have textboxes allowing specification
of the header parameters described in the tables below.
The Text tab allows setting the header text:
The header can include both some optional text and the automatically refreshed
information on the current scenario with the aid of reserved words, i.e. macros.
See a list of macros in the table below.
Macro designation
Description
{ChartName}
{ChartScale}
{Exercise}
Exercise name
{ModelTime}
Model time
{ObjectCategory}
{Scenario}
Scenario name
Select the macros you need from the Macro list and click the Insert Macro button
to insert the macro to the header. The header can contain a number of macros. Select
the ones you need from the list, add separating symbols, brackets, etc. and check the
header appearance by clicking the Apply button in the TextBox Properties window.
The changes made in the header will be seen in the LSD View window.
218
Screen Settings
The BackColour field specifies the header background colour, which can
be selected from the set of colours in the Colour Set list. A double click on
<Custom> in the colour list will open the Windows system palette, allowing
selection and specification of any colour.
The ForeColour field specifies the header font colour similar to specification
of the header font background colour.
The Font tab allows setting the header font.
Select a font from the Font list, and select zone size from the Size field.
The options combined in the Effects group are used to specify the font
appearance:
Specify the header appearance/contents and click the Apply button to immediately
reproduce the changes in the LSD View window. In this case, the TextBox Properties
window will stay up. The OK button allows the changes to be introduced to the header
and the TextBox Properties dialog box to be closed, the Cancel button being
designed to close the dialog box discarding any changes.
To adjust the picture in the chart window, select the required panel using your
mouse. A red border signifying the input focus the will appear around the panel.
All commands used for working with charts are available for adjusting the chart
window in the LSD (for details see Chapter 3, Working with Charts).
219
Screen Settings
Any data panel can be selected for adjustment in the same way. The category
of data represented in the panel can be selected from the category tree located
alongside the informational part of the LSD View window (to the right or left
depending on the selected layout).
After proper adjustment of the informational panel, click the Update or Autoupdate
button. LSD will show the contents of the LSD View window. Now you can close the
LSD Setup window using the [X] button in the upper part of the window header, and
collapse the LSD View window to continue working with the scenario.
ATTENTION!
Do not close the LSD View window, unless you dont need to send data to LSD.
To stop sending data to LSD, close the LSD View window using the [X] button
in the upper part of the window header.
8.3.2
Click the Choose button and select the required colour. Click OK to save the
changes in the cooler scheme or Cancel to close the parameter edit window.
8.3.3
Refresh Rate
The OPTIONS/REFRESH SETTINGS item of the main menu allows setting the minimal data
refresh rate in the PISCES II data windows. Whenever possible, the information
is refreshed right after the changes. Otherwise refreshing will occur as specified
in the OPTIONS/REFRESH SETTINGS menu item. Select this command in the main menu.
This will open the Refresh Settings window.
Use the Refresh Period field to specify the refresh rate. Click OK to save
the changes or Cancel to close the parameter edit window.
220
8.4
8.4.1
Spill Thickness
The SPILL THICKNESS items in the Spill Display Settings window allow setting the
representation of oil slicks in the chart window. See the table below for parameters
of this menu item.
Parameter
Value
Outer line
Outline.
Non-editable field.
Shows the minimal slick thickness taken into consideration for model
calculation
Inner line
Intermediate outline.
The outline confining the slick area with a specified thickness
Thick line
Thick outline.
The line confining the thickest part of the oil slick
There are two ways to set the oil slick boundaries in the chart windows: as a threshold
thickness of oil film or as a share of maximum oil film thickness. To set boundaries of
oil slick presentation with threshold values of oil film thickness, select Manual option
button and enter thickness values in the activated fields. If Auto is selected, you
can set position of the oil slick contours by specifying the share of the oil film maximum
thickness. The maximum thickness of the oil film is provided in the spill statistics
(for more details see section 5.4.1 General Statistics).
221
8.4.2
Spill Trajectory
The SPILL TRAJECTORY items in the Spill Display Settings window allow setting the
representation of oil slick motion trajectory. See the table below for parameters and
options of this menu item.
8.4.3
Parameter
Value
Num trajectories
Number of trajectories.
In the spill process, the oil slick can be broken up for several fragments.
The Num trajectories parameter allows specifying the number of the
larges fragments, trajectories of which will be represented and motion
of which will be forecasted
Automatic interval
calculation
The option turns ON the automatic calculation of the time interval between
the trajectory marks depending on the current chart scale instead of using
the Trajectory marks interval parameter
Show trajectory
The option turns ON representation of the oil slick motion pattern in the
chart window
The option turns ON the forecast of oil slick motion pattern in the chart window
Pollution Footprint
The SHOW POLLUTION FOOTPRINT item in the Spill Display Settings window turns on
the representation of oil footprint in the chart window (for more details see 5.4 Display
of Pollution Area).
8.5
The table below describes air pollution parameters which can be set in Air Pollution
Display Settings window:
222
Parameter
Value
Show smoke
Turns on/off the display of smoke in the chart window. The smoke
is shown in the chart window if Show smoke checkbox is checked
Display quality
8.6
8.7
If the time interval from the latest target data updating to the current
moment is smaller than the value set in the Short delay field, the target
mark in the chart window is drawn in bold black dashed line.
If the time interval from the latest target data updating to the current
moment is larger than the value set in the Long delay field, the target
mark in the chart window is drawn in bold red dashed line.
If the target updating delay is within the interval between the set short
and long delay, such target in the chart window is drawn as a thin twin red
dashed line.
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Displaying Windows
8.8
DISPLAYING WINDOWS
The WINDOW item of the main menu allows setting display of PISCES II windows
on the screen.
The upper part of the WINDOW item is used to open/close the Data Browser main
data window, the scenario task list, the event log and the event scenario. The open
windows are ticked off.
The LAYOUTS item is designed for selecting a window layout in the program
(see the section 2.9 Layouts for details).
The third group of commands of the WINDOW menu allows adjusting position
of the windows displayed on the screen: Cascade, Horizontally, Vertically.
The bottom part of the WINDOW menu contains a list of currently open PISCES II
windows. The active window is ticked off.
224