-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- September 2021 GFLOW version 2.2.4 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- GFLOW installation instructions and upgrade information: GFLOW version 2.2.4 (dated August 2021 on the splash screen) * Microsoft Windows XP or later. * 500 MB of RAM or more * Microsoft Internet Explorer version 4.01 Service Pack 2 or later. ---------------------------- To install GFLOW proceed as follows: ----------------------------------------- 1) NOTE: Remove any older version of GFLOW, including the GFLOW folder and all its contents under "C:\Program Files" or "C:\program Files (x86)" and make sure you run no other applications while installing GFLOW version 2.2.4 2) Double click GFLOW_v224_setup.exe and follow the instructions on the screen. I recommend you use the default installation path "c:\Program Files\GFLOW" or "C:\program Files (x86)" 3) NOTE: You may encounter some Warnings about files that the install program likes to replace, but which are "protected by the operating system". GFLOW will most likely run fine with the current operating system configuration, hence click OK and proceed with the installation. If GFLOW fails to run properly, one or more of the warnings indicate the need to update the operating system. The GFLOW install program cannot do this (Microsoft policy), you must go to the Microsoft website to download the necessary operating system upgrade. A typical GFLOW run-time error message that indicates missing or incorrectly installed operating system components is: "Object variable or With block variable not set (error number 91)" 4) After installation of GFLOW, you will find GFLOW on the Start>Programs menu. Additionally, a short cut is placed on the desktop. 5) Version 2.2.4 is equipped with an HTML based context sensitive Help system. 6) This full featured version of GFLOW (formerly the "Professional Version") is offered free of charge and is under the open source MIT license agreement, which has been included with this installation package as "License agreement and disclaimers.pdf. 7) Test the program by opening the file "example.gfl" in the Document or My Document folder in the personal data path. After GFLOW installation you may search for the folder "GFLOW projects" to find the proper path on your machine. If you are new to GFLOW, I recommend that you go over the Tutorial (accessible from the GFLOW Help menu under PDF Help files) for an introduction to the program. NOTE: Upon opening “example.gfl” or any other project file delivered with this program you may receive a message stating: “Your Project File and your Intermediate Model Files are not set in the same place! This may cause problems. Would you like to set your Intermediate Model File path to your project path?” Simply click on Yes to correct this. The message is due to the fact that the project file may have been opened on another drive (with another drive letter) than the one it is on currently. 8) IMPORTANT: If you have been a GFLOW user already and created GFLOW projects you should move these projects (organized in your project folders) to the Document or My Document folder in the personal data path. After GFLOW installation you may search for the folder "GFLOW projects" to find the proper path on your machine. —————————————————————— Important document —————————————————— I highly recommend that you read the document “Overview of GFLOW features.pdf” which offers a good introduction to GFLOW’s versatile modeling tools. It is accessible from the GFLOW Help menu under PDF Help Files. ------------------------- Important information: ------------------------------------------ 1) Warning for users outside the USA: The GFLOW solver is a FORTRAN code which only recognizes the period as the decimal point. For proper operation of GFLOW the Windows operating system must be set to the English (United States) locale (in search box next to "Start"). 2) When using basemaps in GFLOW avoid large detailed maps. They are useful for presentation graphics, but unnecessary as basemaps for groundwater modeling purposes. Large detailed maps will result in very slow redraws and often obscure the analytic element layout and graphical modeling results (contours, pathless, etc.). To simplify your basemap in GFLOW, break your original map up in "layers" and create separate files for each layer. This allows you to limit the number of layers to be displayed at the same time by selecting or deselecting files (map layers) on the View>Base Map menu. For presentation purposes export model results to a CAD or GIS program for mark-ups and combination with more detailed maps. 4) Before using the MODFLOW extract feature consult the GFLOW manual integrated in the program and accessible via the Help menu in GFLOW for limitations and proper option settings. The user is responsible for checking that the MODFLOW solution is the same as the GFLOW solution!! Only after verifying the integrity of the MODFLOW extract process should you undertake to make modifications to the model in a MODFLOW GUI. NOTE: Not all MODFLOW GUIs are equally good at importing MODFLOW files - the extract feature is known to work correctly with GWVista from Environmental Solutions Incorporated (ESI). 5) Always check the accuracy with which boundary conditions are met by going to Model>View Model Run Files>Runtime Message File. The first line in that file indicates the last update of the solver (of importance when looking for patches or upgrades). Below that follow solution progress reports for the various iterations. Boundary conditions, in general, should be met within 1%. Note: the default GUI setting is to automatically display this file after each solution. 6) Visually inspect the contour plots for irregularities. Jumps in the head can only occur at no-flow or resistance barriers, or when the groundwater elevations are drawn down to the edge of a domain with a jump in the base elevation. Jumps in the head show up as bundled up contours. Always be on the alert for unreasonable solutions. 7) When tracing streamlines in a very large model window, it may be necessary to override the default stepsize. The default stepsize depends on the window size. Too large a step size may lead to hooky and inaccurate pathlines. To reduce the stepsize go to Model>Settings>Tracing. 8) Start simple (with a small simple model) and then gradually add detail and complexity as needed. Frequently solve when adding features or making changes. Henk Haitjema (author of GFLOW)