Software System Requirements

This article describes system requirements and additional settings that can be utilized with CivilGEO’s engineering software.

It is important to verify that the target computer meets or exceeds minimum system requirements prior to installing the software. If the operating system does not meet minimum system requirements, problems may occur while running the software.

Operating System Requirements

Processor Requirements

Impact of Processor Cores on Project Modeling

For example, 1D HEC-RAS modeling does not require multiple processing cores. Instead, high-speed processors (e.g., 3.4 GHz or higher) are preferable for overall speed across a variety of 1D and 2D models.

In the case of 2D HEC-RAS modeling, it has been observed that for smaller 2D areas (e.g., less than 10,000 cells), using 8 cores may result in slower performance compared to 4 or 6 cores. This is due to the computing overhead involved in transferring data between cores. For smaller datasets, not all available processor cores may offer the fastest performance. However, a greater number of cores becomes necessary for larger numbers of project cells. Note that GeoHECRAS provides an option to modify the number of utilized cores in relation to computation options and tolerances. Refer to this article in our knowledge base for more information.

Utilizing Hyper-Threading

In addition to processor cores, the HEC-RAS computational engine utilizes Intel’s Hyper-Threading technology that allows more than one thread to run on each CPU core, which facilitates more parallel work. For example, the RAS 2D computational engine, which relies heavily on mathematical operations for computations, utilizes hyper-threading technology. This allows the RAS 2D computational engine to effectively utilize 100% of the math unit for each core it employs.

Memory Requirements

The user should ensure that sufficient RAM exists to accommodate both the operating system and the entire engineering model. More than adequate RAM prevents the operating system from needing to constantly swap data in and out of memory, optimizing performance.

Display Resolution Requirements

Display Card Requirements

CivilGEO’s software utilizes the Open Graphics Library (OpenGL) Application Programming Interface (API) for rendering 2D and 3D vector graphics. The API is typically used to interact with a Graphics Processing Unit (GPU) to achieve hardware-accelerated rendering. Refer to this article in our knowledge base to identify the compatibility of your display card with CivilGEO software.

Hard Disk Space Requirements

For example, in 1D and 2D HEC-RAS modeling, numerous output files, including detailed output intervals, small mapping output intervals, computation level output, etc., are frequently read from and written to the computer hard disk. The frequency and volume of this output data being written during runtime significantly impacts performance. In such cases, Solid State Drives (SSDs) are generally preferred over traditional spinning Hard Disk Drives (HDDs).

Pointing Device Requirements

MS-Mouse compliant device

Browser Requirements

.NET Platform Requirements

.NET Core 7

Additional Settings to Optimize Computer for Engineering Projects

CivilGEO’s engineering software are resource-intensive programs. Even computers with the most modern hardware capabilities can become slower with regular updates to these software programs. A computer system running civil engineering software can be sluggish for a variety of reasons, including compatibility issues and bugs, slow operating system performance, viruses, or other kinds of malware, increased graphical workload, and more. Refer to this article in our knowledge base to learn how to optimize your computer system for CivilGEO’s engineering software.