Exporting Your Project to Shapefiles

It is quite easy to export a project to GIS shapefiles. The Export HEC-RAS to Shapefiles and Export HEC-HMS to Shapefiles commands allow the user to export current project elements and analysis results to ESRI shapefiles. This functionality allows project data to be shared with GIS and other software.

To export a project to shapefiles, select the Export HEC-RAS to Shapefiles or Export HEC-HMS to Shapefiles command from the Export Data dropdown menu of the Input ribbon menu. This will display the following dialog boxes:

GeoHECRAS

GeoHECHMS

The following sections describe how to interact with the above dialog boxes.

Selecting Shapefile Type to Export

The Select Shapefile Type to Export section allows the user to select whether the GIS shapefiles should be saved into a directory folder or packaged together as a single ZIP compressed file.

Clicking on the […] browse button adjacent to the HEC-RAS shapefiles folder or HEC-HMS shapefiles folder radio button option allows the user to specify the directory location to export the GIS shapefiles.

Clicking on the […] browse button adjacent to the HEC-RAS shapefiles archive (ZIP) file or HEC-HMS shapefiles archive (ZIP) file radio button option allows the user to define the zip archive file for storing all GIS shapefiles.

Note: Saving the shapefiles in a .zip file makes it easier to share the shapefile data with other users and to archive the project.

Input Data

HEC‑RAS Input Data

This section allows the user to select which HEC‑RAS input data should be exported. The checkbox option at the HEC-RAS Input Data section header allows the user to enable or disable the section and its underlying elements to be exported. HEC-RAS elements that can be exported to a shapefile include cross sections, storage areas, 2D flow areas, internal boundary elements, river reaches, flowlines, nodes, etc. Each HEC‑RAS element type is placed in its own shapefile. For example, cross sections are placed in a cross-section shapefile, whereas river reaches are placed in a river reach shapefile.

HEC‑HMS Input Data

This section allows the user to select which HEC‑HMS input data should be exported. HEC-HMS elements that can be exported to a shapefile include subbasins, river reaches, storage areas, junctions, sources, sinks, nodes, flow paths, etc. Each HEC‑HMS element type is placed in its own shapefile. For example, subbasins are placed in the subbasin shapefile, whereas storage areas are placed in the storage area shapefile.

Output Data

HEC‑RAS Output Data

This section allows the user to select which HEC‑RAS output results to export. The checkbox option at the HEC-RAS Output Data section header allows the user to enable or disable the section and its underlying elements to be exported. In addition, the user can select which flood map profiles to export; write out the water edge points (points at the edge of the main channel of the water) as a point file; and export flood map contours and 2D flow velocity arrows in a shapefile.

While exporting flood map results, the software removes ponded areas and holes with areas less than 1000 square feet from the exported results. However, the user can interactively measure the area from the Map View by clicking on the [Measure] button.

HEC‑HMS Output Data

This section contains the Export HEC-HMS results checkbox. This checkbox option allows the software to export only the current scenario results. By default, this checkbox is selected when the dialog box is displayed.

Note: The current scenario name will be displayed next to the Export HEC-HMS results checkbox option.

Other Options

This section contains the Overwrite existing shapefiles checkbox. This checkbox option allows the software to overwrite existing shapefiles with the same file name. By default, this checkbox is selected when the dialog box is displayed.

Exporting the Project

After the options have been defined, click the [Export] button and the software will export the project data to shapefiles.

Note that the cross sections are exported out as 3D polylines. These 3D polylines represent the 3D horizontal stationing and elevation of the cross section geometry.

Note: Only the current scenario (or plan) will be exported to shapefiles. Separate shapefiles will need to be created if multiple scenarios are to be exported.