Parameter-Association Dialog

The Parameter Association dialog is used to relate attribute values from a map, including FEFLOW triplets files (*.trp), to FEFLOW parameters for later assignment (time-constant or time-varying parameter values). It is invoked by selecting Link to parameter from the context menu of a suitable map, by choosing Edit link... from the context menu of an existing link or by double-clicking on Linked Attributes in the Maps panel.

The left-hand column of the dialog contains a list of all attributes of the map as possible data sources. If necessary, records can be selected or, tables joined with Join/Select... Calculations on attributes can be performed by Calculate by Expression.... On the right-hand side, a list of all FEFLOW parameters is provided as data targets. A source can be linked to a target by selecting one end and double-clicking the other end of the link to create or by selecting both ends and clicking on Add link. Data can be linked in the following ways:

Source geometry	Target geometry	Action for input
Node	Node	Interpolation or Neighborhood Relationship
Node	Element	Interpolation or Neighborhood Relationship
Line	Node	Direct data transfer for nodes within Snap Distance
Line	Element	Direct data transfer for elements within Snap Distance
Polygon	Node	Node in polygon
Polygon	Element	Polygon to element intersection

For each link, FEFLOW may provide one or several of the following property settings:

Property	Operation	Condition
Link Type	Time-constant data: Source values are used as time-constant values.	No condition.
Link Type	Time-varying (time series ID): Source values are used as IDs of time series in FEFLOW (defined in the Time-Series dialog).	Target parameter is boundary condition or constraint and model is transient.
Source data unit	The unit of the data source can be converted to the FEFLOW unit for the corresponding parameter at import by specifying a different unit for the source data. Additional user-defined source data units may be created using the Unit Conversion dialog.	Link type is Time-constant data.
Node/Slice Selection	A field in the attribute data containing node or slice numbers replaces the manual selection.
Field containing node/slice number	This tree element allows selection of the attribute field containing node or slice numbers.	Node or slice selection is turned on.
Selection Map	One of the other loaded maps can be used to replace manual selection. Selecting a line map here is precondition for using the 1D linear interpolation along lines.
Selection Order Field	Field defining the selection order (ascending order by default). Applications include setting boundary conditions for river networks where boundary conditions for main rivers have to be set before setting conditions for tributaries.	Default link selection is applied.
Ascending Sort Order	Change sort order to descending.	Default link selection is applied and order field is selected.
Data regionalization method	An interpolation method with its properties can be specified. FEFLOW provides 'none', 'Inverse Distance', 'Kriging', 'Akima' or '1D linear interpolation' for regionalization.	Source data has point geometry.

If more than one link is set for the map, a link can be selected by clicking on the link. A link can be removed by selecting it and clicking on Remove link.

Join/Select

To select a subset of records from the source map to be used for parameter association, the corresponding entry in the context menu (right-click into the source-map box on the left) can be used, thus bringing up the Join Maps dialog.

As for parameter association purposes only inner join (Keep matching records only in the Join Maps dialog) is useful, this option is unchangeably set.

Calculate by Expression...

With this option, mathematical operations can be applied to the source map attributes before using them for parameter assignment. The definition of the expression is done via the Expression Editor. This can be opened via the Calculate by Expression... entry in the context menu (right-click on one of the attributes of the source map).

Attributes with an expression applied are shown in red. The expression can be removed by choosing Clear Expression from the context menu of the corresponding attribute. To edit an expression, select Calculate by Expression... from the context menu.

Time-varying model properties

Time-varying model properties need to be distinguished into boundary conditions and constraints and time-varying material properties.

Boundary conditions/constraints

The temporal variation of boundary condition or constraint values is defined via time series. In the Parameter Association dialog, IDs of previously defined time series that are contained as an attribute in the map can be linked directly to the target parameter. Here for the Link Type needs to be set to Time-varying (time series ID).

Unit conversion is not possible when using time-series IDs for the import as time series in FEFLOW do not carry units. Time series have to be prepared in the internal unit of the corresponding parameter.

Time-varying material properties

The assignment of map data to material properties can be done using one of three different options that are accessible through the context menu on the material property in the Parameters tree on the right-hand side of the dialog:

Assign constant material data (default)
Assign time-constant material data values.
Assign material data to current time
The imported data from the map are assigned as a material property for the current material data time stage chosen via the context menu on the material property in the View Components panel.
Assign material data to time stages
Different attribute columns in the source data table can be linked to the different time stages of the time-varying material property. If no time stages have been defined before, or if Edit time stage list... is chosen from the context menu, the Material Data Time Stages dialog is opened and provides the possibility to define and edit time stages. If multiple map attributes are selected, clicking on Link Fields or double-clicking one of the time stages in the Parameters tree will automatically add links from each of the selected attributes to one of the time stages. The order of link generation depends on the order of selection of the map attributes.
Assign time series to material data
For this option it is assumed that the map attributes have separate columns for time stages and values of the parameter, i.e., for each map geometry a number of map features exists (one for each time stage). This structure can be already set up in the original map, or time-series data can be joined to a map before applying this option. Links are defined between the attribute containing time values and the Time entry in the Parameter tree branch below the material property, and between the attribute containing the values and the Value entry on the right.

When assigning time-varying material properties from maps, the imported time stages always replace all previously set time stages for the selected elements. It is not possible to import time-varying material properties for the same elements in several steps for different time periods. The only exception is a stage-by-stage import using Assign material data to current time.