There are a number of UTILITIES that we need to manage our MODFLOW files and execution. Also, this is a good time to set up directories for your work and to download files that we will work with as examples.

First open Windows Explorer on your computer and place in lower right portion of your screen.

Make a directory for your MODFLOW class work on your computer. For reference purposes I will assume you do this under C:\TEMP\YOURNAME\MODFLOW, and use that throughout these web pages, but you may set it up anywhere you like, using a directory name that identifies it as yours.

To create a directory:
Get into explorer
Click on the directory where you want to create a directory
Select>> File>New Folder ... and type the directory name

You will conduct the modeling exercises in YOUR equivalent of C:\TEMP\YOURNAME\MODFLOW.

I have copies of all the files you will create during the class. In the event that you have trouble and would like to obtain my copy of the file so that you can move on and keep up with the class, visit the following page on your CD:

MODFLOW_files/index.htm

Down load MODFLOW2000 (mf2k) from the USGS software page USGS software1. If you are in the GE Dept computer lab this is already done for you and resides under C:\wrdapp, but is likely not the most recent version. Check there to determine the available version number that should be used in the path name in your batch file. If you are elsewhere, when you get to the location on the web page specifying "MODFLOW2000 compiled for MS-DOS", right click and save it to any convenient directory. Then double click on that file and extract its contents to C:\. It will create wrdapp\mf2k#_#, where #_# is the version number. Look in the wrdapp directory to see which version number is installed on your computer.

PREPROCESSING OPTIONS

Text Editors, Textpad, Notepad, Wordpad, Word Perfect, MSWord

MFI2K - new USGS freeware, to facilitate data input

Sophisticated Graphical User Interfaces (GUIs)

There are a number GUIs available, I will introduce some of them, but this is not a course on GUIs and it is extremely important that you feel completely comfortable with the text files or you will not be a successful modeler. Consequently we will work with text files for a while and later we will move back and forth between using GUIs and text files

• drag multiple files on to Textpad from explorer *
• switch files by clicking on the one you want in the left panel *
• look at a number of files at once by tiling them vertically or horizontally *
• perform basic editing
• save as usual
• search and replace (Search>Replace) to rapidly change many items in the file *
• switch to block select mode (Configure> Block Select Mode) to cut and paste blocks rather than lines *
• know the row and column number where your cursor is located by looking at the boxes on the bottom bar *
• lines can be numbered by selecting Configure>Preferences and checking line numbers *
  
  Items marked with * are valuable for managing finite difference files
  
  Example of multiple files, tiled and listed in left panel. You can switch files rapidly by clicking on the file you want in the left window. Notice the lines are numbered and the cursor position is 1 1 as indicated on the bottom bar:
  
  
  
  In block select mode, you can highlight a few columns:
  
  
  
  And copy the block right into the middle of the text as if you cut into it with a chain saw:
  
  
  
  Now you have the utilities you need to begin working with MODFLOW, so return to the MODFLOW main page and proceed to the first exercise.