Advancing the usability of automated processes in verification and optioneering studies

Moseley David - EnginSoft (United Kingdom)
EnginSoft

Abstract

Design optimisation through various automated processes has become widely-accepted in many areas of Computer Aided Engineering. Previous presentations from Enginsoft have shown the successful application of these approaches to verifications and optioneering in the waste water sector, using InfoWorks CS as the solver and modeFRONTIER as the automation engine. While smart algorithms have proven to be robust in this type of work, the process relies upon a rigorous and systematic approach to setting up a fairly complex series of data transfers. This presentation will show how this process can be radically simplified and made more intuitive using a GUI that has been specially-developed to ease the process, minimising the need for new software skills and reducing the opportunity for errors and omissions. The paper will illustrate the various aspects of this approach, including automated target setting for verification, the visual confirmation of network items upstream from flow monitors, and the flexible integration of different inputs, outputs and result types. The approach is a radical overhaul of the previously-published process, presenting the user with a greatly simplified user interface, new capabilities and opening its successful use to the full range of InfoWorks CS users.