In a previous modeling tip, we provided an overview of working with layers within Lakes Environmental Software products. In the popular AERMOD View application, the Plots tab lists all available contour plot output files for display and analysis.
Plots Tree View
The Plots tab contains several functions to assist users in visualizing and analyzing data.
- View as Text
opens the selected Plot file in the system’s default text editor. Note that you can change the default editor via the Preferences menu. - Zoom to Plot File
quickly zooms to the full extents of the selected Plot file. This allows the user to easily zoom in or out to the plot’s extents without having to switch to the Overlays tab. - View as Grid
opens the selected Plot file in the Plot File Grid View dialog. As discussed in a previous modeling tip, this feature creates a full tabular view of the Plot file data and allows for exporting to Excel. - Import Plot File / Export to CSV
provides modelers with the means to quickly import existing Plot files or export selected Plot files to CSV format for further analysis. - Delete Selected
removes the selected Plot file or files from the drawing area. The Plot file is deleted from the project entirely. To delete multiple files, hold the Ctrl key while selecting the plots to be removed.
You can also right-click with the mouse on any of the Plot files in the tab to display a context menu with the following options:
- Delete Results – Deletes the selected file from the project
- View Results – Opens the Plot File Grid View
- Save As – Saves the selected Plot file under a different name and/or location
- Select All in Group – Selects multiple Plot files within a single folder
- Select All – Selects all Plot files in a project
- Unselect All – Unselects any selected Plot files
Selecting multiple Plot files in the tab via the Ctrl key also allows users to apply one set of Graphical Options to multiple files at once. This can save valuable time when making edits to a project.