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Plan Parameter Operations

Python
# =============================================================================
# DEVELOPMENT MODE TOGGLE
# =============================================================================
USE_LOCAL_SOURCE = False  # <-- TOGGLE THIS

if USE_LOCAL_SOURCE:
    import sys
    from pathlib import Path
    local_path = str(Path.cwd().parent)
    if local_path not in sys.path:
        sys.path.insert(0, local_path)
    print(f"LOCAL SOURCE MODE: Loading from {local_path}/ras_commander")
else:
    print("PIP PACKAGE MODE: Loading installed ras-commander")

# Import ras-commander
from ras_commander import RasCmdr, RasExamples, RasPlan, RasUnsteady, init_ras_project, ras

# Additional imports
import os
import numpy as np
import pandas as pd
from IPython import display
import matplotlib.pyplot as plt
from datetime import datetime, timedelta

# Verify which version loaded
import ras_commander
print(f"Loaded: {ras_commander.__file__}")

Prerequisites

Before running this notebook, ensure you have:

  1. ras-commander installed: pip install ras-commander
  2. Python 3.10+: Check with python --version
  3. HEC-RAS 6.3+: Required for plan computation
  4. Basic understanding of plan files: See 103_plan_and_geometry_operations.ipynb

What You'll Learn

This notebook provides detailed control over HEC-RAS plan parameters:

  • Runtime Flags: Control which calculations HEC-RAS performs
  • Simulation Intervals: Set output frequency and computation timesteps
  • Descriptions: Read and write descriptions for plans, geometry, flow, and unsteady files
  • Simulation Dates: Set start/end times for unsteady simulations
  • DataFrame Access: Access descriptions directly from project DataFrames
  • 103_plan_and_geometry_operations.ipynb - Plan cloning fundamentals
  • 110_single_plan_execution.ipynb - Execute parameterized plans
  • 101_project_initialization.ipynb - Project structure basics

Key Concept: Direct Plan File Editing

ras-commander modifies .p## files directly using text parsing. This provides: - Speed: No GUI automation required - Precision: Exact control over parameters - Auditability: Changes tracked in version control

Important: Always verify changes by opening plan in HEC-RAS GUI before execution.

Parameters

Configure these values to customize the notebook for your project.

Python
# =============================================================================
# PARAMETERS - Edit these to customize the notebook
# =============================================================================
from pathlib import Path

# Project Configuration
PROJECT_NAME = "Muncie"           # Example project to extract
RAS_VERSION = "7.0"               # HEC-RAS version (6.3, 6.5, 6.6, etc.)

Understanding Plan Files in HEC-RAS

Before we dive into the operations, let's understand what HEC-RAS plan files are and why they're important:

What is a Plan File?

A HEC-RAS plan file (.p*) is a configuration file that defines how a hydraulic simulation will run. It links together:

  1. Geometry: River channel and floodplain physical characteristics (.g* files)
  2. Flow Data: Inflow conditions, either steady (.f*) or unsteady (.u*)
  3. Simulation Parameters: Time steps, computational methods, and output settings

Key Components of Plan Files

Plan files contain many parameters that control simulation behavior:

  • Simulation Type: Steady, unsteady, sediment transport, water quality
  • Computation Intervals: Time steps for calculations
  • Output Intervals: How frequently results are saved
  • Run Flags: Which modules to execute (preprocessor, postprocessor, etc.)
  • Simulation Period: Start and end dates for unsteady simulations
  • Computation Methods: Numerical schemes and solver settings
  • Resource Allocation: Number of CPU cores to use

Why Automate Plan Operations?

Automating plan operations with RAS Commander allows you to:

  1. Batch Processing: Run multiple scenarios with different parameters
  2. Sensitivity Analysis: Systematically vary parameters to assess their impact
  3. Calibration: Adjust parameters to match observed data
  4. Consistency: Ensure standardized settings across multiple models
  5. Documentation: Programmatically track simulation configurations

Now, let's download and extract an example project to work with.

Python
# Extract the Bald Eagle Creek example project using static method
bald_eagle_path = RasExamples.extract_project("Balde Eagle Creek", suffix="09")
print(f"Extracted project to: {bald_eagle_path}")

# Verify the path exists
print(f"Bald Eagle Creek project exists: {bald_eagle_path.exists()}")
Text Only
2026-01-11 20:50:28 - ras_commander.RasExamples - INFO - Found zip file: C:\Users\billk_clb\anaconda3\envs\rascmdr_piptest\Lib\site-packages\examples\Example_Projects_6_6.zip
2026-01-11 20:50:28 - ras_commander.RasExamples - INFO - Loading project data from CSV...
2026-01-11 20:50:28 - ras_commander.RasExamples - INFO - Loaded 68 projects from CSV.
2026-01-11 20:50:28 - ras_commander.RasExamples - INFO - ----- RasExamples Extracting Project -----
2026-01-11 20:50:28 - ras_commander.RasExamples - INFO - Extracting project 'Balde Eagle Creek' as 'Balde Eagle Creek_09'
2026-01-11 20:50:28 - ras_commander.RasExamples - INFO - Folder 'Balde Eagle Creek_09' already exists. Deleting existing folder...
2026-01-11 20:50:28 - ras_commander.RasExamples - INFO - Existing folder 'Balde Eagle Creek_09' has been deleted.
2026-01-11 20:50:29 - ras_commander.RasExamples - INFO - Successfully extracted project 'Balde Eagle Creek' to C:\Users\billk_clb\anaconda3\envs\rascmdr_piptest\Lib\site-packages\examples\example_projects\Balde Eagle Creek_09


Extracted project to: C:\Users\billk_clb\anaconda3\envs\rascmdr_piptest\Lib\site-packages\examples\example_projects\Balde Eagle Creek_09
Bald Eagle Creek project exists: True

Step 1: Project Initialization

The first step in any RAS Commander workflow is initializing the HEC-RAS project. This connects the Python environment to the HEC-RAS project files.

The init_ras_project() function does the following:

  1. Locates the main project file (.prj)
  2. Reads all associated files (plans, geometries, flows)
  3. Creates dataframes containing project components
  4. Sets up the connection to the HEC-RAS executable

Let's initialize our project:

Python
# Initialize the project (using the default global ras object)
init_ras_project(bald_eagle_path, RAS_VERSION)
print(f"Initialized project: {ras.project_name}")

# Display basic project information
print("\nProject Overview:")
print(f"Project Folder: {ras.project_folder}")
print(f"Project File: {ras.prj_file}")
print(f"Number of Plan Files: {len(ras.plan_df)}")
print(f"Number of Geometry Files: {len(ras.geom_df)}")
print(f"Number of Flow Files: {len(ras.flow_df)}")
print(f"Number of Unsteady Files: {len(ras.unsteady_df)}")
Text Only
2026-01-11 20:50:29 - ras_commander.RasMap - INFO - Successfully parsed RASMapper file: C:\Users\billk_clb\anaconda3\envs\rascmdr_piptest\Lib\site-packages\examples\example_projects\Balde Eagle Creek_09\BaldEagle.rasmap
2026-01-11 20:50:29 - ras_commander.RasPrj - INFO - Updated results_df with 2 plan(s)


Initialized project: BaldEagle

Project Overview:
Project Folder: C:\Users\billk_clb\anaconda3\envs\rascmdr_piptest\Lib\site-packages\examples\example_projects\Balde Eagle Creek_09
Project File: C:\Users\billk_clb\anaconda3\envs\rascmdr_piptest\Lib\site-packages\examples\example_projects\Balde Eagle Creek_09\BaldEagle.prj
Number of Plan Files: 2
Number of Geometry Files: 1
Number of Flow Files: 2
Number of Unsteady Files: 1

Let's also take a look at the plan files in this project:

Python
# Display the plan files
print("Plan Files in Project:")
pd.set_option('display.max_columns', None)
ras.plan_df
Text Only
Plan Files in Project:
plan_number unsteady_number geometry_number Plan Title Program Version Short Identifier Simulation Date Computation Interval Mapping Interval Run HTab Run UNet Run Sediment Run PostProcess Run WQNet UNET Use Existing IB Tables UNET D1 Cores UNET D2 Cores PS Cores DSS File Friction Slope Method HDF_Results_Path Geom File Geom Path Flow File Flow Path full_path flow_type
0 01 02 01 Unsteady with Bridges and Dam 5.00 UnsteadyFlow 18FEB1999,0000,24FEB1999,0500 2MIN 1HOUR 1 1 0 1 0 -1 0.0 0.0 None dss 2 None 01 C:\Users\billk_clb\anaconda3\envs\rascmdr_pipt... 02 C:\Users\billk_clb\anaconda3\envs\rascmdr_pipt... C:\Users\billk_clb\anaconda3\envs\rascmdr_pipt... Unsteady
1 02 None 01 Steady Flow Run NaN SteadyRun 02/18/1999,0000,02/24/1999,0500 2MIN NaN 1 1 NaN 1 NaN NaN NaN NaN None dss 1 None 01 C:\Users\billk_clb\anaconda3\envs\rascmdr_pipt... 02 C:\Users\billk_clb\anaconda3\envs\rascmdr_pipt... C:\Users\billk_clb\anaconda3\envs\rascmdr_pipt... Steady
Python
# Get the first plan number for our examples
plan_number = ras.plan_df['plan_number'].iloc[0]
print(f"\nWe'll work with Plan: {plan_number}")
Text Only
We'll work with Plan: 01

Step 3: Updating Run Flags

Run flags in HEC-RAS control which components of the simulation are executed. The RasPlan.update_run_flags() method allows you to modify these flags programmatically.

Key Parameters

  • plan_number_or_path (str or Path): The plan number or full path to the plan file
  • geometry_preprocessor (bool, optional): Whether to run the geometry preprocessor
  • unsteady_flow_simulation (bool, optional): Whether to run the unsteady flow simulation
  • run_sediment (bool, optional): Whether to run sediment transport calculations
  • post_processor (bool, optional): Whether to run the post-processor
  • floodplain_mapping (bool, optional): Whether to run floodplain mapping
  • rasect (RasPrj, optional): The RAS project object

Common Run Flags

  1. Geometry Preprocessor: Computes hydraulic tables from geometry data
  2. True: Recompute tables (useful after geometry changes)

  3. False: Use existing tables (faster but may be outdated)

  4. Unsteady Flow Simulation: The main hydraulic calculations

  5. True: Run unsteady flow calculations

  6. False: Skip unsteady flow calculations

  7. Sediment Transport: Simulates erosion and deposition

  8. True: Calculate sediment transport

  9. False: Skip sediment transport

  10. Post-Processor: Calculates additional variables from results

  11. True: Run post-processing (recommended)

  12. False: Skip post-processing (faster but fewer outputs)

  13. Floodplain Mapping: Generates inundation maps

  14. True: Generate maps (requires terrain data)
  15. False: Skip mapping (faster)

Let's update the run flags for our plan:

Python
# Update run flags for the plan
print(f"Updating run flags for plan {plan_number}...")
RasPlan.update_run_flags(
    "01",
    geometry_preprocessor=False,     # This may result in a popup if preprocessor files are not present
    unsteady_flow_simulation=False,   # Run the main hydraulic calculations
    run_sediment=False,              # Skip sediment transport calculations
    post_processor=False,             # Run post-processing for additional outputs
    floodplain_mapping=True,        # Skip floodplain mapping
)
print("Run flags updated successfully")
Text Only
2026-01-11 20:50:29 - ras_commander.RasPlan - INFO - Successfully updated run flags in plan file: C:\Users\billk_clb\anaconda3\envs\rascmdr_piptest\Lib\site-packages\examples\example_projects\Balde Eagle Creek_09\BaldEagle.p01 (flags modified: 5)


Updating run flags for plan 01...
Run flags updated successfully

Verification: Run Flags Update

Success Criteria: - Plan file modified on disk - Runtime flags match requested values - No HEC-RAS warnings when opening plan

Manual Check:

Python
# Verify flags were updated
plan_path = RasPlan.get_plan_path(plan_number)

with open(plan_path, 'r') as f:
    content = f.read()

# Check for expected flags
assert 'Run HTab=-1' in content, "HTab flag not set"
assert 'Run RAS=0' in content, "RAS flag not set correctly"

Visual Inspection: 1. Open project in HEC-RAS GUI 2. Load the modified plan 3. Go to Options menu → Check runtime flags 4. Verify flags match what code set

Understanding Runtime Flags

Flag Meaning When to Use
Run HTab=-1 Compute hydraulic tables Always for 1D models
Run RAS=0 Don't run steady flow Unsteady-only plans
Run Unsteady=1 Run unsteady flow Unsteady plans
Write IC File=-1 Write initial conditions Before unsteady runs

See HEC-RAS User's Manual Chapter 5 for complete flag reference.

Python
# The dataframes won't automatically update with changes, so re-init to ensure you are reading the latest version
init_ras_project(bald_eagle_path, RAS_VERSION)

# Display the plan dataframe again to show changes were effective
print("Plan Files in Project:")
ras.plan_df
Text Only
2026-01-11 20:50:29 - ras_commander.RasMap - INFO - Successfully parsed RASMapper file: C:\Users\billk_clb\anaconda3\envs\rascmdr_piptest\Lib\site-packages\examples\example_projects\Balde Eagle Creek_09\BaldEagle.rasmap
2026-01-11 20:50:29 - ras_commander.RasPrj - INFO - Updated results_df with 2 plan(s)


Plan Files in Project:
plan_number unsteady_number geometry_number Plan Title Program Version Short Identifier Simulation Date Computation Interval Mapping Interval Run HTab Run UNet Run Sediment Run PostProcess Run WQNet UNET Use Existing IB Tables UNET D1 Cores UNET D2 Cores PS Cores DSS File Friction Slope Method HDF_Results_Path Geom File Geom Path Flow File Flow Path full_path flow_type
0 01 02 01 Unsteady with Bridges and Dam 5.00 UnsteadyFlow 18FEB1999,0000,24FEB1999,0500 2MIN 1HOUR 0 0 0 0 0 -1 0.0 0.0 None dss 2 None 01 C:\Users\billk_clb\anaconda3\envs\rascmdr_pipt... 02 C:\Users\billk_clb\anaconda3\envs\rascmdr_pipt... C:\Users\billk_clb\anaconda3\envs\rascmdr_pipt... Unsteady
1 02 None 01 Steady Flow Run NaN SteadyRun 02/18/1999,0000,02/24/1999,0500 2MIN NaN 1 1 NaN 1 NaN NaN NaN NaN None dss 1 None 01 C:\Users\billk_clb\anaconda3\envs\rascmdr_pipt... 02 C:\Users\billk_clb\anaconda3\envs\rascmdr_pipt... C:\Users\billk_clb\anaconda3\envs\rascmdr_pipt... Steady
Python
plan_path = RasPlan.get_plan_path("01")
Python
print(plan_path)
Text Only
C:\Users\billk_clb\anaconda3\envs\rascmdr_piptest\Lib\site-packages\examples\example_projects\Balde Eagle Creek_09\BaldEagle.p01
Python
# Print the Plan file's contents to confirm the change

# Print the plan file contents to verify the run flag changes
with open(plan_path, 'r') as f:
    print(f.read())
Text Only
Plan Title=Unsteady with Bridges and Dam
Program Version=5.00
Short Identifier=UnsteadyFlow                                                    
Simulation Date=18FEB1999,0000,24FEB1999,0500
Geom File=g01
Flow File=u02
Subcritical Flow
K Sum by GR= 0 
Std Step Tol= 0.01 
Critical Tol= 0.01 
Num of Std Step Trials= 20 
Max Error Tol= 0.3 
Flow Tol Ratio= 0.001 
Split Flow NTrial= 30 
Split Flow Tol= 0.02 
Split Flow Ratio= 0.02 
Log Output Level= 0 
Friction Slope Method= 2 
Unsteady Friction Slope Method= 2 
Unsteady Bridges Friction Slope Method= 1 
Parabolic Critical Depth
Global Vel Dist= 0 , 0 , 0 
Global Log Level= 0 
CheckData=True
Encroach Param=-1 ,0,0, 0 
Computation Interval=2MIN
Output Interval=1HOUR
Instantaneous Interval=2HOUR
Mapping Interval=1HOUR
Run HTab= 0
Run UNet= 0
Run Sediment= 0
Run PostProcess= 0
Run WQNet= 0 
Run RASMapper= -1
UNET Theta= 1 
UNET Theta Warmup= 1 
UNET ZTol= 0.01 
UNET ZSATol= 0.1 
UNET QTol=
UNET MxIter= 20 
UNET Max Iter WO Improvement= 0 
UNET MaxInSteps= 0 
UNET DtIC= 0 
UNET DtMin= 0 
UNET MaxCRTS= 20 
UNET WFStab= 2 
UNET SFStab= 1 
UNET WFX= 1 
UNET SFX= 1 
UNET DSS MLevel= 4 
UNET Pardiso=0
UNET DZMax Abort= 100 
UNET Use Existing IB Tables=-1 
UNET Froude Reduction=False
UNET Froude Limit= 0.8 
UNET Froude Power= 4 
UNET Time Slicing=0,0, 5 
UNET Junction Losses=0
UNET D1 Cores= 0 
UNET D2 Coriolis=0
UNET D2 Cores= 0 
UNET D2 Theta= 1 
UNET D2 Theta Warmup= 1 
UNET D2 Z Tol= 0.01 
UNET D2 Max Iterations= 20 
UNET D2 Equation= 0 
UNET D2 TotalICTime=
UNET D2 RampUpFraction=0.5
UNET D2 TimeSlices= 1 
UNET D2 Eddy Viscosity=
UNET D2 BCVolumeCheck=0
UNET D2 Latitude=
UNET D1D2 MaxIter= 0 
UNET D1D2 ZTol=0.01
UNET D1D2 QTol=0.1
UNET D1D2 MinQTol=1
DSS File=dss
Write IC File= 0 
Write IC File at Fixed DateTime=0
IC Time=,,
Write IC File Reoccurance=
Write IC File at Sim End=0
Echo Input=False
Echo Parameters=False
Echo Output=False
Write Detailed= 0 
HDF Write Warmup=0
HDF Write Time Slices=0
HDF Flush=0
HDF Compression= 1 
HDF Chunk Size= 1 
HDF Spatial Parts= 1 
HDF Use Max Rows=0
HDF Fixed Rows= 1 
Stage Flow Hydrograph=Bald Eagle      ,Loc Hav         ,138154.4
Stage Flow Hydrograph=Bald Eagle      ,Loc Hav         ,137690.8
Stage Flow Hydrograph=Bald Eagle      ,Loc Hav         ,137327.0
Stage Flow Hydrograph=Bald Eagle      ,Loc Hav         ,136564.9
Stage Flow Hydrograph=Bald Eagle      ,Loc Hav         ,136202.3
Stage Flow Hydrograph=Bald Eagle      ,Loc Hav         ,135591.4
Stage Flow Hydrograph=Bald Eagle      ,Loc Hav         ,135068.7
Stage Flow Hydrograph=Bald Eagle      ,Loc Hav         ,134487.2
Stage Flow Hydrograph=Bald Eagle      ,Loc Hav         ,133881.0
Stage Flow Hydrograph=Bald Eagle      ,Loc Hav         ,133446.1
Stage Flow Hydrograph=Bald Eagle      ,Loc Hav         ,132973.6
Stage Flow Hydrograph=Bald Eagle      ,Loc Hav         ,132363.8
Stage Flow Hydrograph=Bald Eagle      ,Loc Hav         ,131699.7
Stage Flow Hydrograph=Bald Eagle      ,Loc Hav         ,130997.6
Stage Flow Hydrograph=Bald Eagle      ,Loc Hav         ,130339.2
Stage Flow Hydrograph=Bald Eagle      ,Loc Hav         ,129627.5
Stage Flow Hydrograph=Bald Eagle      ,Loc Hav         ,128760.7
Stage Flow Hydrograph=Bald Eagle      ,Loc Hav         ,128280.7
Stage Flow Hydrograph=Bald Eagle      ,Loc Hav         ,127410.9
Stage Flow Hydrograph=Bald Eagle      ,Loc Hav         ,126741.0
Stage Flow Hydrograph=Bald Eagle      ,Loc Hav         ,126454.1
Stage Flow Hydrograph=Bald Eagle      ,Loc Hav         ,126062.6
Stage Flow Hydrograph=Bald Eagle      ,Loc Hav         ,125704.7
Stage Flow Hydrograph=Bald Eagle      ,Loc Hav         ,125091.9
Stage Flow Hydrograph=Bald Eagle      ,Loc Hav         ,124615.5
Stage Flow Hydrograph=Bald Eagle      ,Loc Hav         ,124025.0
Stage Flow Hydrograph=Bald Eagle      ,Loc Hav         ,123503.5
Stage Flow Hydrograph=Bald Eagle      ,Loc Hav         ,123123.6
Stage Flow Hydrograph=Bald Eagle      ,Loc Hav         ,122703.3
Stage Flow Hydrograph=Bald Eagle      ,Loc Hav         ,122190.8
Stage Flow Hydrograph=Bald Eagle      ,Loc Hav         ,121754.0
Stage Flow Hydrograph=Bald Eagle      ,Loc Hav         ,121394.1
Stage Flow Hydrograph=Bald Eagle      ,Loc Hav         ,120862.6
Stage Flow Hydrograph=Bald Eagle      ,Loc Hav         ,120421.4
Stage Flow Hydrograph=Bald Eagle      ,Loc Hav         ,119954.9
Stage Flow Hydrograph=Bald Eagle      ,Loc Hav         ,119473.8
Stage Flow Hydrograph=Bald Eagle      ,Loc Hav         ,118901.0
Stage Flow Hydrograph=Bald Eagle      ,Loc Hav         ,118300.5
Stage Flow Hydrograph=Bald Eagle      ,Loc Hav         ,117753.9
Stage Flow Hydrograph=Bald Eagle      ,Loc Hav         ,117180.8
Stage Flow Hydrograph=Bald Eagle      ,Loc Hav         ,116401.3
Stage Flow Hydrograph=Bald Eagle      ,Loc Hav         ,115584.2
Stage Flow Hydrograph=Bald Eagle      ,Loc Hav         ,114899.8
Stage Flow Hydrograph=Bald Eagle      ,Loc Hav         ,113985.6
Stage Flow Hydrograph=Bald Eagle      ,Loc Hav         ,112856.9
Stage Flow Hydrograph=Bald Eagle      ,Loc Hav         ,111971.0
Stage Flow Hydrograph=Bald Eagle      ,Loc Hav         ,110657.4
Stage Flow Hydrograph=Bald Eagle      ,Loc Hav         ,109659.9
Stage Flow Hydrograph=Bald Eagle      ,Loc Hav         ,108600.1
Stage Flow Hydrograph=Bald Eagle      ,Loc Hav         ,107333.6
Stage Flow Hydrograph=Bald Eagle      ,Loc Hav         ,106466.0
Stage Flow Hydrograph=Bald Eagle      ,Loc Hav         ,105178.6
Stage Flow Hydrograph=Bald Eagle      ,Loc Hav         ,104647.2
Stage Flow Hydrograph=Bald Eagle      ,Loc Hav         ,104195.0
Stage Flow Hydrograph=Bald Eagle      ,Loc Hav         ,103854.0
Stage Flow Hydrograph=Bald Eagle      ,Loc Hav         ,103369.7
Stage Flow Hydrograph=Bald Eagle      ,Loc Hav         ,103122.3
Stage Flow Hydrograph=Bald Eagle      ,Loc Hav         ,101440.3
Stage Flow Hydrograph=Bald Eagle      ,Loc Hav         ,100657.3
Stage Flow Hydrograph=Bald Eagle      ,Loc Hav         ,99452.75
Stage Flow Hydrograph=Bald Eagle      ,Loc Hav         ,98206.87
Stage Flow Hydrograph=Bald Eagle      ,Loc Hav         ,97607.35
Stage Flow Hydrograph=Bald Eagle      ,Loc Hav         ,96370.43
Stage Flow Hydrograph=Bald Eagle      ,Loc Hav         ,94560.01
Stage Flow Hydrograph=Bald Eagle      ,Loc Hav         ,93391.71
Stage Flow Hydrograph=Bald Eagle      ,Loc Hav         ,92011.85
Stage Flow Hydrograph=Bald Eagle      ,Loc Hav         ,91030.01
Stage Flow Hydrograph=Bald Eagle      ,Loc Hav         ,90096.99
Stage Flow Hydrograph=Bald Eagle      ,Loc Hav         ,89060.69
Stage Flow Hydrograph=Bald Eagle      ,Loc Hav         ,87861.14
Stage Flow Hydrograph=Bald Eagle      ,Loc Hav         ,86942.04
Stage Flow Hydrograph=Bald Eagle      ,Loc Hav         ,85569.53
Stage Flow Hydrograph=Bald Eagle      ,Loc Hav         ,84724.08
Stage Flow Hydrograph=Bald Eagle      ,Loc Hav         ,83563.41
Stage Flow Hydrograph=Bald Eagle      ,Loc Hav         ,82607.89
Stage Flow Hydrograph=Bald Eagle      ,Loc Hav         ,81849.41
Stage Flow Hydrograph=Bald Eagle      ,Loc Hav         ,81084.18
Stage Flow Hydrograph=Bald Eagle      ,Loc Hav         ,80500.50
Stage Flow Hydrograph=Bald Eagle      ,Loc Hav         ,79684.28
Stage Flow Hydrograph=Bald Eagle      ,Loc Hav         ,78627.87
Stage Flow Hydrograph=Bald Eagle      ,Loc Hav         ,76643.40
Stage Flow Hydrograph=Bald Eagle      ,Loc Hav         ,76002.96
Stage Flow Hydrograph=Bald Eagle      ,Loc Hav         ,75917.82
Stage Flow Hydrograph=Bald Eagle      ,Loc Hav         ,75616.14
Stage Flow Hydrograph=Bald Eagle      ,Loc Hav         ,74650.60
Stage Flow Hydrograph=Bald Eagle      ,Loc Hav         ,74207.96
Stage Flow Hydrograph=Bald Eagle      ,Loc Hav         ,73504.24
Stage Flow Hydrograph=Bald Eagle      ,Loc Hav         ,72303.68
Stage Flow Hydrograph=Bald Eagle      ,Loc Hav         ,71400.81
Stage Flow Hydrograph=Bald Eagle      ,Loc Hav         ,70651.52
Stage Flow Hydrograph=Bald Eagle      ,Loc Hav         ,69567.33
Stage Flow Hydrograph=Bald Eagle      ,Loc Hav         ,68604.09
Stage Flow Hydrograph=Bald Eagle      ,Loc Hav         ,67326.78
Stage Flow Hydrograph=Bald Eagle      ,Loc Hav         ,66070.17
Stage Flow Hydrograph=Bald Eagle      ,Loc Hav         ,64908.02
Stage Flow Hydrograph=Bald Eagle      ,Loc Hav         ,63812.99
Stage Flow Hydrograph=Bald Eagle      ,Loc Hav         ,62746.41
Stage Flow Hydrograph=Bald Eagle      ,Loc Hav         ,61896.89
Stage Flow Hydrograph=Bald Eagle      ,Loc Hav         ,60901.09
Stage Flow Hydrograph=Bald Eagle      ,Loc Hav         ,59795.28
Stage Flow Hydrograph=Bald Eagle      ,Loc Hav         ,58836.23
Stage Flow Hydrograph=Bald Eagle      ,Loc Hav         ,58708.54
Stage Flow Hydrograph=Bald Eagle      ,Loc Hav         ,58091.91
Stage Flow Hydrograph=Bald Eagle      ,Loc Hav         ,57700.27
Stage Flow Hydrograph=Bald Eagle      ,Loc Hav         ,57250.60
Stage Flow Hydrograph=Bald Eagle      ,Loc Hav         ,56775.92
Stage Flow Hydrograph=Bald Eagle      ,Loc Hav         ,56243.79
Stage Flow Hydrograph=Bald Eagle      ,Loc Hav         ,55700.55
Stage Flow Hydrograph=Bald Eagle      ,Loc Hav         ,54696.51
Stage Flow Hydrograph=Bald Eagle      ,Loc Hav         ,53922.53
Stage Flow Hydrograph=Bald Eagle      ,Loc Hav         ,52879.19
Stage Flow Hydrograph=Bald Eagle      ,Loc Hav         ,51784.74
Stage Flow Hydrograph=Bald Eagle      ,Loc Hav         ,50720.68
Stage Flow Hydrograph=Bald Eagle      ,Loc Hav         ,49715.77
Stage Flow Hydrograph=Bald Eagle      ,Loc Hav         ,48965.94
Stage Flow Hydrograph=Bald Eagle      ,Loc Hav         ,48110.09
Stage Flow Hydrograph=Bald Eagle      ,Loc Hav         ,47453.14
Stage Flow Hydrograph=Bald Eagle      ,Loc Hav         ,46722.59
Stage Flow Hydrograph=Bald Eagle      ,Loc Hav         ,46310.48
Stage Flow Hydrograph=Bald Eagle      ,Loc Hav         ,45805.37
Stage Flow Hydrograph=Bald Eagle      ,Loc Hav         ,45233.89
Stage Flow Hydrograph=Bald Eagle      ,Loc Hav         ,44529.29
Stage Flow Hydrograph=Bald Eagle      ,Loc Hav         ,43919.30
Stage Flow Hydrograph=Bald Eagle      ,Loc Hav         ,42895.87
Stage Flow Hydrograph=Bald Eagle      ,Loc Hav         ,41806.43
Stage Flow Hydrograph=Bald Eagle      ,Loc Hav         ,40526.85
Stage Flow Hydrograph=Bald Eagle      ,Loc Hav         ,39499.37
Stage Flow Hydrograph=Bald Eagle      ,Loc Hav         ,38446.87
Stage Flow Hydrograph=Bald Eagle      ,Loc Hav         ,37962.54
Stage Flow Hydrograph=Bald Eagle      ,Loc Hav         ,37385.23
Stage Flow Hydrograph=Bald Eagle      ,Loc Hav         ,36769.88
Stage Flow Hydrograph=Bald Eagle      ,Loc Hav         ,36663.76
Stage Flow Hydrograph=Bald Eagle      ,Loc Hav         ,36339.56
Stage Flow Hydrograph=Bald Eagle      ,Loc Hav         ,35648.50
Stage Flow Hydrograph=Bald Eagle      ,Loc Hav         ,35072.37
Stage Flow Hydrograph=Bald Eagle      ,Loc Hav         ,34098.93
Stage Flow Hydrograph=Bald Eagle      ,Loc Hav         ,33498.68
Stage Flow Hydrograph=Bald Eagle      ,Loc Hav         ,32195.47
Stage Flow Hydrograph=Bald Eagle      ,Loc Hav         ,30878.12
Stage Flow Hydrograph=Bald Eagle      ,Loc Hav         ,29563.77
Stage Flow Hydrograph=Bald Eagle      ,Loc Hav         ,27226.40
Stage Flow Hydrograph=Bald Eagle      ,Loc Hav         ,25960.70
Stage Flow Hydrograph=Bald Eagle      ,Loc Hav         ,24843.25
Stage Flow Hydrograph=Bald Eagle      ,Loc Hav         ,24417.73
Stage Flow Hydrograph=Bald Eagle      ,Loc Hav         ,23872.06
Stage Flow Hydrograph=Bald Eagle      ,Loc Hav         ,23783.65
Stage Flow Hydrograph=Bald Eagle      ,Loc Hav         ,23384.79
Stage Flow Hydrograph=Bald Eagle      ,Loc Hav         ,22982.97
Stage Flow Hydrograph=Bald Eagle      ,Loc Hav         ,22386.15
Stage Flow Hydrograph=Bald Eagle      ,Loc Hav         ,21283.34
Stage Flow Hydrograph=Bald Eagle      ,Loc Hav         ,21199.93
Stage Flow Hydrograph=Bald Eagle      ,Loc Hav         ,20127.30
Stage Flow Hydrograph=Bald Eagle      ,Loc Hav         ,19036.24
Stage Flow Hydrograph=Bald Eagle      ,Loc Hav         ,18200.10
Stage Flow Hydrograph=Bald Eagle      ,Loc Hav         ,17549.23
Stage Flow Hydrograph=Bald Eagle      ,Loc Hav         ,16787.45
Stage Flow Hydrograph=Bald Eagle      ,Loc Hav         ,15407.88
Stage Flow Hydrograph=Bald Eagle      ,Loc Hav         ,14814.34
Stage Flow Hydrograph=Bald Eagle      ,Loc Hav         ,13326.74
Stage Flow Hydrograph=Bald Eagle      ,Loc Hav         ,12035.22
Stage Flow Hydrograph=Bald Eagle      ,Loc Hav         ,11865.80
Stage Flow Hydrograph=Bald Eagle      ,Loc Hav         ,11116.44
Stage Flow Hydrograph=Bald Eagle      ,Loc Hav         ,10995.73
Stage Flow Hydrograph=Bald Eagle      ,Loc Hav         ,10221.14
Stage Flow Hydrograph=Bald Eagle      ,Loc Hav         ,9258.941
Stage Flow Hydrograph=Bald Eagle      ,Loc Hav         ,8541.462
Stage Flow Hydrograph=Bald Eagle      ,Loc Hav         ,7936.130
Stage Flow Hydrograph=Bald Eagle      ,Loc Hav         ,6940.066
Stage Flow Hydrograph=Bald Eagle      ,Loc Hav         ,6267.489
Stage Flow Hydrograph=Bald Eagle      ,Loc Hav         ,5523.234
Stage Flow Hydrograph=Bald Eagle      ,Loc Hav         ,4293.710
Stage Flow Hydrograph=Bald Eagle      ,Loc Hav         ,3047.378
Stage Flow Hydrograph=Bald Eagle      ,Loc Hav         ,2731.142
Stage Flow Hydrograph=Bald Eagle      ,Loc Hav         ,2501.017
Stage Flow Hydrograph=Bald Eagle      ,Loc Hav         ,2371.827
Stage Flow Hydrograph=Bald Eagle      ,Loc Hav         ,1692.633
Stage Flow Hydrograph=Bald Eagle      ,Loc Hav         ,1212.855
Stage Flow Hydrograph=Bald Eagle      ,Loc Hav         ,659.942
Calibration Method= 0 
Calibration Iterations= 20 
Calibration Max Change=0.05
Calibration Tolerance=0.2
Calibration Maximum=1.5
Calibration Minimum=0.5
Calibration Optimization Method= 1 
Calibration Window=,,,
WQ AD Non Conservative
WQ ULTIMATE=-1
WQ Max Comp Step=1HOUR
WQ Output Interval=15MIN
WQ Output Selected Increments= 0 
WQ Output face flow=0
WQ Output face velocity=0
WQ Output face area=0
WQ Output face dispersion=0
WQ Output cell volume=0
WQ Output cell surface area=0
WQ Output cell continuity=0
WQ Output cumulative cell continuity=0
WQ Output face conc=0
WQ Output face dconc_dx=0
WQ Output face courant=0
WQ Output face peclet=0
WQ Output face adv mass=0
WQ Output face disp mass=0
WQ Output cell mass=0
WQ Output cell source sink temp=0
WQ Output nsm pathways=0
WQ Output nsm derived pathways=0
WQ Output MaxMinRange=-1
WQ Daily Max Min Mean=-1
WQ Daily Range=0
WQ Daily Time=0
WQ Create Restart=0
WQ Fixed Restart=0
WQ Restart Simtime=
WQ Restart Date=
WQ Restart Hour=
WQ System Summary=0
WQ Write To DSS=0
WQ Use Fixed Temperature=0
WQ Fixed Temperature=
Sorting and Armoring Iterations= 10 
XS Update Threshold= 0.02 
Bed Roughness Predictor= 0 
Hydraulics Update Threshold= 0.02 
Energy Slope Method= 1 
Volume Change Method= 1 
Sediment Retention Method= 0 
XS Weighting Method= 0 
Number of US Weighted Cross Sections= 1 
Number of DS Weighted Cross Sections= 1 
Upstream XS Weight=0
Main XS Weight=1
Downstream XS Weight=0
Number of DS XS's Weighted with US Boundary= 1 
Upstream Boundary Weight= 1 
Weight of XSs Associated with US Boundary= 0 
Number of US XS's Weighted with DS Boundary= 1 
Downstream Boundary Weight= 0.5 
Weight of XSs Associated with DS Boundary= 0.5 
Sediment Output Level= 4 
Mass or Volume Output= 0 
Output Increment Type= 1 
Profile and TS Output Increment= 10 
XS Output Flag= 0 
XS Output Increment= 10 
Write Gradation File= 0 
Read Gradation Hotstart= 0 
Gradation File Name=
Write HDF5 File= 0 
Write DSS Sediment File= 0 
SV Curve= 0 
Specific Gage Flag= 0

Step 4: Updating Plan Intervals

Time intervals in HEC-RAS control the temporal resolution of simulations and outputs. The RasPlan.update_plan_intervals() method allows you to modify these intervals.

Key Parameters

  • plan_number_or_path (str or Path): The plan number or full path to the plan file
  • computation_interval (str, optional): Time step for calculations
  • output_interval (str, optional): Time step for saving detailed results
  • instantaneous_interval (str, optional): Time step for peak value calculations
  • mapping_interval (str, optional): Time step for map outputs
  • rasect (RasPrj, optional): The RAS project object

Valid Interval Values

Time intervals must be specified in HEC-RAS format: - Seconds: 1SEC, 2SEC, 3SEC, 4SEC, 5SEC, 6SEC, 10SEC, 15SEC, 20SEC, 30SEC - Minutes: 1MIN, 2MIN, 3MIN, 4MIN, 5MIN, 6MIN, 10MIN, 15MIN, 20MIN, 30MIN - Hours: 1HOUR, 2HOUR, 3HOUR, 4HOUR, 6HOUR, 8HOUR, 12HOUR - Days: 1DAY

Interval Types

  1. Computation Interval: Time step used for hydraulic calculations
  2. Smaller intervals: More accurate but slower
  3. Larger intervals: Faster but may introduce numerical errors

  4. Rule of thumb: Should be small enough to capture flow changes

  5. Output Interval: How frequently detailed results are saved

  6. Smaller intervals: More detailed results but larger files
  7. Larger intervals: Smaller files but less temporal resolution

  8. Usually larger than computation interval

  9. Instantaneous Interval: Time step for peak value calculations

  10. Affects when max/min values are checked

  11. Usually equal to output interval

  12. Mapping Interval: How frequently map data is saved

  13. Affects animation smoothness and file size
  14. Usually larger than output interval

Let's update the intervals for our plan:

Python
# Update plan intervals
print(f"Updating intervals for plan {plan_number}...")
RasPlan.update_plan_intervals(
    plan_number,
    computation_interval="5SEC",    # 5-second time step for calculations
    output_interval="1MIN",         # Save detailed results every minute
    instantaneous_interval="5MIN",  # Check for max/min values every 5 minutes
    mapping_interval="15MIN",       # Save map data every 15 minutes

)
print("Plan intervals updated successfully")
Text Only
Updating intervals for plan 01...


2026-01-11 20:50:29 - ras_commander.RasPlan - INFO - Successfully updated intervals in plan file: C:\Users\billk_clb\anaconda3\envs\rascmdr_piptest\Lib\site-packages\examples\example_projects\Balde Eagle Creek_09\BaldEagle.p01


Plan intervals updated successfully

Step 5: Managing Descriptions Across All File Types

HEC-RAS files use a standard BEGIN DESCRIPTION / END DESCRIPTION block for documentation. ras-commander provides read/write methods for all four file types: plans, geometries, steady flow, and unsteady flow.

Available Methods

File Type Read Write
Plan (.p##) RasPlan.read_plan_description() RasPlan.update_plan_description()
Geometry (.g##) RasPlan.read_geom_description() RasPlan.update_geom_description()
Steady Flow (.f##) RasPlan.read_flow_description() RasPlan.update_flow_description()
Unsteady Flow (.u##) RasUnsteady.read_unsteady_description() RasUnsteady.update_unsteady_description()

All methods accept either a file number (e.g., "01") or a full file path.

DataFrame Columns

After project initialization, descriptions are available directly in DataFrames: - ras.plan_df['description'] - Plan descriptions - ras.geom_df['description'] and ras.geom_df['geom_title'] - Geometry info - ras.flow_df['description'] - Steady flow descriptions - ras.unsteady_df['description'] - Unsteady flow descriptions

Let's demonstrate reading and writing descriptions for each file type.

Python
# --- Plan Description ---
print("=" * 60)
print("PLAN DESCRIPTION")
print("=" * 60)

# Read the current plan description
current_description = RasPlan.read_plan_description(plan_number)
print(f"Current plan description:\n'{current_description}'\n")

# Create a new description with detailed information
new_description = f"""Modified Plan for RAS Commander Testing
Date: {datetime.now().strftime('%Y-%m-%d')}
Purpose: Demonstrating RAS Commander plan operations
Settings:
- Computation Interval: 5SEC
- Output Interval: 1MIN
- Mapping Interval: 15MIN
Notes: This plan was automatically modified using ras-commander."""

# Update the plan description
print("Updating plan description...")
result = RasPlan.update_plan_description(plan_number, new_description)
print(f"Update result: {result}")

# Verify the updated description reads back correctly
updated_description = RasPlan.read_plan_description(plan_number)
print(f"\nUpdated plan description:\n{updated_description}")
Python
# --- Geometry Description ---
print("=" * 60)
print("GEOMETRY DESCRIPTION")
print("=" * 60)

# Read current geometry description (geometry number "01")
geom_desc = RasPlan.read_geom_description("01")
print(f"Current geometry description:\n'{geom_desc}'\n")

# Update geometry description
geom_description = f"""Bald Eagle Creek Geometry
Modified: {datetime.now().strftime('%Y-%m-%d')}
Contains 1D cross sections and inline structures (bridges, dam)."""

result = RasPlan.update_geom_description("01", geom_description)
print(f"Update result: {result}")

# Verify
updated_geom_desc = RasPlan.read_geom_description("01")
print(f"\nUpdated geometry description:\n{updated_geom_desc}")
Python
# --- Steady Flow Description ---
print("=" * 60)
print("STEADY FLOW DESCRIPTION")
print("=" * 60)

# Check which flow files exist
print("Flow files in project:")
print(ras.flow_df[['flow_number', 'full_path']].to_string())
print()

# Read current flow description (use first flow file)
flow_num = ras.flow_df['flow_number'].iloc[0]
flow_desc = RasPlan.read_flow_description(flow_num)
print(f"Current flow description for f{flow_num}:\n'{flow_desc}'\n")

# Update flow description
flow_description = f"""Steady flow data for Bald Eagle Creek
Modified: {datetime.now().strftime('%Y-%m-%d')}
Contains baseline flow profiles for calibration."""

result = RasPlan.update_flow_description(flow_num, flow_description)
print(f"Update result: {result}")

# Verify
updated_flow_desc = RasPlan.read_flow_description(flow_num)
print(f"\nUpdated flow description:\n{updated_flow_desc}")
Python
# --- Unsteady Flow Description ---
print("=" * 60)
print("UNSTEADY FLOW DESCRIPTION")
print("=" * 60)

# Check which unsteady files exist
print("Unsteady files in project:")
print(ras.unsteady_df[['unsteady_number', 'full_path']].to_string())
print()

# Read current unsteady description
unsteady_num = ras.unsteady_df['unsteady_number'].iloc[0]
unsteady_desc = RasUnsteady.read_unsteady_description(unsteady_num)
print(f"Current unsteady description for u{unsteady_num}:\n'{unsteady_desc}'\n")

# Update unsteady description
unsteady_description = f"""Unsteady flow boundary conditions for Bald Eagle Creek
Modified: {datetime.now().strftime('%Y-%m-%d')}
Event: February 1999 flood event
Upstream: Flow hydrograph, Downstream: Normal depth."""

result = RasUnsteady.update_unsteady_description(unsteady_num, unsteady_description)
print(f"Update result: {result}")

# Verify
updated_unsteady_desc = RasUnsteady.read_unsteady_description(unsteady_num)
print(f"\nUpdated unsteady description:\n{updated_unsteady_desc}")
Python
# --- Verify descriptions in DataFrames ---
# Re-initialize to pick up all description changes
init_ras_project(bald_eagle_path, RAS_VERSION)

print("=" * 60)
print("DESCRIPTIONS IN DATAFRAMES (after re-initialization)")
print("=" * 60)

# Plan descriptions
print("\nplan_df 'description' column:")
for _, row in ras.plan_df.iterrows():
    desc = row.get('description', 'N/A')
    print(f"  Plan {row['plan_number']}: {str(desc)[:80]}...")

# Geometry descriptions and titles
print("\ngeom_df 'geom_title' and 'description' columns:")
for _, row in ras.geom_df.iterrows():
    title = row.get('geom_title', 'N/A')
    desc = row.get('description', 'N/A')
    print(f"  Geom {row['geom_number']}: title='{title}', description='{str(desc)[:60]}...'")

# Flow descriptions
print("\nflow_df 'description' column:")
for _, row in ras.flow_df.iterrows():
    desc = row.get('description', 'N/A')
    print(f"  Flow {row['flow_number']}: {str(desc)[:80]}...")

# Unsteady descriptions
print("\nunsteady_df 'description' column:")
for _, row in ras.unsteady_df.iterrows():
    desc = row.get('description', 'N/A')
    print(f"  Unsteady {row['unsteady_number']}: {str(desc)[:80]}...")

Step 6: Updating Simulation Dates

For unsteady flow simulations, the simulation period defines the time window for the analysis. The RasPlan.update_simulation_date() method allows you to modify this period.

Key Parameters

  • plan_number_or_path (str or Path): The plan number or full path to the plan file
  • start_date (datetime): The start date and time for the simulation
  • end_date (datetime): The end date and time for the simulation
  • rasect (RasPrj, optional): The RAS project object

Considerations for Simulation Dates

  1. Hydrograph Coverage: The simulation period should fully encompass your hydrographs
  2. Warm-Up Period: Include time before the main event for model stabilization
  3. Cool-Down Period: Include time after the main event for complete drainage
  4. Computational Efficiency: Avoid unnecessarily long periods to reduce runtime
  5. Consistency: Ensure dates match available boundary condition data

Let's update the simulation dates for our plan:

Python
# Get the current simulation date
current_sim_date = RasPlan.get_plan_value(plan_number, "Simulation Date")
print(f"Current simulation date: {current_sim_date}")

# Parse the current simulation date string
current_dates = current_sim_date.split(",")
current_start = datetime.strptime(f"{current_dates[0]},{current_dates[1]}", "%d%b%Y,%H%M")
current_end = datetime.strptime(f"{current_dates[2]},{current_dates[3]}", "%d%b%Y,%H%M")

# Define new simulation period - adjust by 1 hour from current dates
start_date = current_start + timedelta(hours=1)  # Current start + 1 hour
end_date = current_end - timedelta(hours=1)      # Current end - 1 hour

# Update the simulation date
print(f"\nUpdating simulation period to: {start_date.strftime('%d%b%Y,%H%M')} - {end_date.strftime('%d%b%Y,%H%M')}")
RasPlan.update_simulation_date(plan_number, start_date, end_date)
print("Simulation dates updated successfully")

# Verify the updated simulation date
updated_sim_date = RasPlan.get_plan_value(plan_number, "Simulation Date")
print(f"\nUpdated simulation date: {updated_sim_date}")
Text Only
2026-01-11 20:50:29 - ras_commander.RasPlan - INFO - Updated simulation date in plan file: C:\Users\billk_clb\anaconda3\envs\rascmdr_piptest\Lib\site-packages\examples\example_projects\Balde Eagle Creek_09\BaldEagle.p01


Current simulation date: 18FEB1999,0000,24FEB1999,0500

Updating simulation period to: 18Feb1999,0100 - 24Feb1999,0400
Simulation dates updated successfully

Updated simulation date: 18FEB1999,0100,24FEB1999,0400

Step 7: Verifying Updated Plan Values

After making multiple changes to a plan, it's a good practice to verify that all updates were applied correctly. Let's check the updated values:

Python
# Print the Plan file's contents to confirm the change

# Print the plan file contents to verify the run flag changes
with open(plan_path, 'r') as f:
    print(f.read())
Text Only
Plan Title=Unsteady with Bridges and Dam
Program Version=5.00
Short Identifier=UnsteadyFlow                                                    
Simulation Date=18FEB1999,0100,24FEB1999,0400
Geom File=g01
Flow File=u02
Subcritical Flow
K Sum by GR= 0 
Std Step Tol= 0.01 
Critical Tol= 0.01 
Num of Std Step Trials= 20 
Max Error Tol= 0.3 
Flow Tol Ratio= 0.001 
Split Flow NTrial= 30 
Split Flow Tol= 0.02 
Split Flow Ratio= 0.02 
Log Output Level= 0 
Friction Slope Method= 2 
Unsteady Friction Slope Method= 2 
Unsteady Bridges Friction Slope Method= 1 
Parabolic Critical Depth
Global Vel Dist= 0 , 0 , 0 
Global Log Level= 0 
CheckData=True
Encroach Param=-1 ,0,0, 0 
Begin DESCRIPTION
Modified Plan for RAS Commander Testing
Date: 2026-01-11
Purpose: Demonstrating RAS Commander plan operations
Settings:
- Computation Interval: 5SEC
- Output Interval: 1MIN
- Mapping Interval: 15MIN
- Geometry Preprocessor: Enabled
- Post-Processor: Enabled
Notes: This plan was automatically modified using ras-commander.
END DESCRIPTION
Computation Interval=5SEC
Output Interval=1MIN
Instantaneous Interval=5MIN
Mapping Interval=15MIN
Run HTab= 0
Run UNet= 0
Run Sediment= 0
Run PostProcess= 0
Run WQNet= 0 
Run RASMapper= -1
UNET Theta= 1 
UNET Theta Warmup= 1 
UNET ZTol= 0.01 
UNET ZSATol= 0.1 
UNET QTol=
UNET MxIter= 20 
UNET Max Iter WO Improvement= 0 
UNET MaxInSteps= 0 
UNET DtIC= 0 
UNET DtMin= 0 
UNET MaxCRTS= 20 
UNET WFStab= 2 
UNET SFStab= 1 
UNET WFX= 1 
UNET SFX= 1 
UNET DSS MLevel= 4 
UNET Pardiso=0
UNET DZMax Abort= 100 
UNET Use Existing IB Tables=-1 
UNET Froude Reduction=False
UNET Froude Limit= 0.8 
UNET Froude Power= 4 
UNET Time Slicing=0,0, 5 
UNET Junction Losses=0
UNET D1 Cores= 0 
UNET D2 Coriolis=0
UNET D2 Cores= 0 
UNET D2 Theta= 1 
UNET D2 Theta Warmup= 1 
UNET D2 Z Tol= 0.01 
UNET D2 Max Iterations= 20 
UNET D2 Equation= 0 
UNET D2 TotalICTime=
UNET D2 RampUpFraction=0.5
UNET D2 TimeSlices= 1 
UNET D2 Eddy Viscosity=
UNET D2 BCVolumeCheck=0
UNET D2 Latitude=
UNET D1D2 MaxIter= 0 
UNET D1D2 ZTol=0.01
UNET D1D2 QTol=0.1
UNET D1D2 MinQTol=1
DSS File=dss
Write IC File= 0 
Write IC File at Fixed DateTime=0
IC Time=,,
Write IC File Reoccurance=
Write IC File at Sim End=0
Echo Input=False
Echo Parameters=False
Echo Output=False
Write Detailed= 0 
HDF Write Warmup=0
HDF Write Time Slices=0
HDF Flush=0
HDF Compression= 1 
HDF Chunk Size= 1 
HDF Spatial Parts= 1 
HDF Use Max Rows=0
HDF Fixed Rows= 1 
Stage Flow Hydrograph=Bald Eagle      ,Loc Hav         ,138154.4
Stage Flow Hydrograph=Bald Eagle      ,Loc Hav         ,137690.8
Stage Flow Hydrograph=Bald Eagle      ,Loc Hav         ,137327.0
Stage Flow Hydrograph=Bald Eagle      ,Loc Hav         ,136564.9
Stage Flow Hydrograph=Bald Eagle      ,Loc Hav         ,136202.3
Stage Flow Hydrograph=Bald Eagle      ,Loc Hav         ,135591.4
Stage Flow Hydrograph=Bald Eagle      ,Loc Hav         ,135068.7
Stage Flow Hydrograph=Bald Eagle      ,Loc Hav         ,134487.2
Stage Flow Hydrograph=Bald Eagle      ,Loc Hav         ,133881.0
Stage Flow Hydrograph=Bald Eagle      ,Loc Hav         ,133446.1
Stage Flow Hydrograph=Bald Eagle      ,Loc Hav         ,132973.6
Stage Flow Hydrograph=Bald Eagle      ,Loc Hav         ,132363.8
Stage Flow Hydrograph=Bald Eagle      ,Loc Hav         ,131699.7
Stage Flow Hydrograph=Bald Eagle      ,Loc Hav         ,130997.6
Stage Flow Hydrograph=Bald Eagle      ,Loc Hav         ,130339.2
Stage Flow Hydrograph=Bald Eagle      ,Loc Hav         ,129627.5
Stage Flow Hydrograph=Bald Eagle      ,Loc Hav         ,128760.7
Stage Flow Hydrograph=Bald Eagle      ,Loc Hav         ,128280.7
Stage Flow Hydrograph=Bald Eagle      ,Loc Hav         ,127410.9
Stage Flow Hydrograph=Bald Eagle      ,Loc Hav         ,126741.0
Stage Flow Hydrograph=Bald Eagle      ,Loc Hav         ,126454.1
Stage Flow Hydrograph=Bald Eagle      ,Loc Hav         ,126062.6
Stage Flow Hydrograph=Bald Eagle      ,Loc Hav         ,125704.7
Stage Flow Hydrograph=Bald Eagle      ,Loc Hav         ,125091.9
Stage Flow Hydrograph=Bald Eagle      ,Loc Hav         ,124615.5
Stage Flow Hydrograph=Bald Eagle      ,Loc Hav         ,124025.0
Stage Flow Hydrograph=Bald Eagle      ,Loc Hav         ,123503.5
Stage Flow Hydrograph=Bald Eagle      ,Loc Hav         ,123123.6
Stage Flow Hydrograph=Bald Eagle      ,Loc Hav         ,122703.3
Stage Flow Hydrograph=Bald Eagle      ,Loc Hav         ,122190.8
Stage Flow Hydrograph=Bald Eagle      ,Loc Hav         ,121754.0
Stage Flow Hydrograph=Bald Eagle      ,Loc Hav         ,121394.1
Stage Flow Hydrograph=Bald Eagle      ,Loc Hav         ,120862.6
Stage Flow Hydrograph=Bald Eagle      ,Loc Hav         ,120421.4
Stage Flow Hydrograph=Bald Eagle      ,Loc Hav         ,119954.9
Stage Flow Hydrograph=Bald Eagle      ,Loc Hav         ,119473.8
Stage Flow Hydrograph=Bald Eagle      ,Loc Hav         ,118901.0
Stage Flow Hydrograph=Bald Eagle      ,Loc Hav         ,118300.5
Stage Flow Hydrograph=Bald Eagle      ,Loc Hav         ,117753.9
Stage Flow Hydrograph=Bald Eagle      ,Loc Hav         ,117180.8
Stage Flow Hydrograph=Bald Eagle      ,Loc Hav         ,116401.3
Stage Flow Hydrograph=Bald Eagle      ,Loc Hav         ,115584.2
Stage Flow Hydrograph=Bald Eagle      ,Loc Hav         ,114899.8
Stage Flow Hydrograph=Bald Eagle      ,Loc Hav         ,113985.6
Stage Flow Hydrograph=Bald Eagle      ,Loc Hav         ,112856.9
Stage Flow Hydrograph=Bald Eagle      ,Loc Hav         ,111971.0
Stage Flow Hydrograph=Bald Eagle      ,Loc Hav         ,110657.4
Stage Flow Hydrograph=Bald Eagle      ,Loc Hav         ,109659.9
Stage Flow Hydrograph=Bald Eagle      ,Loc Hav         ,108600.1
Stage Flow Hydrograph=Bald Eagle      ,Loc Hav         ,107333.6
Stage Flow Hydrograph=Bald Eagle      ,Loc Hav         ,106466.0
Stage Flow Hydrograph=Bald Eagle      ,Loc Hav         ,105178.6
Stage Flow Hydrograph=Bald Eagle      ,Loc Hav         ,104647.2
Stage Flow Hydrograph=Bald Eagle      ,Loc Hav         ,104195.0
Stage Flow Hydrograph=Bald Eagle      ,Loc Hav         ,103854.0
Stage Flow Hydrograph=Bald Eagle      ,Loc Hav         ,103369.7
Stage Flow Hydrograph=Bald Eagle      ,Loc Hav         ,103122.3
Stage Flow Hydrograph=Bald Eagle      ,Loc Hav         ,101440.3
Stage Flow Hydrograph=Bald Eagle      ,Loc Hav         ,100657.3
Stage Flow Hydrograph=Bald Eagle      ,Loc Hav         ,99452.75
Stage Flow Hydrograph=Bald Eagle      ,Loc Hav         ,98206.87
Stage Flow Hydrograph=Bald Eagle      ,Loc Hav         ,97607.35
Stage Flow Hydrograph=Bald Eagle      ,Loc Hav         ,96370.43
Stage Flow Hydrograph=Bald Eagle      ,Loc Hav         ,94560.01
Stage Flow Hydrograph=Bald Eagle      ,Loc Hav         ,93391.71
Stage Flow Hydrograph=Bald Eagle      ,Loc Hav         ,92011.85
Stage Flow Hydrograph=Bald Eagle      ,Loc Hav         ,91030.01
Stage Flow Hydrograph=Bald Eagle      ,Loc Hav         ,90096.99
Stage Flow Hydrograph=Bald Eagle      ,Loc Hav         ,89060.69
Stage Flow Hydrograph=Bald Eagle      ,Loc Hav         ,87861.14
Stage Flow Hydrograph=Bald Eagle      ,Loc Hav         ,86942.04
Stage Flow Hydrograph=Bald Eagle      ,Loc Hav         ,85569.53
Stage Flow Hydrograph=Bald Eagle      ,Loc Hav         ,84724.08
Stage Flow Hydrograph=Bald Eagle      ,Loc Hav         ,83563.41
Stage Flow Hydrograph=Bald Eagle      ,Loc Hav         ,82607.89
Stage Flow Hydrograph=Bald Eagle      ,Loc Hav         ,81849.41
Stage Flow Hydrograph=Bald Eagle      ,Loc Hav         ,81084.18
Stage Flow Hydrograph=Bald Eagle      ,Loc Hav         ,80500.50
Stage Flow Hydrograph=Bald Eagle      ,Loc Hav         ,79684.28
Stage Flow Hydrograph=Bald Eagle      ,Loc Hav         ,78627.87
Stage Flow Hydrograph=Bald Eagle      ,Loc Hav         ,76643.40
Stage Flow Hydrograph=Bald Eagle      ,Loc Hav         ,76002.96
Stage Flow Hydrograph=Bald Eagle      ,Loc Hav         ,75917.82
Stage Flow Hydrograph=Bald Eagle      ,Loc Hav         ,75616.14
Stage Flow Hydrograph=Bald Eagle      ,Loc Hav         ,74650.60
Stage Flow Hydrograph=Bald Eagle      ,Loc Hav         ,74207.96
Stage Flow Hydrograph=Bald Eagle      ,Loc Hav         ,73504.24
Stage Flow Hydrograph=Bald Eagle      ,Loc Hav         ,72303.68
Stage Flow Hydrograph=Bald Eagle      ,Loc Hav         ,71400.81
Stage Flow Hydrograph=Bald Eagle      ,Loc Hav         ,70651.52
Stage Flow Hydrograph=Bald Eagle      ,Loc Hav         ,69567.33
Stage Flow Hydrograph=Bald Eagle      ,Loc Hav         ,68604.09
Stage Flow Hydrograph=Bald Eagle      ,Loc Hav         ,67326.78
Stage Flow Hydrograph=Bald Eagle      ,Loc Hav         ,66070.17
Stage Flow Hydrograph=Bald Eagle      ,Loc Hav         ,64908.02
Stage Flow Hydrograph=Bald Eagle      ,Loc Hav         ,63812.99
Stage Flow Hydrograph=Bald Eagle      ,Loc Hav         ,62746.41
Stage Flow Hydrograph=Bald Eagle      ,Loc Hav         ,61896.89
Stage Flow Hydrograph=Bald Eagle      ,Loc Hav         ,60901.09
Stage Flow Hydrograph=Bald Eagle      ,Loc Hav         ,59795.28
Stage Flow Hydrograph=Bald Eagle      ,Loc Hav         ,58836.23
Stage Flow Hydrograph=Bald Eagle      ,Loc Hav         ,58708.54
Stage Flow Hydrograph=Bald Eagle      ,Loc Hav         ,58091.91
Stage Flow Hydrograph=Bald Eagle      ,Loc Hav         ,57700.27
Stage Flow Hydrograph=Bald Eagle      ,Loc Hav         ,57250.60
Stage Flow Hydrograph=Bald Eagle      ,Loc Hav         ,56775.92
Stage Flow Hydrograph=Bald Eagle      ,Loc Hav         ,56243.79
Stage Flow Hydrograph=Bald Eagle      ,Loc Hav         ,55700.55
Stage Flow Hydrograph=Bald Eagle      ,Loc Hav         ,54696.51
Stage Flow Hydrograph=Bald Eagle      ,Loc Hav         ,53922.53
Stage Flow Hydrograph=Bald Eagle      ,Loc Hav         ,52879.19
Stage Flow Hydrograph=Bald Eagle      ,Loc Hav         ,51784.74
Stage Flow Hydrograph=Bald Eagle      ,Loc Hav         ,50720.68
Stage Flow Hydrograph=Bald Eagle      ,Loc Hav         ,49715.77
Stage Flow Hydrograph=Bald Eagle      ,Loc Hav         ,48965.94
Stage Flow Hydrograph=Bald Eagle      ,Loc Hav         ,48110.09
Stage Flow Hydrograph=Bald Eagle      ,Loc Hav         ,47453.14
Stage Flow Hydrograph=Bald Eagle      ,Loc Hav         ,46722.59
Stage Flow Hydrograph=Bald Eagle      ,Loc Hav         ,46310.48
Stage Flow Hydrograph=Bald Eagle      ,Loc Hav         ,45805.37
Stage Flow Hydrograph=Bald Eagle      ,Loc Hav         ,45233.89
Stage Flow Hydrograph=Bald Eagle      ,Loc Hav         ,44529.29
Stage Flow Hydrograph=Bald Eagle      ,Loc Hav         ,43919.30
Stage Flow Hydrograph=Bald Eagle      ,Loc Hav         ,42895.87
Stage Flow Hydrograph=Bald Eagle      ,Loc Hav         ,41806.43
Stage Flow Hydrograph=Bald Eagle      ,Loc Hav         ,40526.85
Stage Flow Hydrograph=Bald Eagle      ,Loc Hav         ,39499.37
Stage Flow Hydrograph=Bald Eagle      ,Loc Hav         ,38446.87
Stage Flow Hydrograph=Bald Eagle      ,Loc Hav         ,37962.54
Stage Flow Hydrograph=Bald Eagle      ,Loc Hav         ,37385.23
Stage Flow Hydrograph=Bald Eagle      ,Loc Hav         ,36769.88
Stage Flow Hydrograph=Bald Eagle      ,Loc Hav         ,36663.76
Stage Flow Hydrograph=Bald Eagle      ,Loc Hav         ,36339.56
Stage Flow Hydrograph=Bald Eagle      ,Loc Hav         ,35648.50
Stage Flow Hydrograph=Bald Eagle      ,Loc Hav         ,35072.37
Stage Flow Hydrograph=Bald Eagle      ,Loc Hav         ,34098.93
Stage Flow Hydrograph=Bald Eagle      ,Loc Hav         ,33498.68
Stage Flow Hydrograph=Bald Eagle      ,Loc Hav         ,32195.47
Stage Flow Hydrograph=Bald Eagle      ,Loc Hav         ,30878.12
Stage Flow Hydrograph=Bald Eagle      ,Loc Hav         ,29563.77
Stage Flow Hydrograph=Bald Eagle      ,Loc Hav         ,27226.40
Stage Flow Hydrograph=Bald Eagle      ,Loc Hav         ,25960.70
Stage Flow Hydrograph=Bald Eagle      ,Loc Hav         ,24843.25
Stage Flow Hydrograph=Bald Eagle      ,Loc Hav         ,24417.73
Stage Flow Hydrograph=Bald Eagle      ,Loc Hav         ,23872.06
Stage Flow Hydrograph=Bald Eagle      ,Loc Hav         ,23783.65
Stage Flow Hydrograph=Bald Eagle      ,Loc Hav         ,23384.79
Stage Flow Hydrograph=Bald Eagle      ,Loc Hav         ,22982.97
Stage Flow Hydrograph=Bald Eagle      ,Loc Hav         ,22386.15
Stage Flow Hydrograph=Bald Eagle      ,Loc Hav         ,21283.34
Stage Flow Hydrograph=Bald Eagle      ,Loc Hav         ,21199.93
Stage Flow Hydrograph=Bald Eagle      ,Loc Hav         ,20127.30
Stage Flow Hydrograph=Bald Eagle      ,Loc Hav         ,19036.24
Stage Flow Hydrograph=Bald Eagle      ,Loc Hav         ,18200.10
Stage Flow Hydrograph=Bald Eagle      ,Loc Hav         ,17549.23
Stage Flow Hydrograph=Bald Eagle      ,Loc Hav         ,16787.45
Stage Flow Hydrograph=Bald Eagle      ,Loc Hav         ,15407.88
Stage Flow Hydrograph=Bald Eagle      ,Loc Hav         ,14814.34
Stage Flow Hydrograph=Bald Eagle      ,Loc Hav         ,13326.74
Stage Flow Hydrograph=Bald Eagle      ,Loc Hav         ,12035.22
Stage Flow Hydrograph=Bald Eagle      ,Loc Hav         ,11865.80
Stage Flow Hydrograph=Bald Eagle      ,Loc Hav         ,11116.44
Stage Flow Hydrograph=Bald Eagle      ,Loc Hav         ,10995.73
Stage Flow Hydrograph=Bald Eagle      ,Loc Hav         ,10221.14
Stage Flow Hydrograph=Bald Eagle      ,Loc Hav         ,9258.941
Stage Flow Hydrograph=Bald Eagle      ,Loc Hav         ,8541.462
Stage Flow Hydrograph=Bald Eagle      ,Loc Hav         ,7936.130
Stage Flow Hydrograph=Bald Eagle      ,Loc Hav         ,6940.066
Stage Flow Hydrograph=Bald Eagle      ,Loc Hav         ,6267.489
Stage Flow Hydrograph=Bald Eagle      ,Loc Hav         ,5523.234
Stage Flow Hydrograph=Bald Eagle      ,Loc Hav         ,4293.710
Stage Flow Hydrograph=Bald Eagle      ,Loc Hav         ,3047.378
Stage Flow Hydrograph=Bald Eagle      ,Loc Hav         ,2731.142
Stage Flow Hydrograph=Bald Eagle      ,Loc Hav         ,2501.017
Stage Flow Hydrograph=Bald Eagle      ,Loc Hav         ,2371.827
Stage Flow Hydrograph=Bald Eagle      ,Loc Hav         ,1692.633
Stage Flow Hydrograph=Bald Eagle      ,Loc Hav         ,1212.855
Stage Flow Hydrograph=Bald Eagle      ,Loc Hav         ,659.942
Calibration Method= 0 
Calibration Iterations= 20 
Calibration Max Change=0.05
Calibration Tolerance=0.2
Calibration Maximum=1.5
Calibration Minimum=0.5
Calibration Optimization Method= 1 
Calibration Window=,,,
WQ AD Non Conservative
WQ ULTIMATE=-1
WQ Max Comp Step=1HOUR
WQ Output Interval=15MIN
WQ Output Selected Increments= 0 
WQ Output face flow=0
WQ Output face velocity=0
WQ Output face area=0
WQ Output face dispersion=0
WQ Output cell volume=0
WQ Output cell surface area=0
WQ Output cell continuity=0
WQ Output cumulative cell continuity=0
WQ Output face conc=0
WQ Output face dconc_dx=0
WQ Output face courant=0
WQ Output face peclet=0
WQ Output face adv mass=0
WQ Output face disp mass=0
WQ Output cell mass=0
WQ Output cell source sink temp=0
WQ Output nsm pathways=0
WQ Output nsm derived pathways=0
WQ Output MaxMinRange=-1
WQ Daily Max Min Mean=-1
WQ Daily Range=0
WQ Daily Time=0
WQ Create Restart=0
WQ Fixed Restart=0
WQ Restart Simtime=
WQ Restart Date=
WQ Restart Hour=
WQ System Summary=0
WQ Write To DSS=0
WQ Use Fixed Temperature=0
WQ Fixed Temperature=
Sorting and Armoring Iterations= 10 
XS Update Threshold= 0.02 
Bed Roughness Predictor= 0 
Hydraulics Update Threshold= 0.02 
Energy Slope Method= 1 
Volume Change Method= 1 
Sediment Retention Method= 0 
XS Weighting Method= 0 
Number of US Weighted Cross Sections= 1 
Number of DS Weighted Cross Sections= 1 
Upstream XS Weight=0
Main XS Weight=1
Downstream XS Weight=0
Number of DS XS's Weighted with US Boundary= 1 
Upstream Boundary Weight= 1 
Weight of XSs Associated with US Boundary= 0 
Number of US XS's Weighted with DS Boundary= 1 
Downstream Boundary Weight= 0.5 
Weight of XSs Associated with DS Boundary= 0.5 
Sediment Output Level= 4 
Mass or Volume Output= 0 
Output Increment Type= 1 
Profile and TS Output Increment= 10 
XS Output Flag= 0 
XS Output Increment= 10 
Write Gradation File= 0 
Read Gradation Hotstart= 0 
Gradation File Name=
Write HDF5 File= 0 
Write DSS Sediment File= 0 
SV Curve= 0 
Specific Gage Flag= 0

Step 8: Computing the Plan (Optional)

After making changes to a plan, you might want to run the simulation to see the effects. The RasCmdr.compute_plan() method executes a HEC-RAS simulation with the specified plan.

Key Parameters

  • plan_number (str): The plan number to execute
  • dest_folder (str, Path, optional): Destination folder for computation
  • rasect (RasPrj, optional): The RAS project object
  • clear_geompre (bool, optional): Whether to clear geometry preprocessor files
  • num_cores (int, optional): Number of processor cores to use
  • overwrite_dest (bool, optional): Whether to overwrite the destination folder

If you want to run the simulation, you can uncomment the code below:

Python
RasPlan.update_run_flags(plan_number, geometry_preprocessor=True)
RasCmdr.compute_plan(plan_number)
Text Only
2026-01-11 20:50:29 - ras_commander.RasPlan - INFO - Successfully updated run flags in plan file: C:\Users\billk_clb\anaconda3\envs\rascmdr_piptest\Lib\site-packages\examples\example_projects\Balde Eagle Creek_09\BaldEagle.p01 (flags modified: 1)
2026-01-11 20:50:29 - ras_commander.RasCmdr - INFO - Using ras_object with project folder: C:\Users\billk_clb\anaconda3\envs\rascmdr_piptest\Lib\site-packages\examples\example_projects\Balde Eagle Creek_09
2026-01-11 20:50:29 - ras_commander.RasCmdr - INFO - Running HEC-RAS from the Command Line:
2026-01-11 20:50:29 - ras_commander.RasCmdr - INFO - Running command: "C:\Program Files (x86)\HEC\HEC-RAS\6.6\Ras.exe" -c "C:\Users\billk_clb\anaconda3\envs\rascmdr_piptest\Lib\site-packages\examples\example_projects\Balde Eagle Creek_09\BaldEagle.prj" "C:\Users\billk_clb\anaconda3\envs\rascmdr_piptest\Lib\site-packages\examples\example_projects\Balde Eagle Creek_09\BaldEagle.p01"
2026-01-11 20:52:17 - ras_commander.RasCmdr - INFO - HEC-RAS execution completed for plan: 01
2026-01-11 20:52:17 - ras_commander.RasCmdr - INFO - Total run time for plan 01: 107.92 seconds
2026-01-11 20:52:17 - ras_commander.hdf.HdfResultsPlan - INFO - Using existing Path object HDF file: C:\Users\billk_clb\anaconda3\envs\rascmdr_piptest\Lib\site-packages\examples\example_projects\Balde Eagle Creek_09\BaldEagle.p01.hdf
2026-01-11 20:52:17 - ras_commander.hdf.HdfResultsPlan - INFO - Final validated file path: C:\Users\billk_clb\anaconda3\envs\rascmdr_piptest\Lib\site-packages\examples\example_projects\Balde Eagle Creek_09\BaldEagle.p01.hdf
2026-01-11 20:52:17 - ras_commander.hdf.HdfResultsPlan - INFO - Reading computation messages from HDF: BaldEagle.p01.hdf
2026-01-11 20:52:17 - ras_commander.hdf.HdfResultsPlan - INFO - Successfully extracted 800 characters from HDF
2026-01-11 20:52:17 - ras_commander.hdf.HdfResultsPlan - INFO - Using existing Path object HDF file: C:\Users\billk_clb\anaconda3\envs\rascmdr_piptest\Lib\site-packages\examples\example_projects\Balde Eagle Creek_09\BaldEagle.p01.hdf
2026-01-11 20:52:17 - ras_commander.hdf.HdfResultsPlan - INFO - Final validated file path: C:\Users\billk_clb\anaconda3\envs\rascmdr_piptest\Lib\site-packages\examples\example_projects\Balde Eagle Creek_09\BaldEagle.p01.hdf
2026-01-11 20:52:17 - ras_commander.hdf.HdfResultsPlan - INFO - Extracting Plan Information from: BaldEagle.p01.hdf
2026-01-11 20:52:17 - ras_commander.hdf.HdfResultsPlan - WARNING - Group '/Plan Data/Plan Information' not found.
2026-01-11 20:52:17 - ras_commander.hdf.HdfResultsPlan - INFO - Using existing Path object HDF file: C:\Users\billk_clb\anaconda3\envs\rascmdr_piptest\Lib\site-packages\examples\example_projects\Balde Eagle Creek_09\BaldEagle.p01.hdf
2026-01-11 20:52:17 - ras_commander.hdf.HdfResultsPlan - INFO - Final validated file path: C:\Users\billk_clb\anaconda3\envs\rascmdr_piptest\Lib\site-packages\examples\example_projects\Balde Eagle Creek_09\BaldEagle.p01.hdf
2026-01-11 20:52:17 - ras_commander.hdf.HdfResultsPlan - INFO - Using existing Path object HDF file: C:\Users\billk_clb\anaconda3\envs\rascmdr_piptest\Lib\site-packages\examples\example_projects\Balde Eagle Creek_09\BaldEagle.p01.hdf
2026-01-11 20:52:17 - ras_commander.hdf.HdfResultsPlan - INFO - Final validated file path: C:\Users\billk_clb\anaconda3\envs\rascmdr_piptest\Lib\site-packages\examples\example_projects\Balde Eagle Creek_09\BaldEagle.p01.hdf
c:\Users\billk_clb\anaconda3\envs\rascmdr_piptest\Lib\site-packages\ras_commander\RasPrj.py:1513: FutureWarning: The behavior of DataFrame concatenation with empty or all-NA entries is deprecated. In a future version, this will no longer exclude empty or all-NA columns when determining the result dtypes. To retain the old behavior, exclude the relevant entries before the concat operation.
  self.results_df = pd.concat([self.results_df, new_results], ignore_index=True)
2026-01-11 20:52:17 - ras_commander.RasPrj - INFO - Updated results_df with 1 plan(s)





True
Python
# Uncomment to run the simulation with the updated plan

# # Define a destination folder for the computation
# dest_folder = script_dir / "compute_results"
# print(f"Computing plan {plan_number}...")
# print(f"Results will be saved to: {dest_folder}")

# # Execute the plan
# success = RasCmdr.compute_plan(
#     plan_number,
#     dest_folder=dest_folder,
#     clear_geompre=True,    # Clear preprocessor files to ensure clean results
#     num_cores=2,           # Use 2 processor cores
#     overwrite_dest=True,   # Overwrite existing destination folder
#     rasect=ras
# )

# if success:
#     print(f"Plan {plan_number} computed successfully")
#     # Check for results file
#     results_path = RasPlan.get_results_path(plan_number)
#     if results_path:
#         print(f"Results saved to: {results_path}")
# else:
#     print(f"Failed to compute plan {plan_number}")

Viewing Execution Summary with results_df

Check how parameter changes affected execution performance.

Python
# Display execution summary only for the plan run in this notebook (filtered and transposed)
print("Execution Summary (for current plan):")
display.display(ras.results_df[ras.results_df['plan_number'] == plan_number].T)
Text Only
Execution Summary (for current plan):
1
plan_number 01
plan_title Unsteady with Bridges and Dam
flow_type Unsteady
hdf_path C:\Users\billk_clb\anaconda3\envs\rascmdr_pipt...
hdf_exists True
hdf_mtime 2026-01-11 20:52:17.256237
completed True
has_errors False
has_warnings False
error_count 0
warning_count 0
first_error_line None
rt_simulation_start None
rt_simulation_end None
rt_simulation_hours None
rt_complete_process_hours None
rt_unsteady_compute_hours None
rt_complete_process_speed None
unsteady_time_of_maximum_stage None
unsteady_time_of_maximum_velocity None
unsteady_time_of_maximum_flow None
unsteady_computation_interval None
steady_solution NaN

HEC-RAS Plan Parameters Reference

Parameter Documentation

  • HEC-RAS User's Manual - Chapter 5: Simulation window options https://www.hec.usace.army.mil/software/hec-ras/documentation.aspx
  • Technical Reference - Section 2: Computation methods and intervals

Common Parameters

Computation Intervals: - Computation Interval: Timestep for hydraulic calculations (seconds) - Output Interval: Frequency of results saved to HDF (seconds) - Mapping Interval: Frequency for RAS Mapper output (seconds)

Simulation Timing: - Simulation Date: Start date/time (format: DDMMMYYYY,HHMM) - End Date: End of simulation period

LLM Forward: Parameter Change Tracking

Create audit trail for parameter modifications:

Python
def audit_parameter_changes(plan_number, changes_dict, output_file):
    # Document all parameter changes
    audit_record = {
        'plan_number': plan_number,
        'timestamp': datetime.now().isoformat(),
        'changes': []
    }

    for param_name, (old_val, new_val) in changes_dict.items():
        audit_record['changes'].append({
            'parameter': param_name,
            'original_value': str(old_val),
            'new_value': str(new_val),
            'change_type': type(new_val).__name__
        })

    # Export audit record
    import json
    with open(output_file, 'w') as f:
        json.dump(audit_record, f, indent=2)

    print(f"Parameter changes documented: {output_file}")

# Usage
changes = {
    'Computation Interval': (10, 5),
    'Output Interval': (60, 30),
    'Mapping Interval': (3600, 1800)
}

audit_parameter_changes(
    plan_number,
    changes,
    project_folder / 'parameter_audit.json'
)

This provides: - Change history: Know what was modified when - Reproducibility: Revert changes if needed - Peer review: Non-programmers can verify modifications

Summary

In this notebook, we covered essential operations for manipulating HEC-RAS plan files programmatically:

  1. Project Initialization: init_ras_project() populates DataFrames with project metadata
  2. Run Flags: RasPlan.update_run_flags() controls which HEC-RAS components execute
  3. Plan Intervals: RasPlan.update_plan_intervals() sets computation and output timesteps
  4. Descriptions for All File Types:
  5. Plans: RasPlan.read_plan_description() / update_plan_description()
  6. Geometry: RasPlan.read_geom_description() / update_geom_description()
  7. Steady Flow: RasPlan.read_flow_description() / update_flow_description()
  8. Unsteady Flow: RasUnsteady.read_unsteady_description() / update_unsteady_description()
  9. Simulation Dates: RasPlan.update_simulation_date() for unsteady analysis periods
  10. DataFrame Access: Descriptions available via ras.plan_df['description'], ras.geom_df['description'], ras.geom_df['geom_title'], ras.flow_df['description'], ras.unsteady_df['description']

Key Classes

Class Methods
RasPlan get_plan_value(), update_run_flags(), update_plan_intervals(), read_plan_description(), update_plan_description(), read_geom_description(), update_geom_description(), read_flow_description(), update_flow_description(), update_simulation_date()
RasUnsteady read_unsteady_description(), update_unsteady_description()
RasCmdr compute_plan()
  • 103_plan_and_geometry_operations.ipynb - Plan cloning fundamentals
  • 110_single_plan_execution.ipynb - Execute parameterized plans
  • 101_project_initialization.ipynb - Project structure basics
CLB Engineering Corporation  ·  LLM Forward Engineering
RAS Commander is a free and open-source project maintained by CLB Engineering Corporation. For agencies and firms seeking to modernize H&H workflows with LLM Forward approaches, contact CLB to partner with the engineers who wrote the automation.