GeoPackage Tips

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Introduction

This page includes tips and tricks for working with the GPKG vector format (supported since the TUFLOW 2023-03-AA Release). GPKG is a widely supported, open GIS database format, built upon an SQLite database (data is stored as a single file with the extension .gpkg).

This database format has several benefits, including:

  • Multiple GIS layers can be stored in the single file database. For example, all GIS input layers can be stored in a single GPKG file.
  • Supports spatial indexing, greatly reducing loading and viewing times, making it much faster to work within GIS packages.
  • Faster to write from TUFLOW than the shapefile format.

For more information see the 2023 Release Notes.

Database Organisation

There are many ways to organise model inputs when using GPKG. This allows modellers to decide how they structure their inputs files, for example some options include:

  • Single database for an entire project
  • Separate database for each control file (e.g. geometry, boundary control file)
  • Separate database for an existing or developed case
  • Separate databases for each type of input (e.g. elevation, materials, culverts)

Referencing a GeoPackage Database

To reference a GPKG Database:

  1. Specify a GPKG Database for the entire model by adding the following command to the beginning of the .tcf. This database will be the default for all inputs in all control files. There is no need to reference the database again in the other control files.
    Spatial Database == <path_to_database>
  2. Specify a different GPKG Database for subsequent inputs using the following command. A new database can be specified multiple times throughout control files, TUFLOW will looks into the last database referenced above the feature. The command can be used in the .tcf, .ecf, .tbc, .tgc, .qcf, .tef. For example:
    Spatial Database == gis\2d_zsh.gpkg ! Sets GPKG Database
    Read GIS Z Shape == 2d_zsh_existing_L ! References the 2d_zsh_L layer from 2d_zsh.gpkg
    Read GIS Z Shape == 2d_zsh_development_L  ! References the 2d_zsh_L layer from 2d_zsh.gpkg

    Spatial Database == gis\2d_mat.gpkg ! Sets GPKG Database
    Read GIS Mat == 2d_mat_existing_R ! References the 2d_mat_R layer from 2d_mat.gpkg
    Read GIS Mat == 2d_mat_development_R ! References the 2d_mat_R layer from 2d_mat.gpkg

Note: The commands are localised to their relevant control file with the exception of the .tcf which acts as a global command (local spatial database will take precedence). If no database is referenced in the other control files, the database referenced in the .tcf will be used.

Referencing a GeoPackage Layer

There are many ways to reference a GPKG Layer. The following commands can be used in the .tcf, .ecf, .tbc, .tgc, .qcf and .tef.

  1. To specify a table in a GPKG, use ">>":
    Read GIS Z Shape == gis\2d_zsh.gpkg >> 2d_zsh_L
  2. To specify more than one table in a GPKG in the same command line, use "|". The database has to be referenced for all the tables.
    Read GIS Z Shape == gis\2d_zsh.gpkg >> 2d_zsh_L | gis\2d_zsh.gpkg >> 2d_zsh_P
  3. To specify more than one table in a GPKG in the same command line, use "&&". This is similar to "|", however there is no need to reference the database again.
    Read GIS Z Shape == gis\2d_zsh.gpkg >> 2d_zsh_L && 2d_zsh_P
  4. "&&" can be used in conjunction with "|":
    Read GIS Z Shape == gis\2d_zsh_R.gpkg | gis\2d_zsh.gpkg >> 2d_zsh_L && 2s_zsh_P
  5. To specify a GPKG file path only. It will assume the table name is the same as the GPKG database name. The following are equivalent:
    Read GIS Z Shape == gis\2d_zsh_L.gpkg
    Read GIS Z Shape == gis\2d_zsh_L.gpkg >> 2d_zsh_L
  6. To specify all the tables in a GPKG, use the command "USE ALL" with ">>":
    Read GIS Z Shape == gis\2d_zsh.gpkg >> USE ALL

If the GPKG Database is specified to use for subsequent inputs, the commands will become:
Spatial Database == gis\2d_zsh.gpkg ! Sets GPKG Database

  1. To specify a table:
    Read GIS Z Shape == 2d_zsh_L
  2. To specify more than one table in the same command line. The following are equivalent:
    Read GIS Z Shape == 2d_zsh_L | 2d_zsh_P
    Read GIS Z Shape == 2d_zsh_L && 2d_zsh_P

Note: If the GPKG for the model is referenced in the .tcf (using the 'Spatial Database' command), it does not need to be referenced again in the other control files. However, if the model inputs are not contained in a single GPKG, the separate databases must be referenced accordingly.

Outputs

Result and check file vector outputs can be written into separate databases or grouped, with 'grouped' being the default. Grouped databases will group by output folder location, for example, the check file folder will contain one GPKG Database that contains all check file layers within it. Separate databases will group geometries together, for example, PLOT_P, PLOT_L, PLOT_R will be written to one database. The following command can be used to set the output to either separate or grouped:
Spatial Database Output == SEPARATE | {GROUPED}

This is a huge benefit in terms of file organisation. The below shows the TUFLOW 'Check' folder from a model using the GPKG grouped and a model using the GPKG separate. The same 'Check' folder for a model using Shapefile would have 44(!) items in it.

  • Grouped:


  • Separate (grouped geometries):


QGIS Tips & Tricks

Convert TUFLOW Model GIS Format

The Convert TUFLOW Model GIS Format tool converts one GIS format to another for an entire model (input files and control files). For example, a model currently using the SHP vector format and FLT raster format can be converted to GPKG and TIF. This tool works both ways (to or from GPKG) for any TUFLOW supported formats and is available in the 'Processing Toolbox' once the TUFLOW Plugin is installed.

Configuring a New Project

QGIS is used to configure TUFLOW projects with the TUFLOW plugin. To configure a new TUFLOW project with GPKG as the GIS format, use the TUFLOW plugin:

  1. Open the 'Configure TUFLOW Project' tool by selecting Plugins > TUFLOW > Editing > Configure / Create TUFLOW Project.
  2. Click 'Select CRS' to select the required CRS for the project.
  3. Click 'Browse...' to select the folder location containing the TUFLOW folder. This creates the default TUFLOW model directory and sub-folders.
  4. Click 'Browse...' to select the location of the TUFLOW single precision executable file.
  5. Select 'GPKG' as the GIS Format.
  6. Select the required TUFLOW Engine.
  7. Select the relevent remaining options (Note: Do not select "Tutorial Model" if you are building a project model)
  8. Click 'OK'. This will configure the TUFLOW project using GPKG.

    M01 GPKG Configure 01.PNG

Setting a Browser Panel Favourite

For quick access, a project folder can be set as a favourite in the QGIS Browser Panel.

  1. Right click in the Toolbar panel and tick on 'Browser Panel' from the 'Panels' options.
  2. Within the QGIS Browser Panel, right click on 'Favorites' and select 'Add a Directory...'.
  3. Navigate to the project folder and select it.



QGIS Browser Panel

The QGIS Browser Panel is the recommended location to view, access, open and edit GPKG layers. It is possible to:

  1. View layers inside a GPKG.


  2. Move a layer from one GPKG to another.


  3. Move a shapefile into a GPKG. QGIS automatically converts it to a GPKG layer.


  4. Rename a layer in a GPKG.


  5. Delete a layer in a GPKG.


Create a New Layer

Use the TUFLOW plugin to create a new layer.

  1. Click on the ‘Import Empty File’ symbol from the TUFLOW Plugin toolbar.

    Import empty file.png

  2. This opens the Dialog shown below. The TUFLOW plugin accesses the 'Empty Directory' created when the project was configured and provides a list of files to choose from. It appends the 'Empty Type' to the beginning of the 'RUN ID' and the 'Geometry Type' letter to the end. This becomes the name of the file.

    Import empty dialogue.png

  3. In the 'Spatial Database Options' section, there are the following options:
    1. Convert to GPKG. This converts the imported format to a GPKG even if the empty file format is not a GPKG. The video below shows it being used for the 'Separate' option, however it can be toggled on for any of the export options.


    2. Separate: Creates a separate GPKG for each new file.


    3. Group geometry types: Creates a GPKG containing the new files for all selected geometry types.


    4. All to one: Adds the new files to a new or existing GPKG.




For more information, see QGIS TUFLOW Import Empty.

Increment a Layer

This TUFLOW Plugin tool saves a copy of the active layer with a new filename. To use the tool:

  1. Select the layer to increment in the Layers panel.
  2. Click on the 'Increment Selected Layer' symbol from the TUFLOW Plugin toolbar.

    Increment layer.png

There are three options for incrementing a layer:

  1. Increment layer only (default): This option increments the filename and the GPKG database by 1. It closes the old layer and opens the new one. For example, the tool increments M01_001.gpkg to M01_002.gpkg and 2d_code_M01_001_R to 2d_code_M01_002_R.
    • Note: In the video below, the output database is manually changed back to M01_001.gpkg. If the default settings were not changed the new layer would have been added to a new GPKG, M01_002.gpkg.


  2. Increment layer and preserve database: This option increments the filename of the selected layer and the GPKG database by 1. It also copies all other layers from the original GPKG database into the incremented GPKG database. For example, the tool makes a copy of M01_001.gpkg and increments it to M01_002.gpkg. All layers are copied across with their original filename, except the selected layer, which is incremented to 2d_code_M01_002_R.


  3. Save layer out into superseded folder: This option increments the the filename of the selected layer by 1. It closes the old layer and opens the new one. The old layer gets moved into a new folder called 'ss'. For example, the tool increments 2d_code_M01_001_R to 2d_code_M01_002_R and moves 2d_code_M01_001_R to the 'ss' folder.


For more information, see the Increment Layer Tool.

Apply GeoPackage Layer Names

This tool will change the layer name (within the Layers panel) to be the same as the layer name within the GPKG database. To use the tool:

  1. Drag and Drop the GPKG Database from Windows File Explorer to QGIS.
  2. Click on the 'Apply GPKG Layer Names' symbol from the TUFLOW Plugin toolbar.

    GPKG layer names a.png


Note: If the layers are opened from within the QGIS Browser Panel, they will automatically be named the same as within the GPKG database.

For more information, see the Updating a GPKG Layer Name

Tutorials

Free TUFLOW tutorials using the GeoPackage format are availble via: TUFLOW HPC Tutorials

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