Working with MODFLOW > GIS and visualisation

This page describes programs that facilitate exchange of MODFLOW cell-based data with packages such as SURFER and PARAVIEW wherein they may be displayed, coloured and contoured in two or three dimensions. We also describe programs that can assist in two-way exchanges of data between MODFLOW models and a GIS.

All of these programs are supplied with the groundwater utility suite.

Programs that work with structured grid versions of MODFLOW are listed (in alphabetical order) in the following table. See Part B of the manual of the groundwater utility suite for more details.

Program	Task
GENREAL2SRF	Writes a SURFER grid file following spatial interpolating from the cell centres of a MODFLOW real array to the nodes of a SURFER grid. The MODFLOW grid on which the real array is based can have cells of uniform or variable dimensions. It can have arbitrary orientation.
GRID2ARC	(This is an old program.) GRID2ARC produces a pair of ARCINFO “generate” files based on a user-specified portion of a structured finite-difference grid.
GRID2BLN	Writes a SURFER blanking file for part or all of a structured MODFLOW grid. The grid can then be displayed in SURFER.
GRID2DXF	Writes a DXF file for part or all of a structured MODFLOW grid.
GRID2PT	Lists the cell centres of part or all of a structured MODFLOW grid. Other groundwater utility programs can associate values with these points. These values can be read or interpolated from MODFLOW-compatible real arrays.
INT2MIF	Records the contents of all or part of a MODFLOW-compatible integer array in Mapinfo interchange format. A file of this format can be imported into a GIS package or SURFER.
MF2VTK MF2VTK1	Writes a "legacy VTK" file featuring part or all of a MODFLOW grid. Values of hydraulic properties and/or system states can be associated with model cells. The VTK file can be imported into packages such as PARAVIEW for 3D visualisation.
REAL2MIF	Records the contents of all or part of a MODFLOW-compatible real array in Mapinfo interchange format. A file of this format can be imported into a GIS package or SURFER.
REAL2SRF	Rewrites the contents of a MODFLOW-compatible real array as a SURFER grid file. This is only allowed if all model cells have the same dimensions.
REAL2TAB	Rewrites the contents of a MODFLOW-compatible real array as a tabular data file. As such, its contents can be imported into a GIS or other package.
ROTBLN, ROTDAT, ROTDXF	Rotates the contents of BLN, DXF and tabular data files about a point. These are useful where a MODFLOW grid is rotated with respect to a SURFER grid.
SECTION	Undertakes spatial interpolation of the contents of one or many MODFLOW-compatible real arrays to a user-specified section line through a model grid. Processed data can be imported into any plotting or spreadsheet package for display.
SRF2REAL	Performs the inverse role of REAL2SRF. That is, it re-writes the contents of a SURFER grid file as a MODFLOW-compatible real array.
TAB2INT, TAB2REAL	Reformat tabular data as MODFLOW-compatible integer or real arrays.
ZONE2BLN	Reads a MODFLOW-compatible integer array. Records zone boundaries as a BLN file that can be imported into SURFER for display.
ZONE2DXF	Similar to ZONE2BLN but writes a DXF file.

gis

Programs that work with MODFLOW-USG are listed (in alphabetical order) in the following table. See Part C of the manual of the groundwater utility suite for more details.

Program	Task
GRIDGEN2GSF	Records specifications of a quadtree-refined grid in MODFLOW-USG grid specification file format. The grid, and associated data, can then be used by other programs that are listed in this table.
TAB2NDTF	Prepares MODFLOW-USG node-based data for use with other programs that are listed in this table.
USG2VTK, USG2VTK1	Writes a VTK file based on a MODFLOW-USG grid and associated data.
USGADDCOORD	Adds coordinates to MODFLOW-USG node-based data. These data can then be imported into plotting and visualisation packages.
USGADDZCOORD	Adds z coordinates to point x and y coordinates by interpolating from the centres of MODFLOW-USG grid cells.
USGGRIDLAY	Records data pertaining to a layer of a MODFLOW-USG grid in BLN, MIF or XYZ format, ready for importation into SURFER, a GIS or other plotting/display package.
USGMODGSF	Modifies a MODFLOW-USG grid specification file so that cells have flat tops and bottoms. This is sometimes appropriate for 3D visualisation.
USGNDTF2MIF	Records the contents of a tabular data file containing MODFLOW-USG cell information in Mapinfo interchange format (i.e. MIF format) ready for importation into a GIS.
USGPROP2TAB1, USGPROP2TAB2	Extracts data from MODFLOW-USG input files and writes these data in a format that is usable by other programs in this table.

usg_vtk

Programs that work with MODFLOW 6 are listed (in alphabetical order) in the following table. See Part C of the manual of the groundwater utility suite for more details.

Program	Task
MF62VTK, MF62VTK1, MV62VTK1A, MF62VTK2	Record data associated with cells of a DIS or DISV MODFLOW 6 model in VTK format, ready for importation into PARAVIEW for 3D visualisation.
MF62GIS	Records data pertaining to a single layer of a DIS or DISV MODFLOW 6 model as a BLN or MIF file ready for importation into SURFER or a GIS.

mf6_vtk

See the following table. See the manuals of the groundwater utility suite for details.

Program	Task
LIN2VTK	Records line data in VTK format, ready for plotting in PARAVIEW.
PT2VTK	Records point data in VTK format, ready for plotting in PARAVIEW.
MP72MIF, MP72MIF1, MP72MIF2	Record particle locations calculated by MODPATH7 in Mapinfo interchange format, ready for importation into a GIS.
MP72VTK	Record particle locations calculated by MODPATH7 in VTK format, ready for importation into PARAVIEW.
MP3DU2MIF	Records particle locations calculated by MP3DU in Mapinfo interchange format, ready for importation into a GIS.
MP3DU2VTK	Records particle locations calculated by MP3DU in VTK format, ready for importation into PARAVIEW.
MP3DUACCUM	Accumulates MP3DU particle data into files that allow visualisation of capture probability.

mp3du_vtk