The RivEX Workspace
The RivEX workspace is an important concept you must understand for error free use of RivEX. It is simply the folder location that your dataset sits within and allows RivEX to associate the extracted topological data of your network and outputs with that specific dataset. For example:
- If you had a dataset called rivers.shp and this was stored in a folder G:\Projects\ABC\vector then the workspace folder is G:\Projects\ABC\vector.
- If your dataset is in a File Geodatabase and was stored in Z:\Projects\XYZ\Data\myGeoDB.gdb\Rivers then the workspace folder is Z:\Projects\XYZ\Data.
You must create the workspace as your first step in processing your river network using the Create a RivEX workspace tool.
When you set the workspace folder RivEX uses this location to create a sub-folder called RivEX_Workspace. Topology, error logs and output are stored in sub-folders within RivEX_Workspace.
The river network sits within the File GeoDatabase named SNAPP_Amazon_Aquatic_Ecosystem_Spatial_Framework.gdb
but its the folder (D:\GIS\GIS Data\SNAP_Amazon) that the GeoDatabase sits within that is to be selected as the Workspace.
Note RivEX has created a sub-folder called RivEX_Workspace.
When you navigate into the RivEX_Workspace folder you will see 3 folders and the RivEX Settings file:
..\RivEX_Workspace
→ ErrorLogs
→ Output
→ TopoCache
The only folders you will ever need to visit are the ErrorLogs and Output folders.
Do not remove or rename any files from the TopoCache folder!
The file called RivEX_Settings.xml is a simple XML file that holds all the information RivEX needs to establish links back to the dataset and any fields created by RivEX. Maintaining this information means the tool interfaces are much simpler to use as it is RivEX that is reading the field names from the settings file to complete the tool. Changing the contents of this file will break the link between RivEX and your dataset and many of the tools will fail to run as they won't find the fields.
Do not change the contents of the RivEX_Settings.xml file!
You can delete the folder RivEX_Workspace without affecting your river network but be aware you will be deleting the RivEX_Settings file, cached topology information and any output created by RivEX (e.g. nodes or sampling points). If you have output generated by RivEX then consider copying it out of the directory using the Catalog Pane before deleting the RivEX_Workspace folder.
You can only have 1 river network in a workspace folder. Having multiple networks in a single folder will cause RivEX to overwrite existing settings/topology data.