Getting Started: Landscapes

Introduction

Creating a landscape generates an LCP file which can be used to run several models in IFTDSS. Landscapes you create are stored in My Workspace and are available from drop-down menus throughout IFTDSS whenever a landscape is required.

Important! The maximum area for a landscape is 12 million acres.

Tip: Need to view outputs for a specific polygon in Map Studio? Try the Add/Remove Layers option in Layer List layer list.

All landscapes will be created with a 4980 meter buffer around them to facilitate using models such as Landscape Burn Probability. This buffer area is not included in summary reports, nor does is count against the 12 million acre size limit.

How to Create a Landscape

The most common way to create a landscape is from Map Studio, using the Landscape Tools landscape tools widget.

use the 'create new' tab to create a new landscape in map studio

In the Create new tab specify the requirements for your landscape:

  1. Use the Map Studio widgets tools such as Zoom, Basemap Gallery, and so forth to locate your desired area.

  2. Define the area of your new landscape by doing one of the following:

    • Selecting an Area of Interest from the drop-down menu (this contains any shapes you've created or shapefiles you've uploaded).

      Important! Your shape or shapefile must be within your current map extent to appear in the drop-down menu, so zoom in or out in Map Studio as needed.

    • Click Select draw mode extent button, mouse to your location on the map, hold down the left mouse key, and draw a rectangle around your desired area, releasing the button when you are finished.
    • Enter exact coordinates, in degrees, for the west, east, south, and north bounds of your desired area.

    3. Important! The maximum area for a landscape is 12 million acres.

    Your landscape extent will be indicted by a turquoise border, and surrounded by a 4980 meter buffer indicated with a black border.

  3. Choose the version of LANDFIRE data you would like to use.
  4. Choose the fire behavior fuel model (Fuel Model 40 or Fuel Model 13) to include in your landscape file.
  5. Give your landscape a descriptive name. This is helpful as you accumulate more landscape files, and when using the drop-down menus throughout IFTDSS, which often only display the landscape name not the folder in which its stored. Spaces are allowed in names and we recommend including the LANDFIRE version and keeping the name less than 30 characters. For example, "Smith Project LF14."
  6. Select the folder to store your landscape file. If needed, you may use the Add New Folder add new folder button button to create a new folder for your landscape. If you do not specify an existing folder or create a new one in this step, your saved landscape defaults to the "Playground" folder of My Workspace.

  7. Click Create to generate your landscape file.

    Draw and dropdown options under the 'create new' tab let you generate a landscape from within map studio.

Once you click Create a message appears at the top of the Landscape Tools box to confirm your landscape is being created. It may take a few minutes to generate your landscape. You may check its status by refreshing the Layer List in Map Studio.

confirmation message that a landsape file is in the process of being downloaded

Important! A maximum of six landscape requests may be submitted at any given time. If you see a pop-up notifying you that this number has been exceeded, complete your task when one of the other requests has completed.

Tip: To see the status of your landscape build in Landscape Tools, select the Add to map tab, followed by the Filter by Map Extent button to show only your new landscape area, and then click Refresh. A checkbox will appear next to your landscape when it is completed. Clicking the checkbox will display the new landscape.

filter and refresh buttons within the Landscape Tools widget.

Additional Information

About Landscapes - Explains landscapes and buffering in depth.

Creating Landscapes - Lists and describes all methods of creating landscapes in IFTDSS.