Creating a Landscape

The first step in working with landscapes in IFTDSS is to create a landscape and evaluate the information. In IFTDSS, a landscape file refers to the spatial file that contains vegetation and fuel data in .lcp file format.

You may create a landscape using LANDFIRE data, from the Planning Cycle, Map Studio using the Landscape Tools widget Landscape tools, or from several models by using the Create New Landscape Create New Landscape button. Instructions for each are outlined below:

  1. From the Landscape Evaluation stage of the cycle, and click the Create Landscape card. This card is also available in the Implementation Planning stage of the cycle.

    Start creating a landscape by clicking the 'create landscape' card.

  2. This takes you to the Map Studio and automatically opens the Landscape Tools widget Landscape Tools with the "Create New" tab open. This is where you create your landscape following these steps:

    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 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 dropdown 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 dropdown 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 dropdown 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. (missing or bad snippet)

    8. 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 widget Landscape Tools widget to confirm your landscape is being created. It may take a few minutes to generate your landscape. You may check its status by going to the "Add to Map" tab of the Landscape Tools widget Landscape Tools widget and using the Refresh button. Once complete, check the box next to the landscape to add it to the Layer List widget Layer List widget.

    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.

  3. Once your landscape is created it will be available throughout IFTDSS in all landscape drop-drown menus, My Workspace, and the "Add to Map" tab of the Landscape Tools widget Landscape Tools in Map Studio.

To create landscape from within Map Studio click the Landscape Tools widget Landscape Tools along the bottom of Map Studio. In the Landscape Tools box, make sure the Create new tab is selected.

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 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 dropdown 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 dropdown 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 dropdown 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. (missing or bad snippet)

  8. 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 widget Landscape Tools widget to confirm your landscape is being created. It may take a few minutes to generate your landscape. You may check its status by going to the "Add to Map" tab of the Landscape Tools widget Landscape Tools widget and using the Refresh button. Once complete, check the box next to the landscape to add it to the Layer List widget Layer List widget.

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.

In several places in IFTDSS, such as modeling inputs, you may create a new landscape without having to leave the interface:

Click the Create New Landscape Create New Landscape button. The map view will open in split screen mode, the e Landscape Tools widget Landscape tools will open, with the Create New tab open. From there, you may create your landscape following the steps below.

create landscape button next to the landscape field.

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 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 dropdown 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 dropdown 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 dropdown 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. (missing or bad snippet)

  8. 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 widget Landscape Tools widget to confirm your landscape is being created. It may take a few minutes to generate your landscape. You may check its status by going to the "Add to Map" tab of the Landscape Tools widget Landscape Tools widget and using the Refresh button. Once complete, check the box next to the landscape to add it to the Layer List widget Layer List widget.

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.