User Guided Generation of Hydrological Models: Interface Design, Workflows and Concepts for an Extensible Software Framework

We present a combined framework for the exploration and assessment of geoscientific data, preparation of hydrological models, simulation and visualisation of the results. A user interface is provided for 3D visualisation of data sets and construction of hydrological models. The structure is modular and functionality is accessed via interfaces, allowing to switch or replace the implementation of parts of the framework (e.g. numerical solver for simulation or filters for visualisation) without any impact on the overall programme. Functionality is accessed via a graphical user interface that guides the user through the modelling process. We present an example workflow for the creation of a model for a groundwater simulation for the Ammer catchment in southern Germany in the scope of the WESS project. We also present the extensive testing environment that has been created to ensure software quality and robust results for a framework with multiple developers.