Getting Started

This tutorial builds one complete flood model, from an empty project to flood depths on the map. It follows the same eleven beats as the overview video below, so you can read a step, watch the same step, or do both.

The eleven chapters, and where each one is written up

Every step page opens with a Watch this step link that jumps the video to the matching chapter.

Chapter	Video	This tutorial
1	A finished flood model (0:00)	The teaser above: what you are about to build
2	Create the project and upload the LiDAR (0:27)	Create a New Project
3	Two DEMs, two vertical datums (1:55)	Combine Two Terrains
4	Combine surface: feather-merge to one 1 m DEM (3:25)	Combine Two Terrains
5	Model boundary (4:45)	Define Boundaries
6	Hydrology: IDF table, temporal pattern, design storm, hydrographs (5:49)	Build a Design Storm
7	Inflows (8:05)	Add Inflows
8	Rain-on-grid rainfall (9:35)	Define Rainfall
9	Scenario setup (10:38)	Set Up the Scenario
10	Build and run on cloud GPUs (11:35)	Run Your First Model
11	Results (12:48)	View Your Results

Before you start

Prerequisites is preparation rather than a step: it lists the one file you need to download, the two Scenario settings the tutorial assumes, and the rainfall table you will type in at chapter 6. Read it first. Everything after it can be drawn or created inside Hydrata.

We recommend finishing this tutorial before reading the reference sections, which assume you already know where the panels are.