Each habitat model project stores various types of model defintion information. This includes things like habitat suitability curves, literature sources, lists of species and life stages etc. Basically all the definitions needed to create a habitat simulation.
Because this information is stored within individual projects, any edits to this model definition information within a particular project is unavailable to other projects. However, this definition information can be saved as a template which can then used to create new projects.
Template Contents
A template stores the following types of information. Essentially this is all the information that is displayed in the Model Definitions section of the main habitat model explorer. Note that templates do not store any data-specific information or indeed any information pertaining to simulations. They only store the definitions and rules on which simulations are based.
- FIS Models
- HSI Models
- Habitat Suitability Curves
- Species
- Life Stages
- Units
- Variables
- Dimensions
- HSC Categories
- Literature Sources
Master Template
The habitat software comes with a single master template that contains habitat suitability curves and FIS rules for salmonid fish in the Pacific Northwest. The master template is the default template for all new projects.
Creating New Templates
After editing any model definition information inside a project it is possible to generate a new user template based on the modified contents of that project. New projects can then be based on this user template, thereby starting with the custom, edited model definitions instead of the original curves in the master template.
This is especially useful if you have hand-entered new habitat suitability curves that you want to use as the basis for other, new projects.
- Open the project that contains the model definitions that you want to use as the basis for the user template.
- Right click on the project name at the top of the project explorer and choose Create Template From Project.
- Provide a title for the new user template. Each user template must possess a unique title.
- Click OK to save the template and make it available for use in new projects (see Using Templates).
Using Templates
Each time you create a project you get to choose the template on which to base the new project. This is like picking which set of habitat suitability curves or models that you want to start out with.
By default, projects are based on the master template, but you can drop down the template list and select a different template to base your project on one of the user templates that you have created.
