BaseOps User's Guide, Chapter 26: Using Scenarios

Every BaseOps case contains one or more scenarios. A scenario is a set of case modifications, such as scaling the number of flight profile operations or deleting static profiles. When you run the case, a noise analysis is performed for each scenario: see Running Cases.

When a new case is created, it contains a single scenario named "Baseline". This baseline scenario does not modify the case. In many situations, this is the only scenario required.

However, you may sometimes need to perform a noise analysis for two or more situations, to compare the noise impact of each alternative. For example, when performing an environmental assessment for a proposed change to an airfield's operations, it is common to perform one noise analysis of the existing noise impact, and another noise analysis of the predicted noise impact after the proposed change is implemented.

Without scenarios, this could only be done by creating separate BaseOps cases for each noise analysis. Using scenarios, however, you can keep all information in a single case. This brings many advantages. Typically, a large fraction of the information is common to all of the alternative cases. Keeping all of the information in a single BaseOps case reduces the amount of information that must be redundantly entered and kept synchronized.

Working With Scenarios

To work with scenarios, choose Scenarios from the object type selector dropdown list. Scenarios can be added, duplicated, and deleted as described in Working with the List Pane.

To edit a scenario, first select it in the object list, then edit its properties in the text pane.

Scenarios have the following properties.

• Name - A descriptive name that uniquely and unambiguously identifies the scenario. There is no length restriction on the name.

• File Id Name - A short (40 characters maximum) descriptive name that identifies this scenario. Every scenario in a case must have a unique file id name. All files created while running a scenario will be located in the same directory as the containing .baseops case file, and will be of the form CASENAME - FILEIDNAME - FILETYPE.EXTENSION, where CASENAME is the name of the .baseops case file, FILEIDNAME is the file id name specified here, and FILETYPE and EXTENSION identify the type of the file (NMap input file, RNM log file, etc.).

  If desired, the file id name can be empty. This would typically be done in cases that contain only a single scenario.

• Notes - Miscellaneous information about the scenario. There is no restriction on the length of notes. Press the Enter key to insert additional lines.

• Changes - The changes to be made to the BaseOps case to create the scenario case.

  To add a new change, either press the Add Change button , or press Ctrl + A. The Select Type of Change dialog box appears.

  

  Select the type of change you would like to make to the case, then press OK. The change is added to the scenario.

  To edit a change, press the Edit button next to that change. A dialog box appears that allows you to edit the change's options. See Types of Scenario Changes for a description of the options associated with each type of change.

  To delete a change, either press the Delete Choice button , or press Ctrl + Del.

  To move a change up or down in the table, press the Move Up and Move Down buttons and , or press Ctrl + U and Ctrl + D. Changes are applied in order, starting from the top of the list and working down.

Types of Scenario Changes

Scale Operations Scenario Change

Use the Scale Operations scenario change to modify the number of day, evening (if applicable), and night operations for flight, training and static profiles. Only flight profile scaling is describe here; training and static profile scaling is performed in an analogous manner.

To scale flight profile operations, add a Scale Flight Profile Operations change to a scenario, then edit the change's options (see Working With Scenarios). The Scale Flight Profile Operations dialog box appears.

Enter the factors by which the number of day, evening (if applicable), and night operations will be multiplied. A factor of 2 would double the number of operations, and 0.5 would halve them. Entering 1 for the scale factor would leave the number of operations unchanged.

Select the flight profiles whose operations will be scaled. This is done in a similar manner to selecting the objects to display in the object list. See Filtering the Object List for more information.

Delete Objects Scenario Change

Use the Delete Objects scenario change to delete objects (flight tracks, static profiles, etc.). Only flight profile deletion is describe here; the deletion of other types of objects is performed in an analogous manner.

To delete flight profiles, add a Delete Flight Profiles change to a scenario, then edit the change's options (see Working With Scenarios). The Select Flight Profiles to Delete dialog box appears.

Select the flight profiles that will be deleted. This is done in a similar manner to selecting the objects to display in the object list. See Filtering the Object List for more information.

Change Weather Conditions Scenario Change

Use the Change Weather Conditions scenario change to modify the scenario's weather conditions. You can specify a new temperature, relative humidity, and atmospheric pressure to use when running the scenario.

To change weather conditions, add a Change Weather Conditions change to a scenario, then edit the change's options (see Working With Scenarios). The Select New Weather Conditions dialog box appears.

Select the new weather conditions. See Setting Weather Conditions for more information.

Saving a Scenario as a New Case

If desired, you can save a scenario as a new case file. This is rarely necessary, but BaseOps gives you this capability for exceptional circumstances.

To save a scenario as a new case file, press the Save Modified Case to File button. You will be prompted for the name of the new .baseops case file that will be created.

Caution: