Accessing Prometheus through the back door
Introduction
Pandora is a Windows application that gives users the ability to run basic Prometheus simulations without using the Prometheus user interface. All the parameters for the simulations are specified in a single text file, including the locations of the data input files (e.g. weather, fuels, terrain). Any number of simulations can be specified in the parameters text file.
The Pandora user interface consists of a single dialog box in which the parameters file name is specified, and progress information is displayed. The parameters file can also be specified as a command-line argument, which begins processing immediately and then shuts the program down when all of the simulations are complete. This allows Pandora to be called from other applications.
Pandora has primarily been used for ensemble modelling, and longer-term fire planning projects because it can easily be used to simulate large numbers of fires. However, there are many options available in the Prometheus application that are currently not available in Pandora.
In Greek mythology, Pandora was the wife of Prometheus' brother, Epimetheus. Whereas Prometheus means "forethought", Epimetheus means "afterthought". Pandora received a bad reputation because she opened a box which she was forbidden to open. All the evil from the box was subsequently unleashed into the world. Her only real crime though was her curiosity.
The Pandora application was developed by the Canadian Forest Service (CFS) with support from Alberta Sustainable Resource Development.
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Features
- Standalone executable
- Run any number of Prometheus simulations in a batch
- Requires Prometheus COM
- Reads all parameters from a text file
- Required inputs: fuels, weather, parameters file, projection file
- Optional inputs: fuel type lookup table, elevation, slope, aspect, ignition shape file
- Outputs: fire perimeters (shape files), FBP components e.g. fire intensity, spread rate (ascii grids)
- Help file
Options
- Fuel lookup table
- Terrain grid inputs
- Grass curing
- Time interval
- Burn period settings
- Angle and distance thresholds
- Hourly FFMC calculation method
- Output files and locations
- Log file (includes area burned)
- Single or multiple ignitions
Spatial Fire Management System (SFMS) link
Pandora is used to make the Prometheus fire growth model available to SFMS users. This functionality is included in the SFMS fire growth modelling (FGM) extension.
Download
Pandora is freely available from the CFS FTP site. Click here to download pandora.zip, which contains these two files:
- pandora.exe - executable
- pandora.hlp - help file
Both files should be extracted to the same folder. The executable is the actual application, not a setup program. No installation is necessary (besides the PrometheusCOM). More information about Pandora can be found in the help file.
Contact
Peter Englefield
Canadian Forest Service
(780) 435-7254
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