| Performance Measure Help and How To Page |
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BACKGROUND The majority, if not all, of Web browsers can only display two graphic types: GIF and JPEG. This initially proved to
be a huge problem, since our preliminary Postscript to GIF/JPEG conversions were producing less than desirable results.
These initial graphics lacked the level of detail we needed, and the file size of these graphics was to large. This set
us back a while, until we discovered the integration of Adobe Acrobat Reader (Reader) with Netscape 3.x.
Under this later release of Netscape, you have the ability to add the Reader as a helper application.
What this means in plain English, is that we could run Adobe Acrobat Reader within the realm of the browser.
Why was this such a major break through? To fully understand why, you need to have an understanding of Adobe Acrobat's
native file format "Portable Document Format" or "PDF". PDF's are derived from Postscript, using Adobe Acrobat Distiller or PDFWriter.
They have the high-quality of Postscript, but unlike Postscript, PDF's are highly compressed (which equates to small file sizes).
Since our graphics are Postscript generated, it made it very easy for us to convert them straight into PDF's. Once in
PDF format, they can be displayed in the Acrobat Reader, which is embedded in the browser. All we had to do from there, was
link the PDF's in our HTML code and BINGO! High-quality graphics with minimal file size. In addition to this, the Reader
allows you to PAN, ZOOM, or even print the graphics at 300-DPI. Talk about the perfect solution!
Now that we had the ideal environment and the means to provide high-quality performance measure graphics, it was time to
develop a website that was attractive, quick, and easy to traverse. After days of brain-storming and planning, we began construction.
It hasn't been an easy task trying to balance what we are able to provide versus meeting the needs of a variety of computer users. We
understand that not everyone has high-end computers and fast Internet connections. Although this thinking shaped the design of this
website, there have been some areas where we had to maintain a certain level of standards to reach our goal. Please read the following
section "Getting Started - Minimum Standards" below for more information.
GETTING STARTED
What You Need To Get Started
CHECKLIST
Before you get started, go through the following "checklist" to make sure that you have downloaded and installed the
right software, made the necessary software configuration changes (if needed), and updated any system properties/ configurations
(if needed). For more details on any of the following information, refer to this help page as well as the FAQ's.
NAVIGATING OUR WEBSITE
One of our top priorities in designing this website, was to make it easy to navigate through. To accomplish this,
we used a series of HTML frames that allowed us to display information in 1 frame, by clicking on a button or link within another
frame. A good example of this, is the front page. Here we have a series of graphical links (the green buttons on the left side)
which when clicked on will display information in the frame on the right, while maintaining their position. Other features that we
have added to aid in navigation, are "BACK" and "HOME" buttons. BACK buttons will take you one level backwards, while the HOME
buttons will take you back to the Main Menu. Let's take a look at the Main Menu, link by link, to give you a feel of how we have
organized our website.
Main Menu - Description
Getting Started
About The Restudy
About The Performance Measures
Alternatives Descriptions/Evaluations
Alternatives Descriptions/Evaluations (Individual Comments)
Performance Measures (Viewing) You will notice that there are three components to this webpage. The first one is the Select A P.M. Set:, which is a
selection menu. This is how you will define which "SET" of Performance Measure graphics you want to view. If you don't change
this setting, you will automatically be routed to the most current "SET" of Performance Measure graphics. The next component, is
the CATEGORIES: selection area. This is where you will select a focalized geographic area to view the Performance Measures for.
After clicking on one of the radio buttons which equates to a particular geographic region, any sub-categories or sub-regions will
display in the thrid component, which is the Sub Category selection widget. By clicking on one of the sub-categories, you
will be taken to the webpage that corresponds to that area. From there, you can view the Performance Measure graphics for that
area by making a selection from the menu.
View Maps
Other Models
Evaluation Form To properly fill out the form, start by entering your name in the NAME section, followed by
the name of the group, organization, or business you are affiliated with in the AFFILIATION section.
If you want to receive a copy of your comments, enter your email address in the EMAIL section of the form.
Next, select the CATEGORY you will be evaluating. Important! you can only evaluate 1 CATEGORY per
form. If you select another Category while evaluating Performance Measures for the current Category, the comments
you have already entered (or any information) will be deleted. Upon selecting one of the
Categories, you should have noticed that the PERFORMANCE MEASURES selection menu was updated to only include
the Performance Measure graphics for that Category.
Continue by selecting the P.M. SET (these are the "base" sets plus each iteration) and the FOCUS for
the Performance Measures you will be evaluating. Next, select the Performance Measure from the PERFORMANCE
MEASURE selection menu.
Finally, move down to the EVALUATION section of the form. You should notice that the Category,
P.M. Set, Focus and Peroformance Measure have been added to the Evaluation text box. Begin entering your comments
in the Evaluation section under "Comments:".
Important! You can evaluate more than 1 Performance Measure at a time. However, be careful that you don't
forget to select a new P.M. SET or Focus if necessary.
After you have entered in your evaluation(s), press the submit button at the bottom of the form. This will send your
comments directly to the A.E.T. Again, if you enter your email address in the EMAIL section of the form, you
will receive a copy of your comments.
Webpage Comments
Help & How To's
When given the task of developing a graphical based interface that would allow users from anywhere to quickly and
easily view the performance measure graphics, it didn't take long to figure out that the World Wide Web (Web)
was the ideal environment. Since it crosses computer platforms (i.e. Windows, SunOS, MacOS, etc.),
the Web breaks down the "brick-walls" that were traditionally encountered when trying to provide information to a
wide variety of computer users. Once we had this established, we then had to figure out how we could provide high-quality
graphics with minimal file size (the size of a file in k-bytes). This proved to be very challenging, until we discovered
Adobe Acrobat©.
Minimum Standards
To really get the most out of our website, there are some "minimum standards" if you will, that you should be aware of. First, you should
have at least a 28.8kbps (or higher) connection to the Internet. Even though you can view the performance measure graphics with a 14.4kbps Internet
connection, you will suffer a huge performance loss, especially when viewing maps. Next, the performance measure graphics are best viewed with
a monitor resolution of "1024x768" or higher. Here again, you can view them with a monitor resolution of "800x600", but with a major loss in
total viewing area. Please note that if you're viewing our site with a lower monitor resolution, try setting your
browsers font-size to either 9pt or 10pt.
Lastly, we recommend using Netscape© version 3.01 or higher, since this was the browser in which we used to develop and test
our webpages. Even though other browsers will work, we cannot guarantee their integrity.
Given you have an Internet connection, and access to the Web, you will need to download and install
Netscape Navigator version 3.01 or higher (or equivalent browser), and
Adobe Acrobat Reader version 3.0 or higher. Once these programs have been installed, it's time to link the two together by adding
the Reader as a helper-application to the browser.
This procedure will vary depending on which platform you're on and the version of the browser.
Here are the three most common ways in which you will add the Reader as a helper-application:
Typical Netscape for Windows Setup:
Typical Netscape for MacOS Setup:
Back To Main:
As the name implies, this link will take you back to "Main", or the Main Menu. The navigational green buttons will appear
on the left hand side, while the graphic displaying the South Florida Water Management Model (SFWMM) boundary will appear on the
right side.
This link provides information about the purpose of the Hydrologic Performance Measures as well as links to
setup information and general help. This is a good starting point for first time visitors.
This is a link to the C&SF Restudy homepage located
at the Jacksonville District of the US Army Corps of Engineers.
This site provides information about the study, which is a 50%-50%
cost-shared project between the Federal Government (USACE) and the
state of Florida (SFWMD). The SFWMD is the local sponsor.
This link provides information about what performance measures are, as well as generalized descriptions for:
This link provides access to detailed descriptions of the
alternative plans that are simulated using the South Florida Water
Management Model (SFWMM). Separate descriptions will be developed
for each alternative plan. This on-line documentation is expected
to assist those professionals involved with evaluating the performance
of the alternative plans.
This webpage is a compilation of individual comments received via the
Evaluations Form. The comments are listed from most recent to first
comment for this region.
The Performance Measures link will take you to the non-graphical, menu driven "Hydrologic Performance Measures" webpage.
This is a good way for those who are using a low-end computer, or have a slower Internet connection, to view the Performance
Measure graphics. Please note: if your computer can only display 256-colors with a monitor resolution of 800x600 or 1024x768,
you will need to view the P.M. graphics this way.
The View Maps link will take you to the "Performance Measure Maps" webpage. Here you can view either individual maps, side by side comparison maps, download data from our FTP site, or view animations.
This link takes you to another webpage which is linked to other numerical models
that are to be used for the evaluation of alternative plans. Many of
these models will input specific hydrologic outputs from the SFWMM.
In most cases, you will be leaving the Hydrologic Performance Measures
web page when you click on these links.
This link takes you to the Evaluation Form where you can email your specific
and constructive comments on the performance of the alternative plans.
This form is envisioned to be used primarily by Restudy team members,
but anyone reviewing the simulated performance of the alternative plans
can send their input via this form. The form will be sent to the
Alternative Evaluation Team (AET) where they will compile and synthesize
the comments & suggestions. During the plan formulation process, these
comments are envisioned to help shape the development of the subsequent
alternative plans.
Allows you to send us an email for suggestions on how we may improve this website, or to notify us of any problems or bugs.
The current webpage you are viewing. We have divided this webpage into 2 parts: the first is a selection menu of categorized
help topics. The second part, is a general overview of our website.