United States 

Department of 

Agriculture 

Forest Service 

Users Guide to VSMOKEGIs for Workstations 

Southern 

Research Station 

Research Paper 

SRS-6 

Mary I?. Harms and Leonidas G. Lavdas 
Users Guide to VSMOKEGIs for Workstations 

Mary F. Harms and Leonidas G. Lavdas 
Contents Introduction .................................................. 1 

Arrangement of Users Guide ................................... 2 

Overview .................................................... 2 

Technical Bases ............................................... 3 

Emissions Parameters ......................................... 3 

Meteorological Parameters ..................................... 3 

Concentration Estimates ....................................... 7 

GettingStarted ................................................ 7 

System Requirements ......................................... 7 

Obtaining VSMOKE-GIs ...................................... 7 

Installing VSMOKE-GIs ...................................... 8 

UsersGuide .................................................. 8 

Tutorial .................................................. 10 

Errorchecking ............................................ 27 

Output Interpretation ........................................ 27 

Windows Operations .......................................... 28 

Color Window ............................................. 28 

Responsewindow .......................................... 29 

Scrolling List .............................................. 29 

Select Plume Window ........................................ 29 

SliderBar ................................................. 29 

VSMOKE-GIs Dashboard Glossary .............................. 29 

Plume Definition Window .................................... 29 

ViewIcon ................................................. 32 

ToolsWindow ............................................ 32 

"?" (Help) Window .......................................... 34 

QuitIcon .................................................. 34 

Literature Cited .............................................. 34 

Appendix I-VSMKGS.IPT File Structure ......................... 35 

Appendix 11-Input File Example ................................ 37 

Appendix 111-Complete VSMOKE-GIs Program Listing ............. 38 

Appendix IV-VSMOKE-GIs Logic Listing ....................... 39 

Appendix V-VSMOKE-GIs Editing Instructions ................... 40 
Abstract 

Introduction 

VSMOKE-CIS was developed to help prescribed burners in the national forests of the Southeastern 

United States visualize smoke dispersion and to plan prescribed burns. Developed for use on 

workstations, this decision-support system consists of a graphical user interface, written in ArciInfo 

Arc Macro Language, and is linked to a FORTRAN computer program. VSMOKE-GIs combines a 

graphics display of a forest with a dashboard of five icons. By clicking the mouse on these icons, a 

fire manager can interactively affect the appearance of a smoke plume. Once appropriate files have 

been created, more than one smoke plume can be viewed at once, and different aspects of the forest, 

such as stands of trees, rivers, or soil types, can be viewed together or separately. This users guide 

provides a complete tour of the VSMOKE-CIS, including a history of its development; a tutorial of 

the steps used in creating, viewing, and manipulating plumes; system definitions; descriptive figures; 

and instructions on acquiring and personalizing the system for an individual forest. 

Keywords: Plume definition, prescribed burn, smoke dispersion, smoke plume, smoke plume 

parameters, VSMKCS, VSMOKE-CIS dashboard. 

Fire has always been a key ingredient in forest health. By suppressing fire, land 

managers removed a natural mechanism that promoted biodiversity. When these 

managers recognized the importance of fire, they began to duplicate natural fire 

cycles by burning areas of the forest using prescribed fire intensities and time 

schedules. Prescribed burning became an important component of land and 

resource management. 

But demographic changes in the United States have affected prescribed burning. 

Today, forest managers must consider the human element when planning a 

prescribed fire. Smoke from forest burning can reduce visibility. Low visibility 

can increase driving hazards on roads within or near forest boundaries. Land 

managers must assess the risk of prescribed fire producing smoke that increases 

driving hazards. 

Dispersion Index and Low Visibility Occurrence Risk Index are numerical 

weather indices forest managers can use to make this assessment. Dispersion 

Index (Lavdas 1986) describes the overall efficiency of atmospheric dispersion in 

reducing smoke concentrations over an area of about 1,000 square miles. Low 

Visibility Occurrence Risk Index (Lavdas and Hauck 1991) numerically ranks, in 

relative terms, the likelihood of general weather conditions contributing to reduced 

visibility. 

These indices are part of VSMOKE, a FORTRAN 77 computer program (Lavdas, 

1997) designed as a steady-state Gaussian plume smoke dispersion model that 

estimates the effects of a prescribed forestry burn on air quality and visibility. 

Using VSMOKE, air quality specialists with a background in atmospheric 

dispersion modeling are able to provide forest managers with information useful 

in evaluating the visibility risks of a given prescribed fire. 

Based on VSMOKE, VSMOKE-GIs was developed to help fire managers in the 

national forests of the Southeastern United States visualize smoke dispersion from 

prescribed burns. VSMOKE-GIs is a decision-support system for prescribed 
Arrangement of 

Users Guide 

Overview 

burning operations on flat or rolling plains, assuming a uniform wind field. A 

manager can input hypothetical or actual burn data and produce smoke plumes on 

a given national forest. 

Once appropriate files have been created, more than one smoke plume can be 

viewed at once and different aspects of the forest, such as stands of trees, rivers, 

or soil types, can be viewed together or separately. These different views of the 

forest will help the user to more clearly study the location of the fire and what it 

affects. By studying and analyzing these plumes, the fire manager can plan a 

prescribed burn with a low risk of producing smoke that might increase roadway 

hazards. 

The user can install this dashboard-driven system on any workstation running 

ArclInfo with access to a FORTRAN compiler. The PAN, ZOOM IN, and ZOOM 

OUT utilities allow close scrutiny of each plume, either on screen or printed. 

VSMOKE-GIs includes other important features: 

On-line help windows and pop-up messages assist the user. 

Errors in data entry are recognized, and the user is prompted to enter 

acceptable data. 

Default values are provided, but users can change them to better describe a 

given prescribed burn. 

Multiple plumes may be viewed concurrently. 

This guide is arranged to facilitate the following activities: 

Understanding the general concepts behind VSMOKE-GIs, 

Getting started, 

Reading step-by-step instructions for running VSMOKE-GIs, 

Previewing most screen displays, 

Operating windows, and 

Understanding dashboard icons. 

Because the Francis Marion National Forest in South Carolina was used to 

develop VSMOKE-GIS, it appears in figures throughout this guide. The green 

lines represent stand boundaries and the brown lines represent roads. 

VSMOKE-GIs integrates a process model, VSMKGS, with a Geographic 

Information System (GIS), ArcAnfo. A graphical user interface was developed in 

Arcilnfo, written in Arc Macro Language. It collects the necessary input data to 

run VSMKGS. The input is passed on to VSMKGS, which runs external to the 

GIs. VSMKGS, a customized version of VSMOKE, calculates isopleths of equal 

smoke concentration, which are passed back to Arc/Info for display. A simplified 
Technical Bases 

Emissions Parameters 

Meteorological 

Parameters 

map to the VSMOKE-GIs, a flowchart (fig. 1) follows the stream of logic 

through WIX, ArciInfo, and VSMOKE-GIs during smoke plume creation. It also 

demonstrates the interaction necessary between each process. 

VSMOKE generates particulate matter emissions from user input values for acres 

burned, fuel load, duration of smoke emissions, and hellfire type. The hellfire 

type is used to estimate an emission factor (i.e., pounds of particulate matter 

generated per ton of fuel consumed). The emission factor is multiplied by he1 

load and acres burned to obtain the mass of emissions generated. This product is 

divided by duration of smoke emissions to obtain the emission rate. This rate is 

assumed applicable for the analysis period represented by the VSMOKE-GIs 

display. With all other input remaining the same, a doubling of emissions results 

in a doubling of smoke concentrations due to the fire. 

VSMOKE generates heat emissions fkom user input values for acres burned, fuel 

load, and duration of fire. A 3,500 calorie per gram heat value is assumed for 

forest fuels and is multiplied by acres burned and he1 load to obtain a heat value. 

This heat value is divided by duration of fire to obtain the heat release rate. This 

rate is converted to a sensible heat flux which with atmospheric stability class and 

transport windspeed allows an estimate of plume rise. With all other input 

remaining the same, plume rise reduces ground 1eveI concentrations. Plume rise 

increases with increasing sensible heat flux. It decreases with increasing 

atmospheric stability and increasing transport windspeed. 

VSMOKE is a steady-state Gaussian plume dispersion model. As such, it 

assumes that weather conditions, including wind, are steady and constant over 

the area of consideration and during the time smoke moves from source to 

receptor. As a Gaussian plume model, VSMOKE assumes that a mean windflow 

with dispersion occurs as a result of small, random deviations of the wind at right 

angles to the mean flow. As an example, the mean wind may be blowing from the 

west, with deviations from the south and north (causing horizontal dispersion) as 

well as from below and above (causing vertical dispersion). 

In VSMOKE, the relative strength of these deviations is controlled primarily by 

the atmospheric stability class, Stability class is an expression of thermally driven 

turbulence and ranges from extremely unstable (class 1) to near neutral (class 4) 

to extremely stable (class 7). During fair weather regimes, stability class 

undergoes a diurnal cycle, with unstable classes occurring in midday and stable 

classes occurring at night. Cloudy or very windy conditions cause the classes to 

tend toward neutral. The timing of the analysis period (day or night) exerts a 

secondary control over these deviations. Figure 2 shows a smoke plume with 

relatively large deviations (extremely unstable conditions). Note that this plume is 

relatively short and wide. Figure 3 shows a smoke plume under extremely stable 

conditions, causing a long, narrow plume. 
0 General 

0 Arcll nfo 

VSMOKE-GIS 

A3-D3 

0 Stop Run 

Enters 

Burn Data 

Read Input 

into 

VSMKGS.IPT 

Exit 

VSMOKE-GIS 

Exit 

Arcllnfo 

to UNlX 

Execute 

VSMKGS.F 

VSMKGS.IS0 

VSMKGS.OPT 

Created 

Return to 

Arcll nfo 

Return to 

VSMOKE-GIs 

Generate 

Smoke Plume 

from 

VSMKGS.IS0 

Figure I-VSMOKE-GIs logic flow. 

4 
Figure 2-Zoom in of stability class 1. 
/ VSHOKE-GfS VSHOKE-GfS - Francis Francis Marion Nadional Nadional Foremt 

Figure 3-Zoom in of stability class 7. 
Concentration 

Estimates 

Getting Started 

System Requirements 

Obtaining VSMOKE-GIs 

VSMOKE smoke concentrations are restricted in the depth of the atmosphere they 

occupy by the height of the mixing layer. In VSMOKE, the atmospheric stability 

as expressed by stability class applies from the ground to the top of the mixing 

layer (or mixing height). Above this height, vertical motions are assumed so small 

that dispersion can be neglected. Thus, the mixing height acts as a "lid" above 

which no smoke can penetrate. A high mixing height allows smoke to freely mix 

within the lower atmosphere. A low mixing height traps smoke near the ground, 

causing higher concentrations, especially at long distances from the fire. Mixing 

height tends to undergo a diurnal cycle with low heights at night and early 

morning and high heights at midday and afternoon. 

VSMOKE mean wind is expressed by the transport windspeed and wind direction. 

Transport windspeed applies at all elevations from the ground to the mixing 

height, and directly dilutes smoke concentrations. Transport windspeed can 

undergo a diurnal cycle; winds near the ground are often low at night, but pick up 

around midmorning as the mixing height increases and the atmosphere becomes 

more unstable. Transport windspeeds are often at a maximum in early and 

midafternoon and drop off rapidly around sunset. 

VSMOKE-GIs concentration estimates are presented in the form of several 

isopleths, i.e., lines of equal concentration values. The specialized VSMOKE 

program, VSMKGS, generates coordinate values for isopleths from its estimates 

of downwind smoke concentration and a knowledge of the mathematical behavior 

of model concentrations as horizontal distances at right angles to the centerline 

increase. VSMKGS generates a coordinate pair (x,y) in which x is crossplume 

distance and y is downwind distance from the central point of the fire, VSMKGS 

then converts the (x,y) pairs to (X,Y) values appropriate for a north-south, 

east-west coordinate system. The pre-set smoke concentration isopleth values in 

the VSMKGS.IPT input file can be modified (see appendices). The Universal 

Transverse Mercator (UTM) coordinate system is used throughout for ease of 

calculation. 

Requirements include a workstation environment running X Windows and 

Arcnnfo, and access to a FORTRAN compiler for the particular hardware. 

VSMOKE-GIs was developed on a Hewlett-Packard 9000 720 workstation and 

executes a FORTRAN program to process the smoke plume parameters. It 

consists of 35 files, a workspace for containing the smoke plumes, and an 

informative readme.txt file. The number of programs, and, therefore, the amount 

of disk space, depend on the types of forest coverages and projections. The 

Francis Marion VSMOKE-GIs requires 195 kilobytes of disk space without the 

forest and smoke plume coverages. A color plotter produces the best printed 

display. 

To receive a copy of VSMOE-GIs, the user can download it from the 

Environmental Systems Research Institute, Inc. Home page on the World Wide 

Web (http://www.esri.com). By using the search engine and the following 
keywords, it can be easily accessed: prescribed burn, smoke dispersion, smoke 

plume, VSMOKE-GIs. The downloaded file will be in tar format and will contain 

all VSMOKE-GIs files. 

Because of its design, the VSMOKE-GIs system must be tailored to each 

location. Each national forest may have different requirements that will affect the 

number of programs necessary and the amount of disk space required. The user 

must supply the name of the forest and its geographic coordinate system. The 

exact names and feature classes of road and stand coverages, or two alternate 

coverages to be displayed, are also necessary. VSMOKE-GIs projects between 

the UTM and forest coordinate systems. Providing the forest UTM zone and other 

required projection information, such as zone, units of measure, shift, and datum, 

ensure that each specific location will own a finished product. 

Installing VSMOKE-GIS The root user owned the VSMOKE-GIs files when they were initially copied to 

tape. All other users had read, and sometimes execute, permission only. When the 

tar file is downloaded, the user should install it under a directory that will be 

accessible to all of the users. Retaining the ownership and permission parameters 

will help protect the system from accidental changes. 

To install VSMOKE-GIs: 

1. As the root user, change to the directory that contains the VSMOKE-GIs 

downloaded tar file. 

2. Restore this file to the current directory by entering the following: 

tar xvf <tar file name> 

Substitute "<tar file name>" with the file name of the downloaded tar file. Press 

Return. 

3. Compile the FORTRAN program, vsmkgs.f, and name the resulting executable 

file vsmkgs.out. 

To compile vsmkgs.f, consult the workstation FORTRAN user manual or the 

"Recompile Source" section under "VSMOKE-GIs Editing Instructions" in the 

appendices. 

4. Edit the other programs as needed. Refer to the flowchart (fig. 1) and the 

appendices for guidance. The "VSMOKE-CIS Editing Instructions" provide 

detailed assistance. 

Users Guide At the start of a VSMOKE-GIs session, a forest is graphically displayed in an 

ArcPlot Window and a dashboard with five icons appears (fig. 4). The forest 

display should consist of coverages, such as roads or stand boundaries, that are 
5 VSMOKE-@IS - Franc i s Mar- i on Na t i ano l Forest 

Figure 4-VSMOKE-GIs initial display. 

9 
Tutorial 

HELP Icon 

IDENTIFY Icon 

important in studying smoke dispersion. The dashboard is the main menu and 

stretches across the top of the forest display. The five selections, or icons, help a 

user define the fire parameters, view the resulting plume, and perform utility 

operations. 

Any of the five dashboard icons may be selected, including IDENTIFY, or plume 

definition; VIEW; TOOLS; HELP; and QUIT. Typically, a user would choose the 

IDENTIFY, VIEW, TOOLS, and QUIT icons, in that order, and the HELP icon 

as needed. The Plume Definition Window, executed from the first, or IDENTIFY, 

icon, is the primary input gathering mechanism for VSMOKE-GIs. The 

remaining dashboard choices are less complicated, but they do depend on the 

Plume Definition Window to create the smoke plumes. The VIEW option allows 

the user to visually study the plumes while the TOOLS option provides several 

different viewing capabilities and some standard utilities. The HELP icon 

provides descriptions and the QUIT icon allows the user to exit the system and 

return to Archnfo. 

To run VSMOKE-GIs, enter the commands displayed in bold and press the 

Return key after each command. 

Change to the vsmoke.gis directory by typing: 

cd <substitute full pathname to vsrnoke.gis>/vsmoke.gis 

Start Archnfo by typing: 

arc 

Start VSMOKE-GIs by typing: 

&run vsmoke 

The resulting display should be similar to figure 4. 

By following each step in this tutorial, the user will learn how and when to use 

each icon. The figures, and the "Windows Operations" and "VSMOKE-GIs 

Dashboard Glossary" sections provide a more complete explanation. 

1. Click on the fourth icon from the left (the HELP icon). The contents of this 

pop-up window describe the function of each icon on the VSMOKE-GIs 

dashboard (fig. 5). 

2. Click on the QUIT button in the lower right corner to return to the VSMOKEGIs dashboard. 

A. Initial Display 

Displaying a plume involves a common group of actions performed 

throughout VSMOKE-GIs. The user should remember names and locations 

of smoke plumes chosen for display so these plumes can be redisplayed 

when needed. 
Figure 5-Help Window for VSMOKE-GIS dashboard. 

Figure &Select Plume Window (with no plume names). 
Figure 7-Select Plume Window (with plume names) 

1. Click on the first dashboard icon, the IDENTIFY icon, and the "Select 

Plume:" pop-up window appears (fig. 6 and fig. 7). 

a. If a window like figure 6 appears, click on the OK button and 

continue to part 'B. "?'Help.' 

A window with no smoke plume names appears if VSMOKE-GIs 

has just been installed, all existing smoke plumes have been deleted, 

or no smoke plumes have been created. 

b. If a window similar to figure 7 appears, click on the scroll bar down 

arrow to view all the plume names. After viewing them all, click on 

the chosen one to display. 

This window appears if smoke plumes have been previously created. 

After a plume name is clicked on, the forest is redisplayed and the 

plume is drawn in the initial default color, red. 

c. Click on "-none-" for no more smoke plumes to display when the 

Select Plume: Window (fig. 7) reappears. 

The Plume Definition Window now displays (fig. 8) to the left of the 

forest. The title, "DEFINE PLUME," is shown across the top of this 

window on the computer screen. 
Figure 8-Plume Definition Window. 

13 
Note: The initial forest display (fig. 4) always clears the screen so the 

next forest display can use the UTM coordinate system for burnsite selection. 

B. "?" Help 

1. Click on the "?" icon at the bottom center of the Plume Definition 

Window and scan the contents of the pop-up window (fig. 9). Use the 

CONTWE button or scroll bar. 

2. Click on the QUIT button in the lower right comer to return to the Plume 

Definition Window. 

3 Press mouse button three on any entry in the window to discover the 

type of entry required. 

4. Enter a question mark in any input box and press Return to discover the 

acceptable numerical range for that entry. 

C. Input Values for Creating a New Smoke Plume 

1. Click on SET FIRE (third button tkom the top) to select a bum site. 

a. Move the mouse cursor onto the map. 

b. Position the cursor, or the center of the crosshairs, and click on the 

site of the bum. 

2. Enter the number of acres to bum. 

3. To select the time of day for the bum, click on the daytime or nighttime 

button. 

4. Enter the stability class. 

5. Enter the mixing height. 

6. Enter the transport windspeed. 

7. Select and click on a hellfire type. 

8. Enter the fbel load. 

9. Enter the smoke duration. 

10. Enter the fire duration. 
Figure 9-Help Window for Plume Definition Window. 
I 1. Click on a compass button for the wind direction. 

12. For a more precise wind direction, enter a more exact number, in 

degrees, in the Exact Wind Direction input box. 

I). Creation of the New Smoke Plume 

1. Click on the PROCESS button. 

a. A pop-up window of all the variables used to create the new smoke 

plume appears. It includes all the parameters the user has just 

entered, as well as constants further defining the plume. (The data 

from this window create the variable listing in figure 10. To exit, the 

user must click on the QUIT button. 

b. When the Response Window, "Enter name of smoke plume." 

appears, enter the new smoke plume name. 

c. Click on the OK button to exit. The smoke plume name always 

translates into lower case. 

E. Viewing the New Smoke Plume 

1. Click on VIEW in the Plume Definition Window and then click on the 

name of the new smoke plume from the pop-up Select Plume: Window. 

After the forest is redrawn, the new smoke plume displays in red 

(fig. 1 1). 

2. To return to the Plume Definition Window when the Select Plume: 

Window reappears, click on "-none-." 

F. For a Closer View 

1. Click on the ZOOM IN button to enlarge the new smoke plume for 

closer inspection. The message, "Define the box," appears in the Arc 

Window. 

a. Position the mouse cursor on the display. 

b. Point and click on the lower left and upper right of an "imaginary 

box" surrounding the plume. 

General information on current map scale, map extent, and other 

map descriptors is displayed in the Arc Window. 
Smoke Plume Parameters 

Local : 

XEND 

XBGN 

LGRISE 

FNUM 

NISO 

EMTQPM 

OPENSTAT 

NEWTOL 

QUOT 

CHIISOTOLlO 

BKGPM 

EMTQH 

X 

Y 

EMTQR 

OY INT 

OZINT 

XNTVL 

CHIISOTOLl 

CHIISOTOL2 

CHIISOTOL3 

CHIISOTOL4 

CHIISOTOL5 

CHIISOTOLG 

CHIISOTOL7 

CHIISOTOL8 

CHIISOTOL9 

DIVI 

Global : 

. MXHTNUM 

. TNACRE 

. DUTMFE 

. ACRNUM 

. FILEUNIT 

. WINDIR 

. DUTMFN 

. SMKDUR 

. TRSPDNUM 

.TIMEOFDAY 

. FIREDUR 

. FOUND 

. COLOR 

. COVER 

.STABILITY 

. FTYPE 

Program : 

: PROGRAM 

240.0 

10.0 

-12752.37743386 

16 

1 

242.0 

18176.86930024 

8.2 

1.0 

T 

5.42 

. FALSE. 

red ' ' 

2 

Long - Needle - conifer - Slash 

ARCPLOT 

Figure 1 @-Smoke plume parameters. 
Pk YSMOKE-GLS - Fran~ is Mar ion NaC i ons l ForssG 

# 

Figure 1 1-New smoke plume. 
c. Click on a forest polygon coverage from the Select POLY Coverage: 

Window. 

d. Click on a color for the coverage fi-om the Forest Colors Window 

and QUIT to exit. 

e. Click on "-none-" to exit the Select POLY Coverage: Window 

when it returns. 

f. Click on a forest line coverage from the Select LINE Coverage: 

Window. 

g. Click on a color from the Forest Colors Window for the coverage 

and QUIT to exit. 

h. Click on "-none-" to exit the Select LINE Coverage: Window when 

it returns. 

i. Click on the name of the new smoke plume from the Select Plume: 

Window. 

j. Click on a color for the plume from the Plume Colors Window and 

QUIT to exit. 

k. Click on "-none-" to exit the Select Plume: Window and to return to 

the Plume Definition Window. 

The enlarged plume displays in the selected color (fig. 12). In figure 

12, red was chosen to emphasize that the plume is the same as in 

figure 1 1. 

G. Printing of Input Values 

1. Click on the PRINT VARIABLES button for a printed list of the 

smoke plume parameters just entered in part "C." (fig. 10). 

Click on it only after the final smoke plume processing when the main 

dashboard, Plume Definition Window, and blank ArcPIot Window all 

appear, but before creating another smoke plume. The values are saved 

after processing, but erased when defining another plume. 

2. At this point, the user can return to creating new smoke plumes and 

printing input values. 
VSNQKE-GIS - Francis Marian National Forest 

Figure 12-A closer view of the new smoke plume. 

H. Exiting 

1. Click on the QUIT button to return to the VSMOKE-GIs main 

dashboard. 

A. Viewing Any Smoke Plume 

1. Click on the second dashboard icon, the VIEW icon. 

2. When the pop-up Select Plume: Window appears, click on the name of 

the smoke plume to be viewed. Use the scroll bar as needed. After the 

forest is redrawn, the plume displays in the red default color (fig. 1 1). 

3. The Select Plume: Window reappears for another selection. Click on 

another smoke plume name; otherwise, click on "-none-" to exit. 

a. Click on a color selection for this plume from the color pop-up 

window and QUIT to exit. 
b. When the Select Plume: pop-up window appears, click on "-none__" 

to exit. 

To examine different aspects of the newly created smoke plume, click on the 

third dashboard icon, the TOOLS icon. The Tools Window appears to the 1eR 

of the forest display (fig. 13). 

This icon can be used with any smoke plume on display. Before using the 

TOOLS icon, the user must begin with the VIEW icon to use the forest 

coordinate system or begin with the IDENTIFY icon to use the smoke plume 

coordinate system. 

A. "?" Help 

1. Click on the next-to-last selection (the "?" icon). 

2. Scan the contents of the Help Window using the CONTINUE button or 

the scroll bar. 

3. Click on the QUIT button to return to the Tools Window. 

B. PAN 

1. Click on the first selection (the PAN icon) to shift the forest and plume 

display. 

a. Position and click the mouse cursor, or crosshairs, on the upper part 

of the plume. Refer to the PAN description in the "VSMOKE-GIs 

Dashboard Glossary. " 

b. Select a forest polygon and line coverage and their colors, when 

their windows appear. Click on the QUIT button to exit each 

window. 

c. Select the smoke plume and its color. Notice the shift in display 

(fig. 14). 

C. ZOOM IN 

1. Click on the second selection (the ZOOM IN icon) to enlarge the plume 

for closer examination. The message, "Define the box," appears in the 

Arc Window. 

a. Position the mouse cursor on the display. 

b. Point and click on the lower left and upper right of an imaginary box 

surrounding the plume to be enlarged. 
Figure 13-Tools Window. 

22 
Figure 1GPan view of new smoke plume. 

General information on current map scale, map extent, and other 

map descriptors displays in the Arc Window. Refer to the ZOOM 

IN description in the "VSMOKE-GIs Dashboard Glossary." 

c. Click on "-none-" when the Select POLY Coverage: Window 

appears. 

d. Click on a forest line coverage from the Select LINE Coverage: 

Window. 

e. Click on a color for the coverage and QUIT to exit. 

f. Click on "-none-" to exit the Select LINE Coverage: Window when 

it returns. 

Only one forest coverage was chosen in this example to show that 

any number of forest, as well as plume, coverages can be chosen for 

display. 
g. Click on the name of the smoke plume to be enlarged from the 

Select Plume: Window. 

h. Click on a color for the plume and QUIT to exit. 

I. Click on "-none-" to exit the Select Plume: Window. 

The enlarged plume displays in the selected color against one forest 

coverage. Figure 15 displays the plume against the roads coverage. 

D. ZOOM OUT 

1. Click on the third selection (the ZOOM OUT icon) to return the plume 

to a smaller size. 

a. Position and click the mouse cursor, or crosshairs, on the center of 

the plume. Refer to the ZOOM OUT description in the "VSMOKEGIs Dashboard Glossary." 

VSHQKE-GSS - Francis Marron National Fsrost 

Figure 15-Zoom-in view of new smoke plume. 

24 
VSMOKE-GIS - Francis Marion National Fsrsst 

Figure 16-Zoom-out view of new smoke plume. 

b. Click on a forest polygon coverage from the Select POLY Coverage: 

Window. 

c. Click on a color for the coverage from the Forest Colors Window 

and QUIT to exit. 

d. Click on "-none-" to exit the Select POLY Coverage: Window 

when it returns. 

e. Click on a forest line coverage and a color. (See the ZOOM IN 

section above for help.) 

f. Click on the smoke plume name and a color. A reduced form of the 

plume is displayed (fig. 16). 

E. LENGTH 

1. Click on the LENGTH button to display the length of the plume. 

a. Position and click the mouse cursor, or crosshairs, on the beginning 

and end of a smoke plume line segment. Refer to the LENGTH 

description in the "VSMOKE-GIs Dashboard Glossary." 

b. Press the CONTROL button and mouse button three simultaneously 

to complete the command. The measurement appears in a pop-up 

window (fig. 17). 
Figure 17-Length window. 

c. Click on the QUIT button to exit. 

F. PRINT 

1. Click on the PRINT button for a printed copy of the display. 

a. Enter a descriptive title for the smoke plume in the Enter Plume 

Title Window. 

b. Click on the OK button to exit. 

c. When the mouse cursor changes to "+," click on the display to print 

the view. 

Figures 14 through 16 were produced using the PRINT button. Unlike 

the options of the Plume Definition Window, the tools utilities can 

manipulate the smoke plume and forest coverage displays until the 

desired view is achieved and then print the view with a heading defined 

by the user. 

G. DELETE PLUME 

1. Click on the DELETE PLUME button to delete the smoke plume. 

a. In the Select Plume: Window that appears, click on the name of the 

smoke plume just created. 

"Killed <name of smoke plume> with the ARC option" appears in 

the Arc Window, verifying the deletion. 

H. QUIT 

1. Click on the last selection (the QUIT button) to exit the Tools Window 

and return to the dashboard. 
QUIT Icon 

Error Checking 

Output Interpretation 

A. Ending a VSMOKE-GIs session 

1. Click on the last dashboard icon (the QUIT icon) to return to Arcfinfo. 

Error checking is provided throughout the system. Windows are correctly 

initialized by VSMOKE-GIs each time a dashboard icon is selected. A default 

value is provided for every input box. To ensure correct processing, the default is 

used when the user does not actively choose a value. Entered numbers must be 

within the ranges of acceptable values. If an invalid value has been entered, an 

error message appears as a pop-up window, or at the bottom of the active window. 

Click on the QUIT button to exit the pop-up window and continue. Explanations 

of some VSMOKE-GIs error messages follow. 

"Smoke plume could not be created." 

If a smoke plume could not be generated because of incorrect or incompatible 

values, this error message will appear in a pop-up window. VSMOKE-GIs 

checks the validity of the individual values, but not their effects on each other. 

"Error in generating file list." 

This message appears when no smoke plumes exist. The file list, or smoke 

plume directory, is empty; therefore, it cannot be generated or listed. This 

message occurs when the user is asked to provide a name for a smoke plume 

just created. If the user deletes all of the smoke plumes or has just loaded the 

system, this message occurs. 

"Smoke Plume exists. Enter another name." 

If the user has entered an existing smoke plume name for a newly created 

plume, this message appears. The smoke plume directory, or file list, is searched 

for a match to the name entered by the user. If a match is found, the user must 

enter another name. 

"Error! Print variable list AFTER processing." 

If the user attempts to print a listing before he has clicked on the PROCESS 

button in the Plume Definition Window, this message appears. 

Figure 18 shows normal smoke plumes and a smoke plume that has a flat margin. 

The data that form the smoke plumes are processed in VSMKGS in 25-meter 

intervals to 100 kilometers. Any data beyond 100 kilometers are eliminated and 

the plume becomes flat. Without this end range, the plumes could continue out of 

bounds and double back on themselves, producing incorrect results. 

Different aspects of the plumes may be viewed and printed with varying 

combinations of the PAN, ZOOM PN, and ZOOM OUT selections in the Tools 

Window. Figure 18 resulted from a combination of all three. 
VSMOKE-GIS - Francis Marton National Faresk 

Figure 18-Flat and normal smoke plumes. 

Windows Operations This pop-up window appears after the user selects a smoke plume from the Select 

Plume: Window. The first plume chosen defaults to red in the plume definition 

Color Window initial display and view selection and in the view selection of the VSMOKE-GIs 

main dashboard. Colors must be selected for smoke plumes at any other time. 

Choosing different colors for the smoke plumes allows the user to distinguish 

between plumes. 

To select a color, click on the color name. Click on QUIT to exit. The Color 

Window does not appear if a smoke plume has not been selected. 
Response Window 

Scrolling List 

Select Plume Window 

Slider Bar 

VSMOKIIE-GIs 

Dashboard Glossary 

Plume Definition Window 

A Color Window with different colors from the smoke plume colors exists for the 

forest coverages. A color must always be chosen because no default exists for 

forest coverages. 

When this pop-up window appears in the top of the window frame, the user must 

respond. After the response is entered, click on the OK button to exit. 

This pop-up window contains many choices, but only a few are displayed at one 

time. A vertical scroll bar with arrow heads on the right side of the window frame 

allows the user to view all the choices. Clicking on mouse button three results in a 

pop-up scrolling list with more choices displayed at one time. 

To make a selection from a scrolling list, place the mouse cursor on the scroll bar. 

Then, pressing mouse button one, move the mouse up or down on the scroll bar to 

scroll through the list. When a selection is made, move the cursor to it and click on 

it. The selection is highlighted in the input box. 

For a scrolling list with only one choice displayed, click on the up or down arrow 

to scroll through the list, one item at a time. 

This pop-up scrolling list contains the names of all of the smoke plumes created. 

To view them all, use the scroll bar. To select one, choose a plume name and click 

on it. After a plume is drawn, the window always reappears. Until "-none-" is 

clicked on, the window keeps reappearing, allowing the selection and display of as 

many smoke plumes as desired, one at a time. Click on "-none-" when no more 

smoke plumes are desired. 

These same actions are used with the Select POLY Coverage: and the Select LINE 

Coverage: scrolling lists. 

This horizontal scroll bar selects an input value based on a vertical sliding scale 

that the user manipulates. Place the mouse cursor on the bar, and pressing mouse 

button one, move, or slide, the bar. Values are displayed in the input window as 

the bar is moved. Releasing mouse button one saves the displayed value. 

When the IDENTIFY icon is first selected, the Select Plume: Window appears. 

Smoke plumes may be chosen as needed. By displaying some existing plumes, the 

user can better define and locate plumes that will be created. The forest is then 

displayed. This is the initialization procedure for the Plume Definition Window. It 

ensures that all the burn locations chosen from the screen will use the UTM 

coordinate system. After this initial display, the Plume Definition Window 

appears. 

Most of the selections in this window have defaults. They always appear when the 

window is first chosen and remain for processing if no changes are made. The 

Help Window selection provides specific information. 
Model Input Vuriubles Select Plume: The Select Plume: pop-up scrolling list contains the names of all 

smoke plumes. The user can display any smoke plumes created while remaining in 

the Plume Definition Window. 

Enlarge Area: The user can view an enlarged, more detailed portion of the map 

display. Position and click the mouse cursor, or crosshairs, on the lower left comer 

of an imaginary box on the display that includes the area of interest. Click the 

mouse cursor again on the upper right comer of this box. Only the area inside that 

box is displayed. Forest and plume coverages and colors must be chosen when 

their pop-up windows appear. 

Fire Location: The site of the planned bum is chosen by the user who points and 

clicks the mouse on a preferred site on the display map. UTM x,y coordinates are 

saved when the user clicks on the display location. This location is the UTM 

displacement in meters of the fire east and north of the reference point. A bum 

site must always be chosen because default coordinates are not provided. 

Acres: An area of fire as a smoke source is defined in acres. Valid range 0.1 to 

99999.9; default is 0.1. 

Light of ]lay: The time of day for the fire is defined as a logical value of day or 

night. Daytime is the time after sunrise and before sunset; nighttime, the time after 

sunset and before sunrise. Default is daytime. 

Stability Class: The rate of atmospheric dispersion is defined as anywhere from 

extremely unstable to extremely stable. Stability class affects the width of the 

smoke plume. 

A stability class can be input in one of two ways: (1) Using the horizontal slider 

bar, which operates like the vertical scroll bar, the user releases button one when 

the value in the input box reaches the correct class; and (2) the user manually 

enters a number between 1 and 7 in the input box. Default is 7. 

I-extremely unstable 

2-moderately unstable 

3-slightly unstable 

&near neutral 

5-slightly stable 

&moderately stable 

7-extremely stable 

Mixing Height: Entered in meters, mixing height is the depth of atmosphere 

available for the smoke. Valid range is 240.0 to 5000.0; default is 240.0. 

Transport Windspeed: Entered in meters per second, this value refers to the 

average windspeed in the mixing layer, or how well the smoke is diluted by the 

wind. Valid range 0.1 to 99.9; default is 1 .O. 
Select FueUFire Type: Fuel and fire types are displayed, one at a time, in a 

scrolling list. When a type is selected from this list, it is matched with a 

particulate constant from Environmental Protection Agency Emission Factors. 

Fuellfire type is used in calculations that provide hrther shape and definition to 

the smoke plume. Default is Hardwood-Slash. 

Fuel Load: Entered in tons per acre, the amount of he1 to be burned is used to 

calculate heat emission rate. Fuel load also helps determine the mass of smoke 

generated by the fire. Valid range 0.1 to 999.0; default is 3.0. 

Smoke Duration: Entered in hours, the duration of smoke emissions is used to 

calculate the smoke emission rate. Valid range 0.1 to 24.0; default is 2.0. 

Fire Duration: Entered in hours, the length of time the fire burns is used to 

calculate the heat emission rate. Valid range 0.1 to 24.0; default is 2.0. 

Wind Direction: The value represents the direction from which the wind blows 

the smoke. The plume grows in the opposite direction. Each button corresponds to 

a wind direction in degrees. Valid range 45.0 to 360.0 in increments of 45.0 

degrees; default is 270.0. 

Exact Wind Direction: The user can manually enter a more specific wind 

direction in degrees. Valid range 0.01 to 360.0; default is 270.0. 

Help and Model Processing PROCESS: This selection processes all of the variables defined under Plume 

Definition Window and then generates a new smoke plume. The processing can 

take a few minutes executing VSMKGS and generating the new plume. The 

flowchart (fig. 1) and the following paragraphs describe the logic flow. 

After all the variables are entered or defaults accepted, the user should check them 

for accuracy. If a value needs to be changed, the user can position the mouse 

cursor at that point and reenter the value. If satisfied, the user should click on the 

PROCESS button. To exit without accepting any of the values, the user can press 

the QUIT button to return to the dashboard. Once the PROCESS button is 

selected, the new plume will be formed with the given data. 

At this point, the variables, and constants further defining the plume, will appear 

in a pop-up window for user inspection. They are also written to a formatted file. 

This file becomes the input to VSMKGS. The VSMOKE-GIs and Arcllnfo 

relinquish control to the UNIX operating system so VSMKGS can be executed 

with its new input file. As a result, an output file consisting of x,y coordinates is 

built to create the particular smoke plume. A Response Window, "Enter name of 

smoke plume," appears during processing requesting a name for the smoke plume. 

If necessary, this name automatically converts into lower case letters for Arcllnfo 

usage. 
VIEW Icon 

Tools Window 

Control is then returned to ArcAnfo and VSMOKE-GIs where a coverage is 

created from the data output of VSMKGS. Topology is constructed. VSMOKEGIs is brought back to the screen, including the Plume Definition Window, the 

dashboard, and a blank ArcPlot Window. 

"?" (HELP): Each entry of the Plume Definition Window is explained in the popup window that appears, including its definition and the range and default values. 

Use the scroll bar or the CONTINUE button to read the entire window. Click on 

the QUIT button to exit. 

QUIT: The user exits the Plume Definition Window and returns to the 

VSMOKE-GIs main dashboard. 

PRINT VARIABLES: A printed record of the variables entered is provided and 

used to create a smoke plume. All processing, culminating in the creation of the 

smoke plume, must be completed before the user can receive a printed copy. The 

error message, "Error! Print variable list AFTER processing." appears if the user 

clicks on this button before processing is fully complete. Read the "PROCESS" 

description above for more detail on smoke plume creation. 

The forest and smoke plume coverages displayed on this window, as well as the 

Plume Definition and Tools Windows, draw very slowly because either the forest 

coverages or the plume coverages are temporarily converting to the coordinate 

system of the other. 

A smoke plume can be viewed in one of two ways. Using the VIEW icon on the 

VSMOKE-GIs dashboard, the user can view the smoke plume and then continue 

with other activities. The VIEW icon of the main dashboard uses the forest 

coordinate system and, therefore, provides a more realistic picture of the forest 

and its smoke plumes than the VIEW option in the Plume Definition Window. 

Using the VIEW button at the top of the Plume Definition Window, the user can 

remain in the window to display the newly created plume, then plan another burn. 

The user can continue to create and view plumes in the UTM burn-site map 

projection until the session is completed. 

The PAN, ZOOM IN, and ZOOM OUT options can be used together to create a 

specific view. 

PAN: To view a portion of the map that is not completely visible, position the 

mouse cursor, or crosshairs, on the ArcPlot display so that the crosshairs are at 

the center of an area including the unseen portion. This may involve positioning 

the crosshairs at the edge of the display. Click on it. General information on the 

current map scale, map extent, and other map descriptors is displayed in the Arc 

Window. The ArcPlot Window then clears, leaving a blank display. The map 

shifts and the selected area will be displayed in the center of the window after the 

coverages and colors are selected. 
Select polygon coverages for the forest from the Select POLY Coverage: Window 

and line coverages from the Select LINE Coverage: Window. Select colors for the 

coverages from the Forest Color Window, then QUIT to exit. 

Next, select a line coverage for the forest from the Select LINE Coverage: 

Window and "-none-" to exit. Select a color for the coverage from the Color 

Window, then QUIT to exit. 

Selecting "-none-" from either coverage window without selecting a forest 

coverage is possible. The fewer the forest coverages selected, the easier it is to 

view the smoke plumes. 

Select the smoke plume to be viewed from the Select Plume: Window or "-none-" 

to exit. Select a color for the plume from the Color Window and QUIT to exit. For 

further instruction, read the Select Plume Window and Color Window 

descriptions. 

ZOOM IN: To display an enlarged, more detailed portion of the map display, 

position the mouse cursor, or center of the crosshairs, in the ArcPlot Window. 

Imagine a box encompassing the area of interest, and click on the lower left 

comer. The message, "Define the box," appears in the Arc Window. 

Position the mouse cursor at the upper right corner of the box. The box appears as 

white lines on the display and changes size as the cursor is moved. Click on the 

upper right comer. Now, only the area surrounded by the white lines displays. 

General information on the current map scale, map extent, and other map 

descriptors is then displayed in the Arc Window. Follow the instructions under 

PAN to display the forest and plume coverages and colors. 

ZOOM OUT: To display a smaller, wider coverage map, position the mouse 

cursor, or crosshairs, on the center of the area of interest in the ArcPlot Window 

and click on it. General information on current map scale, map extent, and other 

map descriptors will be displayed in the Arc Window. The map is shifted and 

redisplayed at a smaller scale, with the selected area at the center of the display. 

Follow the instructions under PAN for selecting coverages and colors. 

LENGTH: To discover the length of any line segment, position the mouse cursor, 

or center of the crosshairs, on the ArcPlot display and click on the beginning of 

the intended line segment. General information on current map scale, map extent, 

and other map descriptors is displayed in the Arc Window. The message, "Define 

the line <1,2 to enter, 4 to remove last point, 5 to remove line, 9 to end>," displays 

underneath. 

Next, drag the mouse to the end of the line segment and click on it. Finally, press 

the Control key and mouse button three to end the command. 
'I?" (HELP) Window 

QUIT Icon 

Literature Cited 

The completed segment appears as a white line on the display. The length of the 

line, in current map and page units (meters, inches), is displayed in a pop-up 

Window. Click on the QUIT button to exit. 

PRINT: To receive a printed copy of a map display, enter a descriptive title, and 

click on the OK button in the Response Window, "Enter plume title." 

If no title is entered, no title appears on the printed copy. When the mouse cursor 

changes to "+," click on the display, and the view is printed. 

DELETE PLUME: This Arc command deletes a smoke plume coverage and its 

related files. Click on the plume name from the Select Plume: Window that 

appears. The Arc message, "Killed <full pathname of the smoke plume coverage> 

with the ARC option." verifies smoke plume deletion. Delete plume deletes only 

one smoke plume at a time. The Tools Window and a blank ArcPlot Window 

return after each deletion. Selecting "-none-" from the Select Plume: Window 

returns the user to the Tools Window. 

"?" (HELP): A pop-up window containing a complete description of each of the 

tools selections is displayed. Use the scroll bar or the CONTINUE button to read 

the entire window. Click on the QUIT button to return to the Tools Window. 

QUIT: This selection exits the Tools Window and returns the user to the 

VSMOKE-GIs main dashboard. 

A complete description of all the dashboard icons appears in a pop-up window. 

Use the scroll bar or the CONTINUE button to read the entire window. Click on 

the QUIT button to return to the VSMOKE-GIs main dashboard. 

This selection exits the VSMOKE-GIs system, causing the display to disappear, 

and returns control to the Arc prompt. 

Lavdas, Leonidas G. 1997. VSMOKE-A users guide. Gen. Tech. Rep. Asheville, NC: U.S. 

Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Southern Research Station. 147 p. 

Lavdas, Leonidas G. 1986. An atmospheric dispersion model for prescribed burning. Res. Pap. 

SE-256. Asheville, NC: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Southeastern Forest 

Experiment Station. 33 p. 

Lavdas, Leonidas G.; Hauck, Charles A. 1991. Climatology of selected prescribed fire highway 

safety parameters for Florida. In: Proceedings of the 1 1 th conference on fire and forest meteorology; 

199 1 April 16- 19; Missoula. MT. Bethesda, MD: Society of American Foresters: 564-57 1. 

Southern Forest Fire Laboratory Staff. 1976. Southern forestry smoke management guidebook. 

Gen. Tech. Rep. SE-10. Asheville. NC: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, 

Southeastern Forest Experiment Station. 140 p. 
Appendix IVSMKGS.IPT File 

Structure 

Line 1: 

Line 2: 

Line 3: 

File VSMKGS.IPT contains information (direct and derived) from the VSMOKEGIs user input process. It also contains additional data needed to control the 

execution of program VSMKGS, which generates the data from which the 

VSMOKE-CIS isopleths are drawn. Modifying the VSMKGS.IPT file can 

change the isopleth values drawn by the program and alter other assumptions 

upon which the model is based. In most cases, the VSMOKE Users Guide 

(Lavdas 1997) should be consulted before changing any of the values in 

VSMKGS.IPT. 

List of variables in VSMKGS.IPT: 

KTITLE-title of program run, for identification purposes only, must be 

surrounded by apostrophes (I), e.g., 'RUN 01 3' 

LGRISE-flag (T or F), set to T if smoke plume rises gradually as it moves away 

from the fire, set to F if it immediately attains complete plume rise; ordinarily set 

to T 

ACRES-acres burned by fire (see "VSMOKE-GIs Dashboard Glossary ") 

EMTQPM-particulate matter emission rate in grams per second (see "Select 

Fuel/Fire Type" in the "VSMOKE-GIs Dashboard Glossary") 

EMTQH-heat emission rate in megawatts (see "Fuel Load" and "Fire Duration" 

in the "VSMOKE-GIs Dashboard Glossary") 

EMTQR-an expression of how much smoke rises, as dictated by the value of 

EMTQH; the absolute value indicates the amount of smoke attaining full plume 

height; a positive value indicates the rising smoke goes up in a well-defined 

column; a negative value indicates this smoke forms a "curtain" from plume 

height to the ground; very limited research indicates a value of -0.75 best 

accounts for observed vertical profiles of smoke from low- to moderate-intensity 

prescribed fires in the Southeast 

LTOFDY-flag (T or F) set to T if day, F if night (see "VSMOKE-GIs 

Dashboard Glossary") 

ISTAB-value 1 to 7 for stability class (see "VSMOKE-GIs Dashboard 

Glossary") 

AMIX-mixing height in meters (see "VSMOKE-GIs Dashboard Glossary") 

U-transport windspeed in meters per second (see "VSMOKE-CIS Dashboard 

Glossary") 

WDIR-wind direction in degrees (see "VSMOKE-GIs Dashboard Glossary") 
Line 4: 

Line 5ff: 

OYINT-initial standard deviation of smoke in the horizontal (not counting fire 

line or area geometry effects) in meters; helps account for initial dispersion; value 

of 0.0 meters was used by Southern Forest Fire Laboratory Staff (1976) and 

recommended in VSMOKE (Lavdas 1997), but is not tractable in a GIs for some 

sources; 5.0 meters is suggested for use in VSMKGS and VSMOKE-GIs 

OZINT-initial standard deviation of smoke in the vertical (not counting plume 

curtain or split plume rise effects) in meters as controlled by EMTQR; helps 

account for initial dispersion; value of 0.0 meters was used by Southern Forest 

Fire Laboratory Staff (1 976) and recommended in VSMOKE (Lavdas 1997); 5.0 

meters is suggested for use in VSMKGS and VSMOKE-GIs 

BKGPM-background concentration of particulate matter in micrograms per 

cubic meter; in clean air conditions, a value of 30 may be a reasonable estimate; 

BKGPM is roughly inversely related to visibility if the air is not humid (RH < 70 

percent); 1 mile implies BKGPM may be about 725, 7 miles implies BKGPM of 

about 100 

DUTFME-east coordinate of fire in meters (see "VSMOKE-GIs Dashboard 

Glossary") 

DUTFMN-north coordinate of fire in meters (see "VSMOKE-GIs Dashboard 

Glossary") 

XBGN-beginning downwind distance of isopleth analysis in kilometers; should 

ordinarily be set to 0.0 kilometers 

XEND-ending downwind distance of isopleth analysis in kilometers; should 

ordinarily be set to 100.0 kilometers 

XNTVL-interval for downwind distances for isopleth analysis in kilometers; a 

value of 0.025 kilometers (25 meters or about 80 feet) yields a smooth analysis 

with reasonably quick execution times resulting in both workstation and PC 

environments 

NISO--number of isopleths analyzed; set to 10 in VSMKGS and VSMOKE-GIs 

CHIISO(J)--smoke concentration values in micrograms per cubic meter 

considered in the isopleth analysis; values used in VSMOKE-GIs are: 100, 150, 

200,260,375,500,625,750,875, and 1000 

CE-IITOL(J)--mathematical tolerances in micrograms per cubic meter accepted in 

solving for the (x,y) coordinates through which the isopleths pass; a value of 

0.100 micrograms per cubic meter is used in VSMOKE-GIs for all values of 

CHIISO 
Appendix 11- This is an example of the file, VSMKGS.IPT, which provides the input for 

Input File Example VSMKGS. The highlighted values represent those values input by the user. They 

are entered in the Plume Definition Window and then written to VSMKGS.IPT. 

The other values are constants, provided by a separate VSMOKE-GIs program. 

The highlighted values are as follows: 

Line 1: 

Line 2: 

Line 3: 

acres 

light of day, stability class, mixing height, transport windspeed, wind direction 

x,y bum site coordinates 
Appendix IIIComplete VSMOKEGIs Program Listing 

Menus 

forcolor.menu 

plumcolor.menu 

p1umedef.menu 

tools.menu 

vsmoke.menu 

AMLs 

delplume.am1 

fortran. am1 

length.am1 

panzoom.aml 

printcov.am1 

printlv.aml 

process.am1 

readin-am1 

showpoly.am1 

showutm.aml 

vsmkgap.arnl 

vsmoke.aml 

zoom.am1 

zoomplu.arnl 

Help Screens 

help.plu 

help.tls 

help.vsm 

Projections 

polyconic. prj 

utm.prj 

Map Elements 

north.mrk 

FORTRAN Source 

vsmkgs. f 

Menu Icons 

display.icon 

help.icon 

help-32.icon 

identifl. icon 

pan32,icon 

quit.icon 

tools64.icon 

zi. icon 

zo.icon 
Appendix IVVSMOKE-GIS 

Logic Listing 

VSMOKE-GIs Startup and Dashboard 

vsmoke.am1 

vsmkap.am1 

north.mrk 

vsmoke.menu 

identify.icon 

display. icon 

tools-64. icon 

help. icon 

quit. icon 

1dentify.icon Dashboard Selection 

plumedef. menu 

showutm.am1 

utm. prj 

north.mrk 

plumcolor.menu 

zoomp1u.aml 

process.am1 

readin.am1 

fortran.aml 

vsmkgs.f 

printlv.am1 

help-32. icon 

help.plu 

Display.icon Dashboard Selection 

s howpoly. am1 

polyconic.prj 

plumcolor.menu 

north.mrk 

Tools-64.icon Dashboard Selection 

tools.menu 

pan32.icon 

panzoom.am1 

zoom.am1 

forcolor.menu 

plumcolor.menu 

north.mrk 

zi. icon 

panzoom.am1 

zoom,aml 

forcolor.menu 

plumco1or.menu 

north.mrk 

Help.icon Dashboard Selection 

help.vsm 

Quit.icon Dashboard Selection 

Quit VSMOKE-GIs, return 

to Arcllnfo prompt 
Appendix V- The user may also want to edit the comments in each of these programs to reflect 

VSMOKE-GIs his changes. 

Editing Instructions 

1. vsmkap.am1, showutm.am1, showpoly.aml, vsmoke.menu 

a. Change the forest coverage names, coverage features, and colors. 

b. Change the position and forest name of the VSMOKE-GIs title. 

c. Change the map scale and map scale title and position. 

d. Change the north arrow position relative to the position of the map scale 

title. 

2. showpoly.aml 

a. Change the program narne to the name of the coordinate system of your 

forest. 

Example: cp showpoly.aml showstate.am1 <return> 

b. Edit the "Program:" line in the program, itself, to reflect the new name. 

Example: change "Program: SHOWPOLY.AMLN to "Program: 

SHOWSTATE.AML." 

c. Change the program narne in the error message at the end of the bailout 

routine to the new program name. 

d. Change the command "mapprojection polyconic.prj" in the program to the 

coordinate system your forest is projected in. 

Example: change the command "mapproj ection polyconic. prj " to 

"mapprojection statepln.prj." 

3. polyconic.prj 

a. Change the program narne to the name of the coordinate system your forest 

is projected in. 

Example: cp polyconic.prj statepln.prj <return> 

b. Edit the "Program:" line in the program, itself, to reflect the new name. 

Example: change "Program: POLYCONIC.PRJ" to "Program: 

STATEPLN.PRJ." 

4. polyconic.prj, utm.prj 

a. Change the UTM zone in the programs to the correct UTM zone for your 

forest. 

b. Change "projection polyconic" to your forest projection. 

c. Change the polyconic units of measure to the units of your forest projection, 

if necessary. 

d. Change or delete the latitude, longitude, false easting, and false northing 

parameters under the polyconic, or forest, projection code. 

e. Add any additional projection parameters necessary, such as datum and 

shift, for your forest and smoke plume coverages to display in the UTM and 

forest coordinate systems. 

5. zoom.am1 

a. Change the position and forest name of the VSMOKE-GIs title. 

b. Change the position of the north arrow. 
6. forcolor.menu, plumco1or.menu 

a. Change or add colors to both menus to reflect the forest and smoke plume 

coverages. 

7. fortran.am1 

a. Change the path of the vsmkgs.out executable to the path to be used. 

b. See the "Recompile Source" section for further information. 

8. printlv.aml, printcov.am1 

a. Change the printer names. 

A LaserJet 111 (coded "-dlaser " and a PaintJet XL300) 

(coded "-device pjetxl," "-dpaint ") are used. 

b. Reposition the plume title if the VSMOKE-GIs title was moved. 

Recompile Source 

The vsmkgs.f program was written in FORTRAN 77. 

1. Compile vsmkgs-f, calling the executable file "vsmkgs.out." 

"F77 vsmkgs.f -0 vsmkgs.out" was the command used on the HP 720. 

2. Vsmkgs.f and all related files must be in the same directory as the rest of your 

VSMOKE-GIs system. All of these files must be in lower case. 

These files are: 

vsmkgs. f 

vsmkgs.out 

vsmkgs.ipt 

vsmkgs. iso 

3. The object file vsmkgs.0, may be removed to save disk space. 

Example: rrn vsmkgs.0 <return> 

Miscellaneous Information 

1. To alter the menu colors and font, create a file called "Arcinfo" in your home 

directory: 

a. Copy the original Arcinfo file to the user home directory. Arcinfo should be 

located in the main ArciInfo executable directory under the Xenv directory. 

Example: cp iarcexe702;XenviArcinfo <user home directory> <return> 

b. Edit the Arcinfo file in the user home directory. 

Example: vi Arcinfo <return> 

c. Change its color and font names as needed. 

2. Definitions of vsmoke.gis subdirectories and files: 

a. icons4irectory of menu icons 

b. utmis&irectory of UTM smoke plume coverages that are created 

c. plume-file created from the Tools Window of the map view to be printed 

d. vars-file created when the plume definition variables are printed. 
Harms, Mary F.; Lavdas, Leonidas G. 1997. Users guide to VSMOKE-GIs for workstations. 

Research Paper SRS-6. Asheville, NG: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Southern 

Research Station. 41 p. 

VSMOKE-GIs was developed to help prescribed burners in the national forests of the Southeastern United 

States to visualize smoke dispersion and to plan prescribed bums. Developed for use on workstations, thic 

decision-support system consists of a graphical user interface, written in ArcAnfo Arc Macro Language, and 

is linked to a FORTRAN computer program. VSMOKE-GIs combines a graphics display of a forest with a 

dashboard of five icons. By clicking the mouse on these icons, a fire manager can interactively affect the 

appearance of a smoke plume. Once appropriate files have been created, more than one smoke plume can 

be viewed at once, and different aspects of the forest, such as stands of trees, rivers, or soil types, can be 

viewed together or separately. This user's guide provides a complete tour of the VSMOKE-GIs, including 

a history of its development; a tutorial of the steps used in creating, viewing, and manipulating plumes; 

system steps used in creating, viewing, and manipulating plumes; system definitions; descriptive figures; 

and instructions on acquiring and personalizing the system for an individual forest. 

Keywords: Plume definition, prescribed burn, smoke dispersion, smoke plume, smoke plume parameters, 

VSMKGS, VSMOKE-GIs dashboard.