- Download the VSMOKE and
HYSPLIT Interface. The setup program is contained within an
archieved file called smoke.zip that you will download to your computer. Next, navigate to the folder where you downloaded the file and
right click on smoke.zip and select "Extract All ..." and
then change the download directory to "c:\tmp\vsmoke." Please do not change the location to where the setup program will be copied. Go to the
"c:\tmp\vsmoke\" directory and execute the setup.exe file and follow the directions. Be sure to keep "c:\vsmkgs" as your download folder when you install the software. All of the necessary files will be put at the proper place on your computer. If you get a warning message regarding "Version Conflict" then say "yes" to keep the most current version of the file. Depending on your Federal or State agency, you may need to have administrative privilege before the software can be installed. USDA Forest Service users have permission (through Power Broker) to install this software. The installation also includes an extensive Help documentation, which you can operate the software.
A User Interface document (pdf file) for VSMOKE and VSMOKE-GIS has also been produced and it closely resembles the software Help documentation. Also the original manual for VSMOKE written by Lee Lavdas can be downloaded.
- Download the Forest Emissions Production Simulator (FEPS) version 1.1. Instructions and the link for downloading the FEPS setup file (FEPS.msi) is found at the following website: https://www.fs.fed.us/pnw/fera/feps/.
USDA Forest Service Users please execute the FEPS.msi by right clicking on the file name and then select "Install Elevated" from the dropdown list.
- ArcMap 10.x Users for VSMOKE-GIS.
If you are using a PC version of ArcMap then you can
display the VSMOKE-GIS results. Download the
vsmkgs_Addin.zip file
to your c:\vsmkgs folder. Next, navigate to the c:\vsmkgs directory
and unzip the vsmkgs_Addin.zip in the c:\vsmkgs folder and
follow this by double clicking on the file called VSMKGSADDin.esriAddIn. Next, click on the button that says "Install Add-In" followed by "OK" in the next window. Now open ArcMap and you may see the match and plume buttons on a tool bar. If you do not then at the top select "Customize" followed by "Customize Mode ..." from the drop down menu. In the next window, choose the Toolbars tab if necessary, scroll down toward the bottom and place a check mark in the box next to VSMKGS_Toolbar.
This next step is very important to follow. VSmoke-GIS assumes the ArcMap project layer is in a metric projection. If you do not have a metric project then you will receive incorrect results (garbage in leads to garbage out). For a new project you can navigate to the c:\vsmkgs directory and select the NatFor.shp files and this will make the project have a metric projects. Be sure the NatFor.shp file is the very first shapefile you bring into the new project.
The second method can be applied to a new or existing project. First, right click on the word "Layers" in the Table of Contents and select "Properties" at the bottom of the dropdown box. Select the "Coordinate System" tab and then in the top box select the "Projected Coordinate Systems" folder, followed by the "Continental" folder and then the "North American" folder. Now, scroll down the list of choices and select"North_America_Lambert_Conformal_Conic".
Finally, select the "Apply" button located at the bottom right and then the "OK" button in the bottom row.
Updated: 7/6/2018