How to set up a training

This page gives information on the set up of a training. Other pages describe the technicalities of script configuration and how to generate a script to reach your learning objectives.

Set-up environment

Embedded (2016.01 and up)

To set-up a traning environment for the FEWS application ConfigCourse_WC, you have to take the following steps:

• Add a stand alone copy of the operational Delft-FEWS system (a few changes are necessary)
• Create the folder WaterCoach for the ScenarioScriptDatabase
  • Add a folder Demo for the (first) scenario
    • Add a folder Demo_script for the (first) script for this specific scenario
      • Add the script_config.xml file and all the necessary files that are referenced in the script
    • Add a folder localDataStore containing the local data store for this scenario (this may be a copy of the localDataStore folder from the operational system)

(2015.02 and before)

To set-up a traning environment for the FEWS application ConfigCourse_WC, you have to take the following steps:

• Create a FEWS_WaterCoach folder
  • Add a stand alone copy of the operational ConfigCourse_WC system (a few changes are necessary)
  • Add a FEWS bin folder (this can be a copy of the operational FEWS version, but also a newer version with new functionality you want to train)
    • Add the ConfigCourse_WC.exe and ConfigCourse_WC.jpif file to start the ConfigCourse_WC system (copy these files from the bin folder of the operational system and modify the region dir in the .jpif file)
  • Add a jre folder (copy of the jre folder in the operational FEWS system)
• Create a WaterCoach folder
  • Add the application_config.xml file
  • Add a bin folder containing the WaterCoach binaries (new as of FEWS 2013.02)
  • Add a jre folder (copy of the jre folder in the operational FEWS system) new as of FEWS 2013.02)
  • Add an ConfigCourse_WC.exe and ConfigCourse_WC.jpif file to start the WaterCoach (obsolete as of FEWS 2013.02)
  • Create the folder ScenarioScriptDatabase
    • Add a folder ConfigCourse_WC for the system
      • Add a folder Demo for the (first) scenario
        • Add a folder Demo_script for the (first) script for this specific scenario
          • Add the script_config.xml file and all the necessary files that are referenced in the script
        • Add a folder localDataStore containing the local data store for this scenario (this may be a copy of the localDataStore folder from the operational system)

jpif / ini file (2015.02 and before)

jpif file (before 2014.02)

The .jpif file for the Water Coach has the following content:

..\jre
-mx512m
-cp
$JARS_PATH$
waterCoach.RunWaterCoach
..\application_config.xml

Optionally, you can pre-fill the form with which you select the scenario and such. In that case, add all of the following lines:
Name (i.e. Name of the participant)
Demo (i.e. Name of the scenario to be selected)
Demo_script (i.e. Name of the script to be selected)
1 (i.e. speed up factor)
1 (i.e. experience level)

ini file (from 2014.02 onwards)

The .ini file for the Water Coach has the following content:

#Delft-FEWS ini file

#Java Runtime jvm.dll location

#location of the bin dir

#region_home directory - <region_home> to be replaced with actual region home directory

# Name of the participant

# Name of the scenario to be selected

# Name of the script to be selected

#speed up factor

#experience level

#optional splash file - <region_home> to be replaced with actual region home directory

#optional debug log - enable these #log and #log.overwrite for obtaining debug logging when the application fails to start. <region_home> to be replaced with actual region home directory

#log=../<region_home>/startup_debug_log.txt

#log.overwrite=true

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WaterCoachDisplay / application_config

WaterCoachDisplay.xml (embedded, 2016.01 and up)

Create the WaterCoachDisplay.xml (you can use this example)

application_config.xml (2015.02 and before)

Create the application config xml file (you can use this example)
You can rename this file to match the name of your forecasting system, e.g. ConfigCourse_WC.xml

Inspect the elements of the example and make modifications:

• change the preferred language with the locale keyword (e.g. to “NL” or “EN”)
• check the path for the fewsExecutable
• check the path for the fewsRegionDir
• does the fewsSystemTimeUpdateInMinutes match your fews configuration? (obsolete as of FEWS 2013.02)
• check the path for the scenarioScriptDatabasePath
• check if the fileAssociation is correct for your system
  (optional, WC will search for system defaults if nothing is specified)
• check the configuration of timeControl, what do all the options imply?
• do you want to use a different experienceLevel?
• does the fewsPiPortNumber match your fews configuration?

script_config.xml

Create the script_config.xml file from scratch, or check out this example.
Note: The script file should always be named script_config.xml.

With the example script_config.xml in place you can run the Water Coach by double clicking the WaterCoach.exe.
Try it!

Inspect the elements of the example and make modifications:

• dataStart , dataStop, displayStart
  What is the difference between dataStart and displayStart?
  How can you use this?
  How long does the example script run?
  Extend the length of the game by changing the value of the dataStop keyword.
• stories are what the script revolves around
• forecastTable and the foreastNote are the objective of the Water Coach
• dictionaryFiles can be used in many different ways

Below, we will take a closer look at stories, forecastTable and dictionaryFiles

You can run the Water Coach by double clicking the WaterCoach.exe. Select the scenario and script you have created.
Test your modifications!

Stories

There are two types of stories. Inspect the Stories of the example

• inbox
• story

Visualization of the stories

By now we have created a nicely filled script. To get a visual overview of the activity in the script, you can use the showVisualizeScriptButton option. Make sure you have this button configured in your application configuration XML-file and visualize your script.

Do you like what you see?

By keeping the Water Coach open, you can quickly visualize changes made to the script by reopening the visualization.

Frames

Inspect the Frames of the example and make modifications:

• title is how the frame is presented to the trainee
  Change the title to reflect the content of the frame
• start , stop and popup define how a frame is executed
  Add a story to the script that contains at least three frames.
  Make the first frame active for the first 30 seconds of the script, the second for the next 30 seconds and so on.
  Experiment with the start, stop, and popup keywords in a story.
• requiredExperienceLevel
  Experiment with the experience levels. Do you want to make changes to your script_config.xml?
• once
  With the once option you can simulate a phone call. How can you fit that into your script?
• condition is a method to make the script more interactive
  We take a closer look at the condition below
• file
  Add a file (e.g. pdf or png) to the ScenarioScriptDatabase.
  Add a frame to the inbox or a story that displays this file.
• message
  How does a message appear to the trainee?

The tools provided can be used in any way you like, get creative!

Forecast table

Inspect the Forecast table of the example and make modifications:

• header, column
  Add at least one non-editable and one editable column to the forecast table.
  Do you want to export the content of this column?
• row, cell
  Add at least one row to the table
  Use your creativity for suitable content

Feel free to change the existing content of the forecast table

Conditions

Add a condition to at least one frame, either in the inbox or a story.

You can also duplicate the frame and use disjunctive conditions for the two frames.

Dictionary Files

Inspect the Dictionary files that is referred to in the example.
Inspect the Dictionary, which is a sperate file. Where can you find this file?

• Add a reference to another dictionary file
• Fill this dictionary file with words and their definition

A dictionary could be used to aid a less experienced trainee
Every time the dictionary is used, this is logged for after action review
Can you find the log file for this training session?

Connecting the dots

So far, alterations to the script have been made without referring to the scenario, i.e. the contents of the FEWS local data store. Start-up FEWS and inspect the data that is available.

Construct a simple script with events for a trainee in which he/she has to inspect the data in FEWS in order to be able to publish a forecast (for a location and parameter of your choice).

Give feedback at the end of the script about the forecast that he/she made.