Entering Irrigation Data Manually
Issue
We may be unable to enter a particular make and model of irrigation equipment as expediently as required, or the equipment may be unique or custom. In these cases, you may wish to enter the required data manually.
If you've modified equipment data and saved that equipment into a template, the changes will be overwritten with the official data from the manufacturer, so be careful.
Hoping to add equipment that isn't yet included in our software? See our instructions for specifying equipment that is not in the Land F/X database.
Solution
Equipment without data requirements (most types of equipment)
For most types of equipment, you can simply select the Custom option when adding it to a project from the Select Manufacturer dialog box. As long as the equipment does not have any performance data associated with it, this option will be available.
Equipment with data requirements (less common)
For equipment that has data requirements, you'll be required to enter some data. The easiest way to do so is to add a similar type of equipment. However, some types of equipment (such as backflow preventers) will have built-in performance data, which you'll have to configure.
Because of this distinction, your process will depend on whether or not the equipment you want to add has built-in performance data.
If the equipment you need to add has data requirements but doesn't have built-in performance data, you can add a similar type of equipment to your project and configure that equipment to meet your needs.
For this example, we'll add the Hunter I-40 to a project, and then edit the nozzles and data, as if to account for new/revised nozzle data that has not yet been implemented.
Step 1: Add and export the equipment.
1A. Add the equipment to your Land F/X project (example: Hunter Turf Spray I-40) from the Irrigation Manager.
1B. Use our Backup feature, available from the Land F/X Projects dialog box, to export the project data to an external LFX file.
1C. The backup process will result in an LFX (.lfx) file in the location where you chose to send the backup. Make a copy of this LFX file, and change the copy's extension from .lfx to .xml
You should now have two files: an LFX (.lfx) file and and XML (.xml) file.
Step 2: Configure and import the equipment.
2A. Open the LFX file in Notepad, and open the XML file in MS Edge.
Note that MS Edge may give you a security warning. If so, click Yes to enable active content.
2B. In both files, search for your desired equipment (in this case, "I-40").
In MS Edge, you can easily expand and contract nodes to become more familiar with the data layout.
Each record will begin with <projdata> and end with </projdata>
There is a record for each Nozzle or Size (so in this case, there are four projdata records for the I-40).
- data_code stores the Nozzle or Size
- data_name1 stores the Manufacturer and Model
- data_name2 stores the Description used when placing the item
- data_remarks stores the Schedule Description
- data_gpm stores the GPM
- data_psi stores the PSI
- data_radius stores the coverage radius
2C. Using a text editor such as Notepad, edit the data as desired.
You can add or remove projdata records if necessary. Note that if you add a record, to be sure to edit the Nozzle/Size (data_code) to be unique.
2D. When finished, save the file from Notepad.
2E. Use our Restore feature, available in the Land F/X Projects dialog box, to import the data. Click Import, and import the revised LFX data.
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You may want to add a piece of irrigation equipment that already includes performance data, such as a backflow preventer, but it is not currently available. If so, you may need to make manual changes to that equipment's available sizes and performance data.
Step 1: Add, export, and configure similar equipment.
1A. Add a similar piece of equipment you aren't currently using (example: Febco 825Y Backflow Preventer) to your Land F/X project from the Irrigation Manager.
If you want to change the available sizes, continue to Step 1B. If not, skip to Step 2: Change the performance data for the available equipment.
1B. Use our Backup feature, available from the Land F/X Projects dialog box, to export the project data to an external LFX file.
1C. The backup process will result in an LFX (.lfx) file in the location where you chose to send the backup. Open this LFX backup file in a text reader such as Notepad.
1D. Search for your desired equipment (example: Febco-825Y) in the text file.
1E. Delete the sizes of that equipment that you don't need, taking care to delete all data between each record for each size. Each record will begin with <projdata> and end with </projdata>.
1F. Save the text file.
1G. Use our Restore feature, available in the Land F/X Projects dialog box, to reload the edited project data into Irrigation F/X. Click Import, and import the revised LFX data.
Step 2 (equipment with built-in performance data): Change the performance data for the available similar equipment.
Navigate to the folder path LandFX\data\xml.cache.
Open the file in that location that matches the name of the equipment you want to edit.
Within that file, you'll see all instances listed that match the size you want to edit. You can now change the pressure losses, based on the manufacturer's published rates, for each flow rate listed. For example, you may need to change the numbers for node 3 to match the manufacturer's pressure loss for the flow rate listed in node 5.
You'll now have updated the performance data equipment, and the system will be able to account for the proper pressure losses accordingly.
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Contact
- Land F/X
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