Catch3D

Sprinkler Application Uniformity

and Efficiency Calculation Software

Users Guide
and Technical Reference

Biological & Irrigation Engineering Department

Utah State University
Logan, Utah

Catch3D Users Guide

Acknowledgments
Dr. Richard G. Allen developed the initial versions of this program as MS-DOS applications from
1985 1998, and has provided indispensable technical support for the development of the current
MS-Windows version. The Utah Agricultural Experiment Station, Project 788, has provided technical
support for the continued development of this software.

Copyright and Disclaimer

This users guide and technical reference, and the Catch3D software may contain inaccuracies and
typographical errors. Changes will be periodically made to both the users guide and software, and
incorporated in future editions. Such changes may not be announced by Utah State University.
Utah State University does not warrant Catch3D for any specific purpose and does not assume any
liability resulting from use of the software. The model includes variations of commonly reported
procedures and algorithms. However, application of the software to specific situations may involve
parameter combinations that occasionally violate one or more assumptions, or may require
interpretations beyond the limits of the various algorithms, resulting in incorrect or inaccurate results
which cannot be anticipated by Utah State University.
Copyright 2004 Utah State University. All rights reserved.

http://www.engineering.usu.edu/bie/faculty/merkley/

Catch3D version 3.50b.

October 2004.

Catch3D Users Guide

Catch3D Users Guide

Contents
I. Introduction

Page

I.1. What is Catch3D?........................................................................................... 7

I.2. Installing Catch3D.......................................................................................... 7
I.3. Getting Started ................................................................................................ 8
I.3.1. Clicking, Menus, and Toolbars ............................................................ 8
I.3.2. Data Entry Windows.......................................................................... 8
I.3.3. The Enter and Tab Keys .................................................................... 9
I.4. Options........................................................................................................... 9
I.4.1. The General Tab Sheet ...................................................................... 9
I.4.2. The View Tab Sheet ........................................................................ 10
I.4.3. The Results Tab Sheet..................................................................... 12
I.5. Using Data Files............................................................................................. 13
I.5.1. Opening Data Files .......................................................................... 13
I.5.2. Opening SpacePro Data Files......................................................... 14
I.5.3. Saving Data Files ............................................................................ 14

II. Data Collection

II.1. Catch Cans.................................................................................................... 15
II.2. Arrangement of Catch Cans ............................................................................ 15

III. Data Editing

III.1. Overview of Data Entry .................................................................................. 19
III.2. Test Parameters ............................................................................................ 20
III.3. Catch Data .................................................................................................... 22
III.3.1. Overview of Catch Data ................................................................... 22
III.3.2. Using the Clipboard ......................................................................... 25
III.3.3. Importing Data from Text Files......................................................... 25
III.4. Sprinkler Positions and Overlapping................................................................. 26
III.5. Data Processing............................................................................................. 28
III.5.1. Changing the Grid Density ............................................................... 28
III.5.2. Rotating the Grid ............................................................................ 28
III.5.3. Converting Volumes to Depths ......................................................... 29

IV. Data Analysis

IV.1.
IV.2.
IV.3.
IV.4.
IV.5.

Wireframe View of Results.............................................................................. 31

Histogram View of Results .............................................................................. 32
Text View of Results ...................................................................................... 33
Creating Image Files ...................................................................................... 33
Statistical Analysis.......................................................................................... 33
IV.5.1. Average Net Depth.......................................................................... 34
IV.5.2. Average Gross Depth....................................................................... 34
IV.5.3. Average Net Application................................................................... 34
IV.5.4. Average Net Depth of Low ........................................................... 34
IV.5.5. Average Net Depth of Low ........................................................... 35
IV.5.6. Standard Deviation.......................................................................... 35

Catch3D Users Guide

IV.5.7.
IV.5.8.
IV.5.9.
IV.5.10.
IV.5.11.
IV.5.12.
IV.5.13.

Skew ..............................................................................................35
Kurtosis ..........................................................................................36
Volume of Water Caught ..................................................................36
Volume of Water Applied ..................................................................37
Effective Portion of Application..........................................................37
AELQ ..............................................................................................37
AELH ..............................................................................................37

Appendices
I. Overlap Calculations ..........................................................................................
II. Rectangular Grid Generation...............................................................................

Catch3D Users Guide

I. Introduction
I.1. What is Catch3D?
Catch3D is a mathematical model for statistically analyzing measured performance data for

agricultural sprinklers, with emphasis on application uniformity and efficiency calculations. It is used
for evaluating the performance of specific configurations and operating conditions for sprinklers,
including the simulated overlapping of sprinkler application patterns. For example, the model can help
you decide which sprinkler spacing will give the best application uniformity.
The model is interactive and has comprehensive internal data checking and cross-checking features,
but it is, nevertheless, intended for use by irrigation specialists who are knowledgeable about the
technical features and issues of pressurized agricultural irrigation systems. The most useful and
applicable results from the software can best be obtained from such specialists. For this reason, this
users guide includes a technical reference with a number of appendices that explain many of the
technical details of the software implementation and theoretical basis.

Fig. 1. The main window of Catch3D

I.2. Installing Catch3D

There is currently no special installation procedure for Catch3D. Just copy the executable file to a
folder and double-click on it. However, there are several sample data files which you can use in the
model.

Catch3D Users Guide

I.3. Getting Started

If you are familiar with Microsoft Windows, you will intuitively understand most of the interface
features of Catch3D because they mostly follow standard conventions. But if you need help getting
started, you can browse through the following general interface descriptions.
I.3.1. Clicking, Menus, and Toolbars
When you read click over in this Users Guide, it means moving the cursor (using the mouse) over
some area of a window and pressing the left mouse button. When you see right click it means
that you should move the cursor over a region of a window and press the right mouse button. Of
course, there are other pointing devices besides a mouse which are used with computers, but most
of these will accomplish the same purposes as a mouse. Also, the Windows operating system allows
you to reverse the functionality of the mouse buttons, and you can also purchase a left-handed
mouse, so in these cases you might need to switch the definition of left and right buttons.
Many windows have hidden popup menus that can be displayed by right-clicking over an area of the
window, or over a specific feature on a window. These are described for each case in this Users
Guide for the model, but in general you should experiment by right-clicking over windows to discover
otherwise hidden commands and options that will help you set up layouts and perform hydraulic
simulations.
Besides the numerous popup menus, there is a main menu that appears at the top of the main
window, above the toolbar buttons. Click on an item in the main menu to display a drop-down menu
with one or more commands. Note that many of the main menu commands have keyboard shortcuts
(e.g. Ctrl-O to open a file) and many have corresponding toolbar buttons that do exactly the same
thing as clicking on a menu command. The toolbar has large icons for several commands.
I.3.2. Data Entry Windows
There are two small windows in the model for entering and editing data and options. These windows
are not resizable, meaning that you cannot change their width or height, as you can with the main
window. Each of these windows have tabs near the top, each with a short text description of what is
contained in the corresponding tab sheet. You can click on a tab to display the contents of the tab
sheet. Some of these data entry windows have four buttons: OK, Cancel, Apply, and Help. You
can click over any of the buttons to invoke the corresponding action, or you can simply press the
Enter key for the default button, which has a sort of heavy border around it (compared to the other
buttons on the window). The buttons are used as follows:
OK Accepts all changes that you have made to data values and options in the window, including
those values on any and all of the tab sheets that might be found on the window. If you have
only looked at the values on the window without making any changes, clicking on OK is the same
as clicking on Cancel. Note that the OK button is usually the default button, the one that would
be invoked if you press the Enter key.
Cancel If you have made some changes to the data values and or options in the window and do
not want to keep any of those changes, click on the Cancel button. When you do this, all data
values and options will revert to those that existed before you opened the window. If you have
not made any changes, clicking on either OK or Cancel will have the same effect.
Apply This button allows you to save any data or option changes that you have made since
opening the window, then continue entering and or editing values without exiting from the
window. When you click on Apply, the cancel feature is reset, meaning that you can click on the

Catch3D Users Guide

Cancel button after making further changes and only those changes since having invoked Apply
will be canceled. This is especially useful when you are entering many data values and want to
record the changes to the internal data structures without the possibility of having to cancel all
changes, nor of having to click on OK, then reopen the window to continue editing values. Also,
this feature protects against accidental use of the Cancel button when you are making several
changes to the data.
Help Displays context-sensitive help, based on the information provided in this Users Guide, on
the computer screen. (Help is not currently available).
I.3.3. The Enter and Tab Keys
In this Users Guide, if you are instructed to type Ctrl-R (for example), it means to depress and hold
down the Ctrl key while you depress the R key, and so on for any other key in combination with the
Ctrl key. The same thing applies to the Alt and Shift keys, where used. Also, in some cases you
may need to depress combinations of Alt, Shift, and Ctrl along with another key.
When typing in a numerical or text value in a data entry window, do not press the Enter key. This
will usually be interpreted as a click on the OK button, and will cause an exit from the window.
Instead, you can click over another part of the window, or press the Tab key to scroll to the next
control on the window. You can also press Shift-Tab to scroll backwards among the controls on
the window.

I.4. Options
Open the Options window by selecting Edit, Options from the main menu. The window has three
tab sheets, and each is described in the following.
I.4.1. The General Tab Sheet
These are general preferences that remain in effect for all files that you work with in the model, not
just for the current system layout and configuration. Once you set them, they will persist on a
computer until you change them again.

Figure 2. The General tab sheet of the Options window

Catch3D Users Guide

System of units You can choose either the Metric or English system of units. Table 1 shows
the specific units used in each case.
Catch units These are the units of the measured catch data, which may be in terms of depth
(centimeters or inches), or volume (milliliters). When the catches are reported in milliliters, the
program will use the diameter or area (see Section III.3.1) of the catch-can opening to determine
the equivalent depth of water at each sampling location. Also, as described in Section III.5.3, you
can have Catch3D convert catches in milliliters to equivalent depth.
Language (idioma) You can choose between English and Spanish languages. Most text
elements of the model interface will immediately update when you change the language, and text
files of subsequent simulation results will be outputted in that language.
Use default file name for results Check this box if you want the results file to have the
default file name.
Automatically open last file When this box is checked, the model will try to open the last data
file each time that Catch3D is opened. The last configuration data file is that which was most
recently opened or saved before closing the application. This is an especially convenient option
when you work on a single data file over an extended period of time.
I.4.2. The View Tab Sheet
These are preferences specific to the current system layout and configuration. They are stored with
the configuration data file, if you save the file after making any changes here. The name of the
current configuration data file is shown at the top of the tab sheet.
3-D zoom This is the zoom value relative to the default 3-D wireframe representation on the
main window. When equal to 100%, the wireframe view essentially fills the main window area, at
least in one of the directions (horizontal or vertical). When more than 100%, parts of the
wireframe view will be clipped from the window because you will be zooming in on a subregion of
the entire wireframe. The current zoom value is shown in the status bar at the lower left corner
of the main window (e.g. 120% in Fig. 1).
Zoom increment This is the zoom increment, in percent, when you press the F2 or F3 keys.
Larger values mean less keystrokes to change the zoom value by a given total percentage. It is
essentially the zoom sensitivity.
Depth scale factor The magnitude of this value affects the relative distortion of the depth scale
in the 3-D wireframe view. When this factor is equal to 1.00, the wireframe view shows an
undistorted 3-D image. When it is greater than 1.00, the depth axis is stretched beyond the x and
y axes, showing a more exaggerated topographical surface. When it is less than 1.00, the depth
scale shrinks.
Rotation gain This value is a coefficient used to speed up or slow down the mouse-invoked
rotational movement of the wireframe view. Smaller gain values mean that the view rotates less
for a given mouse movement on the screen, while larger values cause the rotation to be greater
for the same mouse movement. It is essentially a sensitivity value and it only applies to the
wireframe view in the main window.

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Figure 3. The View tab sheet of the Options window

3-D Euler angles These three angles determine the 3-D orientation of the wireframe view in the
main window. Each angle corresponds to one of the three orthogonal planes in the 3-D Cartesian
coordinate system. When you rotate the view with the mouse (see Section IV.1), which is the
most intuitive way to rotate the view, these numbers change dynamically. But you can also
change them manually in this window, so that when you click on the OK button the wireframe
orientation is updated to reflect the new values.
Plot type You can choose a wireframe or surface plot type. The wireframe view shows only
straight lines in the main window. The surface plot shows a solid surface with color coding,
whereby each quadrilateral in the grid is given a solid color depending on the relative magnitude
of the catch value (or overlapped catch value) at that location in the grid. This option only affects
the wireframe view in the main window, not the histogram and text views.
Background color You can choose a background color for the main window by clicking over the
rectangle in this box and selecting from the standard color window. If you want to reinstate the
default background color, right-click over the window and choose the Default background
color item. Note that depending on the background color you choose, some or all of the results
in the main window can be difficult to see (low contrast) or even invisible.
Color coding This option allows you to show the wireframe view in colors according to the
relative magnitude of the catch values (or overlapped catch values). This option only affects the
wireframe view in the main window, not the histogram and text views. When this box is
unchecked, the wireframe is drawn only in black color.
Remove hidden lines When you check this box, the wireframe view of the catch data (or
overlapped catch data) will appear to be solid. If this box is unchecked, the wireframe appears to
be transparent. The current Catch3D algorithm for removing hidden lines becomes slow when
the grid dimensions are more than about 50 x 50, so if the grid size is large, it may take an up to
a minute or more to draw the wireframe view in the main window. Redrawing occurs whenever
you rotate the view, zoom in or out, or close a window which completely or partially covered the
wireframe view. This option only affects the wireframe view in the main window, not the
histogram and text views.

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Table I.1. Units used in the model

Value
Angle
Distance
Flow rate
Length
Temperature

Metric
degrees
meters (m)
cubic meters per second (m3/s)
meters (m)
C

English
degrees
feet (ft)
cubic feet per second (cfs)
feet (ft)
F

I.4.3. The Results Tab Sheet

This tab sheet contains several check boxes for results output options. All of the boxes are checked
by default, meaning that all of the results will be sent to a text file after data overlapping. However,
in some cases you will only want to see some of the results output, so you would uncheck the boxes
corresponding to the unnecessary results output groups.

Figure 4. The Results tab sheet of the Options window

Input parameters Includes most of the specified parameters which define the test setup and
conditions. This is simply an echoing of the information you supplied when setting up a data file.
Unoverlapped data evaluation This is the statistical evaluation of the unoverlapped catch
data, which in many cases is not of much practical use because sprinklers are seldom used alone
and with no overlap from either adjacent sprinklers or subsequent operating positions of a single
sprinkler. However, the same statistical evaluation is performed on both the unoverlapped and
overlapped data sets.
Overlapped data evaluation This is the statistical evaluation of the overlapped catch data, for
each of the overlaps included in the simulation. There may be multiple overlapped data sets in a
simulation.
Alternative measures of CU and DU CU is the coefficient of uniformity and DU is the
distribution uniformity, which are different statistical indices of the water application uniformity
from overlapped or unoverlapped catch data. Alternative measures of CU and DU are based on

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approximate statistical relationships between variables and are may be most useful for research
purposes.
Unoverlapped catch values This is the rectangular grid of catch values as entered (or
generated) in the data entry matrix (see Section III.3).
Overlapped catch values These are the rectangular grids of catch values based on simulated
overlapping of the measured data. There may be multiple overlapped data sets in a simulation.
Summary tables These provide summaries of the overlapped data and are useful for purposes
of comparison when there are multiple overlapped data sets in a simulation.
Notes You can include the notes (see Section III.2) in the results output to help identify and
describe the test conditions and overlap simulations.

I.5. Using Data Files

The model deals with three kinds of data files:
1. Configuration & catch data
2. Statistical & overlap results
3. Text files
The first two are custom formats and are only accessible through Catch3D itself. Configuration &
catch data files can be of the current format (C3D), previous format (DAT), or the SpacePro format
(PRF). The third, text files, can be both written to and read from by the model.
The default filename extensions are:
File type
Configuration data
Old configuration data
SpacePro data
Text

Extension
C3D
DAT
PRF
TXT

You are not required to use the default file name extensions, but if you dont use them, you will
generally have to go through one extra step to open or save the files. The C3D files have unique
embedded file tags that help the model ensure what file type it is, even if the default extensions are
not used. Nevertheless, it is recommended to use the default file extensions.
Configuration & catch data files contain information about the sprinkler test conditions, options,
overlapping patterns, and the measured catch-can values.
I.5.1. Opening Data Files
You can open a configuration data file by selecting File, Open from the main menu, or by
typing Ctrl-O on the keyboard. The model also maintains a list of up to five most recently used files
near the bottom of the File main menu item. You can select one of those files to reopen it.
When a file is successfully opened, the name of that file will be shown in the title bar (caption) of the
main window of the model.

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I.5.2. Opening SpacePro Data Files

Most of the SpacePro data files have more than one data set, so when you open this file type you
will have to choose from one of these. To help you select the desired data set, you will see a window
with some identifying information about each of them. Figure 2 shows a sample PRF file with a total
of 140 data sets. Use the vertical scroll bar at the right to choose from the data sets (if more than
one), then click on the OK button to load the data into Catch3D.

Figure 5. Selecting a dataset from a PRF file

PRF files can have different formats (Oliphant 2003). The type that is recognized by Catch3D is for a
single radial leg of catch cans, emanating from the location of a single operating sprinkler. Catch3D
automatically rotates the data to form a generated rectangular grid of catch values, which by
definition will be radially symmetrical about the sprinkler location. This file type actually can have two
different format variations, but these are automatically recognized by the software and do not require
any special handling by you.
I.5.3. Saving Data Files
Select File, Save or File, Save as from the main menu to save the current configuration data
to a file. You can also type Ctrl-S to save a configuration data file. If you have started with the
default configuration, the file name will be (untitled), so when you save it you will be prompted for a
file name. But if you have already saved the configuration data, or if you have opened another
configuration that was previously saved, you can just select File, Save and it will be saved to the file
with the same name, overwriting the previous file contents.
If you have opened a configuration data file and want to retain the previous file contents, choose the
Save as menu command and use a different file name or folder location. The size of a configuration
data file depends mostly on the amount of catch data included in the file.
Remember to periodically save the data to a file while making editing changes so that you wont lose
information if the computer has a problem or if there is a power outage.

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II. Data Collection

Catch data are usually measured outdoors, either in the field or at a test facility. Some of the larger
sprinkler manufacturers also have indoor test facilities from which they take measurements of
sprinkler performance, including application uniformity.
Merriam and Keller (1978) give detailed procedures for collecting and analyzing sprinkler catch-can
data. Information on data collection can also be obtained from Keller and Bliesner (1990) and
Merkley and Allen (2003), among other references on this subject. Two ASAE standards (ASAE 1994)
also treat the subject of field evaluation of pressurized irrigation systems: ASAE S398.1 and ASAE
S436.

II.1. Catch Cans

Traditionally, the containers used in field measurements of sprinkler performance were cans, thus the
name catch cans. But many different types of catch containers have been used in practice, usually
with a circular opening, although these are all generally referred to in this users guide as catch cans.
Some catch cans have special features to help improve measurement accuracy and to minimize
evaporation.

II.2. Arrangement of Catch Cans

In field and laboratory tests, catch-cans are most often arranged in either a rectangular grid of
containers (see Fig. 6) or in one or more radial legs of cans (see Fig. 9). Although a full rectangular
grid of catch cans will generally provide more representative data, especially when there is significant
wind during the test, or when the sprinkler riser is not vertical, it is much more time consuming than
arranging one or more radial legs of containers.
When radial legs are used the measured catch values are typically rotated about the sprinkler location
to generate a rectangular grid of simulated values, each of which represent an equal surface area,
and upon which uniformity and other calculations are performed. When there is only one radial leg of
catch cans, the resulting catch values in the rectangular grid create a symmetrical pattern, by
definition, about the sprinkler location. Catch3D performs this type of rotation and conversion from
one or more radial legs of data to a rectangular grid of values.
One or more sprinklers may contribute to the amounts of water caught in the catch cans during a
test. Often, only a single sprinkler is operating, allowing the most flexibility in simulating overlaps
(different sprinkler spacings). When radial legs are used, there should only be one sprinkler
operating, otherwise the analysis will probably not be representative of the actual conditions.
However, it is also common, especially in field tests, to have a number of sprinklers operating along a
lateral pipe in which two or more sprinklers contribute at least some amount of water to the catch
cans.
Center pivot sprinkler systems are almost always evaluated using one (most common) or more (less
common) radial legs of catch cans. In this case, the data are not converted to a generated
rectangular grid of data, rather, the values are used as-is in calculations which are specific to the
configuration of a center pivot.

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Figure 6. Catch-cans set up in a rectangular grid during a field test of a sprinkler

In sprinkler tests, it is common to have only a single operating sprinkler. However, in practice it is
most typical to have multiple overlapping sprinkler positions. Some of the overlapping may occur
simultaneously if multiple sprinklers operate at the same time, and some of the occur as lateral
positions are changed, or as laterals valves are opened and closed, changing irrigation sets.

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Figure 7. Recording catch-can data in the field

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III. Data Editing

Data editing includes both the entering of parameters and selection of options, as well as the
subsequent editing or processing of the data values, as necessary. Data processing can include such
operations as generating a rectangular grid of data from one or more radial legs of catch values.
After data are entered, you can statistically evaluate the overlapped and unoverlapped data sets, and
generate results in different formats.

III.1. Overview of Data Entry

Of course, you need to enter complete and valid test data to expect reasonable and representative
data analysis through the application of Catch3D. The completeness of the data involves a number
of required parameters, including the catch values themselves, but it is also important to include other
data values which help document the test conditions and distinguish it from other test. Complete test
data make practical application of the analysis possible, and permit results checking by independent
evaluators, provided they can duplicate the test conditions.
Most of the data entry is accomplished through the Test Data window of Catch3D, which you
can open by selecting Edit, Data from the main menu, pressing the F5 key, or by clicking on
the Edit data icon in the toolbar. Much of the data must be entered using your keyboard, but some
of the data can be imported from pre-prepared external files, or from the Windows Clipboard.
Catch data can be entered as a rectangular grid of measured values, or as one or more radial legs of
catch values. When radial leg data are used, Catch3D automatically generates a rectangular grid of
interpolated values. If radial leg data are used, you can view both the radial leg values and the
generated rectangular grid of catch data in the Parameters tab sheet of this window.
The data grid shows values in rows (horizontal) and columns (vertical). The rows are perpendicular to
the columns. The upward direction is specified by the grid azimuth, as described below. Most
agricultural sprinkler systems have lateral pipes laid out in straight lines, with sprinklers spaced evenly
along the laterals. Catch3D is not concerned about whether the rows in the data grid are supposed
to be lined up with the laterals or the sprinklers, and vice versa, because it is irrelevant to the type of
analysis done in the model. Thus, herein the terms row and column are used generically.
The sequence of data entry is typically as follows:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.

General options
Test parameters
Type of catch data
Catch data
Overlapping parameters
View options

Dont forget to periodically save your data to a file, using a different file name or folder location for
each data set. You can also avoid loss of data without closing the Test Data window by clicking on
the Apply button.

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III.2. Test Parameters

The first tab sheet of the Test Data window is called Parameters. Generally, you should enter all of
the information on this tab sheet before proceeding to the other two tab sheets of this window. Of
particular importance is that you specify the type of catch data before entering any catch values;
otherwise, you might lose some of the information in the catch grid. However, many of the values in
the Parameters tab sheet are used only for documentation of the test conditions, and do not affect
any calculations or results performed by Catch3D.

Figure 8. The Parameters tab sheet of the test data window

Dataset title Enter a name for the dataset so that you can identify it among other test cases.
The dataset title will appear on results files created by the model.
Notes Here you can type in comments about the test conditions, physical setup, and equipment.
These notes are saved with the file and are optionally included in results files. You can select all
or parts of the text which you enter, then click on the B (bold), I (italics), or U (underline)
buttons to change the font attributes. You can also click on the Font button to select a different
font style, size, and color.
Sprinkler angle This is the angle, in degrees, of the sprinkler nozzle with respect to a horizontal
plane at the sprinkler base. The angle you enter here is only for purposes of documenting the
test conditions; it is not used in any calculations by the model.

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Riser height Enter the height of the sprinkler above the ground surface, also referred to as
riser height, where the riser is the vertical section of pipe upon which a sprinkler is mounted.
Risers are usually connected to lateral pipes (buried or laying on the ground) and should normally
be vertical. The height you enter here is only for purposes of documenting the test conditions; it
is not used in any calculations by the model.
Flow rate This is the sprinkler discharge, which should be measured just before and or after a
test. The value you enter here is multiplied by the test duration to estimate the effective portion
of the applied water.
Pressure This is the operating pressure at the sprinkler head, which should be measured just
before and or after a test. The value you enter here is only for purposes of documenting the test
conditions; it is not used in any calculations by the model.
Test date & time Enter the date of the sprinkler test and the start time. Then enter either the
duration of the test or the end time (the other is automatically updated by the model).
Grid azimuth This is the azimuth angle of the grid orientation in the counter-clockwise direction,
with North as zero. Azimuth values are entered in degrees, from zero to 360. This value
determines how the rectangular grid of data (see Section III.3.1) is oriented with respect to
North. For example, if the grid azimuth is zero, it means that when you look at the data grid on
the Catch data tab sheet of this window, North is pointing upwards. Or, if the grid azimuth is
given as 180, it means South is pointing up and North is pointing down. See Fig. 9 for a visual
definition of azimuth angles with respect to the cardinal directions.

Figure 9. Definition of azimuth angles and cardinal directions

Note that the alignment of the grid in Catch3D is always with horizontal rows and vertical
columns. Specifying the grid azimuth allows you to effectively rotate the cardinal directions to
align with the grid. Figure 10 shows an example in which the specified grid azimuth is 33,
meaning that up in the rectangular grid is in a Northwest direction.

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21

Figure 10. Example in which the specified grid azimuth is 33

Catch data The catch-can data measurements can be from: (1) a rectangular grid catch-can
arrangement; (2) one or more radial legs of catch cans; or, (3) one or more radial legs of catch
cans under a center pivot sprinkler system. If you select the Radial leg(s) or Center pivot
options here, the data grid in the Catch data tab sheet can show either the radial legs of
measured data or a generated rectangular grid of catch values. If you select the Grid option,
you must enter the measured data from a rectangular grid of catch values and you will not be
able to toggle the data grid view to Show leg(s), as discussed in Section ___. You should make
this selection before entering any values into the grid data of the Catch data tab sheet.
Center pivot If your test data are from a center pivot, enter the rotation rate and effective
radius of the center pivot machine. If you did not select the Center pivot option for the catch
data, these edit boxes will be disabled.
Wind These values are merely to document the test conditions and may help explain, for
example, a distorted catch pattern or a low effective portion of the applied water. However, the
wind azimuth and speed are not used in any calculations within Catch3D.
Radial legs Each of the radial legs is assumed to begin at the location of a single operating
sprinkler under field or laboratory test conditions; that is, the sprinkler is the center of a circle
from which all of the radial legs emanate (see Fig. 9). Specify the azimuth value for each of the
radial legs (up to a maximum of four) for which you will be entering catch can measurements.
The azimuth values will affect the generation of a rectangular grid of catch values, and they are
also important documentation of your test data. If you will only have one radial leg of catch-can
data, just enter the azimuth for the first leg (in this case, the values for all unused radial legs will
be ignored by Catch3D). You can see the azimuths for each radial leg by changing the value in
the Number edit box.

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Catch3D Users Guide

Figure 11. Three radial legs of catch cans at different azimuth values

III.3. Catch Data

III.3.1. Overview of Catch Data
You can show zero catch values in the rectangular grid by right-clicking over the tab sheet and
selecting the Show zero values item from the popup menu. If the menu item it already checked, it
will become unchecked and you will see blank cells instead of zero values wherever they occur in the
grid.
A blue + symbol appears in the rectangular data grid to indicate the position of the sprinkler within
the grid (see Fig. 10 and Section III.4). If there were multiple sprinklers operating during the test,
you may be able to see multiple + symbols in the data grid.

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23

Figure 12. The Catch data tab sheet of the test data window with grid values
Catch values Statistical analyses and simulated overlaps are based primarily on these data.
Catch values can be measured catches of sprinkler-applied water in a rectangular grid, artificially
generated values in a rectangular grid, or measured catches along one or more radial legs. Note
that negative catch values do not make sense and are not accepted by the model.
If the catch data are in a grid (see Section II.2), you can only see the grid view. If the catch data
are in one or more radial legs, you can see both the grid and radial leg views in this tab sheet. In
this case, toggle between the grid and radial leg views by right-clicking and selecting either Show
grid or Show leg(s), which will be the first item at the top of the popup menu.
If the measured data are in one or more radial legs, you can enter that data and subsequently
edit the generated rectangular grid of interpolated values. However, (1) you may want to first
consider the validity of editing the values in the generated grid; and, (2) if you go back and
modify any of the values in any of the radial legs (distances or catch values), the rectangular grid
will be automatically re-generated, erasing any grid editing you might have done.
If you want to generate a rectangular grid of catch values based on one or more radial legs of
measured data, and then edit one or more of the generated catch values, you can prevent
automatic regeneration of the rectangular grid by doing the following:
1. Go to the Parameters tab sheet of the data editing window and select Grid instead of
Radial leg(s) for the type of catch data; or,

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2. Go to the Catch data tab sheet and uncheck all of the Use radial leg boxes, which are
located in the lower right corner of the tab sheet.
If you take either of the above actions, the program will subsequently ignore the radial leg data,
and any editing you do on the generated catch values in the rectangular grid will be preserved.
If the catch data are for a center pivot, special versions of the statistical equations which do not
require the generation of a rectangular grid of data are used. In this case, the catch data must be
entered as one or more radial legs.
Note that with radial leg catch data, you can have up to four different radial legs, all at different
azimuths, as described above. In practice, most catch data using radial legs consists of just a
single radial leg, even for center pivots, but in some cases it is advantageous and more
representative to use multiple legs.

Figure 13. The Catch data tab sheet of the test data window with radial leg values
Can opening Enter either the area of the catch-can opening (at the top of the container, and in
a plane parallel to the ground surface) or the diameter of the opening. These values are only
used when the catch values are in milliliters, in which case the area of the catch-can opening is
used to convert the catches to equivalent depth (centimeters or inches). If you change the area
of the opening, the diameter will automatically update, and vice versa. If the container opening is
circular, enter the diameter, if it is noncircular, enter the area and ignore the diameter value.

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25

Can spacing Enter the distance between each adjacent catch-can along the rows and columns.
In practice, the spacing of catch-cans is usually equal along rows and columns. Typical spacings
for a rectangular grid are from 1 to 2 m, or 3 to 6 ft. If your catch measurements are from a
rectangular grid, enter the actual spacing between cans. If your measured catch values are in
one or more radial legs, the specified can spacing will simply determine the density of the
generated rectangular grid.
Grid size Here you can specify the size of the rectangular grid of catch values, in rows and
columns, regardless of whether the catches are measured values or generated from one or more
radial legs of data. When you are viewing the radial leg data, the grid size values are disabled, so
switch to the Show grid view to change the number of rows and columns.
If you decrease the grid size, then subsequently increase it, any catch values which were hidden
will be visible again. That is, reduces the grid size does not erase any values, but it does
determine which catch values are used in the statistical analyses.
Using radial legs If you have radial-leg catch data, you must check at least one of the boxes at
the lower right corner of this tab sheet. If you uncheck all of the boxes, Catch3D will not
produce any analysis results. To use all of the radial legs, check all of the boxes. But if you have
entered data for more than one radial leg and want to analyze the data from, say, one of the
radial legs at a time, you can uncheck all of the boxes except for the leg(s) you wish to include in
the analysis.
III.3.2. Using the Clipboard
You can copy, cut, and paste catch data to and from the Windows Clipboard, allowing you to
transfer data between Catch3D and other applications, such as a spreadsheet (e.g. MS Excel).
Clipboard operations work for both rectangular grids of catch values and for one or more radial legs of
catch data, but to obtain the desired results you must select the appropriate view in the data grid
before doing the copying, cutting, or pasting.
Pasting data from a spreadsheet You have presumably typed catch data values into the
spreadsheet application. If there are any non-numeric characters in the spreadsheet cells which
you will be selecting, they will be ignored when pasted into the Catch3D data grid. If you had
imported the data from a text file, then it might be easier to simply read the text file directly into
Catch3D, as described in Section III.3.3.
1. In the spreadsheet application, select the range of data which you want to move into
Catch3D. You can do this using the Shift key and the arrow keys, and or by clicking and
dragging with the mouse.
2. Still in the spreadsheet, type Ctrl-C (or Edit, Copy from the main menu) to copy the selected
data into the Clipboard.
3. Open Catch3D,then open the Test data window, click on the Catch data tab sheet, and
type Ctrl-V, or right-click and select Paste from the popup menu.
The grid size (number of rows and columns) is automatically updated to correspond to the size of
the data which you just pasted into the data grid.
Pasting data to a spreadsheet In this case, the entire data grid, based on the current number
of rows and columns, will be copied from Catch3D to the Clipboard.
1. Open Catch3D, open the Test data window, click on the Catch data tab sheet, and type
Ctrl-C, or right-click and select Copy from the popup menu. If you want to clear the data

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Catch3D Users Guide

grid, type Ctrl-X (or select Cut from the popup menu), so that after the data are copied to
the Clipboard, they will be immediately erased from the Catch3D data grid.
2. Open the spreadsheet application, click on a cell to designate the upper left corner of the
destination for the data, then type Ctrl-V (or Edit, Paste from the main menu) to paste the
grid data from the Clipboard into the spreadsheet.
Now you have the same data in the spreadsheet application.
III.3.3. Importing Data from Text Files
In addition to copying and pasting from the Clipboard, you can import catch values from text files.
You can create text files of data values from any spreadsheet or word processor application, or from a
text editor such as Microsoft NotePad. To import such a file into Catch3D:
1.
2.
3.
4.

Open the Catch data tab sheet.

Choose the appropriate view (Show leg(s) or Show grid).
Right-click, and select Import data from the popup menu.
A standard file selection window appears. Find the text file to import, click on the file name,
then click on the Open button.

As with pasting from the Clipboard, if there are any non-numeric characters in the specified text file,
they will be ignored when pasted into the Catch3D data grid.

III.4. Sprinkler Positions and Overlapping

This tab sheet is used to specify sprinkler positions and to define simulated sprinkler overlap patterns.
Sprinkler position This specifies the location of the sprinkler within the grid of catch-cans. For
example, if the sprinkler is between columns 13 and 14, and rows 18 and 19, set the column to
13 and the row to 18. If multiple sprinklers were operating during the test, specify the position of
any single sprinkler here, then specify the spacing as described below. The sprinkler position is
ignored by Catch3D when your data are for a center pivot, or for one or more radial legs of catch
cans.
Sprinkler spacing If there was only one sprinkler operating during the test, enter zeroes for the
sprinkler row and column spacing, and you will see the word none displayed (see Fig. 12). If
there were multiple sprinklers operating, enter the distance between the rows and columns in
whole numbers. Whole numbers are used because it is assumed that the sprinklers are centered
between two adjacent rows and two adjacent columns in the data grid.

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Figure 14. The Sprinklers tab sheet of the test data window
Overlap spacing This is where you setup the simulated overlapping of sprinklers. You can
specify a single value for the row spacing, and a single value of the column spacing, to obtain a
single simulated overlap. Or, you can specify a range of rows and or columns. To specify a
range, enter two different values separated by a dash or a comma. If you specify the spacing in
numbers of rows or columns, the row or column spacing will be determined automatically, and
vice versa. Rows and columns must be whole numbers, while the spacing values can be multiples
of the row and column spacing, respectively, in meters or feet. Note that if either the row or
column values are zero, there will be no simulated overlaps.
Overlap pattern Here you specify the way in which sprinkler overlapped is simulated in the
model. Rectangular patterns are most common, whereby the spacing between sprinklers along a
lateral pipe is less than or equal to the spacing between adjacent laterals. You can choose the
Square overlap pattern if you want the row and column spacing to be the same for all simulated
overlaps. Some fixed sprinkler systems, and even some portable setups, might have triangular
overlap patterns, so if you want to simulate this, choose the Triangular option. This selection
does not apply when the catch data are from a center pivot sprinkler system.
Radial leg interpolation When you enter one or more radial legs of catch data, Catch3D
generates a rectangular grid of interpolated catch values. The interpolation provides approximate
catch values in-between the measured values. Interpolation can be: (1) linear; (2) using the
barycentric LaGrange method; or, (3) using a natural cubic spline (Press, et al. 1992). Linear
interpolation is the simplest, in effect drawing a straight line from one data value to another. The

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Catch3D Users Guide

other two options can produce interpolating curves, giving smoother results in the generated
rectangular grid of values.
Try different options to determine which gives you the best results. Figures 13 and 14 show
sample data with linear, cubic spline, and LaGrange interpolations. The same measured data are
shown in both graphs the only differences are in the interpolation methods.
22

Catch values (ml)

20

18

16

14

12

10
2

10

12

14

16

18

Radial distance (m)

Figure 15. Example of the linear radial leg interpolation method

In the example of Fig. 14, it is seen that the cubic spline and LaGrange methods produce very
similar results in the central region of the plot, but vary significantly at both low and high
distances from the sprinkler (which would be at a radial distance of zero).
If you have many closely-spaced catch measurements, the linear method will usually produce a
comparable quality of interpolation. In some cases the difference in data analysis will be
insignificant, regardless of the interpolation method you choose. Also, note that the LaGrange
method will often produce large spikes in the interpolation, especially when the data values
contain significant scatter, and is often not the preferred interpolation method.

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29

22
Measured
Natural cubic spline
Barycentric LaGrange

Catch values (ml)

20

18

16

14

12

10
2

10

12

14

16

18

Radial distance (m)

Figure 16. Example comparing the cubic spline and LaGrange radial leg interpolation methods

III.5. Data Processing

III.5.1. Changing the Grid Density
You can increase or reduce the rectangular grid density. Right-click over the tab sheet and select
Half grid density or Double grid density from the popup menu.
When you increase the density, it is doubled each time, up to the maximum grid size of 256 x 256, or
as close as a doubling can get to these maximum dimensions. The principle reason for increasing grid
density is to enable finer grid overlapping, thereby allowing for the analysis of more different
simulated sprinkler spacings than that which would be possible using only the measured catch values.
The grid density is increased mathematically through the application of a natural bicubic spline to
generate smooth interpolated values. This can sometimes produce a few negative catch values. But
when negative catch values are generated by the bicubic spline, they are subsequently set equal to
zero by the program because, of course, negative catch values do not make physical sense.
III.5.2. Rotating the Grid
Right-click over the tab sheet and select Rotate clockwise to rotate the rectangular grid 90 degrees.
If you do this four times in succession, the grid will come back to the initial orientation.

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III.5.3. Converting Volumes to Depths

If your measured data are in volume, you can convert to units of depth by right-clicking and selecting
Convert to depths from the popup menu. The volumes are converted from milliliters to either
inches or centimeters, depending on the specified system of units. Note that if you have specified the
measured catches to have units of inches or centimeters, it would not make sense to perform a
volume-to-depth conversion, and in this case the popup menu item is disabled.
Note that for volumetric measurements, you must enter the data in units of milliliters (ml). If your
volumetric measurements were recorded in some other units, you must convert them before entering
into Catch3D. Such a conversion can be done, for example, by typing the data into a spreadsheet
and multiplying the individual volumes by an appropriate coefficient, then pasting or importing the
data into Catch3D.

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IV. Data Analysis

In general, there are three different views in the main window. You can toggle through these views
by pressing the F4 key. The results shown in these views can be for the unoverlapped catch data,
and for one or more overlapped grids. If you have one or more overlap patterns, you can move
through the results for each using the horizontal (at the bottom) and vertical (at the right) scroll bars
in the main window. The horizontal scroll bar allows you to change the column spacing, while the
vertical scroll bar allows you to change the row spacing. When the horizontal scroll bar button is
move to the left-most position, the vertical scroll bar automatically goes to the upper-most position,
and vice versa, whereby the unoverlapped data are displayed in the main window.
If there are no simulated overlaps, there will only be one dataset which you can view in the main
window. Statistical analysis of the unoverlapped data for a single sprinkler are not usually of much
interest because sprinklers are almost always overlapped in practice, so it is the overlapped datasets
which provide the most useful results. The total number of viewable datasets is equal to the number
of overlap patterns, plus one (for the unoverlapped data).
Note that scroll bar operations do not toggle the view they only change the dataset (overlapped or
unoverlapped) for a given view. To change the view for a given dataset, press the F4 key. Also, you
must specify the range of overlapping as described in Section III.4, otherwise you will only see the
unoverlapped data in the main window.
Center pivot catch data are not overlapped in Catch3D, so for this data type you will only see the
unoverlapped data in the main window.

IV.1. Wireframe View of Results

The wireframe view shows a graphical representation of a dataset, which can be overlapped or
unoverlapped catch values. You can rotate the wireframe view in three dimensions.

Figure 17. A wireframe view of sample overlapped catch data in the main window

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33

You can rotate the 3-D wireframe view by clicking over the interior window region and dragging the
mouse. Vertical mouse movements cause rotation about one axis, and horizontal mouse movements
produce rotation in another axis. Hold down the Ctrl key, then click and drag to enable rotations
about a third axis. Press the F2 key to zoom in on the wireframe view, or F3 to zoom back out. Hold
down the Shift key, then click and drag to move the wireframe view within the window.
See Section I.4.2 for discussion about some of the wireframe view options. Other wireframe view
options are available by right-clicking over the window to produce a popup menu. For example, you
can choose between a wireframe and a surface plot of the data, and you can reset the orientation to a
top view (the default), or a side view.

IV.2. Histogram View of Results

The histogram view (see Fig. 16) shows vertical bars which represent the number of occurrences of
overlapped or unoverlapped catch data value ranges, along with a curve representing a normal
distribution (Spiegel and Stephens 1999). By definition, the curve is symmetrical about the mean
catch value, representing a bell-shaped statistical distribution, which is a mathematical function of
the mean and standard deviation of the catch data. Sprinkler catch depths often conform to a normal
distribution when the number of catch containers is about 50 or greater.
The heights of the vertical bars represent the number of catch values which fall within a certain range
of depths, with each bar having the same range magnitude. For example, if 12 catch values fall
within one of the ranges, and 6 values fall within another range, the one with 12 values will be twice
as tall as the one with only 6. Some ranges may contain zero catch values. The horizontal axis in this
view represents the measured depth of water, increasing from left to right, with the mean catch value
at the center of the axis.
This view is not available when the data are perfectly uniform, that is, with a CU of 100% and a
standard deviation of zero. Such conditions never occur in practice, but can occur in simple cases
within the model, depending on the data values which you enter.

Figure 18. A histogram of sample unoverlapped catch data in the main window

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Catch3D Users Guide

IV.3. Text View of Results

The text view shows much the same results as can be included in a results file. However, in the main
window you will only see the results for one dataset (overlapped or unoverlapped) at a time.
Right-click anywhere over the main window and choose the Select font item from the popup menu
to change the font type and attributes (size, color, style). Note that it is best to use common
TrueType fonts such as Arial, Times New Roman, or Courier New, otherwise the results may not line
up well and may also be difficult to read (see Fig. 17).

Figure 19. A text display of data analysis results in the main window

IV.4. Creating Image Files

You can create image files of the wireframe view in the main window by right-clicking anywhere over
the view and selecting Create image file from the popup menu. Then you specify the location
(drive and folder) and name of the image file. Image files can be created in either the JPEG (JPG) or
bitmap (BMP) graphical formats. The JPEG format takes up much less space (smaller file size) than
the bitmap format. After creating an image file, you can paste it into many other applications, such as
word processors, spreadsheets, and slide presentation software, to name a few.

IV.5. Statistical Analysis

Several statistical values are calculated based on the catch data. These values can help you interpret
your data, as well as provide comparative indicators between data sets and test cases. You may not
need all of the statistical analysis results, so you might want to select just a few which would be used
in practice, as required.
In the following, X denotes a single catch value, X-bar represents the mean catch value, and n is the
number of catch values (including those which are equal to zero).

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35

IV.5.1. Average Net Depth

This is the average net depth (cm or inches) collected in the catch cans during the sprinkler evaluation
test. It is based on the total number of catch cans (even those that had a zero depth):

avg net depth =

1 n
Xi
n i=1

(1)

IV.5.2. Average Gross Depth

The average gross depth (cm or inches) is determined based on the sprinkler flow rate and the area
covered by the catch cans. This area is determined as the number of cans multiplied by the row and
column spacing values in a rectangular grid of catch cans:

avg gross depth =

qa t
nS xS y

(2)

where qa is the average sprinkler discharge during the test; t is the elapsed time; and Sx and Sy are
the spacings between adjacent catch cans in a rectangular grid. In this case, it is assumed that each
catch can represents an area of SxSy. For radial legs of data, and for center pivots, the value is
determined as follows:

avg gross depth =

qa t
R2

(3)

where R is the effective radius of the sprinkler or center pivot machine. Of course, the necessary
units conversions are done in Catch3D so that the average gross depth is shown correctly in cm or
inches.
IV.5.3. Average Net Application
This is the application rate (cm/hr or inches/hr) during the sprinkler test. It is equal to the average
net depth divided by the test duration:

1 1 n

avg net application = Xi

t n i=1

(4)

The necessary units conversions are done in Catch3D so that the average net application rate is
shown correctly in cm/hr or inches/hr.
IV.5.4. Average Net Depth of Low
This value is used to determine distribution uniformity, DU, which is equal to the average of the
lowest 25% of the catch values divided by the average of all the catch values, multiplied by 100 to
arrive at a percentage. The DU is shown along with the CU in the status bar at the bottom of the
main window (see Fig. 17). The average net depth of the low is also used to calculate AELQ, as
described below.

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Catch3D Users Guide

The value is calculated as:

1 n/ 4
X
n / 4 i=1 i
avg low 1/4 =
1 n
X
n i=1 i

(5)

after having sorted the catch values from low to high, such that the first 25% of the values are the
lowest (in magnitude) of the data set.
IV.5.5. Average Net Depth of Low
This value is used to determine the average efficiency of the low half, AELH, which is equal to the
average of the lowest 50% of the catch values divided by the average of all the catch values:

1 n/2
X
n / 2 i=1 i
avg low 1/2 =
1 n
X
n i=1 i

(6)

after having sorted the catch values from low to high, such that the first 50% of the values are the
lowest of the data set.
IV.5.6. Standard Deviation
This is a common statistical measure of the degree of data scatter (dispersion, or variation) about the
mean value. Herein, the standard deviation, , is defined as:

( X X)
n

i=1

(7)

n 1

where 0, is equal to zero when all catch values are the same (this never occurs in practice), and
increases monotonically in value when the degree of scatter is high. It is noted that the standard
deviation is equal to the square root of the second moment about the mean, where the rth moment is
defined as:

( X X)
n

r th moment =

i=1

n r +1

(8)

IV.5.7. Skew
The skew is an indicator of the degree of asymmetry about the mean catch value. A zero value
means that the data are evenly distributed about the mean catch, so a nonzero value indicates that

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37

there are more data to the left or right of the mean, as the case may be. Skew is always zero when
the data fit a normal distribution exactly.
The skew is defined as the third moment divided by the cube of the square root of the second
moment, which is the third moment divided by the standard deviation cubed:
3
1 n

Xi X
n 2 i=1
skew =
3/2
2
1 n
n 1 Xi X
i=1

(9)

IV.5.8. Kurtosis
The Kurtosis value is an indicator of peakedness of a distribution, which in one use is a direct
measure of how well the data conform to a normal distribution. The histogram view in the main
window is a graphical representation of this same degree of conformance, whereby the tops of all the
vertical bars coincide exactly with the normal distribution curve when the catch values are normally
distributed. This is because the curve is adjusted so that it has the same vertical value as the center
bar, allowing for a visual comparison.
In Catch3D, the kurtosis is defined as the ratio of the fourth moment to the square of the second
moment (which is equal to the standard deviation raised to the fourth power):
4
1 n

Xi X
n 3 i=1
3
kurtosis =
2
2
1 n
n 1 Xi X
i=1

(10)

The term -3 at the right side of the equation shifts the kurtosis value so that it is equal to zero when
the data are normally distributed. The catch data from a sprinkler test tend to be normally distributed
whenever the CU is greater than approximately 70% (which may occur when multiple sprinklers are
operating during the field test, or when the catch data are artificially overlapped). Thus, the kurtosis
is positive for a leptokurtic distribution (high degree of peakedness in which most of the catch
values are near the mean), and negative for a platykurtic distribution (corresponding to a relatively
flat curve).
IV.5.9. Volume of Water Caught
This is calculated as the average net depth multiplied by the number of catch cans in a rectangular
grid, and multiplied by the catch-can spacing:
n

volume caught = S xS y Xi

(11)

i=1

with appropriate units conversions.

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IV.5.10. Volume of Water Applied

This is simply the average sprinkler discharge multiplied by the duration of the test:

volume applied = qa t

(12)

with appropriate units conversions.

The volume of water applied should always be greater than or equal to the volume caught. If the
volume of water applied is shown in the program to be greater than the volume of water caught, it
was raining during the field test, or else there was an error in the data collection. In the latter case,
the sprinkler discharge might have been underestimated, multiple sprinklers were operating and
contributing to the catch data, the duration of the test was underestimated, or perhaps the catch data
had errors.
IV.5.11. Effective Portion of Application
The effective portion of the applied water is calculated as the volume caught divided by the volume
applied, multiplied by 100 to yield a percentage. When this value subtracted from 100%, it is an
estimation of the amount of applied water which was lost due to wind drift and or evaporation (of
water droplets in the air, before they reach the ground surface). The effective portion of the applied
water tends to be lower when the test conditions are windy, hot (high air temperature), and or dry
(low relative humidity).
IV.5.12. AELQ
The application efficiency of the low (AELQ) is equal to:

1 n/ 4
Xi
nS xS y n / 4
i=1

AELQ =
1 n
q
t

a
n Xi

i=1

(13)

which is the average depth of the low divided by the average gross depth, multiplied by 100 to get
a percentage. AELQ is an index suggested by Merriam and Keller (1978). Appropriate units
conversions are applied.
IV.5.13. AELH
The application efficiency of the low (AELH) is equal to:

1 n/2
Xi
nS xS y n / 2
i=1

AELH =
1 n
q
t

a
n Xi

i=1

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(13)

39

which is the average depth of the low divided by the average gross depth, multiplied by 100 to get
a percentage. AELH is an index suggested by Merriam and Keller (1978). Appropriate units
conversions are applied.

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Appendix I
Overlap Calculations
Define the following:
or
oc
sr
sc
gr
gc

=
=
=
=
=
=

row overlap spacing

column overlap spacing
sprinkler row position
sprinkler column position
number of rows in unoverlapped catch grid
number of columns in unoverlapped catch grid

Rectangular Sprinkler Spacing

st

1 row of the
overlap region

st

1 column of the
overlap region

OVERLAP
REGION

oc

or

Sprinkler position
Catch container position in overlap region

Fig. 20. Rectangular sprinkler spacing in a grid of overlapped catch values

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41

Triangular Sprinkler Spacing

The overlap region is 2(oc) containers wide (columns) by or containers high (rows). Overlap
and subsequent uniformity calculations are performed within this region, which represents the
area corresponding to one sprinkler (not including field edge effects).
The unoverlapped catch data is a rectangular grid of gr rows and gc columns of catch
containers. Of course, the rectangular grid may have been generated from one or more radial
legs of catch containers. The sprinkler position (assuming the unoverlapped data are for a single
sprinkler) is between rows sr and sr+1, and between columns sc and sc+1. The sprinkler
position within the unoverlapped grid of catch containers is usually at or very near the center of
the grid.
Restrictions:

or gr
2(oc) gc
0 sr gr
0 sc gc
or must be an even number
st

1 column of the
overlap region
oc

or

2(oc)

OVERLAP
REGION

area per sprinkler

Sprinkler position
Catch container position in overlap region
Fig.21. Triangular sprinkler spacing in a grid of overlapped catch values

42

Catch3D Users Guide

Sprinkler positions for overlapping:

Rows:

Nrow = 2 +

gr
or + or / 2 + 1

where Nrow is the number of sprinkler row positions for overlapping. The first sprinkler position to
the top of the overlap region is:

Ptop =

gr sr
or + or / 2 + 1

The unoverlapped grids row number which corresponds to the first (top-most) row of the overlap
region is initially equal to:

row = sr + Ptop (or) + or / 2 + 1

For subsequent row positions in the overlapping, decrement the row value by the amount or
each time to determine the row of the unoverlapped grid which overlaps with the first row of the
overlap region. Note that in subsequent row positions, the row value can be negative, meaning
that there is no overlapping at the first row of the overlap region (but there will be valid overlaps
with at least one of the rows in the overlap region).
Columns:

Ncolumn = 2 +

gc
oc

where Ncolumn is the number of sprinkler column positions for overlapping. The first sprinkler
position to the left of the overlap region is:

Pleft =

gc sc
oc

The unoverlapped grids column number which corresponds to the first (left-most) column of the
overlap region is initially equal to:

column = sc + Pleft (oc) + 1

If the column position is shifted to the right (see below), the value (Pleft -1) is used instead of Pleft
in the above equation. For subsequent column positions in the overlapping, decrement the
column value by the amount 2(oc) each time to determine the column of the unoverlapped
grid which overlaps with the first column of the overlap region. Note that in subsequent column
positions, the column value can be negative, meaning that there is no overlapping at the first
column of the overlap region (but there will be valid overlaps with at least one of the columns in
the overlap region).
Note that Ptop and Pleft are integers (division result is truncated to an integer value). The same
applies to Nrow and Ncolumn.

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If both Ptop and Pleft are odd numbers, the first column position is shifted to the right by the
amount oc. In either case, subsequent rows have alternating shifts of oc to left and right,
according to the triangular sprinkler spacing.

sprinkler at (sr, sc)

gr

gc
Fig. 22. A grid of unoverlapped catch values with a single sprinkler

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Catch3D Users Guide

Appendix II
Rectangular Grid Generation
When sprinkler catch data for one or more radial legs are entered into Catch3D, a rectangular grid of
mathematically-created catch values is built. Uniformity and other calculations are based upon the
generated rectangular grid of data points. It is assumed that each radial leg is a straight line which
passes through the sprinkler location, and that a single sprinkler is in operation during the field
measurements. Thus, the closest catch container to the sprinkler will be at a nonzero distance away
from the sprinkler. Catch containers will not necessarily be equally spaced along the radial leg,
although an equal radial spacing is perhaps the most typical arrangement.
To generate a rectangular grid of artificial catch values, a rectangular grid is mathematically
superimposed upon the test area, centered at the sprinkler, with a half spacing between the sprinkler
and the two center rows and columns. Artificial (and presumably representative) catch values at the
rectangular grid points are calculated by rotating the measured data about the sprinkler location to
align with each respective node, then interpolating along the rotated radial leg(s) to determine the
catch value at a particular location. Interpolation (or approximation, which is another program option)
is performed according to the selection made from the available methods presented in the Catch3D
interface. Of course, it is possible that after rotating a radial leg, one of the measured catch values
falls precisely upon a grid point, whereby interpolation/approximation is unnecessary but this would
not be the case in general.
The rectangular grid is sized according to the extent of the radial leg(s) and the specified spacing of
nodes along rows and columns. There will be one or more points at the grid corners which are
beyond the extent of the radial leg catch data, and these locations will be given a catch value of zero
(this is because the program does not attempt to extrapolate the radial leg data beyond the furthest
measured point).

One Radial Leg

When there is a single leg of catch data, the leg is simply rotated to align with each respective grid
node, then the specified interpolation or approximation algorithm is applied to determine an artificial
catch value at the grid point in question. This procedure is repeated until all grid points have been
covered, and the result is a radially-symmetrical 3-D pattern, centered at the sprinkler location.
Note that if a significant wind were blowing during the field measurements, the sprinkler riser were
not vertical, the sprinkler did not rotate evenly, the field topography were significantly uneven, and
other possible complicating factors, the generated symmetrical pattern would not really represent the
field conditions. In such cases, it would be preferable to have multiple radial legs, or even better, a
full rectangular grid of catch containers.

Multiple Radial Legs

With multiple (two or more) radial legs of catch data are entered into the program, the azimuth values
of each leg must be unique, differing by at least one degree. That is, two or more legs cannot be
superimposed upon each other. An artificial rectangular grid is generated following the same
procedure as for a single radial leg, except that in this case each of the legs is rotated to each of the
grid points, and multiple (equal to the number of legs) interpolated values are determined at each grid
point. The values are weighted according to angular proximity of the respective (nonrotated) legs to
the grid point in question, where the weight is determined based on the relative angular displacement.

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45

For example, see the sample layout in Fig. 23 in which there are two radial legs, 180 apart, and a
catch value is to be generated at the indicated grid point. Leg #1 is radially closer to the grid point
azimuth, so its interpolated value will receive a greater weight than that of Leg #2. In this example,
the weights for the indicated grid point are determined as follows:

Wleg #1 =
Wleg # 2 =

1
= 0.01961
141 90
1
= 0.00775
270 141

Fig. 23. Example with two radial legs of catch values for the generation of a rectangular grid
Then, each weight is normalized to produce the final values:

46

Wleg #1 =

0.01961
= 0.7167
0.01961 + 0.00775

Wleg # 2 =

0.00775
= 0.2833
0.01961 + 0.00775

Catch3D Users Guide

References
Allen, R.G. 1999. Catch3D users manual. Dept. of Biological and Irrig. Engrg., Utah State Univ., Logan,
UT.
ASAE. 1994. Standards. American Soc. of Agric. Engineers. St. Joseph, MI. 819 pp.
Keller, J., and Bliesner, R.D. 1990. Sprinkle and trickle irrigation. Van Nostrand Reinhold, New York,
NY. 652 pp.
Merkley, G.P., and Allen, R.G. 2003. Sprinkle and trickle irrigation lecture notes (BIE 5110/6110).
Dept. of Biological and Irrig. Engrg., Utah State Univ., Logan, UT. 249 pp.
Merriam, J.L., and Keller, J. 1978. Farm irrigation system evaluation: a guide for management. Dept.
of Biological and Irrig. Engrg., Utah State Univ., Logan, UT. 271 pp.
Oliphant, J.C. 2003. SpacePro installation and operation manual. Center for Irrig. Technology (CIT),
Calif. State Univ., Fresno, CA.
Press, W.H., Teukolsky, S.A., Vetterling, W.T., and Flannery, B.P. 1992. Numerical recipes in C. 2nd Ed.
Cambridge Univ. Press, Cambridge, UK. 994 pages.
Spiegel, M.R., and Stephens, L.J. 1999. Statistics (Schaums Outlines). 3rd Ed. McGraw-Hill Book
Company, New York, NY. 538 pp.

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Catch3D Users Guide