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The VSoil modeling platform offers many functions around the use of models. In particular, the graphical interface of the vsoil-player software greatly facilitates various uses (see the section What you can do with vsoil-player software). But sometimes, it is necessary to be able to use the models generated outside of the VSoil platform interfaces. It is the case, for example, to use the VSoil model with other software.

With a third-party model

The most common case is to put a VSoil model into another, completely foreign model. This is useful when the third-party model describes phenomena taking place in other environments at the interface with the soil (e.g. plant, atmosphere, hydraulic in watercourses, etc.). The two models are therefore complementary and can be coupled. This is also useful when the spatial scale of the third-party model is larger than that of the VSoil model. Examples: a heterogeneous plot, a landscape, a watershed. In these cases, the third-party model drives the VSoil model via an interface code, automatically generated by VSoil. The VSoil model is represented in a class, in C++ language, embedding the model with all these modules.

There will be a tutorial on this topic soon: Using a model outside of VSoil.

With the R statistics software

Another common case is to use a VSoil model in software for statistics, such as R. This is integrated into the VSoil platform in the case of sensitivity analysis calculations or automatic estimation of parameters by inversion (calibration). In relevant situations, VSoil automatically generates the appropriate R script and launches the “Rscript” command. The script contains the R instructions which control the VSoil model via interface code. VSoil uses different R packages that implement sensitivity analysis or parameter estimation methods. Example: the “sensitivity” package. The user can add R code into the generated script directly with the VSoil graphical interface. He can also take inspiration from a script to create one adapted to his needs. He will thus be able to use other statistical methods with other R packages.

There will be a tutorial on this subject soon: Using a model outside of VSoil.