Simulation Control Panel

The Simulation Control Panel allows the user to:

• Browse through all of the variables in a simulation and direct DataSet output to the ViewServer.
• Control the Simulation dynamics through "run", "step", "restart", and "stop" buttons, as well as fields to set the timestep and end time of the simulation.
• Display the equations used to update the value of any variable in the simulation.
• Display a "snapshot" ( visualization of the current state ) of the data grid associated with any variable in the simulation.
• Browse through the variable dependency trees.
• See at a glance each variable's spatial mode (varying/constant), temporal mode (varying/constant), and input/output/inter-module connections via icons in the variable display tree-table.

Simulation Objects Panel

Variable Tree Panel

• "S" Column ( Spatial Variability ): Variables which have a map icon in this column vary over space.
• "T" Column ( Temporal Variability ): Variables which have a graph icon in this column vary with time.
• "I" Column ( Module Inputs ): Variables which have an input icon in this column are inputs to the module.
• "R" Column ( Input Formats ): Variables which have an icon in this column represent data that is input to the model. The icons indicate the type of input, as listed below.
• "D" Column ( Display Variables ): Variables which have a computer screen icon in this column belong to the set of Variables whose values are being piped to the ViewServer (View Panel) for visualization (see Animate button below).

Button Panel

• Find: Search for variables by name.
• Equations: Display the selected variable's Action objects. Each Action object corresponds to an equation that is used to update the value of the current variable (i.e. update it's state data). Selecting an Action object displays the corresponding equation in the equation display area. Under each Action object are displayed the object's dependent variables (i.e. those variables whose values are used to compute the equation). A dependent variable's Action objects can be viewed by selecting the variable and pressing the "equations" button. This process of tracing through dependencies is very useful in tracing curious behavior in the model.
• View: Presents a "snapshot" of the selected variable's value (i.e. state data).
• Edit: Allows the editing of the selected variable's value (i.e. state data).
• Animate: Adds the selected variable to the set of variables whose state data is piped to the ViewServer (view panel) for visualization.

Equation Display Area

Run Control Panel

• Init: Perform simulation initialization. Initialization is performed automatically when one presses the run or step buttons.
• Step: Advances the simulation by one time step. The timestep is listed on the Simulation Time Panel and set using a configuration command.
• Run: Advances the simulation until the stop time. The stop time is listed on the Simulation Time Panel, where it's value can be edited. The initial value is set using a configuration command.
• Stop: Stops a running simulation at the next break point (i.e. end of the current timestep).
• Restart: Resets the current simulation to it's initial condition.
• Dump:
• Debug:

Simulation Time Panel

The Simulation Time Panel displays the simulation's time step, stop time, and current time. The initial values of time step and stop time are set using the global-level OT configuration command . Both values may be edited, but editing the value of time step only changes the behavior of the step button ( i.e. it does not change the underlying time step of the simulation.