The Dynamite

The Dynamite is used to clear building blocks and objects from the Interface level and the Map/Model level. It will also clear equations (with their associated building block representation) from the Equations space. Because dynamite is a powerful tool, you should use the it with caution. We strongly recommend that you always employ the "look-and-click" technique when using the Dynamite. Look-and-click means positioning the fuse of the Dynamite (the active region for this Tool) above the entity to be detonated. You should see the item hilight. If some other building block or object hilights instead, back off!  Once you see the correct entity turn hilight, click away! Boom!

For purposes of dynamiting, the active regions for building blocks and objects are the same as those for coloring or selecting these entities. Position the fuse of the Dynamite, click-and-look, release. Figure 5-3 summarizes these locations for you.

On Loop, Graph and Table Pad pages, you have a few more dynamite options. These are illustrated in Figures 5-4, 5-5 and 5-6. Briefly, to dynamite variables on Graphs and Tables, position the fuse of the Dynamite on their name, then click-and-look...history! To dynamite a page on a Loop, Graph or Table pad, click on the page-up portion of the page-turn button. To dynamite an entire Pad, click on the Pad icon (located on the Diagram). The Dynamite also can be used to clear data from graphs or tables, and to reset scales on graphs. To clear data from a graph or table, position the Dynamite within the confines of the graph or table "data space" (i.e., not in the header, footer, etc.), then click. To remove the scale for a scaled variable on a graph, click with the Dynamite on either the upper or the lower scaled value for the variable. The variable then will become "locally unscaled," which means that it will not have any consciously-chosen scale on that particular page of the Pad. Instead, the variable will carry a "last simulation" scale (i.e., its scale will be defined by the minimum and maximum values taken on in the last simulation of the model). If two or more variables are set on the same scale, and are next to each other on the list, clicking the dynamite will descale them one at a time.

If you click on the lower scale value, it will remove the scale from the last variable first. If you click on the upper scale value, it will begin with the first variable.

You should note that it is not possible to remove a global scale for a variable by using the Dynamite. Detonating the scale of a globally-scaled variable will only knock the scale down to a "locally unscaled" status. See Chapter 6 for details on scaling graphs.

Note: If you delete a variable which has an associated controller (i.e., Slider, Switch, Knob, etc.), the associated controller will also be deleted.

Figure 5-3
Dynamite Operations

To Delete This...

...do this with the Dynamite...

Notes

Process Frame

Click within the frame

 

Bundled Flow

Click on flow

 

Bundled Connector

Click on connector

 

Button

Click anywhere on object

 

Graphical Input Device (GID)

Click anywhere on object

 

List Input Device (LID)

Click anywhere on object

 

Slider

Click anywhere on object

 

Stock

Click within its borders

 

Flow

Click on the flow regulator

 

Converter

Click within its borders

 

Connector

Click in its take-off button

 

Sector Frame

Click along sector border or within its header

 

Numeric Display

Click anywhere on object

 

Text Block

Click along block border

 

Graphics Frame

Click anywhere on object

 

Graph/Loop/Table/Pad Icon

Click on pad icon

 

Graph Pad/Loop Pad/Table Pad page

Click on page-turn button

see Figures 5-4, 5-5, and 5-6

Graph Pad/Table Pad page variables

Click on variable's name

see Figure 5-5 and 5-6

Graph Pad page data

Click within axes or on graph dynamite icon

see Figure 5-5

Graph Pad page scale

Click on min or max value

see Figure 5-5

Table Pad page data

Click on a data point or table dynamite icon

see Figure 5-6

Equation in Equations level

Click on equation

removes associated entity on diagram

Knob, Switch, Warning Device

Click anywhere on object

 

Figure 5-4
Dynamite Operations on Open Loop Pads

Figure 5-5
Dynamite Operations on Open Graph Pads

Figure 5-6
Dynamite Operations on Open Table Pads

See Also