View source for Draw arrows between modules

[[Category:Analytica User Guide]]
[[category:Arrows]]
[[category:Diagrams]]

<breadcrumbs>Analytica User Guide > Create and edit a model> {{PAGENAME}}</breadcrumbs>
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There are four methods to draw arrows between nodes in different [[Modules and  Libraries|modules]]. Suppose you want to draw an arrow from the variable <code>Buying price</code> to the variable <code>Mortgage loan amount</code> in another module.

:[[File:Chapter4 17.png]]

'''Draw arrow across windows''': The most direct method works when you can arrange the diagrams so that both the origin and destination nodes are visible on screen at the same time:
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# In arrow mode [[File:Chapter4 18.png]], press on the origin node, <code>Buying price</code>, so that it highlights.
# Drag an arrow to the destination node, <code>Mortgage loan amount</code>, which also highlights, and release the button.
}}{{Release|5.0||
# In edit mode with the diagram for the origin node in focus, hover over the origin node, <code>Buying price</code>, until the [[hover icons]] appear.
# Draw from the [[image:HoverDrawArrowIcon.png]] hover icon to the destination node, <code>Mortgage loan amount</code>, which highlights, and release the button.
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If, as in this illustration, the destination module appears in the origin diagram, the arrow points from the origin node <code>Buying price</code> to the destination module <code>Cost to Buy</code> a small arrow-head appears on the left edge of destination node <code>Mortgage loan amount</code>, showing that it has an input node from another diagram.

:[[File:Chapter4 19.png]]

'''Move nodes to same diagram to link them''': A second method is to move one of the nodes into the diagram containing the other. Then you simply draw an arrow between them in the usual way. Finally, you move the node back to the diagram it came from. This is convenient if you have large diagrams and a small screen so that its hard to arrange the two diagrams so that both nodes are visible at the same time.

'''Copy the identifier of the origin into the definition of the destination''': Copy the [[identifier]] of the origin variable, open the [[definition]] of the destination variable, and paste it in (see [[Creating or editing a definition]]). When the definition is complete and accepted, it automatically draws the arrows to reflect the relationships.

'''Make an alias node in the other diagram''': If the origin node and destination module are in the same diagram, you can draw an arrow directly between them. This makes an [[alias nodes|alias node]] of the origin in the destination diagram. Then you can simply draw an arrow from the alias to the destination node. You can use a similar method when the origin [[Modules and Libraries|module]] and destination node are in the same diagram. Drawing an arrow between them creates an [[Alias nodes|alias]] of the destination in the origin module. See the next section for more about aliases.

==See Also==
* [[Draw arrows]]
* [[Tutorial: Decision trees#Drawing_arrows_between_variables|Tutorial: Drawing arrows between variables]]
* [[Tutorial: Dynamic system model#Drawing_influence_arrows_across_modules|Tutorial: Drawing influence arrows across modules]]
* [[Model building by mouse]]
* [[GetArrowsOnDiagram]]


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