Difference between revisions of "Text nodes"

Latest revision as of 21:05, 28 October 2017

A text object is simply a way to place arbitrary text on your diagram. Text nodes are useful for adding instructions or other documentation into a diagram to supplement the other node types. Modelers often use text nodes to clarify a complex diagram or user interface by putting a white (or other colored) text node around a group of user inputs, outputs, or other nodes.

Creating a text node

The most obvious way to create a text node is from the Toolbar (in edit mode). Simply drag from the Text node on the Toolbar to where you want it on a diagram.

Another simple way to make a text node is to:

copy some text from any application (including the current Analytica model)
in edit mode, click the background of the diagram where you want to place the text
select paste from the Edit menu or press ctrl+v

By default, a new text node has no border or fill, so you'll just see the text, and a dashed border visible in Edit mode. If you want to change those defaults -- for example to have a border and white fill -- select the node, and select Set node style... from the Diagram menu or right-click menu.

Title and Description

( new to Analytica 5.0 ) Text nodes can have a Title, which appears in bold and/or a Description, which uses the standard font.

When you create a text node by dragging from the toolbar, you start by editing the bold Title text. If you don't want a bold title click the small t pop-up control above the node -- or press the TAB key -- to move to the description. When editing a description, and want to edit the Title, click the large T pop-up control above the mode or press Shift+TAB.

A title should usually be brief and fit on a single line. A description may contain many lines. A long title may result in the new node being very wide, because the auto-sizing method tries to keep the title on one line.

Hover Icons

New to Analytica 5.0

In edit mode, several hover icons appear over text nodes. The icon changes Description text into a bold Title, and appears when there is Description text but no Title. The changes bold Title text into normal Description text.

The icon edits the bold Title, and the icon edits the Description text.

Text nodes for grouping

It's often useful to organize a large user interface by using Text nodes to group user inputs, outputs, and other nodes inside a titled text box. This example uses four text nodes to clarify a user interface:

By default when you create a text node, its fill and border styles are off. To use it for visual groupings, select it and then go to the Node Style dialog and check the Show Label and Show Border check boxes. You can also change the fill color or font color from the Color palette.

Text nodes are created at the bottom of the z-order, which means they appear behind other objects initially. Occasionally you may want to alter the z-order. Use the Send to Back or Send to Front options on the Right mouse button menu.

@@ Line 1: / Line 1: @@
-As the name implies, you can use text nodes to place text on your diagram. You can use this to include instructions or additional information on the diagram in addition to your influence diagrams, user-interface controls, pictures, and module nodes. It is also a common practice to use text nodes as a way to create visual groupings on the diagram, using the text node not so much for its text, but primarily as a filled rectangle behind other objects.
+A text object is simply a way to place arbitrary text on your diagram. Text nodes are useful for adding instructions or other documentation into a diagram to supplement the other node types. Modelers often use text nodes to clarify a complex diagram or user interface by putting a white (or other colored) text node around a group of user inputs, outputs, or other nodes.
 == Creating a text node ==
-To create a text node, mouse-down on the text node toolbar button, drag to where you want it, and release the mouse.
+The most obvious way to create a text node is from the Toolbar (in edit mode). Simply drag from the Text node on the Toolbar to where you want it on a diagram.
 ::[[image:Toolbar_Showing_Text_Node_Button.png]]
-A second method for creating a text node is copy/paste. Copy text of interest, then paste into the diagram with nothing selected.
+Another simple way to make a text node is to:
+# copy some text from any application (including the current Analytica model)
+# in edit mode, click the background of the diagram where you want to place the text
+# select paste from the '''Edit''' menu or press ''ctrl+v''
+By default, a new text node has no border or fill, so you'll just see the text, and a dashed border visible in Edit mode. If you want to change those defaults -- for example to have a border and white fill -- select the node, and select '''Set node style...''' from the '''Diagram''' menu or right-click menu.
 == Title and Description ==
-( ''new to [[Analytica 5.0]]'' ) Text nodes can [[Title]] text, [[Description]] text, or both. Title text appears bold, whereas Description text appears in the selected font.
+( ''new to [[Analytica 5.0]]'' ) Text nodes can have a [[Title]], which appears in bold and/or a [[Description]], which uses the standard font.
 ::[[image:Text node with title.png]]
-It is generally assumed that the title be relatively short and (usually) fit on a single line, whereas descriptions may many lines long. The auto-sizing algorithms that adjust node size make use of this principle, so if you use very long titles, you may find it auto-sizing your text nodes to be very wide (since it's heuristic prefers to keep titles on a single line).
+When you create a text node by dragging from the toolbar, you start by editing the bold Title text. If you don't want a bold title click the small t pop-up control above the node -- or press the ''TAB'' key -- to move to the description. When editing a description, and want to edit the Title, click the large T pop-up control above the mode or press ''Shift+TAB''.
-When you create a text node by dragging from the toolbar, you start by editing the bold Title text. If you don't want a bold title, press the TAB key first to move to the description.
+A title should usually be brief and fit on a single line. A description may contain many lines. A long title may result in the new node being very wide, because the auto-sizing method tries to keep the title on one line.
-When editing a title the TAB key moves to the description, and when editing a description, the Shift+TAB key moves to the title.
 == Hover Icons ==
@@ Line 33: / Line 36: @@
 == Text nodes for grouping ==
-Text nodes are often used to create visual groupings, and seen In the Project Portfolio Planner example model with the four text nodes creating four visually separate user-interface panels.
+It's often useful to organize a large user interface by using Text nodes to group user inputs, outputs, and other nodes inside a titled text box. This example uses four text nodes to clarify a user interface:
 [[image:ProjectPortfolioPlanner.png]]
-A text node's fill and border is turned off initially when you first create it. To use it for visual groupings, select it and then go to the [[Node Style dialog]] and turn on '''Show Label''', '''Show Border''' or both as desired. You may then wish to change the background or font color from the [[Color palette]].
+By default when you create a text node, its fill and border styles are off. To use it for visual groupings, select it and then go to the [[Node Style dialog]] and check the '''Show Label''' and '''Show Border''' check boxes. You can also change the fill color or font color from the [[Color palette]].
+Text nodes are created at the bottom of the ''z-order'', which means they appear behind other objects initially. Occasionally you may want to alter the z-order. Use the '''Send to Back''' or '''Send to Front''' options on the [[Right mouse button menu]].
+== See Also ==
+* [[Create and edit nodes]]
+* [[Arranging nodes to make clear diagrams]]
+* [[Node Style dialog]]