Difference between revisions of "Draw arrows"
(Introducing a second bend)
Line 75: Line 75:
 
}}
 
}}
  
 +
When the arrow is selected, way points appear at the bends as solid black handles. Each segment has gray handle at its midpoint that you can drag to introduce another way point.
 +
{{CalloutAnnotationBlock|[[Image:Arrow with one way point.png]]|
 +
{{CalloutAnnotation|Drag to introduce a second way point|pt=176,88|v=100|path=(176,*)}}
 +
}}
  
 
}}
 
}}

Revision as of 22:26, 9 April 2021

Analytica User GuideCreate and edit a modelDraw arrows



Release:

4.6  •  5.0  •  5.1  •  5.2  •  5.3  •  5.4  •  6.0  •  6.1  •  6.2  •  6.3  •  6.4  •  6.5


Here is how to draw or remove arrows (influences) between variable nodes. You must be in edit mode. Move your cursor over the first (origin) node so that its popup icons appear. Move your cursor over the arrow head on the right. HoverDrawArrowIcon.png hover icon. Now press and drag an arrow from this node to the second (destination) node. Drawing an arrow from node A to node B puts A in the list of inputs of B. When you create or edit the definition of B, you can now conveniently select A from the inputs menu to insert it into its Definition).

Draw an arrow

To draw an arrow, hover over the origin node until the hover icons appear, then drag from the HoverDrawArrowIcon.png hover icon to the destination node (which will highlight) and release the mouse.

To speed up drawing arrows from multiple nodes to a single destination, select all the origin nodes. Drag an arrow from any origin node's HoverDrawArrowIcon.png hover icon to the destination, it it will add an arrow from every origin node when you release the mouse button.

Tip
Some arrows are hidden. They disappear after you draw them, even though the underlying dependency remains. For example, arrows to and from indexes and functions are hidden by default. You can change these settings in the Diagram Style dialog and Node Style dialog.

Remove an arrow

  • Click the arrow to select it, then press the Backspace or Delete key, or
  • Just redraw the arrow from the origin node to the destination node. If the origin variable is used in the definition of the destination, it asks if you really want to remove it.
Tip
When you enter or edit a definition (Creating or editing a definition), it automatically updates the arrows into the variable to reflect those variables that appear in the definition (and not those that don't).

Influence cycle or loop

An influence cycle or loop occurs when a variable A depends on itself directly, where A → A, or indirectly so that the arrows form a directed circular path, e.g., A → B → C → A.

If you try to draw arrows that would make a cycle, it warns and prevents you. Except, it does allow a cycle in aDynamic Simulation loop -- i.e. where at least one of the variables in the cycle is defined with the Dynamic function, and contains a time- lagged dependence on another variable in the cycle, shown as a gray arrow (or a variable defined by Iterate which may depend on itself.)

Influence arrows and Modules

Influence arrows to or from Modules and Libraries reflect any influences between variables inside the Modules:


Rent vs Buy Discount rate selected.png


Arrow from a variable to a module
Arrow from a module to a variable

Arrow from one variable to another:

Chapter4 11.png

Arrow from a variable to a module:

Chapter4 12.png

Arrow from a module to a variable:

Chapter4 13.png

Arrow from a module to another module:

Chapter4 14.png

Double-headed arrow between modules:

Chapter4 15.png

Small arrow-head on left (or right) shows menu with remote inputs (outputs): (

Chapter4 16.png

Press the arrowhead to the left (right) of node to see a menu listing all local and remote inputs (outputs). You can select an object from these menus to jump to see that object node in its parent diagram. For more go to Seeing remote inputs and outputs

Bending arrows

You can bend arrows to route them around other nodes or distinguish them more clearly. Bent arrows can be either crisp or curved. Crisply-bent arrows consist of two or more straight segments, where each vertex is called a way point. Curved arrows do not have straight segments, but instead render as a cardinal spline using the way points to determine the curvature.

System dynamics diagram with curved arrows.png

In the drawing above, many of the influence arrows have been curved and colored blue. One arrow has crisp bends (it also has a double-line style and increased line thickness). The boundaries and fill for most the variables have been turned off, and three variables contain an icon that looks like an hour glass with labels turned off, one has a icon resembling a cloud. The example illustrates how the arrow styles can be used to create a substantially different style of appearance.

To bend an arrow, first select it. Near the midpoint, two handle appear: a round handle for creating a curved arrow and a square handle for creating a crisp bend. Drag either handle to introduce the first way point.


BentHandles.png


Round for curved


Square for segmented

When the arrow is selected, way points appear at the bends as solid black handles. Each segment has gray handle at its midpoint that you can drag to introduce another way point.


Arrow with one way point.png


Drag to introduce a second way point

See Also


Create and edit nodesDraw arrowsDraw arrows between modules
Comments


You are not allowed to post comments.