at the bottom of the Properties panel. For more information about using panels, see Using the Properties Panel.Use the Message tab to define thresholds and messages for a selected stock, flow, or converter. The threshold defines the variable value at which a message should be automatically displayed. When a threshold for the variable is crossed during the model's simulation run, the message you defined for the threshold will be posted.
You can define multiple message-triggering thresholds for the selected variable.
To view the Message tab, click the at the bottom of the Properties panel. For more information about using panels, see Using the Properties Panel.
Note: To view the Message tab, you must be viewing the model on the Model layer.
Each threshold you define is represented by a "stake" in the box at the top of the Messages panel. You create a message stake by clicking anywhere in the box.
The position of the stake in the box indicates the value for the threshold that the stake represents.
For example, in the following figure, the minimum/maximum range for the threshold is 0–10, and the message stake's threshold value is 5 (halfway between the minimum and maximum values):
The direction of the stake's arrowhead indicates when the associated message will be posted:
In the above example, the message will be posted when the variable's value exceeds 5.
Use the two boxes beneath the message stake box to specify the minimum and maximum values possible for a threshold. All threshold values specified for the variable will fall between these values. The default minimum and maximum values are 0 and 1.
To specify different minimum or maximum values, type the values you want in the boxes, or use the up/down arrows to select the values you want.
Click this button to delete the selected message stake. When you delete a message stake, all message content associated with the stake (text, pictures, etc.) will also be deleted.
Note: To delete all message stakes and messages for the variable, click the Delete All Messages button at the bottom of the Messages panel.
Use these options to determine when the message will be posted for the selected message stake:
Note: The value of the variable must cross the threshold value for the message to be triggered.
Use this box to specify the threshold value for the selected message stake. The software uses this value along with the option selected in the Post when value becomes box to determine when to display the message you define.
Use any of the following methods to specify the threshold value for the selected message stake:
Use the options in this section to specify the contents of the message that will appear when the thresholds you've defined have been reached.
Note: If the message stake has a double-sided arrowhead (
), you can define one or more messages for each half of the message stake. To do this, click to select one half of the arrowhead, define its message, click to select the other half of the arrowhead, and define its message.
Text Message – Select this option to present a text message when the threshold is reached. After you select this option, type the message in the Message Text box.
Note: You can associate a sound with a text message.
Media Message – Select this option to present an image or video when the threshold is reached. After you select this option, click the Assign Media button, and then navigate to and select the image or video file you want to use.
Note: For best results, put all movies in a directory entitled "movies", located in the same directory as the model file, and put all picture files in a directory entitled "graphics", located in the same directory as the model file.
Click this button to assign a specific location in your model to the message (in addition to the text, movie, picture, or sound assigned to this message). When the message is posted, the user will be navigated to the location you specified for the message.
When you click this button, the mouse pointer turns into a cross-hair image. Navigate to the desired location in the diagram, and then click that location to assign the location's coordinates to the message.
Navigation via message posting is an excellent mechanism for creating condition-specific coaching sessions for model users.
Click this button to delete the assigned navigation from a message.
Click this button to assign a sound to the message (in addition to the text, movie, picture, or navigation assigned). After you click this button, navigate to and select the sound (.MP3 or .WAV) file that you want to use. The name of the selected sound file will appear next to the button.
Notes: For best results, put all sound files in a directory entitled "sounds", located in the same directory as the model file.
If you assign both a movie and a sound to the message, the assigned sound will replace the movie's audio track when the message is posted.
Tip: To have the message post sound only, select the Text Message option under "Message Properties", but leave the Text Message box blank.
Click this button to delete the assigned sound from a message.
Select this check box to stop the simulation when this message is posted. If this check box isn't selected, the simulation will pause when the message is posted.
Use the options in the message box to create one or more messages for a single threshold. As the simulation proceeds, the messages will be triggered sequentially, starting with Message 1, each time the specified conditions are met.
By default, the first message you create for a threshold is "Message 1".
Note: After all messages have been displayed, the specified conditions will no longer generate messages.
To create a new message, select Add New from the dropdown menu. The Message box will display Message N, where N is the next sequential number (for example, Message 2). Use the options under Message Properties to define the message.
To view or edit any of the messages you've already defined, select the message you want from the dropdown.
button.Use the options in this section to select how often the message will be displayed during a simulation:
Select this check box to have the message continue to post, using the interval you specify, as long as the variable's value is still across the threshold.
After you select this check box, enter the interval in the box to the right of the check box.
Note: The unit of time displayed to the right of the box is the unit of time specified for the model in the Run Specs section of the Model settings.