See Also
An interface provides a way for model users to interact and understand a model without getting bogged down in the details of the model's structure.
A model interface allows your model's users to interact with the model by changing model inputs, running the simulation, and viewing its output. The interface also gives you a way to organize the model for clear communication by laying it out in pages or by using the storytelling feature, and by adding text and graphics that help clarify or point out important points in the model.
The following procedure is a high-level guide to the steps involved in creating a model interface. Use the links in each step for more information about the step.
Specify the size of your interface.
The first step in defining an interface is to specify how large the interface will be, both in number of pages (for example, three pages wide and two pages high) and in page size/resolution (for example 800 x 600) visible on the Interface layer.
Note: The size you specify can be completely unrelated to the size of the actual model structure on the Map and Model layers.
Create a "Home" page.
Use a Home page on your interface to introduce the model and its context to model users. Include a title, illustrations, and other introductory material by adding text, images and information and navigation buttons. Use information buttons to display text in pop-up windows that appear when the user clicks the button (for example, use an information button to display supplementary or lengthy text that you don't want to clutter the main interface). Use navigation buttons to allow users to move to a place you select in the model interface (for example, to a specific page or object on a page) and then to move back to the Home page.
Create a "Simulation Lab" page.
Add interface objects that provide a "laboratory" environment where users can experiment with the model. Let users modify model inputs, run simulations and view results by providing interface objects such as graphs, menu buttons, numeric displays, status indicators, sliders, and switches.
Note In the simulation lab you can specify interactive runs in which the simulation pauses and use interation is called for or simulation runs that unfold after the user has made changes to assumptions without further interaction. It is also possible to put the interface in Stella Live™ mode as described in Defining menu buttons. Stella Live mode is not available for use with isee NetSim.
Create an "Assumptions" page.
Allow users to change initial values or assumptions about the relationships defined in your model by including knobs and graphical input devices.
Create a story.
Tell a story with your model by using the storytelling feature. Storytelling allows you to customize the sequential unfurling of the entities in your model. You choose which entities are revealed and in what order. Storytelling also allows you to intersperse text, graphics, sounds, or movies between each entity that is being revealed. Finally, you can simulate the structure that is showing on the diagram, in mid story.