Defining storytelling buttons

Use the following procedure to place a storytelling button in your model and to select the model entities that will be revealed when the button is clicked.

Note: You can add storytelling buttons to the Interface layer only. You cannot add a Storytelling button to the Map or Model layers.

For more information about the types of buttons you can add to your model, see Overview: Buttons.

To define a storytelling button

On the Interface toolbar, click and hold the Information button tool and then select the Storytelling button tool.

Tip: You can specify the button type in the Button dialog box, regardless of the type you select to place in this step, by selecting the type you want under "Button Purpose" and then clicking the appropriate button to define the type you selected. You can also change the button's type by right-clicking it, selecting Change To, and then selecting the button type.
Click the diagram to place the button.

The Button dialog box opens and the Create Story dialog box opens on top of that.
Click the Build Story button. The model appears on the Story Building tab.
On the Storytelling tab, select the elements you want to include in the story:
- To select elements one at a time, click each element in the order in which you want to add it. When an element is included in the story, its is icon highlighted.
- To select more than one element at once, click and drag around the elements you want to add.
- To remove an element from the story, click it again to de-select it. Its highlight will be removed.
- To group items as you build the story, press the SHIFT key as you select the elements you want to group. Release the SHIFT key when you have selected all elements you want to group together.
- To reposition the focus of the story to a certain portion of the diagram, scroll to the location on the diagram where you want to tell the story, and then click the button above the navigation tabs.
When you are finished selecting items to include in the story, click above the navigation tabs to return to the Create Story dialog box.

Once you have built the initial story sequence on the diagram, you can edit it, test it, and continue editing until you have the story you want.
When you have finished creating the story, click OK to close the Create Story dialog box.
Click OK to close the Button dialog box.

To run a simulation during the story

One very useful feature of storytelling is the ability to simulate portions of the model during a storytelling sequence. Doing so helps to link the structure of the portion of the model that is revealed with its behavior. As you unfurl more structure, you can see the impact of the additional structure on the behavior or simulation results.

Since menus and toolbars are unavailable while in storytelling mode, in order to run the model during the story, you'll need to incorporate a Menu button assigned to the Run command in the story sequence.

To help model users clearly the see the results of the simulation, you also might want to include a pinned graph or table, or a numeric display in the story.

The software's integration methods are modified somewhat when you are running portions of the model in the midst of a story. For details, see How model equations are solved during storytelling.

To edit the story

Open the Button dialog box for the Storytelling button.
Click the Edit Story button next to the Storytelling option.

The Create Story dialog box opens.
Use the options in the Create Story dialog box to change the sequencing, group items together, and add annotations.
When you are finished editing the story the button, click OK to close the Create Story dialog box
Click OK to close the Button dialog box.

To reposition the focus of the story

Use this procedure to change the initial focus of the story so that it includes the main elements of the story. This is particularly useful when you have a large model and want to make sure the relevant portion of the model is displayed when the story begins.

Open the Button dialog box for the Storytelling button.
Click the Edit Story button next to the Storytelling option.

The Create Story dialog box opens.
Click the Build Story button. The model appears on the Story Building tab.
Scroll to the location on the diagram that includes the elements you want to make the focus of the story.
Click the button above the navigation tabs.

The software will use the associated screen coordinates as the initial location for the display of the story.

If the story contains elements that are "off screen" from this location, you will need to include a navigation button in your storytelling sequence, and instruct the model user to click it.
Click above the navigation tabs to return to the Create Story dialog box.
Click OK to close the Button dialog box.

To test a story

Close the Create Story and Button dialog boxes.
On the Interface layer, click the Storytelling button you created. The Story Telling tab appears and the first item (or items, if they are grouped) in the story appear on the Story Telling tab.
To move to the next step in the story, press the SPACEBAR. The highlighted elements indicate the new structure in each step of the story sequence.
To move back a step in the story sequence, press the BACKSPACE key (Windows) or the DELETE key (Mac).
As you test the story, you can re-size and re-position annotation pop-up windows as needed. The software will retain the positions and sizes you set during testing.
To reposition the focus of the story to include the main elements of the story, scroll to the location on the diagram that includes the elements, and then click the button above the navigation tabs. The software will use the associated screen coordinates as the initial location for the display of the story.

If the story contains elements that are "off screen" from this location, you will need to include a navigation button in your storytelling sequence, and instruct the model user to click it.
To end a storytelling sequence, click the above the navigation tabs to return to the Interface layer.

Tip: You can include a navigation button in your story to take the user back to the Interface layer.

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