Setting model default settings

Default model settings control the default values for many of the interface, model, equation, and run preferences that you can set for your model. By specifying defaults, you can customize the software's settings to ensure that all models you create in the future use the settings you prefer by default (for example, fonts for text boxes, portrait or landscape print orientation, whether flows are uniflow or biflow, and many other settings).

Note: You can override most default settings for a specific model or item in a model by editing the setting for the model or item in the appropriate dialog box.

Changes you make to the default settings take effect immediately for all new models you create after you change the settings. For the currently open model, or for any previously saved models, changes you make to the default setting take effect depending on whether the setting is local or global:

• Local settings – Changes to these settings take effect immediately for all changes/additions to the currently open model and for all previously saved models that you edit in the future, but do not affect any existing model entities in previously saved models.
• Global settings – Changes to these settings take effect immediately for the currently open model, but do not affect any previously saved models.

The description of each setting in the Default Settings dialog box indicates if the setting is local or global.

Default settings are organized into the following categories:

• Model – These settings include many of the preferences in the Model Preferences dialog box, including whether or not to show pages or to enforce unit consistency, the font used for entity names, and which building blocks to animate during model simulations.
• Object – These settings allow you to select defaults for object-related options, including displaying navigation arrows and the name of the associated entity, and retaining ending values.
• Stock/Flow/Converter – Use these settings to select default settings for flows, stocks, and converters, including the type for flows in your models, whether or not stocks are forced to take on negative values, and the default size of converters.
• Table/Graph – These settings include several preferences in the Define Graph dialog box and Define Table dialog box, including whether tables report beginning or ending balances, the report interval for tables, and the colors used for tables and graphs.
• Text Block – Use these setting to select defaults for the font style, font size, and alignment of text in text boxes, as well as several other settings in the Text Box dialog box.
• Run Specs – These settings include many of the simulation preferences in the Run Specs dialog box, including the simulation length, unit of time, and simulation speed.

To set model default settings

1. From the File menu, choose Default Settings.

   The Default Settings dialog box opens.

2. In the Default Settings box, select the category for which you want to specify default settings: Model, Object, Stock/Flow/Converter, Table/Graph, Text Block, or Run Specs.
3. Select the default settings you want to apply for that category.
4. To select default settings for a different category, repeat steps 2 - 3.
5. When you are finished setting model default settings, click OK.

See Also