Using Ghosts to assign module inputs and outputs

Using the Ghost tool is the simplest and fastest way to assign module inputs and outputs. When you use the Ghost tool to define which module entities are inputs and outputs to other modules, the software automatically defines the appropriate module connections (that is, which modules are connected to which other modules) and assigns the appropriate entities as either module inputs or module outputs.

Note: You can use this method between modules that are one level up or down from each other or between modules across any level in the hierarchy. You cannot use the Ghost tool between modules that are multiple levels up or down from each other.

To assign module inputs and outputs with the Ghost tool

1. In a model that contains one or more modules, navigate into a module that contains an entity whose value will be output to another module. In the following example, the model contains two modules: Customers and Fleet.

   

   In this example, the Customers module contains a stock called "Customers" that will serve as an input to the Fleet module. We'll begin by navigating into the Customers module:

   

2. On the Model toolbar, select the Ghost tool .

3. Click the center of the entity that will serve as a module input to another entity or module. The cursor changes to a small version of the ghosted building block's icon.

   In this example, we'll be defining the "Customers" Stock as an input to the Fleet module, so we would click the center of the "Customers" Stock and the cursor changes to a small Stock icon.

4. Navigate to the module that will accept the ghosted entity as an input (either up or down one level from the current module, or at the same level as the current module. In our example, we'll navigate up one level and then back down one level into the Fleet module.

5. Click anywhere on the module diagram to place the ghosted entity. The ghosted entity appears and its name includes the name of the module that is providing the value. In our example, the ghosted entity is the "Customers.Customers" entity (that is, the "Customers" Stock from the Customers module):

   

6. Use a connector to draw the connection between the new module input and the entity to which it provides an input value. In our example, we'll draw a connection between the new "Customers.Customers" entity and the "customer to plane ratio" converter:

   

7. If you right-click the "Customers.Customers" entity and choose the Module command, you will see that it has been automatically set to Accept Input. When you navigate back out of the module, you will see the connection between the modules has been automatically drawn:

   

   If you navigate into the module that is providing the input value to the module (the Customers module in this example), right-click the entity that you ghosted into the other module, and choose the Module command, you will see that it has been automatically set to Provide Output.

8. Repeat steps 1 - 6 to assign module inputs and outputs between modules in your model.

Note: If you delete a ghosted entity and it is not being used anywhere else in the model, the entity that served as the module output no longer serves as a module output. If there are no other entities shared between the modules (in the same direction), the software also automatically deletes the connection between modules.

See Also