Working with panels
Use the panels on the right side of the Map and Model layers to define and edit properties for your model's building blocks while still being able to view the diagram.
Note: The panels are available only when you are viewing the Map and Model layers.
When you place or select a building block on the Map or Model layer, the panels display options relevant to that building block so that you can define, view, or edit its properties.
The panels that are available depend on the layer you are currently viewing and what type of entity is selected:
The following picture shows the Equation panel open, with the stock named "Stock 1" selected.
Note that the icon for the currently selected panel (
) as well as the icon and name for the currently selected entity ("Stock_1") appear at the top of the Equation panel
You can close the panels at any time to see the full diagram. If you prefer, you can undock the panels. When you undock the panels, they become a floating window that you can resize and place anywhere on your screen.
The following procedures describe how to work with the panels by
To open or close the panels
When you first open a model and navigate to the Map or Model layer, the panels will automatically be open. On the Model layer, the panels open to the Equation panel. On the Map layer, the panels open to the Documentation panel (the only panel available on the Map layer).
If you close the panels, they will remain closed on the layer on which you closed them until you open them again.
- To close the panels, click the
button on the panel bar (on the left side of the panels).
-
To open the panels, use one of the following methods:
Click the 
button on the panel bar (on the right side of the iThink/STELLA window).
–or–
Select the building block's icon, and then choose Open Selection from the Model menu.
–or–
Right-click the building block's icon, and then choose Open from the menu that appears.
–or–
Double-click the building block's icon.
To undock and dock the panels
- To undock the panels, click the
button in the upper-right corner of the panels.
- To dock the panels, click the
button in the upper-right corner of the panels.
To pin and unpin the panels
By default the panel will stay open unless you explicitly close it. You can unpin the panel to have it close whenever you click off a model entity (on a blank part of the model) or run the model.
- To unpin the panels, click the
button in the upper-right corner of the panels.
- To pin the panels, click the
button in the upper-right corner of the panels.
Note The orientation of the button indicates if the panel is pinned or unpinned. means it is pinned and means it is unpinned.
To resize undocked panels
- Click and drag the resize area
in the bottom-right corner of the undocked panels until the panels are the size you want.
To select a specific panel
Click the appropriate tab at the bottom of the panels to select and view that panel:
To view entity properties on a panel
-
Click the entity on the Map or Model layer to select it (or use drag-select to select it).
The panels are enabled and the last viewed panel is displayed if the panel is valid for the selected entity; otherwise, the appropriate default panel for the entity is displayed:
Note: If you closed the panels with the button, click the button to open the panels.
- Click the tab for the panel that contains the properties you want to view. For information about the options on a specific panel, see the documentation for that panel.
To edit building block properties on a panel
- On the model diagram, select the building block whose properties you want to edit.
-
Select the panel for the properties you want to view or edit. For information about the options on a specific panel, see the documentation for that panel.
Tip: to automatically select the default field on the currently displayed panel, double-click the building block.
- Use the options on the panels to make the edit you want.
- When you are finished making changes, apply your edits.
For more information about building blocks, see Working with building blocks.
To apply edits made on panels
In general, changes you make on the panels are applied to the selected entity as soon as you make the change.
Use the following procedure to apply all changes made on all panels for the entity and to have the software check for errors in the entity's equation and other properties.
To undo or revert edits made on panels
- To revert all changes made to the entity's properties since the last time you applied changes, click
.
- To undo only the last change you made, select Undo from the Edit menu (or use CTRL+Z [Windows] or Command-Z [Mac]).
See Also
– Graphical Function panel – Use this panel to define a converter or flow as a graphical function.
– Array panel – Use this panel to transform the selected entity into an arrayed entity and to edit array dimensions and elements available in the current model.
– Scales and Ranges panel – Use this panel to define global scale and range properties for the selected entity. This allows you to set the scale for the entity for all graphs in which the entity is used in the model.
– Messages panel – Use this panel to define thresholds and messages for the selected stock, flow, or converter. When a threshold for the entity is crossed during the model's simulation run, the message you defined for the threshold is posted.
– Module Properties panel – Use this panel to set module properties.
– Documentation panel – Use this panel to add notes or comments about the selected entity.
in the bottom-right corner of the panels.