Opening a new window for a submodel

You may want to open a new window for a submodel for one of two reasons:

• to view and edit the submodel independently of the main model
• to save the submodel to file, or load a previously-saved submodel into the current model.

You open up a new window for the submodel by selecting Pointer mode from the tool bar, then double-clicking on the submodel envelope. Note that it is fairly easy to miss, and click inside the submodel. In that case, the submodel properties dialogue will appear. If that happens, click "Cancel" and try again.

Note that any changes you make to the submodel in its own window are simultaneously made to the submodel in the desktop window. You can edit the model diagram using the same set of tools as are available in the desktop window. Note however, that the toolbars may not be displayed if the window is not large enough. All the tools must then be accessed through the menus.

Note also that any actions that change the scroll region of the new window, for instance growing it beyond its current scroll region, will alter the scale of the submodel relative to its parent. To understand this, consider the following terminology:

• The submodel panel is that part of the main desktop window occupied by the submodel, i.e. that is enclosed in the submodel envelope.
• The submodel window is the separate window opened up for viewing and editing the submodel.
• The submodel scroll region (also called the canvas) is the area behind the submodel window that is available for the submodel diagram.

Thus, the submodel window reveals part of the canvas. We can move around the canvas by scrolling the window with the side and bottom scroll bars. Only if the window is actually the same size as the canvas, will not need to scroll the window to see the whole canvas.

Note, now, that the submodel canvas always represents the same area as the submodel panel. Thus:

• if you increase the size of the submodel canvas, then the size of model-diagram elements in the submodel panel will decrease, relative to the other elements in the desktop window; and
• if you increase the size of the submodel panel, and use the zoom to fit option for the submodel window, then the size of model-diagram elements in the submodel panel will increase, relative to the other elements in the desktop window.

In all cases, however, you can also adjust the relative scale of the submodel without opening up a separate window for it, by using the relative scale slider in the submodel dialogue window.

In: Contents >> Working with submodels