Canvas

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SimQuest 6.4 help

Canvas

A Canvas is a collection of text and images. Also, you can add various elements like lines and boxes to this type explanation.

Modifying a Canvas

To modify a Canvas, you have to fill out a number of tab sheets. To access these, you select the Canvas Explanation in the Application window, click right and choose Edit from the menu that appears. A new window will pop-up with several tab sheets. The things you can or must fill out on these tab sheets are explained below.

General

1.	Select the General tab sheet.

2.	In the Name box, you can specify a name for the Canvas which the learner will see in the learner view. As the author, you will still see the original name in the Application window.

3.	In the Description box, type a short description of the Canvas. The learner will see this description in the learner environment when he or she selects the Canvas, but does not (yet) start it.

4.	Under Language, the language for this element.

5.	Click Apply.

Control On

In the Control On tab sheet you can make the Canvas element perform certain actions with regard to other elements in the application. For instance, you can connect multiple explanation elements: once the learner closes this Canvas, another one subsequently opens. This chapter will help you smoothly control elements in your simulation.

First, set the Start-up state of the Canvas Explanation:

1.	Select the Control On tab sheet.

2.	Select the Start-up state using the radio buttons on top of the tab-sheet:

Activated: the Canvas Explanation will open when the simulation is opened in the learner view.

Enabled: the Canvas Explanation is visible to the learner in the learner view.

Disabled: the learner can see the explanation, but not (yet) activate it.

Invisible: the learner cannot see nor activate this Canvas Explanation.

To set the control structure of a Canvas Explanation, follow these steps:

1.	Decide WHEN you want something to happen. Select one of the elements from the first list.

Activated: the elements below will be activated, enabled, aborted, disabled, or hidden when the Canvas is activated.

Exited: the elements below will be activated, enabled, aborted, disabled, or hidden when the Canvas is closed before.

2.	Select a command for the simulation:

No command to: the simulation stays as it is

Compute: the simulation calculates the output value for the given input. Only when ‘Recompute output variables every time a value changes’ is not selected in Simulation Properties.

Compute and Record: the model runs with the current input values and the results are displayed.

Record Value: only for static models: the most recently computed value is recorded on screen. By default, this happens automatically, but you can change it under Simulation Properties.

Reset: all variables in the simulation will be reset to their initial value.

3.	Decide and select WHAT you want to happen.

Activate: The elements that you dragged into the box below will be started/opened.

Enable: The elements below will be presented in the learner view but not started. The learner has to start them.

Abort: The elements below will be closed.

Disable: The elements below will be presented in the learner view but the learner cannot start them.

Hide: The elements below will not be visible in the learner view.

Please note! The element itself is automatically added to the Exited-Enable page. Therefore, when closed, the Canvas Explanation will be visible and available.

Control Overview

You can use the Control Overview tab sheet to check the controls you set in the Control On tab sheet. You can quickly see what will happen if you activate or exit the Canvas Explanation.

1.	Select the Control Overview tab sheet.

2.	Click Activated, Succeeded, Enabled, Failed, or Exited

3.	Look at the controls you specified in each category.

Explanation

A Canvas is created in a similar way in which you create an interface: by dragging elements from the Explanation Widgets folder and dropping them onto the Canvas.

1.	Select the Explanation tab sheet.

2.	Click Edit. An empty canvas window appears on your screen.

3.	Drag explanation elements from the Explanations Widgets folder in the Library window and drop them into the Canvas window.

4.	Fill the properties of the explanation element-element (click on the link for more information about the specific elements):

Divider

Group Box

-	Image from file

Label

Text

5.	Click right and choose Save.

6.	Close the editor. Your composition of interface elements appears in the Specification tab sheet.

7.	Click Apply.