User manual - First steps

1- Getting started with the graphical interface

1-1 Main window

The main window of the graphical interface consists of a working space in which the other windows (model definition or result window) open, surrounded by:

• The study tree displays the models and analyses performed in the studies. Elements are organized in sections, in bold (ex: Physical models, Evaluation, Definition), in which the user can create analyses and models.

  

• The main menu bar and tool bar.

  

• The Python console shown by default,

  

• The Graph settings window appears when a figure is displayed in the main window to set up graphical parameters. Its content varies according to the type of graph:

• for the Cobweb plots and the Plot matrix, the window allows to:

  • Select the variables to display and the axis order
  • Modify the space where the values are plotted with the Ranks check button (default: physical space). Check off the button to display the rank of the values
  • Export the figure

  

• for the charts, the window allows to:

  • Export the figure
  • Specify the graph title (expected: string)
  • Specify axis title (expected: string) in the X-axis and Y-axis tabs

  • Depending on the graph:

    • Select data to plot
    • Modify the space where the values are plotted with the Ranks check button (default: physical space). Check off the button to display the rank of the values

    • Specify other axis parameters in the X-axis and Y-axis tabs:

      • minimum/maximum bounds (expected: floating point)
      • log scale (check button only available if axis values are positive)
      • X-axis label orientation

    • Reset the axis ranges
    • Specify the plot style: color, marker size and style (cross, circle, diamond, square, plus)

  

1-2 On startup

The interface startup window shows 3 items:

• New study: Create a new study.
• Open study: Choose an existing study from a dialog box. The loaded study becomes the current study.
• Import Python script: Load a Python Script from a dialog box. It is impossible to load a study when another one is already opened.

• Click on the icon to open the documentation

1-3 Menus

File Menu

The File menu gathers the following shortcuts:

• New: Create a new study.
• Open…: Choose an existing study from a dialog box. The loaded study becomes the current study.
• Open Recent: Quick access to recently loaded studies.
• Save: Save the current study.
• Save As…: Choose the directory where to save the current project.
• Import Python…: Load a Python Script from a dialog box.
• Close: Close the current Study. A pop-up dialog window appears if the current Study has not been saved. Any Study may also be closed through its context menu.
• Exit: Quit the interface.

View Menu

The View menu allows the user to display/hide the Python console.

Help Menu

The Help menu gathers the following shortcuts:

• User’s manual: Open the user’s manual in a Web browser.
• About Persalys: Display information (version, license, libraries, etc.) about the interface in a pop-up dialog window.

2- Create a study

There are several ways to create a new study:

• Use the button New Study of the startup window

  

• Click on in the tool bar

• Click on New in the file menu

• Press Ctrl+N

When a study is created, an item appears in the study tree. This item is associated with a window which provides ways to define models:

The context menu of study item gathers the same actions as the window:

It proposes to create models:

• Models defined with a vector function:

  • Symbolic model: Physical model defined with analytical formulas
  • Python model: Physical model defined with a Python script
  • YACS model: Physical model defined with a YACS scheme (optional)
  • FMI model: Physical model defined with a FMU file (optional)

• Models defined with a field function:

  • Symbolic Field model: Physical model defined with analytical formulas and a mesh
  • Python Field model: Physical model defined with a Python script and a mesh

• Models defined with a data sample:

  • Data model: Physical model defined with a sample

The context menu also allows the following actions:

• Rename: Rename the study
• Export Python: Choose a directory to export the study as a Python script
• Save: Save the study
• Close: Close the study. A pop-up dialog window appears if the study has not been saved