Types of Windows
Vensim contains several types of windows:
| 1. | Build Windows are used for constructing new models, or for modifying, navigating, and simulating existing models. In Vensim Professional and DSS several models can be open at once, each in its own Build Window, and the Build Window can be switched to a Text Editor for building and editing text-based models. |
| 2. | Output Windows are created by Vensim's Analysis tools, and include graphs, tables and lists. |
| 3. | Control Windows include the Control Panel, a tab dialog box used to control Vensim's internal settings, and the Subscript Control, used for defining and selecting subscripts in Vensim Professional and DSS. |
Moving Between Windows
When a window is first selected or created, that window moves to the top and is active while all other windows become inactive. You can only work in the active window. Four different methods allow you to move between the window classes:
| 1. Click on the appropriate window button on the Toolbar. |
| 2. | Press Ctrl + Shift + Tab to cycle among the window classes. |
| 3. | From the Windows menu, select Pop Build Forward, Pop Output Forward, Control Panel, or Subscript Control. |
| 4. | Use the mouse and click on the appropriate window (this only works if the window is visible). |
The last method works particularly well for the Build Window, which is the largest and is not usually covered when other windows are active.
Moving Between Windows of the same type
There can be multiple output windows open and, in the more advanced configurations multiple build windows open. Four methods enable you to cycle through the open windows within a class:
| 1. Click repeatedly on the window class button. |
| 2. | Press Ctrl + Tab. |
| 3. | From the Windows menu, select Output Window List for the Output windows, or click on the desired Build window showing at the bottom of the Windows menu. |
| 4. | Use the mouse and click on the appropriate window (this only works if the window is visible). |
Build Windows
Build Windows are used to create models in Vensim. By default, they open with the Sketch tools for sketching the structure of the model and for writing equations. The Status Bar provides buttons for modifying the sketch. Except in PLE models can be built from several different sketches or sketch views. Each sketch view shows a part of the model, much like each page in a book tells part of a story. In Vensim Professional and DSS, the Build Window can be switched to a Text Editor for building and editing text-based models. The Status Bar then switches to a text-editing version.
Output Windows
Output Windows are generated by clicking on an Analysis tool. The Analysis tools gather information from the model and display the information in a window as a diagram, graph, or text, depending on the particular tool. Dozens of these windows can be open simultaneously, and a particular window can be closed individually by clicking the Close button in the top left or top right corner, or all windows can be closed at once using the menu item Windows>Close All Output.
