Autosave Time (Min)
Autosave Time (Min), lets you set the frequency with which models in the Sketch Editor are automatically saved. As you do editing Vensim will save the current version of the file. Should Vensim be abnormally terminated you can recover the autosave version.
If you open a model that has an autosave version in place Vensim will inform you of this and ask if you want to open the autosave version. If you answer yes Vensim will query you for a name to save this as. It is best practice to save to a new model name and not overwrite an existing model in case there is something wrong with the autosave version of the model.
If you want to disable autosaving of models enter 0 as the autoave time.
Close Active Model on Open or New†, if checked, closes the Workbench model when you open a different model or ask for a new model.
Excel R1C1 Letters
When you use the GET XLS CONSTANTS or GET XLS DATA functions Vensim queries Excel for this information. The appropriate format for this query is different for some international versions of Excel.
If you are having trouble getting these functions to work open the spreadsheet xlstest.xls in models\sample\extra and click on the button labeled Get Row and Column Labels (you will need to enable macros). This button should open a dialog such as
| • | Row the first letter returned in the above response. Normally R. |
| • | Col the last letter returned in the above response. Normally C. |
Export Graph Size (Screen or Full or Query) sets the size of the exported graphics output. Exported graphics can always be scaled after they are exported, but the results will often be better if you scale them first. This is because each tool has a different algorithm for responding to different available sizes.
| • | Screen sizes the output at the size as it appears on the screen. |
| • | Full sizes the output at the size the tool that generated the output requires for normal display of the output. |
| • | Query allows you to set a size for the output when it is exported. When you ask to export graphics, a dialog box requests a size for the output. |
Export graphics & sketch Information formatted for printer exports graphics formatted as they would be for printing (that is, using the printer resolution and color characteristics). Depending on your printer this may improve the appearance of the final printed output.
Warnings (Display or Suppress) displays or suppresses warnings. Most warnings occur during simulation because of table and range overruns. If warnings are suppressed you don't see them.
Size Entry (Inches or Centimeters) changes the units in which you enter sizes. Sizes are used in exporting and printing graphics and the values you enter will be interpreted based on this setting.
Macro Variables (Show or Hide) determines whether the intermediate variables that result from using macros will be displayed. Macro variable names can be recognized because they begin and end with #.
| • | Show causes intermediate macro variables to be displayed. Causal tracing using the Outline, Stats, Strip Graph, Table and Tree tools will show these variables. |
| • | Hide causes macros to be treated similarly to functions. Only the inputs to the macros are displayed during causal tracing. |
Dataset Conflicts (Query or Overwrite (no query)) determines whether or not you will be asked if you want to overwrite a dataset when that dataset already exists. If you tend to make several simulations with the same name, you may wish to check Overwrite.
Datasets Loaded in Position: (First, Last or #) lets you set the position a dataset is loaded in after a simulation or importation occurs. Last loads it in as the last dataset, while First loads it in as the first dataset. You can also ask to have it loaded in a specific position (2,3 ...) by typing in a number. If you rerun a simulation and those simulation results are already loaded the new results will be loaded in the same position the old ones were.
Variable Display Format (Show_underbar, Capitalize by Type) determines the appearance of displayed variable names.
| • | Show_underbar, if marked, causes underbars rather than spaces to appear within variable names. |
| • | Capitalize by Type, if marked, causes variable names to be capitalized using a set of built in Vensim conventions. This option is retained for historical reasons. |
Thresholds
Maximum X-Gap for Graphs. This option specifies the maximum X-gap in a graph that will be displayed as a continuous line. For example, suppose that you have yearly data on car sales for 1960-1965, 1970-1975, and 1980-1985. If you set the maximum X-gap at 2.0, your graphs will have three separate lines. If you leave the maximum X-gap at its default value of 0, your graphs will have one line with the 1965,1970 and 1975,1980 values joined by a line. The values of X-gap are interpreted in terms of the currently selected time axis.
Time Slop for Dat2VDF determines when two time values are treated as equal when importing data. If you set the time slop to zero (0.0), Vensim will use its own algorithm to determine when time points are the same. However, if you use data heavily, we recommend that you set your own value. Time slop is most important in importing .dat format data.
Active Initial Relative sets relative error that will trigger a warning that there are differences between initial values and active values at the initial time. This is discussed further in Simulation Error Messages.
