Scicos Editor
fr - eng

Menu_entries - Editor menu entries

File menu

• File:New
  Clicking on the New menu item loads an empty diagram in the active editor Scicos window. If the previous content of the window is not saved, it will be lost.

• File:Open
  Select the Open menu item to load an ASCII or binary file containing a saved block diagram or palette. A dialog box allows user choosing the file.

• File:Save (s)
  Select the save menu item to save the block diagram in a binary file already selected by a previous select the Save As menu item. If you select this menu item and you have never clicked on the Save As menu item, the diagram is saved in the current directory as "window_name".cos where "window_name" is the name of the window appearing on top of the window (usually Untitled or Super Block).

  The .cos binary files are machine independent.

• File:Save As
  Select the Save As menu item to save the block diagram or palette in a file. A dialog box allows choosing the file which must have a .cos or .cosf extension. The diagram takes the name of the file (without the extension).

  If extension is ".cosf" an ASCII formatted save is performed instead of binary save. Formatted save is slower than regular save.

• File:Save as Interf Func
  Select "the Save as Interf. Func." menu item to save the diagram as a new Scicos block. A Scilab function is generated and saved in a file with ".sci" extension. File name and path are to be set in a "File menu" dialog.

• File:Export
  This menu is used to export a figure of the current Scicos diagram. The export can be done directly in postscript format or done first in a graphic window to export in a second step in all the format that ScicosLab can provide.

• File:Export All
  This menu is used to export Scicos diagrams in postscript format.

• File:Exit Scicos
  Click on the Exit Scicos menu item to close Scicos. That menu allows to return to ScicosLab session even if the current diagram is a Super block.

• File:Quit (q)
  Click on the Quit menu item to close current diagram. If current diagram is not a Super block, Exit menu closes Scicos and returns to ScicosLab session. Save your diagram or/and your palette before leaving.

  File/Close menu has the same effect.

Diagram menu

• Diagram:Context
  When you select this menu item you obtain a dialog to enter Scilab instructions for defining symbolic Scicos parameters used in block definitions or to do whatever you want.

  These instructions will be evaluated each time the diagram is loaded.

  If you change the value of a symbolic Scicos parameters in the context, all the blocks are updated (Eval is performed).

• Diagram:Replot (r)
  Select the Replot menu item to replot the content of the graphics window. Graphics window stores complete history of the editing session in memory.

  Replot is useful for 'cleaning' this memory.

• Diagram:Rename
  This menu allows to change the diagram name. An editable dialog box opens.

• Diagram:Purge
  Select the Purge menu item to get a clean data structure. If diagram has been hugely modified many deleted blocks may remain in the data structure. It may be useful to suppress then before saving.

• Diagram:Set Diagram Info
  This menu allows to set user's diagram information. This info is stored in the diagram data structure and may be used for diagram documentation.

  Information format may be redefined by user.

• Diagram:Set Code Gen Properties
  This menu allows to set user's code generation properties. One can set some default behaviors of the Scicos Code Generation process.

• Diagram:Region to Super Block
  This menu allows to transform a rectangular region of the current diagram by a super block. Click on a corner of the region, drag an click left to fix the region (left click cancels selection).

  Region is replaced by a super block and links are redrawn.

• Diagram:Up To Main Diagram
  Opens, if closed, and puts the focus on the main diagram.

Palette menu

• Palette:Pal Tree
  An alternative to Palettes menu for accessing palettes.

• Palette:Palettes
  Select the Palettes menu item to open a predefined palette.

• Palette:Pal editor
  Pal editor allows you to define and reorder the list of palettes.

• Palette:Region to Palette
  This menu allows to transform a rectangular region of the current diagram by a palette block. Click on a corner of the region, drag an click left to fix the region (left click cancels selection).

  Region is replaced by a palette block and links are deleted.

• Palette:Load as Palette
  Select this Load menu item to load an ASCII or binary file containing a saved block diagram as a palette. A dialog box allows user choosing the file.

• Palette:Save as Palette
  Select the Save as Palette menu item to save the block diagram as a palette in a file. A dialog box allows choosing the file which must have a .cos or .cosf extension. The palette takes the name of the file (without the extension).

  If extension is ".cosf" an ASCII formatted save is performed instead of binary save. It may take a while.

  .scilab user file is updated if necessary.

Edit menu

• Edit:Undo (u)
  Select the Undo menu item to undo the last edit operation. It is not possible to undo more!.

• Edit:Cut
  Cut is used to remove the selected object from the diagram and keep a copy in the clipboard if the object is a block.

• Edit:Copy
  Copy is used to place a copy of the selected object in the clipboard if the object is a block.

• Edit:Paste
  Paste places the object in the Clipboard in the diagram.

• Edit:Duplicate (c)
  To duplicate a block in the active editor Scicos window select first the Duplicate menu item, then click (with left button) on the to-be-copied block in Scicos windows or in a palette), and finally click left where you want the copy be placed in the active editor Scicos window.

  The lower left corner of the block is placed at the selected point.

  Right click cancel the copy action.

• Edit:Delete (d)
  To delete blocks or a links, select first the Delete menu item, then click successively on the selected objects (with left button).

  When you delete a block all links connected to it are deleted as well.

• Edit:Move (m)
  To move a block in the active editor Scicos window or in edited palette, select first the Move menu item, then click on the selected block, link segment or link corner, drag the mouse to the desired new block position and click left again to fix the position.

  Right click cancel the move action.

• Edit:Smart Move (z)
  To move a block in the active editor Scicos window or in edited palette keeping horizontal and vertical links, select first the "Smart Move" menu item, then click on the selected block, link segment or link corner, drag the mouse to the desired new position and click left again to fix the position.

  Right click cancel the move action.

• Edit:Align (a)
  To obtain nice diagrams, you can align ports of different blocks, vertically and horizontally. Select first the Align menu item, then click on the first port and finally on the second port. The block corresponding to the second port is moved.

  A connected block cannot be aligned.

• Edit:Flip (f)
  To reverse the positions of the (regular) inputs and outputs of a block placed on its sides, select the Flip menu item first and then click on the selected block. This does not affect the order, nor the position of the input and output event ports which are numbered from left to right.

• Edit:Rotate Left (t)
  Rotate Left allows to turn a block on the Left. Each time the block is turned left, his angle is decresead of 45 degrees.

  If no blocks or many blocks are selected, this is the block under the mouse pointer which turns.

• Edit:Rotate Right (T)
  Rotate Right allows to turn a block on the right. Each time the block is turned right, his angle is incresead of 45 degrees.

  If no blocks or many blocks are selected, this is the block under the mouse pointer which turns.

• Edit:Add new block
  To add a newly defined block to the current palette or diagram select first this menu item. A dialog box will pop up asking for the name of the GUI function associated with the block. If this function is not already loaded it was search in the current directory. The user may then click at the desired position of the block icon.

• Edit:Block Documentation
  This menu allows to set or get documentation for a block.

  Selecting this menu and clicking on a block opens an editable dialog box.

• Edit:Label
  To add a label to block, select first this menu item, click next on the desired block. A dialog appear that allows you to enter the desired label. Labels are used to import data from a block in an other one.

View menu

• View:Zoom in (+)
  When you select this menu item the diagram is zoomed in by a factor of 10%.

• View:Zoom out (-)
  When you select this menu item the diagram is zoomed out by a factor of 10%.

• View:Fit diagram to figure (=)
  When you select this menu item the diagram is fit to the size of the current window.

• View:Default window parameters

• View:Available Parameters
  This menu shows the list of symbolic parameters defined in various contexts and available for use in the definition of block parameters in this diagram. The values of the parameters are also displayed (unless the size is too big.

• View:Icon Font Option
  By default, the font used in the block icon texts have variable size, and the text is adjusted to block size. But fixed size fonts can be used instead.

• View:Grid (g)
  Show/hide a grid in the current diagram.

Simulate menu

• Simulate:Setup
  In the main Scicos window, clicking on the Setup menu item invokes a dialog box that allows you to change integration parameters:

  - Final integration time (integration ends at this time, it always starts from 0),

  - Real time scaling (forces real time simulation by setting Scicos unit of time to 1 second),

  - Absolute and relative error tolerances (solver properties),

  - Time tolerance (the smallest time interval for which the ode solver is used to update continuous states),

  - Max integration time interval (the maximum time interval for each call to solver, it must be reduced if the error message "too many calls" is encountered),

  - Solver (choose the numerical solver to be used),

  - Max step size (max time step taken by solver).

• Simulate:Compile
  Select the Compile menu item to compile the block diagram. This menu item need never be used since compilation is performed automatically, if necessary, before the beginning of every simulation (Run menu item).

  Normally, a new compilation is not needed if only system parameters and internal states are modified. In some cases however these modifications are not correctly updated and a manual compilation may be needed before a Restart or a Continue. Please report if you encounter such a case.

• Simulate:Modelica initialize

• Simulate:Eval
  Block parameters may be Scilab instructions. They are evaluated immediately and stored as character strings. Select this menu item to have them re-evaluated according to new values of Scilab variables.

  These underlying Scilab variables may be user global variables defined before Scicos was launch, They may also be defined in the Scicos contexts (see Context menu item).

• Simulate:Analyze Diagram
  Simple analysis of the diagram. Not connected output ports are hilighted. Possible activation errors are detected.

• Simulate:Debug Level
  Set the debug level: 0 (no debugging), 1 (light debugging information printout), 2 (more information printout and execution of Debug Block if any in diagram), 3 (silent debugging mode).

• Simulate:Run
  Select the Run menu item to start the simulation. If the system has already been simulated, a dialog box appears where you can choose to Continue, Restart or End the simulation.

  You may interrupt the simulation by clicking on the "stop" button, change any of the block parameters and continue the simulation with the new values.

Format menu

• Format:Set default action
  Set the default action : Free or Smart.

• Format:Set grid
  Set the size and the color of the grid for the current diagram.

• Format:Add color
  This menu allows to add new color to the diagram private color map. Added colors are stored in the diagram data structure.

• Format:Default link colors
  This menu allows to change the default color for regular and activation links.

• Format:Color
  To change the background color of an object, select first this menu item, click next on the desired object. A dialog appear that allows you to choose the desired color.

• Format:Background color
  This menu allows to change the background and default foreground colors.

• Format:Show Block Shadow
  This menu allows to select 3D shape for blocks and associated parameters.

• Format:Resize
  To change the size of a block, select first this menu item, click next on the desired block. A dialog appear that allows you to change the width and/or height of the block shape.

• Format:Identification
  This menu allows to set an identificator to a link or a block block identificators are drawn under the block icon. Super blocks input/output ports identificators are replicated over the block shape ports. Links identificators are not displayed.

  Selecting this menu and clicking on a block or links opens an editable dialog box.

• Format:ID fonts
  This menu allows to change the font used to write in the block identifications (see "Set block ID" menu).

• Format:Icon
  To change the icon of a block, select first this menu item, click next on the desired block. A dialog appear that allows you to enter Scilab instructions used to draw the icon.

  You may use the icon_editor menu to generate the Scilab instructions.

• Format:Icon Editor
  Icon Editor allows you to define graphically the icon of the block.

Tools menu

• Tools:Activate ScicosLab Window
  This item activates the ScicosLab window without closing the Scicos diagram. You can use ScicosLab as usual and later return to editing your Scicos diagram. Note that if you activate the ScicosLab window with this menu without saving your diagram, if you leave ScicosLab without returning to Scicos, your diagram will be lost.

• Tools:Create Mask
  This menu applies only to a Super Block, transforming it into a block that resembles a basic block with a standard dialog box. The block parameters are identifed automatically by searching all the symbolic parameters used in the definition of the block parameters inside the Super block that are not defined in the appropriate contexts within the Super Block;

• Tools:Remove Mask
  This menu applies only to an already masked block. It removes the mask and the Super Block within it can be recovered. Note that the icon of the Super Block remains the same as that of the masked block.

• Tools:Customize Mask
  Creating a mask leads to a block with parameters that can be set by the block's dialog box. The title and the description of the parameters in the dialog box can be set by this menu.

• Tools:Save Block GUI
  This operation can only be applied to a masked block (see Create Mask operation). The result, the interfacing function of this block, is saved in an .sci file, which can be placed in any diagram/palette using the Add New Block operation. The interfacing function is loaded autmatically for immediate use after the operation.

  Note that the resulting block is not a masked block; it is a compiled super block.

• Tools:Create Atomic
  This menu applies only to a Super Block, transforming it into an atomic superblock.

• Tools:Remove Atomic
  This menu applies only to an already atomic superblock. It removes the atomicity and the Super Block within it can be recovered. Note that the icon of the Super Block remains the same as that of the atomic super block.

• Tools:Get Info (i)
  This menu allows user to obtain information on an object and on its connection with other diagram objects.

  Select this menu and click on an object. See also 'Details' menu.

• Tools:Details
  This item can be applied to a block, link or text. It can also be applied to the diagram. In either case, it displays the content of the Scilab structure defining the object.

• Tools:Browser
  This menu opens a graphic window with a tree representation of the super blocks hierarchy. Each node represents a Super Block.

  Browser window is useful to open directly a Super Block everywhere in the hierarchy. To open the main diagram if it has been closed, use the 'Up to Main Diagram' menu.

• Tools:Code Generation
  This menu allows to generate the simulation code associated with a discrete time Super Block.

  The code generation is obtained simply by selecting this menu and then the desired Super Block.

  If the Super Block satisfies the required conditions, a dialog box pops up to ask for a block name, a directory where to put the generated files and for optional libraries requested by the linker.

  Given this information the code is generated, compiled and linked with ScicosLab. The Super Block is automatically replaced by a new block which implements the generated code. It is then possible to run the modified diagram. The code for standalone use is also generated.

• Tools:Shortcuts
  Used to define personalized shortcuts.

• Tools:Calc
  When you select this menu item you switch ScicosLab to the pause mode (see the help on pause). In the ScicosLab main window and you may enter Scilab instructions as usual. In most cases, user should use the 'Activate ScicosLab Window' menu instead. The 'Calc' menu should only be used for advanced debugging.

? menu

• ?:Help (h)
  To get help on an object or menu buttons, select first Help menu item and then on the selected object or menu item.

• ?:Scicos Documentation
  That item opens the html browser.

• ?:Demos
  The Demos menu allows to open some examples of scicos diagram.

• ?:About Scicos
  About Scicos item display the current version of Scicos and gives some useful informations.