Make an Insight

It is on this screen that you can build an Insight and simulate it. The first time you enter this page you might find it most helpful to read through the "Show me how to build an Insight..." note. You may also find the Simgua User Manual a great reference for specific functions used in defining equations for Insight elements.

There are several links above the toolbar that you should be familiar with. Note that the first three of these are not visible until you save a newly created insight the first time.

  • Edit Insight Properties. Allows for update of the title, tags, description, audience, and status for the insight. It is from this page that you can also delete and insight.
  • Edit Insight User Interface. Provides a context where you can build a custom user interface for your Insight.
  • Discuss Insight. Enables you to post a message to the author of the insght as well as anyone subscribed to the insight. It is on this screen that you can subscribe or unsubscribe from an insight.
  • Duplicate Insight. Allows you to make a copy of an existing Insight. You can make a duplicate of any insight, and the duplicate becomes your insight. This might be useful it you want to do some testing without changing an existing Insight or if you want to create a new Insight from an existing one.
  • Help. Provides access to this Help documentation.
  • Find More Insights. Takes you to the Find an Insight page which lists all the Insight Tags which you can select to locate an Insight in one of the Tag areas.
  • Up Arrow. The small up arrow to the right of Find More Insights allows you to hide the toolbar. This might be useful when doing a presentation.

Notes added to an object will popup when you mouse over the object. 

The Toolbar consists of seven segments, each of which is described below.

  • Add Primitives. This segment has the set of tools used to add objects to the Insight you're creating. To add a Primitive click on it and then click where you would like that Primitive in the Insight. Once you place the Primitive in the insight a configuration panel will appear at the right of the screen for you to define the attributes of that Primitive. To remove a primitive select it and then press the Delete key or select Delete form the Actions segment of the Toolbar.
    • Stock. A stock stores a material or a resource. Lakes and Bank Accounts are both examples of stocks. One stores water while the other stores money.
    • Variable. A variable is a dynamically updated value in your model that synthesizes available data or provides a constant value for use in your equations. The birth rate of a population or the maximum volume of water in a lake are both possible uses of parameters.
    • Converter. Converters store a table of input and output data. When the input source takes on one of the input values, the converter takes on the corresponding output value. If no specific input value exists for the current source value, then the nearest input neighbors are averaged.
    • Ghost. Allows for the creation of a copy of "Stock", "Parameter", or "Converter" to place at a different location in an insight to make diagramming the insight easier. Note that you can connect "Links" from a ghosted element to another element in the model though any changes to a ghosted element must be made to the original instance of the element.
    • Text. Use this primitive to create an information label within the Insight. The test has no functional impact on the Insight and is simply used for information.
    • Picture. This primitive will allow you to include labeled positive and negative loop polarities. One you have positioned the picture you can choose the polarity as well as indicating whether it is clockwise or counterclockwise. Also there are no character restricting on the label for a picture. You can even make associated text multi-line by inserting Shift+Enter though you must edit in the drawing not in the (name) field.
      • In addition to the loop polarities there are additional picture objects on the drop down you may use.
      • If you enter an image URL in the Displayed Image field then that image will be displayed rather than one selected from the drop down for that field.
      • You can also draw links from a Picture to anything or to a Picture from anything. (This is a non standard capability, though often quite useful for other than Stock & Flow models).
      • You may also place HTML code in the label for a Picture primitive. This is often useful to connect the Picture with additional reference information.
    • Folder. Folders are used to encapsulate multiple elements of an insight into a labeled area that can then be collapsed. This is beneficial when dealing with large Insights allowing one to essential create levels of abstraction reducing the apparent complexity of the Insight. If you delete a folder it will also delete its current contents. To remove a folder without delete the contents you must first drag the contents outside the folder and then delete it.
  • Connections.
    • Use Links. A link it used to make one of several valid connections to convey information from one Primitive to another, as follows: (Note that if you shift+click at a point on a link it will become a multi-segment link and you can move the segments individually). Also the default label for a Link is "Link" which is not displayed. If you assign any other label to the Link that label will be displayed on the Link in the Insight.  Also there are no character restricting on the label for a picture. You can even make associated text multi-line by inserting Shift+Enter though you must edit in the drawing not in the (name) field.
      • From a Variable to a Stock to set its initial value.
      • From a Stock or a Variable to a Flow to convey information.
      • From a Stock, a Variable or a Flow to a Variable to convey information.
      • While the above connections are the ones valid for Stock & Flow simulaiton models when devleoping Rich Pictures or Causal Loop Diagrams you can use a Link to connect any primitive to any other primitive, even Text.
    • Use Flows. A flow is used to make one of several valid connections to convey material of some sort as follows:
      • From a Cloud or a Stock to a Stock.
      • From a Stock to a Cloud or a Stock.
    • Reverse. The Reverse function is used to alter the direction of a Flow. Specifically if you want to draw a Flow from a Cloud to a Stock you have to initially draw it from the Stock to a Cloud and then reverse the direction.
  • Actions. The functions in this section simply provide the standard content manipulation actions as in almost every window environment.
  • Style.The functions in this section simply provide options for manipulating text and the Insight diagram in the standard manner.
  • Tools.
    • Time Setting. Allows you to specify the simulation start and stop time as well as the time step and time  units for the simulation.
    • Download. Allows you to download your Insight for backup or for further analysis within Simgua.
    • Embed. Opens a dialog which presents you with the embed code to place your Insight on a web page. Note that there are three parameters in the embed code ?topBar=1&sideBar=1&zoom=1 that you may want to change.
      • topBar=1 indicated the top bar with the Zoom and Run buttons should be displayed. If you set this to 0 the bar will be suppressed though you can toggle it with the small arrow on the right of the bar once displayed.
      • sideBar=1 indicates the side bar where the description and parameters are should be displayed. If you set this to 0 the bar will be suppressed though you can toggle it with the small arrow at the top of the bar once displayed.
      • zoom=1 indicates the insight should be scaled to fit in the display window when presented. If you set this to 0 the insight will be displayed at 100%. You can alter the presentation once displaed with the Zoop options on the top bar.
  • Save. When you initially create an Insight you must save it to give it a name and retain it. Before the insight is saved the button will read Save Insight. Once you initially save the insight the icon will dim and the label will read Insight Saved. The insight will autosave every time you make a change to the Insight. If you attempt to leave the page and the insight has not been saved you will recieve a dialogue asking you to confirm that you really want to leave the page. If the Insight doesn't automatically save for some reason you can click the icon to force a save.
  • Simulate. Click the Run Simulation button to simulate the Insight if it is a complete stock & flow insight.