Variables management#

Variables#

The Variables command allows to create, delete and modify optimization variables and history items. The history items can be created to store the current state of the variables values, and used to regenerate the database at any point with the previously saved values.

Two modes of operation are available, the Creation Mode and the Panel Mode. A button at the bottom on the left of each dialog allows to switch from one mode to the other. When the Variables command is hit for the first time, the application opens the Variables dialog in Creation Mode. If the dialog is closed, a new click on the Variables command will open the dialog in the last mode selected.

Creation mode dialog#

The dialog is represented hereafter. Variables previously defined are inserted into an appropriate selection box, while history items are integrated into a selection tree.

Various sub-commands can be activated from this dialog, as described in the next pages.

Add and Mod var commands#

Both commands pop up the Add/Mod var dialog. A variable must be selected in the Variables selection box before clicking on the Mod var command.

The variables attributes (name, current and min/max values) can be modified in the corresponding textfields. The Optimized checkbox can be used to activate/deactivate optimization of the variable, without changing anything to the optimization items defined (as described in Optimizations ) in the application.

The Template file selection box (see Templates ) can be used to attach the variable to an arbitrary number of template files ; note that a variable can be attached to several template files.

Modifications are assigned to the variable database only after the Go button is hit. An automatic check is performed to verify that the variable is actually defined in the template files to which it is attached. An error message is printed otherwise, and the update of the variable database is canceled.

The Hint button can be used to initialize the current and min/max values by reading the realistic corresponding values in the typical_coef_values file located in the $Z7PATH/lib/materials directory.

The Cancel button closes the dialog without modification.

Del var command#

All variables selected in the Variables selection box are deleted from the variables database.

Add hist command#

This command is used to save the current state of the variables database into an history item. The Add/Mod history dialog is opened that includes text fields containing the current values of all design variables defined in the database. The history item is given a default name that should be changed in the corresponding text field to something more meaningful to the user. A text area allows user’s comments. The history database is only updated after the Go button is clicked. The Cancel button closes the dialog without modification.

Note that the variables database can be re-initialized at any time with the values stored into an history item, by selecting the corresponding item in the History items selection tree, and clicking on the Load history button of the Variables Creation Mode and Variables Panel Mode dialogs.

Mod hist command#

An history item must be selected before in the History items selection tree (see Variables selection box). A window pops up allowing to change the name, or the values of variables stored in this history item. A text area allows user’s comments. The history database is only updated after the Go button is clicked. The Cancel button closes the dialog without modification.

Del hist command#

An history item must be selected before in the History items selection tree (see Variables selection box). The selected item is removed from the database.

Load hist command#

This command re-initializes the variables current values with the ones stored in the history item selected in the History items selection tree.

Check command#

This command verifies the coherency of the template file attachments assigned to the optimization variables. In particular the check covers the following points :

The application verifies that each variable is indeed defined in the template file to which it is attached. This check is also performed each time a variable is updated by the Add/Mod var commands, but if the template file definition is changed afterwards the attachment may no longer be valid.
The application checks that all variable definitions in active template files (ie. those attached to at least one variable) are resolved by an attachment to a variable.

Load file command#

This command can be used to load a variables database from :

An input template file. In this case, all variables defined in the template file (with the $?var$ syntax, see Templates ) are automatically created in the variables database with the proper attachment. Variable value and min/max bounds are set to the ones found in the file $Z7PATH/lib/materials/typical_coef_values. Afterwards, those defaults should be manually changed by the user.
An input material file. In this case, for each coefficient in the material file (ie. a character string followed by a floating point numerical value), a variable is created in the database and the numerical value read in the file is assigned. An appropriate template file, whose name is obtained by adding a .tmpl extension to the input material file name, is also automatically created in the current working directory and attached to all created variables. Care must be taken by the user that this mechanism does not erase a pre-existing file, since no check is attempted in the current version. Variables min/max bounds are set to the ones found in the file $Z7PATH/lib/materials/typical_coef_values.

A new dialog is opened by this command, where the user must define the name of the input file. The browse button can be used to look for an available file in the directory architecture.

Templates command#

This command allows some management of the template files attached to variables. The Templates management dialog includes a selection box with all the active template files, ie. files with a $.tmpl$ extension in the current working directory.

The Templates management dialog sub-commands are summarized hereafter :

Add command : this command activates a template file whose name is specified in the File textfield. The browse button can be used to select a file in a directory different from the current working directory. In this case, the selected file is copied to the working directory. If a file whose name is specified in the File textfield does not exist in the current working directory, a new empty file is created. Then the Edit command can be used to modify the file content.
Del command : this command removes the template file selected in the selection box from the current working directory.
Copy command: this command copies the template file selected in the selection box to a file whose name is specified in the File textfield.
Edit command : this command edits the file selected in the selection box.
Cancel command : this command closes the Templates management dialog.

Function command#

This command may be used to create or modify function items in the database by opening the Function management dialog. A window pops up allowing to define the function parameters. The dialog is shown in the next figure.

Function name may be defined in the Name textfield, and function expression may be written in the function expression text area.

The second frame allows to define the plot parameters of function items. A combo box filled with the experiment items defined beforehand by means of the Experiments command (see Experiments), where a particular item can be selected to be used as a reference curve drawn on the same plot as the function curve. The Edit ref button edits the experimental data corresponding to the experiment item selected in the combo box. The Min and Max textfields allow to define the min and max values of the function abscissa. The History textfield corresponds to the number of more recent function simulations that will be drawn on the same plot (default value is 2). This type of plots is a convenient way to visualize for instance the influence of coefficients on the simulated response. The Points textfield defines the number of points the function curve will be constituted of (default value is 20). The Set min max from reference button allows to use the min and max values of the experimental data to set the min and max values of the function abscissa.

The third frame includes functions handling. The selection box on the left lists function items, on which the sub-commands on the right can be activated. The Go button updates the database with the definition of the function item currently edited, by creating or modifying it. Note that the Go command also updates and checks the definition (attachments for example) of the variables implied by the function expression, or create in the database the new variables implied by the function expression. Using the Cop button, the user can create a new item by copying the selected function item (without suppressing it). The copied item then appears at the end of the selection box. The Del button deletes from the database the selected function item and checks the definition of the variables implied by the function expression.

The Plot button draws the selected function item and its reference experimental curve. Plot is tiled in the graphics area across the X-Y plane. The Clear button clears the current function item selected in the selection box. The Cancel button closes the Function management dialog without further modification to the database.

Clear command#

This command clears at the same time selections in Variables selection box and in History items selection tree (see Variables selection box).

Go to panel command#

This command closes the Variables Creation mode dialog and opens the Variables panel dialog (see Variables panel dialog).

Cancel command#

This command closes the Variables Creation mode dialog without further modification to the database.

Variables panel dialog#

Once a valid variables database has been created in Creation mode, the Panel mode is a much more convenient way to update the variables values, and can also be used to launch simulations and optimizations.

As represented hereafter, the dialog includes textfields for all variables available in the database. Those can be used to change the current and min/max values. A check box is also included to activate/deactivate the treatment of the variable during optimizations.

Switch to variables command#

This command closes the Variables panel dialog and opens the Variables Creation mode dialog (see Variables creation mode).

Update command#

The user can use this command to update at the same time variables, and history, simulation and optimization items selection tree from the Variables Panel dialog.