Written by Laura Mackenzie on Friday May 18th 2012 in Friday Tips, The SIMUL8 Brain
Friday’s Tip – Creating Annotations
Did you know that within your simulation you can set annotations so that call out messages will appear as your simulation runs?
Annotations are great, as they are really easy to set up and they allow you to explain what’s happening in your simulation. They have so many uses, for example:
- Add hints and tips on how to use your simulation, e.g “click here for results”
- Explain what’s happening in your simulation to others
- Highlight events of special interest or importance like where the bottlenecks occur
Why is this useful?
This feature is great if you aren’t always going to be around to show and explain your simulation to others. By having annotations your simulation becomes instantly understandable to anyone who wants to see or use it.
This will help you create buy in and let others see the benefit of simulation, as well as acting as a reminder for you of when certain things happen in your simulation.
How do I set up an annotation?
You can access Annotations from the insert tab.
Select the list and create option from the annotation menu and then select new to create your annotation.
The dialog below opens:
From here, it’s really easy to set up your annotation using the options available. Simply enter the text you want to be displayed in the main text box and then use the other options available to determine when your annoation appears, how long for, and where it appears within your simulation.
The in edition options even let you say what version of SIMUL8 your annotations will be shown in. Full license, web or viewer.
Once you’re happy with your annotation you can use it when you’re showing off your simulation. It’s that easy!
For more information on how to use all the different options and to see and example in action, just visit our online help files.