Creating the model

Creating a new model

You can start a new model from the main screen after starting Reves DSE by clicking the New button , the Create a new model button or via the menu bar File, New.

Creating a basic model

You can create a basic model by adding expressions, procedures and/or other items to the model canvas ( Adding new items to the model ). If you want to bring a certain structure to your model, you can group items in modules ( Using modules ) and connect them with connectors ( Connecting modules on the canvas ). If you are content with your model and there are no errors, you can select an existing view design or make a new one ( Creating a view ) to use as your solution output interface. By running a view you can create an empty solution set ( Starting a view ) and start a calculation ( Generating solutions ).

Opening a model

You can open an existing model from the main screen after starting Reves DSE by clicking the Open button , the A picture containing screenshotDescription automatically generated Open a model or model button  or via the menu bar File, Open.

A recent file list is available on the main screen. From there you can open your most recently used models and projects. You have the option to directly open a model file in either knowledge edit mode (), or calculation mode (), by clicking the respective icon for the file.

Reves DSE uses two types of files, models and projects to organize the knowledge, views and results. A Reves DSE Model file (.mrpx) contains all the knowledge to perform calculations and the views to provide input and show calculation results; a Reves DSE Project file (.mrpr) contains just the calculations. You can start new calculations in a model, but you cannot edit the knowledge in a project.

You can also open a model or project directly from disk, without first starting Reves DSE, by double-clicking the file name in Windows Explorer. By default, double-clicking a model file, will open a copy of the model in calculation mode. To open it in knowledge edit mode, right-click the file and select Edit from the shortcut menu.

If a model contains an error, or if there are no views at all, Reves DSE will not be able to start a new calculation directly. If this happens, Reves DSE  will let you know that starting a calculation is not possible and will ask you if you would like to open the model in knowledge edit mode instead. If only some views contain errors, Reves DSE will start in calculation mode using the valid view.

Saving a model

You can save the model you are working on by clicking the Save button or via the menu bar File, Save or File, Save As.

Using the toolbox

In the toolbox you can find the items you can use to build (“Model”) or illustrate (“View”) your model. See Adding new items to the canvas on how you can add items from the toolbox to the canvas.

Using the canvas

You can manipulate the canvas in the following ways:

  • Panning: right click on the canvas and drag.
  • Scrolling: scroll the mouse wheel or use the scroll bars at the right side and the bottom
  • Zooming: scroll the mouse wheel while holding the control button on your keyboard or use the zoom buttons in the left bottom corner of the canvas screen.
  • Selecting items: left click.
  • Creating a selection box: left click on an empty part of the canvas and drag.
  • Moving items: left click on elements and drag.
  • Viewing contextual options: right click on items or the canvas.
  • Editing items: If you want to edit a knowledge item, double left-click the item and either the knowledge editor appears in the knowledge tab page or an edit window pops-up. If you want to change the appearance of an item, right click the item and choose Properties from the context popup menu.

The canvas also has a toolbar at the top with the following buttons:

  • The Pointer button enables the pointer mode of the canvas in which you can select and move items and connectors.
  • The Connector button enables the connector mode of the canvas in which you can create connections between elements, see Connecting modules on the canvas .
  • Clicking the Grid button toggles the grid view of the canvas.
  • With the Align buttons  A screenshot of a cell phoneDescription automatically generated you can align the lefts, centers, rights of multiple selected items.
  • With the Vertical spacing button you can make the vertical spacing in between the selected items equal.
  • With the Z-order buttons    change the stacking/overlapping order of the selected items on the canvas.
  • Clicking the Wrap button while one or more items on the canvas are selected, enables you to place these items into a new module, see Using modules .
  • Clicking the Export image button creates an image export of the current canvas.
  • Clicking the Help button will send you to the help page about using the canvas.

Adding new items to the canvas

You can add new items to the canvas by selecting an item in the Toolbox and dragging it onto the canvas. Double left clicking an item in the Toolbox also adds it to the canvas. If an item has an editor, it is automatically opened in the knowledge tab page.

You can also add new items to the model by right clicking on Model or a Module in the Model Explorer and choosing the item you want to add from the Add… list in the context popup menu.

Creating an expression

You can create an expression by following these steps:

  1. Drag the Expression A picture containing furnitureDescription automatically generated item from the toolbox to the canvas or double click it.
  2. The expression editor opens in the knowledge tab page.
  3. Type your expression in the expression field. The expressions can either be an equality or an inequality. The expression appears on the canvas as you type. Press enter or click on the canvas to create the expression. Reves DSE automatically creates the parameters for you.
Equalities can be used to calculate the value of a parameter if that parameter is the only unknown parameter in the equation. Inequalities can be used to limit the range of a parameter. It can for example be used to ensure that parameter Fb-Fc is positive.
Clicking the function or symbol button at in the toolbar of the expression editor will show a popup menu with available (built-in and user added library) functions and symbols. See the expression syntax section for more information.  You can also use the Windows logo key   + . (period) shortcut key to open the windows symbols keyboard from which you can select a Greek symbol.
See the Array syntax section for more information about how to use arrays in expressions.
  1. If there are any errors in the expression, the text of the expressions will turn red and the error is described in the Error list tab page of the knowledge panel.
You can test and debug your expression by clicking the Debug A close up of a logoDescription automatically generated button in the toolbar of the expression editor. This will open a popup window where you can run and test your expression in automatically generated view.
A parameter can be assigned a constant value in the parameter overview by changing the type and setting the constant value. (See Using the parameters overview)

Creating a procedure

You can create a procedure by following these steps:

  1. Drag the Procedure A screenshot of a cell phoneDescription automatically generated item from the toolbox to the canvas or double click it.
  2. The procedure editor opens in the knowledge tab page.
  3. Fill in the Parameter to Solve and type the procedure that assigns this parameter
Press Ctrl + Space on your keyboard while typing the procedure to bring up a list of variables and available functions with an explanation to use them. See the syntax section for more information on the procedure syntax and available functions.
See the Array procedure syntax section for more information about how to use arrays in procedures.
  1. While editing the procedure any errors will be highlighted in red. You can toggle the visibility of the error window containing the details with the Error list button in the toolbar of the procedure editor.
You can test and debug your procedure by clicking the Debug button A close up of a logoDescription automatically generated in the toolbar of the procedure editor. This will open a popup window where you can run and test your procedure.

Creating a table

You can create a table by following these steps:

  1. Drag the Table A picture containing outdoorDescription automatically generated item from the toolbox to the canvas or double click it.
  2. The table editor opens in the knowledge tab page.
  3. Click the Load table button to open the dialog window where you can browse to the Excel file or semicolon delimited .CSV file with the table.
The first row of the loaded file should be the header row and should contain the name of the corresponding column. The column values can be either doubles or strings, but they cannot be mixed in one column. Only columns with double values can be linked to a parameter. In case of an Excel file, the table must be on the first worksheet.
  1. Click Open in the dialog window to load the table.
  2. On the right side of the table editor you can associate the columns of the loaded table with an existing or parameters in your model or associate a new one.

Creating an interpolation table

You can create an interpolation table by following these steps:

  1. Drag the Interpolation table item from the toolbox to the canvas or double click it.
  2. The interpolation table editor opens in the knowledge tab page.
  3. Click the Load table button to open the dialog window where you can browse to the Excel file or semicolon delimited .CSV file with the table.
The first row of the loaded file should be the header row and should contain the name of the corresponding column. The values can only be doubles and each row must have a value for each column. In case of an Excel file, the table must be on the first worksheet.
  1. Click Open in the dialog windows to load the table.
  2. On the right side of the table editor you can associate the parameters of your model with the columns of the loaded table and choose if a parameter is an input or an output or if you want to ignore the column. The values in the input column(s) are the input data points of the linear interpolation used to find intermediate points in the output column(s).
Reves DSE will sort the input and output columns for you on calculation if you do not have them in the order of inputs columns first and output columns last.
If you select more than one input column, the table must be full factorial. This means that the all combinations of input parameter data points must be present, and every combination must have a value in all output columns.

Creating a library function

You can create a library function by following these steps:

  1. Drag the Library function A close up of a logoDescription automatically generated item from the toolbox to the canvas or double click it.
  2. The library function editor opens in the knowledge tab page.
  3. Fill in the symbol that is used to call the library function from other model items.
  4. Fill in the arguments of your library functions separated by a semicolon. See the Array library functions section for more information on how to define array parameters in the arguments.
A library function does not appear as an item on the canvas, only in the model explorer.
  1. Type the code of your library function. You can use the arguments you just defined in your code, but also the other variables in your current module. See the expression syntax section for more information on the syntax.
  2. Use the return keyword followed by a variable or expression to give the library function its value.
  3. While editing the function any errors will be highlighted in red. You can toggle the visibility of the error window containing the details with the Error list button in the toolbar of the function editor.
You can use a library functions in expressions, procedures and line plots, but also in other library functions.
The library function can also use model parameters in its syntax without declaring them as function arguments, similar to model parameters in the procedure syntax. The validity of the syntax will then depend on the model level the library function is used in. The function output value is calculated with the values of the used model parameter at that model level.

Adding text

You can add text to the canvas by following these steps:

  1. Drag the Text A screenshot of a cell phoneDescription automatically generated item from the toolbox to the canvas or double click it.
  2. The text editor popup appears.
  3. Type your text in the text field and use the options in the toolbar to customize your text.
  4. Click the OK button to add the text to the canvas.
The customization options for the text editor in DSE are simple and currently do not include features such as inserting tables, images, or nested enumeration. While the DSE editor does not offer this customization these elements are supported by the textbox field itself. As a workaround you can copy paste this data from another program into the textbox field.

Adding an image

You can add an image to the canvas by following these steps:

  1. Drag the Image A close up of a logoDescription automatically generated item from the toolbox to the canvas or double click it.
  2. The image editor popup appears.
  3. Click the Load image button to open the dialog window where you can browse to the image file
  4. Click Open in the dialog window to load the image.
  5. Click the OK button to add the image to the canvas.

Using modules

You can create modules, which are collections of other items you can use to organize your network, in two ways:

  1. Select one or more items on the canvas and click the Wrap button in the canvas toolbar to add the selected items to a new module.
  2. Add an empty module to the canvas by dragging the Module item from the toolbox.
The knowledge in a module has limited scope, which means that you can only use knowledge from your current module level. In order to use knowledge from other modules you can make connections between modules, see Connecting modules on the canvas .
You can quick rename a selected module by pressing F2 on the keyboard.

Connecting modules on the canvas

You can make connections between modules on the canvas by connecting parameters from each module to each other:

  1. First click the click Connector button in the flow chart toolbar to enable the connector mode of the canvas.
  2. Click on one module and drag the dotted line to another module. You can also start or end at the  -symbol on the canvas if you want to connect a module to the module you are currently working in.
  3. In the Edit connector properties popup window you can choose the parameters you want to connect.
When you are in the connector mouse mode you can change the module edge attach location of the connector for any existing connection.

Adding/editing connections

In Edit connector properties you can add connection to your connector by manually selecting them or by adding the suggested connections:

  • You can toggle between only showing suggested connection based on overlapping names or showing all parameters using the / filter button.
    • In the suggested connections view you can add a selected connection using the Add connection button in the toolbar.
    • In all parameter view you can manually select a parameter in both modules and connect them by clicking the Add two-way connection button in the toolbar.
  • To remove connections from the connector you can select them in the Connections panel click the Delete selected connection button in the toolbar.
You can Ctrl or Shift to select multiple connection in the suggested connections view and in the current Connections panel.

Using the model explorer

In the model explorer you can find the components of your model:

  • Properties: Double click or right click and Open to edit the title and description of your model and view the model ID.
  • Function library: An overview of the library functions in your model. Right clicking the Function library gives you the option to add a library function. Right clicking a library function enables you to delete the library function.
  • Model: An overview of the modules that make up your model.
    • Each module has two nodes:
      • A Views node A close up of a logoDescription automatically generated containing the canvas represent the visualization of the calculation and results page
      • A Knowledge node A close up of a logoDescription automatically generated containing the items that make-up the knowledge model.
    • The parameters that are used in expressions, procedures and tables are nested under the item and can be viewed by clicking the + button in front of the item. The same applies to modules containing child modules and other items.
The model and modules each use their own Views to display the results in once solutions are generated. See Creating a view for more details on views.

Using the knowledge panel

The knowledge panel contains several tab pages:

  • The knowledge tab page displays a knowledge editor when you double click an expression, procedure, (interpolation) table or library function on the canvas or in the model explorer. If no editor is active, the knowledge tab page displays an overview of the expressions and procedures used on your current active module level. In this overview you can also (un)suppress expressions and procedures.
    • This knowledge overview also contains a Knowledge references panel on the right which can collapsed and expanded. The Knowledge references panel shows information on all parameters present in the expression that is selected in the knowledge overview. To view one of those parameters in the parameter overview you can select the parameter and click the Go to the selected parameter button.
  • The parameters tab page displays an overview of the parameters and their properties used on your current active module level. (See Using the parameters overview .) If you select an expression or procedure on the canvas, only the parameters that are used in that expression/procedure are shown.
    • The parameter overview also has a references panel similar to the knowledge overview.  The Parameter references panel shows information on the usage of the selected parameter in the knowledge.
      • Click the Knowledge elements button to view the knowledge rules in which the parameter is present.
        • To view one of those knowledge rules in the knowledge overview you can select the item and click the Go to the selected item button.
      • Click the Connections button to view any other parameter that is connected to this one.
  • The connections tab page shows an overview of the connections you made.
  • The error list tab page displays the errors and/or warnings of your model and views.

Using the parameters overview

The parameters tab page in the knowledge panel displays an overview of the parameters of the entire current active module level, or if one item is selected, of the parameters in that item. It is also possible to edit the following properties in the parameters overview:

  • Parameter symbol: changing the symbol in the overview will change the symbol in all expressions where this parameter is used.
  • Name and description.
  • Type: choose between real, integer and constant.
    • Parameters with a real value type can get any value within a specified range when generating solutions.
    • Parameters with an integer value type can get any integer value within a specified range when generating solutions.
    • Parameters with a constant value type can only get the constant value assigned to them when generating solutions.
The selected type of a parameter affects the parameter values of the solutions that are generated and the time it takes to generate solutions that meet these requirements. The decision which value type to assign depends on your model.
  • (Calculation) Unit: You can assign a unit to a parameter to help you label them with a unit. To assign a unit you type the desired unit symbol or symbols. The pop up below the unit cell will display the understood unit, the SI powers of this unit and provides a toolbar with the following buttons.
    • The Greek symbol button allows you to insert a Greek symbol into your unit expression
    • The “°” Degrees symbol button allows you to insert the degrees sign into your unit expression
    • The Unit overview button will open the Unit overview window where you can select a known unit from the list and insert it into your expression by double clicking the symbol.
    • The Create a user defined base unit button will open the Create a base unit window where you can defined a new base unit symbol to represent a custom definition based on existing units, this unit could be atmosphere or calories. See the unit syntax section for more information.
The assigned units do not affect the parameter values during solution generation. Together with the display units, which can be defined in the view canvas items, these assigned (calculation) units provide the conversion information to switch between the display unit and the calculation unit. Additionally, a quick (base) unit check is also performed on the expression when all parameters in an expression have a units assigned.
The typed unit should only contain unit symbols either with power raises and should not contain any numeric conversion factor or shifts. For those things a user defined base unit should be used.
  • Lower and upper bound for the parameter values. Reves DSE will try to generate solutions in which the parameter values are between these bounds.
It is important to choose the parameter bounds with consideration!
  • Constant value: if you defined the parameter as constant in the Type column you can enter the constant value in this cell.
  • Table: if the parameter is linked to a table column the corresponding name of the table item is displayed in here.
  • Allow random: enabling this gives Reves DSE the freedom to assign random values within the provided range. This option is turned on by default. Disable this property if the parameter should always be calculated with knowledge rules and never randomly assigned. For example when calculating the area moment of inertia rectangle with height (h) and width (b) whose centroid is located at the origin:
    • Moment of area of a rectangle through the centroid.svg{displaystyle I_x = frac{bh^3}{12}} and (source:https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Second_moment_of_area)
    • Here the ranges of h and b are very likely well defined. The values of Ix and Iy should just be a result of h and b and their ranges are less important (they should be large enough off course). In this case it makes more sense to use b and h to calculate Ix and Iy instead of the other way around.
  • Array and Array length: use these settings to create array parameters and define the array length. See section Create array parameters for more information.
Reves DSE can find solutions for models that are underdetermined (more unknown parameters than equations) by randomly sampling some parameter values. Which parameters are sampled is determined by the ‘Allow random’ property. If you disable the ‘Allow random’ property for too many (how many depends on input for a run) parameters, Reves DSE will not be able to solve these models. When this occurs, Reves DSE will show a message after the calculation.
Entered values in the parameter overview (the lower and upper bound and the constant value) are either considered to be unitless or use the calculation unit if assigned.
You can copy and paste cell values to other cells using the Ctrl+C and Ctrl+V keyboard shortcuts.

Switching between design space and the calculation view space

You can switch between the design space and any existing view by clicking the Design space and the View button in the sidebar on the left of the main screen.

Changing properties of items

You can change the properties of an item by right clicking on the item on the canvas or in the model explorer and choosing Properties from the context popup menu.

Using the model input overview

You can get an overview of the input in the knowledge model via the menu bar Input, Input Overview… This overview does not contain the information that was put in the views but does contain information about all parameters in the modules. This overview also shows the final parameter settings that are used for linked parameters since the input data for those are combined and only one parameter for each linked parameter “group” is shown.

Using the units manager

You can get an overview of the available units in the menu bar Input, Manage Units… In this overview you can see the view the predefined units and view, add, edit and remove user defined base units. Using the filter box in the toolbar you can search a unit either on symbol or name. The checkbox Show prefixed units in the toolbar will show or hide the prefixed unit variations of the prefix-able predefined units in the table. You can also just check in the table whether the predefined units is prefix-able or not.

Importing a MrReves tool

You can import a tool that is made in the MrReves Knowledge Builder into the Reves DSE by dragging the MrReves tool  item from the toolbox to the canvas or double click it. The MrReves Knowledge Builder tool is added as a module on the canvas. Tools that were made with an interface in the of MrReves Knowledge Builder will have this interface data translated to a new custom view.