The time plot displays the history of several data items during the latest time horizon as lines. The time axis is always horizontal and directed to the right. Depending on the interpolation type, the line between two data samples is either interpolated linearly or keeps the previous value until the next one.

Time plot

To create a time plot

1. Drag the  Time plot element from the  Analysis palette into the graphical editor.
2. In the Data section of the chart’s Properties, configure the data item.
3. First, choose the source of data for this data item: Value or Dataset.
   • If you want to display how a variable or a parameter changes over time, choose the Value option and type the name of this variable or parameter in the Value field. Otherwise, type any expression you want: this expression will be evaluated with the defined recurrence time and the result of the calculation will be added to the chart.
   • Otherwise, if you want to display values collected in some dataset, choose the Dataset option and type the dataset’s name in the edit box on the right.
4. In the Title edit box, type the text that will be shown in the chart legend as the title of this data item.
5. Click in the Style box to adjust the appearance of the chart:
   • Specify the color to paint points and line for this data item. Click the colored box to choose the custom color using the color picker, or use the edit box on the color picker’s right to adjust the color’s transparency.
   • In Point style, select the marker style among the suggested options.
   • Define the Line width using the available controls.
6. Open the Appearance section of the chart’s Properties. In the Time axis format field you can choose the format of time axis labels: whether you want Model time units (like 0, 10, 20, …) or Model date formatted somehow (like Jan 21, 2009, 11:00:48 PM, Jan 22, 2009, 01:00:28 AM, and so on) to be displayed.

When finished, specify additional data items you want to be displayed in your chart.

To add a data item

By default, a new plot already has one data item. If you want to add another, follow these steps:

1. Select the plot in the graphical editor or in the Projects view.
2. Go to the Data section of the Properties view.
3. Click the  Add button. A new property section with settings for one more data item will appear below.

To remove a data item

1. Select the plot in the graphical editor or in the Projects view.
2. Go to the Data section of the Properties view.
3. Locate the section defining the data item you want to remove from the plot.
4. In this section, click the  button.

General

Name — The name of the chart. The name is used to identify and access the chart from the code.

Ignore — If selected, the chart is excluded from the model.

Lock — If selected, the chart is locked, so it could not be selected in the graphical editor with a mouse click. Model developers would not be able to move it, resize, or modify its properties anyhow, unless the chart is unlocked.

Data

Depending on the type of the chart, one or more data items may already be present in its properties.

 Add — This button opens a new property section, which allows for configuring the data you want to visualize on this chart.

Title — The title for this data item. It will be shown in the chart legend.

The combo box allows choosing where a value should be picked for this data item:

Value — [Visible if the Value option is selected] The expression that will be evaluated to obtain a new value to be added onto the chart.

Dataset — [Visible if the Dataset option is selected] The name of the dataset that collects values you want to display on this chart.

Style — Click to access extra data item appearance options:

Color — The color of the data item’s value on the chart. Click the colored box to choose the custom color using the color picker, or use the edit box on the color picker’s right to adjust the color’s transparency.

Point style — The style of the marker which will be used to display data points on the plot.

Line width — The width of the line connecting the data item’s points on the plot.

Use the  and  arrows to arrange the order of the data item sections.

To remove the data item from the chart, click the  button below the data item’s property section.

Data update

Update data automatically — If selected, new data samples will be added automatically with the specified Recurrence time. You can also specify whether you want to Use model time or Use calendar dates. Depending on this choice, you can specify when to start updating using either the First update time or Update date properties.

Maximum number of samples (applies to "Value" data) — Maximum number of the latest values that will be displayed for each data item with the option selected.

Scale

Time window — The time horizon displayed by the chart.

Time window moves — Specifies whether the time window moves according to the current model time (Continuously) or it moves only when a new data point is added to the chart (As data becomes available).

Vertical scale — Defines the scale type of the vertical axis of the plot.

Auto — Auto-scaling mode
Fixed — Minimum and maximum specified in From and To boxes correspondingly

From / To — [Enabled if Vertical scale: Fixed] Defines the minimum and maximum for the vertical axis of the plot.

Legend

Show legend — If selected, the chart legend is displayed.

Position — [Enabled if Show legend is selected] Sets the legend position (relative to the chart).

Area size — [Enabled if Show legend is selected] The size of the area allocated for the chart legend.
For the North and South positions, this setting affects the area’s height. For the East and West positions, this setting affects the area’s width.

Text color — The color of the legend’s text. Click the colored box to choose the custom color using the color picker.
To adjust the text’s transparency, use the edit box on the color picker’s right.

Appearance

Vertical axis labels — Specifies the position of the vertical axis labels relative to the chart.

Left
Right
None — No labels will be displayed

Time axis labels — The control specifies the position of horizontal axis labels relative to the chart (Below or Above).

Below
Above
None — No labels will be displayed

Time axis format — The format of the time axis: Model time units (0, 10, 20, …) or Model date (Jan 21, 2009, 11:00:48 PM, Jan 22, 2009, 01:00:28 AM, …) to be displayed.

Style — Click to access extra appearance options:

Background color — The background color of the chart. Click the colored box to choose the custom color using the color picker, or use the edit box on the color picker’s right to adjust the color’s transparency.

Labels color — The chart label color. Click the colored box to choose the custom color using the color picker, or use the edit box on the color picker’s right to adjust the color’s transparency.

Grid color — The chart grid color. Click the colored box to choose the custom color using the color picker, or use the edit box on the color picker’s right to adjust the color’s transparency.

Border color — The chart border color. Click the colored box to choose the custom color using the color picker, or use the edit box on the color picker’s right to adjust the color’s transparency.

Draw line — If selected, the data item’s points on the plot are connected with lines.

Interpolation — [Visible if the Draw line option is selected] Defines the interpolation of the plot, that is, what values the plot takes between two adjacent data points.

Linear — two adjacent data points are connected with a straight-line segment
Step — the y-value between two adjacent set points is the same as in the point with less x-value

Fill area under line — [Visible if the Draw line option is selected] If selected, the area under the line will be filled with the line color.

Position and size

Level — The level this chart belongs to.

X — The x-coordinate of the chart’s upper left corner.

Y — The y-coordinate of the chart’s upper left corner.

Width — The width of the chart shape (in pixels).

Height — The height of the chart shape (in pixels).

Chart area

This section defines the visual properties of the chart area.

X Offset — The x-offset of the chart area relative to the whole area allocated for the chart and all its accompanying elements.

Y Offset — The y-offset of the chart area relative to the whole area allocated for the chart and all its accompanying elements.

Width — The width of the chart area (in pixels).

Height — The height of the chart area (in pixels).

Style — Click to access extra options:

Background color — The chart area background color. Click the colored box to choose the custom color using the color picker, or use the edit box on the color picker’s right to adjust the color’s transparency.

Axis color — The chart area axis color. Click the colored box to choose the custom color using the color picker, or use the edit box on the color picker’s right to adjust the color’s transparency.

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