The Powersim Environment

CRYSTAL Screens Editing the Model Running a Simulation

The following sections discuss how the user may view and navigate through CRYSTAL screens and how to allow or restrict editing of the model.

CRYSTAL Screens

CRYSTAL's user interface screens were designed to be viewed with a screen area of 800X600 pixels. Verify that the command, tool, and status bars are turned off under the view menu to see the entire screen.

The Powersim environment opens the model as a group of minimized windows. Each of the windows presents to the user one of the screens that makes up the model's user interface. The minimized windows include a caption that describes the screen's contents, such as "Regional Control Panel." There are three ways to open these windows:

Using the model's user interface. Navigation buttons are included in each screen, which allow the user to move through the model's windows. The command buttons do not open and close screens, they activate (maximize) the desired screen and minimize the current screen.

Note: Be careful not to close (the "x" button) any of these windows, which may cause you to lose some of the model.

Maximizing the necessary window by clicking the square command button on the minimized window, as shown below.

Using the Window Menu. Left-clicking the mouse button on the screen's title will activate the window shown below.

Editing the Model

Powersim allows model users to edit or limit editing of the model. This option may be used to maintain model integrity or update the model. To allow or restrict editing and saving of the file, open up properties, within the file menu. Clicking upon the Access option allows the user to save and edit the model by checking or unchecking the appropriate box. The file may also be password protected.

Running a Simulation

Once the user has provided the desired initial values for input (refer to scenarios section), there are three ways to run the CRYSTAL model in Powersim.

1. CRYSTAL user interface command buttons. The run and stop buttons are located at the lower right corner of the each of the input and output screens. The user may run the model by clicking the mouse upon the "Run" command button. The simulation may be aborted by clicking on the "Stop" command button.

2. Powersim Simulate Menu. The user may use the Simulate Menu found at the top portion of each screen. This menu allows the user to have more control over the simulation run.

Menu Options:
Run	Initiates model simulation.
Run Step	Runs simulation through one time-step.
Pause	Allows user to stop simulation, which will begin again with Run command.
Stop	Stops model simulation.
Clear Results	Allows user to run model using default values. Select Clear Results prior to Run option.
Run Setup	Allows user to activate auto-pause option. Automatically pauses model simulation after it has run through a given number of time steps (selected in dialog box activated by Run Setup option).
Simulation Setup	Sets Time span to run model through. User may determine which input hydrologic years to run model through, for instance, hydrologic years with low precipitation.

Note: Simulation Setup may only be altered if editing is allowed (refer to Editing the Model section).

Note: This model is usually run over the span of hydrologic data from 1986-1993. These years provide representative data including drought and flood years. This is more expedient than choosing to run the model over the entire collection of input data spanning 1928 to 1993.

Powersim Commandbar. The user may choose to view the Powersim Commandbar while working with the CRYSTAL model. This commandbar allows the user to run the model, run the model through one time-step, pause the

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