Access Window
From SysCAD Documentation
Navigation: User Guide -> Windows -> Access Window
Introduction
The access window is used to display information about the SysCAD unit.
For example:
- the connectivity with other units,
- configuration data,
- flow information, etc.
The displayed information is different for each unit type. The view for the unit will change as the simulation changes from ProBal to Dynamic. For information on how to configure different unit types, see model help.
Up to TWO Access Windows may be opened at any one time - with the Graphics window active:
- RIGHT click on a unit operation's graphics symbol to open its Access window.
- SHIFT + RIGHT click on another unit operation will open a second instance of the access window. Or alternatively, SHIFT + LEFT click on the unit operation, and select the Access Alt "Name" from the pop up menu.
The Access Window for a Feeder/Cross Page Connector is shown below. This window is for SysCAD 9.2. There are minor differences between SysCAD 9.2 and previous versions. (Please see Feeder-Cross Page Connector for more information about this unit.)
Accessing Data Fields
- The Data Fields that appear in White are changeable and user inputs are normally required.
- These fields can be number boxes; text boxes with or without pull down lists or check boxes.
- All required fields come with default values.
- The SysCAD Models Documentation offers more help on Data input for individual models.
- The Data Fields that appear in Grey are NOT changeable by the user. These fields are calculated or derived by SysCAD internally.
- Some Data Fields are only changeable when SysCAD is not solving. That is, when a flowsheet is solving (steady state) or running (dynamic state), some originally changeable data fields can be greyed out also.
- Examples of such are solving methods or information relating to the datum.
- If the calculated values appear in black font colour, it means that the project has been solved and the current solution is valid. If the calculated values appear in dark grey font colour, it means either the project has not been solved or some configuration data has since been changed. In such case, the current solution is not valid and project solve is required.
- Most Data Fields can be copied and pasted into changeable data fields (white cells), trends, MS Excel or Notepad by using the <Ctrl + C> and <Ctrl + V> key strokes. For more information, see section Copy and Paste.
- When entering data into SysCAD data fields, the default mode is Overwrite. It is represented by a thick cursor. If the cursor is placed away from the number towards the left of the box, the new value entered will replace the old value. If the cursor is placed on the number, then the normal overwrite rule will apply. Pressing the <Ins> key will activate the insert mode. This is represented by a thin line cursor.
- While solving or running, data is not updated on the Access Window, to update, press
as required. The Access Window data is updated when SysCAD is stopped.
NOTE: The mouse wheel can be used to change the values of some write able fields. Eg, if the Qm_Rqd field is selected, as shown in the last heading, the rolling of the mouse wheel can change the value up and down. The value-change will always apply to the 2nd significant digit.
Selection Buttons
These buttons are displayed at the top of every unit Access Window, as seen in the image below:
Note: The buttons are slightly different between SysCAD 9.2 and previous versions of SysCAD. The purpose of each button is explained below:
OK Button
This is used to accept all changes made to the Access Window. When a user types in a value, it will be displayed as Blue until the OK button has been clicked. At that point the change is accepted and the value will change to black.
Note:
If the user makes changes and does NOT click on the OK button before closing the Access Window, or changing to another command then a dialogue box will be displayed:
- Yes will save the changes made to the Access Window and continue with the current command;
- No will discard all changes and continue with the current command;
- Cancel will cancel the current command. The user may view the previous Access Window and continue to make changes, as required.
Cancel Button
This is used to cancel all the unaccepted changes made to the Access Window (i.e. all values still displayed as Blue) and close the Access Window.
Sym>Tag Button
This allows the user to swap from displaying short SysCAD Symbols to more descriptive Tags on the Access Window. Once the user has swapped from Symbols to Tags, the button changes and becomes 
so that the user may swap back again.
Examples of differences between Symbols and Tags for a Pipe is shown below:
| Symbol | Tag |
| Qm | Mass_Flow |
| Qv | Vol_Flow |
| Ti | TemperatureIn |
| Rho | Density |
| SrcIO | Link_Source |
All Fields Button
This button will display ALL the fields on an Access Window. A number of fields may be Hidden, either by default or the user may have chosen to hide them to keep the Access Window uncluttered. The normally Hidden fields are marked by 
. By clicking on All Fields these hidden fields will be visible.
Once this button has been clicked and all the fields are displayed, the button changes to 
- short for Visible Fields. Clicking on this button will only display those fields that are not Hidden.
Find Unit Button
If the user clicks on this button SysCAD will jump to the Graphics page containing the unit associated with the Access Window and it will highlight the unit.
Change Tag Button
This allows you to change the unit model's tag name from the Access Window. A dialog box will be shown:
Old Tag will display the unit's current tag and the user may type in the required tag into New Tag. The required tag cannot contain spaces, tabs or dots. Press OK to change the tag. The tag will be changed in the model and any other place where it is referred to within SysCAD, such as PIDs and trend windows.
Note: In SysCAD 9.2 and later, the Change Tag command will also result in tags changes to all PGM files in the project if the "Apply change tag in PGM files" tickbox has been selected from the General Options dialog box.
Model Help Button
Clicking on this will open the Online SysCAD Help to the section for the unit model associated with the open Access Window.
Note: This will only access the Online Help file if the user has access to the Internet.
Quick View Button
This will open the quick view dialogue box. Please see Quick View.
Options Button
These options are available by pressing the Options button on the Access Window. A list of options will be displayed, as shown below:
Note: The order shown here is for SysCAD 9.2 - it will be slightly different for earlier versions of SysCAD.
- Data Transfer
- See section on Data Transfer.
- This command prints the Access Window data for the active unit. Each tab page is printed on a separate page, to print only one of the Access Window tab pages, specify the required page number.
- Change Tag
- This allows the user to change the name of the unit. Please see Change Tag Button.
- Quick View
- See section on Quick View.
- Model Help
- This will open the Online SysCAD Help to the section for the unit model associated with the open Access Window.
- Notes:
- This will only access the Online Help file if the user has access to the Internet.
- Please also see Model Help Button.
- All fields
- Many of the internal SysCAD calculation data can be viewed in the Access Window. However, to keep the displaying window simple, many of the variables have been hidden. To display all variables, use the All Fields command. The field marked by
denotes it is normally hidden. Short Cut Button: Pressing the All Fields or Vis Fields button(s) will have the same effect - please see All Fields Button.
- Display Tags
- The user has the option of displaying the variables tags in Short or Full (Tag or Symbol) names by switching the Display Tags command on or off. Please see Sym>Tag Button
- Hide Zeros
- When this option is selected, fields with Zero (0) values will be hidden from view. For example, if this option is selected, then when viewing the MF pages in Pipe, the component list will collapse or expand based on what is flowing through the pipe. This option is especially useful for projects with a long list of compounds.
- NOTE: This option applies to the Species, Component and Elemental lists.
- Auto Save
- If this option is selected, any changes made in the Access Window are automatically saved when switching to other unit operations' access window without clicking on the OK button.
- Historian / Archive Status
- The historian status command will show all the variables that have been recorded by the historian. These are marked by
.
- Reset formatting, conversions and visibility (for ModelX)
- This option resets the formatting, conversions and visibility (Show/Hide) of all tags in this model back to their default values. The formatting, conversions and visibility (Show/Hide) options for individual tags are set by right clicking on the variable in the Access Window.
- This option only applies to the models which are the same as the access window this option has been chosen from. For example, the screen dump shown above is from a Tank-1 model access window. If this option was selected, the resetting of the formatting, conversions and visibility would apply to all Tank-1 (Tank) models in the project.
- Reset formatting, conversions and visibility for ALL models
- This is the same as the option described above except it is for ALL models within the project.
- Global Default Format
- The user can set the global default format for all variables. For example, the user can set the default format for all variables to be 2 decimal places.
- Reset Options
- A Reset will do a complete Reset of this model only. This is the only option available in ProBal.
- Other options in dynamic include:
- Reset Process Only
- Reset Control Only
- Reset Stats Only
- Reset Events/Profiles Only
- Reset Empty Only
- Reset Preset Only
- This group of options are all concerned with setting the status of the unit. These are often used before starting a project to set the unit into a specific state. Please see Action Commands in the Plant Model for descriptions of these functions.
Right click on Access Window variables
Right clicking on the value allows you to change the engineering unit for any variables. For example, if you wish to see the total flow rate displayed as kg/h, right click on the value for Qm (or Mass_Flow) and the following pop up menu appears
Note: Only if the value is a controlled or referenced variable will this pop up menu display the tags of the Control unit - the last 2 tags as shown below. See Controlled and Referenced Variables
- Engineering units and Number Format
- Internally SysCAD stores all data in SI units but you can change the engineering units for the data as they are displayed on screen or reported elsewhere.
- For Example:
- By clicking on Conversions you will see a list of the available engineering units for variable Qm (or Mass_Flow). Choose kg/h and the display for Qm (or Mass_Flow) on all Feeder/XPG Connectors will change to kg/h.
- You can change the engineering units for multiple variables by highlighting them before calling up the right click pop up list. If the variables selected contain different dimensions, the variable you right click on to bring up the pop up list will denote which variables' engineering units must be changed.
- There is also a global engineering unit change option. If you would like to have all mass flow rates displayed in t/h instead of the default kg/s, choose a variable of mass flow and change it to t/h, then right click on the variable again, choose override from conversion. All mass flow rate variables will now be displayed in the Access Window as t/h.
- You can change the engineering units for any variables at any time. The number format of the value displayed can be changed in a similar manner using the format option. After changes are made, press OK on the Access Window to save.
- NOTES:
- There is global format change for all variables in the project. To change all variables' format display, press the Option button on the access window and select the Global Default Format Option.
- If a number were equal to zero, changing the number format would have no effect. See Zero Values Verses Small Number Display.
- Send to Trend (page)
- This requires a Trend page to be opened. On the Access Window, highlight the field(s) you want to send to the Trend page and press F5. If multiple trend windows are opened, this command will send the tag to the next available space in the trend window most recently selected.
- Send to Quick View
- This will add the selected variable(s) to the Quick View List. See Quick View.
- Record in Historian
- This can add/remove tags to/from the Historian. User can choose to add/remove the selected tag belong to the active unit operation only; or add/remove the selected tag for all unit operations of the same type (eg, all pipes or all tanks); or add/remove the selected tag for unit operation types.
- When a tag is added to the historian, a little yellow dot will appear to the left of the tag, provided the Historian/Archive Status option is selected. See Various Options.
- Add to Archive
- This can add tags to the Archive if the archive is switched on. For more information on the Archive option, please refer to Archive Manager.
- Show / Hide
- Make sure All Fields option is on.
- To show the field, right click on a variable name that is normally hidden, choose show, the will disappear. To hide a variable, right click on the variable and choose Hide. The field would be hidden if the display all field option were not on. If the display all field option is on, the variable will be marked with .
- Copy Full Tag
- This will copy the full tag name(s) of the variable(s) you have highlighted on to the clipboard. Normally this is the same as pressing <Ctrl+C> for Access Windows with a single column of data. However, in some special Access Pages (eg. Size Distribution models) where several columns of data are displayed, the normal <Ctrl+C> would not copy the full tag name. In those cases, the Copy Full Tag command must be used.
- See also Copy and Paste.
- Copy Tag
- This will copy the variable name(s) - without the unit operation tag name - you have highlighted on to the clipboard. This is used for building excel reports where secondary tags are required. For more information on excel reports see SysCAD Reports - Basic Format of a simple Get Tag Report.
- See also Copy and Paste.
- Copy
- When a copy the actual values for tags are required, choosing Copy will copy the values of the highlighted data fields.
- NOTE: This will only work if the values are highlighted. If the variable tags are highlighted instead, tag names will be copied.
- See also Copy and Paste.
- Paste
This will paste the information from the clipboard onto the selected fields. This is the same as pressing <Ctrl+V>.
See also Copy and Paste.
Right click on the Access Window Back Ground
Right clicking on the background of the Access Window, away from the variable names will give you a pop up box similar to this:
You can refresh the Access Window display; find the graphics symbol for the active unit model on the Graphics Window. Access model help on the unit model if exists. As well, it gives you an option to access the units that are connected to the active unit.
Left click on the Access Window Back Ground Symbols
For some variables, there will some symbols that look like this 
displaying to the right of the field. Clicking on the Binoculars symbol will find the Unit Operation on the Graphics Window, while pressing the Magnifying Glass symbol will open the Access Window for the corresponding Unit Operation.
Accessing other units
- Using Go to...
- SysCAD keeps a record of the units you have accessed in the past, starting with the most recently accessed unit. The list is shown on the Go to... pull down list. You can access any of the listed units by clicking on it.
- Short Cut Button: Press on the
previous button next to the Go To... List will show the access window for the most recently accessed unit.
- Browsing the Graphics Window
- From the Access Window, you can browse through the Graphics using the buttons under the OK button.
- Using these buttons, you can follow the flow of material through the drawn flowsheet, making it a useful tracking tool. The
button tracks forward and the 
tracks backwards. As well, you can find the current unit operation on the graphics window by pressing the Binoculars button.
- For Example:
- Arrange your SysCAD Windows so that you can see both the Graphics Window and the Access Window. Right click on a unit of interest on the Graphics Window. The graphics symbol will turn magenta (or any other colour that has been assigned to the Marked Colour box - See Graphics Symbols Displaying Colours) and the Access Window will display the selected unit model.
- On the Access Window, press on . If the unit has only one outlet, the active unit will become the connected unit. If the unit has more than one outlet, you have to nominate which outlet to follow from the pop up list.
Access Field Reference Tag Status Colour
Certain values in the Access Window may have coloured triangular blocks appearing on the access fields, examples of such are:
For more information on this topic, please see Controlled and Referenced Variables
The above status colour also will appear on the trend window.
Zero Values Verses Small Number Display
SysCAD displays all data with two decimal points by default. The user can change the number format as needed anywhere on the Access Window or the trend window.
WARNING:
However, there is an exception; by default SysCAD displays zero values as 0 with no decimal points. If a number appears as 0.00, it means the number has a small value and the user may get its exact value by changing the number format. This is not to be confused with the true zero values.
