Portal Options

The Object Edit Menu for a Portal has the following options:

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Option

Default

Description

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Retain State After Run

On

Portals with customised state images and the "retain state" option on will retain their image and any scale factor when the model is stopped and also when the model is saved/reloaded.

Combined with the use of BMPs for state icons, this makes Portals very powerful visualisation objects.

When a portal reverts to a different icon upon stopping or starting the model (due to re-initialisation of its state and scaling) it is kept centred automatically, unlike when the user changes its state which pivots on the bottom left point.

This looks less disconcerting.

Monitor Occupancy of Subsystem

On

With this option on, the portal is kept aware of items entering, leaving and being created within its subsystem (and subsystems within if their portals also have this option on).

This enables the portal to indicate its "occupied" state when there are items inside.

If the model does not depend on the automatic portal state, the portal occupancy ocunt or portal item limiting based on "Use SubSystem Total" (the other modes are OK) then this option can be turned off on the portal for a performance boost.

If this option is changed, Planimate will offer to apply the change recursively to all portals under the current one being changed.

Hide P-Entry/P-Exit

Off

Hides the Portal Entry and Exit inside this portal.

Track-DoesLoopDelays

Off

Enables the imposition of Loop ENtry and Exit Delay times in a Planimate Tracks Model.

Click here for a full explanation of this option.

Retained on Paste/Replace

Off

When this option is on, the Portal and its entire contents are protected from a Ctrl+Paste update operation performed by a modeller using a copied Portal, and a matching name or wildcard.

Note that individual objects (including entire Portals) within a Portal that has this setting on can still be updated with a Ctrl+Paste operation.

Thus the protection only applies to the Portal's entire replacement, not to objects within it.

Move Views with Portal

Off

If this option is on and you reposition a Portal, any portal attribute views and Portal table views move correspondingly.

You can still drag a portal without repositioning the views by holding down the Shift key after starting the drag.

Show in Background

Off

This enables a portal image to be shown BEHIND dials and views so nice overlay effects can be performed during a model run.

Note that the mouse focus remains sensitive to the portal I dont background the mouse focus yet so you wont be able to get to your dials without moving the image.

Handles Parent Messages/Broadcasts

Off

If this option is set for a portal the following applies:

The portal can contain a message handler for directed messages sent to the owning portal.

This is the same functionality as naming the portal "_!message" but means any name can be used instead of _!message for the portal which makes paste-replacing code updates safer and easier.

The portal can contain broadcast handlers for screen-only broadcasts sent to its parent (eg: portal clicked).

This means the handlers for these broadcasts dont have to be right at the portal which has the broadcast targetted at it.

Broadcasts like "_Portal Clicked" are not normally sent "scoped" but setting this option on a portal within the one where the broadcast would normally be received enables a limited amount of scoping.

Only one portal per subsystem should have the this option on (Planimate will only search the first portal it finds with this option on in a given subsystem).

Portals with this option on can be nested if a single handler portal gets too busy, the inner portal must also have this option on and the same rule above applies.

Administrators Only

Off

This implements portal security.

A portal option tags a portal and its subsystems as "Only For Administrators".

You only need to set the option for one portal and it will be in effect for all subsystems within it.

This option prevents the portal from being viewable unless an administrative password is provided.

This is set in the Edit->Admin (Portal) Password menu.

The default password is "admin" (you will need to enter this to change it) and with this default, Planimate automatically grants admin access when the model is loaded (so there is no protection by default).If the admin password is changed from its default, the admin protection is activated (after the model is reloaded). When an attempt is made to access a protected subsystem (either by direct clicking on a portal, following a jump button or a model initiated screen change), Planimate will prompt the user to provide the password.

The protection does NOT apply to panels associated with a protected portal, so these may be linked to without the user needing the admin password.

Moveable During Run

Off

This option enables a portal to be dragged around on a screen using the mouse when a model is paused.

This movement ability is available to Modellers and Model Users alike.

When the portal is moved, it will produce a system broadcast (_Portal Moved) which will generate an event within the scope of the portal's subsystem it a Broadcast Entry is tuned to this broadcast.

This enables interactivity between the user and the model during a model run.

Clickable During Run

Off

When this option is on, and a model run is paused, a modeller or model user can click on the Portal and it will produce a system broadcast (_Portal Clicked) which will generate an event within the scope of the portal's subsystem it a Broadcast Entry is tuned to this broadcast.

This enables interactivity between the user and the model during a model run.

Handle Without Initialising Run

Off

This option is not recommended, and is due to be retired.

Automatically Add Copies to Object List

Off

If this option is set, any copy made of the portal (by user or under model control) will be added to the object list and an index/name automatically assigned.

The original portal does not need to be in the object list.

Act as Module

Off

Sets the Portal to act as a Module.