# User Interface - Flowsheet

The flowsheet is the main work area within the program where you build the network model. Flowsheet operations have been designed to be as intuitive as possible, usually in line with the more common Windows applications. The available flowsheet area is extensive but only a subsection is visible at any one time. You can scroll the visible area in the normal way, by clicking the scroll bars. Dragging on the thumbtrack causes the flowsheet to be immediately repainted and this is useful when viewing large models. The flowsheet is dynamically linked (synchronized) with the Input Editor and the Data Palette. There are five Data Palette Views, selected using the named tabs: ▪Messages ▪Results ▪Chart ▪List ▪Watch Synchronization means as you click on the flowsheet the currently selected View is updated to reflect the flowsheet selection(s). Sometimes the reverse is true. For example clicking on an Error Message or Warning will select the associated item in the flowsheet. The design goals of the FluidFlow flowsheet are: ▪To provide the tools and interface to allow the easiest possible route to network construction.
| First time users need to be able to construct networks quickly without being intimidated by a complex user interface. Seasoned users need powerful features to help adjust and configure existing networks. The flowsheet has been designed to be simple to use, but with many advanced features and options.
▪To provide an integrated, responsive work area.
| The flowsheet code has been optimized to provide the interactive response that even the most demanding users expect. The user response when dealing with larger networks is a pleasant surprise. Integration of the flowsheet with the data input, result tables, warning messages, lists, charts, etc., comes as standard and this provides a unique user interactive experience.
▪To provide a design communication medium.
| Many of our users share their designs with colleagues. The ability to annotate the flowsheet with user text, component names and numbers, component input and result data in a configurable way means that you can decide what to show and how to show it.
▪To allow as many flowsheets, as you need, to be available within the application. Modern software users demand standards and features similar to class leading word processors and spreadsheet applications. It seems natural to want to open more than one flowsheet at any time so we can cut and paste between them, review previous work, run scenarios, etc. Let's take a quick look at some of the powerful features and configurations available as part of this overview 1. Ability to annotate the flowsheet with: ▪Freely entered text. ▪Calculated Results (user can define which results are displayed). ▪Data Input (user can define which inputs are displayed). ▪Node and Pipe Numbers. ▪Unique component names 2. Ability to place components anywhere on the flowsheet, but with some tools (snap options) that enable you to keep a neat appearance. This has been accomplished by providing the ability for pipes to snap either horizontally/vertically (ortho), or at 30° and 90° (isometric), or with no snap. 3. Remember there is still the ground-breaking ability to multi-mark, globally edit, globally move, auto-change of bends, open pipes, tees and crosses, etc., found in V2. As before the flowsheet is always synchronized to the graph, data input, lists and result tab pages. Additionally it is now possible to open as many flowsheets as desired and to cut, copy and paste between them. 4. Ability to fully configure and use FlyBy Hints.