Context Menu

All canvas items have a context menu, accessed by clicking the right-mouse button while hovering over an item, which allow a variety of operations to be applied to the canvas item. Common context menu items are explained here:

Help

bring up context specific help for the item

Description

Attach an annotation to the item. This is only visible by selecting the description item from the context menu, although whatever is set as the ``Short Description'' will also appear as a tooltip whenever the mouse hovers over the item.

Port values

When running a simulation, you can drill down into the actual values at the input and output ports of the variable or operation, which is a useful aid for debugging models.

Edit

set or query various attributes of an item. This function can also be accessed by double clicking on the item. (Plot widgets behave slightly differently: double-clicking on a plot brings up an independent window in which the plot is displayed.).

Copy

Creates a copy of an item, retaining the same attributes of the original. This is very useful for creating copies of the same variable to reduce the amount of overlapping wiring in a model. This can substantially improve the readability of a Ravel/Minsky model when compared to standard system-dynamics programs.

Flip

actually rotates an object through . You can specify arbitrary rotations of objects through the edit menu.

Delete

delete the object.

Item specific context menu items:

variables, parameters and constants

Local

Make the variable's scope local to its group

Find definition

Place a red circle on the variable that defines its value.

Select all instances

Select all instances of this variable

Rename all instance

Do a global search and replace of this variable name with a new name.

Export as CSV

Export the current variable's value as a CSV file.

Add integral

attach an integration operation, and convert the variable into an integral type.

integrals

Copy Var

copy just the integrated variable, but not the integration operation itself.

Toggle Var Binding

Normally, integrals are tightly bound to their variables. By toggling the binding, the integral icon can then be moved independently of the variable it is bound to.

Godley tables

Open Godley Table

opens a spreadsheet-like window to allow financial flows to be defined in a Godley Table (these can also be defined directly on the canvas when a Godley Table is displayed in Edit Mode).

Resize Godley Table

allows the icon to be resized.

Edit/Copy var

allows individual stock and flow variables to be copied or edited.

Export to file

export table contents as either CSV data, or as a L^ATEX table, for importing into other software, such as a spreadsheet or word processor.

Groups

Zoom to Display

Zoom the canvas sufficiently to see the contents of the group.

Resize

Resize the group icon on the canvas.

Save group as

Save the group in it's own Minsky file.

Flip contents

Rotate each item within the group by 180

Ungroup

Ungroup the group, leaving its contents as icons on the canvas.

contentBounds

Draws a box on the canvas indicating the smallest bounding box containing the group items.

Plot Widgets

Expand

By double-clicking, or selecting ``Expand'' from the context menu, a popup window is created of the plot, which can be used examine the plotting in more detail.

Resize

Allows you to resize the plot icon on the canvas

Options

Customize the plot by adding a title, axes labels and control the number of axis ticks and grid lines on the detailed plot. You can also add a legend, which is populated from the names of variables attached to the plot.