Adding Reference Copies of a Single Component

You can create a reference copy of a component where changes to the original component or to any of the copies updates all the components.

Referencing a component is useful if you want to reuse a single instance of a component more than once in the same simulation process flow, so that changes to that component have the same effect in all locations where it is used. Using this option converts the reused component to a submodel if it is not one already. Any reused components are displayed at each location where it is used; therefore, they appear to exist as multiple copies. This method allows you to skip the step of creating a submodel.

Note: If you want to reference a component numerous times, and you do not yet know all the places in the model where you will use the referenced component, it is recommended that you make the component a submodel. This process creates a submodel using the component, but it does not automatically reference the component in the simulation process flow.

Related Topics
Creating a Submodel

  1. From the Design Gateway, select a model.

  2. Right-click the component that you want to copy, and select Copy.

    Tip: You can also click the Copy button on the toolbar.

  3. Right-click the simulation process flow arrow that represents the location for the copied component, and select Paste Reference.

    Isight removes the component from the simulation process flow and makes it a submodel. A Reference component is configured to refer to this submodel and inserted in place of the component in the simulation process flow. Isight adds a copy of this Reference component to the simulation process flow at the selected arrow. Dotted lines run from both Reference components to the original component. In the following example, the component labeled Compute a, ix, iy was copied to the Loop component subflow.



    Isight creates a new item labeled Submodels in the model explorer. Expanding this item reveals that it contains the referenced component.

    You can edit the parameter values of each Reference component independently. Otherwise, the parameters in both Reference components cannot be edited directly, but are updated to mirror the parameters of the referenced submodel when they are edited.

  4. If desired, save the model.