SVG visualization
SVG input
In the SVG input mode, the SVG images that are used for SVG visualization can be used to interactively control the simulation.
The idea is that certain SVG elements are coupled (mapped) to events from the CIF specification. Clicking on those graphical elements then results in the corresponding event being executed by the simulator. In this way, the user interface of a system can be modeled graphically, and can be coupled to the specification by means of events.
The events that are coupled to visualization elements are called SVG interactive events or SVG input events.
SVG output concepts
The CIF 3 simulator supports several forms of output. By default, simulation results, such as the current state, are printed to the console. While this provides useful information, it is not easy to decipher the precise state of a (sub-)system. Also, it does not give a graphical overview of the current state of the system.
The simulator however, also supports SVG visualization, which allows the user to make an image of the system, and have that image be updated by the simulator during simulation, based on the current state of the system. This allows the user to see changes in the state of the system, in a graphical representation of that system. This makes it much easier to get a global overview of the system during simulation. Since the user makes the image, the representation directly corresponds to the way the user sees the system.