Use the Model Data Window

Besides its usefulness for documentation purposes, the Model Data window is a powerful tool for finding input errors in your model.

Look at the model in Figure 1. If you suspected an input error in one of the pipes, the task of looking for the error in each individual pipe input window would be tedious.

Now look at the Model Data window for the pipes in Figure 2. Here it is much easier to scan down columns of data looking for input errors. In this case, one of the pipe lengths was accidentally entered in miles rather than feet.

The Workspace window with a pipe system defined.

Figure 1: Workspace layout of a pipe system with an input error in one of the pipes (error not shown)

The Model Data window shows that pipe 750 had its length in miles instead of feet.

Figure 2: Model Data window display for the model in Figure 1. From this perspective it is much easier to see that one of the pipes (P102) has length data entered in miles rather than feet. This is not automatically an input error, as AFT Arrow accepts pipe input with mixed engineering units. However, the user often intends to use consistent units, so this probably is an error.