HbgcJava - A Graphical User Interface for HBGC123D

HbgcJava is a Java-based interface for HBGC123D. It is currently in the alpha development stage. At this time, not all features of HBGC123D can be accessed and/or modified with this interface.
This version of HbgcJava includes some postprocessing capabilities. These aspects of HbgcJava require a special version of HBGC123D. If you are interested in evaluating this version of HBGC123D, please contact Jack Gwo per e-mail.

Important notes
Overview
Usage instructions
Installation instructions
Requirements

Important notes

1. You can start with importing an ASCII input file for HBGC123D. It can be any (few restrictions apply) valid input file for HBGC123D. HbgcJava also allows the user to set up a simple input file from scratch. However, at this point only one-dimensional chemical transport simulations can be set up.
2. Before you load an HBGC123D input file, please make a backup copy of this file under a different name. Although it should not happen, HbgcJava may create an incorrect HBGC123D input file. HbgcJava will also ignore and not reproduce any comments you have made within the file.
3. No confirmation is necessary to overwrite a file. The user has to ensure that no files will be overwritten unintentionally.
4. Spatially distributed values (e.g. initial concentrations, also nodal coordinates, etc.) are displayed in a spreadsheet like window, not graphically.
5. Even though this interface significantly facilitates the preparation of input files for simulations with HBGC123D, the user still has to ensure that all input data are reasonable. HbgcJava performs some checks and verifications, but it is still possible to enter data that will lead to a failure of HBGC123D, when the simulation is actually run.
6. At this point, not all data can be modified with the interface. For instance, it is not yet possible to change the number of nodes or elements or to modify the elemental boundary conditions in two- and three-dimensional models.
7. When you are editing values in tables, the changes become effective only when you press ENTER after editing the value. This is not required in separate text fields, where leaving the text field (by using the mouse to click on another text field or other component, or by using the TAB key) will update the value in the model.
8. Running HbgcJava may consume a lot of memory. Therefore, you may need to close other applications while running HbgcJava and/or restrict yourself to having only one model loaded into HbgcJava at any time. It may also be necessary to start an HBGC123D model from the command line (DOS command window or UNIX shell) instead of starting a model from HbgcJava. To do this, you can import a model, make required changes, export the model, and run it. HbgcJava writes both main input file and super file for HBGC123D into the directory from where HbgcJava was invoked.

Overview

HbgcJava is an interface that can read and write the ASCII input file for HBGC123D. It displays most of the input parameters and allows the user to edit most of the displayed data. (Ultimately, all data will be displayed and editable.) Running an HBGC123D model with HbgcJava is done in these steps:

1. Import an ASCII input file for HBGC123D. (Simulation menu, item Import.)
2. Edit the input parameters as needed.
3. You can either write the modified input file by invoking "Export" from the "Simulation" menu or start the simulation with "Run" from the same menu. (Before the simulation is run, the input file for will be written automatically.)
4. You can exit HbgcJava with the "Quit" button, the "Close Window" button, or the "Quit" option from the "Simulation" menu.
   

Usage instructions

To start HbgcJava, simply enter

java -jar HbgcJava.jar

ASCII input files for HBGC123D should have the extension ".in". (They can have a different extension, but all input files written by HbgcJava have this extension.)
To read an input file, go to the "Import" item of the "Simulation" menu. A file chooser box will pop up that lets you browse through the directory tree.

Once you have loaded an input file, you can modify the input parameters in the input editor, which comprises several tabbed panes.

You can invoke the Help feature at any time by clicking on the Help icon or by pressing F1. (The difference is that a context specific help text will appear (if available) when you press the Help icon, while pressing F1 results in displaying the main help text first. You can see the help texts for input panels etc. by going to the menu "Input editor" first and then to the help text for the specific input panel.) The help text will appear in a separate window. Invoking the button "Help overview" in the Help window results in the display of the general help text. Switching panes within the input editor etc. will by default not automatically change the contents of the Help window. You will have to click the Help icon again to display the appropriate text. However, you can check the box labeled "Automatically update Help screen" in the Options dialog (available from the Tools menu). If this box is checked, switching to a different pane of the input editor will automatically update the Help text.

Menubar

Input Editor

Detailed descriptions

Installation instructions

HbgcJava is a Java program. It needs the Java Runtime Environment (JRE) of the Java 2 platform to run. To check whether you have JRE installed on your computer system, issue the command "java -version" on the command line (MS Windows: DOS prompt window; Unix: terminal window). You should get a response like "java version 1.2.2" (only the first two numbers are important). If you get a "command not found" or the Java version is 1.0 or 1.1, you will need to download the JRE from Sun's website.

To obtain a copy of HbgcJava, please send an e-mail to Jack Gwo (jgwo@umbc.edu).

All comments, suggestions for improvements, and bug reports are greatly appreciated!

Requirements

• An executable of HBGC123D needs to be placed either in the working directory or in a directory that is listed in the path.
• The required hard disk space for HbgcJava is minimal (less than 2 MB).
• You should have at the very least 32 MB of RAM, 64 MB or more is recommended. When you run HbgcJava (especially under MS Windows) and have little memory, you may have to close other applications in order to avoid a system crash or slowdown due to limited physical memory. When you run out of memory, you can close the models that you don't need at this time.
• HbgcJava runs best with display sizes of at least 800 by 600 pixels. The recommended resolution is 1280 by 1024 pixels.