.. _simulator_ui:

Simulator
---------

This page shows a configurable multicolumn interface that combines |TVB| simulation, analysis
and visualization capabilities.

.. figure:: screenshots/simulator.jpg
:width: 90%
:align: center

Preview for Simulator Area

.. HISTORY COLUMN

Simulation History
..................

We call `History` the most left column on the Simulator page. Along with the `History` title,
you can observe two buttons on the top bar of this column.

The |star_icon| button allows you to initialize a new simulation, using the default `Simulator`
parameters. This default initialization is already happening, if you just landed on this page
for the first time. The button can be useful in case you started configuring a complex simulation
and you lost track of the changes, to return to the safe defaults.

The |upload_icon| button allows you to upload a ZIP file. This file can be exported from a previously
configured and run simulation (on the same or different TVB installation, as long as versions are compatible).
Details on how to export such a ZIP file can be found just bellow, when we explain the |pencil_icon| icon.

As main content in this left column, a history of all simulations is kept and can be
accessed at any time.

Each simulation execution has a color label that represents its current status:

- pale blue: simulation is running,
- green: simulation is finished,
- gray: simulation has been canceled by the user,
- red: an error occurred during the simulation.

Each simulation can be renamed, copied, exported or deleted by clicking on |pencil_icon| icon, next to its name.

.. figure:: screenshots/simulator_history_edits.jpg
:width: 20%
:align: center

Simulation editing menu

To rename a simulation, click the |pencil_icon| icon first, then edit the text in the input field,
and do not forget to press |save_icon| icon when you are done writing.

.. note::

You cannot rename a Simulation while it is running, but instead you could `cancel` it
(e.g. if you see it eats too many of your machine resources, or you simply changed your mind about this run).

.. figure:: screenshots/simulator_history_running.jpg
:width: 20%
:align: center

`Copy` simulation means loading in memory the same configuration, as used for that particular simulation.
It will be your job to optionally change something in the configuration and, when done, press the |play_icon| icon,
to actually run this copy of the simulation.

`Export ZIP` is a new feature which allows you to create a zip file, which stores the current simulation
information (datatypes, models, integrators, etc, in H5 format). This zip file will be downloaded from your browser window, and can be reused later. You could use it
on the same TVB installation, or on a totally different TVB server, in several manners:

- from web GUI, using the |upload_icon| button, on this page (top of column `History`)
- in the python console of TVB, for better debugging capabilities. Examples for this later case can be
found in the set of examples for COMMAND and LIBRARY profiles.

.. caution::
Please notice that **deleting a simulation will remove the parameters configuration, and also delete all
resulting data that had been produced** in relation to that simulation.

.. SIMULATOR COLUMN

Configure a Simulation
......................

.. |interrogationicon| image:: icons/online_help_green.png

A simulation is configured in multiple steps in a wizard-like workflow.

On the top of this column there is:
- a dropdown field to choose a connectivity,
- a field to enter the conduction speed for the "Long-range connectivity",
- a dropdown field to choose the coupling function
- a Next button for the next step of the configuration

.. image:: screenshots/configure_new_sim.jpg
:width: 90%
:align: center

In this column you can change all the configurable parameters of a simulation:

- Long Range Connectivity
- Long Range Coupling Function
- Conduction Speed
- Cortical Surface
- Stimulus
- Local Dynamics Model

- State Variable Range
- State Variables to be recorded
- Initial Conditions

- Integration Scheme

- Integration Step Size

- Monitors
- Sampling period
- Model Variables to watch
- Simulation Length
- Simulation name

After choosing "Spatiotemporal stimulus" there will be the option to configure Spatial Vector and set up region Model

.. image:: screenshots/configure_new_sim_buttons.jpg
:width: 70%
:align: center

You can find more detailed information by clicking on the |interrogationicon|
icon next to each element.

.. note::

**You can filter DataTypes (like Time Series) from UI**

.. image:: screenshots/simulator_filter_datatypes.jpg
:width: 60%
:align: center

* Click on *Add Filter* button bellow a DataType
* select the attribute to be filtered, the operator to apply and the value in this filter
* click *Apply Filters* to have the results filtered in the selector component right above the filters
* this can also be used in the context of Parameter Space Exploration of |TVB|

.. _phase_plane:

The `Phase plane` page
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

It is used to explore and define parameter configurations.
It is accessible from the top menu:

.. figure:: screenshots/simulator_phase_plane_link.jpg
:width: 90%
:align: center

This page allows you to observe how the dynamics of the physical model change as a
function of its parameters.

On the left column you select the `model` you want to explore and set it's parameters.

The selected model will generally have a n-dimensional phase space.
The right column shows a 2-dimensional axis cut of this space. Gradients are shown and nullclines if they exist.
To control this cut use the `Axes` and `State variables` regions in the left column.
There you can select what state variables should be shown and their ranges.
Also you can set values for the variables that are not shown.

If you click in the phase plane a state trajectory will be computed.
The integration method for this trajectory is configured on the left column.
To make trajectories longer increase the integration step. This will not influence the simulation.
For stochastic integrators decreasing the dispersion usually makes sense.
Below the phase graph you will see the signals for all state variables. These signals belong to the latest trajectory.

Finally to save a parameter configuration give it a name and click `Save new parameter configuration`.
This saved configuration can be used in `Region-based simulations`_

.. figure:: screenshots/simulator_phase_plane_interactive.jpg
:width: 90%
:align: center

The phase plane.

.. note::

**TVB performs region-based and surface-based simulations**

You can access specific configuration pages for both types of simulation.

Region-based simulations
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The `Set up region Model` button leads you to the region model page.
Here you can associate model parameter configurations to connectivity nodes.

.. figure:: screenshots/simulator_region_model.jpg
:width: 90%
:align: center

Region model configuration.

In case of an integration scheme with noise, a new button appears which allows the noise configuration:

.. figure:: screenshots/configure_noise_button.jpg
:width: 90%
:align: center

Configure noise.

The `Configure noise` button leads to the region noise page.
Here you can associate noise dispersions to connectivity nodes.
Select some nodes using any of the selection components or the 3d view.
Choose dispersions for all state variables then place those values in the selected nodes.

.. figure:: screenshots/simulator_region_noise.jpg
:width: 90%
:align: center

Region noise configuration.

Surface-based simulations
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

If you are launching a surface-based simulation, then it is possible to add
more complexity by spatially varying the model parameters.

.. figure:: screenshots/set_up_surface_model_button.jpg
:width: 90%
:align: center

Set up surface model.

In order to do that, click on `Set up surface model`. A new configuration page
will be loaded.

.. figure:: screenshots/simulator_spatialized_parameters.jpg
:width: 90%
:align: center

Preview for surface model configuration.

Parameter Space Exploration
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

It is possible to launch parallel simulations to systematically explore the
parameter space of the local dynamics model. In the current TVB version, up to
2 parameters can be inspected at the same time.

.. figure:: screenshots/simulator_pse_button.jpg
:width: 90%
:align: center

Launch a PSE at the end of configuring a simulation.

.. figure:: screenshots/simulator_pse_result.jpg
:width: 60%
:align: center

A PSE results will be presented in a discrete two dimensional graph. Each
point represents the results of a simulation for an unique combination of
parameters. The disk size corresponds to Global Variance and the color
scale corresponds to Variance of the Variance of nodes.

.. VIEW COLUMN

Display Simulation Results
..........................

On the right column you will find an area where you can configure displays to exhibit
your simulation results.

.. hint::

Maximize this column by clicking on the `zoom` icon located in the top right
corner.

There are 4 tabs:

- three `View` tabs you can set up by selecting:

- TVB time-series `Visualizers` that directly plot the resulting time-series or

- `TVB-Visualizers` associated with a `TVB-Analyzer`. In this case, simulation
results undergo two steps: they are first analyzed and those secondary results
are shown in a corresponding visualizer.

- one `Results` tab containing the current simulation data structure tree. You
can inspect each element through this tree in the same way as in
`Projects` --> `Data Structure`.
A full list of visualizers and analyzers is available from the component
overlay menu.

.. |launch_full_viz| image:: icons/button_launch_full_visualizer.png
.. |brainicon| image:: icons/action_bar_brain.png

.. tip::

Once your results are available, by clicking on |launch_full_viz| you will be
redirected to a new page where only the currently selected visualizer is
presented. In this new page, you can click on |brainicon| in the top right corner
to access a new menu which will allow you to:

- `Save` a snapshot of the current figure.
- `Relaunch` the visualizer using a different entity, if available. For instance, a
different time-series.

.. figure:: screenshots/visualizer_save_figure.jpg
:width: 90%
:align: center

Preview for Full Visualizer mode.

All the snapshots you save can be managed in `Projects` --> `Image Archive`
page.

.. do not move this relationship to a toc tree. The online help for the simulator page
assumes that the simulator doc page will contain the visualizers docs
This is because the visualizers have no url but live in the context of the
project and simulator pages.

.. include:: UserGuide-UI_Simulator-Visualizers.rst