In the 窶廛ates窶 view you choose the default date settings for model documents. Each time you create a new model document, these settings will be used as defaults.
All the settings for a particular document can of course be changed later if necessary, by using the 窶廛ate settings窶ｦ窶 command in the 窶廡ile窶 menu.
The first group of settings is used to specify the time scale for the document. A time scale is defined by its origin and duration unit. To specify the origin, you must specify the following:
窶｢ Year
窶｢ Month
窶｢ Day
This is done by entering these into their respective fields in the dialog box.
The duration unit is selected by using the 窶廛uration unit窶 popup menu. The following options are available:
窶｢ Years
窶｢ Months
窶｢ Days
The second group of date settings is used to specify which nodes DynRisk should interpret as 窶彭ates窶. A DynRisk model typically contains nodes representing many different things, such as cost, time, decisions etc. In most cases DynRisk does not need to know what kind of node it is dealing with in order to compute its values. However, if a node is a 窶彭ate窶 node, it is convenient to let DynRisk convert these values into a date format. To accomplish this, DynRisk needs a rule for how to distinguish date nodes from other nodes. You can choose between four different types of criterions:
窶｢ Kind is equal to窶ｦ
窶｢ Name begins with窶ｦ
窶｢ Code begins with窶ｦ
窶｢ Unit begins with窶ｦ
To select one of these, you click the 窶徨adio窶 button to the left of the criterion you want to apply.
If you select 窶廳ind is equal to窶ｦ窶, you must choose a particular 窶很ind窶 using the popup menu to the right. All nodes whose 窶很ind窶 property is equal to the chosen one, will then be interpreted as a 窶彭ate窶 node.
If you select 窶廸ame begins with窶ｦ窶, you must enter a name prefix into the field to the right. All nodes whose 窶從ame窶 property begins with this prefix, will then be interpreted as a 窶彭ate窶 node.
If you select 窶廚ode begins with窶ｦ窶, you must enter a code prefix into the field to the right. All nodes whose 窶彡ode窶 property begins with this prefix, will then be interpreted as a 窶彭ate窶 node.
If you select 窶弑nit begins with窶ｦ窶, you must enter a unit prefix into the field to the right. All nodes whose 窶忖nit窶 property begins with this prefix, will then be interpreted as a 窶彭ate窶 node.
All dates in the model will be calculated relative to the specified time scale. Thus, if e.g., a date node has an output value of 14.751, and the time scale has January 1., 1996 as origin, and 窶廛ays窶 as duration unit, then the output value will be displayed as January 15., 1996.
