SWMM5 Delphi GUI Animator.pas Summary

 The Animator.pas unit is part of the EPA SWMM (Storm Water Management Model) and is responsible for managing the animation of results in the SWMM interface, specifically for animating the study area map and profile plots. It handles the user interface elements like buttons and sliders to control the animation of simulation results over time.

Key Features of Animator.pas:

1. Controls for Animation:

   • AnimatorBox: A group box containing the animation controls.
   • SpeedBar: A trackbar (slider) to adjust the speed of the animation.
   • AnimatorToolBar: A toolbar with buttons to control the animation.
     • RewindBtn: Rewinds the animation to the start.
     • BackBtn: Goes backward in time in the animation.
     • PauseBtn: Pauses the animation.
     • FwdBtn: Moves forward in time in the animation.

2. Timer:

   • Timer: A timer control that triggers the updates for the animation (to move to the next or previous time step).

3. Event Handlers:

   • BackBtnClick: Starts the animation when the "Back" button is clicked.
   • RewindBtnClick: Rewinds the animation to the start when the "Rewind" button is clicked.
   • PauseBtnClick: Pauses the animation when the "Pause" button is clicked.
   • FwdBtnClick: Starts or continues the animation forward when the "Forward" button is clicked.
   • SpeedBarChange: Changes the speed of the animation based on the position of the SpeedBar.
   • TimerTimer: Executes the logic for moving forward or backward in time, depending on whether the forward or backward button is pressed.

4. Methods:

   • UpdateStatus: Updates the status of the animation controls based on whether the simulation has data and more than one time period is available. If these conditions are not met, the controls are disabled.

5. Animation Logic:

   • The animation controls are enabled only if there is more than one time period of data available. The buttons allow users to navigate through the simulation's time periods.
   • The Timer control triggers updates when the FwdBtn or BackBtn is clicked, moving through the simulation's time periods.
   • The SpeedBar allows users to adjust the speed of the animation, with the interval of the Timer being adjusted accordingly.

Purpose:

This unit is integral to the interactive aspect of the EPA SWMM software, allowing users to visualize the progression of simulation results over time on the study area map and profile plots. It ensures the results are presented in an animated format with user-controllable features such as pausing, rewinding, and adjusting the speed of the animation.

In summary, Animator.pas handles the animation controls and the timing of updates for visualizing the simulation results dynamically.