Creating a GoldSim Player File

The GoldSim Player is a special version of GoldSim that allows you to "play" or “read” an existing GoldSim model without having to license the GoldSim software. In general, the user interface for the GoldSim Player is identical to that of the full GoldSim version, with a number of menu options and controls for editing the model removed or disabled.

The GoldSim Player can be downloaded (for free) from the GoldSim website (by clicking here). It is also automatically installed on your machine when you install GoldSim (and is available via the Windows Start menu).

The GoldSim Player can not read a normal GoldSim file (a .gsm file). Rather, the GoldSim Player can only read Player files (.gsp). You can save a copy of a GoldSim model as a Player file by selecting File|Save Player File… from the main menu.

When you do so, a wizard will appear to assist you in creating the Player file. The first page of the wizard simply provides some explanatory text. The second page of the wizard prompts you for the Author’s Name, a Model Description, and a Model Title. The Author’s Name, Model Title, and Model Description can be viewed via a menu item in the Player (and the Model Title also appears in the title bar of any Dashboards you create). The third page of the wizard allows you to specify the properties of the Player file:

If the Allow to browse the model option is checked, the Player user is allowed to leave any Dashboard(s) and browse the structure of the model. Note that if the model does not have at least one Dashboard and/or the Dashboard includes a Button control that jumps to a Container or an element, the model is automatically browsable and this option will be checked on and grayed out.

If the Allow the user to run the model option is checked, the Run Control toolbar within the Player will be active and the user can use this to run (and save) the model. If this option is off, the Run Control toolbar is grayed out and the Player user will be able to view the model, but will not be able to run (or save) it. If the user can run the model, you can also choose whether to Allow changes to the Time Settings and Allow changes to the Monte Carlo settings. These allow the Simulation Settings of the model to be edited within the Player.

The final field in the third page of the wizard determines what will be displayed when the Player user opens the file. If the Player file has no Dashboards, the only option is “Top-level Container”. However, if the file contains one or more Dashboards, you can specify the Default Dashboard ; that is, the Dashboard that will be displayed when the file opens in the Player. The drop-list contains all Dashboards in the model. If the model is browsable, it also contains “Top-level Container”.

The final page of the wizard is used to specify the path and filename of the Player file.

Player files can be saved with or without results. If you try to create a Player file while you are in Edit Mode, GoldSim will first check the model for errors. If it finds errors, it will not allow you to create the Player file.

A Player file cannot be read by GoldSim; it can only be read by the GoldSim Player. You can view and navigate a Player file using the GoldSim Player just as you would view and navigate a GoldSim model file in GoldSim. This includes the ability to open most GoldSim dialogs (e.g., in order to examine how an element has been defined).

Note: If the model file from which the Player file is created was password-protected, the Player file will also be password-protected, and the user will need to enter a password to open the file.

As pointed out above, the user interface for the GoldSim Player is identical to that of the full GoldSim version, with a number of menu options and controls for editing the model removed. Instructions for using the GoldSim Player are described within the program’s online help system, as well as the GoldSim Player User’s Guide.