What is an Element Template?

Models are comprised of elements that represent either physical or logical entities in your process. These elements can be either global or local. You can use global elements in multiple models. Local elements belong to the Model specified when you create them and they cannot belong to, or be used by, any other models.

Elements can be composed of additional sub-elements; however, sub-elements are always local elements.

Elements are based on Element templates. These templates have all the necessary Attributes and properties for the role of an Element in a Model and Model analysis. You then create instances of an Element by basing them on the configured template.

Template usage can be very broad or very specific. A template can define a specific type of measurement device, such as a brand-name instrument, or it can be a broad-use template specifying a particular role in the model, such as a liquid mass meter.

Six core Element types are used to enforce connectivity rules between elements of a model. When designing an Element template, you choose from these template types:

• Use a Node to represent a physical entity in your model, such as a tank, valve, or process unit.
• Use Measurement to indicate that the Element is used for ascertaining dimensions, quantities, capacities, etc., such as, meters or scales.
• Use Flow to indicate that the Element carries material from one Element to another.
• Use Transfer as a temporal flow. The existence of a transfer in a Model is only available in the context of time, for example, in a case. Transfers can also be accessed by performing time-based searches of the database.
• Use Boundary to define the input and output ports for the model. Ports are the locations where an Element connects to the model. Ports also define a flow direction which then determines inputs and outputs from the element.
• Use ‘Other’ to represent a logical collection of attributes, such as a recipe.