Projects and Sessions

SAInt uses the concepts of "project" and "sessions" to support and improve the user experience in creating, using, and maintaining a model. A project acts as a container (i.e., a folder) for organizing the relevant data and files for a simulation or an optimization model. A session allows you to specify and save a set of views, tables, charts, and settings for how you use SAInt in a certain project.

This section introduces some terms detailed in other sections of the Reference guide. The user is invited to use the search tool (available at the top-right corner of the documentation window) to quickly identify entry points and obtain more information.

1. What is a project

SAInt does not force the user to follow a rigid structure of folders and sub-folders. Instead, it allows for easily managing models and data distributed over multiple directories. Thus, SAInt gives the user a high degree of flexibility in organizing the files required for a simulation or optimization.

Nevertheless, SAInt introduces the concept of "project", which provides a logical and physical structure to initiate and support the storage and organization of data, models, scenario files, and results.

A project requires the user to specify a "root" directory where a "project file", with the extension "*.prj", is saved. By default, SAInt will use the name of the folder as name for the project (and the project file). The project file will store:

  • the coordinate reference system used in the project;

  • a list of the networks to load with their type and relative path;

  • the name of the project.

It is a good practice to have a dedicated folder within the project folder for each network used in the project. This will avoid issues with file naming if different types of networks share the same base name. It is also recommended to keep the polygons file in the project directory and IronPython scripts in the networks' folders.

The icon 128 in the top-left corner of the main SAInt window provides access to a set of functions to create, save, and close a project. When performing a "Save as" operation, the user is asked to move the files from the original project or to make a copy of the original files to the new location.

2. What is a session

While a project is oriented towards file and data organization and management, a "session" provides the user with tools to take a snapshot of the state of the active work in SAInt. A session will save the state of all tabs opened in the map window area of the dock panel. In this way, it preserves the opened chart windows, map view windows, or tables. By loading a session, the user can start fresh from the same point left when closing SAInt.

A session saves and restores:

  • the project name;

  • the active scenario --- if any was opened --- used during the simulation or optimization exercise;

  • the tables generated during the use of SAInt and available when the session was saved;

  • the charts generated during the use of SAInt and available when the session was saved;

  • the IronPython scripts used by the user and available when the session was saved;

  • the base map providers specified in the different map views used in the project;

  • the graphical details of the legends for nodes and branches used in the map view.

The icon 128 in the top-left corner of the main SAInt window provides access to a set of functions to open and save a session. When saving a session, a file with a user-specified name is generated in the project folder with the extension "*.ses". The user can save a maximum of one session.