IBM Simulation Producer

1. How do I create a successful simulation?

Prior to recording any simulation, some basic planning will help ensure that all the simulations have a consistent look and behavior. The following steps are recommended before beginning a new recording for a new simulation or project:

1. Be sure that you have a firm idea of the goal of the project or what you are trying to simulate.
2. Prepare a checklist of the exact task steps that you want to record for each simulation. Before beginning the capture process, walk through each procedure until you are completely familiar with it. Because Simulation Producer provides the option of including prompts and feedback with each type of user input (mouse click, keyboard stroke, etc.), consider the implications of each step and the consequences of completing that step incorrectly.
3. Develop sample data, if necessary, and practice doing each task several times using the application. Many applications allow users to complete a single function in a variety of ways. (For example, in the Open File function in Microsoft® Word, users may type Ctrl+O, click on the +F+ile menu, and select the +O+pen... option, etc..) Familiarize yourself with the different ways in which the target application permits users to complete a given procedure; make a note of each. IBM® Simulation Producer supports custom feedback, tailored responses based on user actions. Anticipating common mistakes and understanding their consequences will help you create feedback that helps users understand what they did right or wrong.
4. Research the environment in which the simulations will be played back. Find information such as typical screen resolution and processor speed.
5. Prepare a set of standard colors and fonts that will be used for all simulations.
6. Decide whether to capture the simulation in full screen mode or in an application window.
7. Keep all of your simulations together in one folder.

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2. How do I find out which Java™ virtual machine I have installed or which one I am using?

In order to see which Java virtual machine you have installed or which one you have checked, follow these steps:

1. Open up the IE browser.
2. Go to Tools > Internet Options.
3. Go to the Advanced tab.
4. Scroll down until you see either Java (Sun) or Microsoft JVM.
5. Make sure one or the other is checked.

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3. Why does my simulation hang when running in Sun's Java player?

Previous versions of IBM Simulation Producer did not manage memory as well as the current version. Sun's JRE has a fixed memory limit and, when the memory limit is exceeded, the simulation freezes. When running the same simulation with Microsoft JVM enabled in the browser, this problem will not occur.

For IBM Simulation Producer 4.0 and previous versions, there are two options for solving this problem:

• Change the browser to Microsoft JVM.
• In order to reduce the size of the .png files in your simulation(s), use the Generate 256 colors function in IBM Simulation Producer. This function will reduce the size of the .png files by about 50% and will improve the freezing problem by 99%. Make a back-up copy of your simulation before using Generate 256 colors.

IBM Simulation Producer 4.1 handles larger simulations and takes up less memory, particularly with the Sun Java Player.

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4. How do I change the Done button message?

In order to change the Done button message, you must edit the jscode.js file, which can be found in C:\Program Files\IBM\IBM Simulation Producer\Templates. Then follow these steps:

1. If you are not reporting a score, then find the line of code that reads closeit("DONE") in the NoScore(complete) function.
2. Change the word "Done" to your preferred text.
3. Save the document and close it.

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5. How do I change the text on the Java or Flash simprod.htm(l) page?

For Java: Go to C:\Program Files\IBM\IBM Simulation Producer\Templates\default\simprod.htm(l).
For Flash: Go to C:\Program Files\IBM\IBM Simulation Producer\Templates\Flash\simprod.htm(l).

1. Open the file with a text editor.
2. Find the text Play as Show me, Play as Guide me, or Play as Let me.
3. Replace the text with new text.

You can also change the graphic on this page or the background color of this page.

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6. How do I change the Simprod page to display scroll bars?

1. Copy and paste this link directly into a Windows Explorer window: C:\Program Files\IBM\IBM Simulation Producer\Templates\default
2. Right-click on the simprod.htm(l) file and select Open with > Wordpad.
3. After the document is opened, go to Edit > Find.
4. In the Find What section, type in scrollbars.
5. Click on Find Next.
6. Close the Find dialog box.
7. In the section that says scrollbars=no: Change no to yes (scrollbars=yes).
8. Save the document.
9. Now go back to IBM Simulation Producer and click on the Preview in Browser button.
10. After the simprod.htm(l) page has opened, click on any of the modes. The scroll bars should be visible now.

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7. How do I download an older version of Sun's JVM player?

Go to Sun's Java Web site. You will need to download either JRE or J2RE Version 1.4.2_x or above.

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8. How do I download Microsoft's JVM player?

This Java player usually comes with Internet Explorer. However, if you have a newer version of Windows XP, the Java player will not be installed. You must download it from Microsoft's JVM Web site.

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9. Why do I receive a simprod.exe error when I try to add simulations to a project?

If the Hide Extensions for known file types option is selected, Simulation Producer may crash when you try to add a simulation to a project. This problem occurs because Simulation Producer doesn't recognize the file extension. This problem occurs only in versions of Simulation Producer below 4.1. In order to see whether this option is selected, follow the steps below:

1. Open up a folder.
2. Go to Tools > Folder Options.
3. Click on the View tab.
4. Make sure the Hide extensions for known file types option is not selected.

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10. How can I get rid of the ActiveX control message with Windows XP and Service Pack 2?

1. Open up the IE browser.
2. Go to Tools > Internet Options.
3. Go to the Advanced Tab.
4. Scroll down to the Security section.
5. Check the Allow active content to run in files on my computer.
6. Restart the browser.

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11. Why won't my simulations run when launched from a Windows IIS server?

It is possible that a simulation will not be launched on the student's system when the course or simulation is launched from a Windows IIS server. The reason could be that a mime type is missing. In order to solve this problem, have the system administrator for the Windows IIS server verify that the following mime types are present. If they are not, they need to be added.

• jar -- application/java-archive
• class -- application/octet-stream
• htm -- text/html
• html -- text/html
• qsp -- text/html
• spd -- text/html (for simulations using SP v3.3x/4.x)
• dat -- text/html (for simulations using SP v3.2.x)*

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12. What's the best way to set up a project or ISPPS?

The project structure in Simulation Producer takes the form of an .spp file similar to the sequence.qsp file that contains all the settings for a simulation. The main difference is that you can name the project file whatever you want, as long as the extension remains .spp.

Note that projects and the simulations associated with them rely on relative paths. This mean that, although you can create your project (and the simulations that become part of it) in any separate folders that you like, relative pathing means you should create your project one level higher (in terms of file folders) than the simulations you will add to it. It is recommended that you create a "housekeeping" or "top-level" folder for your project to contain the projectname.spp file and the subfolders that are the simulations inside the project.

In order to set up the project, first create the project in Simulation Producer, and then go back and add the simulations to the project folder.

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13. How do I use the Stop Capture hotkey?

Whenever you create your simulations, make sure to have your taskbar hidden; that way it won""t be in your simulation.

You can change the Stop Capture hotkey to a key such as F2, as follows:

1. Go to Tools > Application Options > Application Defaults.
2. Go to the "Stop Capture Hotkey" section and click on the prompt.
3. Read the message and choose Yes.
4. Select the button for the F2 key (or some other key that you will remember).

Now you don""t have to worry about going back to the taskbar to stop the simulation; you can press the F2 key to stop the simulation.

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