There is a lot in this section, so I'll get right to the point.

If you are working in Windows, there are only four tools that you need to do some productive modeling

• ModelProject - this tool lets you name the current modeling project. This name is then shared with all of the other tools.

• ModelSorter - this tool sorts the setup code in the model specification document to insure that the code is calculated in the corrent sequence.

• ModelBuilder - this tool parses the model specification document, generates the Modelica source code and runs the Modelica compiler. The Modelica compiler, in turn, emits the executable code that is used in calculating solutions.

• ModelSolver - this tool parses the model specification document and fetches the Modelica executable code. The tool then presents an interactive solution environment, highlighted by interactive control of the parameter space and graphical and numerical display of solutions.

plus a valid installation of the OpenModelica numerical methods invironment.

Options

Tools are presented here for both Windows and Linux operating systems and for both GUI and terminal interfaces.

I've further stratified tools into three levels of usefulness

• Essential - discussed above.
• Useful - these tools are useful when big models are involved.
• Not So Useful - these tools are occasionally useful when something bad happens, but otherwise they can safely be ignored.