Flows

Here you find information about the following topics:

Insert Internal Flow

An internal flow connects two processes (inside of the system boundary).

  1. On the Shapes window, select the Shapes tab and click , or select the Flow Types tab and click the desired Connection Type symbol.
  2. On the Drawing Area, drag the pointer from the starting point to the end point of the internal flow.
  3. Alternatively, on the Drawing Area, click next to an anchor point of a process to insert an internal flow of predefined length with its starting point connect to the selected anchor point. The flow will leave the process perpendicular to the side where the anchor point is located.

Notes:

Insert Import or Export Flow

Import and export flows represent flows that connect a system with its surrounding area. They cross the system boundary and are connected to a process within the system boundary. The surrounding area is displayed as a circle labeled with I or E.

  1. On the Shapes window, select the Shapes tab and click (import flow) or (export flow).
  2. On the Drawing Area, click next to an anchor point of a process to insert an import/export flow of predefined length with its end/starting point connect to the selected anchor point. The flow will leave the process perpendicular to the side where the anchor point is located.
  3. Alternatively, on the Drawing Area, drag the pointer from the starting point to the end point of the flow.

Notes:

  1. If the mouse pointer hovers over or narrow to a process during setting the starting (with export flows) or end point (with import flows), the flow will be automatically connected to the next free anchor point (= grid point on the border of a process) of the process.

  2. To insert a flow with predefined length that is not connected to any processes, simply click the Drawing Area.
  3. An import or export flow that is not connected correctly to one process will be displayed with a dashed line.

Select Flow

  1. On the Shapes window, click  to switch to the edit mode. 
  2. On the Drawing Area, click a flow.

Connect Flow to Process or Change Anchor Point

  1. Select a flow.
  2. Drag the start or end point of the flow (small green square with + sign) close to a free potential anchor point of a process.

Notes:

Change Flow Type

  1. Right-click a flow.
  2. From the shortcut menu, select the fitting flow type by setting or deleting a tick.
Note:

Toggle Import and Export Symbols

  1. On the Extras menu, select Options and click the Processes & Flows tab.
  2. On the Flows pane, toggle Show shapes (I,E) for import and export flows. 

Rename Flow Manually

  1. Select a flow.
  2. On the Properties window, select the Flow tab.
  3. Enter short symbol, name and remarks.  
  4. Optionally, enter an alternative text that shall be displayed inside of the flow oval if no value is given.

Notes:

Rename Flow Automatically

  1. Select a flow.
  2. On the Properties window, select the Flow tab.
  3. Click  next to the text field for short symbol or name.
  4. In the Flow Catalog window, select an Excel file (= catalog), that contains the flow names, short symbols and remarks of often used flows.
  5. Click Settings to select which worksheet of the Excel file contains the data, how many data sets are available (e.g. 2000) and in which row the first one can be found. Define also which column (e.g. A) contains short symbol, name and description. Confirm with OK.
  6. Enter a search term in text field search. Select a filter (all fields, short symbol, name, description) from the drop down menu next to it. All fitting data sets will be listed that contain the search term.
  7. Select a data set by double-clicking or select it and click OK. 

Set Flow Options

  1. On the Extras menu, select Options and click the Processes & Flows tab.
  2. The following settings can be made under Flows:

Change Flow Course

  1. Select a flow.
  2. Drag one of the appearing green handles of the flow to the desired position.
Note:

Move Flow Parallel

Precondition: flow must be detached from processes.

  1. Select a flow.
  2. Internal flows: Drag the oval to its new position.
  3. Import or export flows: Drag the I or E shape to its new position.

Change Flow Style

You can choose from flow styles with different features (e.g. orthogonality, number of inflection points).

  1. Right-click a flow.
  2. From the shortcut menu, select Flow Styles. Choose one of the offered flow styles.

or

  1. Select a flow.
  2. On the Shapes window, select the Flow Types tab.
  3. Right-click the desired Connection Type symbol and select Apply Flow Style.

Notes:

Delete Flow

  1. Select a flow.
  2. On the Diagram toolbar, click or press Delete.

Change Flow Color

  1. Select a flow.
  2. On the Properties window, select the Shape tab.
  3. From the Color drop-down list, select the desired color. 

Change Flow Label Size

If not all of the text in a flow label can be seen, you have to adjust its size.

  1. Select a flow label.
  2. Drag one of the green handles on the perimeter of the flow label to the desired position.

Note:

Move Flow Label

  1. Select a flow label.
  2. Drag the flow label to its new position.

Alignment of Flow Label and Text

  1. Select a flow.
  2. On the Properties window, select the Shape tab.
  3. From the drop-down lists in region Label, select alignment of flow label (horizontal, vertical) and alignment of text in label (left, center, right).

Move Flow Oval

  1. Select a flow.
  2. On the Properties window, select the Shape tab.
  3. On the Oval pane, choose the position (first, middle, last segment) or the starting point (relative to begin or end of arrow) of a movement.
  4. If you have chosen a starting point for a movement, use the slider to manually adjust the position of the oval along the path of the arrow or enter the offset in mm. 

Alignment of Flow Oval

  1. Select a flow.
  2. On the Properties window, select the Shape tab.
  3. From the drop-down lists in region Oval, select the alignment of text in flow label (horizontal or vertical)

Enter Flow Values and/or Concentrations

  1. Select a flow.
  2. On the Properties window, select the Values tab.
  3. Enter flow values and/or concentrations (only possible with substances) and, if known, their uncertainties.
  4. If you want use another unit than the displayed one, enter it directly behind the number (e.g. 100 kg/a) or click the unit button to choose from predefined units.
  5. On the layer of goods, you can enter optionally mass flow, volume flow and/or density.
  6. On the layer of substances, you can enter optionally mass flow and/or concentration (mass substance per mass or volume good respectively).
  7. On the layer of energy, you can enter optionally energy flow and/or concentration (energy per mass or volume good respectively).

Notes:

Adjust Sankey-Display of Flows

or

  1. On the Extras menu, select Options and click the Processes & Flows tab.
  2. On region Flows, toggle Show as Sankey.
  3. Enter the maximum width of a Sankey arrow.
  4. Select the scope of layers and periods (current layer and all periods; all layers and all periods; current layer and current period; all layers and current period) where all flows are to be displayed proportional to its maximum value.

Note:

Format Flow Values

  1. On the Extras menu, select Options and click the Number Formats tab.
  2. Choose the desired number format (rounded to significant digits or decimal places). For details refer to the notes below.
  3. Choose if data uncertainties shall be displayed and, if yes, in % or absolute values.
  4. Choose if thousands separators shall be displayed.
  5. Choose if values lower than the stated threshold shall be displayed as zero.
  6. Choose if values lower and higher that the stated thresholds shall be displayed in exponential notation.
Notes:

Time Series of a Flow

Document Flow Value

The documentation of data is an essential point when performing a MFA. Because of that each flow value can be documented for each layer and period separately with respect to literature reference and additional notes.

  1. Select a flow.
  2. In the Property window, select tab Info (values).
  3. Enter a new literature reference under Literature reference (and click on any other text field in the property window afterwards) or select an already defined one from the dropdown list.
    If you have entered a new reference, you will be asked if you want to create a new reference. Choose Yes to make this reference available as template in the dropdown list for future documentation work.
  4. Enter Remarks.

Note: