GUI Quickstart

• I’m completely new to Dakota. Where do I start?

• Watch the introductory series of Dakota screencasts.

• Peruse the Eclipse section of this manual to get up to speed on basic GUI terminology and concepts.

• Where do I find an example Dakota study to start from?

• Use the Dakota Examples Search dialog.

• I already have a Dakota study ready to run. How do I import it into the GUI?

• Use basic file importing functionality.

• If the input file has outdated syntax, use the “Dakota Order Input Utility” context menu tool.

• I don’t have a Dakota study, but I have a simulation model / black-box model / analysis driver. How do I create a new Dakota study for it?

• Step 1. Read the strategy overview.

• Step 2. Create inputs and outputs for your simulation model in the GUI.

• Step 3. Create a new Next-Gen Workflow using the Workflow-Based Dakota Driver wizard.

• Step 4. Design a workflow that will execute your simulation model.

• Step 5. Create a new Dakota study using the Dakota Study Wizard, providing your workflow as the analysis driver.

• Step 6. Create an outer wrapper workflow that will run Dakota.

• I already have a driver script for my Dakota study. How do I get Dakota GUI to acknowledge it?

• Use the “Recognize as Analysis Driver” context menu tool.

• I already have a Dakota study, but I just want to change one block.

• Try one of the Dakota block recipes available in the Dakota Text Editor.

• My Dakota study has long arrays of numbers. Can I modify these numbers without manually editing the text of the input file?

• Use the Dakota Visual Editor for editing long number arrays.

• How do I create plots of my Dakota output data?

• Option 1: Use the Chartreuse Sandbox View to quickly visualize your data, without any configuration.

• Option 2: Use one of the Chartreuse plotting templates to quickly create a plot tailored to specific types of Dakota studies.

• Option 3: Use the Plot Trace Creator dialog to take full control over the creation of your plot.

• How do I create a plot from a tabular data file, using Next-Gen Workflow?

• Build a data column-extracting workflow in Next-Gen Workflow.

• How do I create a plot from an HDF5 database file, using Next-Gen Workflow?

• Option 1: Use basic HDF/Dakota data plotting nodes.

• Option 2: Use advanced HDF/Dakota “megaplotter” nodes.