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Check Box

Change parameter or variable value during simulation using check box with customizable appearance

Since R2024b

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  • Check Box block

Libraries:
Simulink / Dashboard / Customizable Blocks

Description

Use the Check Box block to change the value of the connected variable or parameter before or during simulation. When you use the Check Box block in the Customizable Blocks library, you can customize the appearance of the block, for example to make the block look like a check box in a digital user interface you are designing. Use the Check Box block with other dashboard blocks to build an interactive dashboard of controls and indicators for your model.

You can change the value of a parameter by connecting the Check Box block to the parameter and then checking or clearing the check box. By default, checking the check box sets the parameter value to 1, and clearing the check box sets the value to 0. To customize these values, open the Parameters tab of the Property Inspector or the Block Parameters dialog box and change the Cleared value and the Checked value.

To check or clear the check box during simulation, click the check box icon on the Check Box block. To check or clear the check box when the simulation is not running, click the Check Box block, then click the check box icon.

Note

Double-clicking a connected Check Box block during simulation does not open its dialog box. Clicking a connected Check Box block to select the block, and then double-clicking the block also does not open its dialog box. To edit the block parameters in these cases, use the Property Inspector or right-click the block and select Block Parameters from the context menu.

Customize Check Box Blocks

When you add a Check Box block to your model, the block is preconfigured with a default design. You can use the block with the default design or customize the appearance of the block.

To customize the appearance of the block, use design mode. After selecting the block, you can enter design mode in one of three ways:

  • In the Simulink® Toolstrip, on the block-specific tab, under Design, click Edit.

  • In the Property Inspector, on the Design tab, click Edit.

  • Pause on the ellipsis that appears over the block and click the Edit Custom Block button .

In design mode, you can use the toolbar above the block to customize the check box. To access additional customization options or to enter exact values for design settings, use the Design tab in the Property Inspector.

Customizable Check Box block in design mode with the toolbar and the Design tab in the Property Inspector visible.

Design Mode Actions

ActionAvailable in ToolbarAvailable in Design Tab

Upload an icon that represents a checked check box.

YesYes

Upload an icon that represents a cleared check box.

YesYes

Change the label text.

NoYes

Change the label font color.

YesYes
Change the position of the icons and label within the block.NoYes
Upload a background image.YesYes
Set a solid background color.NoYes
Upload a foreground image.NoYes

Note

All changes you make in the Design tab— including changes you make in the Label and Icon component— apply to both, the cleared check box and the checked check box. For example, when you change the icon width, you change the width of the of the icon that represents the cleared check box and the width of the icon that represents the checked check box.

In addition to customizing the block design using the toolbar and Design tab, you can also reposition the label and icon interactively in the canvas.

When you finish editing the design, to exit design mode, click the X in the upper right of the canvas.

Connect Dashboard Blocks

Dashboard blocks do not use ports to connect to model elements. To connect a dashboard block, use connect mode. To enter connect mode on an unconnected block, pause on the block you want to connect and click the Connect button . To enter connect mode on a connected block, select the block, pause on the ellipsis that appears (…), and in the action menu that expands, click the Connect button.

To connect a control block to a parameter in your model or to change the connection of a control block, enter connect mode. Select the block to whose parameter you want to connect. From the list that appears, select the parameter to which you want to connect. Then, pause on the dashboard block and click the Done Connecting button .

The control block cannot connect to a parameter defined by a variable until you update the model diagram. To connect to a parameter defined by a variable or to modify the value of a variable that defines the value of a connected parameter when the simulation is not running, update the model diagram by pressing Ctrl+D.

You can connect to a parameter with a scalar value or to an element of a matrix or structure. For more information, see Connect Dashboard Blocks to Simulink Model.

You can also connect dashboard blocks to a Stateflow® chart. For more information, see Connect Dashboard Blocks to Stateflow (Stateflow).

This animation shows how to connect the Check Box block to your model.

An unconnected Check Box block connects to a Constant block.

Parameter Logging

Tunable parameters connected to dashboard blocks are logged to the Simulation Data Inspector, where you can view the parameter values along with logged signal data. You can access logged parameter data in the MATLAB® workspace by exporting the parameter data from the Simulation Data Inspector by using the UI or the Simulink.sdi.exportRun function. For more information about exporting data using the Simulation Data Inspector UI, see Export Data to Workspace or File. The parameter data is stored in a Simulink.SimulationData.Parameter object, accessible as an element in the exported Simulink.SimulationData.Dataset.

Limitations

  • Except for the Dashboard Scope block and the Display block, dashboard blocks can only connect to real scalar signals.

  • You cannot use the Connection table in the Block Parameters dialog box to connect a dashboard block to a block that is commented out. When you connect a dashboard block to a commented block using connect mode, the dashboard block does not display the connected value until the you uncomment the block.

  • Dashboard blocks cannot connect to model elements inside referenced models.

  • When you simulate a model hierarchy, dashboard blocks inside referenced models do not update.

  • Dashboard blocks do not support rapid accelerator simulation.

  • When you connect a dashboard block to a variable or parameter during simulation, the data for that variable or parameter is not logged to the Simulation Data Inspector. To log variable and parameter data to the Simulation Data Inspector, connect the dashboard block to the variable or parameter prior to simulation.

  • When you simulate a model in external mode with the Default parameter behavior set to Inlined, dashboard blocks can appear to change parameter and variable values. However, the change does not propagate to the simulation. For example, Gain blocks display changes made to the Gain parameter using the dashboard blocks, but the Gain value used in the simulation does not change.

Parameters

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Use the Property Inspector and the Block Parameters dialog box to specify the values of the block parameters. To set the core parameters of the dashboard block, use the Block Parameters dialog box or the Parameters tab in the Property Inspector. To customize the block, use the Design tab in the Property Inspector. To open the Block Parameters dialog box for a block, double-click the block. To open the Property Inspector, on the Modeling tab, under Design, select Property Inspector.

Parameters

To set the core parameters of the dashboard block, open the Property Inspector and click the Parameters tab.

Connection

Dashboard blocks do not use ports to connect to model elements. To connect dashboard blocks to parameter values in your model, use connect mode, the Simulink Toolstrip, or the Connection table in the Block Parameters dialog box. You can connect to a parameter with a scalar value, or to an element of a matrix. For information about connect mode and how to connect using the toolstrip, see Connect Dashboard Blocks to Simulink Model.

To connect a control block to a parameter with a scalar value or change the connection of a control block to a parameter with a scalar value using the Connection table:

  1. Select the block.

  2. To connect the block, in the Property Inspector, on the Parameters tab, click Connect. To change the connection of the block, click Change instead.

  3. Select the block to whose parameter value you want to connect.

  4. In the table, select the parameter to which you want to connect.

  5. Click Apply.

The control block cannot connect to a parameter defined by a variable until you update the model diagram. To connect to a parameter defined by a variable or to modify the value of a variable that defines the value of a connected parameter when the simulation is not running, update the model diagram by pressing Ctrl+D.

You can also connect dashboard blocks to a Stateflow chart. For more information, see Connect Dashboard Blocks to Stateflow (Stateflow).

Programmatic Use

To programmatically connect a dashboard block to a tunable parameter, use a Simulink.HMI.ParamSourceInfo object. The Simulink.HMI.ParamSourceInfo object contains four properties. Some properties apply to connecting dashboard blocks to parameters defined by values, and some apply to connecting dashboard blocks to parameters defined by variables. Not all fields have a value for a connection because a given dashboard block connects to either to a parameter defined by a value or to a parameter defined by a variable.

Block Parameter: Binding
Type: Simulink.HMI.ParamSourceInfo
Default: []
Main

Specify the text of the check box label.

Programmatic Use

Block Parameter: Label
Type: string or character vector
Default: 'Label'

Specify the value that gets assigned to the connected parameter when you clear the check box.

Specify the value that gets assigned to the connected parameter when you check the check box.

You can display the name of the element to which the dashboard block connects in a label positioned at the top or bottom of the block, or you can hide the label. If you want the label to be visible, specify the position. If you do not want the label to be visible, select Hide.

Note

When the dashboard block is not connected to an element, the label is blank.

Programmatic Use

Block Parameter: LabelPosition
Type: character vector
Values: 'Hide' | 'Bottom' | 'Top'
Default: 'Hide'

Select this parameter to maintain the aspect ratio when resizing the block in the Simulink canvas.

When the aspect ratio is locked, adding a new background image changes the aspect ratio of the block to match the aspect ratio of the background image. When the aspect ratio is unlocked, adding a new background image does not change the aspect ratio of the block, but instead changes the aspect ratio of the background image to fit the size of the block.

When the aspect ratio is locked, pressing the Shift key while resizing a block temporarily unlocks the aspect ratio. When you release the Shift key, the aspect ratio locks. When the aspect ratio is unlocked, pressing the Shift key while resizing a block temporarily locks the aspect ratio. When you release the Shift key, the aspect ratio unlocks.

Design

To customize the dashboard block, open the Property Inspector, click the Design tab, and click Edit. Changes you make to the values of the parameters in this section are applied to both the cleared check box and the checked check box.

Check Box

Select this parameter to maintain the aspect ratio when resizing the block in the Simulink canvas.

When the aspect ratio is locked, adding a new background image changes the aspect ratio of the block to match that of the background image. When the aspect ratio is unlocked, adding a new background image does not change the proportions of the block but instead stretches or scales the background image to fit the size of the block.

When the aspect ratio is locked, pressing the Shift key while resizing a block unlocks the aspect ratio. When you release the Shift key, the aspect ratio locks. When the aspect ratio is unlocked, pressing the Shift key while resizing a block locks the aspect ratio. When you release the Shift key, the aspect ratio unlocks.

Label and Icon

Specify the text of the check box label.

Programmatic Use

Block Parameter: Label
Type: string or character vector
Default: 'Label'

Choose a font color for the label text from the palette of standard colors, or specify a custom color.

Set the alignment of the label and icon pair in the horizontal direction. The table lists the horizontal position of the label and icon pair when the X Offset is zero. A nonzero X Offset moves the label and icon pair from the position listed in the table.

AlignmentPosition of the Label and Icon Pair
LeftThe left edge of the label and icon pair is at the left edge of the block.
CenterThe horizontal middle of the label and icon pair is at the horizontal middle of the block.
RightThe right edge of the label and icon pair is at the right edge of the block.

How the X Offset is measured depends on the value of the Horizontal Alignment. The table lists how the offset is measured for each Horizontal Alignment value. Relative to the position when the offset is 0, an offset with a negative value moves the text left, and an offset with a positive value moves the text right.

Horizontal AlignmentOffset
LeftSpecify the horizontal offset of the left edge of the label and icon pair from the left edge of the block as a ratio of the block width.
CenterSpecify the horizontal offset of the horizontal middle of the label and icon pair from the horizontal middle of the block as a ratio of the block width.
RightSpecify the horizontal offset of the right edge of the label and icon pair from the right edge of the block as a ratio of the block width.

Specify the vertical offset of the vertical middle of the label and icon pair from the vertical middle of the block. Relative to the position when the offset is 0, an offset with a negative value moves the text up, and an offset with a positive value moves the text down.

Specify the placement of the icon relative to the label.

Note

Changing the placement of the icon moves the label, but does not change the offset or alignment of the label.

When Icon Placement is set to Left or Right, specify the offset of the icon from the label as a ratio of the block width.

When Icon Placement is set to Top or Bottom, specify the offset of the icon from the label as a ratio of the block height.

Example: 0.5

Specify the icon width as a ratio of the font height of the label text.

Example: 0.5

Specify the icon height as a ratio of the font height of the label text.

Example: 0.5

Select this parameter to maintain the aspect ratio when resizing the icon in the Simulink canvas.

Example: off

Background Image

For the block background, you can provide a background image or select a solid color. To select a solid background color, select this parameter. To provide a background image, clear this parameter.

Note

Changing the background color using the Format tab of the Simulink Toolstrip removes the background image and enables the Use Background Color parameter.

Example: on

To use a solid background color, select the Use Background Color parameter. Then, choose a background color from the palette of standard colors, or specify a custom color.

Tip

You can also specify the Background Color in the Format tab of the Simulink Toolstrip.

To specify the color of the block text, use the Font Color parameter.

Programmatic Use

Specify the BackgroundColor parameter for the block as a 1-by-3 [r g b] vector with values between 0 and 1 that is formatted as a string or a character vector.

Block Parameter: BackgroundColor
Type: string | character vector
Values: [r g b] vector

Specify the block background opacity as a scalar value from 0 to 1.

Example: 0.5

Specify the corner radius of the area covered by the block background color as a ratio of half of the smaller of the two block dimensions, width or height.

Example: 0.25

Foreground Image

Specify the horizontal offset of the left edge of the image from the left edge of the block as a ratio of the block width. Relative to the position of the image when the offset is 0, an offset with a negative value moves the image left, and an offset with a positive value moves the image right.

Example: 1

Specify the vertical offset of the top edge of the image from the top edge of the block as a ratio of the block height. Relative to the position of the image when the offset is 0, an offset with a negative value moves the image up, and a positive value moves the image down.

Example: 1

Specify the width of the foreground image as a ratio of the block width.

Example: 0.5

Specify the height of the foreground image as a ratio of the block height.

Example: 0.5

Select this parameter to maintain the aspect ratio when resizing the image using the Property Inspector.

Block Characteristics

Data Types

double | half | integer | single

Direct Feedthrough

no

Multidimensional Signals

no

Variable-Size Signals

no

Zero-Crossing Detection

no

Extended Capabilities

Version History

Introduced in R2024b

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See Also

Blocks

Tools

Topics