In Simulation Studio, the term model means an abstraction or representation of a system that you want to investigate or study. Most models represent a simplified version of the real system, but they still must capture the essence of the system under investigation to be useful. In Simulation Studio, models are composed of blocks, and blocks communicate with each other through ports. In the Simulation Studio GUI, blocks are said to be connected if a port on one block has a link to a port on another block, creating a path for information to flow between them. A model in Simulation Studio is usually a series of blocks arranged or connected in a configuration that represents the system under investigation.

This chapter provides an overview of blocks, ports, and the types of information that flow between them. The details about each of these subjects is provided in later chapters. This chapter also discusses how to use the Simulation Studio GUI to build, run, and save a simulation model.