Netbuilddoc

Introduction to Netbuild

Basic Usage

To create a Node, click and drag the "new node" icon in the palette (the left panel) to the work area (the middle panel.)
To link two nodes together, click one node, then hold "ctrl" and click the node you want to link it to.
To create a LAN, click and drag the "new LAN" icon in the palette to the work area.
To link a node to a LAN, click the node, then hold "ctrl" and click on the LAN you want to link it to (or vice versa.)
Note that you may not link a LAN directly to a LAN.
Nodes and LANs may be moved around the work area by clicking and dragging them.
Nodes, links, and LANs may be eliminated by dragging them into the trash.
Little circles between links and nodes represent the network interface on that node, and may not be moved or eliminated (though eliminating the attached link will get rid of them.)
When your experiment topology has been built, clicking "create experiment" will take you into the testbed experiment creation page; from there, you may view the generated NS file as well as create an actual experiment.

Clicking a single item in the work area will select it.
Clicking a single item while holding down shift will add it to the pool of selected items (unless it was already selected, then it will become deselected.)
Clicking an empty part of the canvas will deselect everything.
Clicking an empty part of the canvas and dragging will create a selection rectangle. When the mouse button is released, all items in the rectangle will be selected.
When multiple items are selected, clicking one selected item and dragging it will drag all selected items.
When multiple items are selected, clicking one selected item and dragging it into the trash will eliminate all selected items.

When one item is selected, a properties view will open in the rightmost panel. This is where properties, including name, may be set.
Invalid characters typed into a properties text box will be ignored.
If a property is "<auto>," it will automatically be determined in the experiment creation process. Change this to specify your own value for the property.
Clicking "default" will reset the property of the adjoining box to its default value (in many cases "<auto>.")
If multiple items of the same type are selected, some boxes may show up as "<multiple>." This means that the value of this property is different between at least two nodes in the selection. Changing such a property value (or setting it to default) will result in all selected nodes assuming the new value for that property. Some properties (such as name and IP address) may not be set simultaneously in this way.
If multiple items of varying types are selected, the property boxes will still appear on the right, but may be in a collapsed state. Clicking the '+' will expand one of these.
Clicking the '-' on an expanded box will collapse it again.
Click "copy selection" to make a duplicate of the current selection.