Selecting Files in Databases as Input Sources
Data files stored in a Model Manager database can be used as input for models in the same way you can use files stored on the file system as input. From the Select File window for an input setting, you can find and select files from one of your configured databases to use as input source for the model opened in the COMSOL Desktop. Choose the database that you want to select files from in the list of options on the left. Choose Add Database () if you want to add a new database.
The Select File window is, for example, opened when you click the expand button next to Browse () and select Browse From () for a model input setting in the Settings window in the Model Builder workspace.
The Select File window for a database offers similar search and filter functionality as the Open and Select Model windows, although adapted for searching data files. Click Select () once you have found and selected a file in the result list to use as input. If the selected data is a fileset, you will be asked to select one of the files via the Select File from Fileset dialog box.
You can also right-click a file in the list to select it as input. Select Preview File () to open the file with the default application for its file type — see also Previewing Files. Select Set Tags () to modify the tag assignment of the file — see also Assigning Tags to Items.
Selecting a data file from a Model Manager database via the Select File window and clicking Select () only specifies a source for the input. The actual loading of the input data from the database happens later — either automatically when the data is needed or manually by, for example, clicking an Import button. See Loading and Saving Auxiliary Data Files Stored in Databases for more details.
Finding Data Files
You find data files by writing search expressions in the search field and clicking the Search button. You can write plain search words and any number of filter expressions using The Model Manager Search Syntax. Plain search words will match on the title, description, assigned tags, and filename of a data file. The search can be restricted by an explicit file type filter set in the list next to the search field.
You can also apply separate Item Filters via The Filter Dialog Box. Select a filter from the Add Filter menu button () in the toolbar to open the dialog box. Applied filters are shown below the search field — see Applied Filter Pills.
You search for the latest versions of files by default. Each entry in the result list contains the title of the file in that version, the time when the version was saved, the name of the user that saved the version, and the tags assigned to the file. The search result is sorted on title, with a maximum of 100 files initially included in the result list. Click the Show More button () to append more matches to the list.
The Select File Window Toolbar
The toolbar above the search field contains the following toolbar buttons:
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Click the Refresh button () to refresh the search result while keeping the search expression and applied filters unchanged.
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Click the Show More button () to append more matching files to the search result.
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Click the Reset button () to clear the current search expression and applied filters.
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Click the Add Filter button () to apply a filter.
Select Location in Database
You can change which file versions to search for by selecting another location — see Searching Versions and Locations. Click the link button above the search field to open The Select Location Dialog Box to select which location to search. The link button is hidden if there is only one location available in the database, which is the default for a new database.