The modeling procedure is controlled through the Model Builder window, which is essentially a model tree with all the functionality and operations for building and solving models and displaying the results. These are introduced to your modeling procedure by adding a branch, such as the Geometry branch. Branches can have further nodes (or subbranches) that relate to their parent node. It is all About the Sequence of Operations. See Figure 3-2 for an example.

A node has its own properties and Settings window that are characteristic to it. Branches and subbranches can also contain properties and settings. See Branches and Subbranches in the Tree Structure and Settings and Properties Windows for Feature Nodes for examples.

The Model Builder has many types of nodes to help you create models and visualize the model structure — for example, the Component node is categorized by space dimension, and nodes are dynamic, which helps you identify nodes that change status. See Component Nodes by Space Dimension, Physics Interface Default Nodes, and Dynamic Nodes in the Model Builder for more information.

Also learn about the context menu available when you right-click a node in the Model Builder (Opening Context Menus and Adding Nodes). In the next section (Working with Nodes in the Model Builder), there is also information about Going to the Source Node, Copying, Pasting, and Duplicating Nodes, Undoing and Redoing Operations, Clearing Sequences and Deleting Sequences or Nodes, and Disabling or Enabling Nodes.