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Varkon Interactive users manual

# MBO- and RES-files, what's the difference ?

As a beginner, the easiest way to get started with Varkon is probably by using the system in explicit mode. In explicit mode you create and edit RES-files, similar to the files created by many other CAD systems.

Using Varkon in generic mode will give you access to more advanced modeling techniques. In generic mode you create and edit MBO-files.

## Generic and explicit

Generic is Latin for family and a generic model is thus a model that describes not only a single member of the family but the entire family in more general terms. A generic screw for example, has all the properties of a screw but no specific length or diameter. A screw with specific length and diameter (a member of the family) is an explicit screw. In object oriented terminology generic and explicit translate to class and instance.

In generic mode you create generic models but Varkon automatically also creates and updates an explicit model. This process is called evaluation....

You create a generic model ---> Automatic evaluation ---> Explicit model

Another way to understand the process is to think of the generic model as a computer program that creates a drawing when you run it.

Program ---> Run ---> Drawing

A Varkon program is called a module and is stored on disc as a MBO-file. When you load a module and run it, Varkon automatically creates the corresponding explicit model and stores it in a RES-file.

In explicit mode you create and edit RES-files directly. Since you can then only model one member of the family at the time, explicit modeling is more direct and therefore easier to learn. If you need to model many members of a family, generic modeling will save a lot of time. In some applications you will probably want to use both methods in combination. You can use Varkon in generic mode to create modules and then use explicit mode to run them and add or edit the result.

## The MBS modeling language

The generic model is based on the MBS modeling language which is unique to the Varkon system. Parameters are used to model things that differ between members of a family and a module with statements is used to model common properties. The MBS language is documented in the MBS programmers manual.

MBS is not only the basic representation of a generic model. It can also be used to create one! A macro module written in MBS can automatically add, update, delete and reevaluate a generic model.

You create macro module ---> Generic model ---> Evaluation ---> Explicit model

Varkon version 1.19C svn# 97