Is it possible to add a custom button in the Simulink's model editor Explorer Bar

Hello,

Coworkers and I are looking for a way to add a custom button in the Explorer bar (The gray bar on the left of the Model Editor featuring a Zoom, Fit to View, Sample Time, ...).

The upper toolstrip would also be a good candidate if it's impossible to customize the Explorer bar.

Context :

We are building models that has many constraints/rules. The constraint's verifications are being automated via Scripts.

Ideal solution :

The general idea is to have a button that acts as an indicator that would always be present on the screen and change colour when a rule is broken. We want to have minimal impact on the designer's model therefore custom subsystem are out of the question. Clicking the button would lead to a list of broken rules with dynamic links to blocks that breaks a rule.

We already have the knowledge to build the button's callback, what we would like to know is :

• Can we add a button to the Explorer bar ?
• If we can't , can we add a button to the toolstrip ?
• Can buttons change icon dynamically ?

Thank you for your time,

P Lepage.

Answer 1

[Fangjun Jiang]

This Edit time Model Advisor checking seems to be a good solution. Check the lastest version to see if it can be done on a customized (your own) Model Advisor check.

[P Lepage]

Thank you for you answer,

I was also looking for a way to use this feature, but couldn't find the documentation. This is a good alternative if what i'm looking for is not yet possible.

[Fangjun Jiang]

I would think it is better that static menu, which can be found here

https://www.mathworks.com/help/releases/R2020a/simulink/ug/adding-items-to-model-editor-menus.html

[P Lepage]

It is, we already have many cusotm command defined in the static menu, but with the introduction of the toolstrip in Simulink and the slowly disappearance of the static menu, we were wondering if a custom button could be added to the toolstrip or even a whole custom tab.

[P Lepage]

We are going to move foward using the feature you linked in your initial answer.

By the way, do you know of any way to notify a user when a general rule that does not involve any perticular block, but involves a model is broken ? We are looking for something visual that does not stop de design as a pop-up msgbox would.

We are considering using the diagnostic viewer but reporting an Error pops up a window (to avoid), and reporting a warning is not enough clear/obivous.

[Fangjun Jiang]

I think I've seen a popup bar at the top of the Simulink model window. Sometimes it pops up to remind that the model is saved in an older version, remind to upgrade, etc. I have not figured out how it is done, or whether there is an API open to the user.

I can suggest to have a popup warning window once a while. The user can close it or it will close itself after a few seconds if the user does not take any action.