Sort List Window

The Sort List window allows you to specify how the list of items available for inclusion in the plot will be ordered and displayed. To open this window, click the Sort List icon in the list of available items on the plot control panel.

Tip: When you point to the Sort List icon, a tooltip will appear that shows the current selections in the Sort List window.

• Sort Criterion determines how the items in the list will be sorted. Available options depend on the plot type.
  • Block Order sorts the blocks in the list by underlying block ID. In simulation plots, you can customize the block order by right-clicking inside the diagram sheet and choosing Set Block Order on the shortcut menu. You will need to resimulate the diagram for the new block order to be shown in the list.
  • Alphabetical sorts the items alphabetically by name.
  • Value sorts the items according to the value being plotted.
• Sort Order determines the order in which the items will be sorted by the sort criterion (ascending or descending).
• List Structure determines how the list will be displayed. Available options depend on the plot type.

• Hierarchical nests sub-items under their parent items. For example, contained blocks will be shown under container blocks; if you have selected the Report subdiagram results check box on the Analysis Settings page of the diagram control panel, blocks within subdiagrams will be shown under the subdiagram blocks.
• Flat shows all items in a flat list.

Depending on the type of plot you are working with, the order of the item list may or may not affect the order in which items are displayed in the plot. Specifically:

• The order of the blocks in Block Up/Down plots corresponds directly to the list order.
• Bar charts (except for bar charts for event analysis flowcharts) are always displayed in descending order of value. The list order will not affect this, except in cases where bars have equal values.
• For all other plot types where the list can be sorted, the list order affects the order in which items are shown in the plot legend and, therefore, line appearance settings such as color, which are applied according to the order in which they appear in the legend.

If you change the order of the list after the plot has been created, the new order will not be implemented in the plot until you redraw the plot.