This section is useful if you just want to get a sample tile assembly system loaded and start a simulation. It will explain how to load one of the sample tile assembly systems packaged with PyTAS, briefly explain how to see the different components, and give instructions on how to run a simulation. For a much more detailed description of how PyTAS works, please start here.
To load the sample tile assembly system 'grow', in the window titled 'PyTAS aTAM Simulator' window click on the 'File' menu. Within the 'File' menu, select 'Load system (seed and tile set)...'. This will bring up a dialog that allows you to browse to files on your system. Use that dialog to browse to the folder which contains PyTAS.py. Select the 'examples' folder. In the 'examples' folder, select the file 'grow.tdp' and click the 'Open' button.
After opening 'grow.tdp', PyTAS will load both the seed assembly file (grow.tdp) and its associated tile set file grow.tds because the 'Load system (seed and tile set)...' option was selected. (Alternatively, each of those files could be loaded individually as long as the tile set file, grow.tds, is loaded into the editor first and then into the simulator, and then the assembly file grow.tdp is loaded.)
Once the tile assembly system has loaded, you will see the 'SEED' tile, surrounded by four green circles representing the current frontier locations in the 'PyTAS aTAM Simulator' window. By moving the mouse cursor over the 'SEED' tile, you will be able to see information about the location and tile type in the status bar at the bottom of the frame window (e.g. you'll be able to see the coordinates of the location as well as the name of the tile type and the labels and strengths of the glues on each of its sides). The window area containing the tiles represents the 'tile space' in which the assembly grows. Each position has a unique pair of x and y coordinates. For example, the coordinates of the 'SEED' tile are (0,0).
By left-clicking and holding the left mouse button, then moving the mouse cursor, you can drag the tile space around to view different locations. You can also use the scroll bars to move the viewable portion of the tile space. By right-clicking you can zoom in on the location clicked, or by holding 'Shift' while right-clicking, you can instead zoom out.
Also note that the tile space automatically grows as necessary to accommodate the space requirements of the tile assembly. Because of that, its proportions may become uneven (e.g. height much greater than width).
To view the entire tlie set that is loaded by the 'grow' tile assembly system, click on the menu item "View" -> "View tile type editor" and look at the 'Tile Type Editor' window which opens. Within the main panel of this window you will see the six tile types displayed. By moving the mouse cursor over each one, you can see an expanded view of it in the 'Tile Type Window' panel on the left.
In order to select a tile type for editing, you must double-click on that tile type. Then, the box surrounding it in the main panel becomes purple and that tile type remains the currently selected one even when the mouse cursor is moved off of it. At that point, any of the values for that tile type can be modified within the 'Tile Type Window' panel. In order to keep any changes made, you must hit the 'Apply' button at the bottom of that window. Once that is done, the tile type will be updated in the main panel. By once again double-clicking on a selected tile type you can un-select it.
Right-clicking within the main editor panel brings up a menu which allows you to delete or duplicate a tile type, or to create a new tile type.
Note that changes made to tile types or the tile set in general within the 'PyTAS Tileset Editor' window are not propagated to the 'PyTAS Simulation Window' automatically. This is because any changes made can potentially invalidate the current assembly. In order to propagate such changes, you must load that tile set into the simulator window. Within the 'PyTAS aTAM Simulator' frame, select the menu item "File" -> "Load tile set from editor".
When the 'grow' tile assembly system is initially loaded, it is in the seed assembly stage. In order to advance the simulation, thereby allowing tiles to be added to the assembly, use either the 'Forward' or 'Fast Forward' buttons in the toolbar (or type 'f' or 'g', respectively). 'Forward' will simulate the addition of a single tile at a randomly selected location on the frontier. 'Fast Forward' will begin a sequence of such additions that will only stop once either the frontier becomes empty or the 'Pause' button is pressed (or 'q' is typed). The 'Backward' and 'Fast Backward' buttons work analogously.
As the assembly grows, the tile space will automatically grow to accommodate it.
The zoom level at which the assembly is viewed can be changed by either pressing the '-' or '+' magnifying glass buttons in the toolbar, by shift-right-clicking or right-clicking, or by typing '-' or '+'
The assembly can be reset back to the seed assembly stage by typing 'r' or using the menu item "File" -> "Reset to seed".
Hopefully the above descriptions, although brief, provide enough information to allow you to begin using the included samples, and after some experimentation you can modify them or make your own and explore the behavior of the Tile Assembly Model on your own.