Connection Basics

How Connections Work

Connections are the pathways that allow data to flow between blocks in your workflow. When you connect two blocks in Sim Studio, you're establishing a data flow relationship that defines how information passes from one block to another.

Each connection represents a directed relationship where data flows from a source block's output to a destination block's input.

Creating Connections

Select Source Block: Click on the output port of the block you want to connect from

Draw Connection: Drag to the input port of the destination block

Confirm Connection: Release to create the connection

Configure (Optional): Some connections may require additional configuration

Connection Flow

The flow of data through connections follows these principles:

Directional Flow: Data always flows from outputs to inputs
Execution Order: Blocks execute in order based on their connections
Data Transformation: Data may be transformed as it passes between blocks
Conditional Paths: Some blocks (like Router and Condition) can direct flow to different paths

Connection Visualization

Connections are visually represented in the workflow editor:

Solid Lines: Active connections that will pass data
Animated Flow: During execution, data flow is visualized along connections
Color Coding: Different connection types may have different colors
Connection Tags: Visual indicators showing what data is available

Managing Connections

You can manage your connections in several ways:

Delete: Click on a connection and press Delete or use the context menu
Reroute: Drag a connection to change its path
Inspect: Click on a connection to see details about the data being passed
Disable: Temporarily disable a connection without deleting it

Deleting a connection will immediately stop data flow between the blocks. Make sure this is intended before removing connections.

Connection Compatibility

Not all blocks can be connected to each other. Compatibility depends on:

Data Type Compatibility: The output type must be compatible with the input type
Block Restrictions: Some blocks may have restrictions on what they can connect to
Workflow Logic: Connections must make logical sense in the context of your workflow

The editor will indicate when connections are invalid or incompatible.