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I'm a tinkering beginner, and have just built the model cell example.hoc from Chapter 6, Listing 6.1 (with the 'access soma' line added in the topology specification section).

Then, when I open CellBuilder, it seems to start anew with none of the topology etc from the hoc file. I take this to mean cell builder is for starting from scratch, not for updating a skeleton of a model that you've begun in hoc?

A CellBuilder knows nothing about preexisting model cells. Think of the CellBuilder as a graphical "order form" that you "fill out," so that when you click on Continuous Create, it creates a model according to what you have specified. The flow of information is unidirectional, from CellBuilder to existing sections.

If there is a preexisting biophysical model cell, a CellBuilder can import its topology and geometry (assuming that the latter was specified with pt3d syntax), but not its biophysical properties. For more information, click on the Hints buttons that appear on each of its "pages".