The simplest way to allow someone to use your model is to send them the Vensim Model Reader installer along with a copy of your model. To do this, you do not need to develop any interface for your model, but simply publish your model to a package or save it as a binary format (.vmf) model (see Chapter 19 of the User’s Guide). You can build in a very simple but effective interface using the Input Output Objects in the sketch. Chapter 12 of the User’s Guide shows how to do this. If you have defined a special graph set, or use a special tool set be sure that you publish the model. If you simply save the model as a binary format (.vmf) Vensim model none of the special tools or graphs will be available to the model user.
To prepare a Venapp for use by the Vensim Model Reader, you must publish it as a Vensim Packaged Application. The easiest way to do this is to select File>Publish while the Venapp is opened for editing in sketch mode. This should select the Venapp and the currently open model. You will likely need to add some additional files. You can include multiple Venapp files in a single packaged application. The primary one will be opened when the package is open. Inside the Venapp use the SPECIAL>LOADAPPINT command (as in the Vensim Demo disk). You do not need to make any conversion to binary format files, this will all be handled automatically during the packaging process. Your Venapp can refer to .mdl or .vmf files as is most convenient.
Set the section below on Vensim DLL applications for details on how to prepare applications using the Vensim DLL.
The Vensim Model Reader is available free from our web site www.vensim.com. The Vensim model reader is also included in the Vensim Installation CD. The file venred32.exe in the Windows directory is the Windows model reader installer. You are welcome to send this installer to other people to read your models.
Note that if you want to provide people with the ability to do optimization or sensitivity analysis this can only be done by building a Venapp or using a DLL based application.
