Vensim Help

Vensim 5.11 includes many new sample models, enhanced documentation, several small enhancements, reliability improvements,  and some bug fixes.

Going forward, Vensim documentation will only be provided in electronic form.  The organization and contents will evolve into a structure more suited for online help than the previous documentation.

Documentation Changes:

•Example models have been added for every Vensim function.  These small models give practical examples of how to use there functions.  A direct link in the documentation will open the specified model.

•Models for the User Guide, Modeling Guide, and other Sample Models are now installed in the directory selected for Help.  The selected directory should therefore be accessible to the user, including via links from within the help system.  Note:  The Vensim Demonstrator is not able to automatically open those models from the documentation links.

•On Windows, Vensim now launches the Help system in an independent process, so that you may open multiple instances of Help for reference. (This does require closing Help separately when you exit Vensim).

•Legacy: PDF copies of the manuals are available for reference or download from the Vensim website.  Future documentation changes may not be reflected in the PDF files.

Enhancements:

•The Document Tool has been enhanced to include an alphabetic index when the following options are selected:  All variables, Original Order, Numbering.  In addition, the format has been modified to make the output easier to read.  

 

•An option has been added to the Lookup Editor during SyntheSim mode that suspends simulations while a point is being moved.  Simulation takes place when the button is released.  This option is tied to the choice for Suspending SyntheSim during slider movement and is appropriate for mid-sized models where continuous simulation may impair responsiveness.

 

•Removed extra font shrinkage when the Zoom is less than 100%.  This is in response to a request by a user to improve readability on a large model.  This change may have adverse affects on anyone who relied upon the smaller font for a 75% zoom -- it might cause long descriptions to overrun shapes.  Let us know if you see any issues.

•Error messages now wrap.  Previously, with long path names it was sometimes difficult to find the relevant piece of information.

•The VENRUN distribution product has been enhanced to include vendll and vdpdll.  VENRUN offers a better user experience for some embedded applications.

Bug Fixes:

•Double precision DSS crashed on GET VDF DATA .

•Tabbed output with time down did not show variable names.

•GET XLS LOOKUP did not work with the double precision model.

•DOC tool did not support selection and subsequent actions on names that contained internal tabs.  This also affected long names with subscripts where the tabs are inserted by the DOC tool itself.

•ALLOCATE AVAILABLE did not work consistently with the new INTEGER only option.

•EQUATION EDITOR – Reality Check variables now display the correct prompts in the dialog

•SyntheSim plots were extrapolating through missing data instead of displaying gaps.

•The Stats Tool could crash when invoked on a variable with a constant value (zero variance).

Mac Only:

• Vensim 5.10e hung when the color palette was selected.  This has been fixed.  As a result, the features included in 5.10e are now available to Macintosh users.

Known Issues:

 

We expect the following to be corrected in a subsequent release; email help for assistance if you need a workaround in the interim:

 

•ODBC settings for .vdi input controls in the Simulation Control dialog result in errors

•Placing macro output variables on sketches causes a crash

•Attempting to display a lookup in a Table Tool with 2D Subscripting active causes a crash

 

Mac Only:

• File and directory links in the HTML help system do not work as well with Firefox as they do when Safari is the default web browser.