5.5d Changes
DLL Only: The minimal DLL now create a more complete error history in vensim.err. The multi context DLL now creates multiple error files named vensim_ctxt0001.err and so on for the different contexts instead of sending all messages to a single error file (context 0 still uses vensim.err).
In the variable selection dialog a new type "Orphan" has been added. Select this to get a list of variables that do not appear on any Sketch. This is useful for building up diagrams when some model variables have not been included in a diagram.
DSS Only added in the Venapp command SIMULATE>RUNCOMMENT.
You can now select String Variables into the Workbench and use the Table tool to see their values in different simulations. You can also change String variables from the Constant changes dialog or by clicking on them in simulation setup mode.
Not PLE or PLUS. The keyword :AS-RUN has been added for Custom Bar Graphs that allow you to more completely specify line groupings.
Custom Graphs have had a :LINE-STYLE keyword added. The choices are DOT, DASH, DASHDOT and DASHDOTDOT. You can also just fill in line width as -1, -2, -3 or -4 to get the same effect.
If you export data with subscript in their own columns in Data List Format the subscripts are ordered by family, not using the order they appear in the model. The first row of the file lists the families that are used, this list is alphabetical. This format should make it easier to import values into a database. Exporting to other formats is not changed except that the number of columns exported to a tab delimited format will no longer exceed the number required to list subscripts when a save list is used.
Changing views to one that has a Workbench tool showing will no longer change the Workbench variable.
Drag selecting in sketches now includes hidden variables so the entire are will be moved together.
Bug Fixes
When importing Excel files strings created using a formula were not showing up.
Dates in spreadsheets were being ignored for GET XLS DATA.
Format strings in custom reports and titles were not being recognized.
DSS Double Precision only: Compiling of models was not working properly.
DSS Only: SIMULATE>READCIN was reading changes in addition to changes files specified in the changes list and not relative to the base model parameters.
DLL Only: The minimal DLL was not reading in model settings (changes and data files) when opening a model package.
DSS Only: Calibration Payoffs using comparison to data from an ODBC query were not being recognized.
Sometimes attempting to display custom tables with no datasets loaded would cause Vensim to hang.
Exporting custom tables with formatted values would export to Excel as the wrong values.
Adding a variable by dragging the Var sketch tool to a position could result in a word with a black background color.
Navigation buttons placed over tool output windows were not working.
The Stats tool was not scrolling its output.
Line spacing in the Stats and Table tools could be distorted when other tools were open.
The Stats tool would sometimes use more data points than the global time axis setting would indicate.
Undo was not working with sketch elements were moved or sized by selecting them and using the arrow keys.
(Not PLE/Plus) The function DELAY_CONVEYOR was not returning the correct results when the delay time was changed. NOTE using resume on a dataset created in earlier versions of Vensim for models using DELAY CONVEYOR may return spurious results.
Pasting into a view with an active template could result in an error message when the model was saved.
Legend fonts would get very big for graphs shrunk very small.
5.5c Changes
Template View
You can now designate a view to be the Template view. This means that the view contents will be displayed in every other view. This is very convenient if you have created special labeling or navigation controls that you would like to appear in every view. Instead of copying and pasting the common elements you can simply put them in the Template view. To designate a view as the Template view (there can only be 1) use the menu item View>Template View. To specify whether or not a view includes the template use the menu item View>Use Template (by default the template is used). Elements from the template are read-only and the navigation links are active independent of which Sketch tool is selected.
Models containing a template view that are opened in earlier versions of Vensim will not display the Template in other views and its marking as the Template view will be lost, though the view itself will not be changed.
Other Changes
Navigation comments have had a next view and previous view option added to simplify common navigation setups (especially when using a Template view).
When Rates are added to or removed from Levels and the Equation Editor is opened it will attempt to update the equation for the Level. It will do this if there is only one equation for the Level and that equation is made up of additions and subtractions of Rates. When a new equation is entered in this manner the equation will be highlighted and the Cancel button relabeled to "Revert." Click on Revert to get the previous equation for the variable
A Sketch Tools can be used a single time by pressing the mouse button on the tool and releasing it at the point you want to apply the tool. After use the previously selected sketch tool will be reverted to.
Pro/DSS only: The payoff report now includes a list of all variables (Data, Constants and Lookups) that have sources outside of Vensim along with the name of the source file. In the case of ODBC inputs the .vdi control file is named.
The format string in Custom Tables (and also the Table tool) can be used to add prefixes to numbers. For example you can simply specify $ to begin each number with $. If no proper formatting string in the form %f or %g follows the prefix will be added to the Vensim formatted number.
Picture Paste of sketches now adds automatically includes Shadow variables in the set of selected variables.
Graph legends are set to a smaller font for long legends.
A new option :LINE-COLOR has been added to variables on custom graphs. Specify the color in red-green-blue format where each component is between 0 and 255. For example
:GRAPH Test
:VAR profit
:LINE-COLOR 0-255-0
to force a green line. This option is only available when editing the .vgd file directly – it is not in the graph definition dialog.
Model Reader Only: Time Base can be selected from the Time Axis control.
Bug fixes
Opening a model from the file manager when Vensim was not open would sometimes cause a RMS3321 error to be reported.
Model Reader Only: Support for alternative integration techniques was not fully implemented.
Running SyntheSim on packaged models could cause Vensim to close.
DSS Only: In Venapps - A SETWBITEM command would trigger callbacks to a SETWB control. TEXTMENU items were losing their highlighting There were memory leaks associated with editing Venapp screens and loading toolsets. Editing of Screens containing a SETWB control could cause Vensim to close when the Venapp was run.
DSS Only: User Venapp or DLL commands to set variable values when the variable contains an ampersand & would not work.
Starting SyntheSim for models using Excel inputs would sometimes leave a work in progress window open.
Models using '?...' filenames in GET XLS CONSTANTS/LOOKUPS functions would sometimes fail to open causing Vensim to close.
5.5b Changes
The Vensim Model Reader has been changed so that when working with Packaged Models it will load the toolset the packaged model was saved with. This guarantees that any embedded graphs will display as they do when developed. The additional tools available also ensure that the custom graphs, tables and reports are displayed as expected. The number of integration techniques available in the Model Reader has also been changed to ensure that the simulation results are the same.
The GET XLS… functions have been redone to be more reliable, and should be significantly faster on computers using anti-spyware software. When Excel is required Vensim will wait for it to open before proceeding. Specifying the Row and Column letters is no longer necessary for international versions of Excel. These functions will also work when calling the Vensim DLL from within Excel.
Auxiliary variables with embedded Lookups will now open the Lookup Editor on their own name instead of their name with ## around it. It is now also possible to use MODTABLE controls in Venapps on these variables.
DLL Only: The command FILE>MEMFILE will cause memory files only to be used when doing simulations.
Bug fixes
Models with both TIME_SHIFT and data equations having just a constant on the right hand side would sometimes give spurious errors.
Custom Graphs with DOTS only could sometimes fail to draw correctly.
Views with embedded graphs could show ghost outlines when auto center was enabled.
Not PLE/Plus If a backup path was set the backup was not working after the first save and local backups were made instead.
GED VDF DATA was returning spurious values in SyntheSim mode. Documentation on usage has also been expanded.
SyntheSim with packaged models would repeatedly give spurious messages about a run being part of a package.
The wrld3-03.vmf model had some small discrepancies with the book model that have been corrected, as well as some general cleanup.
Runs containing data variables and discrete delays were not being read properly when moved between Mac and PC.
Sum functions embedded in the rates of Level equations were causing extra computations that could lead to spurious error messages.
5.5a Changes
On the table tool with time running across the second and later runs have the run name shown in the first column as " : runname" to make it easier to determine which row is from which run. Same for the Stats tool.
You can now use Ctrl+1 to invoke the first analysis tools, Ctrl+2 for the second and so on (Shift+Ctrl to lock/unlock). This will only work for the first 10 analysis tools.
Bug fixes
There was a backward compatibility problem in version 5.5 with some variables losing their shape. To correct this, open the model in 5.5a or later and then save it again as a .mdl file (or use Reform/Clean if it is a .vmf file).
Custom Graphs using subscripted variables were not consistently displaying these variables.
Canceling when using the Add Variable or Add Shadow Variable tool would cause Vensim to close. A similar problem would occur when converting a variable to a shadow variable.
Converting a variable to a shadow variable was not generating an undo action.
Selecting a password protected archive from the bottom of the File menu would fail to open the archive because of a password mismatch even though no password had been entered.
Opening an archive in configurations other than Vensim DSS could result in an error message about external functions even when these were not part of the archive.
For double precision Vensim DSS models using DELAY… functions could unexpectedly close during optimization and sensitivity simulations.
The document tool with equation numbering turned on and order by group selected would skip equation numbers between groups.
Importing data from newer .xls files would miss values depending on options settings.
Packaging large models could fail with a sub-block allocation error message.
Leading and trailing spaces on quoted variables would not allows be removed resulting in failure to select these variables into the workbench.
5.5 Changes
Model and Application Archives
The publication of models can now be done using the menu item File>Publish. This will create an archive containing the model and support files. This makes it more likely the people receiving the model will have everything they need to run it, and also allows you more protection over how the model can be used.
Other Changes
Importing data from Excel files now supports current versions of Excel. If you open a file with multiple tabs you will be asked to select the tab to work with.
Speed problems associated with GET XLS… functions on computers with Microsoft AntiSpyware installed have been alleviated, though there is still a significant slowdown when this is active.
When in SyntheSim mode Vensim now uses memory based files. This speeds performance especially on computers running antivirus software. You can force Vensim to use files on disk by selecting this option on the "Sketch" tab of the Model Settings dialog.
(Not PLE/Plus/Standard) The slider dialog in SyntheSim, which is opened by clicking on the slider rails, now has a button to open the constant changes dialog for all elements of a subscripted variable. In addition is you change the current value and then select a different subscript the change will be retained and not discarded. There is no change to the dialog for Constants that are not subscripted.
Not PLE - The functions GET VDF DATA, GET VDF LOOKUPS and GET VDF CONSTANTS have been added. These allow you to access results from other models, or imported data, in a highly controlled manner.
The GET XLS… functions can now make limited use of string variables as arguments. String variables used as arguments can’t be subscripted and for CONSTANTS and LOOKUPS only the model value of the String variable will be used, never a modified value read via a changes file or SETVAL command. For GET XLS DATA the changes will be read first and will apply to the data fetch. Also, for GET XLS CONSTANTS you can specify a transpose by appending a * to the first cell location (see the Reference Guide for details).
When you change shape on a word that you have previously sized, the size of the word is left unchanged.
Unit format and order is no longer changed when doing Model>Reform/Clean.
DSS Only - For Java users the venjava.dll file is no longer needed. The Vensim class has also been packaged in a .jar file (vensim.jar) as com/vensim/Vensim to simplify use with other packages. The Vensim class is now initialized with the name of the DLL file to use so that you can direct the calls to use vendlm32.dll by initializing Vensim with "vendlm32" as the argument. See VensimApp.java for an example of this. The sample application itself has not been put in a .jar file but you may want to do so with yours.
Pro/DSS Only – when the optimizer finds the first floating point error it will report the parameter values generating it.
Sensitivity and optimization search constants that are used in data equations will cause an error to be reported and the Sensitivity Simulation/Optimization will not proceed. Data equations are computed before simulation begins and changing these constants has no impact on the computed data. This will prevent anomalous results.
Exporting datasets to the datalist format now allows for the insertion of additional columns.
The wrld3-91 model has been replaced with wrld3-03 which is the updated version used in the most recent edition of The Limits to Growth.
Bug fixes
DSS Double Precision Only – the use of DELAY… functions could cause odd numerical problems such as a level going to a small (positive or negative) number after a delayed outflow.
DSS Only MODTABLE in Venapps was allowing the modification of Lookups even after a game had been started.
Pro/DSS Only – the text editor was not displaying status on the bottom status bar after Find/Search and Replace.
Pro/DSS Only – the function INVERT MATRIX could cause Vensim to close during simulation.
Importing data from an excel format file with long strings could cause Vensim to close unexpectedly.
Pro/DSS Only - Selecting subscript specific variables into the workbench would fail if one of the subscripts started with a single letter followed by a space.
Pro/DSS Only – FIND ZERO would cause Vensim to close when passed a number of elements argument of 0.
Pro/DSS Only - Options flags were not being properly reset on variables when the options were removed in the text editor.
Terse format output for Lookups with reference lines was incorrectly formatting the reference line causing failure of Model>Reform/Clean.
Use of the SIMULTANEOUS function with multiple simultaneous loops could lead to ambiguities in equation ordering.
Variable names with leading quotes were sometimes being stored incorrectly resulting in errors reading models.
Clicking on the quoted variable name in the Table tool would not select it to the workbench.
Not PLE or PLE Plus - Locking the Table tool could result in Vensim closing with an out of memory message.
DSS Only – model compilation would fail when compiling after stopping a simulation.
DSS Only – ODBC output files would write an entire array even when the save list specified a subset of the elements.
DSS Only – selecting the Workbench command in the graphical Venapp Editor would cause Vensim to close.
Custom Graphs or Tables with variables containing a comma , would split the variable name up after saving and reopening the model.
Custom tables would sometimes cause Vensim to exit when there was no run loaded. Lines beginning with spaces were also displaying a vertical bar |.
Syntax errors involving literal strings embedded in expressions were not being caught.
Not PLE/PLE Plus – string assignments in changes files were not working properly.
Sometimes after an error reading a .cin file a second simulation attempt would not report the errors in the .cin file but simply fail to simulate.
Units and comments on String variables were being lost when models were saved and reopened.
Note PLE/PLE Plus – The sketch variable list on the right (when made visible) now allows multiple selections to add a number of variables to a sketch at once. The variables are added one below the next wherever you click.
Importing datasets did not record the subscript count properly for the export of the dataset to be able to break subscripts up into their own columns
