Release Notes

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Release Notes

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Build 4.9 released 4/1/2023

 

Feature Enhancements

Causal Tracing Diagrams have been expanded to include triggers, actions, entities, and collections

New facility for modification of Sub-Collection Key Attributes

3D visualizer

 

Performance and Usability

Improved error checking for conditional expressions

Trigger conditions and process list conditions are checked to make sure that they are Boolean expressions.  

Processed List Collection referencs are checked to make sure that a valid collection or sub-collection is referenced.

Context messages for generated code have been improved for some items in order to help the user identify the model error.

Update generated code version to utilize null propagation, using a more efficient method for dealing with null references values resulting from model data or logic.  When such an error is encountered, the equation returns a value of Double.NaN (not a number).

Updated our software technology from several vendors.

 

Bug Fixes

Optimization, Sensitivity and GIS setup controls

Other minor issues

 

Documentation

Documentation of action components, including surrogates and references

Improved explanation of the GetCategory function

New section on units

New section on Excel initialization data

Improved GIS visualizer documentation

New section on the 3D visualizer

 

 

Build 4.9beta released 8/20/2022

 

This is basically a stable release; the "beta" status reflects low-likelihood known issues and incomplete release notes.

 

Build 4.8 released 7/26/22

 

Release 4.8 is primarily an under-the-hood upgrade, with enhanced performance and functionality supporting use of large models in embedded systems. Contact us if this application is of interest.

 

There are also bug fixes and minor usability improvements, including:

 

oOptimization setup improvements.

oFix for issues with the undo/redo stack.

oMulti-slider interface improvements.

oExclusion of system variables like noise seed from optimization setups.

 

Digital signing in the installer has been improved, which resolves issues with failure of the application to start up.

 

Build 4.7 released 3/15/2022

 

This build contains a variety of improvements to interface and simulation engine components. New features include:

Circularity checking is now lest strict, to permit entitytypes to self-reference where hierarchies are useful, as in project or supply chain models. Potential circularities cause a user-controlled warning at compile time, and actual circularities cause a run-time error.

New distribution functions.

 

One major feature, not visible to most users, is enhanced support for the Windows Service and embedded uses of Ventity. Contact Ventana for details.

 

There are many minor improvements and bug fixes.

Better display of iterations in sensitivity runs.

Consistent sizing of pinned charts and sliders.

GIS visualizer provides for tooltips with embedded variable and attribute values.

Optimizer resists stalling on NaN payoff values.

Improved random seed control and display in sensitivity runs.

"Save As" fully copies the model's Data directory.

Lookups show (0,0) crossings.

Function documentation improved.

 

 

Build 4.6 released 7/16/2021

 

This is primarily a behind-the-scenes release with performance upgrades and a few bug fixes, but it also introduces some new Process List action features that make selection of random entities faster and easier. Bug fixes and minor improvements include:

Process list sorting for Random() order.

Display of Calendar Time on visualizers.

Random number control improvement.

Fixed DelayInformation with entities injected after initial time.

Improved unit checking for lookups.

 

Build 4.5 released 3/16/2021

 

This is an engine upgrade and bug fix release.

Improved sequence of calculations during the entity initialization phase, particularly in Create actions.

Permit use of DelayInformation in actions.

Improved units checking.

Minor corrections to autocomplete.

Bug fix for Initial() function.

 

Build 4.4 released 1/23/2021

 

This is a full v4 release, There are no major new features; the emphasis is on speed and memory improvements in the simulation engine.

 

Diagram tool behavior is a little more Vensim-like, with fewer clicks required to accomplish some tasks, and the toolbar now includes a pointer to clarify deselection of other tools.

 

pointerTool

 

Build 4.0 beta released 7/18/2020

 

This is a preliminary v4 release.

 

New features and improvements:

 

Vector export of charts

Slider moves in large models interrupt and restart the current simulation, reducing lag

Bar charts

Save sliders as a dataset

Navigation history for moving forward-back through model diagrams

"Select all" for savelists

Action logging

Macros

Components

Diagram bounding box and selection improvements

Navigation shortcuts for finding primary and aggregate variable nodes

Navigation from Group (Diagram) icons

More informative reference errors and warnings

Automated arrow addition shortcut for existing equations

 

In addition, there are many minor usability enhancements and bug fixes.

 

 

Build 3.0.2 released 10/8/2019

 

This is a minor maintenance release.

 

String functions for attribute initialization.

Fixes license grace period.

Improves consistency of computation when actions are triggered by random events at start of period.

Reduces flicker in GIS visualization rendering.

Provides control-drag for drawing initial arrows between stocks.

Improves lat-lon defaults for GIS visualization with fixed coordinates.

Improves some error messages.

 

Build 3.0.1 released 8/27/2019

 
This is a minor maintenance release, primarily addressing issues with the beta GIS visualization feature, and missing images in this documentation.

 

Build 3.0 released 7/20/2019
 

Defining Entity Types

The ability to create and use Custom Macros has been added to Ventity! These macros can be useful for structures that commonly repeat within your model, and can be transferred between models.

 

Examining Results

Added all-new GIS compatibility through completely redesigned Visualization. This new visualizer allows for the importing of shape and database files to creating dynamically updating and visual stimulating model runs. The new visualizer already has substantial capabilities, but we consider this a Beta feature, with more upgrades to come.

 

In addition, there are many small improvements and bug fixes to Autocomplete, Units Checking, Actions, and other core features.

 

Build 2.1 released 5/19/2019
 

Defining Entity Types

Many improvements and bug fixes have been applied to Macros, specifically with interactions between them and Actions.

Error tracking for Actions has been vastly improved.

 

Simulating

Model Encryption, which allows for obfuscating entity information and making encrypted models useable only with a valid license tied to, and visible to, the user alone has been added.

Visualization is still deactivated in this release, however an early, functional version can be accessed which includes some of the entirely remade functionality. Contact us at info@ventity.biz to find out how to activate this mode if interested.

 
Build 2.0.2 released 3/21/2019
 

Defining Entity Types

Adjusted formulas for built-in Macros, improved calculations, removed bugs, and clarified documentation.

Vensim Model Import can better load and edit pre-defined macro definitions.

 

Simulating

Improvements to data loading should make consecutive model runs with internal and/or external data sources, much faster.

 

Examining Results

Visualization (the spatial and X Y visualizers) have been deactivated in this release while we work on some big updates to them.

Feel free to reach out to us at info@ventity.biz if you're interested in this functionality.

 

Bug Fixes

Clarified cause of errors recorded in log to aid in their identification and resolution.

Fixes for data grid references.

 
Build 2.0.1 released 12/19/2018

 

For an overview of the recently added features, check out our post online by clicking here!

 

Defining Entity Types

Improved text autocomplete in equation dialog box. Now lists most relevant suggestions first.

Fixes and improvements to Lookup Table Functions.

 

Bug Fixes

Various fixes to resolve issues with copy-paste, and crashes on collections diagrams.

 

Build 2.0 released 12/19/2018

 

Defining Entity Types

Additional Lookup Table Functions added.

Built-in macros Smooth, Delay added.

Active Initialization, allowing for selecting order of initialization for specific variables, has been added.

Vensim Model Import, enabling the integrating of Vensim models into Ventity automatically, has been added.

 

Simulating

Sensitivity runs have had their user interface improved and Save Period, a new feature of the Run Control, has been added.

 

Bug Fixes

Improved units checking functionality for more complex equations.

Improved diagram checking for causal link mismatch.

 

Build 1.3 released 05/27/2018

 

Defining Entity Types

Many new Lookup Table Functions have been added to Ventity with automated error checking on model run.

Improvements to optimization performance and resolved issues with multi-slider and optimization runs.

Lookup Tables can now be edited within the built-in data.

 

Initializing Entities

Built-in data interface behaves correctly with copying, pasting, and cutting data from internal or external sources into all of the various types of fields.

 

Bug Fixes

Resolved numerous issues with optimization and sensitivity runs interacting with lookup tables and multi-chart, as well as various rare crashes.

 

 

Build 1.2 released 12/08/2017

 

Simulating

Improvements to the selection/deselection and tracking of the Entity Picker.

 

Examining Results

Chart Manager has added features that allow for global settings to apply to all charts in addition to previous options to edit charts on an individual basis.

Improvements to load speed for charts, especially for larger models.

 

Build 1.1 released 8/15/2017

 

Examining Results

Chart Manager added to Ventity, allowing for easier tracking, saving and use of charts.

Improvements to Causes and Uses Trees filtering functionality.

Casual Tracing added to Ventity, useful for reviewing and making changes to improve your model.

Improvements to Error List tracking for issues previously only displayed on console, including for missing attribute/reference combinations.

New Run Roster added to Ventity to replace functionality of "Run Results". Allows for greater flexibility in saving and loading previously created runs.

 

Defining Entity Types

New Functions, GetCategory and DelayInformation, added to Ventity!

 

Simulating

Sensitivity run processing vastly improved. Note: very large sets will still take some time to compute.

Save List configuration and selection improved.

 

Build 1.0.3 released 5/10/2017

 

Bug Fixes

Resolved several issues with renaming causing a crash.

 

Build 1.0.2 released 3/27/2017

 

Examining Results

Several additional run types added to "Settings" of Sensitivity runs.

 

Examples and Help

Adjusted Rabbits Viewer example model to be easier to use.

Improved documentation of time series data

 

Bug Fixes

Resolved several issues with renaming causing a crash.

 

Build 1.0 released 1/25/2017

 

Defining Entity Types

Information on documenting entites to track authorship and legal data easily.

 

Examining Results

Causes and Uses Tree tools added.

Sensitivity runs added. (in development).