In this blog, we gather five stand-out blogs from the past year — the unusual year that was 2020.
During the year, the simulation community responded well to various challenges of the year and produced some outstanding simulation models and content. Our team also advanced AnyLogic to version 8.7, updated the Big Book of Simulation Modeling with new chapters, and brought new developments to the cloud platform.
Material handling and Artificial Intelligence continued as popular themes throughout 2020 and, as we look forward to AnyLogic 9, they are themes that will continue to develop throughout 2021. But, before we head fully in 2021, here are our top five blogs from last year:
5. Restricted Areas: How to control access for transporters
Deep dives into the workings of the Material Handling Library are a specialty of our in-house expert Anastasia Zhiliaeva – she focuses on a new feature and shows you how to use it.
Anastasia’s latest blog covers how the movement of transporters, such as AGV, can be restricted by area and how access can be permitted conditionally: by transporter number, by schedule, by throughput, and more. If you missed it, check out this technical blog with practical example model and learn how to restrict access to areas.
Other parts in the series:
- How to model conveyors
- How to simulate the operation of loaders and AGV’s
- How to simulate the processing of objects on a conveyor
- How to use cranes
- How to use the Network port
4. AnyLogic Cloud release
The AnyLogic Cloud version 2.2.x releases have given organizations that use simulation modeling an integrated environment for model management and execution. The new features in these releases upgrade simulation accessibility, security, and performance.
Catch up with the new cloud features and see how simulation models are managed by AnyLogic Cloud in this 2.2.2 Cloud Release blog.
3. The Good, the Bad, and the Agent-Based Model
It is great to have input from the AnyLogic community and this interesting blog was great example from the year.
As COVID-19 spread around the world, simulation models trying to predict its behavior and outcomes became ‘a dime a dozen’. Are there any differences between them or is it a 'seen one, seen them all' type of deal? To find out, Ignacio Brottier and Patricio Pipp of Accenture dove deep in their blog COVID-19: the Good, the Bad, and the Agent-Based Model — including demo model.
2. COVID-19 and Simulation
The blog featured a lot of pandemic related content throughout the year, starting with early insight into Coronavirus spread in China and Dr. Nathaniel Osgood’s hybrid-dynamic-models webinar. But, as the year progressed, it became clear that simulation modelers were using AnyLogic in many different ways in their response to the COVID-19 pandemic and this could be seen in the models posted to AnyLogic Cloud
In recognition of the great work being done, and to help share ideas, we highlighted a variety of public models in our blog COVID-19 and simulation.
For those in a remote working situation, we also collected various online resources to help study and work with AnyLogic.
1. AnyLogic 9 at WinterSim 2020
This year, we are looking forward to AnyLogic 9.0 - a major application update. It will have a browser interface, enhanced GIS maps, support for the Python programming language, and allow teamwork via GIT. AnyLogic 9.0 is currently at the prototype stage, in closed testing, but you can already see how it is coming along. Here is the presentation from the 2020 WinterSim conference in December: AnyLogic 9 at WinterSim 2020
That closes the blog for 2020. What would you like to see covered in the blog in 2021? Write your comments below!
Of course, new content was not limited to the blog. Be sure to catch up with Benjamin Schumann’s How to Build a True Digital Twin, and DSE’s MHL and Rail webinars with Handbooks!
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