AnyLogic 8.9 is now available for download and presents a lot of anticipated updates that will boost your modeling productivity.
This latest release introduces several upgrades that offer advanced features and enhance collaboration capabilities, especially for large-scale model projects. Let's take a look at what's new in AnyLogic 8.9.
If you frequently work on complex projects, then explore Modeling and Simulation in Complex Project Management material for valuable insights.
Git support for AnyLogic model version control
The new release introduces support for the Git distributed version control system, a long-awaited feature. With Git, you can revert to previous versions of the model, compare differences, and manage models in branches. Now, collaboration in AnyLogic is much easier; your team can work simultaneously and resolve conflicts when merging.
An add-on brings Git functionality to AnyLogic, including operations like committing, pushing, pulling, branching, merging, and cloning. To switch to the Git perspective, click the Git icon in the upper-right corner.
For more details on using Git with AnyLogic, check out the manual.
Note: Git is an advanced feature available only in AnyLogic Professional.
New model format for collaboration
Collaborative work on large projects can involve splitting tasks among team members, such as developing different agents or focusing on specific aspects of the model (i.e., the overall network and flowchart logic).
AnyLogic 8.9 simplifies collaboration by introducing a new model format that saves models as a group of files. Due to AnyLogic algorithms, each agent is assigned a unique folder structure. One folder contains user-level code, and another has agent elements. Folders are split between different agents and Java classes; they represent different parts of the model’s logic.
For example, in an airport model, Gate and Passenger agent types have separate folders.
To save a model in the new format, you should enable the multi-part ALP option. Go to the Development tab under Tool -> Preferences. Then, while saving the model, choose the Use multi-part ALP format option in the Save Model As window.
To revert to the original single model file, resave the model in the standard .alp format by deselecting the option.
Memory dump analyzer
To help with debugging and reducing memory consumption, AnyLogic 8.9 introduces the memory dump analyzer. This feature is available during model runs. Select Memory dump from the Model menu to create a snapshot of the model's memory usage.
The chart shows the largest objects in the dump. Hover over a pie chart slice to see a specific object's name.
With the memory dump analyzer, you get various visualization tools, such as the dominator tree, top consumers, and histogram, so you can identify the largest memory consumers in the model and quickly analyze potential leaks.
Expanded product capabilities for Mac ARM users
The latest version of AnyLogic supports native operation on Mac ARM devices. This update ensures that the software runs directly on the Mac ARM architecture, enhancing performance and efficiency. As a result, you can manage large modeling projects more smoothly and experience a more seamless workflow on Mac ARM systems.
Now, you can fully leverage the capabilities of your Mac ARM device for your modeling tasks.
Java 17 integration
Another notable change in AnyLogic 8.9 is the switch from Java 11 to Java 17. This upgrade introduces various language and developer features. You will definitely benefit from it if you’re a model developer who uses Java code in AnyLogic projects.
Additional improvements
We've also added several minor yet useful enhancements in AnyLogic 8.9 to simplify your modeling process and improve the user experience. These include:
- A new method getDistanceTravelled(agent) in the MoveTo block tracks the distance an agent has traveled within the block.
- The ability to select multiple models for saving when quitting AnyLogic streamlines the saving process.
- Improvements to Java coding, such as quick access to variable type information and quick navigation to variable and method definitions.
For more detailed information on all the updates and improvements in AnyLogic 8.9, please refer to the release notes.
Moving forward
We are sure these upgrades will make your modeling experience in AnyLogic more efficient and smoother. Download the 8.9 version and try it out.
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