If you follow our blog, you will know that we are currently working on AnyLogic 9 — a new version of the industry leading simulation tool. And, we will showcase its new browser interface and new features in September at the AnyLogic conference.
It is not long to wait, but blog readers can see AnyLogic 9 in action right now. We are launching a series of articles to provide insight into some of the key changes that will come with the ninth major version of AnyLogic. Here, we will demonstrate the creation of flowcharts: in the new version, they are easier to create and edit.
A flowchart is a visual representation of a sequence of activities in a model. Any model starts by creating such a diagram from library blocks. In AnyLogic 9, this process is easier and faster. Let’s have a look!
In the new version, connectors - lines connecting blocks - are smarter and auto-suggest blocks for the flowchart. The list of recommended blocks appears when you finish drawing an outgoing connector.
If the outgoing connector is not connected to a block, you can continue drawing it and then align it with just two clicks.
The connectors have also learned to adjust the shape of the lines to the location of the blocks. See how convenient it has become to move blocks around on the canvas, from one place to another, and automatically create the curved lines of the flowchart. Easy!
The shape of the lines can also be set manually: using anchor points that divide the connector into segments, or you can move the segments themselves.
We love neat flowcharts, so we developed dynamic vertical guides: they appear automatically to help you align the blocks in a flowchart.
In the new version, as in the current one, adjacent blocks are automatically aligned in one line and linked by connectors.
You can also connect blocks manually. In AnyLogic 9, connectors draw horizontally or vertically by default, but if you hold down Shift, you can connect blocks at any angle.
How do you like these innovations? We hope you like them!
We will continue to share new features of AnyLogic 9 over the next few months, don't miss them – subscribe to the newsletter!
You can practice creating flowcharts models using our beginner's tutorials. They teach you basic modeling skills in AnyLogic, show how to work with profile libraries, and also introduce the software's functionality.
