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Visual interactive simulation: A methodological perspective

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Abstract

The ideas and methods of Visual Interactive Simulation (VIS) are nearly fifteen years old, yet are still often misunderstood or misrepresented. It is argued that VIS is primarily a methodology, a way of solving problems with simulation modeling, not necessarily a way of building simulation models. Two distinct methodologies are identified, namely active and passive VIS. It is shown that simulation languages and packages tend to implicitly employ a particular methodology, and that each approach requires a different problem-solving life cycle. Present research, and necessary future research, are reviewed from our methodological perspective.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. School of Business Administration, University of Western Ontario, N6A 3K7, London, Ontario, Canada

    Peter C. Bell

  2. Department of Decision Sciences and Engineering Systems, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, 12180, Troy, NY, USA

    Robert M. O'Keefe

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  1. Peter C. Bell
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  2. Robert M. O'Keefe
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Bell, P.C., O'Keefe, R.M. Visual interactive simulation: A methodological perspective. Ann Oper Res 53, 321–342 (1994). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02136833

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