Update to Forio Epicenter (1.44)

#1

Hello Everyone,

We’re excited to announce our latest updates to Epicenter and the Epicenter.js library.

This release of Epicenter includes several exciting new features:

  • Powersim models are now supported on Epicenter.
  • Support for Vensim models is improved. In particular, using external data in Vensim models is now much easier.
  • The Interface Builder is now in Beta. The Interface Builder supports Vensim and Powersim models, and is any easy way to create a user interface for your project based on provided templates. (The Interface Builder is replacing the UI Builder, although that is still available for older projects.)
  • Epicenter runs are now created on a new and improved distributed model service infrastructure, which provides increased stability and improved logging and error reporting. Performance, especially during run creation, is also improved. To take advantage of these updates, use the Interface Builder or Epicenter.js 2.0 or greater, or add the “v2” prefix to your REST calls.

This release of Epicenter.js, 2.0.1, includes:

  • Support for jQuery 3.1.0.
  • Automatic use of the v2 Epicenter APIs.
  • Reduced library size.

Complete release notes are below. As always, Epicenter release notes for this and other releases are available at:
https://forio.com/epicenter/docs/public/releases/

Happy modeling!

WILL

##v1.44 Release Notes

Release Date: 11/21/2016

New Features

Interface Builder (Beta).

As mentioned in the previous release notes, we are piloting a new Interface Builder within Epicenter. You can use it to create a user interface for your project based on provided templates. The Interface Builder is now in a Beta release, works best with Vensim and Powersim projects, and is available for new projects only.

New in this release, all newly-created projects will exclusively have access to the Interface Builder. (Older projects will continue to have access the existing UI Builder, but this is being deprecated.) Send us your feedback as we continue with the Interface Builder development.

Basic Interface Builder documentation is now available as well. (The older UI Builder documentation is also still available.)

Epicenter v2 APIs.

The current version of the Epicenter RESTful APIs is now v2. To access the v2 APIs, you can:

  • Use Epicenter.js 2.0 or later.
  • Preface all of your Epicenter API calls with /v2/, for example, POST /v2/run/acme/supply-chain-game.

We recommend using v2 for all new projects. We also recommend converting existing projects to use v2, with two exceptions:

  • If your project uses Forio SimLang, you should continue to use v1. The v2 APIs are not yet available for use with Forio SimLang.

  • If your project relies on accessing runs that have already been created with v1, the entire project should continue to use v1. This is not common, but might occur for example if you have a leaderboard showing scores for everyone that has ever played.

Although the current version of the Epicenter RESTful APIs is v2, the default version is still v1. So if you make no changes to your project, you’ll still be working with v1.

Read more on the Version History page.

Epicenter.js 2.0.1

The Epicenter.js JavaScript library has been updated to version 2.0.1.

New in this release, all calls are now routed to v2 of the underlying Epicenter APIs. Additionally, you can include jQuery 3.1.0. Changes are backwards compatible, so you can use either jQuery 2.1.4 (as for previous releases of Epicenter.js) or jQuery 3.1.0.

Additionally, the library itself has been reduced in size (epicenter.min.js is now less than 90 KB) and development both in local environments and on custom domains has been streamlined.

Full release notes available on Github for Epicenter.js 2.0. and 2.0.1.

Powersim Support.

Epicenter now supports models written in Powersim. Upload your model.sip file to your project’s Model folder, then use the v2 APIs (or Epicenter.js 2.0) to create your user interface. See the Powersim page for additional information.

Other Improvements

  • If you use the new Epicenter v2 APIs, then using external data in Vensim models is now much easier than before: all you need to do is upload your external data to the Model folder of your project! (Supported file formats: *.xls, *.xlsx, *.vdf, *.txt, *.tab, *.cin, or *.csv.)

    • If you are still using the Epicenter v1 APIs, then you will still need to create a model context file, and pass information about the external data files, every time you create a run. See the How To page for more information.

  • The new Model Introspect API returns a JSON object listing the variables and operations available in a model. Epicenter.js 2.0 also includes support for this in an Introspection Service.

    Introspection is available using the v2 APIs (or Epicenter.js 2.0) only. It is available for Python, R, Julia, Vensim, and Powersim; it is not available for Forio SimLang.

  • When working with the Model and Interface files in your projects, you can now delete folders in addition to files.

  • In multiplayer projects, you can now sort end users by both Name and Username when you are assigning end users to worlds.

  • Other documentation updates, including updates to highlight the Epicenter v2 APIs.

  • Other minor fixes for performance and stability.