What improvements would you like to see in Vensim?

[Amistra]

Got it. Thanks for considering.

[Nub_User]

Copy and paste properties between variables to apply same format.

The posibility of change between stock or auxiliar type variable without delete the original variable and re-writing it considering the new type.

[aliakhavan89]

If it's not too much work, it would be very helpful to include this:

https://developer.apple.com/documentati ... ellchecker

os built-in services are more user-friendly and reliable.

[Administrator]

There is already a spell checker in Vensim.

[aliakhavan89]

I was actually thinking of 'Check Spelling While Typing' that is available system-wide on macOS. I just realized it's also available in Vensim, but the problem is that it turns itself off every time a text dialogue is closed. It's a very nice addition if you can make it happen, and it works in any text field in Vensim. I think the solution might be in that documentation I shared or in 'NSTextView'. Thank you!

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[Administrator]

NSTextView is a MacOS only thing, so not something we would consider as it means double the work to implement (we'd need to find something that also works for Windows).

I'll add an enhancement request to add spell check while typing. I'm sure it originally worked like this, the feedback we received was that it got in the way (a lot of users use shortened words when developing (eg "tot" instead of "total").

[aliakhavan89]

I actually take my previous comment back because I think Vensim already can use macOS built-in 'Spelling and Grammar' features, especially 'Check Spell While Typing.' Otherwise, it wouldn't have appeared in the contextual menu (right-click). My proof for this is the behavior of Microsoft apps on macOS. 'Spelling and Grammar' does not even exist if you right-click on a text in MS Word. Regarding the reason for not seeing this feature in MS apps, I think part of it is because of the code maintenance issue that you mentioned, and part of it is because they're using the old MS codes. This is because in Microsoft's new features, such as modern comments, you can see that the option is available. Indeed, the comment section in MS Word uses macOS built-in 'Check Spell While Typing.' So, maybe I am wrong, and it's not NSTextView, but Vensim definitely has some of the relevant capabilities, while it's not automatically turned on by default (and it should be turned on manually every time users enter texts). The built-in feature is also able to learn phrases system-wide. So, if I tell it to learn 'Agg' in another app, the behavior would be the same in all other apps (which reduces a lot of computational overhead in general because it's all managed by the OS).

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[aliakhavan89]

Please make this blinking feature optional.

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[devM5]

Using Vensim DSS 9.4.2 (64 bit) on Windows 11 Pro, but as fas as I know it's for every version using new the GUI and used to be different in the old GUI:

• 1. the Find function (CTRL+F) can only find variables if underbars _ are replaced by white spaces. Also it won't accept asterisks (*) as wildcard any more.

• 2. Any additional windows opening in Vensim (e.g. graph or table function) do not longer have a minimize or maximize button on the upper right corner of the window. Also, they do not react to any of the Window snap features that come with Windows (e.g. snap to the right half of the window)

• 3. severel file picker dialogs only extract the file name and not the path, probably because it is expected to store all files in the same directory as the model file. When having files in other subfolder, e.g. savelists, it will throw error when not entering the correct relative path manually.

Can you tell if fixing that is on the road map for future updates? As of know, I regularly need to switch between the old and new GUI, which is really inconvenient.

[Administrator]

• 1. the Find function (CTRL+F) can only find variables if underbars _ are replaced by white spaces. Also it won't accept asterisks (*) as wildcard any more.

I'm sure we can do something about the asterisk. Not so sure about underbars as Vensim sees underbars as equal to spaces in variable names. So any change could break existing models.

• 2. Any additional windows opening in Vensim (e.g. graph or table function) do not longer have a minimize or maximize button on the upper right corner of the window. Also, they do not react to any of the Window snap features that come with Windows (e.g. snap to the right half of the window)

This is correct. They are mini windows, so expected to float on their parent windows (as is standard on Windows/MacOS). The old Vensim was not "standard" so I'm not sure we could be convinced to go back to it. I'll ticket it though for some comments from internal staff.

• 3. severel file picker dialogs only extract the file name and not the path, probably because it is expected to store all files in the same directory as the model file. When having files in other subfolder, e.g. savelists, it will throw error when not entering the correct relative path manually.

Can you give an example? Also we have been storing relative paths where possible, it may be that this is already fixed.

Can you tell if fixing that is on the road map for future updates? As of know, I regularly need to switch between the old and new GUI, which is really inconvenient.

I can only say try these in the latest version. 9.4.2 is nearly two years old and progress has been very rapid over the last two years.

[devM5]

Here's examples of what I mean in comparison between old and new GUI, all recorded in Vensim DSS 10.2.2 64-bit. Same model and settings.

Find/Seach function:
New GUI will not consider underbars as whitespace when searching, no matter how the options (show underbar; use hard underbar) are set.
To the left the old GUI, also Vensim 10.2.2, where you can create effective search queries using the asterisks:

vensim_find.png (39.18 KiB) Viewed 34329 times

Title bar: Min/maximize window buttons

This is correct. They are mini windows, so expected to float on their parent windows (as is standard on Windows/MacOS). The old Vensim was not "standard" so I'm not sure we could be convinced to go back to it. I'll ticket it though for some comments from internal staff.

In direct comparison I'd say the old gui is using the default Windows title bar with window-snap feature, while the new GUI looks kind of manually constructed (right margin of the close button?). Also has no window-snap, so the only option to resize is manually dragging the bottom right window corner. This is quite exhausting when e.g. opening multiple graphs. Am I missing some settings here or is this the only option in Windows 10/11? I'd consider a proper title bar with window-snap a standard in more a less every application nowadays.

vensim_min-max-missing.png (31.16 KiB) Viewed 34329 times

File paths

Can you give an example? Also we have been storing relative paths where possible, it may be that this is already fixed.

E.g. in optimization settings to load payoff definitions. It seems the file dialog only returns the file_name and removes the directory. There is no other way than to set GUI back to old, or store the vpd and voc file in the model root directory to access them.

vensim_file-path.png (41.67 KiB) Viewed 34329 times

I can only say try these in the latest version. 9.4.2 is nearly two years old and progress has been very rapid over the last two years.

Agreed, for the new GUI and features in recent updates,there are many improvements worth to upgrade for and the new GUI is surely the go-to theme with the clean layout.

[Administrator]

Find/Seach function:
New GUI will not consider underbars as whitespace when searching, no matter how the options (show underbar; use hard underbar) are set.
To the left the old GUI, also Vensim 10.2.2, where you can create effective search queries using the asterisks:
vensim_find.png

The wildcard search will be in the upcoming 10.3 release.

In direct comparison I'd say the old gui is using the default Windows title bar with window-snap feature, while the new GUI looks kind of manually constructed (right margin of the close button?). Also has no window-snap, so the only option to resize is manually dragging the bottom right window corner. This is quite exhausting when e.g. opening multiple graphs. Am I missing some settings here or is this the only option in Windows 10/11? I'd consider a proper title bar with window-snap a standard in more a less every application nowadays.
vensim_min-max-missing.png

The min/max should not have been there in the old GUI (as a lot of things should not have been there). These are popup windows, so are technically correct in the new GUI. I'll see if we can add an option to add the min/max buttons. You can also change the default graph size by right clicking on the graph button in the toolbar and setting the window size.

File paths
E.g. in optimization settings to load payoff definitions. It seems the file dialog only returns the file_name and removes the directory. There is no other way than to set GUI back to old, or store the vpd and voc file in the model root directory to access them.
vensim_file-path.png

In the latest version, all paths are stored as relative ones if they are a sub-folder of the directory where the model is located.

[devM5]

The wildcard search will be in the upcoming 10.3 release.

Thanks!

The min/max should not have been there in the old GUI (as a lot of things should not have been there). These are popup windows, so are technically correct in the new GUI. I'll see if we can add an option to add the min/max buttons. You can also change the default graph size by right clicking on the graph button in the toolbar and setting the window size.

Okay, then there is no other way for us than continue using the old GUI. In my opinion, the current implementation of the title bar without min/max and window-snap does not do justice to (paid and commercial) applications.

In the latest version, all paths are stored as relative ones if they are a sub-folder of the directory where the model is located.

Not in 10.2.2 as my screenshot shows. Do you mean another version as "latest version"? Based on https://vensim.com/documentation/release_notes.html version 10.2.1 is the latest, although 10.2.2 is available for download.