Vensim <-> Excel <-> Simul8

[vanli]

Thanks for the replies for my previos question ( sbj : Vensim <-> Excel ) Hope I can get the same interest and help for that one too.

I want to integrate Systems Dynamics (SD) and Discrete Event Simulation(DES). I plan to use Vensim for the SD side. and aim to handle the dynamic data integration on Excel s.sheet. Time synchronization seems to be a problem.

- Can I start Vensim sim. from Excel
- Can I generate an external timer ( maybe with VB ) and make Vensim to use that rather than its own clock.

Would appreciate any hint that may help me to handle this time synchronization problem between Vensim and Simul8.

Thanks

[bob@vensim.com]

Excel would be a very poor choice for this type of integration. If you are trying to have Vensim do a run in response to a Simul8 event then you should call Vensim directly from Simul8 (eitehr via DDE or the DLL). If you you are trying to have Simul8 simulate some activity during a Vensim run you should call Simul8 from vensim using an external function.

If you really want an intermediat layer than use VB, C++ or Java with the Vensim DLL.