Suggestion to improve the optimization window

[rosenm]

Hello!
After working with Vensim's optimization module for some time I have a few suggestions for organizing the optimization window.

1. Please, from the Optimization Control Setup window, separate the Parameters section into a separate window. Now the parameters are always at the bottom of the screen, which is inconvenient. The user actively works with the parameters and their limits, and with more parameters, they always have to be scrolled, and their editing is inconvenient. Most of the options in the Optimizer settings at the top of the screen are not so actively used, but they are always at eye level, at the expense of the parameters. I don't see any need for Optimization settings and Parameters to be in one big window instead of two successively placed smaller ones.

2. Also, please, enable the ability to expand the optimization window to full screen.

3. Please make the optimization results easier to access. Can't they be rendered in a separate window rather than being opened from a text file? In text files, the results are badly formatted. The least that can be done is a separate window with shortcuts to the individual files containing the optimization results. Constantly searching the directory for the necessary files with the results slows down the work a lot.

4. In some cases, the optimization process is interrupted due to a floating point error. Please enable diagnostics, i.e. to find out what is the combination of the parameter values where this error occurred.

5. Ability to track the change of the objective function and parameter values during the optimization process.

Thank you

[Administrator]

1. Please, from the Optimization Control Setup window, separate the Parameters section into a separate window. Now the parameters are always at the bottom of the screen, which is inconvenient. The user actively works with the parameters and their limits, and with more parameters, they always have to be scrolled, and their editing is inconvenient. Most of the options in the Optimizer settings at the top of the screen are not so actively used, but they are always at eye level, at the expense of the parameters. I don't see any need for Optimization settings and Parameters to be in one big window instead of two successively placed smaller ones.

We don't really want another window for optimization (there are already two windows, adding another increases the chances something will go wrong).

2. Also, please, enable the ability to expand the optimization window to full screen.

The optimization window can be resized. Are you using the old GUI at all? In the old GUI, it could not, the new GUI has been available for 3 years now.

3. Please make the optimization results easier to access. Can't they be rendered in a separate window rather than being opened from a text file? In text files, the results are badly formatted. The least that can be done is a separate window with shortcuts to the individual files containing the optimization results. Constantly searching the directory for the necessary files with the results slows down the work a lot.

When you run an optimization, the resulting run contains all the optimized values. I'm not sure how we can make this easier.

4. In some cases, the optimization process is interrupted due to a floating point error. Please enable diagnostics, i.e. to find out what is the combination of the parameter values where this error occurred.

I'm pretty sur Vensim creates a CIN file with the combination of parameters that cause the floating point error.

5. Ability to track the change of the objective function and parameter values during the optimization process.

I'll add this as a future enhancement (although I'm not really sure anyone will use it).

[rosenm]

Thanks for the answer.
I don't see any possibility to extend my optimization window down! Please see the attached picture of my screen - this is the minimum window size. It can only be pulled down about 10mm until it touches the taskbar. In both sections of the optimization window there are empty spaces and the space is not quite rationally used. And it can be used to increase the size of the section for working with parameters.
Perhaps functionality and ease of use should be prioritized over beautifying the interface with new icons!

I did not know about the fact that the values of the parameters at which the crash occurred are recorded in a *.cin file. Could you direct me to the place in the help system where I can get more information?

"https://postimg.cc/8sNgQtbT"

[Administrator]

There is little we can do when you have a relatively low resolution on your computer. Can you change that at all to give you more pixels?