simulation@uflorida.cis.ufl.edu (Moderator: Paul Fishwick) (09/17/90)
Volume: 17, Issue: 8, Mon Sep 17 10:28:05 EDT 1990 +----------------+ | TODAY'S TOPICS | +----------------+ (1) RE: Simulation of Football (2) Mentor Graphics Simulation Models (3) CALL: Design of Composite Systems (4) Sharks World Simulation (5) Expert System Shells for Simulation (6) Rapid Prototyping for Simulation * Moderator: Paul Fishwick, Univ. of Florida * Send topical mail to: simulation@bikini.cis.ufl.edu OR post to comp.simulation via USENET * Archives available via FTP to bikini.cis.ufl.edu (128.227.224.1). Login as 'ftp', use your last name as the password, change directory to pub/simdigest. Do 'type binary' before any file xfers. * Simulation Tools available by doing above and changing the directory to pub/simdigest/tools. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- Posted-Date: 12 Sep 90 15:43:49 GMT To: comp-simulation@ucsd.edu Path: aero!aerospace.aero.org!abbott From: abbott@aerospace.aero.org (Russell J. Abbott) Newsgroups: comp.simulation Subject: Simulation football (again) Date: 12 Sep 90 15:43:49 GMT Sender: news@aerospace.aero.org Reply-To: abbott%antares.UUCP@ucsd.edu (Russell J. Abbott) Organization: The Aerospace Corporation, El Segundo, CA Recently I asked this forum if anyone could recommend a language/system for modeling and simulating a game such as football at the play-by-play level. I got only one answer, which I appreciated, but which mentioned a language that was an extension of C. I was really looking for a more declarative way of describing the world I want to simulate. For example, I would like to be able to describe the field as 100 yards long and however many yards wide it is. It should be possible to say that players must stay within the sidelines. I also want to be able to say, for example, that offensive line men always move more or less in the direction of the ball. (Obviously an intelligent lineman would not move directly toward the player carrying the ball. It would be nice to be able to describe such more intelligent, i.e., anticipatory, trajectories also.) It should be possible to describe set plays. It should also be possible to describe ad hoc interactions and "broken" and improvised plays. I'd like to be able to describe all these elements as declaratively and at as direct a level as possible, i.e., so that a non-computer scientist could validate the model. It's hard to believe that no one has a favorite language that they think would be ideal for this. Isn't this a main-line simulation-type problem? Hasn't the simulation world been dealing with these issues for a long time now? [[You raise some interesting issues. First, there is no simple, clean solution to any complex problem such as the one you describe (let alone solutions of a simulation nature). I might suggest building a hybrid model (discrete event/continuous,etc.) and create a good graphical interface to help the user during the validation phase. It is not at all clear that a declarative language is going to be easier for users than procedural code. Users are more attuned to graphical interfaces (which can be considered as "languages" if they permit model construction). As far as the simulation world, I think you will find that the literature is plentiful for creating a baseball simulation. It will not be easy because there are many factors including the modelling of intelligent entities. You will need to do some more digging - but first, what are the specific goals of the baseball simulation? I thank Russ for bringing up some interesting issues! Anybody else have any thoughts on this topic? -PAF]] -- Russ Abbott@itro3.aero.org ------------------------------ To: comp-simulation@backbone.usenix.org Path: ncrcam!funk From: funk@ncrcam.Cambridge.NCR.COM (Al Funk) Newsgroups: comp.simulation Subject: Looking for info on Mentor Graphics simulation models Keywords: hardware simulation models Date: 12 Sep 90 14:41:46 GMT Distribution: na Organization: NCR, E&M Cambridge, Ohio This request is directed towards Mentor Graphics users. I would like to know if some hardware simulation models exist and their source if they do. I'm looking for models of the following parts: NEC V50 Microprocessor AMD Z85C30 Serial Communications Controller Altera EPB2001 Micro Channel Interface Chip These parts don't exist in the latest LAI library we've received and I would like to know if there are other sources for simulation models that might have libraries that contain these parts. Reply to me by email and I'll summarize if there is enough interest. Al Funk Email: funk@cambridge.ncr.com NCR Corporation - E&M Cambridge 800 Cochran Ave. Cambridge, OH 43725 ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 12 Sep 90 16:07:15 -0400 From: "Paul Fishwick" <fishwick@fish.cis.ufl.edu> To: simulation@ufl.edu >From @skinner.cs.uoregon.edu:fickas@umpqua.cs.uoregon.edu Wed Sep 5 19:24:05 1990 (5.61.14/IDA-1.2.8) id AA27870; Wed, 5 Sep 90 15:16:07 -0800 Date: Wed, 5 Sep 90 16:29:47 PDT From: steve fickas <fickas@umpqua.cs.uoregon.edu> AAAI Stanford Spring Symposium March 26-28, 1991 Design of Composite Systems The goal of this symposium is to discuss issues in formally representing and automatically reasoning about design problems that involve a mix of physical, software, and human components, i.e., what we will call composite systems. In particular, we are interested in designing an artifact that will be added to an existing environment to achieve new goals (or old goals more efficiently). In such systems, goal achievement can be viewed as a joint problem solving process. The artifact specified and produced will be embedded in a rich and complex physical and social context. In essence, the difficulty might not be in the specification of the artifact itself, but instead in reasoning about the complex interaction of the artifact with the environment. For instance, the artifact by its very presence may place restrictions of the freedom of action of human agents, change the pattern of human-human interactions, etc. A designer is thus defining new roles that agents in the environment will play when interacting with the artifact. We propose that there is a common set of problems for specifying and designing composite systems irrespective of software/hardware/human distinctions. At least one purpose of the symposium is to bring together researchers from various fields to explore this claim. We wish to determine whether techniques developed for the design of software, hardware, interfaces, organizational processes, etc., can be adapted to support composite system design, or whether new techniques are needed. The symposium will examine the following issues in composite system design: Theoretical Issues - Determining the division of responsibility for system-wide goals among the various components. - Motivating components to abide by their responsibilies; designing for tolerance of error and of malicious irresponsibility. - Detecting and resolving conflicts between goals of the different components of the system. - Designing the interface between components. Pragmatic Issues - What are the limits of this approach? Is it effective? What tools do we need? - When is it appropriate (cost-effective) to use this design methodology? What new burdens does this introduce, and how can these be mitigated? - How can we ensure the acceptability of the artifacts that we design? Can acceptability be treated as another goal to be achieved? - Do we understand the conceptual foundations and techniques well enough yet to make the approach practical at this time? If not, how should we go about developing them? Prospective participants are encouraged to contact a member of the symposium committee to obtain a more detailed description of the symposium goals and issues. Participants should then submit a 1 to 4 page position statement explicitly addressing one or more of the symposium issues. Descriptions of experimental and empirical results are especially encouraged. Submissions that identify the practical or theoretical limits of automated design of composite systems are also welcome. Submissions should be sent by electronic mail to johnson@isi.edu by November 16th. All such submissions will be promptly acknowledged. If electronic mail is impossible, four paper copies should be sent to arrive by Nov. 16 to: Lewis Johnson USC / ISI, 4676 Admiralty Way, Marina del Rey, CA 90292-6695 or fax a copy to (213) 823-6714. Program Co-Chairs: Martin Feather (feather@isi.edu), Stephen Fickas (fickas@cs.uoregon.edu), Les Gasser (gasser@pollux.usc.edu), Lewis Johnson (johnson@isi.edu). ------------------------------ Newsgroups: comp.simulation Path: eng3.hep.uiuc.edu!mjh From: mjh@eng3.hep.uiuc.edu (michael j haney) Subject: Sharks world Keywords: sharks Sender: news@ux1.cso.uiuc.edu (News) Organization: University of Illinois at Urbana Distribution: comp Date: Thu, 13 Sep 90 21:20:15 GMT Apparently-To: comp-simulation@ux1.cso.uiuc.edu Can someone direct me to Sharks World? The 1990 Winter Simulation Conference preliminary program makes several references to the Sharks World problem... Thanks much, Mike Haney haney@cs.uiuc.edu ------------------------------ Posted-Date: 13 Sep 90 21:46:10 GMT To: comp-simulation@ucsd.edu Path: aero!aerospace.aero.org!abbott From: abbott@aerospace.aero.org (Russell J. Abbott) Newsgroups: comp.simulation Subject: Expert System Shells for Simulation Date: 13 Sep 90 21:46:10 GMT Sender: news@aerospace.aero.org Reply-To: abbott%antares.UUCP@ucsd.edu (Russell J. Abbott) Organization: The Aerospace Corporation, El Segundo, CA Does anyone know of the use of an expert system shell for simulation? The model I have in mind is of simulating multiple independent interacting entities based on the common envirnment within which they all reside. It seems to me that that is exactly the framework that expert system shells provide: the environment is the blackboard; the entities (or at least the rules by which they live) are the expert system rules. A rule fires (equivalent to an entity taking an action) when the environment/blackboard indicates the correct conditions. It seems like such a natural, it must have been done. Any references? -- Russ ------------------------------ Date: Mon, 17 Sep 90 9:48:30 EDT From: see-taus@hel-fire To: simulation@bikini.cis.ufl.edu Subject: rapid prototyping tools Newsgroups: comp.simulation,comp.sys.mac.hypercard,comp.windows.misc,comp.windows.x,comp.misc,comp.lang.idl-pvwave Distribution: na To: simulation@uflorida.cis.ufl.edu Keywords: product review, simulation, prototype Hello. I have been asked to identify software products which can be used as what are locally referred to as Rapid Prototyping tools. Specifically, we are looking for software packages that will allow us to easily simulate intelligent communications stations while using standard, commercial computers (type undetermined, but UNIX, 386 MS/DOS, and specialized graphic machines have been discussed) running the simulation. This means we have to be able to develop the user interface, the internal handling and display of whatever information is being communicated, and the communications protocols for getting information onto or off of the net. Since the human interface, distribution of functions between workstations, and communications protocols will be changed frequently, flexibility and ease of use are desirable. The following list of questions is a guideline for the type of information I am trying to gather. Like all guidelines, it is intended to be an aid, not a restriction to any responses. If you have comments about a product which might apply to this project, please add them to the end. Please e-mail responses to the box listed below. If you would like a summary of the responses, please send me an e-mail note, with a subject line of "summary: rapid prototyping tools". Richard A. Tauson (301)278-5874 rapid@hel-fire.brl.mil -------------cut-spindle-fold-mutilate-here--------------------------------- Name of Software Product: Vendor: I. Hardware A. What hardware (major vendors or CPUs) does this product run on? B. What are the minimum system requirements for this product to operate (include major trade-offs, such as it will run with x memory or y disk capacity, but needs more to perform at its potential)? II. Operating System A. What systems can this product run on? Is there any consideration of porting it to UNIX or MSDOS, if this has not been done yet? B. Is this product based on another software package? If so, what software? Example: Runs under X-windows C. If there is source code available, what language is the product written in? D. What are the costs of various liscences (single, site, source, etc.)? III. User Interface A. Primary Input 1. Is there an on line editor? Can it be called up from one window, while running an application on another window(s)? 2. What input devices have been linked to this product (keyboard, mouse, dataglove, etc.)? B. Primary Output 1. What are the limitations on the products Multi-Windowing capability, if any? 2. What monochrome and/or color display drivers are available with this product? C. Style 1. Is the products "Look and feel" similar to other major products? This would include either similarity to a type of software or obvious based on a programming language. D. Graphics 1. What is the ability to define and "run" graphics images (example: draw a pointer on a dial, which moves across the dial in response to some defined input) ? 2. What libraries (icons, mapping routines, etc.) come with this package and what capability is there to develop libraries? 3. Is the graphic interface vector or pixel oriented? E. System-User communications 1. Is there On-Line on-execution help? 2. Are the error messages accurate and meaningful? 3. How long does it take the average naive user to become nominally productive on this product? Assuming an easy-to-learn vs and easy-to-use (for wizards) continuum, where does this product fit? (Examples: It is easy to learn the basics, but the system is very limited. or There is a lot to learn, but once you master the system, it gives is very powerful. IV. Communications A. What capability exists in this package to support communications with other machines (example: ethernet, serial port, etc.)? B. Can the product react to other processes being run on the same machine? (Example: call a process to generate a value, to be shown on a dial or look at a data file to take values for a gauge.) C. How many communications lines can be accessed by a given process? V. Applications A. What, if any, applications have you heard of this product being used for? B. In general, are there any major strong points or limitations to this product which have not been addressed above? VI. Applications Development Interface A. How is application code linked to the rapid prototyping tool? B. How much control does the applications developer have over the system? 1. What paramaters can the user modify?) C. What sort of interface is available for the rapid prototyping tools? 1. Is this adaptable for different levels of user? D. Is there an interupt mode for the rapid prototyping tool? E. Does the Rapid prototyping tool support multi processing? Parallel processing? F. Does the rapid prototyping system use the native graphics on the computer? 1. Can the graphics and Prototyping tool be run simultaneously? 2. What limitations exist on the graphics engines which the rapid prototyping tool can work with? VII. Basics A. What (roughly) does this product cost (license?, source available?) B. Please include a vendor point-of-contact for any further questions. ------------------------------ END OF SIMULATION DIGEST ************************