An evaluation of simulation packages with animation

Abstract

It was the purpose of this research to consider four simulation software packages with animation capabilities for the microcomputer (SIMFACTORY'^, GPSS/PC*^^, SIMAN"^^ and XCELL+^^), study and submit them to specific tests which will determine the degree of flexibility, capability and applicability of these languages. These four packages were selected based on two factors; the first one was simply the availability of all four packages to the investigator. The second reason behind the selection of these packages was that GPSS/PC and SIMAN are popular and widely used; in contrast, SIMFACTORY and XCELL+ are not as common, but present great user friendliness. All four packages were submitted to the same tests to draw conclusions; these conclusions helped determine how these packages perform by comparing them with each other. The conclusion of the research was not which package is best. Rather, the desired results were the ability to determine the capabilities and limitations of each software package and assistance in determining which package is most appropriate for the particular needs of a potential user.