Analytica Cloud Platform

Analytica Web Player

The Analytica Web Player (AWP) lets anyone view and run an Analytica model via a web browser. It also makes it easy to create web applications with Analytica. Users can open a model, view diagrams and objects, change input variables, and view results as tables and graphs via common web browser, such as Internet Explorer, Firefox, or Safari. AWP runs the Analytica models on a server computer using ADE (the Analytica Decision Engine).

AWP offers several advantages over Analytica Player for distributing models:

• Users can review and run Analytica models without having to download or install any new software on their desktop -- they don't need to consult their IT department. You can invite model reviewers or users simply by emailing them the URL of a model in AWP.
• Model authors can be sure that end users are using the latest version of models and data posted on the server, without having to worry about distributing updates to users individually.
• By using password-protected AWP accounts, you can reduce the possibility that sensitive or proprietary models will be seen by unauthorized people. (You can also use the information hiding features of Analytica Enterprise to hide selected data or formulas.)
• With the Application Subscription to AWP, users can save changes to their models for use in later sessions -- similar to the Analytica Power Player, but not possible with the free Analytica Player.
• Once your organization purchases a subscription, you can make Analytica models accessible to many users, without have to purchase an extra license for each user -- as you would with the Analytica Power Player.

Model authors can upload models into AWP directly from their desktop. Users can save changed models, to revisit them in later sessions. Usually, AWP directories are password protected, so only authorized users can view and use models. But, we also make a free AWP directory available for people who want to share their models openly.

We welcome your comments. Please tell us what you think, including how you would like to use AWP, and any additional features you would like.

AWP is like the Analytica Player

AWP offers almost all the features of desktop Analytica Player. It lets you open a model, view diagrams, object windows, and results as graphs or tables. It lets you change any variable designated as an input, including as an Edit table; but it won't let you change other variables or create new objects.

Soon, like the Power Player, it will let you save a changed model so you can continue with the changed model in a later session.

How AWP improves on Analytica Player

AWP offers several enhancements that are not (yet) available in desktop Analytica:

• When you move the cursor over a node (without clicking), it highlights the node with a light rectangle around it. After a couple of seconds, it shows the description of the node (if it has one) in a popup balloon.
• Like most web applications, you use single not double clicks to drill down -- for example, to open a module diagram.
• It can display a result table or graph, or edit table, embedded in a diagram, instead of having to open the result or edit table in a separate window. As model author in desktop Analytica, you simply make the height of the input or output node greater than four times the default size, i.e. 104 pixels (52 nodesize units). When you upload and open the model with AWP, the graph or table appears embedded in its parent diagram, in the rectangle with size and location specified for the node.

AWP access

A. Demo and Trial Access

• If you haven't seen AWP in action, you can view a few example models in AWP.
  • Play the Rent vs. Buy model in AWP. The Rent vs. Buy model is an Analytica example model used in the Analytica Tutorial. It's a financial model comparing the Net Present Value of renting vs. buying a house. Model navigation is fairly intuitive. You can switch diagrams by clicking on modules or selecting different modules in the outline tree located on the left hide side of the diagram. Clicking on variable nodes generally displays the node's result. Hover the mouse over a node to see its description. One hint, you can right click on a node and select Object view from the popup menu to view the node's attributes in the object tab, notably the node's definition can be viewed here.
  • Play the Foxes and Hares model in AWP. The Foxes and Hares model is preditor / prey example mode also used in the Tutorial. When playing this model AWP adds beveled gradients and drop shadows to nodes on the influence diagram. Also, the default tabbed UI has been removed. Node descriptions and definitions can be seen by hovering over a node, and model results are displayed directly on the diagram.
• Sign up for a free Trial access to AWP at: The Analytica Web Player. Then upload your own models and see how they work. Explore the features for inviting others to view your models, and for controlling who has access to your models.

B. Model Reviewer plan

• Post your own models so others can view and run them.
• Send email invites with web link to allow others to view your model.
• Up to 200 user sessions per month
• Each evaluation must complete within 60 CPU seconds.
• $500/month or $5000/year subscription

C. Group Subscription Plan

Features for Admin (Subscriber)

• No limit to number of models posted.
• Password protect model use.
• Model Customization (ie. change logo, etc.)
• Multiple project directories.
• Can view how many user sessions are still available in month.
• Limit of 250 credits per month.
• Extra AWP credits can be bought for $1/credit in blocks. See below to buy blocks of additional credits.

Features for End Users:

• Database querying.
• Non-anonymous reviewers can save their inputs as a snapshot that can be loaded by that same user later, or reviewed by the subscriber

Price: $250/month or $2000/year

Other differences

UI Differences

AWP has a few differences from Analytica in its user interface:

• It only shows one window at a time (plus optionally an outline window on the left)
• A single click on a variable shows its result, as a table or graph, not object window.
• It offers tabs across the top to show the parent diagram, object view, table, or graph for the selected object.
• The expandable Outline view shows only modules, not variables or other objects. You can switch off display of the Outline by [Fred please complete]

Linked Modules/Libraries

• If your Analytica model contains linked libraries or linked modules, you can still play it on AWP, but it may require some tweaking.
• The simplest solution is to convert the linked libraries and linked modules into embedded modules and embedded libraries.
  • To do this, e.g. for a linked module, bring up the object window for the linked module, then change the class from linked module to an embedded module. Then save the model file, and upload it onto AWP.
  • Another way to do this especially if you've got multiple modules/libraries, is to select 'Save a copy in ...' from Analytica's file menu, and in the dialog that appears, check the 'Save everything in one file by embedding linked modules' checkbox. See screenshot below. Note this feature was adding in Anaytica 4.2 and is not available in earlier releases.

• Another solution is to upload the linked modules and linked libraries onto the AWP server. In this case, you need to be sure that linked modules and linked libraries are in the same directory as your model fie. So when all the files are uploaded onto the server and the model file is opened, AWP will find and successfully load the linked modules and linked libraries.

Features of Analytica not available in AWP

These features of Analytica Player are not (yet) available in AWP:

• Dialog boxes to change computation and display options, such as the Graph setup, Number format, Diagram and Node styles, Uncertainty Setup, and Preferences dialogs. It uses whatever options and styles you chose in Analytica before uploading the model to AWP.
• Slicer menus for multidimensional results that were introduced in Analytica 4.0. E.g. Color key slicer, Symbol key slicer, Symbol Size Key slicer and bar origin slicer.
• Clickable references.
• It has limited ability to copy and paste a subset of values from and to a table, and no ability to copy diagrams and graphs (except if you use Snagit or a similar application for selecting material to copy).
• No support for 'Check' attribute
• No support for 'MsgBox' function
• Other features which are new in Analytica 4.0/4.1 are being added to AWP. If you see something missing that you would like to have, let us know.

Features of AWP not available in Analytica

AWP offers several options to modify the style of the user interface:

Tables and graphs in the diagram

• Embed edit tables and result tables and graphs in their parent diagram, so you can see the diagram and results in the Browser window.
• Reserve a space in a diagram to show the edit table, or result table or graph for any node you select in the diagram. This is especially handy for web applications.

Click here for more info...

Using Awp_attrib attribute settings

• Don't display the the outline view (the default is on.) The outline is useful to help users navigate around large models, but not needed for small models or when you don't want users to look at all its details.
• Display only the top diagram, and not any submodules -- especially useful for web applications.
• Add bevel and shadows to nodes to make diagrams appear more dramatic.
• Tell AWP not to display things, e.g. don't allow users to save, or restrict model browsing so certain parts of your model are not accessible.

You can control these options with keywords added to a new attribute called Awp_attrib. See AWP Attribute Values for details.

Enhancement requests

• Do not show index selectors for tables and graphs. Currently, it only shows the selectors for 2D results, not the slicers for 3rd and higher dimensions anyway. For most applications, the model author selects the best view, and showing these options to end user adds needless complication.

AWP Attribute

When creating a model in Desktop Analytica you can add an attribute Awp_attrib which can be used to specify certain behaviors when the model is played in AWP. More info...