Analytica Cloud Platform

Analytica Web Player

The Analytica Web Player or AWP lets you make Analytica models easily accessible to anyone with a web browser. 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 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 Enterpries to hide selected data or formulas.)

Model auhtors can upload models into AWP directly from their desktop. Users will also be able to 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 will also make a free AWP directory available for people who want to share their models openly.

AWP is available for beta testing. 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 second, 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 50(?) pixels. 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.
• It shows a copy button next to each result table, which lets you copy result values for pasting into Excel or other app.

Other 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]

Features of Analytica not available in AWP

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

• Choice menus in edit tables
• Slicer menus for multidimensional results.
• XY graphs.
• AWP does not offer 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.
• 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).

AWP access

A. Demo release

• Free directories to test and demo AWP, and show models to others.
• Assigned directories to allow selected organizations to make a set of models viewable and runnable to self registered users.

B. Full release

• Assigned directory, with Admin capable of adding Authors and Analysts. Analysts can run models, change inputs, and save results. Authors can also upload new and revised models for use by Analysts.

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.