Analytica User Group

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Past Topics >>

The Analytica User Group is a way for Analytica users to support each other by sharing tips and function libraries. It includes a webinar series with tutorials and demonstrations on key Analytica features.

Webinar Series

There is usually an Analytica user webinar each week, presented by a user from Lumina or elsewhere. Webinars include demonstrations and tutorials on key issues for Analytica users, sometimes on how to use existing features more effectively, and sometimes on features of new or upcoming releases.

Webinars are interactive, using Citrix Gotomeeting to share screens and a phone teleconference. Questions, comments, and tangents are welcome. Webinars are a great place to learn more about Analytica and other related topics. Seats are limited. To sign up for a particular webinar, see "How to Attend" below. Presentations may last anywhere from 20 to 90 minutes (with an estimate provided upfront).

Lumina often records User Group webinars, including audio and screensharing, and makes them available so that those who couldn't make it at the original time can view them later.

Schedule of Upcoming Webinars

Creating Control Panels

Date and Time: TBD

Presenter: TBD

Abstract

It is quite easy to put together "control panels" or "forms" for your Analytica models by creating input and output nodes for the inputs and outputs of interest to your model end users. This webinar will cover the basic steps involved in creating and arranging these forms, along with some tricks for making the process efficient. We'll cover the different types of input and output controls that are currently available, the use of text nodes to create visual groupings, use of images and icons, and the alignment commands that make the process very rapid. We'll learn how to change colors, and look at the use of buttons very briefly. This talk is appropriate for beginning Analytica users.

How to Attend

To attend, you need to sign up by contacting Lumina at webinars@lumina.com or (650) 212-1212. Attendence is limited to 15 people, so don't sign up unless you sincerely intend to attend. Also, sign up at least a day prior, since the webinar may be cancelled if there are few pre-registered participants.

These Webinars are FREE to users who have an up-to-date annual maintenance subscription (MTS). If you are unsure, check with mailto:sales@lumina. For those without MTS, an attendence fee of US$100 is charged.

How to be a Presenter

Being a presenter at an Analytica webinar provides an opportunity to make others in the Analytica community aware of your successes or capabilities. Consultants may find this an opportunity for exposure to others with particular modeling needs. Also, if you are an Analytica aficionado, this is a great opportunity to help others.

If you would like to be a presenter, submit your proposed topic to webinars@lumina.com and possible presentation times (include the time zone). We will schedule the GotoMeeting conference (you do not need a gotoMeeting subscription yourself) and we will make you presenter during the session, allowing you to share your screen while you talk. You will most likely make use of Power Point and a running Analytica during your presentation.

Archive of Past Topics

Visit the Archive of Past Topics for abstracts, example models, and recordings of previous Analytica User Group webinars. Previous topics that have been presented include:

  • Statistical Functions
  • Creating Scatter Plots
  • Using Regression
  • New Functions for Reading Directly from an Excel File
  • Advanced Tornado Charts -- when inputs are Array-Valued
  • Using the Analytica Decision Engine (ADE) from ASP.NET
  • OLE Linking
  • Tornado Charts
  • Correlated and Multivariate Distributions
  • Assessment of Probability Distributions
  • Graph Style Templates
  • Sneak preview of Analytica Web Publisher
  • Querying an OLAP server
  • Querying an ODBC relational database
  • Self-Indexes, Lists and Implicit Dimensions
  • Flattening and Unflattening of Arrays
  • Introduction to Arrays and Array Abstraction
  • Local Indexes
  • The Iterate Function
  • The Reference and Dereference Operators
  • Modeling Utility Tariffs in Analytica
  • Modeling Energy Efficiency in Large Data Centers
  • Calling External Applications
  • Introduction to Linear and Quadratic Programming
  • Non-Linear Optimization
  • Writing User-Defined Functions
  • Modeling Markov Processes in Analytica
  • Manipulating Dates in Analytica
  • Button Scripting
  • Statistical Functions in Analytica 4.0
  • Manipulating Indexes and Arrays in Analytica Expressions
  • Edit Table Enhancements in Analytica 4.0
  • Handles and Meta-Inference

Potential future topics

If you would like to see a webinar on a given topic, please feel free to add it here. If you see a topic listed and would like to be a presenter, let us know.

  • Rapid review of features new to Analytica 4.0.
  • Importance Sampling. Global sample weighting and use of extended statistic functions in 4.0.
  • Topics in Regression: Using the Regression function in flexible ways, such as infering VARMA models, DFTs, etc. Estimating secondary statistics (i.e., uncertainty in the parameters) and modeling the full uncertainty in resulting model predictions (the RegressionDist function, etc).
  • Logistic Regression: Quick intro to logistic regression (generalized regression), including Probit_Regression, Logistic_Regression, Poisson_Regression, etc. Using these to fit probability estimates in Analytica, Analytica Optimizer experience, exploring result with new graphing features.
  • New 4.0 graphing features general overview
  • Creating graphs of multi-dimensional data.
  • An in-depth look at graph style settings.
  • Producing graphs from ADE: Including how to serve graphs from web pages.
  • Intracacies of the Domain attribute
  • Mastering Array Abstraction
  • Writing User-Defined Distribution functions.
  • Sampling and Distributions - new 4.0 additions/extensions. Also, writing custom User-Defined Distribution Functions.
  • Getting data into Analytica.
  • Large-scale sampling. Techniques when memory limitations constrain sampleSize.
  • Bayesian Inference
  • Sensitivity Analysis.
  • Dynamic Programming
  • Approximate and Stochastic Dynamic Programming

User Survey Results

During the first week of September, we sent out a survey to people who had attended webinars so far. Please continue providing us with feedback. Here is some feedback to date:

Level of difficult and speed:

So far, of those who answered this question, 25% say "a bit too easy", 25% say "too hard/fast", and 50% say "just right".

Topics requested for future webinars:

  • How to run multiple iterations, e.g. 100 iterations with uncertainty sample of 1000.
  • Sampling for rare events.
  • Using the lognormal function.
  • Financial modeling
  • New array functionality (subtables, choices in tables)
  • Optimizer !!!
  • Dynamic models (twice requested)
  • Choice of distributions
  • Re-sampling and radomize methods and uncertainty sample size
  • Tricks for sensitivity analysis
  • Input and output nodes
  • Importance analysis

The Analytica Wiki

The Analytica Wiki contains many resources, including in-depth reference materials, relevant articles, example models, tutorials, etc., to help users master Analytica and find what they need. Even better, Analytica users can contribute! You can upload your own models, articles, expand on or correct materials that are there, etc., for the benefit of the entire Analytica community.

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