<title>Spatio-temporal animation of army logistics simulations, facilitating analysis of military deployments</title>

Abstract

Visualization techniques for simulations are often limited to statistical reports, graphs, and charts, but simulations can be enhanced through the use of animation. A spatio-temporal animation allows a viewer to observe a simulation operate, rather than deduce it from numerical output. The Route Viewer, developed by Argonne National Laboratory, is a twodimensional animation model that animates the objects and events produced by a discrete event simulation. It operates in a playback mode, whereby a simulated scenario is animated after the simulation has completed. The Route Viewer is used to verify the simulation's processes and data, but it also benefits the simulation as an analytical tool by facilitating spatial and temporal analysis. By visualizing the events of a simulated scenario in two-dimensional space, it is possible to determine whether the scenario, or simulation model, is reasonable. Further, the Route Viewer provides an awareness of what happens in a scenario, when it happens, and the completeness and efficiency of the scenario and its processes. For Army deployments, it highlights utilization of resources and where bottlenecks are occurring. This paper discusses how the Route Viewer facilitates the analysis of military deployment simulation model results.