AnyLogic
AnyLogic is a multimethod simulation modeling software that integrates discrete event, agent-based, and system dynamics approaches into a single platform, allowing users to build, visualize, and analyze complex real-world systems and processes. Developed by The AnyLogic Company, a multinational firm with operations in the US and Europe, it supports applications across diverse industries such as manufacturing, logistics, healthcare, mining, and defense, providing tools for optimization, risk assessment, and decision-making.[1][2] The software's origins trace back to 2000, when it was first released as a pioneering agent-based simulation tool. The AnyLogic Company, founded in 2002, has since expanded the platform's capabilities with multimethod support, industry-specific libraries, and cloud integration starting in 2015. As of September 2025, the latest version is 8.9.6, which includes enhancements for industrial modeling and integration with advanced tools like NVIDIA Omniverse.[3][4] AnyLogic stands out for its flexibility and industry-specific libraries, including GIS integration for geospatial modeling and 2D/3D animation for intuitive visualization, making it a preferred choice for over 40% of Fortune 100 companies and thousands of organizations worldwide. Its cloud-based ecosystem further facilitates model sharing and remote experimentation, enhancing its role in digital twin development and business process optimization.[1][2][5]History
Origins and Early Development
AnyLogic's origins trace back to the 1990s at St. Petersburg Technical University (now Peter the Great St. Petersburg Polytechnic University), where Andrei Borshchev, holding an MSc in Computer Science from the institution in 1989 and a PhD in Complex Systems Modeling, began developing advanced simulation tools as part of research in distributed systems and object-oriented modeling.[6][7] This work evolved from the COVERS project, an earlier C++-based graphical environment for modeling, simulating, and analyzing concurrent real-time systems using object structure diagrams and statecharts, which supported the full modeling cycle within a Microsoft Windows interface.[8] COVERS emphasized reactive systems and timed transition semantics, laying the groundwork for more versatile business simulation applications.[9] In 1998, Borshchev assumed leadership of the AnyLogic development project at the university, focusing on integrating multiple simulation paradigms to address limitations in traditional approaches.[7] The software's initial commercial release came in 2000 as AnyLogic 4.0, continuing the versioning from COVERS 3.0 and marking it as a pioneering tool for business simulations.[3] This version introduced agent-based modeling capabilities, leveraging UML statecharts (inspired by UML-RT for real-time systems) and hybrid statecharts to model complex, decentralized behaviors of individual agents interacting in dynamic environments.[3][10] Notably, AnyLogic 4.0 was the first commercial simulation software to seamlessly combine system dynamics, discrete event, and agent-based methods within a single multimethod framework, enabling hybrid models that captured both aggregate flows and individual-level dynamics.[10] From its inception, AnyLogic emphasized a Java-based implementation to ensure cross-platform compatibility and extensibility, generating fully executable Java code from visual models while integrating with the simulation engine for seamless execution and customization.[11][10] This object-oriented core minimized the need for manual coding, allowing modelers to focus on conceptual design. In 2000, Borshchev co-founded XJ Technologies (later renamed The AnyLogic Company) with Alexei Filippov to commercialize and further advance the software, shifting from academic research to industry applications in areas like logistics and market analysis.[10][6]Major Releases and Evolutions
AnyLogic's development has been marked by iterative enhancements focusing on performance, usability, and expanded modeling capabilities since its early commercial versions. In 2005, version 5.3 introduced the Pedestrian Library, enabling straightforward simulation of crowd dynamics and pedestrian flows in physical environments.[3] By 2007, AnyLogic 6.0 represented a significant overhaul, with a redesigned simulation engine delivering 5-20 times faster performance compared to prior iterations, alongside the adoption of the Eclipse integrated development environment for improved model development workflows.[3] In 2011, version 6.6 launched RunTheModel.com, an online platform for sharing and running simulation models that served as a precursor to the later AnyLogic Cloud service, while also previewing the Road Traffic Library for vehicular simulation.[3][3] The 2013 release of AnyLogic 7.0 brought the Process Modeling Library, facilitating discrete event simulations through intuitive flowchart-based constructs, and unified 3D animation capabilities that integrated seamlessly across different modeling paradigms.[12][3] In 2015, AnyLogic 7.1 debuted the Personal Learning Edition (PLE), a free version tailored for educational purposes to broaden access for students and academic users.[13] Version 8.0, released in 2017, deepened integration with AnyLogic Cloud for remote model execution and collaboration, coinciding with the company's rebranding to The AnyLogic Company to reflect its expanded focus on simulation solutions.[14] The AnyLogic 8.9 series, starting in May 2024, introduced support for Java 17 runtime.[15] Single sign-on (SSO) functionality was added to AnyLogic Cloud in 2024.[16] Later releases in the series, such as version 8.9.5 in June 2025, added advanced robot control features in the Material Handling Library and enhanced storage system modeling.[17][18] In 2025, previews of AnyLogic 9 were showcased at the annual AnyLogic Conference, highlighting AI-driven enhancements for model optimization and substantial advances in 3D animation for more immersive visualizations; concurrent updates to AnyLogic Cloud versions 2.5.4 through 2.5.8 improved model management, search capabilities, and public model categorization.[19][20][21]Technical Foundation
Java Integration
AnyLogic has been built on the Java SE platform since its inception in 2000, enabling simulation models to be compiled into standalone Java applications that run cross-platform on Microsoft Windows, Apple macOS, and Linux distributions without requiring the AnyLogic software itself.[3][4] This architecture leverages Java's object-oriented principles, high performance, and extensive standard libraries, allowing models to integrate seamlessly with the Java ecosystem for scalability and portability.[11] Users can embed custom Java code directly within AnyLogic models to implement advanced logic, extend the core API, and incorporate external Java libraries, such as adding JAR files for specialized functionality like data processing or optimization algorithms.[11][22] For instance, developers can define Java classes in the model's project structure to customize experiment hosts or manipulate simulation parameters programmatically, facilitating tight integration with external Java applications via methods like launching models headlessly or exporting them as runnable JARs.[22] The AnyLogic integrated development environment (IDE) is based on the Eclipse platform, providing tools for model development, automatic Java code generation from visual elements, and built-in debugging capabilities.[3][23] This Eclipse foundation supports features like breakpoint setting in code expressions, variable inspection during simulation runs, and remote debugging by connecting to external Eclipse instances for low-level Java source analysis.[24] As of the stable release 8.9.6 in September 2025, AnyLogic maintains compatibility with JDK 17 or higher, enhancing performance through modern Java features like improved garbage collection and security updates while ensuring backward compatibility for existing models.[4]Core Simulation Language
AnyLogic's core simulation language is a proprietary visual modeling paradigm that enables users to construct complex simulations through a drag-and-drop interface, seamlessly integrating graphical elements with underlying Java code to define agents, processes, and system dynamics. This approach abstracts intricate simulation logic into intuitive diagrams, allowing modelers to represent behaviors without deep programming expertise while retaining full extensibility. The language draws from established simulation methodologies, supporting discrete-event, agent-based, and continuous modeling through specialized diagram types. The language facilitates hierarchical modeling, where complex systems can be decomposed into nested structures for modularity and reusability. Statecharts enable the depiction of state-based behaviors with nested states and transitions, allowing sub-statecharts to encapsulate detailed logic within higher-level states. Process flowcharts support scalable, object-oriented hierarchies by permitting custom blocks that bundle subprocesses, enabling large-scale process representations. Stock-and-flow diagrams similarly allow encapsulation of subsystems into agent types, promoting organized modeling of dynamic interactions across levels. Central to the language are agents, which serve as autonomous entities representing active objects like individuals, vehicles, or organizations, each capable of containing parameters, variables, events, and embedded sub-agents or populations. Events drive discrete changes by scheduling actions such as timeouts or conditional triggers, modeling instantaneous shifts in system state. Variables, in contrast, handle continuous dynamics, evolving over time through differential equations in stock-and-flow structures or as dynamic attributes within agents, capturing gradual accumulations and rates of change. Extensibility is achieved through direct Java integration, permitting users to define custom functions, algorithms, and conditions within visual elements, such as transition guards in statecharts or flow rate expressions, thereby tailoring the language to specialized simulation needs. This multimethod framework allows brief combinations of diagram types within agents for hybrid models.Modeling Features
Multimethod Approaches
AnyLogic's multimethod simulation capability allows users to integrate three primary modeling paradigms—agent-based, discrete event, and system dynamics—within a single model, enabling the representation of complex systems at varying levels of abstraction.[5] This approach was pioneered by AnyLogic upon its release in 2000, making it the first simulation software to support seamless multimethod modeling and facilitating more accurate depictions of real-world dynamics.[5] Agent-based modeling in AnyLogic treats individual entities, known as agents, as autonomous objects with unique properties, behaviors, and states.[25] These agents interact dynamically based on predefined rules and environmental conditions, allowing for emergent behaviors and adaptations that arise from collective actions, such as in simulations of customer decision-making processes influenced by social networks.[25] Discrete event modeling focuses on operational processes as sequences of discrete events, such as arrivals or service completions, where time advances only when significant changes occur.[26] It incorporates queues to represent waiting lines, resources like equipment or personnel that can be allocated and tracked, and event-driven logic to simulate workflows efficiently, as seen in manufacturing line optimizations.[26] System dynamics modeling employs stock and flow diagrams to capture continuous processes, where stocks represent accumulations (e.g., inventory levels) and flows denote rates of change between them.[27] Feedback loops connect these elements to model systemic interactions, such as reinforcing or balancing effects in market growth scenarios, with underlying mathematics based on differential equations like \frac{dS}{dt} = \text{Inflow} - \text{Outflow}.[27] The strength of AnyLogic's multimethod framework lies in its hybrid applications, where paradigms can be combined without custom coding, such as embedding agent-based entities within a system dynamics environment to drive discrete event processes—for instance, individual agents triggering inventory flows and queue formations in a supply chain model.[28] This integration supports hierarchical structures, where lower-level details from one method inform higher-level aggregates in another, enhancing model fidelity for multifaceted analyses.[29]Industry-Specific Libraries
AnyLogic provides a suite of industry-specific libraries that extend its multimethod simulation capabilities to address domain-specific challenges in sectors such as manufacturing, logistics, transportation, and public infrastructure. These libraries offer pre-built blocks and agents for modeling complex systems, enabling users to simulate processes with high fidelity without starting from scratch.[5] The Process Modeling Library supports discrete event simulation for business processes in manufacturing and logistics. It includes flowchart-based blocks such as Seize and Release for managing resource utilization, where entities acquire and relinquish resources during operations, and Enter and Exit blocks for handling the ingress and egress of items like products or customers in workflows. These components allow users to model queues, delays, and throughput to identify bottlenecks and optimize production lines or supply chains.[30] The Pedestrian Library facilitates the simulation of human crowd dynamics using a social force model that accounts for route selection, collision avoidance, and interactions with environmental elements. Key components include space markup shapes like walls, escalators, and attractors, along with pedestrian counters and flow density maps to track movement patterns. It is particularly useful for modeling crowd flow in venues such as airports or shopping centers, evacuation scenarios for safety assessments, and spatial behaviors influenced by factors like luggage or social distancing.[31] For rail operations, the Rail Library enables detailed modeling of train movements, signaling systems, and yard management through agent-based railcars and locomotives that follow flowchart logic. Components such as rail topology markups, automatic route calculators, and tools for coupling/decoupling railcars support collision detection and switch management. Use cases include optimizing yard capacity, scheduling maintenance, and analyzing fleet structures for terminals or freight networks.[32] The Road Traffic Library models vehicle dynamics at a physical level, with each vehicle as an agent customizable by parameters like speed and acceleration. It features blocks for intersections with traffic lights and priorities, as well as GIS-linked routing that imports shapefiles to generate road networks automatically. This library is applied in urban planning to simulate traffic congestion, assess highway capacities, and optimize signal timings for efficient vehicle flow.[33] The Material Handling Library addresses intra-facility logistics with components for conveyor systems, including Convey blocks for automatic routing and processing stations, Network Ports for interconnecting lines, and Lifts for vertical transport. It supports modeling of automated guided vehicles (AGVs) and cranes in manufacturing environments to evaluate layouts and resource allocation. In warehouses, it simulates material flows to improve throughput and reduce delays.[34] Complementing these, the Fluid Library simulates bulk material, liquid, and gas flows using discrete rate methods for pipes and tanks. Tanks handle accumulation, mixing, and splitting of streams, while pipe blocks track rate changes and integrate event logic for breakdowns. Applications span oil and gas distribution, mineral processing, and pipeline maintenance to assess network capacities and schedule batches efficiently.[35] Recent updates in the AnyLogic 8.9 series have enhanced these libraries, particularly in the Material Handling domain, with new blocks like SeizeRobot and ReleaseRobot for multi-step robotic workflows, path-based movements for tasks such as welding, and improved storage systems featuring automatic initial stock generation and deep retrieval options to optimize rack utilization and transporter efficiency.[17] Version 8.9.6 (September 2025) further refined these libraries, including new options for train sources and improved routing algorithms in the Rail Library, better handling of density maps and path selection in the Pedestrian Library, and enhanced error diagnostics and animations in the Fluid Library.[15]Animation and Visualization
AnyLogic provides a built-in animation engine that supports both 2D and 3D visualizations, enabling users to create dynamic graphics for simulation models. This engine allows the integration of various shapes such as rectangles, polylines, ellipses, and text, along with image placeholders that support multiple runtime-switchable images and customizable textures through color expressions or dedicated dialogs.[36] Trajectories and movements are achieved via dynamic positioning expressions, for example, using functions like sin(time()) to animate objects along curved paths in real time.[36] Additionally, 3D-specific elements like cameras, lights, and imported custom 3D models or CAD drawings enhance spatial realism, with Z-coordinate adjustments ensuring proper layering.[5][36] The software offers customizable views to facilitate model exploration and presentation. Users can zoom in or out using keyboard shortcuts or toolbar controls, supporting scales from 100% to 800%, while panning is enabled through mouse drags for efficient navigation across large scenes.[36] Real-time parameter adjustments are supported by linking shape properties—such as position, size, color, and visibility—to model variables or expressions, allowing animations to update dynamically with simulation progress and enabling interactive dashboards for stakeholder input.[5][36] Groups and replication tools further organize complex visuals, creating indexed copies of shapes for scalable representations of agents or processes.[36] Recent advancements in AnyLogic's 3D animation, introduced in late 2024, emphasize immersive modeling through integration with NVIDIA Omniverse, which delivers photorealistic effects including lighting, shadows, reflections, and transparency for physically accurate simulations.[37] This connector enables live synchronization between AnyLogic models and Omniverse scenes, supporting VR headset compatibility for immersive previews and exploration of digital twins.[37] Such features enhance visualization for complex scenarios, building on core tools while incorporating industry-specific library elements like process flows for tailored animations.[21] For sharing visualizations, AnyLogic supports export options including standalone Java applications that preserve interactive 2D and 3D animations for client deployment without requiring the full software.[5] Models can also be exported as static images in formats like PNG or JPEG directly from the interface, and 3D animations for custom elements can be packaged for broader use.[38] Interactive HTML5 presentations are available through model embedding capabilities, allowing web-based playback of animations.[39]Geospatial and GIS Support
AnyLogic provides robust geospatial and GIS capabilities through its GIS Map shape, enabling the integration of geographic data into simulation models for spatial analysis and visualization.[40] This feature allows users to incorporate real-world maps and terrain data directly into the modeling environment, supporting applications that require location-based decision-making and movement simulation.[5] The system assumes the WGS 84 datum for coordinate projections, ensuring compatibility with standard global positioning systems.[41] Key import formats include shapefiles (SHP, SHX, DBF) for vector data representing terrain, roads, and buildings, as well as tiled maps from OpenStreetMap for detailed road networks and urban layouts.[40] Users can import these formats via the Space Markup palette, allowing the creation of static or dynamic maps that serve as the foundation for agent-based or process simulations.[41] Offline support is available by downloading OSM data in PBF or OSM file formats, which can be stored locally to avoid dependency on internet connectivity during model execution.[42] Spatial functions facilitate precise calculations and interactions within the GIS environment. Distance computations include straight-line measurements usinggetDistance() and route-based distances via getDistanceByRoute(), accounting for actual road or path constraints in meters.[40] Routing capabilities support shortest or fastest paths using algorithms such as A* or Dijkstra, with options for vehicle types like cars, trucks, or pedestrians, integrated via OpenStreetMap servers.[43] Agent movement is handled through the GIS space, where agents can be positioned on maps, move along defined routes at specified speeds, and trigger actions upon arrival, enabling realistic simulations of spatial dynamics.[44]
Integration with external GIS tools occurs primarily through data exchange formats like shapefiles, which are compatible with software such as ArcGIS for import and export operations.[40] This allows users to prepare and refine geographic datasets in specialized tools before incorporating them into AnyLogic models, though direct API linkages require custom Java extensions.[45] The underlying OpenMap Java toolkit provides the visualization backbone, supporting layered map displays and interactive navigation during both design and runtime.[41]
These features find application in logistics for modeling supply chain routes and delivery networks, as demonstrated in the Product Delivery example model.[46] In urban planning, GIS support aids in simulating traffic flows and land-use scenarios, while environmental modeling benefits from region-based analysis of spatial impacts, such as flood risk or resource distribution.[5] The Road Traffic Library complements these by providing predefined elements for vehicle movement on imported maps, enhancing realism in transportation-focused simulations.[41]