An Object-Based Architecture for Developing Interactive Simulations Using Java

Abstract

User interfaces in interactive simulations convey the dynamic behavior of the modeled system and allow the analyst to interact with the executing simulation. Traditionally, the software to display system behavior and to facilitate user interaction has been embedded in the simulation model. Such tight integrations make it dificult to maintain large simulations and impose unnecessary limitations on the development of interfaces to a simulation model. This article presen ts a portable, object-based architecture, called JADIS (Java-based Architecture for Developing Interactive Simulations), for developing interactive simulations. The architecture is implemented in Java and applies the Model-View-Controller paradigm to the development of interactive simulations. This article describes the JADIS architec ture and presents its application to an aircraft repair time analysis problem in the domain of airbase logistics.