Agent-Based Modeling Position Statement

ESRI has 25 years of experience creating spatial modeling tools for vector and raster analysis. In the last five years we have built a geoprocessing modeling environment that synthesizes our experience in spatial modeling into an easy to use, flexible framework. Within the framework hundreds of spatial modeling functions are available each as individual tools that can be accessed from dialogs, the command line, a graphical modeling environment (ModelBuilder), scripting, or from any programming language. The framework is fully object–oriented and is built on .Net standards. In using ModelBuilder a model is comprised of data that are connected to spatial and aspatial tools to create a process to perform some function. Processes can be linked to one another to create simple as well as complex models. This framework has been used extensively to create static, cartographic process models that encompass classic map analysis/algebra operations.