System Design & Analysis (5) PARAMICS

PARAMICS is a traffic microsimulation software developed by Quadstone Paramics. It is also the first traffic simulation software I have used. Instead of a software, PARAMICS is more like a ecosystem. It contains everything from network Editor, Visualizer, DTA, Parallel Platform, Data Analysis, Reporting Auto-generation and Video-capturing.

Basic:
1) Originally established in the early 1990s by the UK Department for Transport.
2) The software is widely used by government agencies, consultancies and universities. 

Development Platform:
C++
Excellent Core + Plugin System

Project Target:
One-stop microsimulation software

Platform Design:
1) Modeller: Build and Run a microsimulation.
2) Processor: A tool that allows simulations to be run on any number of networked PCs.
3) Analyser: A toolkit for post simulation data analysis.
4) Estimator: for OD matrix estimation in microsimulation level.
5) Converter: Network data format converter.
6) Monitor: Evaluate the levels of traffic emission pollution.
7) Programming: Enable programmers to control using C++.
8) PPM: Pedestrian Module
9) Designer: 3D Studio

Key Concepts: (Nothing New but Productive & Professional)
1) OD Matrix
2) 3-D
3) Behavior Models: Car-Following & Lane Changing
4) OD Estimation
5) Report Auto-generation
6) Parallel Computing

GUI:

Recent Updates:
1) Support Environment and Emissions
2) Support Pedestrian Movement

Success?
Yes, It is a big success!
Compared to tens of other simulation products, Paramics is extremely successfully. 

Future
The core of Paramics is computational intensive and is not suitable for city-scale traffic simulation.
The current Paramics suit does not quite fit in the area of city-scale traffic simulations.
Something should be changed.