The advantage of on-line analysis is that it can save you time when sense-checking a model because you can do so quickly without first having to record a LEGION Simulation Results File. However, each time you run an on-line analysis, the behaviour of Entities will be slightly different compared to Entities in a LEGION Simulation Results File which are recorded and therefore fixed.

You should record a LEGION Simulation Results File after you are satisfied that the model logic is robust and there are no more modelling improvements you wish to make. If a video of the simulation is desired, then you are advised to save an accelerated video ('avi') file at the same time, because large models may take time to play back.

If you decide to do on-line analysis and record LEGION Simulation Results Files and/or video files in one go, this is likely to save a little time because processing is slightly more efficient than running a simulation first and then an off-line analysis. However, running an on-line analysis has the combined memory requirements of simulation and off-line analysis so you should check that your equipment's physical memory limits are not reached-if they are, Windows will start using the swap or 'page' file and the negative impact on performance will more than negate the small initial saving.

In summary:

• If you want to use LEGION Simulator just to record LEGION Simulation Results File outputs, make sure to deactivate Maps and Analyses to optimise performance.
• On-line analysis is most useful for sense-checking and finalising local modelling logic.
• You can save time by recording a LEGION Simulation Results File and/or video file during an on-line analysis session provided you:
  • Make sure that you are perfectly happy with your modelling logic first; otherwise you will wait longer to discover an omission or error, compared to just saving a video.
  • Keep an eye on memory usage to ensure it does not exceed the available physical memory on your computer.