Let’s explore the four main areas of NetLogo. We will use the Traffic Grid model as an example, but these concepts apply to all models.
1. World View (where agents live and move)¶
- This is the “stage” where your social drama unfolds
- Agents appear as colored shapes that move and interact
- Think of it as looking down at a city from above
Traffic Grid model’s world view.
2. Interface Tab (buttons, sliders, plots you can interact with)¶
The Figure below shows a typical model interface:
Example of a NetLogo model interface showing the visualization and controls.
- Sliders (1): Adjust parameters like “how many people?” or “how fast do they move?”
- Monitors (2): Display current values like “average wealth”
- Buttons (3): Start, stop, and control your model
- Switches (4): Toggle options on and off
- Plots (5): Graphs showing data over time
3. Code Tab (where the magic happens - but don’t worry!)¶
- Contains the “rules” that tell agents what to do
- Uses English-like commands:
move-forward,turn-right - We’ll start by reading code, not writing it
Example of a NetLogo Code tab interface showing the code for the Traffic Grid model.
4. Info Tab (documentation and explanations)¶
- Always read this first when exploring a model!
- Explains what the model does and what to look for
- Provides background and references
Example of a NetLogo Info tab interface showing model documentation and explanations.