VEDA-FE comments and suggestions

[Gargiulo]

Amit,

I think it is a good idea and I try to start with some comments/suggestions. I hope other users will follow up with, this is an important step for all of us.

Thanks,
Maurizio

VEDA-FE and templates general updates
1. SysSetting
    a. Other indexes column in TFM tables
         i. If we type OtherIndex we don’t get the error message after SYNC.
2. If we create manually a SubRes or we delete the Subres__Trans the new trans file created by VEDA is empty, will be better to create a trans file with the same tables we have when creating the files from VFE clicking on new subres.
3. Trade links matrix. If this file already exist and we try to add a new commodity trade from VFE, this is creating some problems with files. It is creating a new file and removing the second one but VEDA crash.
4. Could be possible to add in the VFE templates the possibility of double clicking on the cells under filters (e.g. PSet_PN) and jump to VFE browse to check which processes are included in this rule/filter? Of course this option will become available only after we had synchronised templates.

VEDA-FE comments and suggestions
1. In the VEDA Tables list for some of the tables we don’t have predefined structure, this could be completed. Not all the listed tables are described in the “documentation”.
2. Create an excel file with the list of all parameters and detailed descriptions as in the documentation - Documentation_for_the_TIMES_Model-Part-II_July-2016 – Tables 13: user input parameters in TIMES. In the Attribute Master table of VEDA-FE could be included the possibility of jumping from that list to the detailed description in this excel file.
3. Add the list and name of supported TIMES SETS (Commodity and Processes) in VFE. For example could be added after VEDA Tables or before.
4. Could be possible to open and close together the Navigator and FE Case Manager? We don’t really need them as a separate window.
5. Add more options to the right click on the templates name in VEDA-FE. Not only copy but also unsync and then delete after you had unsync a file.
6. Could be possible to add a new feature to generate automatically timeslice combinations based on the user inputs?
7. Documentation about VEDA-FE and all buttons, information available in the tool. We already have documentation for templates and some aspects of VEDA-FE software.
8. Could be useful a discussion on how commands are grouped in VEDA-FE. This is a first thought for discussion about an alternative approach.
    TOOLS
    a. Too many information here
        i. User Options could be moved on the command line
        ii. Templates set up
            VEDA tables
            Model Tables
            Add new process
            Add new commodities
        iii. Model checks
            Model Stats
            View Import Errors
            Scenario Dependence
            ReDef Attributes
        iv. Tools
             Export to VEDA BE
             Close Xls Images
             Start from scratch
             Update TIMES code

BASIC FUNCTIONS
b. Navigator/Case Manager
c. Browse TIMES View / VEDA View
d. RES
e. MilestoneYears

Colours legend at the bottom of FE NAvigator could be improved to create less confusion 
Consistent could be Synchronised
InConsistent maybe Re-Synch
To Delete - This is creating confusion. Not sure it is needed here, see previous comment on including a right click to unsync and delete
File Open -  I never seen this color
File Missing - In this case I think we should get a pop up window with the instructions to solve the problem like refresh or re-synch or if the file is needed for BY error…..

Other suggestions
1. New pop up window saying you didn’t SYNC the model when the button is red and you try to solve.
2. Pop up window with the list of all the files including a FILL table after you have done changes in templates or some warning.
3. Fill Tables. Include more details about the records, sometimes it is difficult to understand why there is more than one record. Could the comment include the file name, sheet and cell?

VEDA-BE
In VBE if we have open tables and we import new results it is necessary to close all the tables and open again. Could be possible to refresh the tables without closing them? Or in alternative recall in one click all the tables already open before the last import?

[Gary]

Great food for thought in the list from Mauri. Couple of minor ideas:

- allow a right mouse in the Navigator to allows renaming of an Excel templates so that SYNC not necessary
- get Direct Edit working properly & reliably again in Browse [I see the option in the Masters --- which I dont remember seeing earlier]
- reopen FE in the same location/window size as it was closed with
- echo Set descriptions when cursor over name in Browse list
- warn the user that their BE table may not have been "attached" if the default SnT is shown up to (or just make it red)
- report the model runs a scenario has been used in via right mouse in Navigator [though can get via Case Master by putting scenario to the left of the cube --- wonder who many users know about/use it?]
- when RES closed dont loose the other open windows (Nav&Browse, Case remains)
- would be nice if Layout saved in Browse could be applied in the RES/Masters data views
- there are some powerful & useful (new to me) Tools, would be helpful to have a simple [Help] available on each form (Basic as well) to just give some basic instructions for new users [and some I dont know - such as ShortCuts - Move To?]

[Gargiulo]

Few more comments about possible improvements.
Trade processes
-         Could be useful in the ScenTrade__Trade_Links template including the Process table, so the user will be able to see and change easily all the information related to the trade technologies (name. description, TSLV, …) .
 
Attribute Master table in VFE
- Add a new column with additional comments. For example specifying that the parameter EFF can be used also for IRE processes and VEDA will transform this in IRE_FLO.
This column could be used for other similar situations.
 - Attributes with +
Often this is create confusion in the users. Are the attribute with + still needed? Maybe a discussion on how to simplify this aspect will be useful.

[AKanudia]

Thanks for your suggestions and comments, Mauri and Gary.

It would be really helpful if we had some more users share their thoughts on these or other topics... to enhance our tools.

[Antti-L]

Small comment on the VEDA attribute conversion: Note that even though in some circumstances VEDA will transform EFF into IRE_FLO for IRE processes, under other conditions it does not, but converts EFF into ACT_EFF even for IRE processes. Therefore, I think also those special conditions should be mentioned somewhere. See below my example, where I tested defining EFF for the TB_ELC_ROW_WEU process in the DEMO model.


As you can see, in this example with VEDA-FE 4.5.4, the EFF parameter for the trade link process was translated into ACT_EFF, and as such, it will be ignored by TIMES. Perhaps TIMES might be set to trigger an abort here?

[AKanudia]

EFF is migrated to IRE_FLO only in Trade scenarios. Open to suggestions...

I think attributes that are not supported for a particular process type (UC_FLO for IRE is another example) should be highlighted in QA_Check, if used. VEDA can open the QA_Check file after launching the run if it contains errors above some severity threshold.

[Gargiulo]

EFF is migrated to IRE_FLO only in Trade scenarios. Open to suggestions...

Could be possible to migrate EFF each time we have an IRE process? Sometimes we define the trade parameters in the trade scenario and/or standard scenario. Is there any problem in migrating for all IRE?

[AKanudia]

A comment about renaming scenarios (or unsync/delete) with right-click on the navigator:

UPD and MIG tables make this very difficult to do. Let's say you have scenarios A, B, C and D, where each one is using seed values from the previous scenario (in UPD/MIG) tables. If I renamed C to Ac, then not only do I have to re-import Ac, but B and D as well, as the seed values they see might change. Similarly, if I delete C, then I have to re-import all scenarios that are using seed values from this one.

It is not perfect, but VEDA helps you with this interdependence after you mark a file for reprocessing or delete. You might have noticed a yellow triangle that appears on top of the SYNC button sometimes (when it red). This is meant to help you select all the scenario files that are using seed values from the files that are currently marked for reprocessing. Scenario dependence information is also available in the Tools menu. Both these will be improved in the next updates.

One possibility would be to allow direct rename/unsync for scenario files that are not using or providing seed values within the regular scenarios. Renaming option for SubRES files won't be a problem even now. Would that be useful?

[Gargiulo]

A comment about renaming scenarios (or unsync/delete) with right-click on the navigator:

UPD and MIG tables make this very difficult to do. Let's say you have scenarios A, B, C and D, where each one is using seed values from the previous scenario (in UPD/MIG) tables. If I renamed C to Ac, then not only do I have to re-import Ac, but B and D as well, as the seed values they see might change. Similarly, if I delete C, then I have to re-import all scenarios that are using seed values from this one.

It is not perfect, but VEDA helps you with this interdependence after you mark a file for reprocessing or delete. You might have noticed a yellow triangle that appears on top of the SYNC button sometimes (when it red). This is meant to help you select all the scenario files that are using seed values from the files that are currently marked for reprocessing. Scenario dependence information is also available in the Tools menu. Both these will be improved in the next updates.

One possibility would be to allow direct rename/unsync for scenario files that are not using or providing seed values within the regular scenarios. Renaming option for SubRES files won't be a problem even now. Would that be useful?

Thanks Amit, I think that will be useful but for the other scenario files will be great to get a message that we can't rename/unsync directly because of interdependence with other scenarios. Do you think is feasible?

[AKanudia]

Yes

[Gary]

sounds like a helpful step forward to me as well.

[Gary]

* as discussed today, aligning/harmonizing/cleaning the Tools/User Options & SysSettings Import Settings would be useful, perhaps adding some hover help explaining each switch

* it would be quite useful to be able to NOT include the ZZDMY backstop processes via the Case Manager Control Panel to avoid the associated scaling issues once a model is stable

[Pernille.S]

I suggest investigating how the software can be developed to reduce probability of getting an error when installing VEDA_BE & VEDA_FE. For example some people have complications with antivirus programs, user rights ect. Can these problems somehow be eliminated?

Pernille

[AKanudia]

All I can tell you is that addressing the installation issues you mention are super-high priority items for us too. A part of the problem is that we are on a platform (VB6) that Microsoft stopped supporting around a decade ago. Hopefully we will have more options to exercise when we rewrite VEDA applications on the .NET platform.