NetLogo and GIS: A Powerful Combination

Abstract

NetLogo is a popular agent-based modeling system for good reason. It is relatively easy to learn; it allows an intuitive user interface to be built with predefined objects, such as buttons, sliders, and monitors; and available documentation is extensive, both on the NetLogo Website and in public forums. The Geographic Information Systems (GIS) extension for NetLogo allows real-world geographic or demographic data to be incorporated into NetLogo projects. When GIS is combined with NetLogo, simulations can be transformed from a basic representation to one that accurately replicates the characteristics of a map or population. This paper describes the necessary steps for incorporating GIS within a NetLogo project and the primitive commands used for associating shape properties to NetLogo patches. A practical example is included that demonstrates how to import a map of Texas into a NetLogo project and use the vector data in conjunction with NetLogo patches to randomly color each county. keywords: Agent-based modeling, ABS, NetLogo, GIS