--------------------------------------------------------------------
Copyright (C) 2009-2015 by Niels Holst and co-authors. 
Released under the terms of the GNU General Public License version 
3.0 or later. See www.gnu.org/copyleft/gpl.html.
--------------------------------------------------------------------

Universal Simulator (UniSim) Software
=====================================
Universal Simulator is a software package for collaborative 
ecological modelling. It is composed of a GUI main module which is 
used to open and execute model specifications read from XML files. 
The XML files specify the components constituting a model. The 
functionality of these components are defined in plug-in libraries. 
This makes UniSim extendible and open for re-use. It is programmed 
in standard C++ but relies on the Qt library.

Real World Usage
================
UniSim software is intended for research and education. While the 
first scientific papers making use of UniSim are in press, it has 
already been used to teach students modelling, both at graduate and 
post-graduate level.

The academic use of UniSim is reflected by the author list (see 
authors.xml).

Future Plans
============
The UniSim main module will be extended with additional 
capabilities, such as stochastic and spatial modeling and 
sensitivity analysis. Some basic functionality for ease of use also 
needs implementation.

The UniSim plug-in library will be extended with still more models. 

Requirements
============
The libraries and software below are supplied with the user
installation file (I, as library and executable files) or the 
source code package (S, as source code):
* Qt Libraries (I)
* Graphviz software (I) 
* Qwt library (I,S)
* GSL library (I,S)
* Boost library (S)

Acknowledgements
================
UniSim development has been supported by 
* PURE (EU FP-7)
* European Network for the Durable Exploitation of Crop Protection 
Strategies (ENDURE) 
* International Centre for Research in Organic Food Systems 
(ICROFS), Denmark
* BiosafeTrain Project of Danida, Denmark
* Aarhus University, Denmark

Installation
============
Follow the instructions in 'Universal Simulator Explained' found in
the Downloads sections of www.ecolmod.org.

---------------------------------------
Niels Holst, Aarhus University, Denmark
[niels.holst@agro.au.dk] 
---------------------------------------