The Geographic Automata Add-In
A geosimulation modeling extension for ArcGIS Pro 3.1+
The Geographic Automata Add-In supports end-to-end geosimulation modeling projects in ArcGIS Pro. The add-in was developed as part of a Spatial Analysis and Modeling Laboratory research project and was fully funded through the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC) Discovery Grant program.
The extension was created for researchers, students, decision-makers, and others looking to explore the geographic automata modeling paradigm. To learn more about the tool and underlying cellular automata theory, you can check out the research paper: van Duynhoven & Dragićević (2024). You can download the add-in for free from ArcGIS Online.
Citation
van Duynhoven, Alysha, and Suzana Dragićević. “The Geographic Automata Tool: A New General-Purpose Geosimulation Extension for ArcGIS Pro.” Applied Sciences 14, no. 15 (2024): 6530. https://www.mdpi.com/2076-3417/14/15/6530
Key Features
✨ Supporting End-to-End Cellular Automata Workflows
Currently, the Geographic Automata Add-In supports end-to-end geographic cellular automata modeling workflows. Coupled with Geoprocessing Functions available in ArcGIS Pro, users are provided essential Model Parameterization, Model Execution, and Model Evaluation functionality.
✨ Encouraging Model Transparency
The Geographic Automata Add-In functionality was developed with model transparency and explanability in mind. For example, users are supported in implementing transparent transition rules mechanisms and model execution tools provide reports that can be used to explain simulated outcomes.
✨ Enabling Integrated Cellular Automata Models
The Geographic Automata Add-In is capable of supporting modern integrated or hybrid cellular automata models that leverage outcomes of GeoAI Tools, the Suitability Modeler, and other tools available in ArcGIS Pro.
✨ Raster-Based Model Evaluation in ArcGIS Pro
The Geographic Automata Add-In offers new Model Evaluation tools to extend ArcGIS Pro. Users are also provided options to create evaluation reports without needing other software solutions to calculate common raster-based metrics such as the Figure of Merit, Kappa Statistics, per-category agreement measures, and more.