Quick start

This documentation explains how to quickly run AMES without linking it to LEAP. To learn how to run AMES with LEAP, see the LEAP exercise, but it is a good idea to follow this Quick Start first.

The quickest way to get started with AMES is by running the "Freedonia" sample model:

Download the demonstration files as a zip file and save it to the folder of your choice
Unzip the AMES.zip file
Go the folder where you unzipped it (it will have a file in it named AMES_params.yml, together with several other files)
Start Julia in that folder and run the demo model:

julia> import AMES

julia> AMES.run()
With configuration file 'AMES_params.yml':
AMES model run (0)...completed
0

If you see AMES model run (0)...completed followed by 0 then the model ran without any errors. The line reading With configuration file 'AMES_params.yml' says that AMES found and applied a configuration file with the default filename AMES_params.yml.

All of the interesting output is in files. You should see a new file called AMES_log_Baseline.txt and a new outputs folder.

The log file

The log file AMES_log_Baseline.txt should show something like:

[ Info: 2022-08-21T10:43:55.627
[ Info: Configuration file: 'AMES_params.yml'
[ Info: AMES model run (0)...
[ Info: Loading data...
[ Info: Preparing model...
[ Info: Calibrating for 2010: FEASIBLE_POINT
[ Info: Running from 2011 to 2040:
[ Info: Simulating for 2011: FEASIBLE_POINT
[ Info: Simulating for 2012: FEASIBLE_POINT
[ Info: Simulating for 2013: FEASIBLE_POINT
[ Info: Simulating for 2014: FEASIBLE_POINT
[ Info: Simulating for 2015: FEASIBLE_POINT
...
[ Info: Simulating for 2035: FEASIBLE_POINT
[ Info: Simulating for 2036: FEASIBLE_POINT
[ Info: Simulating for 2037: FEASIBLE_POINT
[ Info: Simulating for 2038: FEASIBLE_POINT
[ Info: Simulating for 2039: FEASIBLE_POINT
[ Info: Simulating for 2040: FEASIBLE_POINT
[ Info: 2022-08-21T10:44:28.068

The time stamps at the start and end show that the model ran in 32 seconds. The repeated FEASIBLE_POINT for each year means that the model in each year yielded a feasible solution to the linear goal program.

The outputs folder

The outputs folder should have a subfolder called Baseline. Inside that folder are three other folders, with CSV files containing diagnostic information and the results of the model run.

Comma-separated variable (CSV) files

CSV-formatted files are plain text files that can be viewed in a text editor. They can also be opened and modified in Excel, Google Sheets, or other spreadsheet program, which is a convenient way to edit them.

The folder structure looks like this:

otuputs 
└───Baseline
    └───calibration
        │   basic_prices_0.csv
        │   capacity_utilization_0.csv
        │   ...
        │   wage_share_0.csv
    └───diagnostics
        │   demand_coefficients.csv
        │   domestic_production.csv
        │   ...
        │   wages.csv
    └───results
        │   autonomous_investment_rate_0.csv
        │   basic_prices_0.csv
        │   ...
        │   sector_output_0.csv

There is a great deal of information in the files: see the pages on the configuration file and the output files.