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Minimum System Requirements

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The Stroboscope activity-based discrete-event simulation system requires Microsoft Windows (x86 or x64). Windows and Stroboscope provide by default a text-based Integrated Development Environment (IDE) similar to that provided by most programming languages (e.g., C). The IDE allows simulation models to be typed directly into Stroboscope using the built-in text editor and provides controls to run and debug simulation models and to view and save the simulation model output.
Thus, Windows is the minimum Stroboscope requirement.

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Recommended System Requirements

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In addition to the basic Stroboscope system, the Stroboscope installation package also includes the following three graphical systems that run under Microsoft Visio (available separately) and enhance Stroboscope significantly. They make the development of Stroboscope models much easier and are strongly recommended. More information is available by clicking on each system:

• Graphical User Interface (GUI) for Stroboscope
• EZStrobe
• ProbSched

These three graphical systems require the installation of Microsoft Visio on the same computer. All recent  versions of Visio are supported, from Visio 2016, to Visio 2000.

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Download the Stroboscope Installation Package

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The Stroboscope installation package is just one executable file: Stroboscope_Setup.exe.
It can be downloaded from

• Main Stroboscope repository
• Alternate Stroboscope repository

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Stroboscope Installation Instructions

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Important: The installation of Stroboscope requires Administrator privileges.

To install Stroboscope, double-click and run the Stroboscope installation package
    Stroboscope_Setup.exe.

Installation Notes:

• On 32-bit Windows systems, Stroboscope is installed by default in:
  •  C:\Program Files\Stroboscope
• On 64-bit Windows systems, Stroboscope is installed by default in:
  •  C:\Program Files (x86)\Stroboscope
• The instalation program automatically runs a script that registers Stroboscope with all versions of Microsoft Visio up to the latest available (Visio 2016).
• The installation of Stroboscope has been tested successfully on 32-bit and 64-bit versions of Windows up to Windows 10 and Visio 2016.   

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Troubleshooting Stroboscope

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When you run Stroboscope for the first time, you may see the following message:

• "The application has failed to start because its side-by-side configuration is incorrect."

To correct this error, install the Microsoft Visual C++ 2008 SP1 Redistributable Package (x86).

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Troubleshooting Visio - EZStrobe - Stroboscope GUI

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The Stroboscope installation program Stroboscope_Setup.exe makes the necessary entries in the Windows registry by automatically running a script that registers the Visio-based tools (included with Stroboscope) with all versions of Visio (up to 2016). This is done for all users of the computer and the currently logged-on user.

Script to Register Stroboscope with Microsoft Visio

If EZStrobe, or the Stroboscope GUI, do not work correctly in Visio, you can run the same automated script again and register the Stroboscope Visio-based tools as follows:

• From the Windows Start menus, select:

  • Register Stroboscope with Visio

This should make Visio work correctly with EZStrobe and the Stroboscope GUI.

Manual Definition of Automation Settings in Microsoft Visio

If EZStrobe or the Stroboscope GUI still produce errors in Visio, you can also register the Stroboscope Visio-based tools with any version of Visio manually.

As an example, the following steps assume that you have Visio 2016 and wish to enable automation between Visio and Stroboscope. (If you have a different version of Visio, then the new entries that need to be made are the same as those below, but their locations in the Visio menus may be slightly different):

• Run Visio 2016 directly (not through opening EZStrobe, or the Stroboscope GUI).
• Open a new blank drawing.
• Click on "File", "Options", "Advanced"
• Scroll to the bottom of the right part of the window and click on "File Locations".

• You will enter the same path in each of the three text boxes:
  • "Templates"
  • "Stencils"
  • "Add-ons"
• The path you will enter depends on whether your version of Windows is 64bit or 32bit.
  • For 64bit Windows, enter the following path (enter the same path in all three boxes):
    • C:\Program Files (x86)\Stroboscope\Program\GUI
  • For 32bit Windows, enter the following path (enter the same path in all three boxes):
    • C:\Program Files\Stroboscope\Program\GUI
  • Note: If you are not sure, check both paths using the Windows "File Manager".
    
• Click OK to save the three "File Locations" with the above path you just entered three times.
  
• Click on "Trust Center" (this is another of the available options on the left side of the "Visio Options" window)
  
• Click on "Trust Center Settings"
  
• Click on "Trusted Locations"
  
• Click on "Add new location..."

• In the text box that appears enter the path where Stroboscope is installed on your computer:
  • For 64-bit Windows, enter the path:
    • C:\Program Files (x86)\Stroboscope\
  • For 32-bit Windows, enter the path:
    • C:\Program Files\Stroboscope\
      
• Important: Make sure that you place a check-mark in the box
  • "Subfolders of this location are also trusted".
    
• Click on OK to add the directory where Stroboscope is installed (and its subdirectories) as a "Trusted Location".
  
• Click on "Macro Settings" (which is another option in "Trust Center Settings")

• Click on "Enable all macros (not recommended...)" to enable it (otherwise, the Stroboscope-related macros do not run).
  
• Click on OK to accept the changes to the "Trust Center Settings".
  
• Click OK to accept the changes to the "Visio Options" window and return back to the Visio drawing.
  
• Important: Close Visio completely and exit the Visio application.
  
• EZStrobe and the Stroboscope GUI should now work correctly.