ActivitySim interface

ActivitySim is a program that can be used to calculate activity-based models (ABM). The ActivitySim software is developed in the U.S. as part of the ActivitySim project by a consortium of planning organizations and departments of transportation; see also https://activitysim.github.io/.

Three variants are distinguished in the program depending on the granularity:

  • a zone system (called TAZ in ActivitySim)

  • a zone system (TAZ) and therein locations modeled at the microzone (MAZ) level.
  • a zone system (TAZ) and therein locations modeled at the microzone (MAZ) level as well as stop areas (TAP).

The result data of all three variants can be imported and analyzed in Visum.

ActivitySim is an external program that is not developed at PTV and is not part of the Visum installation. Therefore, we do not provide any warranties or support for ActivitySim. If you have any questions about ActivitySim, please contact the manufacturer. After installing ActivitySim, you can start the program directly in Visum. You can export data from Visum to ActivitySim and import result data from ActivitySim in Visum. The ActivitySim interface includes:

  • the ActivitySim import

  • the Start ActivitySim procedure

  • the Import ActivitySim output data procedure

  • the Export ActivitySim input data procedure

The ActivitySim interface allows to calculate a complete ActivitySim demand model in Visum. The corresponding workflow for this is:

  • All network, population, and structural data are available in Visum.

  • At the beginning of a demand calculation run, skims as well as population and structural data are exported.

  • ActivitySim is started.

  • After finishing the ActivitySim calculation run, its results are imported.

Of course, you can also calculate an iterative demand loop.

In Visum, the imported ActivitySim data can be analyzed and visualized. The analysis capabilities do not differ from those of other ABM types. Trajectories can also be visualized with Dashboards.

The Visum functionality, which links ActivitySim and PopulationSim with Visum, relates to versions ActivitySim 1.2.0 and PopulationSim 0.5.1.

Note: In the directory C:\Users\Public\Documents\PTV Vision\PTV Visum 2025/Examples, you can find an example of use on this topic.

The Demand ActivitySim example describes in detail the complete integration of an existing ActivitySim demand model into an existing Visum network model and provides instructions for installing the necessary programs.