Test Mode Process Flow
Test mode was created as a way to generate a set
of historical data simulations, such as those described in calibration
mode process flow, for a single coefficient set without requiring the
START_* and STOP* coefficients to be set to identical values. Only the
START_* values are used when testing. The START* value must be greater
than the STOP_* value.
Test mode can produce the same
statistic and image
files that may be generated in calibrate mode. Additionally, on the final
Monte Carlo run, test mode will generate annual images of land cover change.
In this way, a visual and further statistical evaluation of calibration
coefficient performance may be made.
Each simulation in a test mode is initialized with the START_*
values of each coefficient type and SLEUTH images as described in a basic
simulation. The seed value for the first simulation is initialized
with the RANDOM_SEED flag. After a simulation
is completed, the initializing seed that began that simulation is reset
and a new simulation is run. This process continues MC number of times.
It is assumed that one growth cycle represents a year of growth. Following
number of growth cycles in a simulation
= stop_date - start_date.
When the required number of growth cycles has been generated, the simulation