Download ShipNetSim | Documentation

For questions or feedback, contact Ahmed Aredah or Prof. Hesham Rakha

ShipNetSim is an open-source simulation software designed to analyze ship energy consumption and emissions in extensive maritime networks. Built with a modular and adaptable structure using Qt6, it integrates propulsion-resistance models, real-time environmental data, and advanced path-finding algorithms for longitudinal vessel motion analysis.

@INPROCEEDINGS{10733439,
  author={Aredah, Ahmed and Rakha, Hesham A.},
  booktitle={2024 IEEE International Conference on Smart Mobility (SM)}, 
  title={ShipNetSim: A Multi-Ship Simulator for Evaluating Longitudinal Motion, Energy Consumption, and Carbon Footprint of Ships}, 
  year={2024},
  volume={},
  number={},
  pages={116-121},
  keywords={Measurement;Energy consumption;Adaptation models;Carbon dioxide;Trajectory;Fuels;Marine vehicles;Greenhouse gases;Carbon footprint;ShipNetSim;Ships Large-Scale Simulation;Ships Longitudinal Motion;Energy Consumption;Environmental Footprint},
  doi={10.1109/SM63044.2024.10733439}}

• Open Access: ShipNetSim is freely accessible and openly modifiable to support community collaboration.
• Modular and Flexible: Ships of varying types, sizes, and fuel types can be analyzed, with scalability to support evolving policies and technological advancements.
• Environmental Sensitivity: Capable of simulating operational strategies like reduced speeds and alternate fueling to comply with International Maritime Organization (IMO) standards.
• Cybersecurity Modeling: Analyzes risks like GPS spoofing and network disruptions, simulating impact on ship navigation and energy efficiency.
• Real-time Analytics: Tracks energy consumption, emissions, and vessel dynamics for each ship, enabling data-driven decisions.
• Adaptable Pathfinding: Integrates visibility graphs and QuadTree indexing to optimize navigation and obstacle avoidance on real-world routes.

Download the latest installer from the Releases page. All third-party dependencies are bundled — no additional setup is required.

1. Download ShipNetSim-<version>-win64.exe from the Releases page.
2. Run the installer and follow the setup prompts. The default path is C:\Program Files\ShipNetSim.

1. Download ShipNetSim-<version>-Linux.run from the Releases page.
2. Make the installer executable and run it:

   chmod +x ShipNetSim-<version>-Linux.run
   ./ShipNetSim-<version>-Linux.run

ShipNetSim includes a graphical interface with interactive 3D globe visualization, real-time ship tracking, and simulation management. Launch ShipNetSimGUI from the installation directory or the desktop shortcut.

View all available options:

ShipNetSim -h

Run a simulation with a ships configuration file:

ShipNetSim -s "path/to/ships/file"

ShipNetSim requires geographic data files (TIFF imagery, shapefiles, etc.) that are hosted separately due to their size. These must be placed in src/data/ before building.

Automatic download (Linux/macOS):

./scripts/download_data.sh

Automatic download (Windows PowerShell):

.\scripts\download_data.ps1

Manual download:

1. Download the data zip from Dropbox
2. Extract the contents into src/data/

To build ShipNetSim from source code, please see our comprehensive HOW_TO_BUILD.md guide, which includes:

• Complete dependency installation instructions
• Platform-specific build steps for Windows, Linux, and macOS
• CMake configuration options and customization
• Troubleshooting common build issues

• Ahmed Aredah, M.Sc.:

  • Ph.D. student, Dept. of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Virginia Tech
  • M.Sc. Student, Dept. of Computer Science | Engineering, Virginia Tech
  • Graduate Research Assistant at Virginia Tech Transportation Institute

• Hesham A. Rakha, Ph.D. P.Eng., F.IEEE:

  • Samuel Reynolds Pritchard Professor of Engineering, Charles E. Via, Jr. Dept. of Civil and Environmental Engineering
  • Courtesy Professor, Bradley Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering
  • Director, Center for Sustainable Mobility at the Virginia Tech Transportation Institute
  • Fellow of Asia Pacific Artificial Intelligence Association
  • Fellow of the American Society of Civil Engineers
  • Fellow of the Canadian Academy of Engineering
  • Fellow of IEEE

ShipNetSim is licensed under GNU GPL v3. See the LICENSE file for more details.

Contributions are welcome. Please open an issue to discuss proposed changes before submitting a pull request.

Ahmed Aredah 💻	Hesham Rakha 📆
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