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Hi, I have a problem with entities in the queue. The process is in the MemberInputBuffer of a Combiner and I have to create different materials for each entities in the queue. So I put in the process a search step searching for entities and then other steps (assign, delay etc) to go to other tables to create the materials related to each specific entity. The problem is in the first search because in “collection type" I have written “entity population” and in “entityType” there is the reference to a table with all the entities in the system. I need to search only the entities in the queue of MemberInputBuffer (and now the steps search all entities in the system) but I'm not able to find the right "match condition" to restrict the search only to the queue. Can you help me? thank you Best Regards Irene

How about using a state variable to count the amount of entities that have come out of your source and use another state variable in the source's Entities Per Arrival property? You can fire an event when the "count" state variable has reached a certain number that will assign the variable that you used for the Entities Per Arrival in an associated process to that same fired event. And when a new parent exits from the node of it's source you can check to see if the variable is set to 0. If it is, then assign it to 1 again. Judy

OK I resolve half of my problem. I decide to put a combiner where 1 parent wait to have 6 membre to batch and process. Now, I have some problems when I want to stop temporary my source. I tried to create a process at Source_CreatingEntities , but I think I don't write well my conditions for the decide steps. The Process goes like this Begins------Decide---(true)------Decide--(true)----Wait-----End | | | (false) | (false) ---- ------ The first Decide, I want to be true when there is 3 entities waiting at the member input link : MemberInput@Combiner1.NumberTravelers>=3 The second Decide, I want to be true when my combiner is processing : Combiner1.Capacity.Allocated>=1 The wait step is a event that is fire when the combiner finish processing the batch Can you tell me how to write well the condition for the decide steps ? Thanks

Thank you. As you said, I tried to make setup work rightly. So, I make same way with Simbit "WorkstationWithSequenceDependentSetup". However, I think Simio consider all my entities to Pallet (Parent entity) as there is combiners before going to Workstation. Because of this, changeover is not working. How can I solve this problem?? Also, I need to proceed entity with batch as this Machining center make a product 100cs at once. Therefore, I have to use Combiner. Moreover, I don't have enough time to finish this modeling. So I asked you many things on a time. What I mean about question 2 is that I want the number of entities going to Workstation to be variables using property. So I want to control how many workstations changeover occurs each time I process it. For example, if 10 of M1s go to workstation and then 10 of M2s go, a change over will occur for every 10. I want to control this number!!!

Sounds like a job for a Combiner.

Hi, Many thanks for your reply. I have created a Seach step that searches through the list lstStations with the Match Condition candidate.Object.Name == ModelEntity.Location.Parent.Name and I get Station8, wich is the object were the entity is. I would like to compare this with the value of rpSynchroStation, but this I am having trouble with. Many thanks, anyways. I am aware that if you cannot open the model, it is not easy to figure what my issue is. Regards,

Hello, This model corresponds to an assembly line for three models. ModelA and ModelB are processed from Station1 to Station9 and the leave the line. ModelC must have additional work, which is to be done in Auxiliar (in between Station 8 and Station9), so that it leaves the line after Station 8and gets back to Station9 after the extra operations. A sucbomponent must be ordered in advance to be integrated to ModelC in Auxiliar. The logic I want to implement is the following. I have a list containing all stations (object list lstStations). A list property pointint to that list (rpSynchroStation). For every output node of every station, I want to check if the list property coincides with the name of the corresponding station (and if it's model C in that station). If so, an event is triggered, and a source corresponding to the supplier produces a part that will be delivered some time later. The problem I am having is within the decide step, when comparing: ModelEntity.Location.Parent.Name == rpSynchroStation && ModelEntity.EntityType == ModelC In Decide2 step in procCheckIfSynchro process. I get an error when comparing ModelEntity.Location.Parent.Name == rpSynchroStation. Could you please help me with this? Many thanks Best regards, model_tractors.spfx

I’m representing an empty container deposit, where the containers are stored in different blocks. Gate in trucks arrives to the deposit loaded with containers that have to be unloaded by cranes and stored in the container blocks. In addition, there are gate out trucks that arrive to the deposit to retrieve containers. In the model, the containers are represented as entities, so as the trucks. I use Stations to represent the blocks that store the containers. To understand the logic of container arrival, we have to notice that next to the Station there is a Transfer Node, and when a container enters the Node (through a Transfer step in a Process), is transferred to the Station. To understand the logic of container retrieval, we have to notice that there is a Combiner next to the Station, and when the truck enters the Parent Input Combiner Node, a Process is triggered that searches for the container in the corresponding Station, and then it to the Member Input Combiner. Given that there is one Station for one block of containers, a single Station is used for the arrival and the retrieval of containers. The problem that I have is that in certain occasions, when a container is going to enter a Station, an error occurs and Simio shows this message: “The entity location is in transition state “WaintingToTransferIntoStation” and a new transfer request is invalid”. I don’t understand why this happens, given that in the Node that triggers the Process that executes the Transfer, only a single container enters at a time. Any help is greatly appreciated! Release: 8.136.13569 Model is attached. https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/41163946/ModelPlacillaNewV3.spfx

What about using Combiner object to combine them?

An alternative approach might be using a combiner upstream to the WS to create a fictional entity, let's call it "block", which contains all 3 objects. This way, the workstation process a single entity (the block). All 3 original entities enter and leave the WS at the same time, obviously. Downstream the Ws, you can split the block into its 3 original entities, and it's all done. Meilleures salutations,

Hi, I have different products to be processed on 2 servers and would like to batch 20 units on a pallet using Combiner. I have set a data table with different processing time for the products. Is the server is able to consider the 20 units on the pallet or just the pallet as 1 unit? Thanks.

The Standard Library Source object will always create "Entities Per Arrival" number of entities of "Entity Type". One option is to subclass or copy the Source object and change that behavior. Another option is: --Decrease your interarrival time so they arrive 5x as fast, and set your entities per arrival to 1. --Use a Combiner (or perhaps the object described here: http://www.simio.com/forums/viewtopic.php?f=36&t=1024) to combine 5 entities together to sync them. --Then immediately Separate them so they can flow independently, if that is what you want.

While I'm sure you could do this using vehicles, it sounds like whet you described might be modeled easier by simply having two types of entities: Buses and Passengers. Use the Combiner to let buses pickup passengers and the separator to drop off passengers.

Both member and parent have match expressions and each expression can have as many components as you want. But they must ultimately resolve to a single value. For example, you could match on a combination of priority and color. Assuming priority has a value of 1-5 and color has a value of 1-4, you could have a match expression like "Priority*10 + Color", so a green high priority (perhaps a value of 53) would only be matched with other green high priorities. To do more sophisticated matching than that you would probably need to use process logic. Perhaps put the members in a storage and use the seach to select the "best" items from that storage.

Hi everyone. Is it possible to Combine members and a parent based on more than one state? Can anyone tell me how is this done? If not, what would be the best alternative? Thanks

It depends a lot on your objectives and desired level of detail. --Simplest: Bags are members, passengers are parents, they both show up at a Combiner object. --Better: I might model the carousel as a multi-stop circular conveyor and have entities representing bags come down the conveyer and entities representing customers come to the node to wait for their bags. I would attach an example, but we can only do so in the SI forums, not the public areas (due to spam attacks).

It depends on the details but there exist lots of ways. For example, two simplest approaches from two different point of view: 1) use Combiner/Seperator objects from standart library objects (see related simbits for their use)... 2) Batch/Unbatch steps within processes panel... Also, you can use Vehicle object from standard library (or worker object, whichever you prefer) as if it is a box, and adopt its related properties to your modeling logic. For example, set initial capacity to the number of entities that should be in the box. Also, set its minimum dwell time type property to dwell until full, etc...

There are several ways to do this. If you simply need a single piece of information, then you can store that in an entity state and simply reference that entity state. That's the "easy" way. But the "elegant" (e.g. correct) way to do it is to reference that table value directly. In Simio all the tables must reside in the top level object. But in fact a repeat group is quite similar to a table. So you can define a repeat group that is part of the object, and then pass in the parent object's table name as a referenced property. Here is an example:PassDownTable.spfx

After some experimentation I have figured out how to get entities to interact directly with other entities, without having to add any code on the model level. By using the call: (first entity).location.parent.model.(second entity) inside a search or other process block inside the first entity I can access and manipulate the second entity. Example Model 1 - Ball Toss With Arch Simple Model to show different entities throwing a "ball" back and forth Example Model 2 - RvB Model to show entities "fighting" each other. In this model the entities interact with each other by reducing HP and destroying other entities Ball Toss with Arch.spfx RvBv4.spfx

I looked at this example and your other posting, so I have a general idea of what you are trying to do. I hestiate to spend too much time on a specific solution because I know that both of these were just examples of your real problem. The key is that the BatchQuantity is determined by (or in the context of) the parent entity. The easiest way to approach this problem is to set a state on the parent entity for its batch size. Here is one way to do that... have the Source object that creates the parents record that value and then create the members. BatchingLogic.spfx

Alright - I am going to try to phrase a previous question differently and see if anyone can help because I am still having difficulty with this... In the attached, simplified version of what I am attempting, I have a Parent Entity created. And for every Parent Entity, Math.Round((Random.Uniform(1,4)) number of Member Entities are created. Please help me if possible, to set an expression for the Batch Size that waits for each of the created members and batches them. I have the logic for how they match, but I can't seem to get the Batch Quantity to change based on how many of the Members were created each time. Any help appreciated! BatchingLogic.spfx

Martin - Thank you for the response! I am definitely diving in head first I have figured out how to make the priority properties align but to your point, the Parent Entity won't wait for all Members of that same priority to arrive so as soon as it sees the first, it takes it. Is there a Batch Quantity expression on the Combiner that someone can recommend / or / a combiner property, that will make it wait for the priority to change of the entities in the queue and then take all before that point. or something similar? Thanks! David

David - Glad to see you are getting your hands dirty with Simio. The problem in your model is that you have the Source 2 set to create between 1 and 4 entities per arrival. Your combiner is set to Batch Qty of 4. So if say only 3 entities are created in Source 2, they (and their matching parent) will never pass through the combiner, since they are waiting for the 4th entity. As a solution I would suggest having either the parent (preferred) or the members carry a reference value to how many batch members are expected. Then use that in the Batch Qty field on the combiner, such that the combiner works with any 1, 2, 3, or 4 batch member sizes. Sincerely, Martin

There may be a few different issues going on here- Firstly Ensure you have input and output buffers, there is occasionally some issues with removing buffers from combiners. Secondly you weren't very clear on what you use your Random.Uniform(1, 4) on. If this is how your calculating your priority on each entity, the issue may be that this distribution is returning real numbers (as opposed to integers) and the decimals differences invalidate your matching condition on your combiner. You may want to Math. Floor, Math.Ceiling, Math.Round this distribution to ensure it gives you whole numbers. Your best bet may be to build a simple model explaining what your trying to accomplish and post it here.

Hello All, I have a single Sources that makes 3 different types of parent entities. When these entities exit their first Server through the transfer node, 3 other Sources randomly create Uniform(1,4) of a New type of member entities. I have changed the priority of the member entities, with a on exit add on process, to be equal to the event number of this happening which matches up with the parent Entities with the same priority. With in the Combiner, I have the matching rule of 'Match Members and Parents' and both Member and Parent expressions of 'Entity.Priority'. I am still pretty new to Simio but can someone please help with why this might not be working?? Both types of Entities just build up in their respective input queues at the combiner and never combine. Please help, thanks! David