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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

Hello, I want to bring a box in front of two server. I want the units in the box to be the entity for the two servers. How can I do that ???

Hi, I am trying to model this situation: One vehicle picks up entities "On Demand" from two locations (TransferNodes) and send them to Sink1. Entities with high priority arrives at TransferNode1, while entities with low priority arrives at TransferNode2. When I choose the Ranking Rule to be Smallest Value First and the Ranking Expression is ModelEntity.Priority in the Resource Logic of the Vehicle, the Vehicle picks up entities probabilistically from the locations. How can I make the Vehicle picks up the entities with the highest priority first and once it is started picking at one location (say TransferNode1), I want it to keep picking up the entities from that location until the RidePickupQueue of that location is empty. Then the vehicle can move to the next location, finish it up, and so on. I think I need to add a logic on the Evaluating Transport Request Add-On Process Trigger on the Vehicle but I do not know how. Any help is appreciated. Thanks, Omar

I am trying to introduce workers into a model for the first time and have set up: # a pool of 5 workers at a home node # a second node at the server a bi-directional path between these two nodes I've inserted add-on processes into the "entered" and "exited" fields for the server to seize and release workers. This works fine if the number of workers is set to one but if I call two or more workers they will move to the server but then stall the DefaultEntities at the input node to the server rather than processing them What am I missing Thanks Dennis

Hi all, I'm a new user to Simio and am having to give myself a crash course in the software, so please bear with me. I posted this in the material handling forum but have realized that this is probably a better question for the SI Objects forum. My project is a manufacturing facility that involves product being created, processed, and finished in tooling, which is transported between process steps by transporter vehicles. My team is attempting to determine the need for additional tooling and transporters in this facility, and so material handling and resources are the main focus area of the project. Can entities seize resources across multiple workstations? IE, an entity (product) would seize a resource (tooling) out of the Source, and continue seizing that same resource as it travels through several workstations, and then release the resource as the entity enters the Sink? In our facility, the product is supported in tooling as it undergoes multiple operations at different workstations, and we need a way to model the tooling utilization. The transporters can come and go freely while the part/product & tooling combination are in process at each workstation. Is it possible to model this in Simio? Or reasoning behind using the objects the way we are is so that we can track utilization of the tooling and transporters to determine at what production rate they cross the 100% utilization rate threshold. Thanks in advance.

Dear Forum, I am trying to build reality into my model. I have 3 shifts (1st, 2nd, 3rd). 1st Shift works form 7AM-3PM, 2nd Shift works from 3PM to 11PM, then 3rd shift works from 11PM to 7AM of the following day. So, I tried to put in Day Patterns in my schedules and on my 3rd shift, it resulted in an error "Duration must not result in a Work Period that spans multiple days." Is there a way to model these 3 shifts as they actually exist in the factory or do I need to change the time frames to "dummy" time frames so that do not span over a 24 hour period? Thanks, Bill Industrial Enginer

hello!!! i have four vehicles that go to a sink. i want to run the simulation and the one ot them not to start. when i start again the simulation i want all of them to start . is there a way to do it easily? thanks a lot!

Hi guys! As I said in a previous post, I'm trying to simulate roundabouts on Simio. So, I was wondering what would be the best way to model the acceleration process of the cars. In a previous model I worked on (also on the field of traffic micro simulation: traffic lights and pre signals) I was able to model the acceleration by incrementing the DesiredSpeed, in intervals of time, according to an expression I implemented (from a scientific article). Nonetheless, if I try to do the same thing on the roundabout model, the DesiredSpeed increases but the cars won't move - they will only move once they stop accelerating. This didn't happen when I did the traffic light model. So, I would like to know why does this hapen now? Also, what you guys think would be the best way to implement the acceleration of the vehicles? Thanks.

Hello, Currently I am modeling a simple logistics network, I used nodes to represent locations in the network. The transfer between the nodes is performed by vehicles. When entities enter a node, there are user defined processes in order to update Model Entity state variables. However, I get an error when the entity state variables are updated saying that there is a mismatch in the type; the expected type is still a transporter. I used a Drop-off step before the Assign step, but when the transporter rides more than one entity, this solution did not help. Do you have any suggestions how to solve this problem? When a transporter enters its destination node, doesn't it automatically drop-off all the entities that are riding with it? Thank you, Selin

Hey guys, first of all, thanks for the contribution on these forums, I have learned a lot from the SimBit solutions along with forum threads. Herewith my first post/question: Based on the Vehicle Fixed Route SimBit, I've set up the following model: There are specific pickup/drop-off locations in each of the vehicles' fixed routes. Entities entering at the various Sources will each be allocated a destination location Sinks randomly (ie. at Source_1 Output Node the destination is randomly selected from a DestinationList, which contains all destination nodes). Enities in the right-side loop are only picked up by Vehicle 1, and entities in the left-hand loop are picked up by Vehicle 2. Sequence Allocated to Vehicle 1: Output@Source_1 -- Input@Sink_1 -- Input@Sink_3 -- Input@Sink_5 -- TransferNode1 Sequence Allocated to Vehicle 2: Output@Source_2 -- Input@Sink_2 -- TransferNode1 -- Input@Sink_4 Of course some entities' destinations in the right-hand loop are set to destination sinks on the left-hand loop, i.e. Source 1 entity destination is set to Sink 4, and vv. In this case I would like Vehicle 1 to transfer this specific entity to Vehicle 2 via TransferNode1, after which Vehicle 2 can drop the entity off at Sink 4. There can even be sort of a "swap" of entities which need to go to destinations not in its original vehicle's route/sequence. I've tried setting up a process where Vehicle 1 stops at TransferNode1, checks if entities need to be transferred, and if so, waits for Vehicle 2 which then picks up the entity from TransferNode1. Actually I don't know where to start with this process, or if I'm even thinking in the correct direction? Any ideas? Thanks in advance

Hello, I have a problem in seizing a vehicle. I have a vehicle that operates as both transporter and operator to some server. I need that this vehicle follow an entity during a process, operating to the server at which the entity is processed and transporting the entity from a server to the other one. I have done this: When the entity is generated it is directly sent to the first server. Here a process is started. First of all a process step seize the vehicle than an assign step in the same process increase the entity priority. This first process is add as add-on process when the server is processing. Another process release the vehicle at "after processing". in the output node on the server I set the option ride on vehicle. The same I do in the second server. In the vehicle option I set "Task selection" as highest priority and as "Ranking Rule": "Highest value" of the variable "ModelEntity.Priority". At this point I expected that the vehicle follow the entity, but if a seocnd entity (with a smaller priority) arrives at the first server while the second server is processing, when the second server finishes to process the entity (with higher priority) and so the vehicle is released this come back to the first server instead of take up the entity at the output node to transport it to the next server. There are no output/input queue at the servers. Is there somebody that can suggest me how to fix my model, it should be an easy task, but i'm stuck here and in hours i was not able to find a solution. Tanks in advance for your dedication Andrea Furlan

I found two interesting things when I am modifying the subclass of a vehicle. I was trying to incorporate the request evaluating logic in the vehicle subclass processes rather than model processes, for ease of transplant and multiple uses. But when the token return value is 0 in subclass, no matter what add-on-process returns, vehicle still picks up entities. What's the logic behind this? How should I make it work? Anybody knows? Another problem is I added breakpoint in the subclass, it does not stop, but I use some assign step to detect it, these assign step works, which means token is executing the process, anybody knows why the breakpoint does not work? Attachment is the model, Assign step assign token return value 'False' in evaluating request in subclass of vehicle. Everytime process runs, It could be seen weight of vehicle +0.5 Anybody knows why? SimplestTuggerWithTwoCycle.spfx

Good day, I am using Simio for my final year project and was hoping to get some advice with regard to transporting entities with multiple vehicles. At each transfer node one can only specify the transporter type as “Specific” or “From list”. I therefore created a list containing the specific vehicles needed to transport the entities. I have tried numerous methods but failed to assign the vehicles to specific entities once the entities are created. I therefore need to use a certain property of a created entity as a decision basis for assigning the entity to a certain vehicle once it is created. Hope you can help . Kind Regards, Rhynard

When vehicles drop off their entities, and they are back to the DC, they park head to head, is their way to change the way they park once they are done dropping their entities. We have tried Load unload True, False, and park at node when Idle or off shift, and they don't work. Thank you!

Dear Simio Forum Members, how would one define a robot/population of robots with a set of instructions: - pick up a part (from sink) - go to a "suitable" station ("suitable" is defined according to the minimum number of robots with parts in a queue waiting in front of the station, time of travel, waiting time and operation time.) - if there are already more robots in front of a station, choose an alternative one - wait in front of a station for the part to finish - pick up the finished part and continue to the next station/sink (according to list of stations) There are partial solutions within SimBits but I am still having difficulties to define these parameters. So, for now I would like to accomplish that one robot picks up the part and with that becomes the dedicated transporter around the system for that part - meaning it also waits in front of the station/server. And during this waiting, other robots are also picking up the parts and going to designated stations. If the station is occupied, goes in a queue holding the part. Any guidelines in finding a solution would be appreciated. Best Regards, Damir TU Vienna, Austria

I am modeling a Flexible Manufacturing System (attached), where different parts are produced by different machines. I have many different entities (about 40 part types) that follow each one a different process sequence. Each part type pass through around 10~15 process. My problem was due, for each process, a entity could be processed by different machines. For instance, the part type A has the following sequence: M1 OR M2 ->> M3 OR M4 and so on. In order to solve that, I used a sequence table with a sequence of nodes. Then, in each node, I put a listnode with the possible candidates for the next step, as suggested by David Sturrock in the Facebook group. It worked very well. My problem now is that, when the vehicle pick the entity and follow to the next transfernode (to make a decision), this vehicle has to wait another one to pick up the entity and take it to the next machine, i. e., the vehicle which take the entity till the transfernode cannot take it to the machine. I really would appreciate if u could help me. Best Regards, Breno Souza Federal University of São Carlos FMS v0.0.1.0.spfx

I would like to model a vehicle that moves vertically alongside racking and then enters a certain rack lane and transfers a pallet. I saw the examples in the crane library and thought the lift properties would be what I am after. Though I am struggling to sub class or build a new vehicle class which includes the lift functionality to be able to move vertically. Please have a look at my model which includes the lift and also a normal vehicle. Any help or suggestions would be much appreciated. Transporter_Racking_example.spfx

Hi, I would like to confirm whether behaviour regarding vehicle visit request queues is incorrect (i.e. a bug) or whether I am misunderstanding how they are supposed to work. I have two types of vehicles in an Emergency Medical Services model. One type transports patient entities (i.e. an ambulance) and one doe not do transport but only responds to some incidents (i.e. a primary response vehicle or PRV). In some cases, both vehicles are sent to an incident node, the ambulance by accepting a visit request from a patient entity at the node, and the PRV by being seized directly by the patient entity at the node. In some cases the PRV is far away and does not reach the node by the time the ambulance has completed loading the patient entity. In such cases I have modelled cancelling of the PRV (that would happen in a real system) by the patient entity releasing the PRV. When this happens, I have noticed that the patient entity that had seized the PRV stays in the PRV's visit request queue, even after the release. It is only removed from the visit request queue when the patient entity is destroyed, which may be some time later after a transport and hospital offload delay. From observing the behaviour of other vehicles, it seems as though a vehicle must enter a node having the owner entity in it before the entity is removed from the visit request queue (or, as mentioned above, it is removed when the entity is destroyed). In my case, I would like to remove the patient entity from the PRV's visit request queue when the PRV is released, however I know that this is not possible as Simio does not allow entities to be removed from this queue with the remove step. At the moment I am spending a lot of time trying to work around this problem, which creates a lot of undesirable behaviour - for example when there are three or four patient entities in the PRV's visit request queue. The vehicle object also has limited options in its task selection strategy which makes filtering out of the released entities in the visit request queue difficult to accomplish reliably. Is there any other way of removing unwanted entities from the visit request queue, without visiting that entity's node or destroying it?

Hello, I specified a simple sequence of destinations for an entity with a sequence table and I would like to change the symbol of a subclass server depending on the current node destination of this sequence. I tried to make a process with a decide step but I can not find the good expression to get the current node destination. I am new with Simio so I wonder if it is a good way to proceed or if there is a better one? Best regards,

I am trying to model a server with several failures, where each failure may have a different explanation and thus, a different pattern. One obvious approach is subclassing a Server and defining additional elements, such as Failure, Timers, etc and modify the processes so that several failures can cause the downtime of the server. However, I do not feel very comfortable with the scalabitliy of this approach. I mean, if a server has three types of failures I will have to add two new Failure elements, 8 timers, 4 corresponding to each Failure and so on. If at some point in time I need to add an additional failure, I would need to do the adding all over again, an so on. I am considering two different approaches for this, but I do not know if these are feasible or if there is a far better approach. Approach 1. I would like to subclass the server and create a Repeat Group property so that the user, by means of adding rows, may characterize as many failures as desired. The thing is, is is possible to modify the processes so that they are general enough to reflect any number of failures (with their corresponding characterization)? Approach 2. I was thinking of creating a new object, let us call it objFailure, which contains definitions and processes to reproduce the behaviour of a failure type. The idea would be that this objFailure has a property which would contain the number of an element within the project, so that when objFailure fails, the corresponding object fails. This way, modelling a server with several types of failures woukd consist in creating that server and as many objFailure as required, which would cause the server to fail as they themselves fail. The issue with this approach is that it may not be that easy to represent interferences among failures. For example, if objFailure1 is a count based event failure and objFailure is a Processing Time based failure, when objFailure1 occurs, the server stops and the time during which is down should not be taken into account by objFailure2. This may very complex to program effectively and efficiently.

I've copied the vehicle from the standard library vehicle and revised it to include: Travel time based failures, calculated from the resource state Transporting. This failure time does not include OffShiftTransporting or FailedTransporting. These failures will occur mid-link. Distance travelled failures, recorded from the link length when the transporter arrives at the end of the link. These failures can only occur at the end of a link. Created in Sprint 4.72. VehicleWithTravelTimeBasedFailures.zip VehicleWithTravelTimeBasedFailures.zip

The standard library vehicle has the option of a loading and unloading time per entity, but it is often difficult to model a situation where a vehicle stops for a specified time (like a bus or train). This object (with an example model) adds a single reference property and a single step to the standard Vehicle to allow you to specify that time. Smple, but convenient. VehicleWithFixedLoadTime.zip Done using Sprint 68