Customize reset to not delete flowitems

Is there a way to customize my model's reset function so that my flowitems are not deleted when I hit the reset button or call the resetmodel() function? My model is an ore body that is constructed using boxes and would like to not have them deleted by the reset.

Note: I have modified the reset function of the model but it appears that this code is simply executed alongside the pre-existing reset function.

Thanks.

Remove the itemtype node from your boxes.

Thanks, that was exactly what I needed!

I discovered another problem. Some of my blocks are inserted into a rack for indexing purposes. Removing the itemtype node is not sufficient in this case, likely because the rack clears its contents. How would I avoid having the rack clear its contents on reset?

Phil,

How do I remove the itemtype node when a user click on Reset?

I put the code into OnModelReset trigger. But when I click on Reset. The flowitem is already gone before my code is executed.

Thanks,
Alan

Hello Eric,

Originally Posted by ericdaoust

I discovered another problem. Some of my blocks are inserted into a rack for indexing purposes. Removing the itemtype node is not sufficient in this case, likely because the rack clears its contents. How would I avoid having the rack clear its contents on reset?

you can transfer the item node to the visual node drawsurrogate OnEntry trigger. You have to insert this node on your own in the visual node. It is missing in the rack tree. Then the items are not destroyed in the rack anymore, but the statistic and contenttables are still reset. You can store the data in another node and restore them on reset back to the rack tree. The last method might work for the items,too, if you do not transfer them to the drawsurrogate node.

Jörg

Hello Alan,

Originally Posted by AlanZhang

How do I remove the itemtype node when a user click on Reset?

I put the code into OnModelReset trigger. But when I click on Reset. The flowitem is already gone before my code is executed.

perhaps you choose two other function triggers to execute your code:
"On Run Stop" and "On Run Start".
And it is not necessary to remove the itemtype node. It is Probably better just to rename the node. The data is not destroyed and you activate the item functionality later again by renaming the node back.

Jörg

Originally Posted by Jörg Vogel

Hello Alan,

perhaps you choose two other function triggers to execute your code:
"On Run Stop" and "On Run Start".
And it is not necessary to remove the itemtype node. It is Probably better just to rename the node. The data is not destroyed and you activate the item functionality later again by renaming the node back.

Jörg

Jorg,

Thanks very much for your suggestion.

I did try that. In order to complete this, I need to rename the itemtype in OnRunStop (luckily it is automatically called when Reset button is clicked). But I also need to rename it back to itemtype in OnRunStart. I have to clear all these nodes in OnModelReset as well. Otherwise, I will get more and more the renamed itemtype node everytime when I run the model. The method is almost working except if you do not hit Reset before you save the model, all flowitem will still be gone.

I personally does not like the solution of using OnRunStop and OnRunStart as it makes things so complicated. I have to do quite a few experiments to figure out the relationship between OnRunStop and OnRunStart, OnModelReset etc. as I could not find the documentation for the call sequence of these triggers. I also tried using UserEvent OnReset, the model object's OnReset etc. None of them works as I want.

I guess what we really need here is to have a trigger which will be fired right before the default FlexSim logic (such as destroying all flowitems) is executed. Maybe FlexSim already have one?

Thanks,
Alan

If you don't want the object to be destroyed on reset, just don't give the object an itemtype attribute to begin with. You don't need to dynamically add or remove the itemtype attribute. Just don't use it at all.

What are you actually trying to do, Alan?

Hi Phil,

I am trying to send a gang truck from the quay to a scanner (Radiation Monitoring Portal), before it travels to a block. I use a queue connected to a processor to represent a scanner. Then I insert a task for a gang truck to travel to the queue and unload itself into the queue. Then the truck will follow the connection entering into the processor. After finish the process, the truck will continue to travel to the block and finish its loading or unloading task.

Everything seems working except once the truck passes the queue and the processor, it will become an flowitem (the itemtype attribute is automatically created by FlexSim). Then once the Reset is clicked, all gang trucks will be gone.

Thanks,
Alan

Hi Alan, why don't you use tasksequence completely for the scanning operation?
That way there is no problem with the automatic creation of the itemtype attribute.


Steven

Steven,

Thanks for your advice.

This modeling task is for a question asked by a FlexTerm (or FlexSim CT) end-user. I would like to make coding as little as possible. Besides there are different types of trucks, possibly different routes, multiple lanes, multiple scanners, requesting operators etc. Using tasksequence to reproduce what a standard queue or a processor can do seems a complicated task by itself. All those can be done by using standard FlexSim interface and parameters are easily to be adjusted. Everything seems perfect expect the Reset.

Alan

Sounds to me like your trying to remove the itemtype is more code than using task sequences.

To model a scanner, I wouldn't use a processor. I would try using a network node, and creating a task sequence for them to go to that node and then delay for a period. Then use non-passing paths and set "maximum travelers at node" to 1. The trucks should then queue up along the path before getting to the node and delaying for the process time.

You can put a dummy processor above the node to make it look like a scanner 3d shape at that node.

(I'm not sure if this would work perfectly as I haven't tested it, but that's what I'd try.)

Phil,

Thanks for the suggestion. Using tasksequence is another solution. I think it is just requiring more work. Other than those things that I mentioned, you will need to worry about collecting statistics as well.

Is it possible for FlexSim to provide a Reset trigger which is for cleaning up of the last run (to fire before FlexSim do its default onreset logic), in addition to the existing Reset trigger which basically is for preparing the next run to fire after FlexSim do its default onreset logic)? If so, my problem here will be easily solved.

Alan

Hi,

it seems this method is not working anymore in Flexsim 7.0.4 and 7.0.2 to let stay flowitems in the model

Originally Posted by Phil BoBo

Remove the itemtype node from your boxes.

Models of previous versions are still working, if the Flowitem has been placed in the previous version and the itemtype node has been removed there.
So the old robot libraries will probably work. The Flexsim 7 engine destroys only new created Flowitems.

I use the following source code in a OnExit-Trigger of a Queue

moveobject(item,model());
setloc(item,0,0,1);
destroyobject(node(">/1",item));

Jörg

The destruction of items is now controlled by a flag on the node instead of the itemtype node. This prevents objects with a label called "itemtype" from getting destroyed.

The command to get/set whether an item is destroyed on reset is switch_destroyonreset()