Import GIS data

Hi

I remember someone has asked this question about importing GIS data (for map) into FlexSim. Anyone could advise me the possibility and the approach?

David

You can usually import GIS data into AutoCAD and then export it as a dwg to import into Flexsim. We did that for a project that used GIS data.

Hi,

I use GIS layout in my model, and implementing it in Flexscript is pretty basic, once you are aware of how the two location systems interact.

Firstly, GIS coordinates are usually given as Eastings and Northings, which represent the distance in metres from a known reference point. If your coordinates are in longitude and latitude or some other format, there are a host of converters to bring it back to eastings and northings.

A GIS coordinate is usually given as the bottom-left hand corner of an object, when viewed on aerial photograph.

To use these coordinates you first need to develop your own lcoal reference point, rather than using the embedded reference point. For this, you need to consider an aerial photo of your layout, and get a GIS reference for the bottom-left hand corner of your photo, or your site (xref, yref).

Then the flexsim grid locations can be evaluated for any GIS point (myx, myy) by subtracting the figures from your reference point, so that:
FlexsimLocalx = myx -xref
FlexsimLocaly = myy -yref

Since the reference point is in the bottom left hand corner then any point in your GIS scheme will alsways have a larger x and y than the reference.

This scheme is complicated by the fact that Flexsim uses the upper left hand corner for its location references. What this means is that if the thing your placing has dimensions of xwidth and yheight, then you need to modify the formulas above, so that:
FlexsimLocalx = myx -xref
FlexsimLocaly = myy -yref + yheight

Using this approach enables you to correctly layout all GIS coordinate based objects to their correct location.

I note that pipe and conveyor layout are more complicated as the start point is set as above, but the finish point is set out in the section table, and thus you need to translate the absolute location of the finish point into a relative location (i.e. set of lengths and angles) based on the start point.

This scheme has some limits imposed by the curvature of the earth, and a more sophisticated approach is necessary for very large layouts. However, my layout is 15km x 30km at the 1m resolution and the above approach works fine for me.

Brett

If you working with different axis system, check out the vectorproject functions that are available for you. That makes these operations usually a lot easier.