Multi-server Options
Act as a Road
Multiservers may be configured to Act as a Road and animate items overtaking each other and moving at different speeds. When this option is set, the state icons are not applied and instead, a line is drawn from the centre of the object to the exit position. You can change the position of the exit to extend or move the location of this line.
Further options are now also made available:
# of Lanes
If you want to be able to see items travelling in a variety of lanes, rather than in single file, set this value to greater than zero. Incoming items will be evenly spread out across the lanes, so that they may be clearly-distinguished.
Lane Spacing
This setting enables you to arrange the items closer together in their animation across the lanes - it is useful if your items have icons larger or smaller than standard 16x16.
When setting up a multi-server road, you will want smoothness in your animation. It may be necessary to alter the Update Interval (accessed in the "Run" Menu in the menu bar).
Pauseable 0 Delay
Pauseable 0 Delay is an advanced user option that configures the multiserver to enable a pause of the model, even at zero time. Using this option, you can specify in a very controlled manner, "pauseable points" in a long processing sequence which runs in zero time.
Selecting this option:
- Sets the delay of the multiserver for ALL item classes to Zero.
- Resets its capacity to 1
- Displays the multi-server as a road.
- Instructs the engine that a pause is OK at this object
This last element is important, because usually when the user requests a model run to pause, a pending zero time delay will be processed, and the item moved on to the next point of capacity before the pause is effected. With this option set, if the user requests a pause as an item is heading to this object, the item will be held there.
No Blocking between Items Option
This option prevents a blocked item from blocking other finished items. This makes it act more like a dispatcher when many items are finished and one is blocked. No blocking between items option is on by default for new servers. If you turn this option off, you create a single exit point for a Multi-Server. Whenever an item is blocked from leaving a multi-server, ALL subsequent items in the multiserver become blocked. This single exit is sometimes useful because it maintains the exit order of the items, based on when they finished their delay.
idkbase note 10064