Spatial Link Pipe View

From Planimate Knowledge Base
Jump to navigation Jump to search

Spatial Link Pipe View

This option makes Spatial Links display like Pipe Objects, but without the complicated attribute handling of using pipes.

The basic idea is that the Spatial Link gets divided into a number of sections.

Splink as Pipe Option.jpg

Each section can have its colour set as an item moves through it along the pipe. In addition to the section colours, separate "activity animation" can occur for non-idle sections, to graphically illustrate material flow. Since multiple items can exist in a spatial link, multiple coloured "bands" can simultaneously animate down the "pipe".


How to Use

In the options of a Spatial Link, turn on "Pipe Display Mode".

The Edit menu will now contain 2 new entries:

Pipe Display Settings
This contains constant pipe parameters such as width, section count, and activity update settings.
Pipe Parameters
This enables 3 dynamic attributes to be defined for the spatial link pipe: Section Colour
The colour each section of the pipe will be set to as the item moves through it.
Activity Colour
The activity animation colour (used for the entire pipe) to use.
Run Control
The activity speed and direction,

eg:

  • 1 is forward,
  • 0 is stoppped,
  • -2 is reverse double speed etc.

These parameters are looked up whenever an item enters the spatial link, moves between sections of the pipe or leaves the spatial link.


A section gets its colour set at the instant the item leaves it.

By dynamically changing these parameters as the item moves through the pipe, some very interesting effects are possible.

Of all the parameters, the section count is the most important.

IT determines how many graphical bins the pipe will be split into.

The more bins, the smoother the animation but the more FEC events will be scheduled as the item moves through the spatial link, slowing the model down. This slowdown occurs if the pipe is visible or not.