Object
Objects are static nodes in a model through which items flow
Planimate Objects
Planimate has a small number of objects but they each have a variety of modes and extended capabilities.
Agent Drop-off
- Main article: Agent Drop-off
The Agent Drop-off enables agents which are carrying items to release one or more of the items.
The Agent Drop-off enables agents which are carrying items to release one or more of the items. Agent Drop-off Objects can be classified as “Logical with Capacity”, as they can hold items, and no time passes when they process items.
Items leave the Agent Drop-off independently to the agent. Agents pick up items using the Agent Pick-up object. The Agent Drop-off can be used when modelling situations where items move or are supplied in groups or batches. An agent carrying items can enter the Agent Drop-off, drop off some or all of the items being carried and then immediately leave the Agent Drop-off. The items leave the Agent Drop-off if they are not blocked. An item needs an outgoing path before it can be delivered to the Agent Drop-off.
Agent Drop-off States
Empty
The Drop-off Object is empty. An agent carrying items may enter and restock the Drop-off Object. The agent leaves immediately after.
Busy
The Drop-off Object contains some items. These will move out of it as soon as possible.
Full
The Drop-off Object has been stocked to its capacity. Agents cannot enter until some capacity is released (by items leaving)
Blocked
The agent is being blocked from leaving the Drop-off Object. A queue or dispatcher should be added after the tray to avoid this state occurring, because while the Agent is blocked, no Items can leave the Drop-off Object.
Capacity
Sets the maximum number of items the Agent Drop-off can hold at one time. Agent Drop-off capacities may be set by attributes. Selecting Capacity in the Agent Drop-off Object Menu brings up an Attribute selection dialog.
Max Qty. Dropped
This is a "per delivery" limit on the number of items an agent can drop into the Drop-off Object at one time. The default value is <no limit>. This indicates that no limit is set, and an entering agent will drop all qualifying items it is carrying in to the Agent Drop-off, (up to the capacity limit). When you select "Maximum Qty dropped", you are prompted to select an Attribute " for it. If you use a Constant Attribute to set the per-delivery maximum value, then every agent visiting the Agent Drop-off must comply with this per-delivery maximum value, and it will not vary during the course of a model run.
To reset the <no limit> value for the Agent Drop-off, select the Constant Option in the Attribute Selection Dialog, and type in "-1". If you use another type of Attribute to set the per-delivery maximum value, then every time that Attribute is changed during the course of a model run, the per-delivery maximum value will change also.
If you use an Item Attribute to set the per-delivery maximum value, then every time an agent goes to enter the Agent Drop-off, the Attribute is read by the Agent Drop-off and the per-delivery maximum value will be set to that value. Every agent that will use this Agent Drop-off must carry the Item Attribute.
Drop Item Flag
This is a control property that is set on to items being carried by an Agent. The Attribute Selection Dialog can be used to assign an Attribute. If for an incoming item this attribute is set to a value greater than zero, the item can be dropped (providing that there is an outgoing path for that item class). The "drop item flag" feature can be used at a given Drop-off Object even if some item classes dont have the "drop" attribute defined. As long as there isn't an outgoing flow for this class, an error wont be produced.
Refer to Editing Object Properties for information about editing properties common to all objects.
Agent Pick-up
- Main article: Agent Pick-up
The Agent Pick-up enables a number of items to be "picked up" by an Agent.
Entry
- Main article: Entry
Entries introduce new items into a model.
Most Items will be created at an Entry.
The only other Object that can create items is a Splitter.
Exit
- Main article: Exit
Items leave a model via an Exit object.
Change
- Main article: Change
With a Change Object you can make changes in your model whenever an item passes through it during a model run.
Dispatcher
- Main article: Dispatcher
The Dispatcher is a wait station for Agents or Items, and can have multiple outgoing paths.
Guide
- Main article: Guide
Guide objects do not directly affect a simulation but are useful in adjusting the paths of items to improve their movement on screen.
Queue
- Main article: Queue
Queues or line-ups form when a number of items are competing for access to some object that cannot handle them all at the same time.
Multi-Server
- Main article: Multi-Server
The Multi-Server object has the ability to delay one or more items at a time.
Pipe
- Main article: Pipe
Pipes are a type of "spatial" connection which can be formed between portals to model movement of bulk product.
Portal
- Main article: Portal
A Portal object appears on the screen like any other object but rather than having a fixed behaviour, it is a link to a sub-system screen. Every Portal contains one Subsystem screen on which there is always at least one portal entry and one portal exit.
Spatial Link
- Main article: Spatial Link
Spatial links are objects that form a connection between portals.
Splitter
- Main article: Splitter
A Splitter object takes a single incoming item and splits it into a number of outgoing items.
Switch
- Main article: Switch
Switches enable items to dynamically select from a number of possible paths.
Track
- Main article: Track
Planimate® supports modelling of railway type networks with a set of related features collectively known as “Tracks”.
Tracks modelling capabilities are considered to be advanced uses of Planimate®, and require a good grounding in and familiarity with the concepts underlying the Planimate® Platform as a whole.
A “Track” is a Planimate® object, along which items can travel, taking a designated period of time.
Tracks are placed between Portal Objects (representing depots, terminals, crossing loops and junctions). Tracks connect together the subsystems of these Portals. An Item can leave a subsystem, travel across a Track object and some time later arrive in the subsystem at the other end.
Similar to Spatial Links, Tracks offer an opportunity to display and animate transport networks, where Portals represent nodes in these networks. However, Track Objects differ to Spatial Links because they impose limits on how items on them (trains) move.
Object Articles
- Can I move more than one object at a time?
- Can I make an object stop processing an item, hold it for a while, then continue from where it left off?
- Can I delete more than one object at a time?
- Select Objects to Add to Model Objects Label List
- Dynamic Model Object List
- Creating an object label for the current location
- Finding objects positioned off-screen
- How inter-object references are handled during copy/paste
- Replacing objects under model control using the REPLACE operation
- Specifying location of a dynamically copied object
Object Frequently Asked Questions
- The Carrier Item only services one of the Objects that want it
- I have two paths feeding an object, but it seems to draw from only one of them.
- How do I swap one object for another in a path?
- How do I remove an object from a path?
- How do I add another object to the path I have laid?
- Can I move more than one object at a time?
- Can I make an object stop processing an item, hold it for a while, then continue from where it left off?
- Can I delete more than one object at a time?
- I set out my objects, saved the model, but when I try to run it it says no more events.
- Can I save a whole screen's paint objects for use in other screens?
- I want to hide an object.
- I want to hide an object's name.
- My item won't go into an object, even though it is unoccupied.
- My attribute is not changing when the item goes thru the change object.
- My item only goes out one of the two outgoing paths I have laid from an object.
- When my model begins its run, an item goes into an object and never comes out.